bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Corrosion Behavior of Low Carbon Steel Welded Joint in NaCl Solution
Authors: Mamat Pojie Mohd Fauzi , Hamzah Esah
Published: December 2013

The corrosion behavior of low carbon steel welded joint was performed using salt spray and immersion test which is follow ASTM G-31 and B-117 standards. Four different edge shape designs for weld joint preparation was selected namely; straight, single V, double V and single groove edge were selected to weld 12 mm low carbon steel plate. The duration of exposure time was 7 days in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution to simulate marine environment application. After corrosion test the surface degradation of the welded joint was studied by visual inspection and SEM analysis. The experimental results show that the corrosion behavior of welded joint was more severe under salt spray test compared with of immersion test particularly because difference environment mechanism. The morphological characteristics of the surface of welded joint show difference in pit characteristics.
Strength Prediction of Notched Woven Composite Plates Using a Cohesive Zone Approach
Authors: Ahmad Hilton , Crocombe Andrew D. , Smith Paul A.
Published: December 2013

The present paper is concerned with modelling damage and fracture in notched woven fabric composites. Previous experimental work has shown that damage at a notch in a variety of GFRP and CFRP composites based on woven fabric reinforcement comprises matrix damage and fibre tow fracture along the plane of maximum stress. It is these experimental observations that inform the failure modelling developed here, in which a cohesive zone approach is used within a 2-D finite element framework. The cohesive zone parameters are based on previously reported experimental measurements for the strength and toughness of the woven fabric materials under investigation. The approach is shown to provide predictions of notched strength that are in very good agreement (less than 11% discrepancy) with experimental results from the literature for a range of GFRP and CFRP woven fabric systems.
Partial Discharge Detection Using Acoustic and Optical Methods in High Voltage Power Equipments: A Review
Authors: Al Saedi Malik Abdul Razzaq , Yaacob Mohd Muhridza
Published: December 2013

There is a high risk of insulation system dielectric instability when partial discharge (PD) occurs. Therefore, measurement and monitoring of PD is an important preventive tool to safeguard high-voltage equipment from wanton damage. PD can be detected using optical method to increase the detection threshold and to improve the performance of on-line measurement of PD in noise environment. The PD emitted energy as acoustic emission. We can use this emitted energy to detect PD signal. The best method to detect PD in power transformer is by using acoustic emission. Optical sensor has some advantages such as; high sensitivity, more accuracy small size. Furthermore, in on-site measurements and laboratory experiments, it isoptical methodthat gives very moderate signal attenuations. This paper reviews the available PD detection methods (involving high voltage equipment) such as; acoustic detection and optical detection. The advantages and disadvantages of each method have been explored and compared. The review suggests that optical detection techniques provide many advantages from the consideration of accuracy and suitability for the applications when compared to other techniques.
Liquid Phase Epitaxy of Si-Doped AIN at 1300 °C in Ga-Al Melt
Authors: Setiawan Asep Ridwan , Adachi Masayoshi , Fukuyama Hiroyuki
Published: December 2013

In the present study, we have successfully grown Si-doped AlN developed by solution growth technique using Ga-Al melt as a solvent under nitrogen atmosphere at 1300 °C. Si doping was introduced to the Ga-Al melt by adding pure Si metal. To allow homoepitaxial growth during solution growth experiment, sapphire substrate were nitrided with precise control to produce hiqh quality single crystalline AlN films with low dislocation density. With the help of AlN film template from above methods, we have successfully grown Si-doped AlN single crystalline layer with a flat surface and almost free from cracks. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) of x-ray rocking curve values for (0002) and (10-12) diffraction from the Si-doped AlN film were 43,2 and 594 arcsec, respectively.
Quasi-Static Flexural and Tensile Behavior of Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer
Authors: Azwan Syed , Abdi Behzad , Yazid Yahya Mohd , Amran Ayob
Published: December 2013

In this paper, glass fiber reinforce polymer subject to quasi-static three point bending loading and tensile loading was studied experimentally. Glass fiber reinforced made of chopped strand mat (CSM) were used in this study. Several samples were prepared and tested by using Instron universal testing machine at different strain rate including 1mm/min, 10mm/min and 100mm/min and all of the tests were repeated three times in order to minimize experimental error and the average of the obtained results were used for further analysis. The load-extension curves and stress-strain curve of glass fiber reinforce subject to three point bending and tensile loading test were determined at different strain rate and the obtained results were compared together. As results of this study, it has found that the strain rate has effect on flexural and tensile behavior of glass fiber reinforce.
Enhanced Functional Properties of Natural Fiber-Reinforced Composites
Authors: Takagi Hitoshi , Liu Ke , Nakagaito Antonio Norio , Yang Zhi Mao
Published: December 2013

