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Cationic Malachite green has been identified as a candidate for the endocrine disruptive compound found in the environment. In this study, the mechanism and isotherm modeling of effective adsorption of cationic malachite green dye onto acid-functionalized maize cob (AFMC) was investigated by batch technique. The operational parameters such as initial concentration (100–600 mg/L); contact time (10–120 min) and pH (3–10) influenced the removal efficiency and quantity adsorbed. A maximum of 99.3% removal efficiency was obtained at optimum conditions. AFMC physicochemical properties (surface area 1329 m2/g and particle size 300 μm 2 > 0.97 and consistently low values of adsorption statistical error functions (ASEF), equilibrium data were best fitted to Freundlich isotherm. Kinetic data were best described by a pseudo-second-order model with consistent R2 > 0.98 and validated by ASEF. The mechanism of the process was better described by intraparticle diffusion. Evidence of the adsorption process was confirmed by the change in morphology via Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and surface chemistry by Fourier Transform infrared (FTIR). The performance of AFMC enlisted it as a sustainable and promising low-cost adsorbent from agro-residue for treatment of endocrine disruptive dye polluted water.

Most locust bean processing is still carried out locally in Africa. Dehulling is one of the major challenges encountered in traditional processing of locust bean seeds. Boiling time prior to dehulling is vital for nutritional status of locust bean. Hence, this study explored the influence of boiling duration before dehulling on the nutritional quality of mechanically dehulled locust bean seeds. The samples were subjected to four different boiling durations (1∼4 h) and the resulting effects on the overall acceptability, proximate composition, mineral content, and pH were evaluated. Locust beans boiled for 2 h and dehulled at the speed of 398 rpm gave the highest crude protein content, crude fiber, crude fat, and ash content. The pH ranged from 5.48 to 5.77, while boiling improved the mineral content ranging from 0.25∼0.48 mg/100 g (potassium), 16.80∼28.00 mg/100 g (calcium), 3.85∼6.73 mg/100 g (sodium), and 40.00∼52.40 mg/100 g (magnesium). The tedious labour during dehulling of locust bean seeds can be reduced at 398 rpm dehulling speed without adversely affecting the slightly acidic status and nutritional quality; thus enhancing quality and overall acceptability. Adoption of boiling raw locust bean seeds for 2 h under pressure prior to dehulling is a valuable procedure to eliminate long hours of boiling and tedious labour during local and industrial production.

In this present study, the effectiveness of expanded polystyrene (EPS) waste used as 20, 40 and 60% fine sand replacement in development of lightweight cement composite was evaluated. The cement mortar was strengthened by 10% low cost latex paint emulsion as an alternative to the more expensive polymer admixtures. Six different mix designs were produced and tested for compressive and split tensile strength according to BS EN standards. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis was also conducted to analysis the micrograph of the samples. It was observed that as the EPS content, latex paint polymer admixture and curing days were increased, marginal increment in compressive strength was obtained. However, EPS fines were most effective in improving the split strength while latex paint admixture had comparatively less part to play in the strength development. The micrograph images showed that the EPS fines were uniformly distributed within the microstructure and the latex paint developed polymer films. These mechanisms coupled with the cement hydrate products were responsible for the enhanced strength observed in the samples.

This aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of pretreatments and temperature on the hot air drying characteristics of hog plum fruits. Hog plum fruits were pretreated with olive oil/K2CO3 or sunflower oil/K2CO3 at 28 °C and olive oil/NaOH cum blanching at 96 °C for 15s, hot water at 96 °C for 15s, and dried in a hot air drier at 50, 60, and 70 °C. Mathematical models were used to fit the data of drying and rehydration kinetics. Results showed that increase in temperature reduced drying time, increased effective diffusivity and shrinkage. Sunflower oil aided chemical pretreated sample had the shortest drying time (780 min) and highest effective diffusivity (6.3 × 10−8 m2/s) at 60 °C, faster rehydration ability at 60 °C, highest retention rate for ascorbic acid (15 %), phenolic content (29 %), and antioxidant activity (12.3 %), while olive oil aided chemical (K2CO3) pretreated sample had the shortest drying time at 50 °C (990 min) and 70 °C (600 min), lowest shrinkage (48.5 %), slower rehydration capacity at 40 °C, and lowest colour change (ΔE = 11.5). Modified Henderson and Pabis and Vega-Galvez were superior to other fitting models in predicting the drying and rehydration kinetics. Sunflower oil/K2CO3 pretreatment could help improve the drying and quality characteristics of hog plum.

