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Environmental and open public health aspects have an important and increasing role, especially in the exploration of natural fibers from recycle materials. The aim of this study is to synthesis cellulose from office waste paper and use it as a reinforcement filler to develop biocomposites. Epoxy reinforced kenaf fiber and cellulose composite were prepared in this study using polymer casting technique consisting of grinded kenaf fibre (natural fibre) 5% and epoxy 95% as reinforcement element. Cellulose was synthesized from recycled office papers and used as a filler to prepare cellulose/kenaf reinforced epoxy composite. Effect of cellulose to the mechanical properties of the composite were investigated. Samples were fabricated by weight percentage of 0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5% and 2.0% of cellulose content. For mechanical properties impact test, Rockwell harness and tensile testings were conducted.

This paper reports the properties of newly developed electrically conductive natural fiber paper sheet made up of kenaf fiber (KF) incorporated with polyaniline coated kenaf fiber (KF-PANI). This study proposed on dispersion of conductive filler in different amount (wt %) into kenaf pulp for developing different electrical conductivity. The conductive sheet (KF/KF-PANI) revealed a percolation concentration at 25 wt% of KF-PANI. Its scanning electron micrograph showed good paper formation with no significant damages.

A combination of upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) and downflow hanging sponge (DHS) reactor has emerged as an interesting alternative wastewater treatment process. The combined system not only exhibited good organic removal performance in pilot scale experiment, moreover, several studies in the last decades also showed the good efficiency and robustness of DHS reactor in full-scale operation for wastewater treatment. This paper provides a review on the basic concept, historical process development and application of the DHS reactor for wastewater treatment. Over twenty-year development of DHS technology suggests that DHS reactor had become a viable alternative not only solving the sanitation problems in developing countries but also great further potential development in the field of resources recovery technologies from wastewater.

Biodiesel come into being used as an alternative source of energy as the diminishing of petroleum reserves. This fuel is typically stored in tanks that are commonly made from carbon steel, which is easily corroded by microorganisms. Recent studies have shown that bacteria aside from SRB may also be involved in corrosion. Therefore, this research was aimed to evaluate the effect of biodiesel concentration (15%, 20% and 30% v/v) mixed in diesel oil on the corrosion of carbon steel by S. marcescens that dominate biocorrosion on hydrocarbon products. In this study, the corrosion process was investigated by evaluation of biofilm morphology and composition, the rate of corrosion and the corrosion product of carbon steel which was exposed in the mixture of hydrocarbons and the presence of S. marcescens. It can be concluded that higher concentration of biodiesel in diesel oil leads to higher growth of bacteria in the biofilm and higher corrosion rate.

Bioconversion of C-1 carbon in syngas through microbial fermentation presents a huge potential to be further explored for ethanol production. Syngas can be obtained from the gasification of lignocellulosic biomass, by which most of carbon content of the biomass was converted into CO and CO2. These gases could be further utilized by carbon-fixing microorganism such as Clostridium sp. to produce ethanol as the end product. In order to obtain an optimum process, a robust and high performance strain is required and thus high ethanol yield as the main product can be expected. In this study, series of batch fermentation was carried out to select high performance strains for ethanol production. Bottle serum fermentations were performed using CO-gas as the sole carbon source to evaluate the potential of some Clostridia species such as Clostridium ljungdahlii, C. ragsdalei, and C. carboxidovorans in producing ethanol at various concentration of yeast extract as the organic nitrogen source, salt concentration, and buffer composition. Strain with the highest ethanol production in the optimum media will be further utilized in the upscale fermentation.

The biodegradation of phenolic contaminant present in wastewater by micro algae has been investigated in the current research. The study focused on algae growth requirements and factors affecting algae growth in contaminated water leading to the best treatment. Different techniques used to functionalize microalgae in the treatment such as batch and continuous operation modes have been further investigated. Mechanisms for microalgae pollutants degradation and microalgae growth kinetics were also highlighted to present the required knowledge in phenol contaminant biodegradation field by microorganisms

Cassava (Manihot utilissima) is the main raw material of tapioca flour industry. The tapioca industry waste water still contains high enough BOD, COD, and cyanide, above the quality standard of industrial waste water. Photo-Fenton is one of the most effective alternative methods of degrading organic pollutants. This study aims to determine the effect of Photo-Fenton method on the degradation of organic pollutants such as COD and cyanide. For operating conditions of this study use the addition of concentrations of H2O2 and FeSO4.7H2O and different UV light intensity. The analysis of COD concentration using SNI method is spectrophotometric. From the research result, it is found that the concentration of COD and cyanide in tapioca waste can be reduced by using Photo-Fenton method. With initial COD content of 6000 mg/L and cyanide level of 0.67 mg/L. And in the operating conditions of the addition of 5 ml/l of H2O2, Fe2+ 1.25 mg/l, and light intensity of 200 lm, the highest COD and cyanide levels were found to be 900 mg/l for COD and 0.08 mg/l for cyanide. Final levels of COD up to 900 mg/l and cyanide concentrations up to 0.08 mg/l.

