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Pollution, climate change and waste accumulation are critical societal issues calling for advanced methods to recycle matter and clean polluted ecosystems. Here, we review the use of calcium oxide waste-based catalysts for industrial and environmental applications such as biodiesel production, and pollutant degradation and removal. Catalysts can be produced from mud clam shell, eggshell, spent coffee ground, fish bones waste, marble waste, face mask waste, and snail shell. The preparation of composite catalysts, adsorbents, nanoparticles, and photocatalysts is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents the factors that determine the coalescence of the micron-sized oil droplets (<0.4 μm) and the permeation flux by using two different types of commercial flat-sheet microporous polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes. Results show that the PVDF-Westran membrane coalesced the oil droplets up to 1.1 μm while the PVDF-Synder membrane enlarged the oil droplets to approximately 5.6 μm. The pore size distribution instead of the both casted and fibrous membrane structures influenced the coalescence of the oil droplets. The membrane feed side that comprised of the smaller pores exhibited better in the coalescence while the pore size on the membrane permeate side did not show the significant effect on the coalescence. The water permeation flux was proportional to the pore size of the membrane feed side while the permeation flux during the coalescence was inversely proportional to the membrane pore size. The oil droplets in the feed solution has reduced the permeation flux about 10 times lower. The addition of the polyacrylamide in the oily water has essentially fouled the membranes at least 1.4 times higher and the foulant has induced the cleavage effect on the oil droplets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The utilization of vegetable oil in the production of polymeric material has gained interest due to its proven ability to replace nonrenewable petroleum sources, as it is readily modified via chemical reaction to produce polyol and subsequently for polyurethane production. Jatropha oil (JO), a second-generation feedstock, is one of the suitable candidates for polyester polyol synthesis because it contains a high percentage of unsaturated fatty acids. In this study, jatropha-based polyester polyols (JOLs) with different hydroxyl values were successfully synthesized via a two-step method: epoxidation followed by oxirane ring-opening reaction. Ring-opening reagents; methanol, ethanol, and isopropanol were used to produce polyol with hydroxyl number of 166, 180, and 189 mg/KOH, respectively. All the synthesized JOLs exhibited a Newtonian to shear thinning behavior in the measured shear rate ranges from 10 to 1000 s−1 at 25 °C. The viscosity of a JOL ring-opened with methanol, isopropanol, and ethanol was 202, 213, and 666 mPa·s, respectively, at 20 °C and 100 s−1, which is within the range of commercially available polyols. Successively, the JOLs were reacted with isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) to produce polyurethane prepolymer by utilizing 2,2-dimethylol propionic acid (DMPA) as an emulsifier. The prepolymer was then dispersed in water to produce a waterborne polyurethane dispersion. Colloidal stability of the jatropha-based polyurethane dispersions (JPUDs) were investigated by particle size analysis. A JPUD with a small particle size in the range of 6.39 to 43.83 nm was obtained, and the trend was associated with the soft segment of the polyol in the formulation. The zeta potentials of the JPUs ranged from −47.01 to −88.9 mV, indicating that all synthesized JPUs had high dispersity and stability. The efficient synthesis procedure, low cost, and excellent properties of the resulting product are thought to offer an opportunity to use jatropha oil as a sustainable resource for polyester polyol preparation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultra-low-pressure membrane (ULPM) filtration has emerged as a promising decentralized water and wastewater treatment method. It has been proven effective in long-term filtration under stable flux without requiring physical or chemical cleaning, despite operating at considerably lower flux. The use of ultra-low pressure, often simply by hydrostatic force (often called gravity-driven membrane (GDM) filtration), makes it fall into the uncharted territory of common pressure-driven membrane filtration. The applied polymeric membrane is sensitive to compaction, wetting, and fouling. This paper reviews recent studies on membrane compaction, wetting, and fouling. The scope of this review includes studies on those phenomena in the ULPM and how they affect the overall performance of the system. The performance of GDM systems for water and wastewater treatment is also evaluated. Finally, perspectives on the future research direction of ULPM filtration are also detailed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon nitride (Si 3 N 4) material holds significant potential as a widespread applied biomedical material with high reliability in mechanical properties and biological activity. This study utilized 3D printing techniques to fabricate Si 3 N 4 bioceramics reinforced with zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires, which overcomes the dilemma faced by traditional Si 3 N 4 materials, which possess excellent mechanical properties but lack sufficient antibacterial performance, or porous Si 3 N 4 materials that exhibit good antibacterial properties yet suffer from poor mechanical characteristics. Compared to Ti-alloy, Al 2 O 3 , PEEK, and conventional Si 3 N 4 materials, the Si 3 N 4 bioceramic with an addition of 5 wt percent (wt%) ZnO nanowires retains superior mechanical properties: bending strength of 735 MPa, fracture toughness of 8.25 MPa m1/2, vickers hardness of 14.8 GPa, and compressive strength of 2575 MPa. Furthermore, the material demonstrates commendable biocompatibility and outstanding antibacterial effects. Cellular activity on