Applied Science and Engineering Progress

A Comprehensive Review of Approaches in Carbon Capture, and Utilization to Reduce Greenhouse Gases

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0700

Addressing atmospheric CO₂ levels is crucial for mitigating global warming and promoting sustainable fossil fuel use. This review explores various CO₂ capture strategies, including pre-combustion, post-combustion, oxy-fuel combustion, direct air capture, chemical looping, and polymeric membranes. Each strategy is critically evaluated in terms of its advantages, limitations, and overall effectiveness. Additionally, this study discusses advanced separation techniques for captured CO₂, emphasizing recent innovations in membrane technology integrated with cryogenic processes. This integration has the potential to economically extract CO₂ from diverse industrial processes, offering significant benefits in terms of operational cost reduction and increased efficiency. A detailed market analysis is also presented to explore feasible CO₂ utilization options, highlighting potential incentives and motivations for capturing CO₂. Furthermore, the technological readiness level of various capture and separation techniques is assessed, offering insights into their development and progress over time. This comprehensive analysis aims to support the advancement of effective and economically viable CO₂ management solutions, contributing to a more sustainable and climate-resilient future.

A Review on the Effect of Ultrasonic-Assisted Curing on the Quality of Meat Products

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0700

Meat products can deteriorate during storage posing a threat to human health due to the action of microorganisms and enzymes. Curing is widely used as a preservation method that can extend shelf life, improve product quality, and impart flavor. In industrial production, business operators seek to enhance the curing efficiency of their products, while consumers expect stable product quality. These demands have prompted the exploration of efficient solutions for curing. Ultrasound technology has attracted widespread attention as a new nonthermal food processing technology due to its potential for reducing processing time, improving meat product quality, and lowering costs. Numerous studies have shown that ultrasound treatment can effectively enhance curing efficiency and improve meat product quality through cavitation effects, mechanical effects, and thermal effects. The basic principles of ultrasound technology and the impacts and mechanisms of ultrasound-assisted curing techniques on curing efficiency and quality in meat products are discussed. This review aims to provide a valuable theoretical foundation for the application of ultrasound technology to address the health risks and costs caused by slow curing efficiency and unstable product quality.

Biomass Pyrolysis: A Comprehensive Review of Production Methods, Derived Products, and Sustainable Applications in Advanced Materials

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0700

Pyrolysis is an effective method of turning complex materials, like waste, into valuable commodities. This process stands out because it can be easily adjusted to change different parameters and improve the quality of the final products. Biomass, abundant in carbonaceous constituents, emerges as a primary candidate for pyrolysis, presenting the opportunity to generate a diverse array of carbon-based products with broad applicability and desirability, including activated carbon (AC), magnetic activated carbon (MAC), graphene, and carbon nanotubes (CNT). The study explores various methodologies of biomass pyrolysis, highlighting the factors that influence product characteristics and examining the potential applications of pyrolysis-derived products. These processes demonstrate the capability of pyrolysis technology to convert biomass into valuable carbon-based materials, which are highly sought after in applications ranging from environmental remediation and other relevant applications. AC and MAC can be synthesized from biomass through pyrolysis. At the same time, graphene and CNT can be derived from the hydrocarbon fraction of pyrolyzed biomass or through in situ exfoliation and oxidation-reduction reactions of graphite. A comprehensive examination of these facets establishes a framework for grasping the potential of pyrolysis in biomass conversion and the possibilities for commercializing the end-products. The global warming potential of graphene production is higher compared to other materials (reaching 10⁶ kg CO₂/kg), making it the most expensive material (US$ 857/cm²). The predicted global market size for the commercial viability of AC, graphene, and CNT has a steady incline, indicating a robust rising trend in demand. This increasing demand makes the production of these materials attractive and significant economically.

