Fourier Transform Infrared Ray Research Articles

Enhancing photo voltaic solar panel efficiency by using a combination of silica based and phase change material coating

This study attempts to enhance the overall efficiency of a photo voltaic solar panel by employing a dual-coating approach. The initial coating consists of a Silica-based anti-reflective material synthesized through an acid-catalyzed sol–gel process, utilizing cetyltrimethylammonium bromide as a template. Subsequently, the second coating was formulated using a phase change material, such as expanded graphite infused with paraffin jelly. The coating materials were characterized using Ultraviolet-Visual ray spectroscopy, Fourier Transform-Infrared Ray spectroscopy, Field Emission-Scanning Electron Microscopy, x-ray Diffraction sepctroscopy, and Thermogravimetry analysis. The panels’ performance had been investigated under three conditions: uncoated, single-coated, and double-coated. These panels were subjected to both indoor and outdoor experiments. Indoor tests were conducted in a laboratory with induced irradiance levels of 350, 600, and 850 W/m2. The corresponding variations in maximum power output, maximum surface temperature and peak current were recorded. For the outdoor experiments, two sets of panels were installed on a rooftop. One set underwent daily surface cleaning, while the other was left untouched, allowing dust accumulation. Over a 45-day period, outdoor experiments were carried out (daily cleaned and unclean panels) to examine the impact of dust accumulation on power loss, current, voltage, surface temperature, energy generation and panel efficiency. Upon comparing the performance of uncoated, single-coated, and double-coated solar panels, it was observed that photovoltaic solar panels coated with both silica-based anti-reflective coating and paraffin jelly-infused expanded graphite coating exhibited superior performance when compared to other coating options.

Extraction and characterization of novel cellulose nanocrystals from Artemisia scoparia straw and their application in hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) films

Abstract This research study reports on the extraction of nanocellulose followed by structural and thermal analysis and application of nanocellulose in hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) nanocomposite films. The cellulose nanocrystals were isolated from Artemisia scoparia straw through an alkaline treatment and bleaching process, followed by sulphuric acid hydrolysis. The HPMC nanocomposite films were prepared by a solution casting method and dried at room temperature. Fourier transform infrared-ray (FTIR) spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) techniques were used to analyze the structural and thermal properties of the materials, including the cellulosic material, the nanomaterial, and the nanocomposites. The FTIR spectra indicated that the extraction procedure was adequate, demonstrating the removal of lignin and hemicellulose and the preparation of nanocellulose. The TGA results revealed the thermal degradation pattern of the cellulose and showed that the HPMC films had enhanced thermal stability. This research demonstrates that A. scoparia straw has potential for the extraction of cellulosic nanomaterial and a wide range of applications in nanocomposites.

Comparison between Ethylcellulose and Polymethacrylate Topical Nanosponges Loaded with Butenafi ne Hydrochloride

In this study, nanosponges (NS) loaded with butenafi ne hydrochloride (a broad-spectrum benzylamine antifungal agent) were successfully prepared by emulsion solvent diff usion method using ethylcellulose or polymethacrylate as retarder polymers. PVA was used as a stabilizer. NS 18 formulations were formulated with various ratios of 1:1, 1:2, and 1:3 (%, w/w), using diff erent PVA concentrations of 0.25, 0.5, and 0.75 (%, w/w). The prepared formulations were tested for particle size in terms of diameter, which ranged from (73.6 ± 15.4–991 ± 11.2 nm) for ethylcellulose NS, and from (116 ± 0.96–1439.6 ± 237.4 nm) for polymethacrylate NS. The entrapment effi ciency of the selected formulas (F1, F10) were (74.12 ± 2.60%) and (72.89 ± 1.41%). The selected formulas F1 and F10 were also evaluated for their polydispersity, yield, and in-vitro drug release. The release of BFNS powder in F10 (90.42 ± 1.81%) was higher than that of ECNS F1 powder (78.53 ± 3.24%) within 24 hours. Evaluation tests of the scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared ray (FTIR), and powder X-ray diff raction (PXRD) confi rmed the NS’ spherical and porous features, the absence of any drug polymer interaction, and the stability of the drug in the delivery system. The two formulas of F1 and F10 were found to exhibit prolonged drug release, which minimizes side eff ects and dosing frequency of BF drug application.

