bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Recovery of Residual Crude Palm Oil (RCPO) from Oil Palm Decanter Cake (OPDC) Using D-Limonene
Authors: Sahad Naimah , Som Ayub Md , Baharuddin Azhari Samsu , Mokhtar Mohd Noriznan , Busu Zainuri , Sulaiman Alawi
Published: July 2015

In this study, d-limonene as green solvent was used as an alternative to n-hexane to recover the residual crude palm oil (RCPO) from the OPDC. The OPDC obtained from the palm oil mill contained about 12.55±3.15% (dry basis) of RCPO. Similar as n-hexane, the results proved that d-limonene as solvent was able to recover 100% of the RCPO from the OPDC successfully. The recyclable of d-limonene was 90%, higher than n-hexane (70%) and not much variation on fatty acids composition of extracted RCPO were observed. To ensure complete RCPO recovery, microscopic observation and FTIR spectra analysis on OPDC before and after the extraction were performed. This study concludes that d-limonene is comparable to n-hexane. However, the residual oil is classified as non-edible as it is not extracted via mechanical method. Therefore, further analysis is necessary in order to determine the potential use of the residual oils in other industries such as pharmaceutical, food packaging, fiberboard manufacturing and others.
Screening of Carbamazepine-Ibuprofen Co-Crystal Formation Using Non-Stoichiometric and Stoichiometric Methods
Authors: Abd Rahim Syarifah , Rosli Nurul Aini , Mohd Khalid Siti Salasiah
Published: July 2015

The paper presents the co-crystal screening study of carbamazepine (CBZ) and ibuprofen (IBU) as a co-crystal former (CCF) using non-stoichiometric (solid addition of CBZ to saturated solution of co-crystal former (CCF) and stoichiometric (1:1 mol of CBZ and CCF) methods. In the non-stoichiometric method, CBZ-IBU co-crystal was prepared in various solvents and left to equilibrate in three conditions; stagnant, manually agitated and shaking in 72 hours whereas in the stoichiometric method, evaporation, solvent drop grinding and dry grinding were used. The crystals produced from the screening process were characterized using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and optical microscopy. The co-crystal of CBZ-IBU was found to have successfully formed via the non-stoichiometric method in formic acid. DSC analysis revealed that the remaining crystals produced were either CBZ or IBU as indicated by their respective melting point.
Sea Mango Activated Carbon Preparation and Characterization for Dye Removal
Authors: Sethupathi Sumathi , Chong Wei Liang , Bashir Mohamed J.K. , Ng Choon Aun , Ramesh Kanthasamy
Published: July 2015

The conversion of sea mango oil into non-edible feedstock for biodiesel will lead to the production of abundant sea mango biomass as waste. Thus in this study, the potential of converting sea mango fiber waste into a value added product was analyzed. Sea mango fiber was utilized to produce activated carbon and was tested on dye removal. The sea mango activated carbon (SMAC) was prepared using physical activation by carbon dioxide. The preparation was carried out by varying the activation temperature (600-900 °C), gas flow rate (50–300 ml/min) and activation time (1.0-2.5 h). The parameters are manipulated using Design of Experiment. The prepared activated carbon was tested on methylene blue dye. SMAC was characterized by SEM, FTIR and BET surface area. Results showed that activation temperature and time have significant effect on the characteristic of SMAC and removal of dye. The optimum conditions for preparing the SMAC having the highest dye removal were found to be activation temperature of 810 °C, 178 ml/min of carbon dioxide flow and 1.9 h of activation time. The results showed that the BET surface area and dye removal efficiency of the SMAC are 540 m2/g and 95.6 % respectively.
Solid Oil Particles Formation of Ginger Rhizome Using Rapid Expansion Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Solution (RESS) as an Environmentally Friendly Method
Authors: Zainuddin N.A. , Norhuda I. , Adeib I.S. , Sarijo Siti Halimah
Published: July 2015

Particles formations of ginger rhizome were successfully produced by using Rapid expansion supercritical solution (RESS). In this study, effect of extraction temperature (40,45,55 and 65 °C) and constant extraction pressure 4000 Psi were investigated on the particle size of the produced particles. Based on the different experimental conditions, the smallest particle size of ginger after processing via the RESS process was obtained at extraction temperature of 40 °C and extraction pressure, 4000 Psi. Temperature is the one factor that can affect the average particle size of the solid oil particle. The size of the ginger particles were monitored by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
Study of CO2 Solubility in Brine under Different Temperatures and Pressures
Authors: Hamidi Hossein , Mohd Atib Nur Farah Ain , Azdarpour Amin , Mohammadian Erfan
Published: July 2015

The solubility of CO2 in water and aqueous solutions of NaCl, KCl, CaCl2, NaCl+KCl (weight ratio= 1:1), NaCl+CaCl2 (weight ratio= 1:1), KCl+CaCl2 (weight ratio= 1:1) and NaCl+KCl+CaCl2 (weight ratio= 1:1:1) was determined experimentally at 35, 45 and 55°C up to 16 MPa and the concentration of the salt was up to 14.3 wt% while in simulation the salt ions of Na+, K+, Ca2+, and Cl- was determined at wide temperature-pressure-ionic strength range (273 to 533 K, from 0 to 2000 bar, and from 0 to 4.5 molality of salts). Based on experiment data, the solubility increased with increase in pressure but decreased with increasing the temperature and salt concentration. Meanwhile, the model also predicted the CO2 solubility in seawater at two phase coexistence (vapour-liquid or liquid-vapor) and at three-phase coexistence (CO2 hydrate-liquid water-vapor CO2).
The Effects of Soaking on Rice Granules for Bedak sejuk Production
Authors: Dzulfakar Mohd Alif Afife , Tan Kofli Noorhisham
Published: July 2015