Fiber Surface Treatments for Lightweight PA6 Composites

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0700

Natural fiber-reinforced composites (NFRC) have gained significant attention due to their eco-friendliness, affordability, and excellent mechanical properties. However, inadequate interfacial bonding between the fiber and the polymer matrix often results in inferior mechanical and thermal properties. Various surface treatments, including alkali, silane, and plasma treatments, have been developed to address this issue by modifying the fiber surface. These treatments have been shown to improve the interfacial bonding, leading to enhanced mechanical strength and thermal stability of natural fiber-reinforced PA6 composites (NFRC-PA6). In this study, we applied these surface treatments and evaluated their impact through mechanical and thermal testing. The results indicate significant improvements in the composites' properties, although challenges such as optimizing treatment parameters and ensuring uniformity persist. Future research should focus on overcoming these challenges and exploring innovative treatments to further advance the application of NFRC-PA6 composites.

An Overview of the Role of Vermicompost in Reducing Green House Gas Emissions, Improving Soil Health, and Increasing Crop Yields

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0700

Vermicomposting provides a green alternative to composting, which can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve soil health. As a result of existing waste management practices, greenhouse gases are released into the environment. Still, vermicomposting offers a sustainable solution by recycling organic waste into a soil amendment that improves soil health and increases crop yields. This study provides an in-depth overview of the benefits of vermicomposting, a practice that recycles organic waste materials into a nutrient-rich soil amendment called vermicompost, which can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve soil fertility, and boost crop yields by enhancing soil structure and microbial activity, thereby presenting vermicomposting as a sustainable way to recycle organic waste, while mitigating climate change, protecting soils, and boosting agriculture. This overview examines how vermicomposting organic waste lowers greenhouse gas emissions from landfills, improves crop yields through improved soil structure and fertility, and enriches soils by increasing microbial biodiversity and nutrient availability. Vermicomposting provides degradation and detoxification of organic waste with some nutrient-rich castings. The potential of these castings to improve soil health sparked interest among agricultural researchers. Crops fertilized with vermicompost thrived, producing higher yields and the nutrient density of the plants increased significantly. Emerging research reveals that vermicompost can fight against climate change. As an organic fertilizer, it enhances the ability of plants and soil to sequester carbon, decreasing greenhouse gases and also reducing emissions of methane and nitrous oxide compared to conventional fertilizers. With broader implementation, vermicomposting offers a meaningful path to combat climate change through regenerative agriculture.

Application of Waste Bovine Bone-derived Hydroxyapatite to Biodegradable Coatings for Paper-based Food Packaging

Netnapid Ongsuwan, Waefarida Chelee, Saowapa Chotisuwan — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0700

Hydroxyapatite (HAp) powder was produced by utilizing food waste bovine bones through alkaline treatment and calcination. The biodegradable coatings on paper-based food packaging that contained synthesized HAp were subsequently prepared and characterized. The slurry of 5 wt% of bovine bones synthesized HAp, 2 wt% of polyvinyl alcohol, and glycerol was coated on a grey back duplex board (GB) by dipping and spraying. The morphology, color, penetration strength, water and oil absorption, and biodegradability of the coated GB were observed. The color of the spray-coated GB was still slightly brighter (L*) than others due to its good coating ability before and after being heated at 800 W in a microwave oven for 1 minute. The penetration strength of coated GB was higher than that of noncoated GB after containing hot water. The coated GB had 8% water absorption, which was lower than that of the noncoated GB (10%), while oil absorption was nearly the same (3%). Moreover, the biodegradable properties of both coated GBs were not significantly different compared to the non-coated samples.

Carica papaya-Derived Carbon Nanodots for the Detection of Fe (III) Ions

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0700

Carbon dots (CDs) possess distinctive optical and electronic properties as well as dimensions smaller than 10 nm, making them a unique category of carbon-based nanomaterials. They have been widely utilized across various domains including sensors, photocatalysis, biomedicine, and optoelectronics. This study investigates the use of a one-step hydrothermal synthetic approach to produce nanocarbon dots derived from Carica papaya seeds. Through the application of sophisticated characterization methods, the structural properties of the carbon nanoparticles were verified. These techniques included UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). The photoluminescence emission of carbon dots (CDs) has been found to depend on excitation, as determined by photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. This study has explored the interaction between various metal ions and the photoluminescent properties of CDs, revealing a particularly noteworthy interaction with Fe (III) ions. The Stern-Volmer equation is utilized to examine the extinction mechanism linked with the sensing capability of carbon dots, resulting in the establishment of a recognition threshold of 0.36 μM. The existence of surface functional groups, which enable the formation of complexes with Fe (III) ions is a primary factor contributing to the sensing capabilities observed. This paper explores the fabrication and advancement of environmentally friendly sensor systems for detecting metal ions in biomedical and environmental contexts.