This paper investigates functional properties of natural fiber reinforced composites, such as strengthening characteristics, biodegradation behavior and thermal insulating properties. These functionalities are mainly derived from inherent physical and chemical characteristics of natural plant fiber. High-strength green composites can be fabricated by using strong natural fibers. The biodegradation speed of green composites is faster than that of neat biodegradable resin used as matrix. Such enhanced biodegradation properties are attributed to the preferential biodegradation reaction at interfaces between natural fiber and biodegradable matrix polymer. In addition, better thermal insulation performance is easily attained by using natural plant fibers having a larger lumen, which is the hollow middle area of the natural fibers. Thus the thermal insulation properties of the natural fiber composites can be controlled not only by changing the thermal conductivity values of matrix polymer but also by changing the internal microstructure of the natural plant fiber, namely the size of lumen.
Simulation of Laminar Mixing in Fractal Perforated Plate Static Mixers
Authors: Manshoor Bukhari , Zaman Izzuddin Bin , Ngali Mohd Zamani , Khalid Amir
Published: December 2013

This paper examines the performance of a new type of static mixer known as Fractal Plate Static Mixers. A simulation study was performed to investigate the pressure drop across different numbers of mixing elements (1, 2 and 3). The effectiveness of mixing was assessed by analyzing the coefficient of variation (CoV) of the flow within the range of 0 to 1. The value of CoV that approaching 1 is categorized as a total segregation, while close to 0 indicates a good mixing. The Reynolds number of the study was chosen between 500 and 2000 based on the unobstructed pipe diameter. Results showed that the mixing elements in the flow stream promote a non-laminar, turbulent-like flow which substantially enhances the mixing. By adding more mixing element, it was found that the flow mixing was enhanced in particular at lower Reynolds numbers. In spite of this advantage, the pressure drop was found increased in proportional to the number of mixing elements. This work presents an initial stage of ongoing work to develop a new type of static mixers that based on perforated plate.
Review: Effect of Alloying Element on Al-Si Alloys
Authors: Ervina Efzan Mohd Noor , Kong H.J. , Kok C.K.
Published: December 2013

Al-Si alloys are the most common aluminium cast products owing to their high resistance to hot cracking and excellence fluidity during the molten state. They play important roles in aerospace, automobile and structural industries where high strength to weigh ratio, superior heat conductivity and good corrosion resistance applications are necessary. Alloying elements such as copper, magnesium, zinc and nickel are added into the Al-Si alloys for further strength enhancement. However, impurities such as iron are often present in Al-Si alloys, forming brittle intermetallic phases and hence reducing the mechanical strength of the alloys. In this paper, previous studies on the effects of alloying elements on physical and mechanical characteristics of Al-Si alloys will be accounted. Moreover, a comprehensive review on the Al-Si alloy casting methods will also be included.
Electro Synthesized MoTe2 Thin Films and their Semiconductor Studies towards Photoelectrochemical Cell
Authors: Anand T. Joseph Sahaya , Mazlan Nor Hamizah
Published: December 2013

Transition metal chalcogenide molybdenum ditelluride (MoTe2) thin films have been electrosynthesized cathodically on indium tin oxide-coated (ITO) conducting glass substrates from ammonaical solution of H2MoO4 and TeO2. The electrode potential was varied while the bath temperature was maintained at 40±1 oC and deposition time of 30 minutes. Highly textured MoTe2 films with polycrystalline nature are observed by X-ray diffraction analysis. Compositional analysis by EDX gives their stoichiometric relationships. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to study surface morphology and shows that the films are smooth, uniform and useful for device fabrication. The optical absorption spectra showed that the material has an indirect band-gap value of 1.91-2.04 eV with different electrode potential. Besides, the film exhibited p-type semiconductor behavior.
Keywords: Molybdenum ditelluride; Thin films; Electrodepositon; Solar cell;
Influence of Bias Voltage on Corrosion Resistance of TiN Coated on Biomedical TiZrNb Alloy
Authors: Shah A. , Izman S. , Abdul Kadir Mohammed Rafiq , Mas-Ayu H. , Anwar Mahmood , Ma'aram Azanizawati Bt
Published: December 2013

Recently, Composite Sandwich Panel (CSP) technology considerably influenced the design and fabrication of high performance structures. Although using CSP increases the reliability of structure, the important concern is to understand the complex deformation and damage evolution process. This study is focused on the flexural and indentation behavior of CSP made of chopped strand mat glass fiber and polyester matrix as face sheets and polyurethane foam as foam core subject to flexural and indentation loading condition. A setup of three-point bending and indentation test is prepared using different strain rates of 1mm/min, 10mm/min, 100mm/min and 500mm/min to determine the effects of strain rate on flexural and indentation behavior of CSP material. The load-extension, stress-extension response and energy absorption of the panel show the relation between the flexural and indentation behavior of panels to strain rate as by increasing the strain rate, the flexural properties and the energy absorption of panel are increased.
Analysis of Building Materials for Indoor Thermal Performance and Thermal Comfort
Authors: Djamila Harimi
Published: December 2013

In recent years, there has been an increasing interest on energy saving in building sector.Passive cooling is considered the best strategy for improving the indoor thermal conditions and comfortwith lowest cost energy usage. In air-conditioned era, however, many designers have fully forgotten that the main objective of building thermal comfort is not to cool the whole space but rather the resident of the building with the least energy consumption. This investigation is about discussing some of the available passive cooling strategies based on experimental investigations. Results from this study showed that building materialsaffect the indoorair temperature, which in turn willaffect the indoor thermal comfort. Design strategies more suitable under tropical humid climatic conditions were suggested.
Efficiency of Visible Light Assisted Fenton Oxidation of Diisopropanolamine (DIPA) of Natural Gas Industry Wastewater
Authors: Zhi R. Lim Li , Bustam Mohammad Azmi , Riaz N. , Azmi Mohd Shariff
Published: December 2013

