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Thin films of NiOAg were grown onto glass substrates by radio frequency (RF) sputtering technique at 13.56 MHz RF with variation in oxygen pressure. The research was conducted on preparation and characterization of NiOAg thin films, applicated as a photocatalyst for the degradation of methylene blue. X-ray diffraction analysis showed stronger intensity (111) and (200) planes at peak 2θ of 37.66° and 43.23°. Energy dispersive x-ray analysis showed the following composition: Ni = 40.45%, Ag = 13.01%, and O = 46.53%. Based on UV–vis, it was found that the bandgap energy was 2.8, 3.1, and 3.2 eV for oxygen pressures of 0.05, 0.1, and 0.15 × 10−2 mbar, respectively. From the experiment on the degradation of methylene blue, which was taken from textile factory dye waste in Yogyakarta/Indonesia, the best value of degradation was obtained as 91.96%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a thermal behaviour comparison of a new bamboo-based and banana-based Green Bio-Composites (GBC) is conducted using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and cone-calorimeter experiments. An Intumescent Fire-Retardant (IFR) coating (a mixture of Exolit IFR36 and boric acid) has been applied on the investigated GBC materials in order to explore the flammability resistance of such GBCs. Vacuum Bag Resin Transfer Moulding (VBRTM) technique has been used to manufacture the samples. TGA test have been conducted under oxidative atmosphere with three different heating rates while cone calorimeter tests have been performed with a horizontally exposure on the top surface of the sample. The outcomes of TGA revealed that Bamboo-based (BM-GBC) and Banana-based (Bn-GBC) materials exhibited similar thermal degradation patterns. However, BM-GBC outperformed Bn-based in the cone calorimetry analysis, this is proven by the fire reaction parameters as well as the higher char residue. In addition, IFR coating improved the flame retardancy of both GBCs, reduced the Peak Heat Release Rate (PHRR) by approximately 40–50% and smoke production (SEA) by 26%. SEM and EDS analysis of char residue were performed to deeply investigate the effectiveness of the IFR as a protecting layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, the applications of nanomaterials have been sparsely addressed regarding adsorption and the separation of gases. Concerning their applications in the field of gas adsorption, high specific surface area and stability in the chemical reaction are important concerns for nanomaterials. This paper focuses on the system hybridization of activated carbon and carbon nanofibers (CNF) produced from coconut shells, which is used for ammonia adsorption process. The purpose of this research is to fabricate activated carbon and CNF based on coconut shell, and then apply them for the adsorption of ammonia to eliminate its odor. After that, this study analyzed the adsorption speed rate from the inlet system. Ammonia adsorption in this work was conducted using the batch adsorption method and measured using the adsorption speed rate supported by the TGS826 sensor. Activated carbon and CNT were also characterized in terms of their surface morphological tests using scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) to determine the particle size, morphological form, and the functional groups of material. The results indicated that activated carbon has a better performance compared to CNF regarding its ammonia adsorption capability due to the SEM and FTIR result test. Moreover, particle size has an impact on the adsorption process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]