Bedak sejuk, is a traditional cosmetic product that still being used and fond by many women in Malaysia. It is produced by the traditional methods that passed from generation to generation. Rice grains were soaked in water at least for three months or until it fully dissolved. The aim of the study is to determine the effects of soaking on rice granules for bedak sejuk production. Local rice grains (Indica) were soaked in water at ratio of 1:1 (w/v) in a container with lid for 42 days and the water were changed at 14 days interval. The soaking process was a series of batch process. A growth profile of microbial in the fermented supernatant showed that the lag phase started on day 3 of soaking process and the exponential phase started on day 8 of soaking process. The final pH value of fermented supernatant was 4.04 while the final titratable acidity which is expressed as lactic acid was 0.62 mg mL-1. Reducing sugar increased while total starch decreased during the soaking process. For particle size distribution of rice granules, there is no clear differences in the size distribution but there is slight changes of weight fraction of the rice granules. The analysis of fermented supernatant suggests that natural fermentation occurred during the soaking process while the analysis of rice granules suggests that hydrolysis of rice starch occurred during the natural fermentation process.
Removal of Carbon Dioxide by Emulsion Liquid Membrane Containing Blended Amine
Authors: Mohd Najib Siti Balqis , Kamaruddin Khairul Sozana Nor
Published: July 2015

The capture of carbon dioxide (CO2) by aqueous alkanolamine is the most cost effective technology available today. However, some problem such as amine losses, corrosion and low absorption rate arise when aqueous alkanolamines is used as an absorbent. To overcome these problems, liquid emulsion was introduced as an alternative for CO2 removal. However, the main concern of using liquid emulsion is the stability of the emulsion. In this study, a formulation containing mixture of blended alkanolamine was used. Methyldiethanolamine (MDEA) and 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol (AMP) were used as extractants and were mixed with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution to form the aqueous phase. Meanwhile, the organic phase consists of kerosene and Span 80. The emulsion was prepared by homogenizing both phases at speed of 10 000 rpm for five minutes. The stability of the MDEA-AMP emulsion was determined and the CO2 absorption by the emulsion was measured. This study showed that using 8 mL MDEA and 4mL AMP, the stability of the emulsion was 74.00% and 48.05% of CO2 was removed.
Reusability of Fenton Sludge to Reduce COD and Color on Palm Oil Mill Secondary Effluent (POMSE)
Authors: Ahmad Shahrifun Nurul Shairah , Ab’lah Norul Nazilah , Hussain Hazilia , Aris Azmi , Omar Qistina , Ahmad Norlaily
Published: July 2015

This paper reports on the reusability of iron sludge generated from the solar Fenton oxidation on Palm Oil Mill Secondary Effluent (POMSE) samples. The aim of this study was to observe the reusability of Fenton sludge to be used as iron sources for reducing the COD and color of POMSE. The feasibility of iron sludge was determined by recycling the iron sludge five times. Result showed that the percentage removal of COD and color was generally reduced from fresh iron used (F1) to Recycled 1 (R1) and eventually Recycle 5 (R5). The percentage removal of COD for F1, R1, R2, R3, R4, and R5 were 83.8%, 71.2%, 40.3%, 45.1%, 39% and 35.9% respectively. Meanwhile the color removal for F1-R5 were 97.18%, 87.29%, 75.33%, 73.08%, 68.60% and 70.84% respectively. The amount of ferrous iron and total iron in supernatant however, fluctuated between 0.00 to 0.37 and 2.86 to 9.24mg/L respectively. Amount of iron that remained in the sludge in every cycle starting from F1 to R5 were 7271, 7404, 7275, 7546, 7238 and 7025mg iron/kg sludge respectively. In conclusion, it was justifiable to recycle Fenton sludge as a high amount of iron remained even after the fifth time of recycling.
Morphology of L-Alanine Crystal, Associated with its Interaction with Glycine Additive: A Molecular Modelling and Experimental Study
Authors: Othman Muhamad Fitri , Anuar Nornizar , Bakar Noor Fitrah Abu
Published: July 2015

. In this paper, L-alanine crystal was crystallized in the presence and absence of glycine additive using slow evaporation method, in association with a simulation technique using ab-initio quantum mechanical method used to predict the crystal morphology of L-alanine. Comparison between the experimental and simulated lattice energies have shown a good agreement with the 8% error, thus validating the set of force field and the partial atomic charges used. Attachment energy method used by the simulation to predict the morphology of L-alanine crystal, revealed a prismatic crystal morphology bounded with 10 dominant faces: (110), ( 0), ( 10), (1 0), (020), (0 0) (011), (0 ), (0 1) and (01 ), which is in good agreement with the experimental morphology. Crystallization of L-alanine in the presence of glycine in the solution also resulted in prismatic crystal morphology, but elongated in the z-axis direction. This result was further explained by intermolecular bonding analysis of glycine on the morphological faces of L-alanine crystal, which suggested that glycine was preferentially adsorbed on the (0 ) and (1 0) faces of L-alanine crystal morphology.
Influence of Gigantochloa ligulata Nutrient on Lactobacillus delbrueckii for Textile Wastewater Decolorization
Authors: Nur Hazirah R. , Nurhaslina C.R. , Mirza Azri M. , Noor Syafiqah A.
Published: July 2015