Biogas is a renewable energy which can be used as an alternative source to replace fossil fuels. Recently, the use of energy has become an important issue because the oil sources and natural gas are depleting. Utilization of carica waste to produce biogas can reduce the consumption of commercial energy sources such as kerosene as well as the use of firewood. Biogas is produced by the process of organic material digestion by certain anaerobic bacterial activity in anaerobic digester. In this study we studied the influence of LS-AD and SS-AD methods, the effect of C / N ratio on biogas yield obtained and kinetics of biogas production reaction. The study was conducted by making a total solid variation of 7%, 9%, 11%, 13%, 19%, 21%, 23% and C/N ratio 25 and 30. The study started with carica waste collection process and examination of the total composition of solids and water content. Thereafter, calculation and determination of variation of C / N ratio by mixing the substrate with inoculum and urea into the reactor. Observe the volume of biogas produced every two-day intervals. The highest biogas production rate of 1.7825 ml/g TS day was obtained from carica solid waste variable by liquid state anaerobic disgestion and C/N 25.

Bio-fouling is the attachment and accumulation of an organism or micro-organism to a material. Bio-fouling is one of the causes of declining performance and quality in a system of structures, especially structures that have a direct relationship with the waters where the bio-fouling live and move. The research was conducting using a simple circuit that represents Impressed Current Anti Fouling (ICAF) system which is generally located on the cooling of the ship against micro-fouling or bacteria. Species of bacteria (Pseudomonas fluorescens) in the marine environment was used as an object. The bacteria were introduced into the reactor containing the cathode and anode of this simple system, with inputs of experimental time variation of 3, 5 and 7 minutes and electrical current variation of 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5 Ampere. The determination of bacteria population was conducted using standard plate count methods. The results showed that ICAF system can reduce the bacteria populations. The largest percentage of Pseudomonas fluorescens reduction was 99.9%, while the smallest percentage showed 98.5% percentage. In conclusion, the simple of ICAF system can be used to prevent appearance of micro-fouling in marine environment.

Coffee pulp waste composition consist of cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, pectin and caffeine, tannin, and polyphenol as inhibitor substance. The high cellulose compound in coffee pulp can be used for alternative raw materials in the manufacture of biogas. This study aims to define the composition of the mixture of microorganisms of Pseudomonas putida, Trichoderma harzianum, and Aspergillus niger that are best to use in coffee pulp pretreatment to degrade inhibitor substance. The best result of pretreatment will be applied to biogas production. The first step is to do a pretreatment of the coffee pulp with variable Pseudomonas putida : Trichoderma harzianum : Aspergillus niger with a ratio of 1:1:1, 1:2:1, 1:1:2, 1:2:2, 2:1:1, 2:1:2, 2:1:1 (v:v:v), then variables that are most excellent in degrading inhibitor substance are selected. The second step, is doing anaerobic fermentation for 20 days at mesophilic temperature (30-40°C) on a reactor working volume of 4.5 L. In the making of biogas, a varied starter as much as 10% of the total are put into the reactor in the form of a mixture of cow dung : rumen fluid with a ratio of 1:0, 0:1, 1:1, 1:2, 2:1 (w/v). The parameters measured include the decreasing of the inhibitor substance, Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), biogas (CH4 and CO2) and calorific value of combustion (Heating value). This study results a composition of ingredients within the pretreatment process which includes a mixture of microorganisms with a ratio of Pseudomonas putida : Trichoderma harzianum : Aspergillus niger is 1:2:1 (v:v:v). For biogas, a mixture of cow dung and rumen fluid can produce higher methane gas is the ratio of cow dung : rumen fluid is 1:2 (w/v) with the concentration of methane (CH4) formed at 1.825%. At the concentration of methane is 1.825%, the heating value obtained is 76.032 kcal/kg with volume biogas 0.0032 m3/ kg converted of COD.

Buildings are a vital component in a human’s daily life. It provides shelter from the environment, weather and animals. Mold growth within the building might be caused by the moisture problems which directly act on it such as water leaks or indirect factor such as high humidity levels. This growth causes esthetic problems and deterioration of its wall coatings. Spores from the fungi also cause health problems to humans. The fungus species studied in this research is Aspergillus niger . The material is made of wood and its finishing is thick wallpaper, thin wallpaper, acrylic paint and glycerol based paint. ASTMD5590-00 standard was used to evaluate fungal growth and to determine if non antifungal agent was effective in inhibiting the amount of fungal growth on four types of wall finishing used on wooden walls. This research was conducted without using any antifungal agent. Highest percentage of growth of the fungi was found on acrylic paint, followed by glycerol based paint and thin wallpaper. Thick wall paper shows the least growth of fungi. The maximum growth is visible on day 12 which is more than 60% by all the wall finishing.

The effect of moisture content of black locust wood on the heating of sawn timber with the thickness of h = 32 mm in saturated water steam during the processes of colour modifications by modes: mode I – temperature of saturated water steam t = 112 ± 2.5 °C for τ = 5.5 hours, mode II – temperature of saturated water steam t = 127 ± 2.5 °C for τ = 6.5 hours, and mode III – temperature of saturated water steam t = 137 ± 2.5 °C for τ = 7.5 hours is analysed in the paper. The increase in moisture content affects the heating time, it lasts longer. When the moisture content of black locust wood ranges from W = 60 – 65 %, the heating time by modes I – III did not last longer than the time Δτ ≤ 0.5 min. and no negative impact on the final colour modification is observed.

One of the problems faced in stingless bee honey storage is spoilage by the fermentation process occurs in honey due to its high water content. There are a few techniques available currently, but they are time consuming and there is excessive heat involved in the process. The temperature of the process must be kept low because excessive heat can deteriorate nutrition value and biochemical content in honey. Hence, a new method of honey dewatering was developed using a Low Temperature Vacuum Drying (LTVD) with induced nucleation technique. The objective of this research is to investigate the performance of a LTVD with induced nucleation to reduce the water content in honey. First, the honey was placed in a pressure vessel, and then air was removed. Then, the honey was slightly heated at 30 oC and the water content before and after the experiment was measured by a refractometer. The steps were repeated until the water content reached below 20%. It was found that the LTVD method improved the water removal rate significantly with an average of 0.15% of water content per minute. That is 3 times much faster than the conventional method of low temperature heating by Tabouret. Higher temperature during dewatering process improved the dewatering rate significantly. It can be concluded that LTVD is a promising option in tackling the high water content in stingless bee honey issue.

