bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Descriptive perspective on factors affecting the complete adoption of information technology systems in the construction firms
Authors: Dithebe K. , Aigbavboa C.O. , Thwala W.D. , Malabela A.T.
Published: December 2019

Information technology as a strategy to process, store and transfer information is pivotal for the success delivery of information within different industries, construction in particular. Given the benefits associated with the use information technology this study focuses on the factors that may affect construction firms from being recipients of the benefits of completely adopting information technology systems in South Africa. A quantitative approach was employed to determine factors that require urgent eradication, construction professionals responded to the questionnaire survey that was undertaken. Prior to the survey, data was descriptively analysed using frequencies, percentages, mean item scores and standard deviations. Findings from the study clearly reveal that for construction firms in South Africa to entirely realise the benefits of completely adopting IT systems focus must be shifted away from resisting change, providing inadequate training and employing personnel with no management skills. More so, results show that certainty is required regarding lack of integrity, durability and reliability of the systems, on-going maintenance costs as well as the importance and introduction of client leadership. Above any other barrier, the aspect of costs associated with the complete adoption of IT systems is crucial, while the extent of involvement of key role players needs to be further determined.
Investigation on Effect of Material Compositions on Machinability of Carbon Steels
Authors: Abdulkareem S. , Ogedengbe T. S. , Aweda J. O. , Ajiboye T. K. , Khan A. A. , Babatunde M. A.
Published: December 2019

Steels are basically classified based on their carbon contents. In view of this, the processing of steels is greatly affected by their composition, particularly their carbon content. This paper reports on the machinability of three different steels with varying carbon contents. The steel samples were sourced from Owode metal market in Ilorin, Kwara State and their percentage compositional analysis was carried out at Universal Steels Limited, Lagos. The steel samples were classified into high, medium and low carbon steels based on their percentage carbon content. The machining condition was wet and the machining parameters used were depth of cut (0.2 – 0.6 mm), feed rate (0.05 – 0.15 mm/rev), and cutting speed (100 - 150 rpm). The experimental runs were designed using Taguchi orthogonal array of Minitab version 16 and the cutting temperature was monitored with a digital thermometer and k-type thermocouple wires. The experimental results were analysed using Minitab 18 with a focus on percentage contribution of various factors affecting surface roughness, chip morphology, cutting temperature and material removal rate. Results show that surface finish is highest in low carbon steel and lowest in high carbon steel. The responses show that machinability of the steel improved with a reduction in carbon content.
Use of some agricultural wastes to modify the engineering properties of subgrade soils: A review
Authors: Afolayan O. D. , Olofinade O. M. , Akinwumi I. I.
Published: December 2019

The drive to diversify the economy in some developing countries have resulted in increased agricultural production and consequently increased agricultural waste. This study reviews some published research works on the reuse of some agricultural wastes for modifying soils with poor engineering properties. The review shows that some agricultural wastes, such as palm oil fuel ash, palm kernel shell ash, rice husk ash, sea-shell powder and sawdust ash, are effective modifiers of subgrade soil and become more effective when combined with traditional stabilizers. The use of stabilizers from agricultural wastes has the potential of reducing the amount of waste disposed of in landfills/dump sites, and at the same time reduce the carbon footprints caused by the use of traditional stabilizers like cement, and the cost of highway construction.
Comparative Study of Multi-walled Carbon Nanotube Reinforced Natural Rubber Nanocomposite and Multiflex Dynamic Response – 2 Artificial Foot
Authors: Medupin R. O. , Abubakre O. K. , Abdulkareem A. S. , Muriana R. A. , Abdulrahman A. S. , James J. A.
Published: December 2019

The desire to restore the quality of life to amputees has been on the front burner in recent years. This study compares the functional properties of a home-grown nanocomposite (NC) and multiflex dynamic response-2 artificial foot (M.DR2). The inherent challenge of ensuring uniform distribution of multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) in host matrices was addressed by the use of sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (C18H29NaO3S). Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were synthesised via catalytic chemical vapour deposition (CCVD) technique and the NC was produced using an electrically heated hydraulic press. While the initial decomposition temperature (Tonset) showed that the newly developed material with 260.01 °C is more thermally stable than M.DR2 artificial foot with the temperature of 238.17 °C, incorporation of MWCNTs into the unfilled NR matrix proved a significant change in Tonset. MWCNT loading was found to influence the moisture content of the reinforced matrix by about 7% with the NC being 35% more thermally stable than M. DR2 artificial foot. SEM/EDS micrographs indicated complete embedment of MWCNTs in NR matrix, thereby making it more suitable than M. DR2 foot which was inundated with cavities, thereby making it susceptible to early failure. While it took both materials 120 days to attain saturation point NR/MWCNT-3 is 93% more dimensionally stable that M. DR2 and also demonstrated better resistance to wear. The wear rate results revealed that M. DR2 wears faster than NR/MWCNT-3 by approximately 32%. It can, therefore, be concluded from the foregoing that the home-grown material is to be preferred to its foreign counterpart for anthropomorphic prosthetic foot application.
Application of Recycled Waste Materials for Highway Construction: Prospect and Challenges
Authors: Adegoke D.D. , Ogundairo T. O. , Olukanni D.O , Olofinnade O.M.
Published: December 2019

Industrialization and continuous increase in population growth have contributed immensely to various kinds of solid waste generation which most times are indiscriminately dumped. These activities have negative effects resulting in environmental pollution which could be a menace to the environment. Moreover, to preserve the environment, many researchers have made efforts to ensure that some of these wastes are recycled and utilized in the production of various alternative materials as a means of sustainable technology. Among several alternative materials for construction, some of these wastes are considered to be very useful.