Access to affordable clean energy sources as stipulated in United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (UN SDG) number 7 is important for the development and socio-economic well-being of people; the need for proper assessment of resources to achieve this goal is indisputable. The goal of this study is to assess the economic feasibility of utilizing an organic fraction of municipal solid wastes (MSWof) using a case study of local government areas (LGA) or Authority for Anambra State of Nigeria for waste to energy project. Smooth adoption of waste to energy projects requires investigation on the economic feasibility parameters necessary for such a project. This study therefore investigated the quantity of organic fraction of MSW, energy recovery and an optimum number of plants considering the economy of scales at the various LGAs of the study area. The result of the study indicates that about 198 tons maximum value of MSWof can be generated daily in Aguata LGA, with an electric energy potential value of 545 MW. The number of plants for the LGAs ranged from 10 to 50 and from 3 to 12 for small- and medium-scale plants. A large-scale plant of about 50 m3 can possibly be installed at all the LGAs, with a maximum of 4 plants in Idemili and Aguata LGA. The economic assessment based on net present value (NPV) criteria shows poor economic feasibility for a small-scale plant, while NPV was positive for medium- and large-scale plants. The internal rate of return (IRR) ranged from 0.32 to 0.94, with a general increase from small-scale to large-scale economic feasibility. This study can be replicated in other regions; it is suggested that the autonomy of the various LGAs in the country should serve as a major motivation in adopting bio-energy projects independently, and this study will serve as a decision toolkit in the appropriate scale to be adopted.

In this study, biogas was produced from the anaerobic digestion of Sorghum bicolor stalk. Pretreatment of the biomass was carried out prior to the digestion using sulfuric acid ( H2SO4) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The physicochemical, elemental and structural analyses were carried out on the biomass before and after pretreatment. The microbial composition of the fermenting materials were also determined using standard method while the Fourier Transform Infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy were used to quantify the structural changes that took place after pretreatments. Results showed enormous reduction of hemicellulose and partial solubilization of cellulose with the application of H2SO4 for pretreatment with obvious breakdown of all important bonds in the biomass. The most suitable condition for the most efficient acidic pretreatment of the Sorghum bicolor stalk was using H2SO4 concentration of 0.75% (v.v−1), autoclave temperature of 118 ◦ C and biomass dry mass of 3.7 g for 52 min. However, the use of H2O2 caused huge solubilization of lignin while partial dissolution of hemicellulose took place. The most suitable condition that gave the best result in this pretreatment procedure was H2O2 concentration of 6.8% (v.v −1), shaker temperature of 28 ◦ C, agitation at 126 rpm and 3 g of biomass for 85 min. Overall, the use of the H2O2 showed reduction of lignin and hemicellulose by 73 and 42% respectively while also increasing the concentration of cellulose by 23%. The acid and alkaline pretreated biomass produced a total of 312.3 and 607.1 LNbiogas.kg VSad −1respectively. In comparison, the biomass pretreated with H2O2 produced 65% more LNbiogas.kg VSad−1 than the other and equally reduced the production time by 5 days. For the alkaline treated biomass, the 1422 kWh t−1 TS thermal energy gain exceeded the 945 kWh t−1 TS used in the pretreatment thus giving a net thermal energy of 477 kWh t−1 TS. However, the acidic pretreatment of Sorghum bicolor stalk is not profitable because the -131 kWh t−1 TS thermal energy gain was far below the 1025 kWh t−1 TS thermal energy used in pretreatment with a net thermal energy of -761 kWh t−1 TS. Till now, use of low-cost H2O2 for biomass pretreatment is unpopular while the uses of other strong alkali and acids are well studies. However, hydrogen peroxide gave better product yield. Therefore, use of this alkali pose a novel biotechnological means for generating biogas. ©2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the

Traditional paddy threshing is still usually carried out by women and children in the rural village. The aimof this study was to design and develop a tangential thresher, optimize the conditions necessary for threshing paddy using a responsesurface modeling methodology. Materials and Methods: Paddy straw (Faro 44 variety) was used for this study. Moisture contents at threelevels between 14.50 and 25.10% and threshing drum speed between 398 and 565 rpm. The response surface of desirability function wasused for the numerical optimization. Results: Some of the performance efficiencies (cleaning efficiency, threshing recovery, threshingefficiency, percentage loss and percentage blown grain) which was evaluated were significantly (p

Chitosan is a biopolymer edible coating which can act as physical barrierwhen coated on fruits and efficiently alter their internal atmosphere and delay the ripening process. This study evaluates the usage of chitosan (CH) as edible coating to extend the shelf life of green bell pepper. Physiochemical and microbial analysis of the green bell pepper was conducted during evaporative coolant structure storage (ECS). The effect of chitosan coating on green bell pepper significantly delayed a loss in firmness, weight loss, and vitamin C content and inhibited the growth of heterotrophic bacteria, mesophilic bacteria, yeast and mould during the five weeks of storage. On the whole, this study established that edible coating from chitosan could form a natural and permanent replacement to the chemically preservatives used for postharvest management of green bell pepper.