Most promising alternative source available for fossil diesel in India is the Pongamia pinnata biodiesel (Karanja biodiesel in the Indian context). The characterization of biodiesel plays an important role in engine emission and performance. Due to oxygenation the biodiesel has low higher heating value than fossil diesel hence it is necessary to study the effect of different physio-chemical properties on higher heating value. Experimentations were conducted on 11 samples on the basis of Volume % for Pongamia Pinnata biodiesel and diesel blends in the step of 10 varying from 0% (Fossil diesel) to 100% (Pongamia pinnata biodiesel). A retrospective investigation is conducted for characterization of biodiesels and different physio-chemical properties are correlated as a function of Higher Heating Value (HHV). By the traditional statistical technique of regression analysis the correlations can predict the HHV values with the accuracy of R2=0.9907 and uncertainty of ±6.19%. HHVs obtained by performing experiments and by predicted correlations are compared with the correlations available in open literature. The study reveals that the properties of kinematic viscosity and density have a strong correlation with HHV as compared to cetane number and flash point.

Bamboo is a rapid renewable plant that has a fast growth rate as compared to trees, which increases its suitability to be used as a sustainable source for wood industry, especially in construction works. Due to the lack of understanding on bamboo properties, the utilization of bamboo in construction has always been neglected. This paper presents an investigation on the mechanical properties of four species of treated bamboos that are available in Malaysia, which include Bambusa Vulgaris, Dendrocalamus Asper, Schizostachyum Grande , and Gigantochloa Scortechinii . A mechanical testing was carried out in various parts along the culm of these bamboo species in order to examine the differences of their compressive strength and tensile strength. The strength development and moisture content of these bamboo species were also monitored at a five-month interval. The results showed that Bambusa Vulgaris, Dendrocalamus Asper , and Gigantochloa Scortechinii possess excellent mechanical properties in compression and tensile strength, which indicate a good quality to be used as a construction material. As bamboo offers promising advantages, thus, it is suitable to be used as a substitute in place of structural timber in construction, which indirectly facilitates the preservation of the global environment.

The objective of this study is to isolate sulphate reduction bacteria (SRB) from acid mire water collected at Sg Pelepah Kota Tinggi, Johor Malaysia. The isolation process was conducted in high alkaline and anaerobic conditions to sustain the bacteria in concrete environment. Properties tests such as compressive strength and water penetration were conducted. The result showed that optimal growth condition of sulphate reduction bacteria is pH 9-10. It was also observed that the bacteria is a coccus shape after gram staining process. The bacteria was used after 10 days of culturing prior to growth curve measurement. The liquid culture containing sulphate reduction bacteria were used at 1%, 3% and 5% as replacement ratio of water content. Concrete specimens were cured in the air conditions for 7, 14 and 28 days. Maximum increment on compressive strength was 13.0% and decrement in water penetration was 8.5% occurred with 5% of SRB. The enhancement in compressive strength and water penetration performance was due to calcium precipitation within concrete pores. Image of scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) showed bacteria sustained and survived in concrete environment by reducing diameter of pores in concrete specimens.

Packaging material such as plastic bags is one of the main factors that contribute to the environmental pollution due to slow degradation. The usage of metal oxide as pro-oxidant has been proven to accelerate the degradation of these materials, but the excessive usage of this pro-oxidant will be harmful to the human body. Therefore, in this research, spear grass is investigated to be used as natural based pro-oxidant that can increase the degradation rate of the polymers. In terms of that, spear grass is extracted by using pressurized hot water extraction (PHWE) to obtain the metal element such as zinc (Zn) and ferum (Fe). PHWE is using water as a solvent which is highly favourable due to non-toxicity and non-flammable characteristics that make it easy to handle. Box-Behnken design is used to optimize the temperature, extraction time, and sample-to-solvent ratio to get the maximum amount of Zn and Fe concentration from the extracted spear grass. As a conclusion, the leaf of spear grass contributed the highest amount of Zn and Fe concentration. The highest amount of Zn and Fe concentration is achieved at 150 °C, 20 minutes, and 3 g of sample to 45 ml of water.

Biodiesel production from non-edible vegetable oils is an effective way to conquer the linked problems with edible oils such as food versus fuel and other environmental impacts. Cerbera odollam oil is one of these possible non-edible feed stocks for future biodiesel production. This study evaluated the potential biodiesel production from cerbera odollam. The seed was collected and extracted from Aceh, Indonesia. Moreover, biodiesel has been produced using degummed (H3PO4) and two step acid catalyst (HCl) and alkaline catalyst (KOH). The results of properties of the cerbera odollam methyl esters show that such as viscosity was about 847.9 mm2/s, density was 3.1578 kg/m3, flash point was 214.0°C, acid value was 0.4 mg KOH/g, oxidation stability was 6.35 h, FAME content was 97.77 % w/w and heating value was 40.49 MJ/kg. After analysing these properties, it has been found that there is a huge chance to produce biodiesel from this seed which complies with the limits of ASTM 6751 and EN 14214 specifications and therefore it can boost the future production of biodiesel from non-edible sources.

