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Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) has been well-known as an appealing semiconducting material for photocatalytic hydrogen production despite its restricted active sites and poor electronic properties. In this work, exfoliated g-C3N4 nanosheets were synthesised by chemical treatment of the bulk graphitic carbon nitride (gCN) and the nanosheets were further doped with CdO. The photocatalysts produced were extensively characterized by diverse analysis including XRD, BET, XPS, TEM, FESEM, UV-Vis spectroscopy and PL analysis. The BET surface area of CdO/exfoliated g-C3N4, 40.1 m2 g−1 was doubled in comparison to the exfoliated g-C3N4. Numerous electrochemical analyses such as Mott-Schottky, linear weep voltammetry and chronoamperometry were also performed in a standard photoelectrochemical system with three-electrode cell. The hydrothermally synthesised CdO/exfoliated g-C3N4 resulted higher amount of hydrogen evolution (145 μmol/g) for the photoreforming of aqueous formaldehyde than the CdO (20 μmol/g), bulk gCN (58 μmol/g) and exfoliated g-C3N4 (87 μmol/g). The excellent hydrogen production rate using CdO/exfoliated g-C3N4 nanocomposite could be ascribed by higher number of active sites as well as shorter path of the charge carries to the reaction surface. The anticipated Z-Scheme mechanism has demonstrated a synergistic impact between the CdO and exfoliated g-C3N4 where the organic compounds acting as hole scavenger as well as contribute protons, H+ for the effective hydrogen production. Thus, it is clearly confirmed that the newly formulated CdO/exfoliated g-C3N4 has an outstanding potentiality for environmental remediation and conversion sectors.

The present study was aimed to convert CO2 into methanol which not only addresses the potential solution for controlling the CO2 concentration level in the atmosphere but also offers an alternative approach for the production of renewable energy source. In this perspective, a hybrid photocatalyst, PANI@CuFe2O4 was synthesized, characterized and used as a photocathode for photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) reduction of CO2 to methanol in aqueous medium at an applied potential of −0.4 V vs NHE under visible light irradiation. The combination of PANI with CuFe2O4 greatly increased the PEC CO2 reduction to methanol owing to enhance the CO2 chemisorption capacity by the photocathode surface and at the same time facilitated the separation of photogenerated electron-hole (e−/h+) pairs. The incident photon to current efficiency (IPCE) and quantum efficiency (QE) for methanol formation in PEC CO2 reduction could be achieved as 7.1 and 24.0% respectively. The rate of formation of methanol in PEC CO2 reduction was found as 49.3 μmol g−1h−1 with 73% Faradaic efficiency. Compared to photocatalytic reaction, the PEC results demonstrated that the applied potential could effectively separate the photogenerated e−/h+ pairs and therefore, enhanced the PEC CO2 reduction activity of the hybrid photocatalyst.

Current research involved fabrication of cadmium oxide-graphitic carbon nitride (CdO/g-C3N4) nanocomposite and evaluation of their photocatalytic properties by physical and electrochemical analysis techniques. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) test demonstrated that the nanocomposite consists of graphite and monteponite phases. UV–Vis absorption and photoluminescence (PL) analysis clearly pointed out both the band gap reduction and inhibition in recombination rate of charge carriers. Based on the photoelectrochemical (PEC) analysis, linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) data demonstrated that CdO/g-C3N4 nanocomposite shows higher anodic current (0.57 mA/cm2) under light emission as compared to dark environment (0.02 mA/cm2). This study was also deliberated with proposed mechanism on photoreforming of wastewater reaction scheme.