This study examines the various recycled waste materials that can be adopted for construction, including their prospects and challenges. Some of the recycled waste materials examined are plastic waste, mill tailings, geopolymers, waste glass, rubber tyre waste, shingles, construction and demolition wastes (C&D) and slag. These recycled materials have been accepted globally due to their characteristic properties which made the materials suitable in the construction industry. This review also examines some limitations relating to the adoption of these materials as alternative construction materials for highway/pavement construction. However, it is generally accepted that reuse of waste materials in construction industry has minimal environmental impact and their exploration would have huge economic impact.
Parametric Effects of Fused Deposition Modelling on the Mechanical Properties of Polylactide Composites: A Review
Authors: Kehinde Aworinde Abraham , Oluropo Adeosun Samson , Adekunle Oyawale Festus , Titilayo Akinlabi Esther , Akinlabi Stephen A.
Published: December 2019

Polymers are generally inferior in mechanical properties to metals which are the current orthopaedic material for osseointegration in many parts of the world today. This assertion also applies to poly(lactic acid) (PLA), a polyester that has been recently found applicable in tissue remodelling. To improve on its mechanical properties, several processing techniques, inclusive of fused deposition modelling (FDM) also branded as fused filament fabrication (FFF), have been used. FDM has been endeared to many researchers because a range of parameters can be combined to bring about widely different mechanical properties. Although the influence of FDM parameters on the mechanical properties of PLA is clear, the tensile, compressive and flexural strengths obtained so far are inferior to human cortical bone. The need to improve on this production technique for improved mechanical properties is apparent in all the works examined in this review.
Comparative Analysis of Manual Strapping Method (MSM) and Electro-Optical Distance Ranging (EODR) Method of Tank Calibration
Authors: Agboola O. O. , Akinnuli B. O. , Akintunde M. A. , Ikubanni P.P. , Adeleke A. A.
Published: December 2019

Oil storage tanks are mandated for calibration before putting to use and to be recalibrated as a statutory requirement at every five year interval. Oil tanks could be calibrated by geometrical methods such as Manual Strapping Method (MSM) and Electro-Optical Distance Ranging (EODR) method. This study compares both MSM and EODR in terms of cost incurred, duration of calibration and efficiency. Both methods were found to be efficient as they satisfied 95% minimum efficiency as stated by API MPMS 2.2 standard when compared with the wet method of tank calibration; though the cost of EODR was slightly higher than MSM but this was compensated with higher efficiency and reduced duration/time of calibration.
Studies on FT-IR Spectroscopy of modified Montmorillonite clays applied for the removal of T-2 toxin in maize
Authors: Olopade B.K. , Oranusi S.U. , Nwinyi O.C. , Njobeh P.B. , Lawal I.A.
Published: December 2019

Montmorillonite clay has a wide range of industrial applications which include the removal of mycotoxins in foods and feed because of its low toxicity both in vitro and in vivo. T-2 toxin is produced mostly by fungal species of Fusarium. Other T-2 producing fungal species are Myrothecium and Stachybotrys. T-2 toxin poses several health hazards such as dystrophy in the brain, heart, kidney and liver as well as ulceration and necrosis of the digestive tract in man and animals. To reduce T-2 toxin in maize, montmorillonite clay modified with lemongrass essential oil (MMT-LGEO) and montmorillonite clay washed with NaCl (Na-MMT) were applied to maize at a concentration of 8% and 12% and kept under storage for one month at 30°C. Untreated maize samples and unmodified montmorillonite clay (MMT) served as controls. The FTIR spectra were recorded for the two treatments and unmodified montmorillonite clay (MMT) used for the removal of T-2 toxin in maize. The FTIR spectra of the two treatments and unmodified clay (MMT) showed the major functional groups as Si-O and -OH. All the treatments reduced the level of T-2 toxin in maize. However, sodium montmorillonite (Na-MMT) and montmorillonite clay modified with lemongrass essential oil (MMT-LGEO) were more efficient than unmodified montmorillonite clay (MMT) in the removal of T-2 toxin in maize.
An Experimental Study on the Effect of Heat Input on the Weld Efficiency of TIG-MIG Hybrid welding of Type 304 Austenitic Stainless Steel
Authors: Ogundimu E. O. , Akinlabi E. T. , Erinosho M. F.
Published: December 2019

