bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Furnace Temperature Optimal Setting of the Dispersal Reversing Furnace
Authors: Jing Hui Cheng , Liu Xiao Qing
Published: November 2014

This paper is based on the heating furnace of Zhao-feng Steel Works, Chengde, and according to the characteristics of the research object, use the method that the mechanism analysis combining with the discrete state space method to build billet one-dimensional mathematical model of steady-state heat conduction. Setting up the objective function of the minimum fuel consumption, taking billet baked surface temperature, the maximum cross-sectional temperature, heating rate and furnace temperature settings as constraints obtained and using a variable tolerance method to obtain the furnace temperature settings for each segment. When the output is constant, the optimal allocation of heat load along the longitudinal direction can be obtained by this model, which has a good guidance for the actual production.
Research on Properties and Reaction Mechanism of Blast Furnace Slag Backfilling Cementing Material
Authors: Hu Shu Gang , Lu Xian Jun , Niu Hai Li
Published: November 2014

According to XRD, DTA and SEM detections, the hydration products of blast furnace slag based cementing material SL, SLG. were studied in different age periods. The XRD analysis of cementing material SL hydration products showed the composition of hydration products were mainly amorphous substances, few crystalline substances. Characteristic peak of ettringite, such as AFt, hadn’t been found in the spectral line of DTA, and it hadn’t been found in the figures of SEM, either, which was accordant with the conclusion that the cementing performance of SL mainly coming from gel of hydrated calcium silicate (CSH) and hydrated calcium aluminate. But the cementing performance of SLG mainly coming from Aft, CSH and AFm from hydration products analysis of different age periods.
Research on the Traffic Safety on the Section of Expressway with Crosswind in Mountainous Area
Authors: Zhang Zheng Yi , Qian Gao Lu , Wang Qiang , Wu Ling
Published: November 2014

When we drive vehicle on expressway in the mountainous areas, there are many factors affecting driving safety. Especially when we drive at a high speed, pneumatic lateral force under the effect of horizontal wind will cause wheels cornering and unsteady steering, which affects the safety of driving. Based on the driving characteristics on the section of expressway with crosswind in mountainous areas, and three security issues that are vehicle roll, cornering and sideslip under the action of crosswind, this paper gives the various speed limit and proposes effective measures to ensure traffic safety, all of which can offer decision-making basis for traffic safety administration of the mountain expressway.
Research of Current-Sharing Control Strategy of Parallel PEMFC DC Power Supply System
Authors: Xu Lei , Xu Ye , Wang Jin Quan , Fang Jian Hua , Luo Shan
Published: November 2014

For the problems of different parameters PEMFC (Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell) applied to dc micro-grid at the same time, the basic framework of two parallel PEMFC dc power supply system was put forward in this paper, meanwhile, the characteristics of this system was analyzed. For the problem of branch current distribution of parallel system, this paper set up the small signal mathematical model of BUCK connected in parallel, designed the control circuit of current-sharing of this system. Finally ,the simulation experiments verified the accuracy and rapidity of current sharing and the reliability and stability of this system, when the sub-circuit was fault.
Modeling Traffic Demand of Tourist Areas Based on a Joint Prediction Model
Authors: Jing Guo Qing , Fan Rui
Published: November 2014

Tourist traffic plays a crucial role in the development of tourist attractions. A complete transportation system is a prerequisite to support and guarantee the implementation of all tourist functions. In the special planning of tourist area, predicting and analyzing tourist traffic demand lays the important foundation for other content. Due to the lack of historical data in the newly-developed tourist areas, selection of scenic transportation modes, determination of the size of transportation facilities and traffic management methods should be made on the basis of accurate forecast of future traffic demand. Considering the characteristics of the newly-developed tourist area, this article proposed a tourist traffic prediction model based on the gray model and the environmental capacity limited model. With the example of the tourist area of Nishan, Qufu, this paper predicted the total annual tourist reception capacity as well as tourist numbers by the prediction model. The model results show that the joint prediction model have positive significance in improving reasonableness and accuracy of predicting tourist traffic demand.
Control of Ice Crystal Growth by Different Surfactants in Ice Slurries
Authors: Zhao Xiao Zhi , Zhao Jun , Ge Ming Hui , An Qing Song , Wang Fei Bo , Gao Liu Hua
Published: November 2014

Ice crystal growth problem have attracted special attention due to in heat transfer deterioration and pump power consumption increasing, by adding very small amount of suitable additives can control the ice crystal growth. This paper investigates ice crystal growth in isothermal condition when adding four different additives, and then calculate the energy between surfactants and ice crystal to explain the effect of different additives. The results indicate that the interaction is Coulomb interaction and Van der Waals interaction for anionic and nonionic surfactant respectively. This method provides a method to explore the mechanism of controlling ice crystal growth with surfactant.
Experimental Analysis of the Coefficient of Building Comprehensive Property
Authors: Han Zhao , Sun Chun Hua , Qi Cheng Ying , Xia Guo Qiang , Shao Bo
Published: November 2014

According to the heating theory of heat balance and heat consumption of buildings[1], derivate formula for the coefficient of building comprehensive property. Choose five typical districts for the Study. The coefficient of building comprehensive property can be used as the secondary side of adjustment and control for the water temperature conditions and methods[2]. By all typical districts data collection and analysis, verify that the construction of the coefficient of building comprehensive property in guiding role of central heating system control.
Hydraulic Condition Analysis of Different Position Heat Exchange Stations in Heat Supply Network
Authors: Chi Ke Ren , Ji Wei , Yang Hua , Xia Guo Qiang
Published: November 2014

