Determination of home-made wine selected parameters and study of honey addition impact on pro-healthy components content

The chemical characteristic of home-made wine, based on the vinification process of Maréchal Foch grapes with minimal intervention, was discussed. The addition of honey in the vinification process has been studied to improve the parameters of the pro-health properties of wine. Assays of antioxidant capacity, pH, colour intensity, total acidity, histamine, tyramine, tryptamine and phenylethylamine contents were carried out during the fermentation, maturation and storage processes. Moreover, the discussed above and selected oenological and quality parameters (organic acids, metals, total and free sulphur dioxide, alcohol content) of obtained wines were compared with commercial wines. Obtained results of allergenic compounds (SO2 and histamine) showed a significantly lower level for home-made wines. The presence of honey during the fermentation process significantly improved the antioxidant parameters, titratable acidity, and influenced the final product colour intensity and colour brilliance. The obtained data show that home-produced wine seems to be a valuable alternative to traditional commercial production due to the lack of chemical additives and potentially allergenic substances in the presence of compounds that enhance human health. Moreover, minimal intervention during fermentation, no filtering step, no chemical additives, processing aids and clarifying substances suggest that home-made wine can be considered natural.

Extract of Trema Orientalis (L.) Stem Bark: A Potential Source of Environmentally Friendly Tanning Agent for Leather Industry

Researchers around the world are in continuous endeavor to develop environment friendly tanning agent due to adverse effect of conventionally used chromium during leather tanning. Recent trend of tanning is thus heading to chrome-free and greener chemical processing options. Vegetable tanning is an exoteric leather processing technique because of their lower pollution load on the environment. Considering the inadequacy and high costing for the commercialized tannins, development of alternative tannins from locally available plants and their characterizations are important. In this research, the stem barks of Trema Orientalis (L.) were extracted at different temperatures employing water solvent with or without additives (sodium hydroxide or sodium sulphite) to attain phenolic-rich extractives. To ascertain appropriateness as a vegetable tanning agent, the obtained extracts were thereafter characterized in respect to yield, total phenolic content, tannin content and molecular structure. The extraction yield for all extracts improves and the quality remains nearly unchanged with temperature rising. The elevated concentration of chemical additives enhances the extraction yield but lessens the quality of extracts. In terms of extraction yield and the quality of extracts the best condition for extraction was discerned at 80°C with water solvent. This water extract has a decent extent of phenolic and tannin content of 266.13 mg Gallic acid equivalent/ gm of dry extract and 30.12 % respectively. The final extract exhibits excellent leather retanning tendency comparable to the commercial quebracho tannins.

Preparation of Lightweight Ceramsite from Solid Waste Using SiC as a Foaming Agent

SiC was chosen as the foaming agent, and river bottom silt, waste oil sludge, paint bucket slag, and fly ash were used as raw materials, to prepare lightweight ceramsite without adding any chemical additives. The effects of SiC dosing and sintering temperature on various properties of the ceramsite were studied, and the pore-forming mechanism of the lightweight ceramsite was clarified by thermal analysis and X-ray diffraction analysis. The results showed that the single ceramsite compressive strength, water absorption, bulk density, and porosity of ceramsite sintered at 1180 °C with 1.0% SiC were 2.15 MPa, 2.02%, 490 kg/m3, and 23.85%, respectively. The major mineralogical compositions were quartz, fayalite, and kyanite, with small amounts of albite-low from 1140 to 1190 °C. Furthermore, the concentration of all tested heavy metals from ceramsite was lower than the maximum allowable concentration of the leaching solution specified in the Chinese national standard (GB 5085.3-2007), which reveals that this solid waste ceramsite will not cause secondary environmental pollution. The prepared ceramsite, exhibiting lower bulk density, high water absorption and porosity, and effective solidification of deleterious elements, can be used to prepare green lightweight aggregate concrete. Importantly, preparation of solid waste ceramsite is an effective way to dispose of hazardous wastes.

Lauric Arginate/Cellulose Nanocrystal Nanorods-Stabilized Alkenyl Succinic Anhydride Pickering Emulsion: Enhancement of Stabilization and Paper Sizing Performance

Biodegradable colloidal particle materials are becoming attractive candidates as eco-friendly chemical additives in the low-carbon economy era. However, developing cheap, stable, and efficient paper-sizing agents is still a challenging issue both for paper making academic community and industry. Here, an easy-fabricating, stable, and high-performance alkenyl succinic anhydride (ASA) paper-sizing emulsion is developed, which is stabilized by lauric arginate (LAE)/cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) nanorods. Furthermore, the chemical crosslinking between ASA and LAE/CNC nanorods can adjust the wettability and interfacial adsorption of LAE/CNC, resulting in improved stability of ASA-sizing emulsion. This novel paper-sizing emulsion shows a small droplet size (0.8 μm), high hydrolysis resistance, and a high paper-sizing degree (300 s) along with a remarkable hydrophobicity contact angle of 110° for long-term storage. This work opens a door for realizing an interfacial self-assembled Pickering-stabilizer, which leads to an environmentally friendly, pervasive and cost-effective emulsification technique for the next-generation paper-sizing additives.