The objective of this work was to provide the efficiency of visible light assisted Fenton oxidation for the treatment of natural gas industry wastewater containing DIPA. Different parameters were studied for the degradation of DIPA including light intensities, H2O2 and initial DIPA concentrations. From the results it was found that the optimum hydrogen peroxide concentration was 1.0 M for both light intensities. Whereas, for different DIPA concentrations depending on the light intensities, 300 W gave the higher COD removal (60.64%), which was concluded as the more efficient light source compared to 500 W.
Evaluating ARIMA-Neural Network Hybrid Model Performance in Forecasting Stationary Timeseries
Authors: Seyedi Seyed Navid , Rezvan Pouyan , Akbarnatajbisheh Saeed , Helmi Syed Ahmad
Published: December 2013

Demand prediction is one of most sophisticated steps in planning and investments. Although many studies are conducted to find the appropriate forecasting models, dynamic nature of forecasted parameters and their effecting factors are apparent evidences for continuous researches. ARIMA, Artificial Neural Network (ANN), and ARIMA-ANN hybrid model are well-known forecasting models. Many researchers concluded that the Hybrid model is the predominant forecasting model in comparison with ARIMA and ANN individual models. Most of these researches are based on non-stationary or seasonal timeseries, whereas in this article, hybrid models forecast ability by stationary time series is studied. Some following demand time steps from a paint manufacturing company are forecasted by all previously mentioned models and ARIMA-ANN hybrid model fails to present the best forecasts.
Comparison of ANFIS and Neural Network Direct Inverse Control Applied to Wastewater Treatment System
Authors: Gaya Muhammad Sani , Wahab Norhaliza Abdul , Sam Yahya M. , Samsuddin Sharatul Izah
Published: December 2013

Large disturbances and highly nonlinear nature of the wastewater treatment system makes its control very difficult and challenging. The control of the system using conventional techniques becomes hard and often impossible. This paper presents a comparison of an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) and neural network (NN) inverse control applied to the system. The performances of the controllers were evaluated based on the rise time; percent overshot and the mean error. Simulation results revealed that the ANFIS controller performance was slightly better compared to the neural network controller. The proposed ANFIS controller is effective and useful to the process.
A Review of Ergonomics and Simulation Modeling in Healthcare Delivery System
Authors: Anjomshoae Ali , Hassan Adnan , Abdul Rani Mat Rebi
Published: December 2013

This paper is an overview of recent issues in determining healthcare delivery systems and aims to explain how Human Factor and Ergonomics (HFE) and simulation modeling can contribute to the quality of patient safety and healthcare delivery. It has been found that the layout of the patient unit and resources are significant factors that influence the amount of medication errors and therefore should be included in any description of the research context. Therefore current trends and applications of HFE as well as simulation modeling and how they can contribute to provide safe, efficient, and effective service to the patients are discussed. This review provides previous work of researchers to identify relationships between these two areas of research, particularly in patient safety. The review suggests that, high rate of medication administration error is due to inefficient healthcare delivery system and highlights the efficiency of simulation modeling versus ergonomics in analyzing the root cause of problems in clinical performance.
A Conceptual Methodology for Recognition of Constrained Control Chart Patterns
Authors: Haghighati Razieh , Hassan Adnan
Published: December 2013

Traditional statistical process control (SPC) charting techniques were developed to monitor process status and helping identify assignable causes. Unnatural patterns in the process are recognized by means of control chart pattern recognition (CCPR) techniques. There are a broad set of studies in CCPR domain, however, given the growing doubts concerning the performance of control charts in presence of constrained data, this area has been overlooked in the literature. This paper, reports a preliminary work to develop a scheme for fault tolerant CCPR that is capable of (i) detecting of constrained data that is sampled in a misaligned uneven fashion and/or be partly lost or unavailable and (ii) accommodating the system in order to improve the reliability of recognition.
Effect of Cutting Parameters on Surface Roughness in Turning of Bone
Authors: Ndaruhadi P.Y.M. Wibowo , Sharif S. , Noordin M.Y. , Kurniawan Denni
Published: December 2013

Surface roughness indicates the damage of the bone tissue due to bone machining process. Aiming at inducing the least damage, this study evaluates the effect of some cutting conditions to the surface roughness of machined bone. In the turning operation performed, the variables are cutting speed (26 and 45 m/min), feed (0.05 and 0.09 mm/rev), tool type (coated and uncoated), and cutting direction (longitudinal and transversal). It was found that feed did not significantly influence surface roughness. Among the influencing factor, the rank is tool type, cutting speed, and cutting direction.
Development of Hybrid Semi-Analytical and Finite Element Analysis to Calculate Sound Radiation from Vibrating Structure
Authors: Putra Azma , Shyafina Nurain , Noryani M , Bakri Hairul , Saari Noor Fariza
Published: December 2013

