bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) as an adsorbent in copper removal from aqueous solution
Authors: Khalil N A , Abdullah N S , Rahman A S A , Hamid H A , Fizal A N S , Zulkifli M , Hossain M S , Yahaya A N A 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
Many studies have been done on the natural adsorbent, natural/raw cellulose, modified cellulose and modified MCC as media for removing copper. However, the usage of unmodified microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) as an adsorbent to remove heavy metals contaminants such as copper from an aqueous solution is scarcely being explored. Thus, the current study was done to assess the performance of the MCC, without any modification, based on the adsorption capacity and the Cu removal efficiency under varied process parameters. The MCC was successfully used for Cu2+ or Cu (II) removal at pH < pH6. The adsorption parameters such as pH (1 to 6), contact time (0.5 to 24 hours), temperature (25 to 70 °C), initial Cu concentrations (1 to 5 mg/L) and MCC dosage (0.05 to 0.5 g) were significantly influenced the adsorption performance of the MCC. This study indicated the adsorption process occurred at pH ranging from pH 2.8 to 6 with 3 to 24 hours of duration were required to achieve the equilibrium condition. Lower temperature ranges (25 to 30 °C) were more favourable for adsorption than higher temperature ranges (40 to 70 °C). The increase in initial Cu concentration enhanced the adsorption capacity of MCC but decreased Cu removal. On the other hand, the increase in the MCC dosage resulted in the decreased adsorption capacity, however, increased Cu removal. MCC dosage of 0.225 g managed to remove Cu (II) with 95% efficiency at the initial Cu concentration of 1 mg/L, pH 5 and temperature 25 °C within 24 hours of contact time with 0.18 mg/g of adsorption capacity. Overall, high Cu removal efficiency (up to 95%) was achieved by the MCC which render its usage as adsorbent.
Comparison of chemically surface treated Luffa cylindrica using scanning electron microscopy (SEM)
Authors: Kamran M J , Jayamani E , Soon K H , Wong Y C 
Published: November 2021

AbstractThe world as we probably know is currently facing a big difficulty referred as environmental pollution. Researchers from around the globe have been working on biodegradable materials in order to reduce the overall consequences due to environmental pollution. Furthermore, biodegradable composites also known as green composites made using natural fibers are highly considered over non-green synthetic fiber composites. Additionally, natural fibers are low in cost, have good mechanical properties, biodegradability and require less production energy. Focus of this research paper was on one of the natural fibers, Luffa cylindrica (LC). There are plenty of surface treatments available including chemical and mechanical surface treatments. However, the focus of this paper was on chemical surface treatments. Sodium hydroxide, silane and acetylation chemical surface treatments were utilized. Chemically surface treated LC was compared with untreated LC with the help of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). With the help of SEM, it was observed that all of the chemical surface treatments were effective. Furthermore, it was also noticed that each of the chemical surface treatment affected LC differently. However, sodium hydroxide surface treated LC samples showed the best outcome by removing waxy impurities as well as voids from the surface of LC.
Evaluation and characterisation of candidate prebiotics extracted from coconut husk by ultrasound-assisted extraction technique
Authors: Tang S L , Koh C C , Hii S L 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
Oligosaccharides are carbohydrates containing between three to ten sugar moieties. Certain oligosaccharides such as inulin and fructo-oligosaccharides are known as prebiotics that promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in the human gastrointestinal tract. This study began by comparing the efficiency of two different solvents (distilled water and 10% w/v sodium hydroxide) in extracting oligosaccharides from the coconut husk by ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE). Following that, the coconut husk extract (CHE) extract was subjected to a series of prebiotic evaluation tests. The findings indicated that a significantly high extraction yield (40.51 ± 6.00%) could be achieved with 10% w/v NaOH treatment. The in vitro enzymatic digestion study found that there was 43.70 ± 0.15% of hydrolysis at pH 8 after five hours of incubation. For the in vitro gastric juice digestion, 29.21 ± 0.71% of hydrolysis was recorded at pH 1 after four hours of incubation. The extract was able to stimulate the growth of selected beneficial bacterial strains. FTIR and NMR analysis of the CHE revealed that the extract has a similar structure to the well-known prebiotic inulin.