Welding is described as the process of joining metals so that bonding can be created as a result of inter-atomic penetration. This study investigated the impact of heat input on the efficiency of the welding joints of 304 stainless steel. Three welds joint were made from two similar 304 stainless steel plates of thickness 6 mm. The tensile strength outcomes acquired showed that apex average magnitude of 672 MPa is obsessed by the sample A1 with lower thermal input. It was discovered that the percentage elongation, tensile strength and weld joint efficiency decreased with the intensification in thermal input into the weld. The average % elongation for the entire samples ranged from 28.4 % to 36.5 %. Sample A1 had the highest joint efficiency of 94.5 %. However, the optimum welding current of 190 for TIG and MIG hybrid welding of type-304 austenite stainless steel can be recommended for advanced technological applications such as aircraft manufacturing, nuclear industry, automobile industry and processing industry.
The Effect of Varying Sand and Plastic Additives on The Mechanical Properties of Cement Matrix Tiles
Authors: Kehinde O. , Omotosho O. A. , Ohijeagbon I. O.
Published: December 2019

The global efforts regarding polymer waste and pollution reduction in the environment through waste recycling is essential to forestall its deleterious effect on the environment. This work focused on utilizing used plastic and sand as additive in cement matrix tile production while cement and laterite quantities were kept constant. Tile specimens having a uniform thickness of 15 ± 1 mm and facial dimensions of 150 mm x 150 mm were produced in the laboratory utilizing varying quantities of sand (30, 20, 10, 0 %) and plastic (35, 45, 55, 65 %), with constant quantities of laterite (30%) and cement (5%) additives. Laterite was thoroughly mixed with sand, plastic and cement with a known volume of water in a clean bowl. The resulting mixture was then subjected to a compaction load of 25 KN in a mould to obtain cohesive material. Two sets of samples were prepared; unfired and fired sample. The unfired sample was allowed to cure after wetting for 7 days. Thereafter, the sample to be fired was heat treated in an oven at a temperature of 2200C for 35 minutes. The fired tile specimen was removed from the oven and allowed to cool down at room temperature. The specimen was then subjected to water absorption, water shrinkage, flexural and compression tests. The results obtained showed that the tile with plastic: sand ratio of 65:0 had the best water absorption and water shrinkage values of 11.4 and 5.3 % respectively. Furthermore, the mechanical tests showed that the flexural and compression tests data of 39.08 and 158.06 MPa respectively were the best when compared to other samples for the tile with plastic: sand ratio of 65:0. It was also noted that a direct relationship existed between the quantity of plastic used and the strength of tile produced. The unfired sample could not be subjected to mechanical tests as the bonds formed between the additives were weak. It is recommended that cement quantity used be slightly increased to investigate its effect on the strength of the cement matrix tile. Based on the result, it is suggested to increase the plastic content and decrease the sand content of the sand:plastic ratio to achieve a better physico-mechanical properties of tile samples
Investigation of Influence of Coaxial Antenna Slot Positioning on Thermal Efficiency in Microwave Ablation using COMSOL
Authors: Towoju Olumide , Ishola Felix , Sanni Timilehin , Olatunji Obafemi
Published: December 2019

Continued development of the minimum invasive interventional technology in recent years has proven ablation therapy to be a safe and effective local treatment for cancers and has become increasingly important in the medicine field. This is the reason for its preference for treating larger tumors ahead of radiofrequency ablation. The authors numerically studied the influence of the geometry of the antenna used on the efficiency of the procedure to obtain a thermal lesion at the site of the tumor by varying the distance from the position of the end of the antenna with COMSOL Multiphysics as the modeling tool. The coaxial antenna investigated has a 1.79 mm diameter range with a center conductor of 0.29 mm diameter and Tefzel ETFE as the material of the catheter. The power of the coaxial antenna was optimized with a slot spacing of 6 mm from the tip of the antenna. The total power dissipation density, and thus the degree of thermal damage generated during the process was found to depend on the position of the slots of the coaxial antenna.
Design and Fabrication of a Wet Mechanical Brushing Unit for Lye Pre-treated Cassava Root
Authors: Oyedele S.T. , Ngoddy P.O. , Kilanko O. , Leramo R.O.
Published: December 2019

The design and fabrication of a wet mechanical brushing unit for lye pre-treated cassava root was described in this paper. The objective of this work was to determine the time of reaction, the temperature and the concentration of sodium hydroxide solution that will effectively digest the peel and also the speed of the machine, output size, efficiency of peeling and tuber loss. It was determined that using lye solution to digest cassava root peel depends on the severity of the concentration of the solution and the time of root immersion. From the preliminary labouratory tests carried out, the optimal combination of process parameters in terms of concentration, temperature and time of root immersion for UMUCASS44 in lye are 20%, 60°C and 15 minutes, respectively. These values are sufficient to digest the peels of the root for enhanced brushing.
An Overview of Ammonium Chloride (NH4Cl) Corrosion in the Refining Unit
Authors: Akpanyung K.V , Loto R.T , Fajobi M.A
Published: December 2019