Thermogravimetric analyzer had been occupied to investigate the behavior of co-combustion between microalgae Spirulina platensis and synthetic waste. The powder of microalgae and synthetic waste were mixed in the same ratio of 50/50. Around 10 mg of the sample was heated up in the chamber under air atmosphere flowrate of 100 ml/min at a heating rate of 10 °C/min. The results showed that the sample blend is undergoing thermal degradation in the three stages. The most massive reaction occurred in the second stage in which around 74% of the mass degraded and combusted. The activation energy in the main combustion reaction zone according to the method of Horowitz–Metzger was 57.77 kJ/mol.

In the present study investigates the effect of bio-ethanol on the performance and emissions of a biodiesel blend fueled compression ignition engine. The experiments are conducted using pongamia biodiesel blend B20 (20% pongamia biodiesel +80% diesel) with 5, 7.5 and 10% (v/v) of bio-ethanol on a four stroke single cylinder diesel engine. The tests are conducted at different load conditions. Performance and emissions characteristics are investigated for different bio-ethanol compositions. The results show that the brake thermal efficiency is maximum for B20E7.5 blend with a minimum brake specific fuel consumption. Carbon monoxide emission is minimum for B20E7.5 blend and NOx emission decreases as the bio-ethanol percentage is increased from 5 to 7.5%. The study reveals that 7.5% bio-ethanol with B20 pongamia biodiesel blend results better performance and emission characteristics.

Cajuput (Melaleuca leucadendra L.) oil is one of potential commodity that provides an important role for the country’s foreign exchange but the extraction of these essential oil is still using conventional method such as hydrodistillation which takes a long time to produce essential oil with good quality. Therefore it is necessary to optimize the extraction process using a more effective and efficient method. So in this study the extraction is done using solvent-free microwave extraction method that are considered more effective and efficient than conventional methods. The optimum yield in the extraction of cajuput oil using solvent-free microwave extraction method is 1.0674%. The optimum yield is obtained on the feed to distiller (F/D) ratio of 0.12 g/mL with microwave power of 400 W. In the extraction of cajuput oil using solvent-free microwave extraction method is performed first-order and second-order kinetics modelling. Based on kinetics modelling that has been done, it can be said that the second-order kinetic model (R2 = 0.9901) can be better represent experimental results of extraction of cajuput oil that using solvent-free microwave extraction method when compared with the first-order kinetic model (R2 = 0.9854).

Aren (Arenga pinata) tree is one type of palm plant that produces fruit, sap and starch or flour in the trunk. Industries aren flour usually in small and medium industries is dried by conventional method with dried under the sun. The main constraint is the low drying speed. Therefore, in this study aren flour with a water content of 40% was dried using a pneumatic dryer to moisture content below 15% (wet base). The aim of this research is to analyze the influence of drying air temperature, drying air flow rate and feeding speed to drying speed and energy analysis. Energy analysis was performed to determine the performance of pneumatic dryers. The energy analysis itself is done in the form of energy utilization and energy efficiency. The results show that the increase of dryer temperature from 60 to 100 will increase the utilization of energy from 0.61 to 1.39 J / s, energy efficiency is 33.4-45.1%. the results of a proximate analysis, an ash content of 0.39 grain fiber 0.18 white degree 92.93% which already fulfill SNI standard of Aren flour.

This study deals with laboratory investigation of fine particulate matter production over controlled heating of beech wood samples in the atmosphere with 21% of oxygen. From carried out measurements follow that majority of emitted fine particles is in the range 40 nm to 500 nm. The peak number of particles is between 100 nm an 300 nm. The mass concentration of produced particulate matter increases proportionally with increasing size of the sample. The number of particles is increasing too, but not proportionally. In the second step, the samples in form of sawdust, bark and heartwood were analyzed from the view of particulate matter production. Obtained results are strongly influenced by actual combustion conditions that significantly differ between wood samples forms. It is not easy to find any clear trend between temperature and size distribution of produced particles. From the general view, the bark produces higher number concentration of ultrafine particles in comparison with heartwood and sawdust samp

High moisture content in raw pot pollen increases the activity of microorganisms, thus promotes fermentation and causes rapid deterioration. Hence, the objective of this study is to dry stingless bees pot pollen by a novel fluidized bed dryer. The experimental analysis was conducted based on flowrate, airflow temperature, power consumption and sample mass. It was found that the mass of pot pollen can be reduced by 6.86 % in 30 minutes of drying operation. The temperature rise is also minimal up to average of 31.5°C. This significantly reduced the impact of drying not only to the nutrients, but also the flavour and aroma. Moreover, the total energy consumed is 212.57 Wh, which is considered low. Hence, this preliminary study showed the feasibility of drying pot pollen using a novel fluidized bed dryer.

Due to increasing population growth, the consumption and needs of energy increase significantly. This leads Indonesia government to search alternative energy to cover the lacks of fossil energy reserves. Biodiesel is one of the prospective alternative energy which are renewable and environmental friendly. A common problem in large-scale biodiesel production is the sustainability of feedstock and the biodiesel stability. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the production of biodiesel from two oil sources i.e. waste cooking oil and castor oil. This study examined the effect of mixed oil ratio on yield, biodiesel characteristics and stability. The physical properties included kinematic viscosity, acid number, saponification number, iodine number and cetane number have been evaluated as function of oil ratio. Yield of biodiesel was obtained at 35.07%, 99.2% and 83.69% for jatropha:castor oil ratio of 1: 0, 1: 2 and 2: 1, respectively. Most of these characteristics showed an increase by increasing the oil ratio. The result concluded that at the ratio of 1:1(v/v) was the best characteristic and stability.

