Preparation and characterization of activated carbon from groundnut and egg shells as viable precursors for adsorption

This study was carried out to prepare groundnut shell (GS) and eggshell (ES) into activated carbon (AC) and characterize the AC using Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) and American Standard for Testing and Materials (ASTM) methods. The AC produced was characterized for: pH, moisture content, volatile matter, ash content, fixed carbon, bulk density and surface area. Surface functional groups and surface morphology were also determined using Fourier Transformed Infrared (FT-IR) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) respectively. The ranges of the following results were achieved for the biomasses: Groundnut shell Activated Carbon (GSAC) and Eggshell Activated Carbon (ESAC) respectively: pH (6.80±0.101−7.80±0.011); moisture content (14.10±0.101−12.90±.110%); volatile matter (9.20±0.112−9.90±0.012%); ash content (8.98±0.111−5.80±0.111%); fixed carbon (67.70±0.010−71.40±110%); bulk density (370.00±0.000−380.00−0.000 g/L); surface area (880.00±0.100−800.00±0.000 m2/g). The agro-wastes have high carbon contents and low inorganic which make them viable adsorbents. FT-IR analysis revealed the presence of oxygen surface complexes such as carbonyls and OH groups on the surface of the ACs in addition to good pore structures from SEM studies revealed that the agro-wastes could be good precursors for ACs production. The overall results showed that the AC produced from the agro-wastes can be optimally used as good and effective adsorbents, thereby ensuring cheaper, readily available and affordable ACs for the treatment of effluent, waste water and used oils.

Sustainable Production of Bioethanol by Zymomonas mobilis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae using Rice Husk and Groundnut Shell as Substrates

Background of Study: Plant waste such as rice husk and groundnut shell are generated in large amounts, these waste presents a tremendous pollution to the environment. Worldwide, these wastes are often simply dumped into landfills and oceans or used as animal feeds. The recovery of food processing wastes as renewable energy sources represents a sustainable option for the substitution of fossil energy in order to minimize environmental damages and to meet energy demands of the growing population. Aim: To produce bioethanol from rice husk and groundnut shell using local strains of Zymomonas mobilis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Place and Duration of Study: Conducted at the Microbiology Laboratory of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi, Bauchi state, Nigeria, between April to June, 2021. Methods: Groundnut shell and Rice husk were collected from local milling center. The wastes were powdered, sieved and used as carbon source. Proximate composition of the subsrate was done and the total carbohydrate was determined by difference. The sum of the percentage moisture, ash, crude lipid, crude protein and crude fibre was subtracted from 100. Zymomonas mobilis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae were isolated from rotten sweet oranges and locally fermented beverage (‘kunun-zaki’) respectively by growing them on Malt Yeast Peptone Glucose Agar (MYPGA) after which they were further screened for their ability to tolerate ethanol and they serve as organisms for fermentation. The enzyme α- amylase was used for hydrolysis. The fermented substrates were distilled at 78oC and the distillate was collected as bioethanol in a conical flask. UV-VIS spectrophotometer was used to determine the absorbance of each concentration (0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8cm3) of reducing sugar content of the hydrolysates and the bioethanol produced by developing a standard curve at a wavelength of 491nm and 588nm respectively. The concentration of reducing sugar and bioethanol was determined using a reference line from the Standard curve. Results: Proximate analysis done shows that rice husk have 70.09% carbohydrates while groundnut shell has 65.09% carbohydrates. Groundnut shell yielded the highest reducing sugar of 5.096%. Rice husk yielded the lowest quantity of reducing sugar with a total yield of 2.962%. Maximum concentration of bioethanol of 0.971% was produced from the combination of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Zymomonas mobilis from groundnut shell. The lowest concentration of 0.121% of bioethanol was produced when Saccharomyces cerevisiae was used on rice husk hydrolysates. The synergistic relationship of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Zymomonas mobilis yielded the maximum bioethanol when compared with the yield obtained when the organisms were used singly. Zymomonas mobilis produced highest bioethanol content when the organisms are used single. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the potentiality of local strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Zymomonas mobilis isolated from rotten sweet orange and locally fermented beverage (‘kunun-zaki’) to produce bioethanol by fermenting the rice husk and groundnut shell hydrolysates.

Groundnut Shells as a Potential Feed Supplement for Ruminants on Pastures: A Review

Communal grazing does not offer adequate forage for ruminants throughout the year. This problem is exacerbated during the dry season when grazing is scarce and of poor nutritional quality. Mineral shortages are common in communal grazing environments and yet they are nutritional requirements for optimal development, physiologic functioning and productivity in animals, as well as for cattle growth, reproduction and health. However, the use of groundnut (Arachis hypogea L.) shell (GNS) that are readily available but have no direct nutritional benefit in humans, have not been extensively investigated as a potential source of animal feed. This paper investigates the potential of GNS as feed supplement for ruminants on pasture and its use in other industries. After extracting the seed, the groundnut shell, accounts for roughly 21-29 per cent of the total weight of the nut. Despite the high lignin content of the shell that necessitates adequate processing before use in animal feed, groundnut shell includes 0.50 per cent crude protein, 59.0 per cent crude fiber, 2.50 per cent ash and 4.43 per cent carbs. Sodium (42.00 mg/100 g), potassium (705.11 mg/100 g), magnesium (3.98.00 mg/100 g), calcium (2.28 mg/100 g), iron (6.97 mg/100 g), zinc (3.20 mg/100 g) and phosphorus (10.55 mg/100 g) are all abundant in groundnut shells. In view of this, GNS, a by-product of industrial processing of groundnuts is a rich source of nutrients and can be used to supplement ruminants on pastures during times when pastures are in short supply and of poor quality. Studies are needed to investigate their use to supplement cattle on pasture grazing during times of feed shortage. However, its use as animal feed supplement is likely to face challenges from other industries such as biofuel production.

