Study, Nonylphenol Analysis of Textile Liquid Discharges of the City of Marrakech

Nonyphenols, especially the ethoxylated derivatives of nonylphenol (NPE) known as ethoxylated alkylphenols (APEs), are synthesized for their surfactant properties, which allow a better dispersion of liquids and the miscibility of certain substances such as oil and water. More than 40 years have been used as detergents, emulsifiers, wetting agents and dispersing agents and even cosmetic products such as shampoos. These organic molecules are very persistent and well known by their predatory toxicities on the skin, the eye, the respiratory tract, the kidneys and the liver, they are endocrine disruptors. The textile industry via some ennobling chemicals, tissue contamination and liquid discharges by these molecules remains a concern for the industry and the quality of these discharges. Our goal is to verify the contamination of liquid discharges from a textile industry using certain chemicals in the dyeing process.

Dispersion of Carbon Nanotubes with Different Types of Superplasticizer as a Dispersing Agent for Self-Sensing Cementitious Materials

Due to their exceptional electrical properties, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can be applied as conductive fillers to develop self-sensing cement-based matrices. In order to obtain an adequate self-sensing response, CNTs must be evenly dispersed through the cement matrix in a volume sufficient enough to create an electric percolation network. This is challenged by the difficulty of dispersing CNTs; therefore, there is a demand for an efficient dispersing agent that can be filled by superplasticiezers, which are products of known compatibility with cement and high availability. This research explores the use of four commercial superplasticizers available in Brazil, both naphthalene and ether polycarboxylate-based, as dispersing agents for CNTs in water. Ultrasonic energy was applied to aqueous solutions containing CNTs and superplasticizers. UV–Vis spectroscopy and ξ-potential measurements were used to investigate which superplasticizer was more effective to disperse the CNTs. Cement pastes were produced with the CNT dispersions and their electrical resistivity was measured. It was found that only superplasticizers without aliphatic groups in their structure were capable of dispersing CNTs in water. It was concluded that second-generation naphthalene-based superplasticizers were more efficient dispersing agents for CNTs than third-generation ether polycarboxylate-based ones for self-sensing applications.

IDENTIFIKASI POTENSI PENYEBAR BENIH TUMBUHAN PADA HUTAN RAWA GAMBUT DALAM RANGKA REGENERASI ALAMI DAN RESTORASI LAHAN GAMBUT PASCA KEBAKARAN

Tahura Orang Kayo Hitam is one of the locations that was severely damaged due to forest fires that occurred in the peat area of Jambi Province. Natural regeneration is a possible option in restoration activities and requires the presence of a mother tree and seed dispersing agents . This study aims to identify seed dispersing agents in the Orang Kayo HitamTahura and has been carried out for 3 months from June to August 2020. These tree species were obtained by a sampling method with a plot size of 20x20 m determined by a 500 m long transect from outside the forest to inside the forest. All trees with a diameter above 10 cm were measured and their species identified. Seed dispersing agents were identified by literature study, photo analysis and discussion with locals. The results of field data indicated that the species found in the study area were spread by wind and wildlife. From the 32 tree species were found, 10 species (32%) were spread by the wind and 22 species (68%) were spread by wild animals. The preliminary conclusion of this study is that wind and wildlife are very important in the distribution of tree seeds in burned areas.

Effect of Using Different Chemical Dispersing Agents in Grain Size Analyses of Fluvial Sediments via Laser Diffraction Spectrometry

Laser diffraction spectrometry allows for efficiently obtaining high-resolution grain size data. However, pretreatment and dispersion of aggregates in sediment samples are essential pre-requisites for acquiring accurate results using this method. This study evaluates the effectiveness of five dispersing agents in deflocculating the investigated fluvial sediments and the resulting grain size distribution obtained by laser diffraction spectrometry. We also examine the ability of the different dispersing agents to deflocculate sediment samples treated by thermal combustion. Distilled water presented a low efficiency in deflocculating the samples and yielded a near-zero clay content for samples with an expected clay content. The other chemical dispersants were effective in dispersing aggregates and yielding clay, albeit with different efficiencies. Calgon had the highest dispersing ability, followed closely by sodium tripolyphosphate. The performance of chemical treatment with sodium oxalate approaches that of sodium tripolyphosphate. However, it leads to the formation of precipitates in the samples, obscuring the actual grain size data. Sodium pyrophosphate derived the least amount of deflocculation among the four chemical dispersants. Furthermore, all the chemical dispersants were found to be ineffective in dispersing aggregates in samples treated by thermal combustion.

Nanoparticle Dispersed Fuels for Improving Diesel Engine Performance

The developments in materials engineering facilitated to production wide range of nanoparticles with enhanced performance in several engineering applications. Enhancing performance of diesel engine is on such application recently gained tremendous attention in the energy engineering. Using nanoparticles as additives in biodiesel or diesel has shown promising results as reported by several research teams across the globe. This paper provides a brief review of using nanoparticles as dispersing agents into fuel to improve the efficiency of the diesel engine. Using different types of nanoparticles and their role in altering the fuel combustion properties are discussed. Significant developments in using a wide range of nanoparticles of different chemical compositions as additives in fuel are summarized and presented with challenges and future perspectives.