Cavalcade Legume (Centrosema pascuorum) Used as Soil Amendment in RD41 Rice Fields: Short-term Effects on the Soil Nematode Community, Soil Properties, and Yield Components

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0700

Numerous phytoparasitic nematodes have been identified in Thailand’s paddy fields, which routinely cause substantial reductions in rice crop yields. However, effective strategies for their management have yet to be documented. In this study, cavalcade legume was used as a soil amendment in RD41 rice fields to examine its effects on the soil nematode community, soil properties, and yield components compared to untreated control plots. The results demonstrated that the population densities of plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) in the order Tylenchida, primarily Hirschmanniella sp., significantly decreased in cavalcade-treated plots across all soil sampling periods. Moreover, there was an increase in the populations of beneficial nematodes within the orders Dorylaimida and Araeolaimida. In contrast, greater PPN populations were observed in the control plots compared to the initial nematode population. In addition to reducing PPN populations, this legume showed other benefits, specifically increased soil properties (available P) and rice plant growth (plant height and number of tillers). While there was no statistically significant difference in soil organic matter (SOM) content, the application of this legume tended to increase SOM content, in contrast to a decrease in SOM content observed in the control plots. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the substantial advantages of using cavalcade legumes in RD41 rice fields.

Design and Development of g-C3N4/ZnO/CdS Ternary Photocatalyst for the Removal of Environmentally Hazardous Organic Dyes under Visible Light

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0700

The processing of wastewater has emerged as a primary focus of research owing to the unavailability of clean water to satisfy the current population’s needs. In this work, a ternary nano-photocatalyst, g-C₃N₄/ZnO/CdS exhibiting visible light activity has been fabricated via a dual-step process that involved a pyrolytic transformation of urea to g-C₃N₄ subsequently followed by the solid state mechanochemical method to fabricate g-C₃N₄/ZnO/CdS. The synthesized nanomaterial underwent characterization using advanced techniques such as XRD, FTIR, FE-SEM/EDAX and UV-DRS techniques. The decomposition of Indigo Carmine dye was performed under the illumination of visible light, resulting in 99.6% degradation using a 50-mg photocatalytic dosage. Kinetic studies indicate that the photodegradation process followed pseudo-first-order where the phenomenon of adsorption adhered to the Langmuir–Hinshelwood model. This work attempted the generation of a multi pathway of electron migration by combining more than one Type-II heterojunction, which can effectively delay the electron-carrier recombination.

Electrochemical Characteristics of Ambarella Peel Waste as Liquid Electrolyte for Zn-Cu Biobattery

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0700

This study focuses on the electrochemical characterization of Zn-Cu bio-battery cells utilizing electrolytes derived from ambarella peel waste. The primary objectives are to determine the half-cell and full-cell characteristics of these bio-batteries at various concentration ratios and to identify the optimal concentration ratio for maximum performance. Cyclic voltammetry analysis of the half-cells revealed an oxidation peak at 0.5 V vs Ag/AgCl, corresponding to the conversion of uronic acid to aldaric acid. Additionally, two reduction peaks were observed: hydrogen ion reduction to H₂ at 0 V vs Ag/AgCl and water reduction at –0.42 V vs Ag/AgCl. The rate-determining step analysis indicated that the redox reactions in the ambarella peel electrolyte solution were surface reactions. The highest rate constant (k_s) of 0.722 ± 0.05 s^–1 was observed at a 1:2 concentration ratio. This ratio also resulted in the highest battery capacity of 0.0816 mAh and the maximum power density of 16.13 mW/m². The study concluded that the 1:2 concentration ratio of ambarella peel waste electrolyte solution is optimal, outperforming the 1:1 and 1:3 ratios in terms of battery capacity and power density.