Water pollution due to the discharges of textile wastewater without treatment is the most concern problem identified. This reduces the degree penetration of sunlight into the water. It causes some human health problem such as bladder cancer, liver cancer and splenic tumor. The biological research using Lactobacillus bacteria was developed to reduce the environment problems. This research was studied on the impact of Lactobacillus delbrueckii on decolorization of textile wastewater enhanced by Gigantochloa ligulata nutrient. This nutrient contains high protein, mineral, moisture and carbohydrate such as fructose, glucose and sucrose. Those nutrients are used by Lactobacillus species to produce lactic acid, which simultaneously help in decolorizing textile wastewater. The effect studies; Lactobacillus delbrueckii dosage (4, 7, 10 mL/mL), agitation speed (1, 75.5, 150 rpm) and dye concentration (0.1, 0.55, 1.0 mL/mL) were performed to determine the rate of decolorization for every 24 hours. The result obtained show the maximum decolorization rate, 65.30% occurs at 7.66 mL of Lactobacillus dosage and 0.49 mL/mL of dye concentration with 64.20 rpm. It can be concluded that Gigantochloa ligulata nutrient has potential in enhancing Lactobacillus species to decolorize of textile wastewater.
Production of Biodiesel from Cooking Oil Using CaO Catalyst
Authors: Mohamad Mardhiah , Ngadi Norzita , Lani Nurul Saadiah
Published: July 2015

Transesterification method was carried out in biodiesel production from cooking oil (CO). Calcium oxide (CaO) was selected as the best catalyst. This study investigated the effects of percentage conversion of oil to biodiesel from methanol to oil molar ratio and catalyst amount. Brunauer, Emmett and Teller (BET) test method was used to analyze the surface area. The results obtained showed that using 200°C calcined CaO catalyst, 76.67 % biodiesel was successfully converted from oil. This indicates that the cooking oil (CO) has potential to become a future source of biodiesel. 0.5 w/w% catalyst dosages, 3:5 oil to methanol molar ratio and 65°C reaction temperature are the best condition for the biodiesel conversion from oil. This study also shows that conversion of cooking oil is significantly affected by methanol to oil molar ratio and catalyst amount.
Chemical Compound Evaluation of Polylactic Acid from L(+)-Lactic Acid Monomer Obtained through Cassava Fermentation by Rhizopus oryzae
Authors: Wan Daud Wan Nasrin Afifa , Ishak Abdul Aziz , Abd Hashib Syafiza , Mohd Rodhi Miradatul Najwa
Published: July 2015

In this study, L(+)-lactic acid (LLA) from cassava fermentation by Rhizopusoryzae NRRL 395 was used as monomer in polymerization through direct polycondensation reaction. HPLC analysis of the fermented product was carried out to confirm the presence of LLA, through the matching of retention time compared to the standard of LLA. The chemical compound in poly (L-lactic acid), PLLA was evaluated after polymerization through direct polycondensation of LLA at 180°C, with the presence of tin (II) 2-ethylhexanoate as catalyst. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (FTIR) was used to characterize the functional groups, which were ester carbonyl group (C=O and C―O―C), and C-H stretching of the methyl and methine groups (―CH3 and ―CH2) of the resulting PLLA.
Degradation of Phenol from Glove Factory’s Effluent by Zn/TiO2 Photocatalyst
Authors: So’aib Mohamad Sufian , Mazlan Nuraisyah
Published: July 2015

Phenol is a carcinogenic, toxic and chemically stable-benzene ring compound that commonly exists in myriad industrial effluents. In this study, phenol degradation was carried out by Zn/TiO2 photocatalyst synthesized by sol-gel method that photoactive under visible light. The effect of parameters; pH level, phenol concentration and irradiation time on phenol degradation were studied using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The optimum condition was at irradiation time of six hours, pH 8 and phenol concentration of 130 ppm. The SEM analysis on Zn/TiO2 photocatalyst revealed the agglomerated morphology that enabled photoactivity under visible light.
Effect of Plasticizers on Tapioca Starch-Based Biofilms via Blown Film Extrusion Process
Authors: Ali R.R. , Rahman W.A.W.A. , Hasbullah H. , Kasmani R.M. , Ibrahim N. , Sadikin A.N. , Asli U.A.
Published: July 2015

In this study, a series of tapioca starch-based low density polyethylene (LDPE) biofilms were prepared via extrusion process and further using blown film extrusion with various contents of starch. Various contents of glycerol and palm oil based olein as plasticizers, both ranging from 5 wt% to 20 wt% were added to blends. The starch-based LDPE blends were undergo the melt flow index analysis to study its processability before further process by film blowing extrusion. Both film blowing ability and melt indexes displayed the effect of both plasticizers in starch-based LDPE blends. Starch based LDPE biofilms with addition of 5 wt% palm oil based glycerin show large influence on the shear viscous properties of starch polymer melts compared to glycerol. Palm oil based glycerin would decrease the viscosity of starch polymer melt since it can decrease the polymer entanglement density and increase the ease of disentanglement.
Electrical Properties and Morphology of Electrodeposited Cobalt-Nickel-Iron on Flexible Printed Circuits
Authors: Ahmad Athirah , Hyie Koay Mei , Nik Roselina N.R. , Munir Firdaus , Li Choong Soo , Saidin Sheridan
Published: July 2015