The production process of indigofera plants yields 10% of blue natural dyes and wastes are 90%. The biomass wastes from the extraction of indigofera plants are classified as difficult to process in an Anaerobic Digester (AD) because of the large content of hemicellulose in the Indigofera stems. Therefore, the study reports the anaerobic digestion of Indigofera plant wastes co-digested with cow dung for enhancing the biogas quality. The digestion process was conducted in a vessel of 160 L with various weight ratios between Indigofera biomass and cow dung by 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%. The results show that the AD reactor temperature kept above 29.5°C with a pH between 6-7 were the key factors for enhancing the biogas quality. The co-digestion between 50% indigofera wastes with 50% cow dung yielded biogas with a CH4 content of about 42% and H2S concentration below 40 ppm showing that the biogas has the potential to be further improved in quality and can be used to fuel the stove and power generation.

The main objective of the experimental work is to identify the mechanical properties of Kenaf Fiber incorporate with Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) and Pulverised Fuel Ash (PFA) in the mix proportions of concrete. Kenaf Fibrous Concrete (KFC) and Kenaf Fibrous Pulverised Fuel Ash Concrete (KFPC) will be measured on physical and mechanical properties in order to investigate the suitability of this natural fiber as a composite material. A comparison of properties between these two composites will determine the density, workability, compressive, tensile, and flexural strength of the concrete. Eight different mixes with varying percentage of Kenaf fiber were prepared with 30N/mm2 strength at 28days ,56 days and 90 days. Short fiber with 25mm and 50mm length were randomly distribute in composite to enhance the tensile and durability. PFA was obtained by the process of burning in the Power Station Coal Ash at Tanjung Bin, Johor. The unburning powder from the process is called as a PFA generally suitable for cement replacement in the concrete mix. The pozzolanic reaction will improve the adhesion of cement gel, hence increased the properties of concrete in a long-term strength development. The result shows that the inclusion of Kenaf fiber improve tensile strength of composite, furthermore the 25% PFA mix increase the durability of concrete.

Organic waste, fruit waste and vegetable waste are the best substrate to produce biogas. Waste management system for producing biogas can be used as a solution with the waste problem by converting the wastes into biogas. This study is expected to review of the effect of substrate type and substrate composition for the volume of biogas produced. In this study, materials consist of fruit wastes (oranges, apples, papayas, and tomatoes), cow ruminant, urea, cow dung, Na2CO3 buffer, NH4HCO3 buffer, and distilled water with variations of the substrate materials, F/ W, and the buffer types. The addition of cow manure and Na2CO3 buffer with 1:2 of F/W, production of biogas is greater than variable which is used NH4HCO3 buffer and without the addition of cow dung. Variables with addition of cow dung with 1:1 of F/W and using Na2CO3 buffer, the result is greater than the variable using the same buffer but without the addition of cow dung and variables with 1:1 of F/W with the addition of cow dung and Na2CO3 buffer and variables with the same feed and without the addition of cow dung produce more biogases than variable which is the using NH4HCO3 buffer, 1:1 of F/W and without the addition of cow dung.

This study focuses on a feasibility study of alternative nonedible crude oil such as jatropha and used cooking oil in biodiesel production. Crude jatropha oil (CJO) and used cooking oil (UCO) were converted to biodiesel using a two-step transesterification process with presents of acid-based and alkaline-based catalysts. Each three biodiesel blends (B5, B15 and B25) have been produced by blended with conventional diesel fuel (CDF). Determination of the fuel properties for each blend including CDF, Jatropha Methyl Ester (JME) and Used Cooking Oil Methyl Ester (UCOME) have been carried out. The average yield for jatropha and used cooking oil biodiesels production was 94.3% and 92% respectively. The increment of the percentage of JME or UCOME in its blends is proportional to fuels physical properties such as density, specific gravity, kinematic viscosity and surface tension, however inversely proportional to fuels calorific value. Based on the results of this study, it is acceptable to conclude that non-edible CJO and UCO are viable alternatives to edible oil as feedstock to renewable fuel in order to reduce the greenhouse gases produced.

Pharmaceutical wastewater is one of the most difficult wastewater to treat due to the presence of pharmaceutical compounds resulting in high concentration of organic matter, high turbidity and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD). Chemical-based coagulation is a common method used to treat wastewater. However, the issue that has been raised with the use of chemical coagulants is their presence in water after treatment that can cause risks to the human health such as Alzheimer and cancer. Natural coagulants can be used as a safe alternative to these chemicals instead. Therefore, the objective of this experiment was to study the effect of H. Sabdariffa and J. Curcas as natural coagulants, separately and as a combination, on the treatment of pharmaceutical wastewater. Jar test experiment were carried out where beakers of 0.5L wastewater were mixed with the coagulants. The pH of the wastewater was varied from 2 to 12 while the coagulant dosage was varied from 40 to 200 mg/L. It was found that H. Sabdariffa works best at pH 4 and at a coagulant dosage of 190 mg/L with a highest turbidity removal of 35.8% and a decrease of COD by 29%. J. Curcas was found to perform best at pH 3 and with a coagulant dosage of 200 mg/L with a highest turbidity removal of 51% and a decrease of COD by 32%. When J. Curcas and H. Sabdariffa were used in combination, the optimum composition was found to be 80% J. Curcas and 20% H. Sabdariffa by weight with a maximum turbidity removal of 46.8% and a decrease in COD by 46%. In comparison between the two natural coagulants, J. Curcas is found to be a better and more suited coagulative agent for the treatment of pharmaceutical wastewater. The same experiment was carried with alum at pH 6 and coagulant dosage of 750 mg/L and a turbidity removal of 48% and a decrease in COD by 38% were recorded. In comparison with alum, J. Curcas was a better coagulant in treating the pharmaceutical wastewater. This shows that natural coagulants can be used to replace chemical coagulants in the treatment of pharmaceutical wastewater.

