Enhancement of High Strength Concrete Performance By Utilising Nano Waste Paper Sludge Ash

High strength concrete (HSC) is an amazing breakthrough in the history of construction material. Due to its high strength, durability, and economic value, it has been used in large-scale construction with a unique structure design not achievable by conventional concrete. However, HSC uses a high amount of cement powder which contributes to its overall strength. However, it will require high cement consumption and increases carbon dioxide emission. Waste paper sludge ash (WPSA) is utilised in cement and has improved concrete properties. Nano engineered WPSA might further enhance HSC capabilities. This research focused on the physical and fresh properties of HSC with partial replacement of nano-engineered WPSA to cement through experimental investigation. The HSC produced in this research has a targeted strength of more than 40MPa with a fixed water-cement ratio of 0.2. The WPSA was oven-dried and was sieved to a particle size of 212 micrometers. Then, it was milled until a nano-size particle is obtained. The nano WPSA is used to replace cement in the HSC mix with a replacement percentage of 1%, 3%, 5%, 7%, and 10%. The new properties of the concrete were measured by conducting the flow table test, and the physical property was determined by conducting the compressive test. Compressive tests were conducted for 1, 3, 7, 14, and 28 days with a cube sample size of 50mm x 50mm x 50mm. This research shows that 1% of nano WPSA replacement tends to improve the compressive strength of the HSC concrete by 10.7% compared to the control sample. On the other hand, the 1% replacement of nano WPSA in HSC did not affect the concrete's workability compared to the control sample. The conventional HSC properties were improved with less usage of cement with the use of WPSA.

Mass Spectrometry-Based Proteomic Investigation of Heterogeneous Biofilms: A Review

Biofilm represents a major public health concern. It is a highly structured and heterogeneous microbial population that is well protected by a hydrated extracellular matrix. In most cases, the difficulties in combating a wide spectrum of biofilm-associated diseases are due to the presence of dormant cells and differential molecular expression. Proteomics is the large-scale and systematic study of cellular proteome expression at any given time by mass spectrometry. It allows high-sensitivity and high-specificity identification of differentially expressed proteins in the biofilms. Over the past few decades, multiple lines of proteomic works have successfully elucidated various aspects of the biofilm including developmental stages, antimicrobial resistance, and survival mechanisms. However, the heterogeneity of biofilms may contribute to inconsistent proteome expression throughout a proteomic experiment. This is due to the fact that the mature biofilm is often associated with the mixture between monolayer and multilayer biofilms, thick microbial population, and chemical gradient of nutrients. This review highlights the biofilm heterogeneities, the principle of mass spectrometry in proteomics, and the possible strategies for quantitative proteomic analysis of heterogeneous biofilms. It is suggested that isolation of monolayer biofilm, laser capture microdissection, flow cytometry, and subtractive proteome profiling may be considered for an accurate and reliable quantitative proteomics experiment.

Ion Transport Study in Corn Starch-NaHSO3 Based Polymer Electrolytes

In this work, different amounts of sodium bisulfite, NaHSO3 (5wt.% to 40wt.%), were dissolved in a corn starch polymer host to synthesize solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) using a solution casting technique. Then, the films prepared were characterised using non-destructive electrical impedance spectroscopy to determine SPE films' conductivity and electrical transport properties. The highest conductivity of the sample at ambient temperature was recorded at 15wt. % of NaHSO3 with a value of 2.22 × 10-4 Scm-1. Moreover, the ion transport parameters at room temperature are found to be 2.41 × 10-7 cm2s-1, 9.39 × 10-6 cm2V-1s-1, 1.70 × 1019 cm-3 for D, µ and n, respectively. The conductivity of the samples was found dependent on diffusion coefficient, D and mobility, µ of ions.