Simultaneous degumming and deacidification of crude palm oil using mixed matrix PVDF membrane
Authors: Othman N H , Latip R A , Noor A M , Lau W J , Goh P S , Ismail A F 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
The research work aimed to investigate the compatibility of polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) membrane embedded with various inorganic adsorbents for producing a mixed matrix membrane (MMM) and to examine the capability of mixed matrix PVDF membrane (PVDF-MMM) for simultaneous degumming and deacidification of crude palm oil (CPO). Four different adsorbent were tested which includes calcium silicate (CaS), magnesium silicate (MagS), ZSM-zeolite (ZSM) and activated carbon (AC). The in-house made PVDF-MMM was fabricated according to the dry-jet wet spinning method. The performances of these PVDF-MMMs were assessed with respect to the removals of phosphorus, FFA and colour. Based on finding showed that the combination of 18PVDF embedded with 3 wt% MagS showed the most compatible polymer-inorganic hybrid MMM to perform pre-treatment of CPO. Increasing the MagS concentration from 3 to 8 wt% in the polymer matrix recorded the highest removals of FFA at 16.51 %, phospholipid at 93.31 % and colour at 18.8 %, respectively. Nevertheless, high amount of MagS added to the polymer matrix affected the spinnability and reproducibility performance of MMM. Future work, surface modifications of inorganic adsorbent can be evaluated to facilitate good dispersion of filler in polymer matrix during membrane fabrication to maintain good membrane reproducibility.
Aloe vera as a natural flocculant for palm oil mill effluent (POME) treatment - characterisation and optimisation studies
Authors: Chu R L , Vasanthi S , Anurita S 
Published: November 2021

AbstractIn the present study, fenugreek and aloe vera were investigated for the removal of turbidity (TUR), total suspended solids (TSS) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) from POME by using a central composite design (CCD) in the Design Expert software. The effects of three factors such as pH, coagulant dosage and flocculant dosage were analysed using jar test experiment and optimised using response surface methodology (RSM). The optimum results obtained from process optimisation analysis were pH 4, 24.13 g of coagulant dosage and 20 ml of flocculant dosage that are sufficient to remove 82.78 % of TUR, 83.40 % of TSS and 32.95 % of COD. The maximum error between the optimised values and the experimental values (82.78 % for TUR, 83.08 % for TSS and 33.76 % for COD) were below 4 %, indicating that satisfactory agreement was achieved. This showed that modelling and optimisation of the coagulation-flocculation process can be achieved by RSM approach. From analytical studies, it was found that the interactions between coagulant-flocculant and colloidal particles involve the mechanisms of charge neutralisation, adsorption and bridging, due to the active components such as amine (N-H) and hydroxyl (O-H) groups contained in the fenugreek and aloe vera.
Modelling, optimization and control of continuous two-stage Cephalosporin C production
Authors: Chin J F Y , Nandong J 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
Cephalosporin is one of the most consumed antibiotics for its effectiveness against a wide variety of infections. Most cephalosporin products are the semi-derivatives of Cephalosporin C (CPC), a metabolite of the fungus Acremonium chrysogenum. Since naturally the desired metabolite is not produced in a large amount by the fungus, an innovative operational strategy is required to increase its yield for the production of the antibiotic to be economically feasible. One way to increase the cephalosporin productivity is by increasing the concentration of thin hyphae cell in the bioreactor, but this will lead to a higher blower power requirement for providing adequate availability of oxygen in the fermentation broth. Lack of oxygen will retard the growth rate and reduce the productivity. Conversely, excessive aeration of the fermentation broth will lead to high shear stress that can kill the cells. The present work investigates through dynamic simulation the effectiveness of a continuous two-stage aerobic fermentation for the CPC production. The operating conditions are optimized to determine an optimal trade-off between the cephalosporin productivity and blower power. An increase of the dissolved oxygen in the first bioreactor from 10 % to 20 % can increase CPC productivity by 75.5 % from 24.42 mg/L.hr to 42.86 mg/L.hr.