Explicit Formulas of Average Run Length for Triple Moving Average Control Chart to Monitor Changes in Mean Parameter of Normal and Non-normal Process

Apitad Kraichok, Yupaporn Areepong, Saowanit Sukparungsee — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0700

In this research, a formula is presented for calculating the average run length of a triple moving average (TMA) control chart, which is used to measure control chart performance and determine control chart width. To apply appropriately to data in various processes, a TMA control chart is used to detect small changes in a process by finding the average value of the data over a specified period of time (w). However, determining measure control chart performance and control chart width is difficult because the formula for calculation is not created. The performance of the control charts is measured using the standard normal distribution probability properties and compared with the moving average (MA) control charts and the double moving average (DMA) control charts. The analysis results show that TMA is very effective at detecting small changes, when w is set to have a small value. The study determines that the data within the process are normally and non-normally distributed. Detecting changes on real data by TMA charts has the best detection performance compared to MA and DMA.

Facile Synthesis of Glutathione-Copper Nanoparticles for 3-Monochloropropanediol Colorimetric Detection

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0700

3-Monochloropropanediol (MCPD) is a carcinogen compound commonly found in refined cooking oil, including palm oil. The high risk of human intoxication increases the importance of 3-MCPD detection. This study proposes the optimum chemical reduction synthesis condition of colloidal copper nanoparticles functioned by L-glutathione (GSH-Cu NPs) as an alternative accessible 3-MCPD detector used in the colorimetric method. The volume of copper source, capping agent, and reducing agent were optimized to find the optimum synthesis formula. 3.6 mL of 3 mM CuCl₂, 25 µL of 20 mM L-glutathione (GSH), and 150 µL hydrazine hydrate were found to be the best combination to form GSH-Cu NPs; the combination made the sharpest UV-Vis absorption peak. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrometry measurement confirmed the reaction and encapsulation of Cu NPs with GSH. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Particle Size Analyzer (PSA) observations revealed the quasi-spherical morphology of the nanoparticles, with an average size of 51.3 nm. The sample withstood 1:1 dilution with deionized water and maintained its dispersion and distribution after 10 days. The fabricated GSH-Cu NPs were able to detect 3-MCPD until 50 ppm. This study aimed to provide insight into the synthesis of copper nanoparticles as non-precious metals for the application of 3-MCPD colorimetric detection.

Gelatin Gel from By-products of Sand Jellyfish (Rhopilema hispidum): Physicochemical and Biochemical Characterization

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0700

Salted sand-type jellyfish by-products are abundant in collagen, which may be processed into gelatin to decrease food waste. From the production standpoint, various factors affect gel qualities, including raw material used, pretreatment methods, and extraction times. So far, gelatin extracted from desalted sand-type jellyfish by-products (D-SJB) must be adequately characterized. Therefore, this research aimed to characterize gelatin from D-SJB using different pretreatment methods and extraction times. D-SJB was treated with 0.2 M hydrochloric acid (acid method) and extracted for 24 h at 60 °C (SA24), the optimal gelatin extraction condition with the highest gel qualities, while the jellyfish gelatin obtained after D-SJB was treated with pepsin and extracted for 48 h had the lowest gel qualities. The viscosity, gel strength, gelling temperature, and melting temperatures of SA24 were 20.80 cP, 352.22 g, 11.97 °C, and 22.70 °C, respectively. All jellyfish gelatin’s gelling and melting temperatures ranged from 6.13−11.97 °C and 15.85−22.70 °C, exhibiting a cold set gel and unstable gels at room temperature. The different pretreatment methods and extraction times during the jellyfish gelatin production resulted in the conversion of amides A, B, I, II, and III, especially the wavenumber of the amide I increased after pepsin pretreatment and increased with longer extraction time. Twenty-one collagen subtypes in bovine, fish, and jellyfish gelatin were analyzed using LC-MS/MS. The collagen alpha-2(I) chain, a key gelatin component, was identified in all gelatins. The research novelty showed the profound characterization results of gelatin gel produced from D-SJB. However, further experiments will be needed for pilot-scale production to be used in food and non-food applications.