The development of particleboard from near-zero landfill of agro-wastes material can play a vital role in economic growth of any country. The use of agro-wastes materials serves as a substitute for the conventional wood-based particleboard and provides an alternative material in the development of a low-cost particleboard. Agro-wastes such as rice husks (RH), eggshell (ES), cassava peel (CP) and palm kernel shell (PKS) are abundant within the South-West Geopolitical Zone of Nigeria and are currently underutilized. In this study, the viability of these materials was investigated for the production of particleboard. The planetary ball mill was used to process ES, CP, and PKS to a size range of 150-250 μm while urea formaldehyde was used as a binder. Parameters such as resin content (25 %), hardener content (20 %), pressing time (10 min), press pressure (40 kg/m2) and press temperature (175 oC) were held constant. The hybrid composites board developed was evaluated by physical properties determination (water absorption (WA) and thickness swelling (TS). Also, the mechanical properties such as modulus of rupture (MOR) and modulus of elasticity (MOE) were obtained for each batch of composites developed. From the result, composites designated D (100 % RH) had WA value of 12 % after 2 h of immersion and 85.91 % after 24 h. An optimum density value of 1081.43 kg/m3 was observed in B while D has the least density value of 830.14 kg/m3. Thus, composite designated B has a potential for indoor application, especially as furniture component.

The hot air drying characteristics of fermented-cooked (FC) cassava chips were investigated at a temperature of 50, 60, and 70°C and the fan speed of 0.5, 0.9, and 1.3 m/s. Proximate compositions, functional characteristics, and moisture diffusion parameters of the FC cassava chips were also studied. Furthermore, the applicability of mathematical (MM) and Gaussian process regression (GPR) – based modeling approaches for modeling drying kinetics of the chips was analyzed. Effective diffusivity (Deff) increased with an increase in temperature and fan speed and ranged between 1.1 × 108 and 6 × 108 m2/s. The activation energy (Ea) decreased with fan speed level up to 0.9 m/s and fluctuated between 0.9 and 1.3 m/s. Ea was from 46 to 57 KJ/mol. The drying rate decreased with an increase in temperature and fan speed. Process variables also showed a significant effect on the proximate compositions. FTIR result revealed that drying affected the functional characteristics of the chips. The GPR-based model showed superiority and can therefore be used for optimization and control monitoring which are necessary for product standardization. Practical Applications Drying of food materials happens to be a major unit operation in the most food process line, prompting the establishment of its drying conditions important. Drying kinetic modeling is very crucial for accurate control of the drying process in the industries. This study shows that GPR- based models performed better than mathematical models for modeling the drying curve of FC cassava chips. It also shows how some processing operation affects the functional properties of the chips. GPR-models are useful in developing robust control systems for industrial drying processes.

s This study investigates the interactive effects of processing parameters on the quality of milled rice using a one-step milling machine. Also, predictive models were generated using response surface methodology. The processing parameters were moisture content (10–14 % dry basis), shaft speed of rotation (600–900 rpm), and polishing time (1–3 min). The quality parameters evaluated were milling (head rice yield, percentage broken rice, fine broken rice, and milled rice yield), cooking (optimum cooking time, kernel elongation ratio, and width expansion ratio), and sensory (flavor, aroma, appearance, texture, and overall acceptability) properties. The results showed that the interactive effects of moisture content, shaft speed, and polishing time were significant (P < 0.05) on percentage broken rice, milled rice yield, fine broken rice, optimum cooking time, kernel elongation ratio, width expansion ratio, aroma, and appearance but was not significant on head rice yield, flavor, texture, and overall acceptability. These results were similar to the regression models generated. In conclusion, the interactive effects of these processing parameters affect all the cooking properties but not all milling and sensory properties while using a one-step milling machine., Milling properties, Cooking properties, Sensory properties, One-step milling machine, Polishing time.

This study was carried out to understand the moisture transfer behavior of tomato fruits subjected to pre-drying and drying processes. Effects of variety and process conditions on the moisture ratio (MR) and effective moisture diffusivity (Deff) of tomato were investigated using three-level-four-variable Box–Behnken design of response surface methodology (RSM). The experiment involved three varieties of tomato (Hausa, Tiwantiwa, and Roma VFN) and the process conditions include slice thickness (5, 7.5, and 10 mm), pre-drying treatment (ethyl acetate, NaCl, MgCl2∙6H2O and Na2S2O5, and honey and sugar solutions), and inlet air temperature (45, 55, and 65 °C). Results show that variety and process conditions influenced MR and Deff of tomato (p ≤ .05). Furthermore, quadratic model best described the moisture transfer behavior of tomato in convective hot-air dryer with R2 values of 0.8538 and 0.7150 for MR and Deff, respectively. Based on the aforementioned process conditions, optimum conditions achieved were Tiwantiwa variety, 5 mm slice thickness, pre-drying treatment in ethyl acetate solution, and inlet air temperature of 65 °C. With predictions of 0.774 and 2.844 × 10–8 m2/s for MR and Deff, respectively, and obtained desirability function of 0.771.