The hybrid graphitic carbon nitride-cadmium oxide (g-C3N4/CdO) nanocomposite was fabricated using chemical precipitation and self-assembly method. The photocatalysts were characterised by XRD, XPS, FTIR, BET, TEM, FESEM, UV-Vis and PL spectroscopy. Based on the optical study, visible light harvesting was improved and the band gap of bulk g-C3N4 to hybrid g-C3N4/CdO nanocomposite was greatly reduced from 2.72 eV to 2.35 eV, signifying a better charge carrier mobility. The photocatalytic activity were further assessed by conducting rhodamine B (RhB) photodegradation reaction using visible light. An excellent dye removal efficiency of 96% was achieved when 1.5 g/L of hybrid g-C3N4/CdO nanocomposite was used with an initial concentration of 10 ppm for 120 min whereas only 66% of RhB was removed by bulk g-C3N4 within the same operating conditions. Besides, reusability tests were carried out and evidenced that hybrid g-C3N4/CdO nanocomposite can be recycled up to four times by retaining the degradation efficiency. The scavenging studies confirmed that the RhB photodegradation using hybrid g-C3N4/CdO nanocomposite was controlled by valance band h+ and O2− oxidation reactions. Conclusively, the inclusion of CdO onto g-C3N4 resulted in remarkable photocatalytic activity for dye degradation applications.

Nanocomposites synthesized by alternative approaches like biosynthetic methods are safer than those prepared by traditional chemical techniques. Further, this approach is both economically and environmentally feasible. In this study, we report an eco-friendly methodology for preparing cerium dioxide/molybdenum disulphide (CeO2/MoS2) nanocomposites. Moringa oleifera peel was used as the reducing/stabilizing agent for synthesizing CeO2 nanoparticles. The prepared nanocomposite were characterized using FT-IR analysis, SEM and EDAX analysis, TEM and SAED pattern analysis, X-Ray Diffraction Pattern, Zeta Potential, UV-Visible Diffuse Reflectance Spectra, X-Ray Photon Spectroscopy and Photoluminescence spectra. Particle size and morphology were characterized by TEM and SEM. The photocatalytic pursuit of CeO2/MoS2 was explored by the degradation of methyl violet (MV) under visible light irradiation. Our methodology proved to be 96.25% effective in the degradation of MV. Further, we used this Response Surface Methodology for enhancing the process factors like volume of photocatalyst, time for degradation and concentration of MV.

In this work, glycerol valorization into tartronic acid – one of the most valuable derivatives of glycerol – was reported over platinum supported on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (Pt/CNT) electroca...

Colloidal Mg(OH)2/MgO nanoparticles were successfully produced in glycerol medium in the presence of hydrazine and subsequently was characterized by XRD. The as-prepared colloidal suspension in glycerol was used for the glycerolysis reaction with palm oil succeeded by polyesterification reaction with phthalic anhydride to prepare the palm oil-based alkyd resin nanocomposite where the Mg(OH)2/MgO nanoparticles catalysed the reactions. The well-dispersion of Mg(OH)2/MgO nanoparticles in the reaction mixture formed a stable suspension which effectively elevated the rate of reaction of both alcoholysis and polyesterification as compared to conventional NaOH catalysed reactions. The optimum reaction condition of the catalysts was observed at 0.04 wt% of Mg(OH)2/MgO. Alkyd resin nanocomposite formation was verified through FTIR, 13C NMR and 1H NMR. The presence of the Mg(OH)2/MgO nanoparticles in the resin matrix significantly improved the antimicrobial activity as evidenced by Kirby–Bauer Method. Thereby, the formulation of Mg(OH)2/MgO nanoparticles in glycerol medium was proved to be an effective route as compared to traditional NaOH homogeneous base catalyzed system.