Through the establishment of Yuhua ring-shaped heat supply network model, the paper analyses the influence on hydraulic condition and the heat source’s flow change when heat exchange station at different locations closed. Final results show that the nearer heat users distance the closed heat exchange station, the bigger change in hydraulic condition; When the farther heat exchange station closed, it has more influence than the nearer one on the whole network’s hydraulic condition, but it has little influence on the heat source’s flow change.
Laboratory Research on Vitrified Microsphere Insulation Mortar
Authors: Gong Jian Qing , Liu Si Lin , Hu Xin , Sun Kai Qiang
Published: November 2014

Through orthogonal experiments, the effect of each of the components of the vitrified microsphere insulation mortar on dry density, compressive strength and thermal conductivity was studied. The results showed that the aggregate quantity and amount of cement were the two most important factors to affect the performance of the insulation mortar, and with the increase of the dry density of the insulation mortar, the compressive strength and thermal conductivity showed an increasing trend.
Comprehensive Evaluation of Advanced Public Transportation System Based on the Matter Element and Combination Weight
Authors: Ni Jie , Liu Zhi Qiang , Wang Peng
Published: November 2014

The basic principle of matter element analysis theory was applied to establish the multi-level extensible evaluation model of advanced public transportation system. First, evaluation index system was established from three aspects, the transit technology level, economic benefit, social benefit and environmental impact. Then, according to the characteristics of evaluation indexes on different levels, entropy method and AHP was respectively used to determine the index weight value. Grade of evaluation was given by calculating relational degrees by layers. Finally, APTS in a city was studied as an example, and improvement measures were put forward. The method is proved to be reasonable and valid.
Database Design of Roadside Parking Toll Collection System
Authors: Yu Feng Quan , Guo Jian Hua
Published: November 2014

Database design methodology as the core of system design is brought forward combining the application environment and business processes of parking toll collection. Then the four stages of the parking toll collection system design are analyzed. They are the requirement analysis, conception framework design, logic framework design and physical framework design respectively. Through scheming out an optimum database mode applied to all kinds of parking toll collection system, the proposed system is able to collect parking fees based on PDA and manage the real-time information of parking lots.
Garlic Peel as Adsorbent for the Removal of Methylene Blue from Aqueous Solution
Authors: Ma Cheng You , Li Zhen , Zhao Wan He , Xu Ying , Cui Guang Rui , Xiu Yi Fan , Huang Kai
Published: November 2014

A new biosorbent prepared by using garlic peel as the raw material was investigated for the removal of methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solution. Results showed that adsorption of MB on garlic peel gel was highly pH-dependent, and equilibrium was attained in 10 min. The adsorption capacity is 440 mg MB per gram of garlic peel gel. The column adsorption results show that MB can be completely removed from aqueous solution, and 1.0 M HCl is effective to elute the adsorbed MB off the column and condense the initial MB solution to more than 40 times. The prepared garlic gel exhibits as a potential low-cost and effective adsorbent for dyes removal from waste water.
An Engineering Practice of Industrial Wastewater Treatment with Fe/Cu Bimetallic Process
Authors: Liu Xia , Wang Hong Wu , Fan Jin Hong , Ma Lu Ming , Xu Jing
Published: November 2014

Fe/Cu bimetallic process was developed as a new industrial wastewater pretreatment method. It was difficult for an industrial park wastewater treatment plant in Shanghai to treat the wastewater with many refractory pollutants and match the improved discharge standards. The plant needed renovation and adopted Fe/Cu process as a core pretreatment technology. 60,000 tons of wastewater is treated in the plant every day and the average removal rate of COD, BOD, total phosphorous (TP) and color was 73%, 77%, 55% and 48% respectively before renovation. After renovation, the average removal rate of COD, BOD, total phosphorous (TP) and color was reached to 86%, 93%, 76% and 85%, respectively. The engineering practice shows that the removal rate of COD, color and TP in Fe/Cu tank reached 29.7%, 60% and 53.6%. The continuous operating data in two years shows that Fe/Cu process can effectively improve the biodegradability of wastewater and enhanced the subsequent biological treatment. The successful engineering practice indicts that the slag dropping quickly effectively avoid agglomeration and clogging of the Fe/Cu filler and the operating cost is very low.
Research on Formability of Size Foaming in Biomass Buffer Composites
Authors: An Xiao Hui , Liu Peng , Meng Qiang , Su Cheng Gong , Zhao Shuang
Published: November 2014

In order to explore size formability in the molding process of biomass buffer composites and improve quality of foam molding of composites, this paper designed tests of molding make-up and conducted macroscopic characterization to cavity flow of the size. Test results showed that the effect sequence of various factors to molding performance of the size is the mass ratio of water>the mass ratio of fibers>the mass ratio of sodium lignosulphonate>the mass ratio of starch. The molding make-up and actual molding are the best when the mass ratio of fibers is 10%, the mass ratio of water is 50%, the mass ratio of sodium lignosulphonate is 3% and the mass ratio of starch is 28%.
Characteristics and Origin of Loess Landslides on Loess Terraces at Heifangtai, Gansu Province, China
Authors: Wu Wei Jiang , Su Xing , Meng Xing Min
Published: November 2014