Electrodeposition is a method to electrochemically deposit alloy on various types of metal. This method has ability to produce protective coating and thin films on the metal. In this research, one of the electrodeposition methods, Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) with 10 and 20 cycles was applied to deposit Cobalt-Nickel-Iron (Co-Ni-Fe) on Electroless Nickel Immersion Gold (ENIG) Flexible Printed Circuits (FPCs). The main purpose of this paper is to investigate the electrical properties, morphology and crystallographic structure of the electrodeposited coating. Curve Trace test was conducted to identify the contact resistance of the coating. In this case, the allowable contact resistance should be less or the same as ENIG FPCs which is 1.6 Ω. Morphology of the coated circuit was observed by using FESEM while crystallographic phase of the coating was identified by XRD. Morphology study on Co-Ni-Fe coated FPCs exhibited Cauliflower like shape with average grain size of 1.49 μm and 1.88 μm for 10 and 20 cycles, respectively. CoFe, FeNi and CoO.NiO phases was noticed in the electrodeposited coating. The obtained result showed that the electrodeposited Co-Ni-Fe produced with 10 cycles has the same contact resistance as ENIG which is 1.6 Ω. 20 cycles of CV produced 1.4 Ω of contact resistance, slightly smaller than the other FPCs. This research revealed that electrodeposited Co-Ni-Fe is suitable to be applied as a protective coating while still maintaining the electrical properties of FPCs.
Electrodeposition as an Alternative Route to Prepare Nanostructured Lead-Free Solder Alloy: A Short Review
Authors: Yusof Sakinah Mohd , Hashim Md Amin , Jai Junaidah , Hadi Abdul
Published: July 2015

With world-wide strict legislation for reduction or removal of lead from industrial waste, development of a large number of lead-free alternative solder materials had been intensively examined. The drive for lead-free solders development was towards systems that can imitate conventional lead containing solder alloys in terms of melting temperatures and improvement of mechanical properties. Nanostructured solder alloy, with a grain size of typically < 100 nm, was a new class of materials with properties distinct from and frequently distinguished to those of the conventional alloy. In comparison, nanostructured solder alloys exhibit higher strength and hardness, enhanced diffusivity, and excellent soft and hard magnetic properties. Numerous different techniques were performed to synthesize these nanostructured solder alloys. Electrodeposition method has generated huge interest in nanostructured solder preparation, mainly due to its ability to deposit solders selectively and uniformly at nanoscale. These factors bring significant influences on the behaviors of products, such as magnetization, density, ductility, wear resistance, corrosion resistance, porosity, molecular structure, and crystal properties which plays a vital part in the field of electronic manufacturing. In this paper, a short review on the electrodeposition, a useful technique to deposit different metals and alloys, as a method for nanostructured lead-free solder alloys preparation is presented.
Investigation of Heat Treated Electrodeposited CoNiFe on Microstructure and Hardness
Authors: Resali Nor Azrina , Hyie Koay Mei , Berhan M.N. , Mardziah C.M.
Published: July 2015

In this research, heat treatment is the final finishing process applied on nanocrystalline CoNiFe to improve microstructure for good hardness property. Nanocrystalline CoNiFe has been synthesized using the electrodeposition method. This study investigated the effect of heat treatment at 500°C, 600°C, 700°C and 800°C on electrodeposited nanocrystalline CoNiFe. The heat treatment process was performed in the tube furnace with flowing Argon gas. By changing the heat treatment temperature, physical properties such as phase and crystallographic structure, surface morphology, grain size and hardness of nanocrystalline CoNiFe was studied. The nanocrystalline CoNiFe phase revealed the Face Centered Cubic (FCC) and Body Centered Cubic (BCC) crystal structure. FESEM micrographs showed that the grain sizes of the coatings were in the range of 78.76 nm to 132 nm. Dendrite shape was found in the microstructure of nanocrystalline CoNiFe. The nanocrystalline CoNiFe prepared in heat treatment temperature of 700°C, achieved the highest hardness of 449 HVN. The surface roughness of nanocrystalline CoNiFe heated at 700°C was found to be smaller than other temperatures.
Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Elaeis Guineensis from Palm Leaves: Influence of pH in Reaction Kinetic
Authors: Ramli Nor Ain , Jai Junaidah , binti Mohd Yusof Noorsuhana , Zamanhuri Norashikin Ahmad
Published: July 2015

In this research, green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using elaeis guineensis leaves extract was investigated and the influence of pH and reaction time in the reaction kinetic were studied. UV-visible spectrophotometer was used to monitor the reduction reaction of silver ions to silver nanoparticles and formation of silver nanoparticles shown at sharp peak at pH 10 with λmax of 391 nm. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) shows silver nanoparticles are polydispersed and irregular shape with size ranging from 55-85 nm. Formation of silver nanoparticles was confirmed by energy dispersive x-ray analysis (EDAX) and crystalline structure using XRD. From this research, it was found that pH 10 influenced the reaction kinetic therefore reduce the reaction time.
Properties of Mortar Containing High Volume Palm Oil Biomass Waste
Authors: Abdul Shukor Lim Nor Hasanah , Warid Hussin Mohd , Mohd.Sam Abdul Rahman , Rafique Bhutta Muhammad Aamer , Ariffin Nur Farhayu , Abd Khalid Nur Hafizah , Samadi Mostafa
Published: July 2015