In the present paper, hetero-structured CdS–CuFe2O4 nanocomposite was synthesized by a facial method to convert CO2 to methanol in the photoelectrochemical (PEC) system. The synthesized catalysts were characterised by XRD, Raman spectroscopy, TEM, FESEM, EDX, XPS, UV–vis and PL spectroscopy. The CdS–CuFe2O4 photocatalyst showed ~6 times higher photocurrent compared to the CuFe2O4 at −0.35 V vs. NHE of bias potential under CO2 environment as revealed by chronoamperometry results. Incident photon to current efficiency (IPCE) for CuFe2O4 and CdS–CuFe2O4 at 470 nm were found as 7.28 and 12.09%, respectively which clearly indicates the proficiency of CdS–CuFe2O4 heterojunction to absorb the visible light resulting in e−/h+ generation and the charge transfer during PEC CO2 reduction. Products in aqueous and gas phases were analysed which confirmed the selective production of methanol with trace amounts of H2 and CO. The CdS–CuFe2O4 catalyst demonstrated 72% and 16.9% of Faradaic and quantum efficiencies, respectively in terms of methanol production where a methanol yield of 23.80 μmole/Lcm2 was achieved in CO2 saturated aqueous solution of NaHCO3 (0.1 M). Detailed investigation revealed that the conduction band (CB) of the CdS in the heterojunction catalyst could act as a CO2 reduction site by trapping photogenerated electrons from the highly photosensitive CuFe2O4 while the water oxidation could take place at the valance band (VB) of CuFe2O4.

The present study demonstrates the effect of light irradiation on the esterification of oleic acid catalyzed by immobilized Pseudomonas cepacia lipase. The reaction rates of all the experiments under light irradiation were found to be higher than dark conditions. The kinetics of reactions supported the Ping‐Pong Bi‐Bi mechanism with dead end inhibition by both the alcohol and acid substrates. Moreover, circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy was used to analyze the effect of light on lipase enzyme. The CD spectroscopic studies confirmed that the conformational changes in the secondary structure of the lipase enzyme increased the reaction rate of light‐illuminated experiments, which might have opened up the active sites of enzymes and thus, resulted in higher reaction rates compared to dark reactions. These results have successfully demonstrated that the light illumination positively influenced the rate of P. cepacia enzyme‐catalyzed esterification reactions.

In the present paper, the potentiality of integrating microbial fuel cells (MFCs) with a photocatalytic reactor to maximize the wastewater treatment efficiency with concurrent power generation was explored. Dimethyl phthalate (DMP) and acetic acid (AA) were the employed substrate and the co-substrate, respectively, using Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a biocatalyst. MFCs operated by single substrate showed the maximum power generation of 0.75–3.84 W m−3 whereas an addition of AA as the co-substrate yielded 3–12 fold higher power generation. Pseudomonas aeruginosa produced phenazine-1-carboxylic acid in DMP-fed MFC as the metabolite whereas AA along with DMP yielded pyocyanin which reduced the charge transfer resistance. Chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency in the MFCs was circa 62% after 11 days of operation. Thereafter, it further increased albeit with a drastic reduction in power generation. Subsequently, the MFC anolyte was treated in a photocatalytic reactor under visible light irradiation and catalyzed by CuO-gC3N4. The performance of photocatalytic reactor was evaluated, with COD and total organic carbon (TOC) removal efficiency of 88% and 86% after 200 min of light irradiation. The present work suggests that the MFC can be integrated with photocatalysis as a sustainable wastewater treatment method with concurrent power generation.

Photoelectrocatalytic reduction of CO2 into valuable products can provide energy in a sustainable way with leveling off of the concentration of CO2 in our environment. In this study, graphene oxide (GO) incorporated with copper ferrite (CuFe2O4) has been employed to enhance photoelectrocatalytic CO2 reduction under visible light. The TEM and XPS characterization indicated a strong interaction between the CuFe2O4 and GO in the hybrid catalyst. The GO incorporation reduced the e–/h+ recombination in the hybrid catalyst by trapping the photoexcited electrons from CuFe2O4 leading to high methanol yield of 28.8 μmol L–1 cm–2 at 20.5% quantum efficiency. The incident photon current efficiency (IPCE) and Faradaic efficiency for methanol formation were observed as 8.02% and 87%, respectively. The results showed that the photoelectrocatalytic activity for CO2 reduction can be improved by incorporating GO with CuFe2O4, and it provides a universal platform to fabricate GO–CuFe2O4 based hybrid photocatalyst with prom...