Ammonium chloride is a destructive agent of localized corrosion which poses devastating threat to refining structure integrity and the safety of the refinery processes. Ammonium chloride is an underdeposit corrosion commonly found in overhead equipment and piping for crude and hydroprocessing units. This form of insidious form of corrosion had caused severe fouling that posed negative impact on the operating reliability of various processing units. This review addresses the corrosion mechanism of ammonium chloride, affected materials and equipment, Environmental factors for its impact, thermodynamic behavior of a wet ammonium chloride system, some case studies of ammonium chloride and the preventive measures to mitigate its effect.
A Sustainable Industrial Development Approach: Enterprice Risk Management in View
Authors: Onu P. , Mbohwa C.
Published: December 2019

The need to improve upon organizational performance and operational effectiveness call for sustainable industrial development and Risk management initiatives to deliver new corporate business models. An organizations interest to integrate and implement strategic approaches to identify, access and prepare against uncertainties through its business activities hold more benefits as per increased productivity. The authors’ investigation via an in-depth interview comprising of the senior and mid-level management staff of a steel-product manufacturing company in Nigeria subscribes to a single case study. We explore the implementation challenges of Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) in the supply chain of manufacturing firms. The research infers the case firm; having implemented and succefully demonstrated the ISO90001 and ISO13000 (quality and environmental standard), struggles to register any benefits with the ERM-ISO31000 operative. The findings further point at the managerial disconnect to effectively communicate the objective and the changing cultural practice. Also, notable was the worker’s perception of lacking the necessary information communication assistance to influence the ERM execution. The investigation contributes to the case firm understading of ERM and successful approach towards its implementation.
Design and Performance Evaluation of a Solar Dryer
Authors: Kilanko O. , Ilori T.A. , Leramo R.O. , Babalola P.O. , Eluwa S.E. , Onyenma F.A. , Ameh N.I. , Onwordi P.N. , Aworinde A.K. , Fajobi M.A.
Published: December 2019

One of the ways to combat food insecurity as world population rises is the reduction of food losses. Drying is one of the oldest methods of food preservation and hence reduces food losses. Solar drying uses energy from the sun and an absorber material to carry out drying of produce. In this project, a solar dryer was designed, constructed and its performance was evaluated. The dryer has overall dimensions of 1000mm by 410mm by 700mm. The inner part of the dryer compartment was lagged with aluminum foil to act as an insulator. The solar collector made of galvanized sheet and the glass on top of it have an area of 800mm by 380mm. Fresh scotch bonnet pepper was used as the produce of choice. The pepper was dried in 2 experiments for 3 weeks each. 200g of pepper was used and weighed to measure weight loss periodically. Temperature and humidity of the drying chamber and the surrounding were measured with data loggers throughout the periods of the experiments. The results showed that the ambient temperature during the experiments was higher than the temperature of the drying chamber in the early hours of the morning between 4am and 10am. During every other period, the temperature in the drying chambers was higher than the ambient temperature. An average moisture content of 81.3% w.b. was removed from the pepper during the experiments. The average efficiency of the dryer was 28.4%.
Correlation Between Manufacturing Sectors and Foreign Direct Investment
Authors: Afolabi A. , Laseinde O. T. , Oluwafemi I.J. , Atolagbe O.D. , Oluwafemi J.F
Published: December 2019

The manufacturing sectors of nation’s economies have without doubt been noted as the chief driver of economic growth the world over. The connection between the Nigerian manufacturing sector and foreign direct investment (FDI) was assessed in this work. The study, in order to empirically examine how the variables are related in the long term and short term, utilised time series data spanning 36 years, while the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) and co-integration technique were used. From the result, it is seen that the dependent variables explained R2 of 97% of the variations in manufacturing sector indicators (MFI), while Foreign direct investment, (FDI), Inflation rate (INF), government expenditure (GOE), and money supply (MSP) represent the independent variables. One of the recommendations of the study is that the federal government should consciously increase amount of foreign direct investments (FDI) made available to this all-important sector-manufacturing sector to boost its efficiency especially with respect to percentage impact on GDP and employment generation in Nigeria.
Evaluation of Wood and Plastic Formworks in Building Construction Industry for Sustainable Development
Authors: Kareem W. B. , Okwori R. O. , Abubakar H. O. , Nuhu A. , Dickson E. I.
Published: December 2019

This research work assessed wood and plastic in building construction. The study was a descriptive survey design and as such made use of questionnaire with 42 items. The Population of the study was 110 respondent which include 40 building professional and 70 non-building professional. The data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation. T-test was used to test the null hypothesis at 0.05 level of significant. The finding of the study shows that plastic work form can be used for casting slab, concrete wall among others. The finding also revealed some factors that determines the selection of form work such as climatic condition, labour efficiency and that plastic formwork saves cost as a result of long reuse period. It is therefore recommended that; plastic and wooden formwork should be integrated often in the casting of slabs, beam and columns without discrimination, proper adherence to standards and specifications for use of any type of formwork, there should be large scale production of plastic formwork to conserve forest and wood, factors to be considered in the selection of formwork should not be ignored, there should be proper weighing of the advantages and disadvantages of each type of formwork relating to the scale of construction before the choice of any formwork.
Wind Energy Systems for Omu Aran, Kwara State, Nigeria
Authors: Uguru-Okorie D. C. , Ikpotokin I. , Osueke C. O. , Olawale O.
Published: December 2019