Over-irrigation can induce serious landslides on the slopes of loess terraces. Typical examples are the series of landslides that happened in the last few decades on the Forth Terraces of the Yellow River at Heifangtai, Yongjing County, Gansu Province. Agricultural irrigations began on the Heifangtai terraces in 1960s. Due to the specific geological and geomorphological conditions of the thick loess terraces, a great amount of irrigation water infiltrated into the loess causing serious landslide problems. The landslides at the Heifangtai can be classified into two different types based on their composition: loess landslides and loess-bedrock landslides, characterized by high-speed, long-distance sliding and low-speed, short-distance sliding respectively. Landslides caused by over-irrigation have a special phenomenon of hysteresis development following long-term of irrigation, occurring in groups and with high frequency. Most of the landslides happen in rainy seasons and freeze-thaw periods.
Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) Membrane Preparation with an Ionic Liquid via Thermally Induced Phase Separation Melt Technology
Authors: Liu Zhen , Sun Dao Bao , Dong Wen Yang , Feng Shuan Hu , Xiao Chang Fa , Zhang Yu Feng , Wei Jun Fu
Published: November 2014

Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)/1-butyl-2,3-dimethylimidazolium Tetrafluoroborate ([BMMIm][BF4]) flat sheet membranes were made via thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) melt technology, and [BMMIm][BF4]) was used as a diluent. The prepared membranes were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and etc. Furthermore, [BMMIm][BF4] as a liquid-diluent was effectively recovered by vacuum distillation. In conclusion, this work may provide a green and sustainable preparation method to produce PVDF membranes via TIPS.
Experimental Research on Catalysts of V2O5/AC and V2O5/CNTs for Low Temperature SCR Denitrification
Authors: Liu Jing , Zhang Kai , Si Meng , Lian Jing Hong , Liu Lian Sheng , Gou Xiang
Published: November 2014

Two catalysts (V2O5/AC and V2O5/CNTs) with different loadings, prepared by impregnation method, were used to research the DeNOx activity under N2and CO2atmospheres respecitively at the temperature range from 100°C to 300°C using a fixed bed reactor. Effects of temperature, loading and support on the DeNOx activity were studied. The results show that the NO conversion of the both catalysts increases with the reaction temperature. The loading and support have significant effects on the activities. 9%V2O5/AC and 9%V2O5/CNTs yielded 80% and 66.6% NO conversion at 250°C respectively under N2atmosphere, however, they yielded 78.1% and 75.1% respectively under CO2atmosphere.
Comparison of De-NOX Performance of Mn/AC and Mn/Bio-Char on Low-Temperature SCR
Authors: Si Meng , Wang Zi Fang , Ji Wei , Yang Guang , Liu Lian Sheng , Wu Jin Xiang , Wang En Yu , Gou Xiang
Published: November 2014

In low-temperature SCR, corn straws pyrolysis carbon (CS) was prepared as a catalyst support and activated carbon (AC) was a comparison. Manganese (7 wt.%) was loaded respectively on this two supports (Mn/AC and Mn/CS). In 50°C~300°C SCR experiment, the highest NO conversion by using CS is 36.6 Vol.% at 300°C, while AC 37.9 Vol.% at 200°C. After loaded the manganese element, NO conversion increases with the temperature. At 300°C, Mn/AC has the highest NO conversion (81.9 Vol.%), while Mn/AC is 65.3 Vol.%. The sulfur resistance performance test shows that NO conversion decreases with the increasing of SO2 concentration. In the 400ppm SO2 fuel gas at 300°C, using Mn/CS, NO conversion reduces 16.7 Vol.%, however, using Mn/AC, it reduces 22.6 Vol.%. It is promising to apply biomass pyrolysis carbon modified catalyst.
Modeling and Simulation of Two-Stage Expansion Air-Powered Engine
Authors: Zheng Qing Ping , Wang Jin , Li Su , Zhou Jing Jing , Bai Feng
Published: November 2014

Thermodynamic simulation of a two-stage expansion air-powered engine was established and working process simulation was conducted based on this model. The effects of inlet pressure (0.8Mpa-3.0Mpa), intake duration angle of second-stage (100°CA-160°CA) and cylinder diameter of second-stage (120mm-200mm) on the gas temperature, pressure and output torque were analyzed. The results show that effective power and output torque both increase with the increase of above three parameters, meanwhile effective gas consumption rate decreases.
Analysis of Energy Consumption Carbon Emissions in Hunan Province Based on Industrial Structure
Authors: Yue Jin Gui , Yu Yuan Jun , Wu Lin
Published: November 2014

Hunan province energy consumption carbon emissions based on the industrial structure was analyzed with carbon emissions factor method in 2000-2012. Results show that Hunan province’s carbon emissions have a rapid growth in 2000-2012. Since 2007 the growth of carbon intensity is slowly, and there is an emergence of signs of decline. Recently the correlation between the growth of GDP and carbon emissions in Hunan Province becomes weakening, but carbon intensity is still higher. Industry occupies a dominant position in the energy consumption carbon emissions. Since 2007 the proportion of industrial carbon emissions is decreased form 79.41% to 72.30% in 2012, there is an obvious decline. Recently, the growth rate of industrial carbon emissions is relative lower. The growth of carbon emissions from the construction industry and the tertiary industry is the most obvious. Relevant policies should be formulated as soon as possible, to promote the level of construction technology, control energy consumption and carbon emissions per unit of output.
Diversity Status and Conservation Countermeasures of Medicinal Fungus Resource in China
Authors: Yang Bing , Liu Yong Xiang , Mu Yong Qiu , Liu Zuo Yi , Zhou De Qun
Published: November 2014