The utilization of waste materials which are abundant and cheap, especially from clean resources, has become more pressing than ever. This paper, discusses the utilization of the wastes in the form of palm oil fuel ash and oil palm kernel shell in the production of mortar mixes as a part of new and innovative materials in construction industry. The studies include the basic properties including the morphology of the composite with regards to variations in the mix design process. In order to get a better performance in terms of strength development, the ash used has gone through heat treatment and ground up to the size less than 2µm. High volume of 60%, 80% and 100% palm oil fuel ash was used as cement replacement. The incorporation of more than 80% of palm oil biomass waste as cement and sand replacement has produced mortar having an improved compressive strength than normal mortar. In addition, the density of the mortar with biomass waste was less than normal mortar. Overall results have revealed that the inclusion of high volume palm oil biomass waste can produce mortar mix with high strength, good performance and most importantly more sustainable.
Self-Assembly of Peptide Amphiphiles: Molecularly Engineered Bionanomaterials
Authors: Shamsudeen Hamizah , Tan Huey Ling
Published: July 2015

Molecular self-assembly is ubiquitous in nature and has now emerged as a new approach in chemical synthesis, engineering, nanotechnology, polymer science, and materials. Molecular self-assembly has been attracting increasing interest from the scientific community in the recent years due to its importance in understanding biology and a variety of diseases at the molecular level. In the last few years, considerable advances have been made in the use of peptides as building blocks to produce biological materials for wide range of applications, including fabricating novel supra-molecular structures and scaffolding for tissue repair. Today, the study of biological self-assembly systems represent a significant advance in the molecular engineering and is a rapidly growing scientific and engineering field that crosses the boundaries of existing disciplines. Many self-assembling systems are range from bi-and tri-block copolymers to complex DNA structures as well as simple and complex proteins and peptides. The attractiveness of such bottom-up processes lies in their capability to build uniform, functional units or arrays and the possibility to exploit such structures at meso-and macroscopic scale for life and non-life science applications.
Study on Best Parameters and pH Solution on Water Absorbency of Rice Husk Superabsorbent Polymer Composite
Authors: Reduan Nurul Akma , Ghazali Suriati
Published: July 2015

Rice Husk Superabsorbent Polymer Composites (RH-SPC) were synthesized through solution polymerization by using Acrylamide (AM) and Acryl Acid (AA) as monomer, Ammonium Persulphate (APS) as initiator and N, N-methylbisacrylamide (MBA) as cross-linker and rice husk (RH) as filler. The amount of rice husk filler and crosslinking agent were varied before the water absorbency (Q) of the prepared RH-SPC were tested by using tea bag method at different pH solution. In this study, the buffer solutions were prepared by the mixing of Hydrochloric Acid (HCl) and Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH). It was found that RH-SPC with the increment of 10 wt% (44.80 g/g) of rice husk filler and 0 wt% (91.40 g/g) of crosslinker results in the highest water absorbency value. Meanwhile, the best pH condition of 10 wt. % of rice husk husk filler and 0 wt% of crosslinker content show the optimum water absorbency at pH 8 and pH 6 with the value of Q are 51.20 g/g and 280.10 g/g, respectively.
Thermal Property of Eutectic Molten Salts by Using Thermogravimetric Analyzer (TGA)
Authors: Subari Fuzieah , Asmah Jefire Saidatul , Zawawi Aiman , Faiz Maksom Hafizul , Afizan Aziz Mohamad
Published: July 2015

The thermal property of new composition of eutectic molten salt was investigated to obtain low melting point and better stability at temperature of 500°C as heat transfer fluid in solar thermal energy system. The NaCl used was purified from seawater. The eutectic molten salts were prepared in ten different weight ratios and experiments were carried out using nitrogen as inert gas with heating of 10°C/min to the temperature from 25°C to 500°C. Experimental results indicated that all mixtures exhibited low melting point (<163°C) and high stability. The thermal degradation of LiNO3, NaNO3, KNO3 and NaCl exhibit in the DTG profiles respectively. From the present study it can be concluded that major weight loss of the system is due to the dissociation of lithium nitrate to lithium oxides.
Effect of Ceramic Powder on Mortar Concrete
Authors: Samadi Mostafa , Warid Hussin Mohd , Mohd.Sam Abdul Rahman , Lim Hasanah Shukor
Published: July 2015

The growing population of the world resulting in the demand for shelter and infrastructure, consequently increasing the use of natural resources that can cause problem to the environment and material supply. Ceramic tiles are a waste material that has been studied and shown to have pozzolanic properties. This study focuses on the effect of finer ceramic waste as cement replacement on the compressive strength, strength development and flowability of the mortar. The cement was replaced by ceramic powder from 10% to 40% by weight of cement. The specimens were cast in 50x50x50mm cubes and water curing regime was used until the age of testing. The results of 20% replacement show that finer ceramic powder has the potential to be used as cement replacement material.
Effect of Preheating the Gasifying Inlet Air on the Hydrogen Output in Oil Palm Fronds Gasification
Authors: Guangul Fiseha Mekonnen , Sulaiman Shaharin Anwar , Ramli Anita
Published: July 2015