Modified Zeolite as Purification Material in Wastewater Treatment: A Review

Natural zeolite is a hydrated aluminosilicate substance that has excellent ion exchange and adsorption properties and is environmentally and economically friendly. This review describes the current application and modification of zeolite in wastewater treatment using acid and surfactants, zeolite composites (such as zeolite membranes), permeable reactive barriers and photocatalysts. The properties of zeolite as well as the regeneration and desorption of cast-off zeolite are briefly reviewed. Modifications are made to improve the capability of zeolite in wastewater treatment facilities. Furthermore, this review proposes the integration of zeolite and other available technologies to treat emerging pollutants in wastewater. Different types of zeolite (natural and synthetic zeolite of different origins) are compared, and their properties are evaluated. Different type of pollutants and treatment methods involving zeolite are also discussed. Zeolite is enhanced to solve the problem of various pollutants in wastewater.

Theoretical Investigation of the Quasi-ring C–H…π Interactions

The quasi-ring C–H…π interactions have been reported to be responsible for the stability of crystalline materials. The statistical analysis, together with electronic structure calculations in the framework of density functional theory and Moller-Plesset have also provided positive data on the aforementioned interactions. However, improvements can be had in the theoretical calculations, where the basis set convergence is not explored. This is crucial as the interactions are of weak type, reported to be around 4 – 5 kcal mol–1. In this investigation, the idea is to combine the geometry, potential energy surface, and bonding analysis to provide different insights into the interactions. Our results show that the original configurations of the crystals, even with the substitutions of linear chains, are more favorable than the rotated ones. Further calculations are needed to verify the involvements of the π orbitals of the N, C, Cl, S and the d-orbital of Cu, and the s-orbital of hydrogen atoms.

Conductivity and Morphological Studies of Poly(Vinyl Alcohol)-Magnesium Triflate-Ethylene Carbonate Gel Polymer Electrolyte

Gel polymer electrolyte based on poly (vinyl alcohol)(PVA)–magnesium triflate (MgTf) incorporating with different weight percentage (wt.%) of ethylene carbonate (EC) as plasticizer has been prepared by using solution casting method. The ionic conductivity of PVA–MgTf–EC gel polymer electrolyte has been determined by using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) and has achieved an optimum value at 1.26 x 10-4 S.cm-1 when 50 wt.% of EC is added into the system. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) has been performed to study the molecular interaction between components in PVA-MgTf-EC gel polymer electrolyte. The complexations between the materials used in the electrolyte system are observed based on the shifting of bands and changes in the intensity of peaks in FTIR spectra. The morphological behaviour of electrolytes has been studied by using Field Emission Scanning Electron Spectroscopy (FESEM) to observe the changes of PVA-based gel polymer electrolytes when EC is added to the system. The amorphous peak of PVA-based electrolyte is observed to become broaden with the addition of plasticizer, results in increment in the amorphousness nature of the electrolyte which is determined by X-ray Diffractometer (XRD).

Pretreatment and Bioprocess Trials in Various Reactor System on Lignocellulosic Biomass for Cellulosic Biomaterials

Pretreatment on lignocellulosic biomass prior to extraction of biomaterials, degradation of bioproduct, or production of biomaterial/bioproduct/biofuel, crucially influences the intended outcomes. The pretreatment of oil palm fronds (OPF), one of the most abundant agriculture residues in Malaysia, can be conducted based on the need of the methodology, either for small, lab, pilot, or industrial scales. In this article, examples of reactors for the pretreatment for instance microreactor (Bioshake iQ), conical shake flask, and mini-cylindrical reactor scale (fabricated) as well as the monitoring bioreactor (BlueSens Monitoring GmbH) reactor system dedicated for fermentation process using the outcome material from pretreatment process, are presented. All pretreatment trials with ionic liquid (IL) of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate [EMIM]Ac on OPF were conducted with a scaling-up strategy from micro-to-macro to fabricated reactors, monitoring Crystallinity Index (CrI) and Lateral Order Index (LOI). Electron beam irradiation pretreatment using 1000kGy was also tested in macroscale mode for CrI and LOI. Effectiveness of approximately 23 to 37% of CrI via microreactor experiments using 50, 70, and 90% v/v of [EMIM]Ac and at a temperature of 99oC was observed. Higher concentration of IL and temperature with nearly insignificance of solid loading of OPF in reaction liquid to the increase of the amorphous level of OPF was reported by macroscale mode in the 570-mL fabricated reactor. A short oxygen uptake rate (OUR) phase was observed in a 500-mL BlueSens shake flask with the real-time monitoring systems for 45-mL working volume, a nearly 10% of the total reactor volume for saccharification-fermentation using Escherichia coli K011 ATCC 55124 on approximately 2.22% w/v pretreated OPF from macroscale mode. Various data examples from these micro-to-macro scales including in a fabricated reactor system mode are crucially needed for further observations prior to pilot or industrial scales, needing a systematic data collection to be simulated and investigated in the future.