This study applied Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) to predict the moisture ratio (MR) during the drying process of yam slices (Dioscorea rotundata) in a hot air convective dryer. Also the effective diffusivity, activation energy, and rehydration ratio were calculated. The experiments were carried out at three (3) drying air temperatures (50, 60, and 70 °C), air velocities (0.5, 1, and 1.5 m/s), and slice thickness (3, 6, and 9 mm), and the obtained experimental data were used to check the usefulness of ANFIS in the yam drying process. The result showed efficient applicability of ANFIS in predicting the MR at any time of the drying process with a correlation value (R2) of 0.98226 and root mean square error value (RMSE) of 0.01702 for the testing stage. The effective diffusivity increased with an increase in air velocity, air temperature, and thickness and the values (6.382E -09 to 1.641E -07 m2/s). The activation energy increased with an increase in air velocity, but fluctuate within the air temperatures and thickness used (10.59–54.93 KJ/mol). Rehydration ratio was highest at air velocity×air temperature×thickness (1.5 m/s×70 °C × 3 mm), and lowest at air velocity × air temperature×thickness (0.5 m/s×70 °C × 3 mm). The result showed that the drying kinetics of Dioscorea rotundata existed in the falling rate period. The drying time decreased with increased temperature, air velocity, and decreased slice thickness. These established results are applicable in process and equipment design, analysis and prediction of hot air convective drying of yam (Dioscorea rotundata) slices., Food science, Food technology, Computer science, Adaptive neuro fuzzy inference system (ANFIS), Drying, Moisture ratio, Effective diffusivity, Activation energy, Rehydration ratio.

This study evaluated the anaerobic mono-digestion of two different samples of Chromolaena odorata. Combinations of mechanical and thermo-alkaline pretreatments were applied to one of the two samples and labeled as “X” while the second had no thermo-alkaline treatment and was labeled as “Y”. The Central Composite Design was used to design the pretreatments. The physicochemical characteristics of the substrates were carried out using standard methods after appropriate pretreatments. From the experimental set-ups, the most probable actual biogas yields in experiments “X” and ”Y” were 0.3554 m3/kg Total Solid (TS)fed and 0.1803 m3/kg TSfed with the desirability of 99 and 100%, respectively. Further shown in the result is a 49.2% higher experimental (actual) biogas yield in experiment “X” over “Y”. Gas chromatographic analysis revealed the CH4 and CO2 content of both experiments to be 65 ± 1.5%; 21 ± 3% and 53.5 ± 2.5%; 26 ± 3%, respectively. Combination of different pretreatment methods enhanced enormous biogas yield from the digested substrates. Optimization of the generated biogas data was carried out using the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and the Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs). The coefficient of determination (R2) for RSM was lower compared to that of ANN. This shows that ANNs model gives higher accuracy than RSM model. Further utilization of this weed for biogas production is encouraged by the results from this study. Keywords: Anaerobic digestion, Lignocellulosic biomass, Methane, Optimization, Pretreatment, Siam weed

The design and construction of a motorized rice grader were undertaken to classify rice grains into the head rice and broken rice. Three (3) screens of decreasing diameters were used inclined at angles ranging from 6, 8, and 160 and driven by a 5 hp motor to cause agitation and a pneumatic mechanism for blowing light chaff material. The performance efficiency of the developed machine was evaluated with milled rice at 15% moisture content (wet basis) at different feed gate levels (FGL) (5 to 20 mm). The result indicated decreased grading efficiency (GE) and product purity (PP) with increased FGL, increased throughput capacity (TPC) and tray loss (TL) with increased FGL. The highest GE and PP were 91.67 and 90.97% at 5 mm FGO, while the highest TPC and TL were achieved at 20 mm FGL as 0.08 kg/s and 1.06%, respectively. The feed gate levels (5 to 20 mm) had a significant effect on the performance efficiencies investigated.