Hydrogen is one of the most abundant elements in the universe and a clean carrier of energy. However, the existence of hydrogen is in different compound forms, in which a great deal of energy is required to split from the compounds. Gasification of biomass is one of the best methods to produce hydrogen. This study focuses on the production of hydrogen in gasification process by using a throated downdraft gasifier and preheated air as gasifying agent. For the study on the effect of gasifying air temperature on hydrogen concentration in the syngas an electric heater was used to preheat the inlet air up to 500°C. The results of the study showed that increasing the gasifying air temperature from 30°C to 500°C increased the volume concentration of hydrogen by 25.1% in the syngas. The increase in hydrogen was steeper when the inlet air was in the lower range temperature (30 to 265°C) as compared to that of the upper range (265 to 500°C).
Hydrogen Storage in Modified Kenaf
Authors: Farahhin N.J. , Kamarudin K.S.N.
Published: July 2015

Kenaf fiber has been recognised as a new material for adsorption based on its porous structure. However, previous studies have proved that modified kenaf could give better interaction towards adsorbates than the raw kenaf during the adsorption. In this study, kenaf core fiber has been modified using Nickel metal (Ni-metal). Different concentration of Nickel nitrate, Ni(NO3)2 (0.01 M and 1 M) have been used to observe the effect of Ni-metal for hydrogen adsorption. Initially, raw kenaf sample has been grinded and sieved into 500 µm in size. Then, the sample was heated to remove the moisture and Ni(NO3)2 has been added into the dried kenaf. Based on this study, modified kenaf with 0.1 M Ni(NO3)2 and 1 M Ni(NO3)2 has adsorbed more hydrogen compared to the raw kenaf. The result has provided a fundamental knowledge of kenaf as hydrogen storage material.
Wettability Modifier for Enhanced Oil Recovery in Carbonate Reservoir: An Overview
Authors: Azreen Jilani Noor , Hashimah Alias Nur , Amran Tengku Mohd Tengku , Aimi Ghazali Nurul , Yahya Effah
Published: July 2015

This article is an overview of potential application of wettability modifier to enhance oil recovery in carbonate reservoir. In oil and gas industry, oil recovery can be divided into three stages which are primary recovery, secondary recovery and tertiary recovery. The primary recovery is the initial stages of oil recovery. At this stage, oil was displaced toward production well by natural drive mechanisms that naturally exist in the reservoir. Water is commonly used to enhance oil recovery by injected into the reservoir because of it is commercially available, less expensive and capable to maintain the reservoir pressure. In conclusion, smart water flooding is a new technique to solve the complexity problem of carbonate reservoir by manipulating the salinity and ionic composition in high temperature. Hence, smart water can be an excellent candidate as a displacing fluid in chemical flooding for enhanced the oil recovery (EOR).
Energy Efficient Distillation Columns Design for Retrofit NGLs Fractionation Process
Authors: Mustafa Mohd Faris , Abdul Samad Noor Asma Fazli , Ibrahim Kamarul Asri , Ibrahim Norazana , Hamid Mohd Kamaruddin Abd
Published: July 2015

Distillation is the primary separation process widely used in the industrial chemical process. Although it has many advantages, the main drawback is its large energy requirement, which may significantly influence the overall plant profitability. However, the large energy requirement of these processes can be systematically reduced by using driving force and energy integration methods. This paper presents a methodology for designing energy efficient distillation columns systems based on those two methods. Generally, the proposed methodology consists of four hierarchical steps. In the first step, the system of distillation columns for multicomponent separation is designed based on the conventional distillation column design (shortcut) method. Then, the conventional distillation columns systems design is improved in terms of energy saving by using driving force method in the second step. It is expected in the third step that the distillation columns systems design can be further improved in terms of energy saving by using energy integration method. Finally, the distillation columns systems design is evaluated in terms of economic performance. The simulation results by using Aspen HYSYS have shown that the driving force sequence by using shortcut method for NGLs has energy savings with 55% reduction compared to a direct method with shortcut method. It can be verified that the proposed methodology has the capability in designing energy efficient distillation columns in an easy, systematic and practical manners.
Microencapsulation Methods of Volatile Essential Oils - A Review
Authors: Abd Manaf Mastura , Jai Junaidah , Raslan Rafeqah , Subuki Istikamah , Mustapa Ana Najwa
Published: July 2015

Essential oil contained volatile compounds and they are benefit in many fields such as pharmaceutical, flavor, perfume, food, agriculture, and detergent. However, its inadequate volatile characteristics made it less efficient. Many microencapsulation methods were conducted for varies essential oils. The choice of microencapsulation method very much affected by the material to be encapsulated, wall material and its application. This review paper highlighted on microencapsulation methods of volatiles essential oils and the basic release characteristic of the active ingredients from the capsules.
Kevlar Reinforcement in Treated Kenaf Composites: Tensile and Impact Properties
Authors: Bakar Noor Haznida , Hyie Koay Mei , Kalam Anizah , Salleh Z. , Imang Noel , Dualis Fabinus
Published: July 2015

This research was carried out to investigate the mechanical properties of hybridization composite material which used treated kenaf long fibre with Kevlar reinforcement and polyester as matrix. The purpose of this research is to improve the tensile strength and impact resistance quality of kenaf fibre, so it can be widely used in automotive, military and marine application. From this study, hybrid composites were fabricated by hand lay up and cold press method. The hybrid composites were studied by experimental using Instron Universal Testing Machine according to the standard ASTM D3039. Impact test were conducted using drop tower device according to the standard ASTM D3763. It is clearly observed that the mechanical properties were increased with the addition of weight percentage of woven Kevlar in the kenaf composites. The highest energy was recorded at by hybrid composite in combination of 20 wt% Kevlar. The structure observation of impacted hybrid samples showed that as the impact energy increased, the energy absorbed was also increased. It is found that reinforcing kenaf fibre composite with woven Kevlar can improve mechanical properties of kenaf fibre.
Polymer Gelled Technology to Improve Sweep Efficiency in Enhanced Oil Recovery: A Literature Review
Authors: Achim Norfarisha , Hashimah Alias Nur , Aimi Ghazali Nurul , Najwa Muhd Rodhi Miradatul , Amran Tengku Mohd Tengku , Yahya Effah
Published: July 2015