In this work, palm kernel meal (PKM) and palm shell (PS) were studied as a filler for wood adhesive formulations and their efficiency was compared with existing industrial flour (IF). Melamine urea formaldehyde (MUF) was used as resin for formulating the wood adhesives. The effects of the natural fillers (PKM and PS) on shear strength and formaldehyde emission of plywood were analyzed. The optimum hot press temperature and time were found to be 125 °C and 150 s, respectively. Both PKM and IF influenced the shear strength and formaldehyde emission characteristics, with the optimum concentration of filler being within the range of 13% to 18%. The physico-chemical interaction between the wood, resin and filler was investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and the interactions among C˭O groups on PKM and N‒H, O‒H groups on wood and MUF were identified. Apart from the bonding strength, the mechanical interlocking between adhesive and wood was found to be very important for adhesive performance which was dependent on the viscosity of the adhesive which in turn was controlled by the filler concentration. The wood –adhesive interface was examined using light microscopy (LM).

This paper presents the performance of air-cathode microbial fuel cell (AC-MFC) treating the petrochemical wastewater (PCW) from acrylic acid plant. The wastewater which is typically incinerated and possesses very high chemical oxygen demand (COD) due to presence of acrylic acid along with other organic acids. The goal of the present study is to evaluate the viability of treating the wastewater using yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) as biocatalyst in AC-MFC for simultaneous treatment of wastewater and electricity generation. This study demonstrates that Saccharomyces cerevisiae could function as a good biocatalyst producing high power density of 0.24 W/m3 using PCW with an initial COD of 26,000 mg/L. The COD removal efficiency and the columbic efficiency (CE) were found as 38% and 23.6% respectively. The electron transfer process across the electrode/biofilm/solution interface was analyzed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The present work demonstrates the potential of MFC for the treatment of acrylic acid plant PCW using Saccharomyces cerevisiae as biocatalyst.

The interspecies interactions in microbial communities are very complex, rendering identification of synergistic or antagonistic relationships very difficult; however, understanding the mutualistic relationship between the microbes is exigent to gain deeper insight into their performance in wastewater fed microbial fuel cells (MFCs). In the present study, we aimed to explore the ecological networks between the microorganisms in a defined coculture system comprising with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) and Klebsiella variicola (K. variicola). The coculture showed around 3 times higher current density in MFCs compared with either of these two bacteria alone. Metabolite analysis demonstrated that the fermentative metabolite (1,3-propanediol) produced by K. variicola stimulated the P. aeruginosa to produce a higher amount of pyocyanin through synergistic interactions, leading to the enhancement in the performance of coculture MFCs fed with palm oil mill effluent (POME). This study proves that the metab...

Palm oil based alkyd resin was prepared by alcoholysis–polyesterification reaction over hetero-homo catalytic system comprised of CuO nanoparticle and NaOH. In this work, CuO nano-sol was synthesized in glycerol at ambient condition via a chemical reduction method and successively used in alkyd resin preparation. The formation of CuO nanoparticle was monitored by X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy (XANES) where a ‘red colour sol’ was detected. During the alkyd resin preparation, the catalytic behaviour of CuO nanoparticle was recorded by using titration method. The formation of the alkyd was confirmed by FTIR. The antibacterial behaviour of the additive was verified by Kirby–Bauer method and found that alkyd with CuO nanoparticle presented better antibacterial performance.