Effect of Utilisation of Nano POFA on Performance of Self-Consolidating High-Performance Concrete (SCHPC)

Malaysia's palm oil industry plays a significant role in the country's economy. However, a large amount of palm oil fuel ash (POFA), a by-product of this industry, may negatively affect the environment and human health. Hence, this study hypothesized that POFA might be re-used in the form of replacement in concrete to lessen the risk to the environment or human health. Self-consolidating high-performance concrete (SCHPC) has been innovating progressively over the years. In this paper, SCHPC is innovated by utilising nano POFA (NaPOFA) to improve its performance. The POFA performance greatly improved when the particle size is reduced because the finer forms of POFA react effectively with the other constituent materials to produce stronger concrete. Hence this paper presents the experiment of the effect of utilisation of NaPOFA as a replacement to cement ranging between 0% and 10% to produce a self-consolidating high-performance concrete with good workability. The tests conducted were the flow table and compression test. The specimen used in the compression tests were 50 mm concrete cubes, tested in 1, 3, 7, 14, and 28 days. It was found that the inclusion of 1% POFA as a replacement to cement in concrete produced the highest compressive strength, 73.31 MPa, on the 28th day of testing. It was also found that its workability was as good as the control concrete. Thus, the utilisation of POFA could be considered environmental-friendly since it can be used as cement replacement and enhance the performance in terms of workability and strength.

Mycoremediation for Decolourization of Dye in Wastewater Using Fungi Consortium Culture: A Review

Dye is extensively used in industries, such as textile, paper printing, food, and leather. Dye causes significant effects on living organisms and the environment. Current dye treatment methods are inefficient in decolourization as the dye is highly persistent. Efficiency in the decolourization of dye is a challenge for industries as well as for wastewater treatment systems. This paper focuses on the mycoremediation dye treatment method, a sustainable treatment method that leads to green technology. This study explores mycoremediation efficiency and processes for dye decolourization. The gap of study on fungal mixed culture shapes future study direction of dye decolourization. Synergistic or antagonistic effects of mixed culture towards dye decolourization should be further investigated.

Pre-Treatment of Used Cooking Oil Followed by Transesterification Reaction in the Production of Used Cooking Oil-Based Polyol

Used cooking oil has been considered as an economical and sustainable material that can be used widely as a starting material in the production of polymer precursors such as polyol for polyurethane. Since the composition of fatty acids and glyceride in the structure of used cooking oil remain the same as virgin vegetable oil, used cooking oil can be synthesized using the same method. However, there are certain physicochemical modifications to the oil properties that arise during the process of oil fryings such as increases in viscosity, acid value, and color changes that will affect the conversion of used cooking oil into bio-based polyol. Thus, various pretreatment methods that can be applied to used cooking oil such as adsorption, chemical bleaching, and treatment with solvents will be reviewed in this paper. Transesterification of used cooking oil with alcohol in the presence of catalyst will produce used cooking oil-based polyol which will have two or more hydroxyl groups per molecule. The formation of polyol can be confirmed with the formation of O-H peak in the FTIR spectrum during the FTIR spectroscopy analysis. This paper will also discuss the type of alcohol and catalyst used in the transesterification reaction. Used cooking oil-based polyol obtained from transesterification reaction has been reported to be comparable to the commercial polyol.