The quest for energy from renewable and sustainable sources has led to the investment on exploration and installations of wind energy systems to harness energy from wind for use by mankind. Various wind energy systems exist and they are quite expensive. Selections of appropriate systems for installation are dependent on the wind power available in a location. It is therefore important that proper wind assessment is done before investments on infrastructures for harnessing wind power are put in place. Wind data between 2014 and 2018 were obtained from the Landmark University Weather Station in Omu Aran and the pattern of wind speed distribution in the location over the years in focus were determined by the Weibull function. The power law was used to estimate the wind speeds at heights of 10 and 20 metres respectively. Recommendations on appropriate wind energy systems suitable for Omu Aran region were made based on the wind speed pattern.
Development Of Blender-Hammer Mill For Multipurpose Use
Authors: Ajayi C.O , Oyawale F.A , Afolalu S. A.
Published: December 2019

Few problems that have been identified with most of the existing developed blending and hammering machines/mills was strengthening on to achieved better performance. The aim of this project is to develop a blender-hammer crushing machine suitable for domestic and laboratory use for production of fine paste and coarse aggregates. The design was based on elimination of metal to metal contact, contamination of grinded material and excessive vibration. The blender-hammer mill consists of the following components; inlet hopper, grinding chamber, a combined crushing hammer blades vertically set and blending blade that are horizontally fixed. The mill was constructed from locally sourced martensitic stainless steel 420 series. A sieve was introduced beneath the hammer chamber to sieve the ground mass. The main shaft was mounted on two sealed ball bearings, and it rotates at speed of 2880 rpm transmitted by two ‘B’V belt driven from a 3.75-kilowatt electric motor. The results showed that better efficiency for both dry corn and cassava. We conclude that a blender hammer machine developed is capable of grinding grains legumes, dry cassava, and yams into fine and coarse aggregates.
Property Upgrades of Some Raw Nigerian Biomass through Torrefaction Pre-Treatment- A Review
Authors: Akogun O.A. , Waheed M. A.
Published: December 2019

Today, agricultural waste is one of the most common resources in Nigeria that could solve environmental, fuel and energy issues. However, it has some limitations such as low bulk densities, loose and irregular sizes, handling and storage problems, low energy density, reduced fixed carbon, low calorific value, high volatile matter and high moisture content etc. making it difficult to be utilized for fuel. One of the viable and promising technologies to upgrade the properties of raw biomass is through torrefaction technique which is capable of upgrading the combustion and fuel characteristics of biomass, demonstrated from behaviours that are similar to coal during combustion. During this process, about 70% of the initial biomass weight and about 90% of the original biomass energy is obtained as torrefied biomass while the remaining 30% biomass weight and 10% biomass energy is given off. In addition, the presence of moisture content in raw biomass that could aid biological degradation is reduced (< 3% w.b.) while combustion efficiency is being enhanced through upgraded fixed carbon and calorific value (15-25% wt) and reduced volatiles. These upgraded properties makes torrefied Nigerian biomass suitable to be used independently or co-fired in power plants and as an upgraded feedstock for domestic and industrial applications in a developing country like Nigeria. Unfortunately, there is scarce research materials on biomass torrefaction in Nigeria which could be attributed to the cost of acquiring torrefaction plant and other resources for torrefaction characterization which are on the high side. This paper therefore explores and reviews the property upgrades of raw biomass through torrefaction technique. The challenges of biomass energy in Nigeria, torrefaction effects on some Nigerian biomass, equipment used for the analysis of torrefied samples, alongside the torrefaction properties, combustibility indices and their products were examined. The review study concluded that torrefaction technology is a promising technique in Nigeria which is capable of improving and upgrading the quality, energy value and other properties of raw Nigerian biomass and could at the same time serve as an alternative source of energy asides hydropower energy if embraced by the concerned bodies.
Investigation into Steam Boiler Rupture: A Case Study of Egbin Electrical Power Business Unit (EEPBU), Lagos State
Authors: Anjorin S. A , Ayodeji O. Z , Titiladunayo I. F
Published: December 2019

The study was conducted to investigate the causes, effects and controls of Boiler rupture in Egbin Steam. Thermal power plant, Lagos State. Three classes of boiler rupture were investigated for twenty-nine cases of boiler rupture. The cases were grouped into classes through stratified sampling technique. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) at 95% level of significance was used to test the two research questions set for the study. The results of the study indicate that the various classes of boiler rupture are not equally significant, one class more prevalent and responsible for incessant forced power outages than the others. With respect to tube failure, the findings indicate that each of the various factors responsible is uniformly significant. Recommendations for proper maintenance planning, in order to prevent boiler rupture which could lead to forced power outage, were made. The effects of boiler rupture include reduction in load factor, plant utilization factor, profit, plant generation factor, plant efficiency and increase in down time, operation and maintenance costs.
Agro Waste A Sustainable Source For Steel Reinforcement-Review
Authors: Afolalu Sunday A. , Oladipupo Segun , Edun Bose M , Abioye Abiodun A. , Adejuyigbe Samuel B. , Ajayi Oluseyi O. , Ongbali Samson O.
Published: December 2019