The production, optimization, and characterization of exopolysaccharide (EPS) from Weissella confusa OF126 and the in-vitro probiotic potentials of this strain was investigated. The EPS produced on sucrose modified-MRS broth was characterized. The purified EPS had an average molecular weight of 1.1 × 106 Da. HPLC analysis revealed the presence of glucose monomers, indicating its homopolysaccharide nature. The structural characteristics of the EPS were investigated by FTIR, and NMR spectroscopy. FTIR spectroscopy revealed the presence of hydroxyl, carboxyl, N-acetyl and amine groups. NMR analysis confirmed that the EPS contained α-(1 → 6) linkage and α-(1 → 3) branched linkage. The EPS showed strong in-vitro antioxidant activity. Four significant factors were optimized using Central Composite Design (CCD) and Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The predicted optimum conditions for EPS production were cultivation time (48.50 h), sucrose concentration (24.00 g/L), pH (7.00) and yeast extract (2.50%).The EPS produced was predicted to be 3.10 g/L, while the experimental yield was 3.00 g/L. This strain was found to possess desirable probiotic attributes by its ability to survive at pH 2.0 and in the presence of bile salts (0.50% (w/v)) for 4 h. The results obtained from this study demonstrate W. confusa OF126 as a promising probiotic and the EPS produced can find useful applications in industries.

Flooding is a major environmental problem facing Anambra State of Nigeria, which also threatens food security in the state. To address this issue, continual flood vulnerability mapping exploring more efficient methods is needed to facilitate flood risk management in the state. The advantages of employing spatial information technologies such as Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) in flood vulnerability mapping has been widely documented; the limitations of employing GIS alone in effective vulnerability analysis have also been documented by researchers. To overcome these limitations, this study adopted the use of GIS and the integration of Interval Value Fuzzy Rough Number (IVFRN), Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL), and Analytical Network Process (ANP) method in vulnerability assessment of flood hazard. The result of the study shows that the state is very vulnerable to flood with 73% of the total area of the state lying between Very High and Medium vulnerable zones. The most vulnerable Local Government Area (LGA) in the State is Anambra West with 95% of the total area of the LGA lying between Very High and Medium vulnerable zones. Furthermore, the obtained values of R˜−D˜ show that Rainfall Intensity factor is the major cause of flood in the study area with the highest positive value of 1.55 and Soil factor is the major effect with the highest negative value of -0.93. The IVFRN-DEMATEL-ANP assessment model was validated using AUC-ROC method; an AUC value of 0.946 was obtained, this indicates that the model has excellent prediction accuracy. This study was able to establish the feasibility of integrating the IVFRN, DEMATEL and ANP methods in flood vulnerability assessment. It is recommended that the provision of adequate drainage systems should be prioritized to areas of high flood vulnerability index; to help mitigate flood hazards in the State. Also, strategic planning of infrastructures and emergency routes for moving people and key assets from vulnerable areas especially during the rainy season should be geospatial-based and systematic., GIS, Flooding, Vulnerability Assessment, Climate Change, Nigeria

Field study was conducted to evaluate the emission uniformity (EU), global coefficient of variation (CGv), emitter flow variation (Qvar) and distribution uniformity (DU), and determine the wetted radius (rw) on soil surface of improvised medi-emitters installed in a tomato field. Soil water content (SWC) at four layers was determined after different periods of irrigation. Radius of wetted soil surface was determined and predicted. Irrigation frequency had no significant effect on the average discharge rate of the medi-emitters throughout the growing cycle. Average Qvar and CGv were significantly (P=0.05) influenced by the frequency of application while the EU and DU did not significantly (P=0.05) differ among the treatments. There were significant differences in the average values of SWC in different soil layers under the different periods of irrigation. Both the observed and calculated rw on the soil surface were fitted with fourth order polynomial. The model performance parameters of MAE and RMSE between the calculated and observed radii were low, indicating good prediction. Medical infusion set can successfully replace the more expensive conventional emitters for drip irrigation system.

This study investigated the modelling of moisture diffusivity of processed locust beans under forced and natural convection mode using solar drying with thermal storage materials (gravel). The experimental data obtained were fitted into eleven existing thin layer models and the best model choice was based on a comparison of statistical parameters including determination coefficient (R2), reduced chi-square (ᵪ2), root mean square error (RMSE), square error sum (SSE) and normalised root mean square error (NRMSE) between the experimental and predicted data. The results showed that the Lewis model gave the best description of solar drying of locust beans under forced and natural convection mode. Thus, this model may be adjudged to represent the drying characteristics of locust beans in a thin layer within the experimental range of study. The obtained moisture diffusivity values were 2.73496 and 1.82331 × 10-11 m2/s for the solar drying of locust beans under forced and natural convection mode respectively. The predicted Arrhenius constant and activation energy values were respectively 2.54 × 10-11 m2/s and 21.65 kJ/mol. Keywords: Modelling, Moisture diffusivity, Solar drying, Locust beans, Thermal storage material, Forced and natural convection