Towards zero carbon dioxide concentration in sweet natural gas product from amine sweetening plant
Authors: Sahl Abdulqader Bin , Siyambalapitiya Tharindu , Mahmoud Ahmed , Sunarso Jaka 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
This work presents a two-step method to reduce CO2 concentration of sweet natural gas product from amine sweetening plant via amine blending (Step 1) followed by minor process modification (Step 2). In Step 1, an industrial natural gas sweetening plant was simulated using Aspen HYSYS and the simulation results were validated against the plant data. Afterwards, different blends of methyl diethanolamine and monoethanolamine (MDEA-MEA) and methyl diethanolamine and diethanolamine (MDEA-DEA) were investigated. Then the optimum amine blend of 28 wt.% MDEA and 10 wt.% MEA was reported. The optimum amine blend achieved a significant reduction in CO2 concentration of sweet natural gas of 99.9% compared to the base case (plant data). In Step 2, two types of amine stream splits, i.e., lean amine stream split and semi-lean amine stream split were studied. The study covered split stream amount, absorber recycle stage, and regenerator stage withdrawal. Both types of stream splits attained a significant reduction in CO2 concentration of sweet natural gas product and amine circulation rate compared to Step 1. However, the semi-lean amine stream split was superior to lean amine split with 69.1% and 63.6% reduction in CO2 concentration of sweet natural gas and lean amine circulation rate, respectively.
Effect of open pore and pore interconnectivity in the Ni-SDC cermet anode microstructure on the performance of solid oxide fuel cells
Authors: Ali Muhammed S A , Muchtar A , Mah J C W , Raharjo J , Khaerudini D S 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
In nickel-samarium-doped ceria (Ni-SDC) cermet anode layers, the open pores and interconnected pores in the microstructure are the main factors that affect the mechanical and electrical properties. In this work, porous Ni-SDC cermet anode layers are fabricated using various quantities of potato starch (0 to 25 wt.%) as a pore forming in the anode powders. The properties of the Ni-SDC cermet anode layers were characterised by FESEM-BSE microscopy, Archimedes method for density measurement, Vickers hardness, flexural strength, and DC four-point electrical conductivity. The findings revealed that the different content of potato starch greatly affected the percentage of porosity and pore interconnectivity in the microstructure and consequently altered the mechanical and electrical properties of the Ni-SDC cermet anode. The degree of shrinkage, relative density, mechanical strength and electrical conductivity of the Ni-SDC cermet anodes decreased as their pore former content increased. Furthermore, the research shows that the large porosity (> 40%) in the Ni-SDC cermet anode microstructure affected the continuity of Ni-Ni, SDC and Ni-SDC phases and thereby affected the mechanical and electrical properties. The Ni-SDC cermet anode with 10 wt.% exhibited sufficient porosity, Vickers hardness, flexural strength and electrical conductivity of 34%, 48 MPa, 72 MPa and 2028 S/cm (at 800 °C), respectively. Therefore, optimisation of porosity in the Ni-SDC cermet anode microstructure strongly contributes to the well-connected pore channels for the rapid diffusion of hydrogen for oxidation and mechanical strength.
Eggshell waste as a catalyst for biodiesel production: A preliminary study
Authors: Ali N A , Khairuddin N , Siddique B M 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
This research aims to observe the usability of waste eggshells as a heterogeneous CaO-based catalyst to produce biodiesel via the transesterification process. The waste eggshell contains CaO and serves as a heterogeneous catalyst that can be extracted using a simple heat treatment technique. The catalyst loading used in this study were 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 wt.%. The biodiesel yield affects the variables of the reaction, including the amount of catalyst used. According to the findings in this work, the low-weight catalyst produced more biodiesel (64% of yield) than other catalysts in the studies. Using the same CaO catalyst with a 1 wt.% catalyst, previous studies showed a biodiesel yield of 56.64%. Outcomes revealed that waste eggshells could be used as an effective catalyst to transform waste cooking oil into biodiesel, thereby significantly lowering biodiesel costs and improving product yield and fuel properties.