Screening of Agricultural Wastes for Substrates in Oxalic Acid Production Using Aspergillus niger

The disposal and attendant problems associated with agro-wastes have remained a challenge to the environment. Three agricultural wastes (cassava whey, banana peels and groundnut shells) were collected from the Choba and Yam zone markets in Rivers State, Nigeria and screened for their potential as substrates in the formulation of fermentation media to produce oxalic acid. The inoculum for the study was isolated from the banana peels and identified using the megablast search for highly similar sequences from the NCBI non-redundant nucleotide database. The microbial load and proximate composition of the substrates were determined, and the fermentation media formulated. The organism used for the study was identified as Aspergillus niger MW188538. The results showed a total bacterial count of 9.5x104 cfu/ml, 1.87 x 105 cfu/ml, and 4.0 x 104 cfu/g for cassava whey, banana peels and groundnut shell respectively. The carbohydrates of the cassava whey, banana peels and groundnut shells were 67.74 %w/v, 53.24%w/v and 38.8% w/v respectively. After 12 days of fermentation, the substrates from cassava whey, banana peels, groundnut shells accumulated 2.5 ppm, 1.8 ppm and 1.3 ppm of oxalic acid respectively. The study hypothetically indicates that agro-wastes could be utilized as media components for production of industrial organics.

In-Situ Synthesis and Property Evaluation of High-Density Polyethylene Reinforced Groundnut Shell Particulate Composite

In-situ synthesis of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) reinforced groundnut shell particulate (GSP) composite with treated GSP within the range of 10-30 wt% at 10 wt% has been achieved. The adopted technique used in the production of the composite is melt mixing and compounding using two roll mills with a compression moulding machine. Properties such as hardness, tensile strength, impact energy and water absorption analysis were examined. The result revealed that addition of GSP increases the hardness value from 22.3 to 87 Hv. However, the tensile strength progressively decreased as the GSP increases in the HDPE. This trend arises due to the interaction between neighbouring reinforced particulate which appears to influence the matrix flow, thereby inducing embrittlement of the polymer matrix. It was also observed that water absorption rate steadily increased with an increase in the exposure time and the absorbed amount of water increases by increasing the wt% of the GSP. Analysing the obtained results, it was concluded that there were improvements in the hardness, tensile strength, impact energy and water absorption properties of the HDPE-GSP polymer composite when compared to unreinforced HDPE. On these premises, GSP was found as a promising reinforcement which can positively influence the HDPE properties of modern composites.

Fermentative extraction of Amylase using waste Biomaterials as Substrate

Enzymes are biological molecules that significantly speed up the rate of virtually all of the chemical reactions that takes place within the cells. They are vital for life and serve as a wide range of important functions in the body. Solid state fermentation holds a high potential for the production of enzyme amylase using Aspergillus niger. In this work, different solid substrates such as groundnut shells, coconut coir and Palmyra sprout peels were used for the production of amylase as they are very cheap and also easily available raw materials. Then the maximum enzyme activities were analysed. Results showed that the enzyme activity of for which palmyra sprout peel was used as substrate had maximum activity in both crude sample (0.63µmol/ml.min) and in partially purified sample (1.42µmol/ml.min) and activity was found to be less for groundnut shell as substrate (crude sample 0.36µmol/ml.min) and in (treated sample 0.26µmol/ml.min) and also the specific activity was found to be maximum in palmyra sprout peel (29.2U/mg of protein) and less in groundnut shell (8.6U/mg of protein).

Characterization of groundnut shell powder as a potential reinforcement for biocomposites

Natural fibers are becoming the right candidate material as a substitute for glass fibers in the reinforcement of plastic polymers for various applications. The ease of their processing with minimal energy consumption and the quest to produce biodegradable plastics with lightweight has given natural fibers comparative advantages over synthetic fibers. In this study, groundnut shell powder (GSP) in different forms (untreated, sodium hydroxide treated and ash) were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to evaluate their possible utilization as reinforcement in polymers. GSP was treated with sodium hydroxide for 5 hrs and dried in vacuum for 24 hrs to obtain treated GSP while ash GSP was formed by heating GSP in the furnace at 600 °C for about 3 hrs. The results reveal that sodium hydroxide treatment was very effective in the breaking down of the hydrogen bond with a consequent reduction in the hydrophilicity of the GSP. This would promote GSP bonding with the hydrophobic polymer matrix in the development of natural fiber reinforced plastic polymer composite materials. Ash GSP was found to have the highest crystallinity among the three forms of GSP based on XRD results. Therefore, the result achieved in this work confirmed that treated and ash GSP fibers are good reinforcement material in the production of polymer composites, with the actual choice depending on end-use property requirements of the composite.

Stabilization of Black Cotton Soil with Groundnut Shell Ash

The analysis of GSA for the stabilization of soil samples is the subject of this research paper. In recent years, soil stabilization techniques have been effective in improving the shear strength parameters of poor soils. GSA is a naturally occurring substance that causes human health and environmental issues. Physical properties of soil were calculated, including Atterberg's limits, compaction characteristics, and strength characteristics of virgin soil samples. GSA was applied to the soil in various percentages (2 to 10 percent). The soil sample's intensity increased up to 6% before decreasing. It is clear that 6% of GSA to the soil is an optimum percentage and it leads to an increase in shear strength and bearing capacity in expansive soil.