Simple analytical model of plate dynamics usually applies for rectangular plate with simply supported edges. Analytical model of sound radiation from rectangular plate is also convenient, but not for other geometries and other boundary conditions. This paper presents a hybrid mathematical model which combines a semi-analytical model with the Finite Element Analysis (FEA) method to determine sound radiation from a vibrating structure. The latter is employed to calculate the vibration velocity of a structure with a rather complex geometry. The results are then used as the input in the semi-analytical model to calculate the radiated sound pressure through the Rayleigh integral. Results from the proposed model are presented here for the radiation efficiency of rectangular plates with different boundary conditions.
Experiment Investigation of Hole Accuracy and Surface Roughness in Femur Bone Drilling Using Different Parameters
Authors: Ndaruhadi P.Y.M. Wibowo , Sharif S. , Kurniawan Denni
Published: December 2013

Success indicators in bone drilling include clean, good accuracy drilled holes without damage at the surrounding tissue. This study investigates the influence of cutting parameters in bone drilling against hole accuracy (enlargement diameter, circularity error, and cylindricity error) and surface roughness (Ra). A series of bone drilling experiments was carried out using femur bovine bone and without irrigation. Variations of drill type (high speed steel and coated and uncoated carbide) and cutting speed (19 m/min and 94 m/min) were used as input variables, while the feed rate (0.025 mm/rev) was constant. It was found that coated carbide drill results minimum magnitude on all machining responses. Type of tool gives significant effect on diameter enlargement and surface roughness, yet not on circularity and cylindricity errors. The range of cutting speed evaluated does not give significant effect on any surface integrity measures.
Determination of Parameters for Sustainability Assessment of Hollow Fiber Membrane Module Life Cycle
Authors: Mahmood Salwa , Jiran Nur Syamimi , Saman Muhamad Zameri Mat , Noordin Mohd Yusof
Published: December 2013

Sustainability assessment has received increasing attention in academic, industry and government over the past decades. There are varieties of sustainability assessment has been developed in difference methodology and it is application. In this paper, sustainability assessment using indicators has been introduced for hollow fiber membrane module life cycle. In addition, this paper discussing the determination of proper parameters involved in developing methodology for assessing its sustainability. In order to balancing the sustainability, 3D of sustainability aspect will be considered; environmental, economical and social.
An Application of Failure Mode and Effect Analysis to Cylinder Head during Dismantle of Remanufacturing Process: A Case Study
Authors: Abu Mohd Yazid , Jamaludin Khairur Rijal , Abdul Sani Amiril Sahab , Abdullah Tajul Ariffin , Wahab Dzuraidah Abdul
Published: December 2013

While the concept of remanufacturing is gaining in popularity, in practice the remanufacturing industry in Malaysia is still in its nascent stage, with approximately 32 fields in various industries claiming to be involved in the process. This is an indication for Malaysia to further develop the industry as competing developed countries already view remanufacturing as a huge business opportunity. The aim of this study is to identify and minimize the frequent failures occurring during the dismantling process. Ishikawa diagram is used to identify all possible causes of failures while the Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) with two Risk Priority Number (RPNs), identifies the most significant failures. The case study is performed in an automotive industry as well as in a contract remanufacturing environment in Malaysia, specifically pertaining to the dismantling of cylinder heads. The work outcome of this project is expected to be the enhancement of the robustness of DfRem investigations among researchers in real life applications and to provide better solution to a wider variety of industry sectors in a developing country like Malaysia.
Effect of Cooling/Lubrication Using Cooled Air, MQL + Cooled Air, N2 and CO2 Gases on Tool Life and Surface Finish in Machining – A Review
Authors: Elshwain A.E.I. , Redzuan Norizah
Published: December 2013

Advanced materials like nickel and titanium have unique combinations such as low thermal conductivity, high chemical reactivity, and high hardness. Machining these materials requires suitable lubricant and proper cooling technique for increasing tool life, decreasing cutting temperature, and improving surface roughness. This paper presents a brief review done on gas-based coolant-lubricants (CLs) used in the form of either gas or cooled-pressured air and gases. Main gas-based CLs are air, N2, and CO2. Investigations of previous researches include hypered cooled air (at different cooling temperatures), minimum quantity lubrication (MQL), and gases which have been used on machining operation that affect tool life and surface finish. Compresed N2 and cooled air with MQL was identified as the most suitable coolant-lubricants for machining performance. Furthermore, this type of gas-based coolant-lubricant (CLs) is considered as one of the environmentally conscious machining.
Micro-Electrode Fabrication Process Using EDM
Authors: Hourmand M. , Noordin M.Y.
Published: December 2013

Micro-machining is a fundamental process for manufacturing parts and products with dimensions of between 1 to 999 μm. Micro-Electro Discharge Machining (micro-EDM) has been used for producing of parts, molds, dies, cavities and complex three dimensional shape regardless of hardness and strength. Micro-electrodes are required for these purposes and usually micro EDM machines are used for fabricating them. Moving block electro discharge grinding (Moving BEDG) is one of the processes that can be used to fabricate micro-electrode. In this study a conventional EDM machine is used for fabricating the micro-electrode. Based on the characteristics of this machine some changes need to be applied to the moving BEDG for micro-electrode fabrication. Modification made to the moving BEDG include changing the direction of movement and control gap, use of roughing, semi finishing and finishing electrodes in one electrode. Consequently set up and machining time was decreased due to the use of roughing, semi finishing and finishing parameters. Finally, high aspect ratio micro electrode with diameter of 160.8μm was fabricated. As this process is simple and does not require high investment for special equipment; it can be used even by an ordinary workshop equipped with a conventional EDM machine.
Sol-Gel Synthesis and Preliminary Characterizations of Novel Silica Hybrid Xerogels
Authors: Fadzli S.A. Syed Nuzul , Roslinda S. , Firuz Z.
Published: December 2013