This article is an overview of the use of polymer gelled technology to improve sweep efficiency in enhanced oil recovery. Recent progress use polymer types, Polyacrylamide and polysaccharide to be applied in enhanced oil recovery (EOR). A lot of researchers concluded that polymer gel stability must be maintained to ensure excellent performance in sweep efficiency. The application of polymer gels in permeability modification to improve volumetric sweep efficiency of fluid injection processes showed fruitful efforts as it can be a potential candidate to enhance oil recovery as compared to other technologies.
A Review on Empirical Modelling of CO2 Solubility in Absorption Process
Authors: Abdullah Zalizawati , Abu Bakar Siti Norfasha
Published: July 2015

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a major greenhouse gas that contributes to the global warming due to rise in temperature of the earth's atmosphere. Industrial activities such as fossil fuel combustion and production of several chemicals become one of the major contributors to CO2 emissions. This issue can be solved by providing improved technology to mitigate the carbon dioxide emissions. Absorption of CO2 in aqueous solution has been used extensively and has been proven to be the most applicable technology for CO2 capture. The effectiveness of absorption process is strongly depending on its hydrodynamic and mass transfer characteristics. Development of model is required to predict the behavior of the CO2 absorption process for reliable design and operation. In this paper, a review of the empirical models that have been implemented in CO2 absorption over a last decade is presented. The details of each model are discussed and compared.
Enhanced Fuzzy Logic Controller for Simulated HE Temperature Control System
Authors: Ahmad Mohd Aizad , Ishak Abdul Aziz , Ismail Kamariah Noor
Published: July 2015

This paper presents the performances of an enhanced fuzzy logic controller (EFLC) for simulated Heat Exchanger (HE) temperature control system. The HE system is modeled mathematically using Energy Balance Equation and simulated using MATLAB/Simulink software. The Fuzzy Inference Structure (FIS) used was Sugeno-type. EFLC comprises of two parts which are normalized FLC part and model reference (MR) part. Both normalized and MRFLC part was using Gaussian membership function (MF) with 7x7 rule bases. Set Point (SP) tests conducted for change from 43°C to 39°C, 39°C to 35°C and 43°C to 35°C. The performances on SP tests of the FLC and proposed EFLC were compared to PID controller. The results showed that EFLC produced lower decay ratio (DR) with less oscillations, reduced undershoot (US), shorter settling time (Ts) and minimum Integral Absoluter Error (IAE) compare to FLC and PID controller.
Graphical Technique for Root-Cause Analysis in Inherent Safety Assessment
Authors: Izyanni Ahmad Syaza , Hashim Haslenda , Hassim Mimi Haryani
Published: July 2015

The aim of this research is to develop an inherent safety assessment technique for research and development stage of chemical process design through the application of logistic function. There are many current inherent safety assessment methods that are index-based. Alternative process synthesis routes to the desired product are ranked based on the total index value, which is calculated by assigning scoring numbers to process safety hazard parameters. Such approach is not sufficed to fully understand the hazards posed by each process routes as the exact cause of the hazards is unknown to the users. The technique proposed in this research will show not only the total scores and the ranks of the evaluated processes but also provide users with more detailed data on the chemical and operational properties that posed the maximum hazards to the process called the root-cause analysis. Root-cause analysis is done through graphical representation constructed from the logistic functions.
Simulation Work for the Control of Blood Glucose Level in Type 1 Diabetes Using Hovorka Equations
Authors: binti Mohd Yusof Nur Farhana Mohd , Som Ayub Md , Ali Sherif Abdulbari , binti Abdul Halim Anuar Aqilah Liyana
Published: July 2015

Recently, diabetes is known as one of non-communicable diseases that can lead to fatal if there is no further cure is to be taken especially in South-East Asia regions. An artificial pancreas is introduced to help diabetes patient controls their blood glucose level but the current device is not functioning as fully automated yet. In order to have fully automated artificial pancreas, a controller needs to be improved as the current controller is 33% less accuracy than required. This improvement will help Type 1 diabetes patient in managing their blood glucose level at recommended range. Besides, the presence of controller will help the patient to live normally as non-diabetes people. This research is done to study behaviours of variables in Hovorka model for Type 1 diabetes and to simulate the Hovorka equations. gPROMS software is used due to its speciality in real-time dynamic simulation, fast calculation in complex mathematical equations and capable to adapt multi-parametric programming and Model Predictive Control (MPC). The study is conducted using simulation software based on previous studies experimental data; focusing on the algorithm of the controller. The results illustrate the most active parameter in the model is the administration (bolus & infusion) of insulin.
Effect of Feed Temperature on the DCMD Performances in Treating Synthetic Textile Wastewater
Authors: Mokhtar Nadzirah Mohd , Lau Woei Jye , Ismail Ahmad Fauzi
Published: July 2015