In this review paper the use of agro waste as a sustainable source for steel reinforcing steel was investigated. Agro waste is said to have certain amount of carbon which can be useful for steel reinforcement, as stated by different authors the carbon derived from agro waste is said to be of high quality. From literature it was observed that there is an increase in demand of agricultural produce which mean automatic increase in agricultural waste and this threat on humans, plants and the environment, this alone shows that agro waste is sustainable as it is currently been underutilized in the steel or iron making industry. In this review different agro waste such as macadamia nut shell, potato peel, husk from cereal, rice husk etc, and it was observed that macadamia nut shell has the highest carbon content which is about 92%. Agro waste is a sustainable source of obtaining carbon and should considered by steel producing companies as the carbon content is high and its environmentally friendly.
Design and analysis of a solar powered phototherapy device
Authors: Mayowa Abioye , Abioye Abiodun E
Published: December 2019

This study was carried out to design and construct a cost-effective and efficient solar-powered phototherapy device which can be implemented in areas where there are inadequate electricity and rural environment. Neonatal jaundice is the yellowish condition due to high-level bilirubin in a new born baby. This condition must be treated if the bilirubin level above 12 mg/dL. One of the common treatments is by using red and blue light phototherapy to convert bilirubin become more soluble in the water then easily excreted from the body. A microcontroller was used to regulate the radiation of light in the device and make it safe for the treatment of jaundice in a new baby. The device is powered by solar energy generated from the 24-volt monocrystalline solar panel, for charging deep cycle batteries via a charge controller. The wavelength of light is 460-490 nm with a minimum intensity of 30 μW/cm2. In this study, the phototherapy device is designed and tested. The red and blue light source consisted of thirty-six (36) high power Light emitting diode LED. Heat sink and fan are employed for the LED package cooling system. Solar power meter and spectrometer are used to analyze the intensity and wavelength produced by the LED.
Selection of glazing material for Trombe wall applications in Johannesburg using the TOPSIS methodology
Authors: Oluah C.K. , Akinlabi E.T. , Njoku H.O.
Published: December 2019

Glazing are functional components of Trombe walls, they determine to a great extent the performance of the system. selection of optimal glazing for trombe wall application was considered in this article and the TOPSIS methodology was employed. TOPSIS is a multi-criteria decision-making algorithm which means a technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution. considered in this article were four different glazing types and four criteria. the single glazing was the closest to the ideal solution followed by the double pane glazing with low emissivity coating, double pane glazing with high emissivity coating and the triple pane glazing respectively
Reliability Assessment of the Nigerian Timber – An Environmental Sustainability Approach in the 21st Century
Authors: Alayande T.A , Ede A.N , Aguwa J.I , Ofuyatan O.M , Oyebisi S.O , Oluwafemi J.O
Published: December 2019

An important component of environmental sustainability is how we can continue improving human welfare within the limits of the earth’s natural resources. With recent research showing that carbondioxide levels in the air are at their highest in 650, 000 years and thus an alarming depletion of the ozone layer, the challenge currently facing many countries is how to respond to the issue of climate change. Steel, reinforced concrete and timber are the most commonly used structural materials worldwide. However, carbondioxide emissions from steel and cement production have been found to be the first and second largest sources of industrial CO2
emissions worldwide and this has prompted the inclination towards timber as a structural material. Timber is decomposable or biodegradable as well as renewable and its production does not require the use of high energy fossil fuels as in the production of some other building materials such as steel or even brick. Nigeria is blessed with several timber species in different wood classes but despite the environmentally sustainable and obvious advantages of timber, it is being grossly underutilized as a structural material in Nigeria because there is limited information on the reliability of timber considering the wide property variability between and even within, timber species. This paper addresses the need for reliability analysis of various Nigerian timber species with a view to determining and establishing their structural strength to encourage the use of the Nigerian Timber as a structural material. The need to revise the Nigerian Code of Practice for the structural design of Timber is also emphasized in this paper.
Phytochemical and Proximate Analysis of African Oil Bean (Pentaclethra macrophylla Benth) Seed
Authors: Akinlabu D.K. , Owoeye T.F. , Owolabi F.E. , Audu O.Y. , Ajanaku C.O. , Falope F. , Ajani O.O.
Published: December 2019

Medicinal plant research is a highly diversified topic of interest owing to applications of their phytoconstituents in drug discovery, human dietary intake, corrosion inhibition, material science research among others. The study revealed the phytochemical composition and proximate determination of Pentaclethra macrophylla benth (African oil bean) seed. The dried seeds of Pentaclethra macrophylla benth were pulverized into fine powder and a portion of it was extracted with n-hexane. The result of the phytochemical screening of the extract from Pentaclethra macrophylla showed that the oil seeds contained terpenoids, cardiac glycosides and saponin while steroids, alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, phlabotannins and anthraquinones were not detected. Proximate analysis indicated low moisture content (1.895 %), while other parameter determined include ash (2.033%), crude fibre (17.227%), acid value (8.182), iodine value (101.235), peroxide value (20.06), and free fatty acid (4.091). This extract is a candidate with potential for further study regarding unveiling of their mechanical properties for technological advances.
Numerical Analysis of Flow Induced Vibrations of a Low-Pressure Steam Turbine Rotating Blade
Authors: Molale T. , Ahmed N. , Bhamjee M.
Published: December 2019