Fungus resources are abundant in China, many species are of medicinal value. Unfortunately, most of them mainly depend on collection from the nature. As the excessive exploitation and utilization in recent years, biodiversity and habitats of the medicinal fungi have suffered serious damage, which has made the resources sharply decline, which has severely restricted the medicinal fungal production and utilization. This paper mainly summarizes the status of distribution and utilization of the medicinal fungus in China, analyzes current problems, and a series of worthy protection countermeasures, and propose suggestions for further development and utilization of the medicinal fungus resources.
Slotting Optimization Model and Algorithm for Concerning the Correlation in Hybrid Travel Policy
Authors: Zhou Xiao Min , Li Ying De , Yao Yue Peng
Published: November 2014

In the periodic picking background, we researched the influence of the picking correlations between Stock Keeping Units (SKUs), established dynamic location assignment model to minimize the total picking time, developed a particle swarm optimization (PSO) based on the correlated SKUs. We set the cube-per-order-index (COI) solution as initial solution, used correlation strength to update the velocity and position of particles and assigned correlated SKUs to adjacent slots according to the optimal location sequence. The result shows that in zone-based wave-picking system with hybrid touring policy, the solution quality of PSO is always better than COI, the improvement of PSO is 2.50%~13.9% and average improvement is 2.84%~12.53%; the correlation has significant impact on the picking efficiency.
Anticorrosion Performance of Zinc Ferrite Pigmented Lignin/Phenol Epoxy Novolac Resin Based Coating
Authors: Ahmed Murtala Musa , Nasri Noor Shawal , Hamza Usman Dadum , Mohammed Jibril , Garba Abdurrahman , Mohd Zain Husna
Published: November 2014

Corrosion in most processing equipment has always been a key research area. It is an important threat that needs to be prevented and controlled. Application of epoxy-based coatings on the surfaces of metallic parts is among the preventive measures but it is toxic and expensive. In this work, the anticorrosion performance of zinc ferrite pigmented bio-based epoxy-novolac coatings was studied. Initially, bio-based novolac resins were prepared by condensation from the reaction between phenol, bio-oil phenolic fractions and formaldehyde in an acidic medium. The prepared novolac was later transformed to epoxide with epichlorohydrine and 30 percent sodium hydroxide solution. The final coating formulation was obtained by mixing the prepared epoxy with zinc ferrite (a nontoxic anticorrosion pigment) and solvent. Anticorrosion tests using the formulated coatings and two other conventional coatings for comparison were conducted by simulating actual field conditions in a closed autoclave loop system that used 3 percent sodium chloride and water medium. The results showed that the zinc ferrite pigmented bio-based formulated coatings are very efficient in protecting the substrates since they exhibit similar protection ability with the conventional ones. The prepared epoxy can be said to be an eco-friendly and cheap source of resin for coating formulation that will reduce production cost and negative environmental effects as compared to conventional materials
Atmospheric Pressure Helium Plasma Treatment on 3C-SiC/Si Surface
Authors: Mohd Nasir N.F. , Zaaba Siti Khadijah , Md Zuki Norsaidah , Kazim M.N.F.M. , Mazalan Mazlee , Wahab Yufridin , Leech Patrick W. , Tanner Philip , Holland Anthony S.
Published: November 2014

In this paper, the effect of inert gas plasma to the morphology of 0.29μm thick 3C-SiC/Si is studied. Helium was used for the plasma treatment and its effect as the etchant gas to the polished side of 3C-SiC/Si surface was determined. The changes of the surface morphology were monitored using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). From the results obtained, it has shown that the morphology of surface properties of 3C-SiC was modified by differences in helium plasma time of exposure and the degree of roughness of the surface changes. The results show by the SEM and AFM shown that plasma treatment had been successfully implemented for the 0.29μm thick 3C-SiC/Si.
The Synthesis of In Situ Cu-NbC-VC Nanocomposites by Mechanical Alloying
Authors: Wan Omar Wan Mohd Hilmi Hussein , Bashirom Nurulhuda , Hussain Zuhailawati , Almanar Indra Putra , Wan Ibrahim Wan Abdul Rahman Assyahid
Published: November 2014

This paper presents a study on the synthesis of Niobium Carbide (NbC) and Vanadium Carbide (VC) in Copper (Cu) matrix by mechanical alloying (MA) technique. The elemental powders of Cu, Niobium (Nb), Vanadium (V) and synthetic graphite powder were mechanically alloyed for 30 hours at 400 rpm in a planetary ball mill Fritcsh “Pulverisette 6” according to the stoichiometric ratio of Cu-(10-x) vol%NbC-(0+x) vol%VC (x=1,3,5,7,9). The milling was performed under Argon atmosphere. The as-milled powder were compacted at 400 MPa and sintered using a microwave sintering furnace at 900°C with 1 hour soaking time. The phase identification was performed by using the X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis on the as-milled powders and sintered pellets. From the result, the NbC and VC phases were successfully formed after milling, and were precipitated after sintering. The average crystallite size and lattice strain of Cu, before and after sintering were 42.302 nm, 0.013%, and 71.294 nm, 0.004%, respectively.
Tensile Properties of Pineapple Leaf Fibre Reinforced Unsaturated Polyester Composites
Authors: Siregar Januar Parlaungan , Cionita Tezara , Bachtiar Dandi , Rejab Mohd Ruzaimi Mat
Published: November 2014