It has been recorded in literature that superheated steam has the ability to combine the parboiling operation (steaming and drying) of paddy (Oryza sativa - UPL1) rice into a single unit. According to literature, this process has not been fully explored and implemented in rice processing. In this research work, superheated steam dryer was used to parboil (steam and dry) paddy rice. Soaking time and temperature used was 12hours at 60°C, with steaming time ranging from 10 to 24mins, while the drying conditions used were; temperature (160, 170 and 180°C), bed depth (1, 3 and 5cm) and tempering time (20 and 40 minutes). In addition, paddy rice was dried from initial moisture content ranging from 26-43% (d.b) to a final moisture content of 2 – 8% (d.b). It was observed that the milled rice yield ranged from 71.32 to 94.5%, head rice yield ranged from 70.5 and 90.6%, broken rice ranged from 3.2 to 7.7%, chalkiness ranged from 3.4 to 10.6% and drying capacity ranged from 0.1 to 0.36kg/h. The results obtained shows that drying with superheated steam can be used to improve rice quality.

This research was carried out to determine the energy requisite in terms of the specific thermal energy consumption, the specific electrical energy consumption and the drying capacity of a superheated steam dryer. The superheated stream dryer consists of a boiler housing, steam transfer pipes made of galvanized steel, super-heater made up of two (2) heater bands of 4000W (used to convert saturated steam to superheated steam), superheated chamber made of galvanized steel, the drying chamber made using stainless steel, a PID temperature controller (for regulating the temperature of superheated steam) as well as a water heater of 1500W to raise the temperature of water to saturation temperature. The result observed revealed that, drying capacity ranged from 0.1 to 0.36 kg/h, specific thermal energy consumption ranged from 9.22 to 19.99 kJ/kg and specific electrical energy consumption ranged from 15.41 to 57.17kWh/kg as influenced by temperatures of 160-180 °C, bed depths of 1 to 5 cm and tempering time of 20 and 40 minutes. Results obtained proves that drying paddy rice in a superheated steam dryer in comparison with hot air dryer has lesser energy consumption and saves operational cost.

Drying is one of the major unit operation in food industry and it kinetics data is required for optimization. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of air temperature (50, 60, and 70°C), air velocity (0.5, 1, and 1.5 m/s), and slice thickness (3, 6, and 9 mm) on the moisture ratio of yam slice during drying. Ten (10) different empirical models were used in fitting the experimental moisture ratio data, the prediction performance was evaluated with sum of square error (SSE), coefficient of determination (R2) and root mean square error (RMSE). The model fitting shows that the Two term model was most performed based on R2, SSE, and RMSE value. This result can be use to control the drying systems for yam slice.

This dataset article presents the effective adsorption of Malachite Green (MG) dyes onto FZMC as low-cost agro-waste. The physicochemical parameters data of the FZMC (1329 m2/g surface area; 12% moisture content; 0.9% loss of mass on ignition; 0.386 g/cm3 bulk density) showed its suitability for sorption. Favorable adsorption of MG dye in a batch technique was achieved at pH 8, 120 min contact time through 100 – 600 ppm concentrations. With R2>0.98, the Pseudo second-order model best represented kinetic data. The mechanism was better represented by the intraparticle diffusion model. Equilibrium data were best described by Freundlich and confirmed by Halsey isotherm with R2>0.97 and physisorption nature of the d -R isotherm model (E (J/mol)

This study seeks to investigate the performance of maize cob and maize cob with stalk with a mix ratio 2:1; 200 g shelled maize cob: 100 g of maize stalk) briquettes as fuel source for domestic cooking. The two residues were individually chopped into small pieces using a hammer mill and 0.6 mm particle size was utilized for the purpose of this work. Cassava starch was used as binder with mix ratio of 2:1 (Residue to Binder). A briquetting mold was used and residues were compressed into briquettes using a manual hydraulic press. Performance tests showed maize cob with stalk briquettes performed better with a higher cooking efficiency (17.3 %), fuel efficiency (19.78 %) and low fuel consumption (0.97 kg/hr) and boiling time of 20 mins. These results were significant at 5 % level of significance. Maize cob briquettes had higher calorific value (17.8 MJ/Kg) and higher fuel consumption rate (1.3 kg/hr), but had lower cooking efficiency (10.28 %) and fuel efficiency (12.8 %) with a boiling time of 15 minutes. The smoke emission using the briquettes was highly reduced. The crop residues used significantly affect the performance of the developed briquettes. Maize cob with stalk briquette was preferred due to its high cooking efficiency, fuel efficiency and low fuel consumption.