The photocatalytic pathway to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) to fuel, an artificial photosynthesis process, is a futuristic and ultimate way to combat the energy crisis and CO2 emission issues. The most widely used catalyst for photocatalytic reactions is titanium dioxide (TiO2) due to its availability, chemical stability, low cost and resistant to corrosion. Although TiO2 photocatalyst suffers due to its wide band gap (only can be activated under ultraviolet light irradiation) and high electron-hole recombination rate, it remained as a precursor for the development of visible light responsive materials for CO2 reduction through different modifications, such as doping of metal, nonmetal, semiconductors etc. There is a significant improvement in CO2 conversion using the visible light responsive TiO2 based catalysts. The product distribution due to the photocatalytic reduction of CO2 highly depends on the band gap and band edges of the catalyst. The understanding in the mechanistic pathway of CO2 reduction is very important to design the catalyst for the production of desired product. This present paper provides an overview of research and development of TiO2 based photo-catalysts for CO2 reduction and focuses on the improvement of the photocatalyst based on the band gap engineering, charge transfer and CO2 adsorption. Moreover, the challenges and future prospect in the developing modified TiO2 for photocatalytic reduction of CO2 has also been discussed.

In the present paper, bioresin was prepared from non-edible rubber seed oil via alcoholysis–polyesterification process over homogeneous base catalyst tailored by copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles. CuO nanoparticles were synthesized in glycerol at room temperature and subsequently used in alkyd resin synthesis. The polyesterification process was monitored by determining the acid values as a function of time at different CuO nanoparticle concentrations. The formation of the alkyd resin was confirmed by FTIR with the presence of ester group (C O C). The antimicrobial activity of the pseudo–homogeneous additive was determined via Kirby–Bauer Method. The addition of CuO nanoparticle into the conventional homogeneous base catalyzed system explored a new catalytic route for the preparation of bioresin from vegetable oil while reducing the reaction time, as well as inducing the antimicrobial properties in the resin.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is one of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming. Therefore, there is a need for CO2 capture technologies in order to reduce the CO2 emissions to the atmosphere. In this study, commercial rice husk activated carbon was impregnated with 3-triethoxysilylpropylamine (APTES) to investigate the efficiency of modified activated carbon for CO2 adsorption. The modification parameters, such as the APTES concentration (2-5 wt%) and the type of solvent (water and ethanol) were also investigated. Then, the modified activated carbon was characterized by nitrogen adsorption-desorption, scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The maximum CO2 adsorption capacity was 7602 mg/g for APTES-AC with 5 wt % APTES using ethanol as solvent. This study shows that the rice husk activated carbon modified with APTES could enhance the CO2 adsorption performance due to the physisorption and chemisorption.

In the present work, a new catalyst system composed of copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO-nano) along with a conventional homogeneous base catalyst (NaOH) for the glycerolysis of palm oil to produce monoglycerides (MG) was proposed. CuO-nano was synthesized in glycerol and directly used in the glycerolysis reactions, which formed a pseudo-homogeneous system. The production of MG and diglycerides (DG) from oil was monitored by using 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR and HPLC. When compared with the conventional NaOH catalyst, CuO-nano used alone showed less activity, but adding NaOH to the CuO-nano exhibited a synergistic effect by increasing the MG yield significantly. The oil conversion, MG and DG yield were achieved at 95, 71 and 24%, respectively, for the new catalyst system composed of CuO-nano and NaOH. The mechanism of the glycerolysis reaction over CuO-nano and NaOH was elucidated.

In this work, the photocatalytic property of p-type CuO was tailored by creating a heterojunction with n-type CdS. The CuO/CdS nanocomposite photocatalyst was synthesized by the ultrasound-assisted-wet-impregnation method and the physicochemical and optical properties of the catalysts were evaluated by using N2 physisorption, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD),X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Energy dispersive X-Ray (EDX) mapping, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM), UV–Vis and photoluminescence spectroscopy experiments. Detailed characterization revealed the formation of a nanocomposite with a remarkable improvement in the charge carrier (electron/hole) separation. The photocatalytic degradation efficiencies of CuO and CuO/CdS were investigated for different dyes, for instance, rhodamine B (RhB), methylene blue (MLB), methyl blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) under visible light irradiation. The obtained dye degradation efficiencies were ~93%, ~75%, ~83% and ~80%, respectively. The quantum yield for RhB degradation under visible light was 6.5 × 10−5. Reusability tests revealed that the CuO/CdS photocatalyst was recyclable up to four times. The possible mechanisms for the photocatalytic dye degradation over CuO/CdS nanocomposite were elucidated by utilizing various scavengers. Through these studies, it can be confirmed that the conduction band edges of CuO and CdS play a significant role in producing O2−. The produced O2− degraded the dye molecules in the bulk solution whereas the valence band position of CuO acted as the water oxidation site. In conclusion, the incorporation of CuO with CdS was demonstrated to be a viable strategy for the efficient photocatalytic degradation of dyes in aqueous solutions.