Green Diesel Production Through Deoxygenation Reaction with Natural Zeolite-supported Nickel and Copper Catalyst

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0700

The depletion of fossil fuels and their environmental impact necessitate sustainable alternatives. Green diesel, a biofuel with a chemical structure similar to conventional diesel, has gained traction as a viable alternative. This study explores the development of a cost-effective catalyst for green diesel production using deoxygenation. Deoxygenation refers to a broad class of chemical reactions where oxygen atoms are stripped from a molecule. This research employed abundant Indonesian natural zeolite (NZ) as a catalyst support, impregnated with non-noble metals, nickel (Ni), and copper (Cu). The investigation revealed that the NiCu/NZ catalyst achieved the highest oleic acid conversion (90.40%) and green diesel yield. The product distribution, ranging from C₁₅ to C₁₈ hydrocarbons, reflects the moderate acidity of the catalyst, promoting diverse cracking patterns compared to highly acidic catalysts. Additionally, the high specific surface area of NZ facilitates the conversion and good product distribution. Furthermore, the optimization process demonstrated that increasing hydrogen pressure during deoxygenation enhances both conversion rate and green diesel production.

Identification of Passion Fruit Nutrients for Elderly People Using Network in Network Architecture: An Empirical Study in Thailand

Athakorn Kengpol, Akksatcha Duangsuphasin — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0700

The growing elderly population has led to a rise in health issues, particularly chronic diseases. Passion fruits contain numerous nutrients that may help in the treatment of chronic diseases. However, specific recommendations for daily passion fruit nutrient intake for the elderly are currently lacking in the literature. This research aimed to identify passion fruit groups and to suggest the appropriate daily passion fruit nutrient intake for elderly people using network in network (NiN) architecture. This research demonstrates that the NiN model can be effectively applied to identify passion fruit groups for the elderly. It is more efficient than other convolutional neural network (CNN) architectures. The results show that NiN can correctly identify passion fruit groups and suggest the appropriate amount of nutrient intake for the elderly, achieving + 96.76% accuracy in the training dataset and 95.89% accuracy in the validation dataset, surpassing 84.6% accuracy achieved by EaglAI. Sensitivity analysis of the NiN model using mean absolute error (MAE) for geometric transformations revealed consistent training image results and model robustness. This research benefits elderly people with chronic diseases by providing tailored recommendations for daily passion fruit intake, based on the analysis of sugar nutrients using the NiN model.

Low Temperature Sintering Al-B Doped-LLZO for All-Solid-State Lithium Battery

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0700

This research synthesizes a double Al-B doped LLZO following a composition of Li_7+0.5xLa_1.14Al_1.43xB_0.5xZr_2-3xO_12-δ through a solid-state reaction. The materials were sintered at a low temperature of 900 °C, giving an advantage in reducing Li loss. The material was analyzed to understand the phase content, the crystal structure and cell parameters, the surface morphology, the impedance, the electrical conductivity, and the activation energy for ionic migration. As a result, the Al-B doped-LLZO with x composition of 0.3 (Li_7.15La_1.14Al_0.429B_0.15Zr_1.1O_12-_d) and ball milling time of 120 h, LLZBAO(0.3)120 h, provides the highest ionic conductivity of 6.898×10^–4 Scm^–1 at room temperature, and it increases as the temperature increases confirming activation energy of 0.135 eV. A prototype of LCO-LLZBAO(0.3)120h-Li metal battery was produced and tested to investigate the solid electrolyte performance. A cyclic voltammetry analysis confirms a quasi-reversible reaction involving extraction-insertion of Li ions into LiCoO₂. However, the excess capacity and a long plateau at low voltage also indicate the reduced Li⁺ into zero valent-metal, which is poorly reversible, causing the battery capacity to decrease and become stable after 20 cycles.