Irrigation and mulching are important soil management practices for sustainable food productions. Different irrigation and mulching treatments could however affect soil hydrothermal properties and hence the soil productivity. This study evaluated the effect of drip irrigation interval and mulching type on selected hydrothermal properties of an Alfisol cropped with Cucumber (Cucumis sativus). A field experiment, laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications, was conducted with split-plot arrangement having irrigation interval as the main-plot and mulching material as the sub-plot. Three irrigation intervals: two days per week (D2), four days per week (D4) and six days per week (D6); and two mulching materials: plastic (M1) and spear grass (Imperata cylindrica) (M2) were applied. There were nine (9) treatment combinations which gave a total of 27 plots. Soil physical properties of soil water content (SWC), bulk density (BD) and saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) were monitored during the growing cycle. Thermal conductivity, resistivity, diffusivity and volumetric specific heat of the soil were measured. There was no significant difference in thermal conductivity, thermal resistivity, thermal diffusivity and volumetric specific heat, under the irrigation intervals. The cucumber yield under the mulch treatment was in the order of M1 > M2 > M3. The Cucumis sativus yield was highest under M1 and D4 (11629.63 kg/ha) and lowest in M3 and D2 (3362.22 kg/ha). The mulching treatment had significant effect on the soil temperature, SWC, BD and yield while the irrigation treatment had no significant effect on the soil properties considered.

Antimicrobials in food packaging are used to enhance quality and safety by reducing surface contamination of processed food. This study investigated the effects of Aloe vera- coated packaging materials on the microbial quality characteristics of breadfruit flour. Breadfruit flour was packaged in Jute bag (JB), Kalico bag (KA), low-density Polyethylene-lined Brown paper (LDPEBP) and they were compared with control. Samples were analyzed for changes in microbiological (total colony count and total fungal count) and moisture content during a storage period of 12 weeks interval during storage at ambient temperature of 25 ± 2oC. Packaging significantly (p< 0.05) affected the moisture content and microbiological of breadfruit flour during storage. The moisture content, total colony count, and total fungi count significantly (p< 0.05) increased as the storage time increased. The sample packaged in Brown paper (BP) were more acceptable than those in other packaging materials.

Environmental pollution by solid wastes and inadequate energy supply are some of the major challenges facing the developing world. This study evaluated the potentials of Fluted pumpkin fruit rind and poultry manure for biogas generation. Mechanical and thermo-alkaline pre-treatments were applied to two samples labeled ‘O’ and ‘P’ while the third sample (Q) had no thermo-alkaline treatment. The physicochemical characteristics of the substrates revealed richness in nutrients and mineral elements. The results showed that use of a combination of pre-treatment methods enhanced the biogas yield in the pre-treated substrates. Analysis of the gas composition showed 66.5 ± 2.5% Methane, 25 ± 1% Carbon dioxide; 58.5 ± 2.5% Methane, 26 ± 1% Carbon dioxide; 54.5 ± 1.5% Methane, 28 ± 2% Carbon dioxide for the three experiments, respectively. All the obtained values show the models had a high predictive ability. The substrates should be further used for energy generation.

The increased demand for irrigation to boost food supply has placed emphasis on the use of wastewaters. However, the indiscriminate use of wastewaters could impair soil functions and influence other hydrologic processes. The objective of this study was to evaluate soil hydrophobicity and evapotranspiration of two indigenous vegetables under wastewater irrigation in southwest Nigeria. The study was a factorial experiment, laid out in randomized complete block design (RBCD) with three replications. The vegetable factor consisted of SM - Eggplant (Solanum macrocarpon) and CA – Lagos spinach (Celosia angentea), while the wastewaters were abattoir wastewater (AW), bathroom and laundry wastewater (BW) and cassava effluent (CE), with rainwater (RW) as control. Soil hydrophobicity was determined before the experiment and after harvest using water-droplet penetration time (WDPT) method while the crop evapotranspiration was determined using soil water balance technique. Wastewater irrigation significantly (p

Locust beans dehulling machine was design, develop, and evaluated. The machine was evaluated at different speed and boiling time for its performance efficiency. The results showed that with increase in the boiling time from the first to second hr the throughput capacity, qualitative, and quantitative dehulling efficiency increased but from the second to the fourth hr of boiling, it decreased. Whereas as the dehulling speed increase the throughput capacity increased but the quantitative and qualitative dehulling efficiency decreased. Highest throughput capacity and the least labor requirement were recorded at 1 hr boiling, whereas highest quantitative and qualitative dehulling efficiency was recorded at 2 hr of boiling. The boiling time and dehulling speed significantly affects the throughput capacity, quantitative and qualitative dehulling efficiencies of the dehuller, but does not affect labor requirement. The economic analysis reveals that developed dehuller can be useful for small to medium scale locust bean processing industries. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The developed dehuller is relevant in the dehulling of boiled locust bean seed. This would, therefore, combat the challenges surrounding locust bean processing especially with the rural women dwellers and commercial producers. The dehuller would, therefore, reduce the time consumption and drudgery associated with the processing of locust bean.