Structural, Optical and Dielectric Properties of Holmium-Doped Nickel-Cadmium Ferrite Nanoparticles Synthesized by Sol-Gel Auto-Combustion Method

Nanoparticles where holmium was substituted with nickel-cadmium Ni0.5Cd0.5HoxFe2-xO4 (X = 0, 0.02, and 0.04) ferrites were synthesized through a sol-gel auto-combustion process to reveal their structural and physical properties. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), a scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared ray (FTIR) spectroscopy, and impedance spectroscopy techniques. XRD revealed the formation of the cubic crystal structure had a preferential orientation along (311). By including holmium, the lattice constant was reduced, while the average crystallite size was increased. SEM analysis revealed that the nanoparticles exhibited regular shapes, and the average grain size increased with the holmium content. FTIR spectroscopy determined that all the organic and inorganic materials had an absorption range of 400 to 4000 cm−1. The dielectric properties were measured between the frequency ranges of 1 kHz and 2 MHz. This shows that the tangent loss and the dielectric constant were raised when the concentration of holmium was increased.

Chemical Composition and Extraction of Micro Crystalline Cellulose from Outer Skin Isolated Coffee Husk

Coffee husk (CH) is a sustainable and abundantly available cellulosic waste material. Its fiber consists of cellulose as the major structural part which leads to potential utilization for the manufacturing of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) products that can be utilized for different industrial applications. In the present study, chemical composition of outer skin-isolated coffee husk was determined and sequential treatments of various untreated (UT) sample, ethanol—toluene treated sample through dewaxed (DW) treatment, sodium hydroxide (NaOH)—treated sample through alkali (AT) treatment, and sulfuric acid (H2SO4)—treated sample through bleaching (BL) treatment have been carried out. The Micro Crystalline Cellulose (MCC) has been extracted through hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) after BL treatment. The BL treatment for MCC extraction process was conducted without chlorine and additional harsh acid treatment, respectively. The characterization of chemically treated samples was carried out to investigate their morphological, physico-chemistry, and thermal behavior through a scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared—ray (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential temperature analyzer (DTA). From the chemical composition analysis; the cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and extractive content were determined and its values were (52.9%), (12.5%), (24.3%), and (9.4%), respectively. In the morphological examination, the great untreated (UT) fiber sample was greatly reduced into a micro-sized BL sample, revealing that (from FTIR analysis) the lignin and hemicellulose contents were greatly removed during chemical treatments and the presence of a micro crystalline cellulose region with 54.7% yield. Also, the sample AT and BL showed the lowest amorphous region in X-RD due to the removal of hemicellulose and lignin. The highest crystallinity index has been determined for the BL sample, i.e., 89.9%. Additionally, the thermal analysis shows that the AT and BL sample has great thermal stability than other (UT and DW) samples at high temperature. Therefore, the outer skin separated coffee husk was prepared from agricultural waste was subjected to eco-friendly chemical treatments to yield MCC. Thus, the extracted MCC is expected to be reliable for replacing other plant materials for the production of crystalline nanomaterial and reinforcing constituent for the fabrication of bio composite.

Synergistic mechanism of acidified water glass and carboxymethyl cellulose in flotation of nickel sulfide ore

• The effect mechanisms of serpentine and talc on sulfide flotation are different. • Acidified water glass can eliminate heterocoagulation between serpentine and talc. • Carboxymethyl cellulose can inhibit talc flotation . • When serpentine and talc coexist, dispersants and inhibitors need to be used together. Efficiently utilizing nickel sulfide ores containing multiple magnesium silicate gangue minerals through flotation is difficult. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the flotation behavior and discussed the mechanism of a refractory nickel sulfide ore with multiple MgO gangue minerals. The synergistic mechanism of acidified water glass (AWG) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) in the flotation of the nickel sulfide ore was studied through flotation tests, zeta potential measurements, adsorption capacity tests, Fourier transform infrared ray (FTIR) spectroscopy, and observation under a microscope. The results showed that the addition of AWG could change the electrical properties on the surface of serpentine, weaken the heterogeneous aggregation of serpentine and talc, and increase the selective adsorption of CMC on the talc surface. The actual ore flotation test was conducted with the synergistic effect of AWG and CMC. In the practical flotation test of the ore, the concentration of MgO in the concentrate, compared with the original process with CMC alone, was reduced from 9.62% to lesser than 5.92%, with the combined synergistic action of acidified sodium silicate and CMC acting as the depressant. Simultaneously, the grade and recovery of Ni from the Ni-mixed concentrate remained unchanged, and the inhibiting effect of the magnesium-bearing gangue minerals improved.