In recent years natural fibres such as sisal, jute, kenaf, pineapple leaf and banana fibres appear to be the outstanding materials which come as the viable and abundant substitute for the expensive and non-renewable synthethic fibre. This paper investigate the effect of fibre length and fibre content on the tensile properties of pineapple leaf fibre (PALF) reinforced unsaturated polyester (UP) composites. PALF as reinforcement agent will be employed with UP to form composite material specimens. The various of fiber length (<0.5, 0.5–1, and 1-2 mm) and fibre content (0, 5, 10 and 15 % by volume) in UP composite have been studied. The fabrication of PALF/UP composites used hand lay-up process, and the specimens for tensile test prepared follow the ASTM D3039. The result obtained from this study show that the 1-2 mm fibre length has higher tensile strength (42 MPa) and tensile modulus (1344 MPa) values compared to fibre length of <0.5 mm (30 MPa and 981 MPa) and 0.5-1 mm (35.40 MPa and 1020 MPa) respectively. Meanwhile, for the effect of various fibre content in study has shown that the increase of fibre content has decreased in tensile strength dan tensile modulus of composites. The increase of fibre content due to poor interfacial bonding and poor wetting of the fibre by unsaturated polyster. The treatment of natural fibre are suggested in order to improve the interfacial adhesion between natural fibre and the unsaturated polyester.
Pervaporation of Ethyl Acetate-Water Mixture through Sago/PVA Blend Membranes Cross-Linked with Glutaraldehyde
Authors: Alamaria Abdulhakim M. , Nawawi Mohd Ghazali Mohd , Zamrud Zafifah
Published: November 2014

Sago composite membrane possesses a microporous polysulfone substrate were prepared and tested for dehydration of ethyl acetate/water mixture. Sago composite membrane has been cross-linked successfully by glutaraldehyde. The membranes were characterized by Degree of swelling (DS) and scanning electron micrographs (SEM). Pervaporation of ethyl acetate –water mixture was conducted over a range of water concentration (1-4wt %) in feed solution at varied temperature from 30°C to 60°C. KeywordsSagostarch:Pervaporation;Ethylacetate;Polyvinylalcohol;CompositeMembrane;
Synthesis and Application of Carbon Cryogel Beads Using Coconut Husk for Dye Removal
Authors: Ngadi Norzita , Jusoh M. , Rahman Roshanida Abd , Mohamad Zurina
Published: November 2014

The production cost of carbon cryogels has been reduced by using alternative starting materials as precursor such as wattle tannin and furfural. In this study, a novel carbon cryogel beads were synthesized from low cost and abundant agricultural waste, coconut husk. Lignin was extracted and the percentages of lignin yield and lignin degradation were 27.63% and 13.39wt% respectively which were considered low due to the low operating temperature of lignin extraction in this study. The lignin extracted was then mixed with formaldehyde, sodium hydroxide, ethanol, and distilled water to undergo sol-gel polycondensation, followed by freeze drying and pyrolysis in an inert atmosphere to produce carbon cryogel beads. The adsorption of methyl blue on carbon cryogel beads increased with increasing with pH, initial dye concentration and temperature.
Effects of the Processing Methods on the Gas Permeability of PLA/Sepiolite Thin Films: Solution Casting versus Thermo Compression
Authors: Moazeni Nima , Mohamad Zurina , Dehbari Nazila
Published: November 2014

A biodegradable poly-lactic acid (PLA)/Sepiolite nanocomposite films were prepared by the thermo-compression and solvent-casting methods, and barrier properties (water-vapor and gas barrier) were evaluated. By introducing sepiolite into PLA, the properties of nanocomposite films improved until a certain amount (1.5% wt). By increasing sepiolite loading, nanoparticles tented to agglomerate and gas permeability (GP) decreased. According to the results, the nanocomposite films prepared by the thermo-compression method were more brittle but strong due to the formation of more crystals; while solvent-casted films were more ductile due to the presence of solvent, which may act as a plasticizer, as evidenced by the results of the GP.
Fabrication and Characterization of PCL/GE-Based Electrospun Nanofibers for Tissue Engineering and Drug Delivery Application
Authors: Chong Lor Huai , Lim Mim Mim , Sultana Naznin
Published: November 2014

Tissue engineering (TE) provides an alternative option to solve limitation of organ and tissue transplantation issues. Fabrication of scaffold is a major challenge because it needs to provide a suitable medium for cell growing and drug delivery which enhances cell transplantation efficiency. The porosity, biodegradability and biocompatibility are the important properties in fabricating a scaffold. Our previous work had found that electrospinning of Polycarprolactone (PCL)/ Gelatin (GE)-based nanofibers in 14% w/v polymer solution in 18kV showed the best results in morphology, average diameters, average pore size and hydrophilicity. Hence, in this project, we are interested to study the relationship between weight ratio of PCL and GE in the same concentration (14%) to the morphology, degradation rate and porosity of nanofibers. Experimental results showed that PCL with 1.2g and GE with 0.2g was able to produce better nanofibers. The sample was then further deployed in drug (tetracycline hydrochloride) loading and it was successfully loaded proven by Energy Dispersive X-Ray (EDX) Spectrum. These nanofibers are predicted to be potentially useful for drug delivery and TE application.
Synthesis of Nano-Polyaniline Using Different Ultrasonic Wave
Authors: Husin Muhamad Rasyidi , Arsad Agus , Alothman Othman Y.
Published: November 2014