The use of biodiesel as an alternative fuel is becoming increasingly popular nowadays due to global energy shortage. The interest in using Jatropha as a non-edible oil feedstock is rapidly growing. Biodiesel produced from crude Jatropha oil with NaOH as a catalyst is investigated. Transesterification by methanol is carried out in a closed vessel as a batch system. Factors affecting the process which included the reaction temperature and pressure, reaction time, the molar ratio of methanol to oil and catalyst amount are investigated. The maximum conversion ratio of methyl ester yield of 97.7% was recorded under the conditions of 65 °C, 1% (by mass) NaOH of the oil mass and 6:1 methanol to oil ratio.

This study is aimed to evaluate the electricity generation from microbial fuel cell (MFC) and to analyze the microbial community structure of city wastewater and anaerobic sludge to enhance the MFC performance. MFCs, enriched with palm oil mill effluent (POME) were employed to harvest electricity by innoculating of Klebsiella oxytoca , collected from city wastewater and other microbes from anaerobic sludge (AS). The MFC showed maximum power density of 207.28 mW/m 3 with continuous feeding of POME using microbes from AS. Subsequent replacement with Klebsiella oxytoca resulted maximum power density of 1236 mW/m 3 by utilizing complex substrate POME which was six times higher as compared to MFC operated with AS. Based on Biolog gene III analysis, relatively higher abundance of Klebsiella oxytoca was detected in the city wastewater. Predominant microorganisms such as Gammaproteobacteria, Azospiraoryzae, Acetobacterperoxydans and Solimonasvariicoloris were isolated from palm oil anaerobic sludge as well as from biofilm of MFC. Enriched electrochemically active bacteria Klebsiella oxytoca showed better performance to generate electricity from complex POME substrates compare to AS. These results demonstrate that the power output of MFCs can be increased significantly using Klebsiella oxytoca .

The common sources of water pollution in Malaysia are domestic sewage and industrial waste. Therefore, domestic wastewater quality effluent should be improved before discharged through the outlets. The alternative method of treatment uses microalgae for water remediation which is known as phycoremediation was applied. This technique is to remove or reduce nutrients and harmful pollutants in domestic wastewater. Thus, objective of the present study is to bioremediate the physiochemical and heavy metal from domestic wastewater using freshwater green microalgae Botryococcus sp. A photobioreactor is used to treat the wastewater by employing the microalgae Botryococcus sp. as a vital part of the treatment system. The results show that several nutrients have been reduced successfully such as phosphate and total phosphorus of 100% removal, inorganic carbon of 99% removal, total carbon of 42% removal, and nitrate of 10%. The most prominent heavy metal content that has been removed is Aluminium of 41%. At the same time, the growth of microalgae Botryococcus sp. in this wastewater has achieved the maximum value at Day 4 with 2.58 × 10 5 cell/ml only. These results show the potential of Botryococcus sp. cultivation as an alternative method to treat domestic wastewater and any other biotechnology works in the future.

Microalgae attracts the attention of scientists because of the possibility of using in the energy industry as one of the substrates for the production of renewable energy. So far, the greatest emphasis was put on attempts to obtain strains, and technologies of their culturing, in order to efficiently acquire fat from cells and its further conversion to biodiesel using transesterification reaction. Increasingly, algae are considered also as an efficient biomass producer, which can be used as a substrate for methane production in biogas plants. In this study the influence of different physical and chemical conditions, on the growth of two algae species: Chlamydomonasreinhardtii and Scenedesmus obliquus was investigated. Based on the literature and the data obtained for the algae growth on the standard medium and the digestate remaining after fermentation, one may suggest further investigations on the use of other liquid waste from agriculture and industry for algae breeding, including chemical. analysis and supplementation of these mediums so as to provide the best conditions for their growth.

The experience of using public transportation in Khartoum is hectic due to over (1.5) Million seats in daily deficit. This research explores the daunting issues of public transport in developing countries like Sudan, taking Khartoum as a case study, and studies the possible alternatives to find an innovative solution that counters them. This paper reviewed the concept presented by MIT scholars in 2017 which was an innovative idea of elevated mini-trains that are intended to run over city streets called (Caterpillar Trains). The paper investigated the use of the C-Trains when integrated with LRT to form the Khartoum Sky Trains Network (STN). It was found that the STN is an optimum model for developing countries, as they were found able to meet the demands of public transport, in both short term and long term. The expected various environmental, social and economic impacts of such large infrastructure project were also studied. Finally, the research suggests that the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) contracting module can be utilized to overcome the construction costs, the concession period of which was found through a FORTRAN95 program.

Flood is one of the natural phenomena that often brings loss of property and life. Mostly, it occurs during a high-intensity rainfall event in the catchment area which results in high river flow that cannot be accommodated by river cross sections. In Bandung area, one of the locations that are often hit by the flood is located on km 130 of the Padaleunyi toll road. This flood occurred due to the overflow of the Cilember and/or Cimancong rivers tributary which flows parallel to the toll road, inundating the toll road segment with low elevation at around km 130+500. This paper aims to analyze the effective flood control methods in the above location. With catchment area around 2.3km2, which is relatively small, peak flood discharge calculation was carried out using a rational method. Hydraulics simulation was carried out using HecRas, based on river field measurement data of Cilember and Cimancong river cross-section. Analysis result shows that the combination between flood embankment construction and river normalization provides a significant decrease in flood water level in km 130 Padaleunyi toll road. The reinforced concrete vertical wall was considered as the appropriate flood protections structure due to the limited space available between the river and the toll road segment. This paper also underlined the impact of the increasing loss of water retention areas on an increased risk of flooding.