Biochar production via pyrolysis of citrus peel fruit waste as a potential usage as solid biofuel

Renewable energy sources such as biomass have been proven to be one of the promising sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels. However, using biomass directly as a fuel is less attractive due to its high moisture content, poor grindability, low bulk density, and low energy density nature. Hence biomass can be converted into biochar to overcome these challenges. In this study, biochar was derived from citrus peels biomass by slow pyrolysis over the temperature range of 300–700 °C. The effect of pyrolysis temperature on the quality of citrus peels-derived biochar was examined based on the physical and chemical properties obtained from various analyses. The citrus peels biomass and biochar were characterized by means of higher heating value (HHV) analysis, field emission scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (FESEM-EDX), Fourier transform infrared ray (FTIR) analysis, proximate and thermogravimetric analysis. Based on the characterization results, the potential usage of the derived biochar as a solid fuel was discussed. Results obtained from the pyrolysis experiments indicated that a lower pyrolysis temperature produced a higher char yield. The carbon content and energy content of biochar were found to be increasing with pyrolysis temperature. Biochar produced at 500 °C presented the best fuel properties by having the highest value of HHV and carbon content. The results from this study provided great insights into biomass waste reutilisation to generate value-added biochar for renewable energy production in Malaysia.

Physicochemical characterization of lignocellulose fibers obtained from seedpods of <i>Wrightia tinctoria</i> plant

<abstract> <p>Characterization of new innovative natural seed fibers from seedpods or fruits of various plants has increased popularly in textile, automotive, and construction industries due to various aspects, availability, and biodegradability. In addition, these fibers provide sustainable solutions to support technological innovation in numerous industrial applications. The current research aims to investigate the new lignocellulose fibers extracted from <italic>Wrightia tinctoria</italic> seedpods. The obtained Wrightia tinctoria seed fibers (WTSFs) were characterized via Scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared-ray (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to understand the fibers physicochemical properties. Complete experimental study of natural seed fibers of <italic>Wrightia tinctoria</italic> found to be a lignocellulose fiber and contains unique characteristics. Surface morphological studies reveal that, WTSFs contain smoother surface which is beneficial to develop a good bond with matrix while making composites. It does not get wet quickly with water due to fatty, wax, mineral matters, and higher lignin content on the fiber surface which means the fiber is soft compared with other natural seed fibers. These unique properties of WTSFs ascertain as a suitable material for polymer fabrication process, which would be favourable to develop good bonding with the matrix for making composites and also useful for insulating composite materials.</p> </abstract>

Extraction of Microcrystalline Cellulose from Washingtonia Fibre and Its Characterization.

Washingtonia is a desert plant with great sustainability and renewability in nature and is abundantly cultivated across global urban regions. Its fibre biomass comprises cellulose as the major structural part, and this is why it can be potentially utilized as an alternative biomaterial for manufacturing microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) products that can be widely applied in industrial fields. In the present study, NaOH-treated Washingtonia fibre (WAKL), NaClO2-treated Washingtonia fibre (WBLH), and Washingtonia microcrystalline cellulose (WMCC) were extracted through combined treatments of alkalization, bleaching, and acidic hydrolysis, respectively. The obtained chemically treated fibre samples were subjected to characterization to investigate their morphology, physico-chemistry, and thermal stability. In a morphological examination, the large bunch WAKL fibre reduced into small size WMCC fibrils, evidencing that the lignin and hemicellulose components were greatly eliminated through chemical dissolution. The elemental composition revealed that almost all impurities of anions and cations had been removed, particularly for the WMCC sample, showing its high purity of cellulose content. Additionally, the WMCC sample could attain at 25% yield, giving it the advantage for feasible economic production. Furthermore, the physicochemical analysis, Fourier Transform Infrared-ray (FTIR), indicated the presence of a crystalline cellulose region within the WMCC structure, which had promoted it with high crystallinity of 72.6% as examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD). As for thermal analysis, WMCC showed greater thermal stability comparing to WAKL and WBLC samples at high temperature. Therefore, Washingtonia fibre can be a reliable biosubstituent to replace other plant material for MCC production in the future.