This paper presents the results of a numerical synthesis and characterization of vibrations of low-pressure steam turbine last stage rotating blades. A Fluid Structure Interaction (FSI) study is carried out using ANSYS Fluent 18.1 and ANSYS Mechanical 18.1. Using a one way coupling between ANSYS Fluent and ANSYS Mechanical, it was possible to link the two systems and allow pressure force calculations from Fluent to be used for the blade excitation in ANSYS Mechanical. The result of simulation shows that the blade exhibits vibrations which are characterized by amplitude modulation. An approximation for the equation of motion along the axial, radial and tangential direction was uncovered and fit. The three approximations for the blade vibration show a good agreement with results from ANSYS Mechanical. The effect of liquid mass (droplets) in the flow in the blade vibration was also investigated numerically. It is shown that increase in liquid mass is directly correlated with increase in the amplitude of the vibrations but has no effect on the frequency of the vibrations.
Analyses of the Gravimetric and Electrochemical Effects of C16H13N3O3 on Mild Steel Corrosion in 0.5 M H2SO4
Authors: Edoziuno Francis O. , Odoni Benjamin U. , Adediran Adeolu A. , Okeniyi Joshua O. , Akinlabi Esther T.
Published: December 2019

This study analyzed the gravimetric and electrochemical effects of C16H13N3O3 (methyl-5-benzoyl-2-benzimidazole carbamate: Mebendazole) on mild steel corrosion in 0.5 M H2SO4, for gaining insights on correlation and significance of differences between the two corrosion-monitoring techniques. For the gravimetric method, weight loss of mild steel specimens immersed in different C16H13N3O3 concentrations mixed in the 0.5 M H2SO4 were obtained for corrosion rates and inhibition efficiencies estimations. For the electrochemical approach, mild steel samples were subjected to potentiodynamic polarization experiments in the different C16H13N3O3 concentrations in 0.5 M H2SO4 that were employed for the gravimetric technique for obtaining instrumental readout of corrosion rate. Results showed that the corrosion rate from the electrochemical experiments exhibited excellent linear correlation (R = 99.91; Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency = 99.83) with the dataset obtained from the gravimetric corrosion assessments. Both the gravimetric and electrochemical monitoring of mild steel corrosion gave inhibition efficiencies, η > 90%, by the different C16H13N3O3 concentrations for the study. Also, homeoscedastic and heteroscedastic student’s t-test statistics indicated that the differences between the corrosion inhibition efficiencies from the electrochemical and gravimetric techniques were not significant, p-value = 0.9729, but significant for their corrosion rates: 1.52 × 10–6 > p-value > 8.15 × 10–9.
Investigation of Influence of Coaxial Antenna Slot Positioning on Thermal Efficiency in Microwave Ablation using COMSOL
Authors: Towoju Olumide , Ishola Felix , Sanni Timilehin , Olatunji Obafemi
Published: December 2019

Continued development of the minimum invasive interventional technology in recent years has proven ablation therapy to be a safe and effective local treatment for cancers and has become increasingly important in the medicine. This is the reason for its preference for treating larger tumors than for radiofrequency ablation. The authors studied the influence of the geometry of the antenna used on the efficiency of the procedure to obtain a thermal lesion at the site of the tumor. The influence of the position of the coaxial antenna on the extent of the thermal lesion at the site of the tumor was investigated numerically by varying the distance from the position of the end of the antenna with COMSOL Multiphysics as the modeling tool. The coaxial antenna investigated has a 1.79 mm diameter range with a center conductor of 0.29 mm diameter and Tefzel ETFE as the material of the catheter. The power of the coaxial antenna was optimized with a slot spacing of 6 mm from the tip of the antenna. The total power dissipation density, and thus the degree of thermal damage generated during the process was found to depend on the position of the slots of the coaxial antenna.
Phenomenological Model Development of Percentage Protein Present in Fermented African Locust Beans Seed
Authors: Elizabeth Ojewumi Modupe , James Omoleye Abiodun , Adetutu Ajayi Adesola , Temitayo Oyekunle Daniel , Ayodele Ayoola Ayodeji
Published: December 2019

The optimum conditions for the fermentation of a local legume known as African locust bean (Parkia biglobosa) into a vegetable protein based food condiment or spice (Iru) were developed using Levenberg-Marquardt (or Powell) method (using PSI software) with three (3) variables namely; inoculum concentration (bacillus subtilis), temperature and the fermentation duration. P. biglobosa seeds were fermented at various temperature of 40 - 70 °C for five days (120 hours) with different concentrations of Inoculum. The proximate analysis shows that fermentation increased the percentage protein. Protein had the highest composition with about 51 % after 72 hours at the lowest fermentation temperature of 40°C.
Surface Protection of Carbon Steel with ZrO2 Composite Induced Zinc Based Electrolytic cell via Electrodeposition Technique
Authors: Fayomi O. S. I. , Joseph O.O. , Fashola O. J. , Popoola A.P.I. , Loto C.A. , Samuel O.D. , Banjo S.O. , Akande I.G. , Joshua T.O. , Abdulwahab M. , Babalola O.P. , Ademuyiwa F. , Ayoola A. A. , Sanni T. , Fayomi J.
Published: December 2019