Hybrid silica xerogel mesoporous composite was synthesized by a mild temperature acid catalysed sol-gel route where a natural copolymer; sodium alginate (Na-COOH) together with calcium oxide (CaO) powder were incorporated into silica sol precursor prior to gel formation. For this study, bulk xerogels samples were prepared with the amount of silica precursor and the natural copolymer was fixed meanwhile the loading of calcium oxide was varied at 10 and 20 wt%. The monolith silica was also synthesized as control parameter. The preliminary properties were investigated using XRD, FTIR and SEM together with EDS for elemental analysis. The calcium oxide powder used in this study was prepared from calcium hydroxide, CaOH compound, which was previously calcined at 1000°C for 3 hours in normal air. The component of calcium oxide and sodium alginate were found to be uniformly dispersed in matrixes without affecting the cross-linked silica formation. As the presence of the components in the silica matrixes, the synthesized hybrid xerogels were found to be crack-free, structurally amorphous and physically opaque. Furthermore, the hybrid xerogels samples were found to have denser bodies, smoother surface, and decreased in particle sizes and thus might produced less brittleness in nature compared to the monolith xerogels.
Analysis of Wetting of Perylene Diimide Thin Films-on-Glass by Water
Authors: Madhurima V. , Priyanka K. Greeshma , Pavan K.S.N.D. , Nagarajan S.
Published: December 2013

Perylene tetracarboxylic diimide (PTCDI), derivatives have attracted the attention of the scientific community owing to their thermal stability, electron affinity-enabling n-type semiconductor behaviour and useful photophysical properties. Thin films of six new perylene tetracarboxylic diimides were fabricated on glass substrate by spin coating. The contact angles made by water on these six substrates, some with alkyl chain derivatives and the others with polar side chains, were measured using a precision contact angle goniometer. The alignment of these films on glass substrates are inferred from the contact angle data and the results are compared with those of the (self) alignment in liquid state. Derivatives with alkyl chains were seen to interact more with water, causing a lower contact angle compared to the more polar derivatives. This counter-intuitive result is interpreted in terms of molecular alignment of samples on the glass substrates.
Performance of Thermoelectric Cooling System: Effect of Aluminium Heat Sink and Heat Dissipation
Authors: Hafis Mohd Bin Sulaiman , Ridzuan Mohd Jamir Mohd , Firdaus Ahamad Zaidi Ahmad , Shahril S.M. , Farahana R.N. , Chong C.K.
Published: December 2013

This paper presents theoretical and experimental research works on the effect of aluminium heat sink and heat dissipation in a portable thermoelectric (TE) cooling system. In this study, three units of TE modules were utilized with an inputs of 3 A and 8 V. The aluminium heat sink was used to spread the heat generated by TE modules through its fins and surface area. The cold temperature was spread through by an aluminium cold sink with direct blow to the cooling space. The air flow rate was accelerated by the use of centrifugal blower on both sides of the heat dissipation system. The temperature of the cooling space caused was examined. The performance of TE module with the utilization of hot and cold sinks has shown that a greater heat dissipation rate was achieved.
Effects of Knife Shapes and Cutting Speeds of a Mower on the Power Consumption for Pulverizing Sweet Potato Vine
Authors: Kakahy Amer N.N. , Ahmad D. , Akhir M.D. , Sulaiman S. , Ishak A.
Published: December 2013

Two different shapes of knives (L and Y-shaped) for the rotary slasher with 300 knife cutting angle at three cutting speeds (1830, 2066 and 2044 rpm) were used to indicate their effects on the power consumption for pulverizing sweet potato vine which passed through the sieve (< 28 mm2). The results indicated that all the treatments were significant at p 0.01 significance level for the power consumption on sweet potato vine pulverizing. The best result was recorded from L-shaped knife with a power consumption of 52.12 Watts for sweet potato vine pulverization. Meanwhile, the best result was for the mower speed at 1830 rpm with the lowest power consumption of 61.23 Watts. The best performance for interaction between knife shapes and the cutting speeds was achieved by the L-shaped knife at 1830 rpm with lowest power consumption of 50.23 Watts at p 0.01.
Effect of Annealing Atmosphere on the Morphology of Copper Oxide Thin Films Deposited on TiO2 Substrates Prepared by Sol-Gel Process
Authors: Halin Dewi Suriyani Che , Talib Ibrahim Abu , Daud Abdul Razak , Hamid Muhammad Azmi Abdul
Published: December 2013