Numerical simulation and experimental study on hematite production by oxidation of mill scale
Authors: Aldiramadan M T , Nabilah J , Ridwan M , Khaerudini D S 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
Mill scale is a waste product from steel hot rolling processes and containing a high amount of FeO and Fe3O4. It is crucial to recycle and reuse this waste for the recovery into a metallic iron or its single oxide derivative. One of the end products of mill scale oxidation is hematite which has multitude of uses in various application. In this present study, mill scale is converted to hematite by roasting a mixture of mill scale at a specific set of conditions at 900°C for a varied time under ambient air environment by addition of pelletized limestone as a heat storage media. In this work, the Dimensionless Degree of Oxidation Prediction Model (DDOPM) has been constructed to gain hematite purity approach in the resulting powder by using Matlab. The Buckingham Pi Theorem is used to find dimensionless parameters considering the effect of different parameters including the geometric factor of tubular horizontal furnace used, characteristic of mill scale, ambient air factor, and thermal characteristics of limestone. The degree of oxidation from experimental result was obtained from XRF analysis and compared to the result of DDOPM to show the correlation between the experimental and numerical.
Assessment of air pollution control technologies to reduce SOx emission from thermal oxidizer for oil and gas industry
Authors: Haji Nawawi N H B , Jaafar M N 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
Many countries have put in place, various legislations that govern air emission limits/pollutants from the industries. The common pollutants being monitored are Sulphur Oxides (SOx), Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), Carbon Monoxide (CO), Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), particulate matters and dioxins. In Malaysia, the regulatory requirement aims to regulate emissions of air pollutants from industrial activities including oil and gas, power plants, waste fuel plants and asphalt mixing plants. One of the emission limits under Clean Air Regulation (CAR2014) is emission level for SOx should be less than 600 mg/m3 (reference condition at 3 % of O2, 273 K, 101.3 kPa) whereby sum of SO2 and SO3 expressed as SOx. Excessive SOx emission can affect both health and the environment. Aligning with the regulation requirement, Group Technical Solution (GTS) under PETRONAS has embarked on assessment of technology solutions to meet the emission limit on SOx emission limit for thermal oxidizers which cover new and existing facilities. This paper describes on the work methodology and approach adopted during the assessment. The objective of the assessment is to determine the suitable process technology to reduce SOx emission in order to achieve the desired emission limit for flue gas at outlet stream of thermal oxidizer. Thorough evaluation was carried out based on proposal submission from various technology providers and Vendors. The selection criteria was developed and established. For existing thermal oxidizers, the assessment is more complex taking into consideration the nature of brownfield project and to ensure the proposed modification has minor impact to operability and maintainability of existing facilities. This study has successfully enabled identification of feasible process technologies such as Caustic Scrubber, Seawater Flue Gas Desulfurization and Ammonia based Desulfurization to meet the desired emission limit at thermal oxidizer outlet for Oil and Gas Industry and supporting environmental protection. The selected technology is varies based on plant/project specific requirement. Among main considerations are the by-product management, consumable and utility consumption as well as compatibility of the technology with existing plant on shutdown requirement.