the surface of this material is also noted to be exceptionally vigorous. Research indicates that the synergistic effects of 3D printing characteristics and the appropriate inclusion of ZnO nanowires, which positively interact with β-Si 3 N 4 crystals, are primarily responsible for the exceptional comprehensive performance of 3D printed Si 3 N 4 bioceramics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon nitride (Si 3 N 4) is a very promising biomedical material. Customization and reliability requirements are one of the prerequisites for achieving widespread application of Si 3 N 4 materials. This research used 3D printing method to achieve customized molding and gas pressure sintering to prepare dense Si 3 N 4 ceramic material, and investigated their mechanical properties and biological activity. Compared with Ti-alloy, Al 2 O 3 , and PEEK, 3D printed Si 3 N 4 materials have significant advantages in mechanical properties: bending strength of 803 MPa, fracture toughness of 8.86 MPa m1/2, vickers hardness of 15.1 GPa, compressive strength of 2725 MPa. Meanwhile, Si 3 N 4 have more stable and excellent biocompatibility than other biomedical materials, and have obvious advantages in antibacterial performance, with an antibacterial rate of 94.6 %. On the surface of Si 3 N 4 materials, cells have good morphology, normal migration, and are more conducive to cell spreading, adhesion, and cross-linking. Research has shown that the melting deposition filling characteristics of the 3D printing method, the crystal-oriented growth microstructure characteristics of 3D printed Si 3 N 4 materials, and the beneficial effects of Silicon and Nitrogen elements are the main reasons for achieving these advantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synthesis of carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) from natural cellulose is an important industrial process. The effect of process parameters on the synthesis process is important information for the efficiency improvement of production process. Most of the previous studies on the effect of process parameters on the synthesis of CMC are based on the One-Factor-At-Time (OFAT); therefore, in this work, the response surface methodology (RSM) was used. Here, the cellulose was converted to CMC through carboxyinethylation process using a technique of William etherification in heterogeneous system. The process parameters studied include the solvent ratio, reaction temperature and reactant ratio (molar ratio of NaOH to SMCA). Meanwhile, the analysis and optimization of the responses of the process, degree of substitution (DS) and yield were also performed using the response surface methodology. The validity of the synthesis process was identified by the determination of CMC spectrum using the fast Fourier infrared spectrometer (FTIR). The analysis of the results shows that carboxymethylation is strongly affected by combination of process parameters studied. The results obtained also show that the optimum responses, degree of substitution (DS) is 0.87 and yield is 1.80, whereas the optimum process parameters, solvent ratio is 0.70v/v, reaction temperature at 56.03°C, and molar ratio of NaOH to SMCA at 1.00mol/mol. These findings conclude that the DS and yield of carboxymethylation of cellulose are strongly affected by the combination of the process parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potential use of tannic acid (TA) as an additive for fabrication of polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) membrane was investigated. The TA was introduced by blending into the dope solution with varying concentrations of 0, 1, 1.5, and 2 wt%. The prepared membranes were characterized and evaluated for filtration of humic acid (HA) solution. The stability of the membrane under harsh treatment was also evaluated by one-week exposure to acid and alkaline conditions. The results show that TA loadings enhanced the resulting membrane properties. It increased the bulk porosity, water uptake, and hydrophilicity, which translated into improved clean water flux from 15.4 L/m2.h for the pristine PVDF membrane up to 3.3× for the TA-modified membranes with the 2 wt% TA loading. The flux recovery ratio (FRR) of the TA-modified membranes (FRRs = 78–83%) was higher than the pristine one (FRR = 58.54%), with suitable chemical stability too. The improved antifouling property for the TA-modified membranes was attributed to their enhanced hydrophilicity thanks to improved morphology and residual TA in the membrane matric. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyethersulfone (PES) is the most commonly used polymer for membrane ultrafiltration because of its superior properties. However, it is hydrophobic, as such susceptible to fouling and low permeation rate. This study proposes a novel bio-based additive of dragonbloodin resin (DBR) for improving the properties and performance of PES-based membranes. Four flat sheet membranes were prepared by varying the concentration of DBR (0–3%) in the dope solutions using the phase inversion method. After fabrication, the membranes were thoroughly characterized and were tested for filtration of humic acid solution to investigate the effect of DBR loading. Results showed that the hydrophilicity, porosity, and water uptake increased along with the DBR loadings. The presence of DBR in the dope solution fastened the phase inversion, leading to a more porous microstructure, resulted in membranes with higher number and larger pore sizes. Those properties led to more superior hydraulic performances. The PES membranes loaded with DBR reached a clean water flux of 246.79 L/(m2·h), 25-folds higher than the pristine PES membrane at a loading of 3%. The flux of humic acid solution reached 154.5 ± 6.6 L/(m2·h), 30-folds higher than the pristine PES membrane with a slight decrease in rejection (71% vs. 60%). Moreover, DBR loaded membranes (2% and 3%) showed an almost complete flux recovery ratio over five cleaning cycles, demonstrating their excellent antifouling property. The hydraulic performance could possibly be enhanced by leaching