In this paper, we originally apply the BP neural network to predict the plant height of Populus simonii seedlings. Firstly, we explore correlation among the section length variables of Populus simonii seedlings in four growth periods by using principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering method, which obtain 5 principal components. In addition, we utilize Fuzzy C-Means Clustering (FCM) to classify the Populus simonii seedlings, and are obviously classified into two subpopulations. Furthermore, we utilize BP neural network to establish seedlings height growth model and aboveground biomass prediction model, respectively. Through numerical experiments, prediction accuracy of the seedling height growth models in four periods reaches about 84.89%. Meanwhile, the prediction accuracies of stem and leaf fresh weight and stem and leaf dry weight are 91.15% and 83.79%, respectively. This paper provides an effective method for studying phenotypic characteristics and predicting the height of Populus simonii seedlings, which supplies a reference for genome-wide association analysis.

This paper deals with standard test method for the measurement of vibration-damping properties of materials, ductile cast iron - graphitic cast iron with the spherical shape of graphite. Investigation is focused on its mechanical properties, chemical composition and microstructure, which are necessary as input parameters for computational modeling and numerical analysis. The vibration or oscillating of experimental samples is closely connected with such parameters as natural shapes (eigenshapes) and natural frequencies (eigenfrequencies). Preparation of a geometric model of a homogeneous beam sample and numerical analysis was performed by finite element method in the ADINA software environment. This paper can be used for further development and growth from the aspect of application of computational tools in the area of damping and eigenfrequency properties for construction materials. This paper deal was supported by the Slovak Grant Agency KEGA 007TnUAD-4/2017, VEGA grant No. 1/0649/17, VEGA grant No. 1/0589/17 and resulted from the project “Center for quality testing and diagnostics of materials”, ITMS code 26210120046 relating to the Operational Program Research and Development funded from European Fund of Regional Development

Freeways and expressways are considered an important part of any successful transportation system. These facilities carry the majority of daily trips on the transportation network. Although expressways (Toll Roads) offer high level of service, and are considered the safest among other types of roads, traditional toll plazas may have both safety and operational challenges. The traditional toll facilities still experience many crashes, many of which are severe. Therefore, the main focus of this paper is to evaluate the effect of tollbooths’ number and types (i.e. cashier lanes, coin lanes and Electronic Toll Collections (ETC) lanes) on safety performance at traditional toll plazas. The literature showed that about 30 to 40 percent of the total crashes on expressways occur at these facilities. An extensive data collection was conducted that included 42 traditional mainline toll plazas located on approximately 750 miles of expressways in Florida, and multiple analytical techniques were used. Based on the finding in this paper, choosing locations for the toll plazas that have safe distances from the interchanges, installing flashing lights at night time, and finding ways to improve signage and road marking are potential means of reducing lane changes before tollbooths. More research is needed and researchers may build on the results of this study.

The fast real-time application message is an object-oriented substation event—GOOSE (Generic Object Oriented Substation Event). It mainly works on the process layers and bay layers of digital substation. GOOSE intelligent substation communication network can realize the key function of the overall intelligent sub- station functions. This paper will make a systematic analysis of GOOSE. At first, it will provide a detailed analy- sis of the transmission mechanism and process of GOOSE message. As certain practical operability lacks the actual application of the multicast filtering method which is applied to GOOSE message based on IEC61850 standard, this paper will summarize three message filtering methods, compare the advantages and disadvantages in topological networks of different kinds in accordance with the instantaneity of GOOSE intelligent substation communication network and draw a conclusion that the independent configuration scheme of GOOSE and SV can adapt to the requirement of times, so as to provide theoretical references for the selection of practical intelli- gent substation communication network in the future.

On the European market there are several fire retardant products available, which reach class B in the European classification system. The producers promise their fire retardants are effective in reducing different reaction to fire parameters of wood such as the time to ignition, the mass loss rate, the heat release rate, the total heat release, the charring rate and the flame spread. This paper discusses the performance of fire retardant products as pressure impregnated wood, non-intumescence surface coatings and intumescence coatings on Norway spruce (Picea abies). The investigations are performed by using a cone calo- rimeter test according to ISO 5660. The thermal exposures of the investigations are 50kW/m 2 and the standard IS0 834 test curve. As result information about the heat release rate, the mass loss rate and the total heat release for duration of 900 seconds will be presented in this paper.

Based on the movement process of throwing and in order to further improve the throwing tech- nique of our country, this paper will first illustrate the main influence factors which will affect the shot distance via the mutual combination of movement equation and geometrical analysis. And then, it will give the equation of the acting force that the throwing athletes have to bear during throwing movement; and will reach the speed relationship between each arthrosis during throwing and batting based on the kinetic analysis of the throwing athletes' arms while throwing. This paper will obtain the momentum relationship of the athletes' each arthrosis by means of rotational inertia analysis; and then establish a restricted particle dynamics equation from the La- grange equation. The obtained result shows that the momentum of throwing depends on the momentum of the athletes' wrist joints while batting.