Polyaniline (PANI) was synthesized by using ultrasonic polymerizations at various frequencies of 5 to 20 kHz. PANI was synthesized in the present using hydrochloric acid (HCl) as a dopant and ammonium persulfate (APS) as an oxidant. The characteristics of PANI based on 1H proton, its molecular structure was characterized by using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and at 7-8 ppm confirmed the PANI structure. Thermal characteristics have also been investigated by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Glass transitions temperature (Tg) at about ~100 °C was it is correlated observed due to recrystallization or cross-linking reaction of PANI. The polymerization at frequency wave of 20 kHz shows the best overall properties of produced PANI nanofiber.
Effects of Different Carbon Sources for High Level Lactic Acid Production by Lactobacillus casei
Authors: Hassan Saber Salem , Bt Abd Malek Roslinda , Atim Asliaty , Jikan Suzi Salwah , Mohd Fuzi Siti Fatimah Zaharah
Published: November 2014

The fermentation process utilization to produce lactic acid has been studied from carbohydrate source and another source because of several significant reasons. Above all the production of biotechnology construction is found to be less costly compared to chemical synthesis. The production of biodegradable lactic polymer from lactic acid utilization of raw material can easily be obtained from industrial wastes such as pineapple waste. The process can positively affect the environment by reducing the environmental problems. The aim of this study is to estimate the effects of glucose concentration of pineapple wastewater as the carbon source on the volume of Lactobacillus casei (L. casei) subspecies in producing lactic acid. Five different glucose concentrations as carbon source are used for production of high lactic acid in the fermentation process using L. casei. L.casei could be ingesting the glucose presented within the levels tested and converts all into lactic acid. The result shows efficient yields of 0.09 g lactic acid/g glucose. The highest level of lactic acid is at 125.71 g/l and was obtained from 100 % pineapple waste medium. When the carbon source is at 4 g/l, the level of lactic acid is decreased to 84.22 g/l. The fermentation time increases with the increment of sugars. It is more than double if the medium is composed of 100 % of pineapple waste. Therefore pineapple waste is the best alternative as carbon source for bacteria growth because it is more cost effective.
Thermal and Flammability Properties of Polypropylene Filled Rice Bran/Sepiolite Composite
Authors: Aini Ghazali Siti Nadia , Mohamad Zurina
Published: November 2014

Polypropylene that consist of different loading of rice bran (RB) (0wt%, 10wt%, 20wt%, 30wt%, 40wt%) and sepiolite (SEP) (0phr, 1phr, 2phr, 3phr, 4phr, 5phr) were prepared by twin-screw extruder followed by compression moulding. The effect of RB and SEP loading on the thermal properties and flammability properties were studied through thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and UL94 horizontal burning test (UL94HB) respectively. The result from TGA revealed that RB content at 40%wt and SEP content at 4phr showed good thermal stability. The sepiolite used for flammability properties had improved the flammability matrix; however, the amount of SEP use in this study is not enough to improve the flammability of PP/RB composite.
Syngas Production from Microwave Gasification of Oil Palm Biochars
Authors: Ismail Norasyikin , Ani Farid Nasir
Published: November 2014

Gasification is a reaction process between solid or liquid carbonaceous materials with some gasifying agent to produce gaseous fuel. In this study, a microwave gasification test rig is designed to produce syngas from oil palm biochars. Carbon dioxide is used as the gasifying agent. Oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) and oil palm shell (OPS) biochars are used as the carbonaceous materials. The effects of CO2 flow rates on the type of biochars to the syngas produced are investigated. The optimum CO2 flow rate for EFB biochar gasification is 3 lpm where the gas compositions are 0.52% CH4, 50.52% CO2, 26.1% CO, and 22.86% H2. For OPS biochar, the optimum CO2 flowrate is 2 lpm that produce 6.92% CH4, 57.19% CO2, 10.98% CO, and 24.92% H2. For EFB biochar gasification, the specific volume of gas yield is from 1.22 to 1.51 m3/kg while for OPS biochar yields higher specific gas volume, ranging from 2.62 to 7.88 m3/kg. The highest carbon conversion efficiency and gas heating value for EFB biochar is 75.07% and 12.84 MJ/kg at 3 lpm respectively and 66.83%, 13.03 MJ/kg at 2 lpm for OPS biochar respectively . This concludes that EFB biochar produced higher quality syngas than OPS biochar because of the higher volume of CO and H2 content in the syngas produced at the higher carbon conversion efficiency with specific gas volume of 1.22 m3/kg.
Magnetorheological Elastomers: A Review
Authors: Rajhan Nurul Husna , Hamid Hanizah Ab , Azmi Ibrahim , Ismail Rozaina
Published: November 2014

This present paper reviews on the material compositions of Magnetorheological elastomer (MRE) as presented by researchers. As the article review, this paper much focuses on the selection of the material in the MRE ingredients. MRE has been known as a new kind of smart material over past decades. MREs offer innovative solutions for various applications in the engineering field since the rheological properties of MREs can be controlled by an external magnetic field. The characteristic responses of MRE are influenced by many factors such its elastomer matrix, the size, distribution, composition, percentage volume of filler particles and so on.
Influence of Nanoclay on Mechanical Properties of Vinyl Ester/Acrylated Epoxidized Palm Oil Blends
Authors: Fakhari Alireza , Rahmat Abdul Razak , Wahit Mat Uzir , Alsagayar Zyad Salem , Mustapha Siti Noor Hidayah
Published: November 2014