Copper oxide films were prepared via sol-gel like spin coating starting from methanolic solutions of cupric chloride onto the TiO2 substrates. Films were obtained by spin coating under room conditions (temperature, 25-30 °C) and were subsequently annealed at different temperatures (200-400 °C) in oxidizing (air) and inert (N2) atmospheres. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns showed crystalline phases, which were observed as a function of the annealing conditions. The film composition resulted single or multi-phasic depending on both temperature and atmosphere. The grain size of film was measured using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the surface roughness of thin films was characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The grain size of which was annealed in air at 300 °C was 30.39 nm with the surface roughness of 96.16 nm. The effects of annealing atmosphere on the structure and morphology of copper oxide thin films are reported.
Design and Development of Remote Communication System for Mines Detector Robot
Authors: Firdaus Ahamad Zaidi Ahmad , Faydi Kang , Zaidi Nur Hidayah Ahmad
Published: December 2013

This paper describes the design and development of remote communication system for mines detector robot. This project uses a PIC18F4580 microcontroller to control the robot movements and functions. A metal detector will be attached to the robot. The robot will have two operating modes; automatic and manual mode. In automatic mode, the robot will move according to a predefined track. When the robot is moving, the system produces feedbacks given by the sensors on the robot to the remote computer about the surroundings and when potential land mines are detected. In manual mode, the robot will be fully controlled by the remote computer for decision making process. All the controls and monitoring of data are displayed in a graphical user interface (GUI). The wireless module proposed is the XBee RF modules. The XBee modules were found to perform with optimum data transfer reliability at the range equals to 25% of its maximum communication range.
Carbon Dioxide Separation Using Amine Modified Zeolite in Pressure Swing Adsorption System
Authors: Alias Nur Hashimah , Kamarudi K.S.N. , Ghazali Nurul Aimi , Mohd T.A.T. , Sauki Arina , Jaafar Mohd Redwan
Published: December 2013

Carbon dioxide (CO2) removal from natural gas attracts more attention than other impurities due to its corrosiveness property and it also possess no heating value in the sales natural gas. Amine based chemical absorption has been used commercially for CO2 separation in gas processing plant. However, the liquid amine based processes pose operating difficulties due to high regeneration energy, large equipments size and solvent leakage. This research studies modification of porous materials, zeolite NaY by grafting amine functional group using monoethanolamine directly to the surface of the solid sorbents. The structures and physical properties of amine modified adsorbent were characterized using powder X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), nitrogen adsorption at 77K and thermogravimetric analysis. Since application of Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) has been widely used in various plants in the world, this research was extended to study carbon dioxide separation using amine modified adsorbents in PSA experimental system. Effects of adsorption and regeneration behaviour on CO2 separation were investigated. Amine modified NaY showed better result compared to unmodified NaY in term of improvement in physical and chemical properties, high CO2 adsorption capacity and modified adsorbents were ease of regeneration.
Eco-Friendly Synthesis of Nanozeolite NaA from Rice Husk Ash and its Efficiency in Removing Ammonium Ions
Authors: Nawog Methodius Anak , Muhid Mohd Nazlan Mohd , Malek Nik Ahmad Nizam Nik , Hamdan Halimaton
Published: December 2013

The eco-friendly synthesis of nanozeolite need to be developed in order to minimize the consumption of unwanted excess extracted solutions or solvents and maximize the utilization of beneficial wastes as its raw materials. Thus, the synthesis of nanozeolite NaA from rice husk ash (RHA) without extraction of silica from RHA and without organic template has been successfully achieved. Nanozeolite NaA was synthesized from rice husk ash (RHA) via this main step: aging the aluminosilicate suspension (3.190 Na2O: Al2O3: 1.4SiO2:235.07H2O) for 3 days at room temperature with agitation rate of 150 rpm followed by heating at 55 °C for 18 hours. The nanozeolite NaA was confirmed by XRD, FTIR, FESEM and particle size distribution analysis where the highest particle size was in the range of 100 to 400 nm. Its efficiency in removing ammonium ions in aqueous solution was found to be better than that of microsized zeolite NaA thus proved that the lower particle sizes of zeolite NaA (nanosize) tended to have higher adsorption sites and higher exchange capacity.
Potential of Five-Leaved Chaste Tree (Vitex negundo L.) Leaves as Source of Natural Dye from Supercritical Carbon Dioxide (SC-CO2) Extraction
Authors: Mohd T.A.T. , Alias Nur Hashimah , Ghazali Nurul Aimi , Azizi A. , Adeib Idris S. , Sauki Arina
Published: December 2013

Natural dyes represent a sustainable source of colorants, which are low cost and safer than synthetic dyes, concerning human health. The purpose of this study is to extract Vitex negundo L. leaves using supercritical carbon dioxide extraction and to identify the extracts potential as a dye. The extraction process has been conducted at different operating conditions by varying temperature from 40 to 65°C with an increment of 5°C at 20, 25, and 30 MPa within 60 minutes constant time. The extracts obtained at different conditions were analyzed using Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometer (GC-MS) to determine the chemical compounds present. Increase of temperature increased the extraction yield, but further increasing the temperature above 50°C has reduced the yield. The effect of pressure gave two different patterns, in which the first one showed the yield kept increasing with pressure (20 to 30 MPa) at 40, 45, 50, and 55°C. The second pattern showed sudden reduction of yield above 25 MPa at another two higher temperatures. The highest extraction yield (13.94 mg/g) was obtained at 30 MPa and 50°C which considered as optimum operating condition. GC-MS analysis showed the presence of several phytochemicals including some flavonoid compounds, which are potential sources of dye.
Adsorption Behavior of Methylene Blue on Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Dianhydride Modified Neem (Azadirachta indica) Leaf Powder
Authors: Hanafiah M.A.K.M. , Ismail Mardhiah , Ngah Wan Saime Wan , Wan Mat Khalir Wan Khaima Azira , Zakaria Haslizaidi
Published: December 2013