In the present work, the physico-chemical and photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction to methanol properties of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) were enhanced by the incorporation of CuO. The XRD, XPS, TEM, FESEM, UV–vis and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy techniques were used to characterize the synthesized g-C3N4 and CuO/g-C3N4 photocatalysts. The fabricated CuO/g-C3N4/carbon paper photocathode showed ∼10.0 times enhanced photocurrent response and 5.3 times enhanced incident photon to current efficiency (IPCE) than the g-C3N4/carbon paper photocathode under CO2 atmosphere in aqueous NaHCO3 electrolyte solution on 470 nm light irradiation. The higher IPCE of CuO/g-C3N4/carbon paper photocathode was attributed to the higher absorption of the incident visible light which results in efficient electron (e−-hole (h+) pair generation and charge transfer for the PEC conversion of CO2. The production of methanol in aqueous phases was analysed and found to be 4.1 and 2.6 times higher by CuO/g-C3N4/carbon paper photocathode than g-C3N4/carbon paper and CuO/carbon paper photocathodes, respectively. The CuO/g-C3N4/carbon paper photocathode showed Faradaic efficiency and quantum efficiency of 75 % and 8.9 %, respectively for the production of methanol. The plausible mechanism for the production of methanol by CuO/g-C3N4/carbon paper photocathode by PEC reaction was also discussed.

Used engine oil (UEO) and used cooking oil (UCO) are treated as hazard to human health and the environment. A proper management of them are necessary to prevent its adverse impacts. This study is to examine the potential of UEO and UCO used as raw material in preparing grease. UEO and UCO has the potential in replacing the base fluid (mineral oil) and thickener precursor, respectively in conventional grease making. The thickener has been prepared by using calcium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide to react with UCO with the ratio of 1:2 (hydroxide: UCO) and denoted as calcium and sodium thickener, respectively. In grease making, different concentration of thickener (20, 30 and 40%) was used to react with UEO for 180 min at 160 – 180 °C. The formation of grease is confirmed by FTIR analysis, where a new peak was form in 1377 cm−1 – 1423 cm−1. Apart from that it was found that, 20% calcium thickener with 80% UEO grease and 40% sodium thickener with 60% UEO grease were comparable with commercial grease in term of dropping point and water resistance properties.

Phenothiazine and cyanoacrylic acid moiety based sensitizers were synthesized for dye sensitized solar cell application. Absorption and electrochemical properties of the sensitizers having mono- and bi-substituted cyanoacrylic acids were studied. The mono-cyanoacrylic acid substituted phenothiazine sensitizer has more light harvesting ability due to its high molar extinction coefficient. The photovoltaic performance of mono-cyanoacrylic acid substituted phenothiazine sensitizer was slightly greater compared to the bi-cyanoacrylic acid substituted phenothiazine sensitizer which was attributed to the effect of anchoring groups in the sensitizer.