A series of green clay/polymer nanocomposites have been produced using blends of vinyl ester resin (VE) and acrylated epoxidized palm oil (AEPO) via free radical polymerization. A solvent-based processing technique was used to incorporate the bio-resin and nanoclay into vinyl ester resin. The effects of various loadings of bio-resin (5, 10, 15 and 20 wt.%) with 5 wt.% nanoclay on tensile and impact properties of resulting polymer systems were investigated. The results showed that, these bio-based nanocomposites exhibit mechanical properties comparable to those of petroleum-based nanocomposites.
The Effect of Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) on the Mix Proportion of Oil Palm Shell (OPS) Concrete
Authors: Thong Chia Chia , Teo D.C.L. , Ng Chee Khoon
Published: November 2014

Oil palm shell (OPS) is a renewable resource obtained from agricultural solid waste after the extraction of palm oil. It has been previously reported that OPS can be used as a coarse aggregate substitute in the manufacture of structural lightweight concrete. Since OPS is an organic material, its properties may degrade after a certain period of time unless pre-treatment is applied on the aggregates. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) can be used to treat the OPS before being incorporated as coarse aggregates in concrete. It has been determined that the use of PVA as pre-treatment enables an improvement to the properties of raw OPS aggregates and consequently the resulting concrete. In this research work, the effect of PVA as pre-treatment on OPS aggregates on the mix proportion of OPS concrete was investigated. The results show that there was an increase in the slump values of the OPS concrete made with PVA treated OPS aggregates. The 28-day air-dry density and compressive strength of PVA treated OPS concrete slightly increased as compared to raw OPS concrete.
Tensile Properties of Durian Seed Starch Filled Low Density Polyethylene Composites: Effects of Chemical Surface Modification by Acetic Acid
Authors: Ismail Noor Marlyna , Osman Hakimah , Husseinsyah Salmah
Published: November 2014

Durian seed starch (DSS) filled low density polyethylene (LDPE) composites have been prepared by internal mixer. Acetic acid was used as a chemical modifier. The effects of modified DSS content on the composites were evaluated by tensile property measurements. The incorporation of reduced tensile strength and elongation at break (EB) but with an increase in Young’s modulus of the composites. However, on addition of acid-acetic-modified DSS to the PE, tensile properties were found to improve due to enhanced interfacial adhesion between DSS and PE.
Mechanical Properties of the ‘Stretchable’ Polyacrylamide-Gelatin Double Network Hydrogel
Authors: Adrus Nadia , Ayub Nur Farizah , Mohd Amer Nurul Atika , Jamaluddin Jamarosliza
Published: November 2014

Double network (DN) hydrogels have drawn considerable attention as innovative materials possessing both high water content as well as improved mechanical properties. In this study, DN hydrogels were formed from a combination of two hydrogel networks. The first network composed of acrylamide (AAm) and N’,N’-methylenebisacrylamide (MBAAm). AAm and MBAAm were covalently crosslinked via photopolymerization simultaneously with/without the presence of the second network pre-gel mixture; physically crosslinked gelatin-calcium carbonate (GCa). The mechanical properties characterization of the hydrogels revealed that tensile strength, Young’s modulus and elongation at break increased with the increasing amount of second network component; i.e. GCa. These data could confirmed that the polyacrylamide (PAAm)-GCa DN hydrogels possessed ‘stretchability’ character. Overall, PAAm-GCa DN hydrogels had shown better mechanical strength than the PAAm single network hydrogels. We foreseen that DN hydrogels are highly potential to be developed as artificial muscles.
Small Scale Pilot Plant Thermal Dryer for Sewage Sludge Dewatering System – A Preliminary Study
Authors: Zakaria Mohd Safuan , Hassan Suhaimi , Faizairi M.
Published: November 2014

Malaysia expected to face serious problem in sewage sludge disposal in the next few years if this problem is not properly manage and well treated. The common way of sludge disposal in Malaysia is to dispose it on the land, by landfill disposal. However, most of the landfill has been closed since reaching it capacity. This product required innovation and advance solution for treatment and disposal since the production of sewage sludge rapidly increasing and the available solution for their disposal is out dated .One of the ideal solution to dispose the sludge is by converting it into useful energy in the form of solid fuel such as pallet and briquette and burn it as a solid fuel to generate power. However, the main problem faced is it contains high moisture content which is more than 90% of moisture content. In order to convert it into useful energy, the moisture content of the sludge need to be reduced into acceptable level which is below 20% . One of the effective methods to remove the moisture content is by using a thermal dryer. The preliminary results from this study found that the thermal dryer produced 63.32kg/h of dried sewage sludge with moisture content less than 20% . The production rate of this dryer shows positive result and with continuous production, this dryer cable to dry tons of wet sewage sludge.
Performance of Home-Scale Incinerator in Releasing NOx and Hydrocarbon Gaseous
Authors: Mohammad Taha Mastura , Mitan Nona Merry Merpati , Karjanto Juffrizal , Nidzamuddin M.Y.
Published: November 2014