Neem (Azadirachta indica) leaf powder was modified using a chelating agent, ethylenediaminetetaraacetic dianhydride (EDTAD) and the adsorption performance in removing methylene blue (MB) was investigated under batch mode. The EDTAD modified neem leaf powder (ENLP) was characterized by spectroscopic technique and elemental analysis. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra indicated that the ROH, RCOOR, RCOO-and RNH2groups were involved in the removal of MB. The maximum adsorption capacity calculated from the Langmuir isotherm model was 178.57 mg/g at 318 K. Adsorption kinetic was found to be fitted well with the pseudo-first-order model. This study suggests that ENLP can be an attractive adsorbent for MB removal from diluted industrial wastewater.
The Potential of Garlic Extract as Bio-Inhibitor in Urea Fertilizer
Authors: Samsudin Sity Juaeiriah , Binti Mansor Nurlidia , Sufian Suriati , Man Zakaria B.
Published: December 2013

Urea is extensively used as fertilizer in the agricultural industry based on its suitability for all types of crops. The hydrolysis of urea fertilizer produces ammonia (NH3) and carbon dioxide (CO2). However, up to 40% of NH3 release affects the efficiency of urea fertilizer. By introducing inhibitors into the urea enzymatic reaction, the NH3 emission problem can be solved. Unfortunately, current inhibitors are usually chemical based and non-biodegradable. Several complaints and accidents have been reported when handling chemical based inhibitors especially for surface application. Research on garlic or Allium savatium has been conducted to ensure its inhibitory effects as potentially safe and biodegradable inhibitor. From previous research, thiosulfinates (TS) contained in garlic extract proved to inhibit platelets aggregation in medical applications. In this study, the inhibitory effect is determined by analyzing NH3 concentration in urease-garlic mixture and standard urea assay mixtures using UV-VIS spectrophotometer device. Previous research showed the highest absorbance of free NH3 was detected at 370nm. At 30 minutes of 15ml of urease-garlic mixture confirms the fully inhibition of garlic extract towards reaction.
Monitoring Initial Glucose Concentration for Optimum pH Control during Fermentation of Microbial Cellulose in Rotary Discs Reactor
Authors: Zahan Khairul Azly , Pa’e Norhayati , Seng Kok Fook , Muhamad Ida Idayu
Published: December 2013

The study aimed to investigate the effect of initial glucose concentration on the microbial cellulose production using Acetobacter xylinum in a Rotary Discs Reactor (RDR-2 liter volume). The fermentations were carried out for four days at temperature 28°C, initial pH 6.5, and 9 rpm of rotation speed; meanwhile, the initial glucose concentration was manipulated in the range of 0.5-5.0 % (w/v). The cell growth was stimulated using 1.4% (v/v) ethanol in the fermentation medium. The result indicated that 1% (w/v) of initial glucose concentration provided the highest microbial cellulose yield with total wet weight of 296.1657g/l. The increase of initial glucose concentration resulted to the decrease of microbial cellulose yield and greater pH drop after fermentation. It can be conclude that production of microbial cellulose using RDR could produce relatively much higher microbial cellulose with less amounts of glucose in a shorter fermentation period compared to static fermentation due to more efficient oxygen uptake during rotary movements and homogenous environment for microbial growth.
Review on Malaysian and Thailand's Perspective towards Renewable Energy
Authors: Gomesh Hs.N. , Irwanto M. , Irwan Y.M. , Fitra M. , Hashim U. , Mariun N.
Published: December 2013

This paper presents a review on Malaysia and Thailand’s view on renewable energy mainly in the area of solar energy. It is based on a survey conducted on random subjects in Malaysia raging from different discipline such as those from RE and non RE industries, and several learning Institution. The survey was conducted on random subject as to create a variance on their given answers. A total of 6,450 Malaysian have answered the survey which is then analyzed and compared with the views and current RE scenario in Thailand. The data analysis for Thailand is obtained from literature review. Based on the analysis, one could conclude that both Malaysia and Thailand are on the same objective which is to expand and cultivate their RE sources and has adapt an alternative method to sustain their energy development.
Extraction of Silica from Palm Ash Using Organic Acid Leaching Treatment
Authors: Faizul Che Pa , Chik Abdullah , Bari Md. Fazlul , Noorina Hidayu Jamil
Published: December 2013

Agricultural wastes such as palm ash and rice husk have a possibility to be used as a usefully renewable source for production of energy and silica (SiO2). Extensive researches have been carried out to extract silica from agricultural wastes such as rice husk, due to silica as a useful raw material for industrial application. In the previous studies, the strong acid leaching treatment was carried out to remove metallic impurities and organics contained in rice husk. A strong acid leaching treatment, however, is significantly hazardous to the environment and people [. In this study, the environmentally benign and economically effective process to produce SiO2 materials from palm ash has been established by using citric acid leaching, not the conventional strong acids. Results showed that silica can be extracted from palm ash using citric acid leaching treatment under the optimum extracting conditions with 70°C of solution temperature, 60 minutes of reaction time and concentration of citric acid of more than 2%. The purity of silica extracted is more than 90%.
The Behaviours of Steel Fiber as Main Reinfocement in High Performance Slurry Infiltrated Fiber Reinforced Concrete
Authors: Abdul Rahim Mustaqqim , Ghazaly Zuhayr Md , Ragunathan Santiagoo , Shahidan Shahiron
Published: December 2013