the entrapped DBR to create more voids and pores for water permeation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the polymer film composite of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), trichlorethylene (TCE) and cresol red (CR) dye irradiated with gamma (γ) rays for potential application as radiation dosimetry. The film was prepared via the solvent-casting method with varying concentrations of TCE. Film samples were exposed to radiation from a γ-rays radiation source of 60Cobalt isotope. Color changes before and after γ-rays irradiation were observed, and the optical properties of the polymer films were investigated by spectrophotometry. Results show that increasing the radiation dose physically changed the color of the polymer film, from purple (pH > 8.8) without radiation (0 kGy) to yellow (almost transparent) (2.8 < pH < 7.2) at the highest dose (12 kGy). The concentration of acid formed due to irradiation increased with the increase in irradiation doses and at higher TCE content. The critical doses of PVA-TCE composites decreased linearly with the increase of TCE composition, facilitating an easy calibration process. The dose response at 438 nm increased exponentially with increasing radiation dose, but showed an opposite trend at the 575 nm band. An increase in the TCA concentration indicated a decrease in the absorption edge and an increase in activation energy, but both decreased for all TCE concentrations at higher doses. The energy gap for the direct and the indirect transitions decreased with increasing TCE concentration and γ-rays radiation dose. The results of this study demonstrated the potential application of PVA-TCE-CR polymer film as γ-rays irradiation dosimetry in a useful dose range of 0–12 kGy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium is one of the most hazardous metals in the environment, even when present at very low concentrations. This study reports the systematic development of Kenaf fiber biochar as an adsorbent for the removal of cadmium (Cd) (II) ions from water. The adsorbent development was aided by an optimization tool. Activated biochar was prepared using the physicochemical activation method, consisting of pre-impregnation with NaOH and nitrogen (N2) pyrolysis. The influence of the preparation parameters—namely, chemical impregnation (NaOH: KF), pyrolysis temperature, and pyrolysis time on biochar yield, removal rate, and the adsorption capacity of Cd (II) ions—was investigated. From the experimental data, some quadratic correlation models were developed according to the central composite design. All models demonstrated a good fit with the experimental data. The experimental results revealed that the pyrolysis temperature and heating time were the main factors that affected the yield of biochar and had a positive effect on the Cd (II) ions' removal rate and adsorption capacity. The impregnation ratio also showed a positive effect on the specific surface area of the biochar, removal rate, and adsorption capacity of cadmium, with a negligible effect on the biochar yield. The optimal biochar-based adsorbent was obtained under the following conditions: 550 °C of pyrolysis temperature, 180 min of heating time, and a 1:1 NaOH impregnation ratio. The optimum adsorbent showed 28.60% biochar yield, 69.82% Cd (II) ions removal, 23.48 mg/g of adsorption capacity, and 160.44 m2/g of biochar-specific area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assesses the optical properties and conductivity of PVA–H3PO4 (polyvinyl alcohol–phosphoric acid) polymer film blend irradiated by gamma (γ) rays. The PVA–H3PO4 polymer film blend was prepared by the solvent-casting method at H3PO4 concentrations of 75 v% and 85 v%, and then irradiated up to 25 kGy using γ-rays from the Cobalt-60 isotope source. The optical absorption spectrum was measured using an ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometer over a wavelength range of 200 to 700 nm. It was found that the absorption peaks are in three regions, namely two peaks in the ultraviolet region (310 and 350 nm) and one peak in the visible region (550 nm). The presence of an absorption peak after being exposed to hυ energy indicates a transition of electrons from HOMO to LUMO within the polymer chain. The study of optical absorption shows that the energy band gap (energy gap) depends on the radiation dose and the concentration of H3PO4 in the polymer film blend. The optical absorption, absorption edge, and energy gap decrease with increasing H3PO4 concentration and radiation dose. The interaction between PVA and H3PO4 blend led to an increase in the conductivity of the resulting polymer blend film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water scarcity is still a pressing issue in many regions. The application of membrane technology through water desalination to convert brackish to potable water is a promising technology to solve this issue. This study compared the performance of templated TEOS-P123 and ES40-P123 hybrid membranes for brackish water desalination. The membranes were prepared by the sol–gel method by employing tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) for the carbon-templated silica (soft template) and ethyl silicate (ES40) for the hybrid organo-silica. Both sols were templated by adding 35 wt.% of pluronic triblock copolymer (P123) as the carbon source. The silica-templated sols were dip-coated onto alumina support (four layers) and were calcined by using the RTP (rapid thermal processing) method. The prepared membranes were tested using pervaporation set up at room temperature (~25 °C) using brackish water (0.3 and 1 wt.%) as the feed. It was found that the hybrid membrane exhibited the highest specific surface area (6.72 m2·g−1), pore size (3.67 nm), and pore volume (0.45 cm3·g−1). The hybrid ES40-P123 was twice thicker (2 μm) than TEOS-P123-templated membranes (1 μm). Lastly, the hybrid ES40-P123 displayed highest water flux of 6.2 kg·m−2·h−1. Both membranes showed excellent robustness and salt rejections of >99%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]