Treatment of municipal solid waste has been performed by home-scale incinerator (HSI) to identify the gas emission formation and to evaluate the safety level of gases from home scale incinerator (HSI). Incineration of kitchen waste, disposable diapers and yard waste were performed with 1.5 kg for different time of combustion and observed every 5 minutes. These three wastes emitted at different value of NOx due to the composition of waste. The highest value of NOx obtained from kitchen waste was 23 ppm after 25 minutes, disposable diapers was 40 ppm after 20 minutes and yard waste was 56 ppm after 15 minutes. According to Malaysian Ambient Air Quality Guidelines, the emitted NOx gas from HSI meet the requirement while HC did not meet the requirement.
The Use of Lattice Boltzmann Numerical Method for Prediction of Nanofluid Flow in a Square Enclosure
Authors: Che Sidik Nor Azwadi , Masoomzadeh Reza
Published: November 2014

In this paper, we contribute to another record of computational results by lattice Boltzmann on the flow behavior of nanofluid in a differentially heated enclosure. In the present study, numerical prediction of CuO and Al2O3 nanofluid, Rayleigh number ranges 103 - 105, aspect ratios of 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 and nanoparticle volume fractions of 1, 3, 5 and 10% were performed. The results show that, for both nanofluids, increases the volume fraction lead to increase of the average Nusselt number for the whole range of aspect ratios and Rayleigh numbers.
The Use of Compound Cooling Holes for Film Cooling at the End Wall of Combustor Simulator
Authors: Che Sidik Nor Azwadi , Salimi Shahin
Published: November 2014

Gas turbine cooling can be classified into two different schemes; internal and external cooling. In internal cooling method, the coolant provided by compressor is forced into the cooling flow circuits inside turbine components. Meanwhile, for the external cooling method, the injected coolant is directly perfused from coolant manifold to save downstream components against hot gases. Furthermore, in the latter coolant scheme, coolant is used to quell the heat transfer from hot gas stream to a component. There are several ways in external cooling. Film cooling is one of the best cooling systems for the application on gas turbine blades. This study concentrates on the comparison of experimental, computational and numerical investigations of advanced film cooling performance for cylindrical holes at different angles and different blowing ratios in modern turbine gas.
Numerical Prediction of Contaminant Removal from Cavity in Horizontal Channel by Constrained Interpolated Profile Method
Authors: Che Sidik Nor Azwadi , Ahmad Sofianuddin A.S. , Ahmat Rajab K.Y.
Published: November 2014

In this paper, Constrained Interpolated Profile Method (CIP) was used to simulate contaminants removal from square cavity in channel flow. Predictions were conducted for the range of aspect ratios from 0.25 to 4.0. The inlet parabolic flow with various Reynolds number from 50 to 1000 was used for the whole presentation with the same properties of contaminants and fluid. The obtained results indicated that the percentage of removal increased at high aspect ratio of cavity and higher Reynolds number of flow but it shows more significant changes as increasing aspect ratio rather than increasing Reynolds number. High removal rate was found at the beginning of the removal process.
Numerical Analysis on Natural Convection Heat Transfer of a Heat Sink with Cylindrical Pin Fin
Authors: Qin Yap Zi , Darus Amer Nordin , Che Sidik Nor Azwadi
Published: November 2014

As technology advancement progressed in this information age or commonly known as digital age, thermal management has equally improved to keep up with demands from the electronic sector. Hence, heat sink study has become more and more prominent. Natural convection holds advantages since it is maintenance free and has zero power consumption. The purpose of this research is to study the heat transfer performance of heat sink with parametric variations of number and height of pin fin at temperature 308K, 323K, 338K, 353K and 368K. In addition, effect of porosity ranges from 0.524 to 0.960 on thermal resistance was investigated as well. Study found that heat transfer coefficient increases as temperature difference between heat sink and ambient increases. Thermal resistance decreases when porosity increases until it reaches the minimum and subsequently increases. The optimum porosity shown in this study is around 88%.
Effect of Benzyl Urea on Properties of Recycled High Density Polyethylene/Ethylene Vinyl Acetate/Egg Shell Powder Composites
Authors: Farahana R.N. , Supri A.G. , Teh Pei Leng
Published: November 2014

This paper presents the study on the effects of benzyl urea (BU) on the mechanical, morphological, and water absorption properties of recycled high density polyethylene/ ethylene vinyl acetate/ eggshell (rHDPE/EVA/ESP) composites. The results indicated significant improvement in the tensile strength and modulus of elasticity of the compatibilized composites due to better interfacial adhesion between the rHDPE and EVA. The water resistance properties were increased by the addition of the BU to the rHDPE/EVA/ESP composites. This study may suggest that BU can act as compatibilizer to enhance the interfacial interaction between the rHDPE and EVA matrix in the rHDPE/EVA/ESP composites.
Development of Pico-Hydro Turbine for Domestic Use
Authors: Ridzuan Mohd Jamir Mohd , Hafis S.M. , Azduwin K. , Firdaus K.M. , Zarina Zawawi
Published: November 2014

As many research and study were conducted worldwide in order to explore the different alternatives and renewable energy resources, this work come out with the descriptions of the initial testing conducted on the prototype of pico-hydro generation system for the purpose of investigating its performance. The kinetic energy hold by water flow in the domestic pipes was obtained to have potential in generating electricity power for energy storage purposes while conducting routine activities such as laundry, cook and bathe. The water pressure and water flow inside the pipe from utility’s main tank that used for those usual activities are used to rotate small scale hydro turbine to drive a generator for electrical power generation. Results from the test significantly show the convinced reading in recorded voltage as it is a count to propose the system is feasible for electrification of energy storage purpose and indicate the prospect for further improvement and future research.