Synthesis and characterization of (3-aminopropyl) triethoxysilane (APTES) functionalized zeolite AlPO-18
Authors: Anbealagan L D , Chew T L , Yeong Y F , Jawad Z A , Ho C D 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
Over the years, functionalization of zeolite is gaining popularity among researchers to further modify the properties of the zeolite for wide applications. The procedure of functionalization is crucial to ensure that the framework and structure of the zeolite would not be destroyed by the functionalization process. In this work, zeolite AlPO-18 was synthesized via hydrothermal synthesis method and functionalized by (3-Aminopropyl) triethoxysilane (APTES). The effect of the APTES functionalization on zeolite AlPO-18 was investigated in this work. Both unfunctionalized and silane-functionalized zeolite AlPO-18 were characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) for their properties. The morphology and the composition of the elements present in zeolite AlPO-18 and zeolite NH2-AlPO-18 were examined using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) and Energy-Dispersive spectroscopy (EDX) respectively. The XRD pattern of NH2-AlPO-18 was similar to that of zeolite AlPO-18, however, the intensity of the peaks was lower compared to zeolite AlPO-18. Based on the FTIR spectra, the presence of N-H stretching and bending vibration band of aminosilane were observed in the NH2-AlPO-18 sample. According to FESEM images, the morphology of NH2-AlPO-18 was comparable to that of zeolite AlPO-18 even after functionalization, proving that functionalization of aminosilane on zeolite does not affect on the zeolite structure. Besides that, EDX proves the presence of 3.02 % of element N in the NH2-AlPO-18 sample which is absent in the zeolite AlPO-18 sample. All of the characterizations evinced the presence of aminosilane, APTES in the NH2-AlPO-18 sample.
Development of optimisation model for black soldier fly-based aquaculture feed supply chains in Malaysia
Authors: Ng C A , Chan C W , Andiappan V , Ng L Y , Ng D K S 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
Aquaculture is identified as one of the critical food supplies in Malaysia. Due to the increasing demand for aquaculture products, the demand for protein sources for fish feed is also increased accordingly. Black soldier fly larvae is identified as one of the main protein sources that can be used in fish feed. Such larvae can be grown using different types of organic materials, such as food waste, agriculture waste, etc. As Malaysia is the second-largest palm oil producer in the world, therefore, a large number of agricultural wastes, also known as palm-based biomass (e.g., empty fruit bunches, mesocarp fibre, decanter cake, etc.) are generated annually. Based on the current industry practise, palm-based biomass can be converted into value-added products. However, using palm-based biomass as feedback to grow black soldier fly larvae is a relatively recent discovery. Thus, a viable supply chain model has yet to be established. In this work, a mathematical optimisation model is developed via commercial optimisation software (Lingo v. 16) to synthesise an optimum black soldier fly-based aquaculture feed supply chain that utilised palm–based biomass as the feedstock. Based on the optimised result, the annual operating cost of the aquaculture feed supply chain is estimated as RM 5.2 million.
Functionalization of polylactic acid thin films via polydopamine-assisted chelation of copper (II) ions for antibacterial applications
Authors: Leron R B , Tayo L L , Aquino R R 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
Polylactic acid (PLA) is a biodegradable polymer, which has been widely investigated for use in biomedical and packaging applications due to its excellent biodegradability, biocompatibility, non-toxicity, low cost, good stability, and thermal processability. In this work, PLA was functionalized to improve the membrane’s hydrophilicity and impart antimicrobial activity by simultaneously depositing polydopamine (PDA) and chelating Cu2+ metal ions on the membrane surface. Pristine PLA films were modified via one-pot dip coating method using dopamine-copper (II) solution at different coating times (6, 12, 24 h). FTIR analysis confirmed the deposition of PDA on the modified membranes (PLA/PDA/Cu) as indicated by the presence of catechol and amine moieties on the samples. TGA results revealed the degradation of the same functional groups on PLA/PDA/Cu. The hydropilicity of PLA was significantly reduced upon coating with PDA as indicated by the decrease in the membrane’s contact angle from 96.5 ± 5.3° to 56.2 ± 4.7°. SEM images and EDS results clearly showed that copper particles were deposited on the PLA/PDA/Cu membranes (atomic % ~ up to 0.88) and coating with PDA did not alter the porous structure of the pristine PLA film. Results also demonstrated that the concentration of copper immobilized on the modified membranes increased with longer coating; thus, offering a way of tailoring the metal concentration on the membrane for its specific use. PLA/PDA/Cu membranes showed antibacterial property against the B. subtilis, which could be attributed to the chelation of Cu2+ ions with the catechol moiety of the PDA coating.