Optimization of Microcrystalline Cellulose Production from Brewer’s Spent Grain by Acid Hydrolysis

Nutcha Kongkum, Vanarat Phakeenuya, Sasithorn Kongruang — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0700

Brewer’s spent grain (BSG) is the main insoluble solid by-product of the brewing industry. To add value to this non-wood material, microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) was prepared from BSG by alkaline pretreatment, bleaching, and subsequent acid hydrolysis to produce non-wood MCC. This study aimed to optimize MCC production using a statistical design (Box-Behnken) with three factors at three levels: acid concentration (0.5–1.5 M), hydrolysis time (70–90 min) and hydrolysis temperature (55–65 °C), to achieve the maximum yield and crystallinity of MCC derived from BSG. Results from 17 experimental runs revealed that the hydrolysis condition of 0.63 M HCl for 70 min at 61 °C yielded the highest output of 15% with a crystallinity index of 60%. The chemical structures and characteristics of MCC derived from BSG were verified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). FT-IR analysis showed that the major wavenumbers of lignin and hemicellulose after the chemical processes (1500 cm^–1 and 1735 cm^–1) decreased by 21.40% and 4.60%, respectively. The XRD chromatogram revealed that the XRD characteristic peaks were sharper after the chemical treatments, indicating an increase in cellulose crystallinity due to removing lignin and hemicellulose. The crystallinity index of MCC derived from BSG ranged from 55–64%, which is comparable in quality to commercial pharmaceutical MCC, Avicel^® PH-101 (67.37%). These results demonstrated that MCC from BSG was successfully prepared by acid hydrolysis under optimized conditions. BSG proved a viable non-wood source for preparing MCC for application in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries.

Parameterization on Fructose-Stabilized Silver Nanoparticle Synthesis by Non-thermal Atmospheric Pressure Helium Plasma Jet

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0700

The fructose stabilized silver nanoparticles (FRU-AgNPs) synthesis is comparatively studied by defining the experimental parameters such as plasma jet device configuration, AgNO₃concentration, plasma treatment time and fructose stabilizer concentration. In this research, there are four types of plasma jet device configurations (C1–C4). The plasma treatment time is varied in a range of 10 to 30 minutes. Fructose concentration is varied to be 5, 10, 20 and 40 mM. The helium gas is used to generate non-thermal atmospheric-pressure plasma. The plasma jet device is operated by a sinusoidal power supply at a repetition frequency of approximately 1 MHz. The input electrical power for plasma generation is about 30 W. The formation and stability of AgNPs are characterized by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) absorbance peak from ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometer. The absorbance peaks of AgNPs are found in the range of 400 to 420 nm. According to the dynamic light scattering (DLS) technique, the hydrodynamic sizes of AgNPs are in the range of 15 to 40 nm. The AgNPs show anti-bacterial activity against Escherichia coli with an average inhibition zone of 8.87 ± 0.55 mm. Based on the highest yield of AgNPs, optimal parameters are found to be C3, plasma treatment time of 30 min, AgNO₃ concentration of 1–2 mM and fructose concentration of 40 mM.

Sonophotopythochemical Functionalization of Graphene Oxide - Al - Zn Bimetal Nanocomposite for Corrosion Inhibition

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0700

The corrosion performance of steel in the marine environment has been a primary concern of engineers and garnered significant interest due to its industrial significance. To address this concern, the incorporation of green corrosion inhibitors as coating materials in mild steel has been extensively studied recently. This paper explores the synthesis of graphene doped with bimetal aluminum-zinc (GO-Al-Zn) nanocomposites via sonophoto-phytochemical functionalization using Chayote (Sechium edule) leaf extract as the doping agent to produce a corrosion inhibitor. The synthesized nanocomposites were characterized using FTIR, SEM-EDS, XRD, and TEM. The optimal nanocomposite, with a 55% Al - 45% Zn ratio, demonstrated successful bio-reduction, good dispersion, reduced particle size, and a rhombohedral crystal structure. When incorporated into an epoxy coating and applied to mild steel, the GO - 55% Al - 45% Zn coating achieved a high corrosion inhibition efficiency of 98.06% (gravimetric method) and 98.45% (electrochemical method) in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution. This study highlights the promising potential of GO - 55% Al - 45% Zn nanocomposite as an eco-friendly corrosion inhibitor. Future research should explore optimizing the functionalization process and exploring long-term environmental stability.