Concrete is a structure that very weak in tension and need additional material to enhance their structural capacity. In 18thcentury, concrete have been recognized as structure that very weak in tension [. Thus, concrete need additional supporting material that can improve the tension capacity. Because of the steel is very good in tension, the steel bar was embedded in concrete at the tensile stress area to obtain the full capacity of the steel bar as reinforcement.
Experimental Evaluation of Profiled Steel Sheet Dry Board Wall Panel System
Authors: Majid Masni A. , Wan Badaruzzaman Wan Hamidon
Published: December 2013

This research paper describes the investigation of new innovative form of lightweight composite known as Profiled Steel Sheeting Dry Board (PSSDB) wall panel system. Profiled Steel Sheeting Dry Board (PSSDB) is categorized as Industrialized Building System where paneling system has been developed to substitute the traditional structure of brick wall. The proposed system is a novel form of double and single sheathed composite panel. It consists of dry board and profiled steel sheet for middle core, attached by screws at both surfaces forming the composite action. This paper present the experimental results of twelve full scaled samples of PSSDB wall panel by using Cliplock 610 and PEVA45 as profiled steel sheet and PrimaFlex dry board for surface sheathed. All 12 wall panel samples have been tested under axial load until failure. From the experiment, it was found that the maximum load capacity of PSSDB wall panel can withstand is 1329kN with PEVA45 at screw spacing of 200 mm. While for the wall panel assembled using Cliplock 610, the maximum load is 612kN. The study shows that the new PSSDB wall panel system has a great potential to be used as a load bearing under axial load and expected to have a confidence for structural system in future construction.
Properties of Lightweight Concrete Composites with Mixture of Fly Ash and Concrete Sludge Aggregate
Authors: Ibrahim Norlia Mohamad , Che Amat Roshazita , Salehuddin Shamshinar , Rahim Nur Liza , Abdul Razak Abdul Rahim , Ooi Wei Hong
Published: December 2013

Lightweight foamed concrete is a concrete made by cement slurry mixed with foam so that foamed concrete that is much lighter than conventional concrete can be produced. The objectives of this study is to develop optimal pre-foamed lightweight foamed concrete and to achieve desired density of lightweight concrete that is below 2400 kg/m3. Three samples of concrete were batching with 0%, 25% and 50% of foam respectively under mixing ratio of 1:1:2 and foam dilution ratio 1:5 to obtain optimum result. Based on the result attained, the samples achieved the bulk density ranged from 1943 kg/m3 to 2305 kg/m3. In addition, other physical characteristics of this mixture of materials show that its water absorption for all the samples was increased from 6.508% to 11.889%. This trend of results was obtained if the volume of foam presented in the concrete were increased. Furthermore, the samples achieved compression strength ranged from 22.418 MPa to 32.229 MPa with presence of foam. In summary, with additional of fly ash and concrete sludge as aggregate it can help to produce comparable concrete composites with lighter density.
Challenges of Gathering User Requirement in eXtreme Programming Project: A Case Study of Highway Construction Monitoring System
Authors: Bahrudin Ida Aryanie , Abdullah Mohd Ezree , Mohd Hanifa Rafizah , Kassim Noordiana , Roslan Rosfuzah
Published: December 2013

The successfulness of a software development project is not only based on the tools and the technology used but also really depends on how the developed software meets the end user requirements. Involving end user as an active member of software development team, one of the popular agile methods known as eXtreme Programming (XP) had been selected as the software development methodology. This paper is focused on one of the main practices called on-site customer. The project under study is a web based Highway Construction Monitoring System (HIGHCONS). Challenges related to its implementation throughout the development process and also the suitable solutions in facing the challenges were also considered.
Study on Properties and Morphology of Kaolin Based Geopolymer Coating on Clay Substrates
Authors: Ruzaidi C.M. , Al Bakri Abdullah Mohd Mustafa , Binhussain Mohammed , Salwa M.S. Siti , Alida A. , Muhammad Faheem Md Tahir , Azlin S.S. , Muhammad Faheem M.T.
Published: December 2013

The application of geopolymer as a coating was not widely explored by other researchers and therefore the study of kaolin based geopolymer coating applied on different types of clay substrate (unsintered and sintered) was carried out. The geopolymer coating paste were initially prepared by mixed the kaolin with alkaline activator (NaOH and Na2SiO3) until homogeneous mixture was obtained. After that, the geopolymer paste then applied on the surface of clay substrates and left to cure at 80°C for 24 hours and sintered at 800°C respectively for 2 hours. Flexural, compression test and SEM for morphology analysis are studied. Based on the results obtained, it shows that kaolin based geopolymer coating can contribute in improving the substrate strength, while curing and sintering temperature applied to the geopolymer coating on different substrate can influence the interaction between substrate and geopolymer paste to diffuse according to SEM image proved.