This article discussed the effect of feed temperature on the performance of direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) in treating synthetic textile wastewater containing dissolved dye and salt. The DCMD experiments were conducted using an in-house made composite hollow fiber membrane made of organic polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and inorganic Cloisite 15A. Prior to dyeing solution treatment process, the influence of feed temperature on membrane permeability was first investigated using deionized water. Then, the membrane was tested using synthetic solution containing 50 mg L-1 acid red 1 and 60 g L-1 sodium chloride. The inlet temperature of the feed solution was varied in the range of 50 to 90°C while the temperature of permeate solution was kept constantly at 20°C. The results showed that the vapor fluxes of membrane increased with increasing the feed temperature and maximum flux (Jv = 20.88 kg m-2 h-1) was obtained at 90°C.This is mainly due to the higher water vapor pressure sensitivity at the feed side of a higher operating temperature. With respect to separation performance, it is reported that DCMD process could easily achieve excellent rejection for both dye compound and dissolved salts, recording more than 99% rejection.
Passive Power Generation and Heat Recovery from Waste Heat
Authors: Remeli Muhammad Fairuz , Date Abhijit , Singh Baljit , Akbarzadeh Aliakbar
Published: July 2015

This research presents a passive method of waste heat recovery and conversion to electricity using Thermo-Electric Generator (TEG). For this purpose, a lab scale bench-top prototype of waste heat recovery and conversion system was designed and fabricated. This bench top system consists of the thermoelectric generators (TEGs) sandwiched between two heat pipes, one connected to the hot side of the TEG and the second connected to the cold side of the TEG. A 2 kW electric heater was used to replicate the waste heat. An electric fan was used to provide air into the system. A theoretical model was developed to predict the system performance. The model was found in good agreement with the experimental data.
Sequestering Carbon through Utilisation of Waste Oil Palm Trees in Malaysia
Authors: Hassan Zulkafli , Ibrahim Wan Asma , Abdul Jalil Rafidah
Published: July 2015

Calculated carbon dioxide emission from WPT, using equations derived from the UNFCC report, found that the average amount of CO2 emitted from the decomposition of WPT annually for 2011-2032 is equivalent to 14.19 million tonnes. The amounts of CO2 that can be sequestered from the manufacture of the potential products were also calculated. Assuming 50% of the annual availability of WPT in Malaysia from year 2011-2032 is converted into products such as plywood/flooring, bio-ethanol from OPT sap, timber, animal feed and micro-crystalline cellulose, GHG emissions would be reduced by 8.11%; 1.95%; 21.35% and 20.50% respectively. The conversion of WPT into biofuel such as fuel pellets and bio-ethanol could provide more impactful effect through indirect and direct carbon offsets from the displacement of fossil fuel use. Up to 48.26 percent CO2 reduction may be achieved.
Mechanical Properties of Non-Cement Polymer Grout
Authors: Nuria S.M. , Rahman A.B.A. , Hafizah N.A.K. , Ahmad Yusof , Adnan Azlan , Osman M.H.
Published: July 2015

This paper studies the effects of binder and filler composition to the strength properties of non-cement polyester grout (NCPG). The binder consisted of unsaturated polyester resin whereas the filler consisted of fine sand and fly ash. The composition of binder-to-filler ratios investigated were 0.43, 0.67, 1, 1.49, and 2.3. The mechanical properties of NCPG were investigated through flowability and compression tests. The test results show that the use of polyester resin combined with fine sand and fly ash produces good quality grout with high flowable rate, rapid setting, self-consolidating and high compressive strength.
Thermal Heat Storage Gain of Salinity Gradient Solar Pond Using Evacuated Tube Solar Collectors
Authors: Singh Baljit , Remeli Muhammad Fairuz , Pedemont Alex , Oberoi Amandeep , Date Abhijit , Akbarzadeh Aliakbar
Published: July 2015

This paper investigates the capability of running a system which uses hot fluid from solar evacuated tube collectors to boost the temperature and overall heat storage of the solar pond. The system is circulated by a solar powered pump, producing heat energy entirely from the incoming solar radiation from the sun. Solar evacuated tube collectors use a renewable source of power directly from the sun to heat the working fluid to very high temperatures. Solar ponds are emerging on the renewable energy scene with the capacity to provide a simple and inexpensive thermal storage for the production of heat on a large scale. The results of the performance of the system show a significant heat energy increase into the solar ponds lower convective region, increasing the overall performance of the solar pond.
Review on Potential Technologies for Decolourisation of Batik Wastewater
Authors: Siti Zuraida M. , Nurhaslina C.R. , Ku Halim K.H.
Published: July 2015

Water is the most precious natural resource and it is impossible to live without it. However, the potential beneficial uses of water are lost due to changes in its composition as a result of human activity especially from industrial effluents. It is estimated about 22% of the total volume of industrial wastewater is produced by the textiles industry, one of the largest industrial producers of high volume wastewater primarily in the dyeing and finishing operations. This industry engenders a huge contribution to Malaysia’s economy development due to high demands locally and abroad. However, little awareness on the importance of clean practices in the production of Batik among Batik entrepreneurs has caused them to take improper actions by discharging the effluents without proper treatment. Currently, many technologies are available to solve the problems caused by textile industry. However, the best methods differ from plant to plant depending on size, type of waste and degree of treatment needed. This article reviews the available technologies and suggests an effective, cheaper alternative for dye removal and decolorisation applicable on large scale.