EVALUATION OF OPTIMAL MODES AND CONDITIONS OF ULTRASONIC EXPOSURE TO UNCURED POLYMERS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNOLOGY FOR THE CREATION OF HIGH-STRENGTH COMPOSITES

Современное развитие машино-, приборостроения, медицины, транспорта, авиации и ракетно-космической техники определяется создаваемыми новыми конструкционными материалами с улучшенными механическими свойствами. Основная задача сегодняшнего дня – создание новых образцов материалов путем решения двух взаимоисключающих задач –одновременного обеспечения низкой удельной массы и высоких прочностных свойств материалов. Многообещающим и успешно развивающимся направлением решения этой задачи является создание и применение полимерных материалов, которые оказы-ваются более чем в 5 раз легче традиционных металлов и сплавов. Однако обеспечение необходимых прочностных свойств полимеров невозможно без модификации их физической структуры при помощи ультразвукового воздействия. Существующие способы модификации структуры, основанные на введении химических добавок, улучшая одни свойства материала, ухудшают другие свойства. Поэтому необходимо рассмотреть физические способы модификации структуры. На сегодняшний день одним из перспективных физических способов является ультразвуковое воздействие. В статье описаны результаты экспериментальных исследований по выявлению оптимальной интенсивности ультразвуковых колебаний, обеспечивающей максимальный КПД механодеструкции макромолекул. Выявленные оптимальные условия воздействия (по расстоянию между излучателем и отражателем) позволили обеспечить повышение прочности композита на 44 % по сравнению с неоптимальными условиями, при которых ультразвуковое диспергирование наполнителя повышает прочность на 30%. The modern development of machinery, instrumentation, medicine, transport, aviation and rocket and space technology is determined by the new construction materials created with improved mechanical properties. The main task of today is to create new samples of materials by solving two mutually exclusive tasks - simultaneously ensuring low specific gravity and high strength properties of materials. A promising and successfully developing direction for solving this problem is the creation and application of polymer materials that are more than 5 times lighter than traditional metals and alloys. However, it is impossible to ensure the necessary strength properties of polymers without modifying their physical structure with the help of ultrasonic action. Existing methods of modifying the structure based on the introduction of chemical additives, improving some properties of the material, worsen other properties. Therefore, it is necessary to consider physical ways of modifying the structure. To date, one of the promising physical methods is ultrasound exposure. The article describes the results of experimental studies to identify the optimal intensity of ultrasonic vibrations, providing maximum efficiency of mechanodestruction of macromolecules. The revealed optimal conditions of action (in terms of the distance between the radiator and the reflector) made it possible to increase the strength of the composite by 44% compared with non-optimal conditions under which ultrasonic dispersion of the filler increases the strength by 30%.

Biorational management of maize fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) using Bacillus thuringiensis (Berliner) enriched with chemical additives

An invasive pest, fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E.Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) attacks maize at every stage of development, from seedling emergence up to cob formation. Early instar larvae were seen mostly on leaves of maize with characteristics pin or shot hole symptoms. Later instar larvae were confined to deep whorls, leaving typically ragged like appearance and fed on the reproductive stage of the crop especially tassels and developing cobs resulting in quality and quantity loss of maize produce. The effect of commercially available Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki product, Dipel® against the second instar larvae of Fall Armyworm (FAW )was not promising under laboratory conditions. Hence, an effort was made to add an adjuvant along with B. thuringiensis to increase the virulence of commercially available B. thuringiensis.The Laboratory bioassays with B. thuringiensis and seven chemical additives ( T1- Bt + Boric acid, T2- Bt + Zinc oxide, T3- Bt + Sodium nitrate, T4- Bt + Peptone, T5- Bt + Urea, T6- Bt + EDTA, T7- Bt + Citric acid & T8- Bt alone T9- Control) were tested against second instar larvae of Spodoptera frugiperda larvae. The results showed that B. thuringiensis plus sodium nitrate (T3) promoted maximum mortality 82.2 per cent with a minimum LC50 value of 54.620 mg/l. Sodium nitrate boosted B. thuringiensis activity at a concentration of 0.05 per cent by 2.128-fold than B. thuringiensis alone. Overall, sodium nitrate improved the efficacy of B. thuringiensis spray at the maximum level followed by boric acid, urea, EDTA and peptone.