The effect of Zirconium dioxide (ZrO2) as additive to Zn-MgO electrolytic chemical bath coating by co-deposition on carbon steel was investigated. Weight loss was conducted on the electrodeposited mild steel and it was inspected. The anti corrosion properties were assessed by linear polarization procedure in 1 mole of HCl medium. From the results gotten, all deposited coatings displayed significant improvement. An amazing improvement was accomplished in every one of the coatings as against the as-received sample. Zn-MgO-ZrO2 (0.8V) with the best performing coating showing an upgrade indicates enhanced anti-wear and friction qualities displaying wear resistance improvement.
Inventory replenishment in multi-stage production setting under stochastic demand: a review
Authors: Ongbali Samson O , Afolalu S. A , Fayomi Ojo S , Oladipupo S
Published: December 2019

Inventory management is central to production planning and control particularly in multi-stage production environment where production output is stochastic and customer demand is also stochastic. Surplus inventory ties down money and stock-out situation result in loss of value and goodwill. Therefore, it is necessary determine optimal inventory policies for different manufacturing scenarios to maintain a balance between safety stock inventory and customer demand satisfaction at all time. Consequently, this review attempts to identify and document the underlying trends and most recent methods of inventory replenishment under stochastic demand with emphasis on multi-stage production setting. Prominent in literature among the models used to treat inventory problem in stochastic demand situation is “Approximation by Probabilistic Distribution”. Other models used include, Genetic Algorithm (GA), Just-in-time with Kanban simulation, Markov Process Decision, Fuzzy Inventory Model, Multi-stage inventory-queue model and Demand forecasting among others. It appears that there exist only approximate solutions than exact solutions in solving stochastic demand inventory problem suggesting that there is need for more work to be done in the area toward achieving exact solutions to the problem than approximation.
Prediction of the elastic behaviour of HDPE/SWCNTs nanocomposites with FEM approach
Authors: Tebeta R.T. , Fattahi A.M. , Ahmed N.A.
Published: December 2019

Prediction of elastic behaviour of polymer-based nanocomposite using finite element method (FEM) has attracted the attention of many researchers in the past few years. In this study, ANSYS 19.2 software was used to predict the elastic modulus of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) reinforced with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) at different weight fractions. Three-dimensional (3-D) representative volume element (RVE) was created by FEM using ANSYS software to estimate the elastic modulus of HDPE based nanocomposite reinforced with SWCNTs nanoparticles at 0.2 wt%, 0.4 wt%, 0.6 wt%, 0.8 wt%, and 1 wt% weight fractions. To present the FEM model for predicting the elastic modulus of HDPE/SWCNT nanocomposite, the results from atomic modelling were extracted and used for properties of matrix and fibre interface. The interfacial region was used in the model to separate the conditions of load transfer between the HDPE matrix and SWCNT fibre. Two density fractions of HDPE/SWCNTs nanocomposite were also used in terms of two different densities for both HDPE and SWCNT to investigate their effect on the elastic modulus. The modelling results showed that the increase of weight fraction of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) results with the increase of relative elastic modulus of the nanocomposite. The results also showed that the elastic modulus of low-density fraction HDPE/SWCNTs nanocomposite improves more compared to one of the high-density fractions at the same SWCNTs weight fraction. Rule of the mixture was also used to predict the elastic behaviour of HDPE/SWCNT nanocomposite and the results were compared to those of the FEM model for validation.
Reconnaissance Study of Smectite ores of Lafarge- Ewekoro, Ogun State Nigeria for Industrial Applications
Authors: Inegbenebor A. O. , Inegbenebor A. I. , Ajayi E. I. , Aladesuyi O. , Ogunleye O. M. , Fayomi O. S. I. , Babalola P. O. , Omoleye A. J. , Boyo H. I. , Adebesin A. A.
Published: December 2019

This work aimed to study the aluminosilicate ore contents at Lafarge Ogun State environ as a means of identification of background variation of smectite in the ore-bodied environment. Smectite clay samples (bentonite) were collected from Larfarge Ewekoro environ, while zeolite used as a standard in this work was obtained from Petroleum Department of Covenant University for comparism purpose. The samples were digested with nitric acid, HNO3 and hydrochloric acid, HCl, after which the digested samples were characterized with, ultraviolet visible (UV-VIS), scanning, absorbance; and % transmittances. The results revealed similarity in ultraviolet visible for bentonite and zeolite with predominance of iron in bentonite samples. The colouration of bentonite due to the presence of transition metals in the environment under study could be of industrial uses in the manufacture of coloured wares and tiles, and magnetic ceramic, though further pre-application specific investigations are recommended. Also, the observed properties favour many aspects of industrial applications such as in pharmaceuticals, refractories, adhesives and porcelain wares. These will help in setting up small and medium-sized enterprise in this area resulting in employment creation and revenue generation.