The aim of irrigation is to recharge the available water in the soil. Quality of irrigation water is essential for the yield and quality of crops produced, maintenance of soil productivity and protection of the environment. The analysis of irrigation water arises as a need to know the impact of irrigation water on the yield of crops, the effect, and the necessary control measures to rectify the effect of this for optimum production and yield of crops. This study was conducted to assess the quality of irrigation water with its performance on crop planted, in Josepdam irrigation scheme Bacita, Nigeria. Field visits were undertaken to identify and locate water supply sources and collect water samples from these sources; X1 Drain, Oshin, River Niger loop and Ndafa. Laboratory experiments were then undertaken to determine the quality of raw water from these sources. The analysis was carried for various parameters namely; physical and chemical analyses after water samples have been taken from four sources. The samples were tested in laboratory. Results showed that the raw water sources shows no salinity tendencies with SAR values less than 1me/l and Ecvaules at Zero while the pH were within the recommended range by FAO, there are increase in potassium and sulphate content contamination in three of the location. From this, it is recommended that there should be proper monitoring of the scheme by conducting analysis of water and soil in the environment, preferable test should be carried out at least one year to cover the impact of seasonal variations and to determine the physical and chemical analysis of the water used for irrigation at the scheme.

Moisture sorption isotherms of EX-BORNO and SOSAT C88 millets at temperature range of 30–70 °C and water activity range of 0.07–0.98 were determined using the static gravimetric method. The sorption isotherms of both millet varieties decreased with increasing temperature, exhibited type II behaviour according to BET classification and hysteresis having loop size increasing with increasing temperature. This is as a result of the hard nature of the millet varieties. The moisture sorption and the data fitted well with Modified Henderson, Modified Halsey, Modified Oswin and Modified GAB models. The constants of the equations used in fitting were determined by non-linear regression analysis when the models were compared using the standard error of estimate, mean relative percent deviation, fraction explained variation and residual plots. The Modified Oswin model gave the best fit for the whole set of data. The study has provided information and data useful in large scale drying and processing of millet which have remained at the traditional level despite the importance of the drought resistance crop in poverty alleviation.

The thin-layer drying behavior of gray small size and white big size varieties of castor seeds dried at 40, 50, 60 and 70C in a laboratory model tray dryer fitted with a temperature control system was investigated. Temperature was found to affect the drying characteristics with samples dried at higher temperature attaining equilibrium moisture content faster. From the five thin-layer drying equations fitted to the drying data, the modified Page model gave the best fit with highest correlation coefficients of 0.999, 0.990–0.999 and the least root mean square error of 0.010–0.013, 0.011–0.038, respectively, for the two varieties. The effective diffusivity coefficient of moisture transfer varied, respectively, from 8.24 × 10−9–1.81 × 10−8m2/s and 3.72 × 10−8–7.62 × 10−8m2/s, which are within the range for food materials. The activation energies are, respectively, 21.47 kJ/mol and 18.03 kJ/mol. This indicates that the diffusion process requires lower energy hence ease of drying of the castor seeds. PRACTICAL APPLICATION Whole castor seed is extremely poisonous; however, it becomes fit for human consumption when properly processed. Drying is a fundamental unit operation in the processing of this seed which influences the physicochemical and quality characteristic of the product, hence an evaluation of the drying characteristics as a function of drying conditions could help in predicting suitable drying conditions for good quality products.

Energy and exergy studies were conducted in an orange juice manufacturing industry in Nigeria to determine the energy consumption pattern and methods of energy optimization in the company. An adaptation of the process analysis method of energy accounting was used to evaluate the energy requirement for each of the eight defined unit operations. The types of energy used in the manufacturing of orange juice were electrical, steam and manual with the respective proportions of 18.51%, 80.91% and 0.58% of the total energy. It was estimated that an average energy intensity of 1.12 MJ/kg was required for the manufacturing of orange juice. The most energy intensive operation was identified as the pasteurizer followed by packaging unit with energy intensities of 0.932 and 0.119 MJ/kg, respectively. The exergy analysis revealed that the pasteurizer was responsible for most of the inefficiency (over 90%) followed by packaging (6.60%). It was suggested that the capacity of the pasteurizer be increased to reduce the level of inefficiency of the plant. The suggestion has been limited to equipment modification rather than process alteration, which constitutes additional investment cost and may not be economical from an energy savings perspective.