Techno-Economic Feasibility: Planning an On-Grid Solar Power System for Shrimp Pond Aeration

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0700

The rapid growth of the Indonesian shrimp farming industry is accompanied by high production costs, primarily driven by the reliance on fossil fuel-based energy sources that can destabilize the ecosystem. This study investigates the technical, economic, and environmental feasibility of using three energy sources, including photovoltaics (PV), grid, and generator, to supply aeration needs in shrimp ponds. A comparative analysis of three scenarios with on-grid schemes was conducted through optimization using Queen Honey Bee Migration (QHBM) and Grey Wolf Optimization (GWO) algorithms, namely Net Present Cost (NPC), Renewable Fraction (RF), and Carbon Emission (ECO₂). From a technical point of view, a lower electricity tariff is obtained compared to the grid, which is US$ 589,968. The optimization results on the NPC, RF, and ECO₂ parameters show that scenario 1 of the QHBM algorithm is the most optimal. This condition is evidenced by the acquisition of 3 parameters that are closest to the determination of the objective function, yielding an NPC of US$ 230,390.34, RF of 26.01%, and ECO₂ of 1,484KgCO₂e, with 655Wp PV specifications and the number of PV as many as 578pcs. Economically, the investment in a solar power plant for the shrimp pond obtained BEP of 4.2 years with a payback period (PP) obtained in year 5, net cash-flow of US$ 63,317.31, with ROI of 19% and NPV of US$ 775,159.40 in the same year.

The Potential Application of Diatom-aided Constructed Floating Wetlands for Domestic Wastewater Treatment

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0700

Urbanization and industrialization have resulted in the generation of a large quantity of wastewater. The substantial amount of resources and capital requirement is driving the growing demand for sustainable, eco-friendly, and cost-effective treatment systems. In this context, extensive research is underway on Constructed Floating Wetlands (CFWs) for wastewater treatment. The present study attempts to treat real-domestic wastewater using diatoms and four different macrophytes, including Eichhornia crassipes, Salvinia molesta, Lemna minor, and Pistia stratiotes. Chemical oxygen demand (COD), phosphates, and total nitrogen (TN) were monitored to assess the ability of individual plants, diatoms, and their combinations to treat wastewater. COD, phosphate, and TN removal efficiencies varied from 56.4% to 86.5%, 64.8% to 99.1%, and 85% to 96.2% respectively, with the plants and their combination with diatoms. A 4-fold increase in wet biomass of the seeded plants and their roots was observed. This increased biomass and root length indicates the acclimatization of plants to the wastewater. The plant biomass produced during the treatment can be a potential substrate for bioenergy and bio-fertilizer production.

Two-Step Reaction for Biodiesel Synthesized from a High-Free Fatty Acid Crude Palm Kernel Oil

Eka Kurniasih, Rahmi Rahmi, Muhammad Dani Supardan, Darusman Darusman — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0700

Biodiesel was synthesized through a two-step reaction using crude palm kernel oil with high-free fatty acids (FFAs) and methanol. The two-step reaction involves esterification and transesterification. Esterification was carried out with a variation of H₂SO₄ (10%, 15%, and 20% w/v) at 65 °C for 120 min. Esterification produced fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) with an ester content of 67.56%. FAME was used as feedstock for transesterification. Transesterification was carried out with variations in reaction time (120, 180, and 240 min) at 65 °C in addition to NaOH 0.5% (w/w). Transesterification produced biodiesel, glycerol, and soap (side product). Biodiesel was separated using decantation and washing with warm distilled water at 40 °C. The optimum biodiesel was obtained at 180 min with 96.59% ester content. The characteristics of the optimum biodiesel were an FFAs of 0.2 mg KOH/g, iodine value of 20.12 g I₂/100 g, density of 0.86 g/mL, kinematic viscosity of 2.51 mm²/s water content of 0.031%, ash content of 0.02%, cetane number of 60.8, flash point of 120 °C. Biodiesel has strong band spectra for C-H on 2,922.70 cm^–¹, C=O on 1,739.38 cm^–¹, C-H₂ on 1,460.25 cm^–¹, C-O on 1,197.29 cm^–¹, and O-H on 3,425.10 cm^–¹. In conclusion, a two-step reaction is an effective method to synthesize biodiesel using CPKO with high FFAs as feedstock.

Progressions in Modified Graphite Electrodes with Green Nanostructured Materials for Low Cost and Sustainable Electrochemical Detection of Environmental Contaminants

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0700