Material characterizations of Moringa oleifera gum (MOG)

Abstract

The present study is focused on an inspection of the behavior of moringa oleifera gum. Attention paid to this material has increased the cultivation of the tree which plays a vital role to reduce global warming. Therefore, the authors make an effort to explore the properties of the material (structural, thermophysical, dielectric, and optical) of moringa oleifera gum (MOG) by X-ray diffraction method (XRD, field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), impedance spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and ultra-violet (UV) visible spectroscopy methods. MOG shows a crystalline nature and its diffraction pattern is matched with the Ca2SiO4 crystalline structure. The existence of the Ca2SiO4 structure is confirmed by elemental composition analysis and FTIR spectroscopy data. The melting point (55 °C) and specific heat capacity (65.43 J/g°C) of MOG are calculated from the DSC thermogram. At the low-frequency region, MOG exhibits conventional polar dielectric behavior with a high dielectric constant. Therefore, it may be used for low-frequency dielectric applications. MOG shows more than 90% of UV shielding efficiency in water and ethanol solvents and the calculated bandgap value MOG is 4.11 eV. Hence, it is suitable for UV shielding and detecting applications.