The present work demonstrates tea dust (TD) as a potential low-cost adsorbent for the removal of crystal violet (CV) from aqueous solution by batch adsorption technique. Reaction kinetics and isotherm studies were carried out under various conditions of initial dye concentration, contact time, adsorbent dosage, and pH. The adsorbent was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller. FTIR results showed complexation and ion exchange appeared to be the principle mechanism for CV adsorption. The adsorption isotherm data were fitted to Langmuir and Freundlich equations; and the maximum adsorption capacity was found to be 175.4 mg/g. The removal of CV by TD followed the unified approach model. Therefore, TD can be employed as an efficient and cost-effective adsorbent in industrial wastewater treatment for the removal of basic dyes.

Submerged adsorption (SA) process has been explored in this context for the first time as a dynamic and effective approach, comparable to the conventional fixed-bed adsorption. Various design parameters like breakthrough time (tb), adsorption capacity (qeq), and effective bed height (HB) of the adsorption columns were determined for different flow patterns, e.g. up-flow and down-flow. A fixed bed of jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophylus) leaf powder, already proved by our group as an efficient, cost-effective adsorbent for the removal of methylene blue from water in continuous mode using fixed-bed column, was selected for this study. The design basis of the adsorption columns were regarded as different bed depths (HT = 5–10 cm), flow rates (Q = 20–60 mL/min), and initial dye concentrations (C0 = 300–500 mg/L), for the experiment. With decreasing flow rates as well as increasing bed height and initial dye concentration for any flow arrangement, adsorption capacity of the column increased as the breakt...

Increased demand for wood adhesives, environmental concerns, and the uncertainty of continuing availability of petrochemicals have led to recent attention on protein-based adhesives. This study was conducted to investigate the physico-chemical interaction of palm kernel meal (PKM) with melamine urea formaldehyde (MUF) resins in adhesive formulation by using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy. The effect of hot press on PKM extender has been investigated by FTIR and blue shift is observed due to the hot press indicating that the functional groups (such as C=O, -OH and NH) are become more free in the samples. In the case of PKM-MUF blend bonding interactions observed where, PKM played the role as an extender. Red shift of C=O and N-H groups stretching in PKM-MUF-Wood blend is observed which suggests the interaction of these functional groups through hydrogen bonding. The results suggest that PKM extender-based MUF adhesive resins have potential application for the production of exterior plywood.

An alkyd resin has been synthesized from palm oil that reacted with glycerol and phthalic anhydride by alcoholysis-polyesterification process and co-catalyzed by CuO nanoparticle. The CuO nanoparticle was pre-prepared in the glycerol via sol gel method, which creates a new reaction condition for resin preparation. The resins were characterized by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), where a new ester linkage bond (C-O-C) was noticed for resin sample. The antimicrobial activity and the curing behaviour of the resin were determined by Kirby-Bauer and differential scanning calorimeter technique. It was found that, the addition of CuO speeded up the reaction rate and played antimicrobial role. Moreover, it shortens the reaction time of alcoholysis and polyesterification process.

Continuous fixed-bed studies were undertaken to evaluate the efficiency of jackfruit leaf powder (JLP) as an adsorbent for the removal of methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solution under the effect of various process parameters like bed depth (5-10cm), flow rate (30-50mL/min) and initial MB concentrations (100-300mg/L). The pH at point of zero charge (pH(PZC)) of the adsorbent was determined by the titration method and a value of 3.9 was obtained. A FTIR of the adsorbent was done before and after the adsorption to find the potential adsorption sites for interaction with methylene blue molecules. The results showed that the total adsorbed quantities and equilibrium uptake decreased with increasing flow rate and increased with increasing initial MB concentration. The longest breakthrough time and maximum MB adsorption were obtained at pH 10. The results showed that the column performed well at low flow rate. Also, breakthrough time and exhaustion time increased with increasing bed depth. The bed-depth service time (BDST) model and the Thomas model were applied to the adsorption of MB at different bed depths, flow rates, influent concentrations and pH to predict the breakthrough curves and to determine the characteristic parameters of the column that are useful for process design. The two model predictions were in very good agreement with the experimental results at all the process parameters studied indicating that they were very suitable for JLP column design.