This paper analyses unstable mode of a free gas turbine of turboshaft helicopter engine TV3-117. The analysis is focused on the conditions of this phenomenon and the possibilities of its solution in a turboshaft helicopter engine and an industrial turbocharger engine with a free gas turbine. Knowing the causes of the unstable mode of operation of a free gas turbine will allow helicopter pilots to prevent accidents and increase the level of flight safety.

In this paper, a novel normalized least mean squares (NLMS) algorithm that jointly updates the efficient of the linear equalizer and soft interference canceller (SIC) in an adaptive turbo equalizer for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) underwater acoustic (UWA) communications. To exploit the sparsity of MIMO UWA channels and enhance the convergence speed of adaptive equalization, improved proportionate fast self-optimized NLMS algorithm (IPFONLMS), is proposed to well adapt to sparse channel with the similar complexity as improve proportionate NLMS (IPNLMS) algorithm. Then we extend the proposed algorithm to the adaptive turbo equalization for MIMO UWA communications. The performance of the proposed adaptive algorithm is evaluated by numerical results. Simulation results show that the improved data efficiency and bit error ratio (BER) performance of the proposed receiver is achieved over adaptive turbo equalizer based on the IPNLMS algorithm.

Recovery and reuse of the lands affected by mining activities in the Panga open pit is carried out on a complex project that takes into account pedological, agrochemical and spatial aspects that highlight the physico-chemical properties of the land and, implicitly, the productive and recreational potential. The importance of eliminating or mitigating of the anthropic impact and of land reuse also arises from the fact that once restoration works are completed, the influence of the mining activity on the environmental factors will be considerably reduced and the vegetation, fauna and zonal microclimate will be restored. One of the major consequences of mining activity refers to significant geomorphological changes. In the present paper, these geomorphological changes generated by the mining activities are analysed in order to identify the land reuse opportunities, to ensure the premises of sustainable development of the region.

The paper presents the numerical analysis of stress and strain occurring in the most wearable parts of hip and knee joints endoprostheses. The complexity of the processes taking place in both, natural and artificial joints, makes it necessary to conduct the analysis on the 3D model based on already existing mathematical models. Most of the mechanical failures in alloplasty are caused by material fatigue. To cut down the risk of it, we can either increase the fatigue resistance of the material or decrease the load strain. It is extremelly important to indicate the areas where damage or premature wear may occur. The Finite Elements Method makes it possible to calculate the stress and strain in particular elements of the tested models. All presented numerical calculations define quality conclusions concerning the influence of some parameters of endoprostheses on the values of stress and strain that are formed in polyethylene parts of endoprotheses of hip and knee joints. The obtained results help to reveal “weak points” in examined models and thus, counteract the subsequent effects resulting from premature wear of endoprosthesis elements. The numerical analysis was performed basing on the finite elements method using Autodesk Simulation Mechanical 2017 software and the ADINA 7.5.1.

In view of the fact that the leaves and white garbage in the lawns are difficult to clean, this paper designed a small lawn garbage sweeper. The motor drives the cleaning roller and the traveling mechanism to realize the automatic cleaning and recycling of garbage. The author designed a filter compartment and a compacting mechanism in the recycling bin to complete the preliminary screening of the garbage. Finally, the static analysis of the rear axle was carried out by ANSYS software, showing that the axle can meet its stiffness requirements.

The analysis of the samples collected from residential areas and the proximity of the industrial areas of Jiu Valley was carried out by means of induced coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) after acid processing and mineralization of the samples. The pollution level has increased once with the industrial development and acceleration of urbanization processes in the human society. Of the pollutant-generating substances, heavy metals are of particular importance. The purpose of this paper is to highlight level of pollution by heavy metals using moss (inferior plants) in order to determine the degree of bioaccumulation. From the pollution point of view, zinc, cadmium and lead are of particular relevance, but the effects of other heavy metals have also been studied. The pollution effects last for a long time in waste dumps, areas polluted with heavy metals from fuel combustion processes, fossil fuels a.s.o. The analysis of the samples collected from residential areas and the proximity of the industrial areas of Jiu Valley was carried out by means of induced coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) after acid processing and mineralization of the samples.

The paper presents a calculation model for simulation the technological process of inductive bending of tubes. In the case of an incorrect combination of geometric bending parameters (pipe diameter, bend radius and pipe wall thickness), the corrugation of the inner part in the pipe bend occurs. The proposed calculation model for the ADINA FE software allows for a relatively short time and at low cost to predict the emergence of corrugation. This work is supported by KEGA 015ŽU-4/2017 Digital technologies for machine building study programs as a part of strategy "Internet of Things". This work was supported by the Slovak Research and Development Agency under the contract No.APVV-14-0096.

Silicon (Si) is a promising alternative material for the anode Lithium ion Battery (LIB). Si has a large theoretical capacity about 3579 mA hg-1, ten times greater than the commercial graphite anode (372 mA hg-1). Bamboo is a source of organic silica (bio-silica). Most part biogenetic content of SiO2 is obtained in bamboo leaves. This paper aims to investigate the synthesis nano Si from bamboo leaves through magnesiothermic reduction after silica extraction using sol–gel method and to observe nano Si of bamboo leaf as mixed material for lithium ion baterry. Silica and silicon content was determined using XRF. Silica product has 96,3 wt. % yield of extraction from bamboo leaf, while silicon yield was obtained 61.2 wt. %. The XRD pattern revealed that silica and silicon product were amourphous. The extracted silica and silicon from bambo leaf has spherical shape and agglomerated form. As anoda material for LIB, silicon product achieved 0,002 mAh capacity for 22 cycle.