Development of Bi-Functional Heterogeneous Catalyst for Transesterification of Waste Cooking Oil to Biodiesel: Optimization Studies

Biodiesel production waste cooking oil is usually limited by its high free fatty acid and moisture content. The synergetic effect of both base and acid source from biomass was employed to proffer way out to this challenge. This study shows the coupled development of sulfonated carbonized corn cob (S-CCC) and calcined cow-bone (C-CB) catalysts for transesterification of waste cooking oil. The catalyst was prepared by physically mixing several mass percentages of S-CCC and C-CB (fluorapatite) in strategic proportions. The maximum biodiesel yield of 96.2 % was attained for catalyst mixture of 60 wt% and 40 wt%. The developed catalyst mixture was characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Ray (FTIR), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX), Brunauer–Emmett-Teller (BET). The surface area (472.3 m2/g), pore size (2.4330 nm) and volume (0.1380 cc/g) were obtained for the catalyst. The XRD shows that the crystallized structure of the bifunctional catalyst was formed majorly between 2 theta 10 and 65.Also the SEM shows a well dispersive pattern of the particles of the catalyst. The developed catalyst was employed for biodiesel optimization studies by varying factors such as time, temperature, catalyst loading and methanol: oil using optimal design under the response surface methodology. Maximum yield of 98.98 % was attained at time 6 h, temperature 65 °C, catalyst loading 6 %wt/ wt of oil and methanol to oil ratio of 11.75:1. It was observed that time and temperature had notable effect on the biodiesel yield.

Production and characterisation of adsorbents synthesised by hydrothermal carbonisation of biomass wastes

Surface structure and chemical properties of adsorbents are important factors required to understand the mechanism of adsorption. The purpose of this study was to produce hydrochars from biomass using hydrothermal carbonisation (HTC) and to analyse their sorption capacities. The biomass used in this study were coco-peat (CP), coconut shell (CS), eggshell (ES), rice husk (RH) and lemon peel (LP). The operating conditions for HTC were 200 °C and 20 h residence time. The characterisation methods consisted of Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier Transform Infrared Ray (FTIR) Spectroscopy, and Brunauer, Emmett and Teller (BET). The results showed that HTC improved the sorption capacities of the biomass wastes. It was found that hydrochars were crispy and flaky with more micro- and meso-porous structures, indicating that lignin and other components were denatured due to carbonisation. This led to the creation of more active sites for sorption and pollutant binding. The hydrochars showed a percentage increase in carbon content and a decrease in oxygen content with traces of other elements, compared to their corresponding raw biomass. The major functional groups identified were –OH and –COOH. The surface area of the hydrochars which include CP (2.14 m2/g), CS (14.04 m2/g), ES (0.50 m2/g), RH (15.74 m2/g), and LP (6.89 m2/g) were significantly improved compared with those of the raw biomass. The study showed that the hydrochars produced from the biomass wastes have the potential to be used as adsorbents.

New Cellulosic Fibers from Washingtonia Tree Agro-wastes: Structural, Morphological, and Thermal Properties

ABSTRACT Washingtonia is a palm tree that enriched with lignocellulosic biomass, which provided it with the potentiality for various applications. In this study, different biomass from Washingtonia plant, i.e. leaf stalk (W-LS), trunk core (W-TC), and trunk spine (W-TS) fibers, were collectively investigated by characterization. Under scanning electron microscopy (SEM) examination, the spine-shape structure of W-TS fiber along with its small particle size might facilitate it for fabrication reactivity. From chemical and elemental composition analysis, both W-TC and W-TS fibers were found with high cellulose content, while with the closely similar residual elements, suggesting them from the same source of trunk segment. However, the low cellulose content of W-LS fiber with its high ash content had somehow reduced its crystallinity and thermal stability properties. From X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, the crystallinity was estimated the highest for W-TS (68.2%), and while with the lowest for W-LS fiber (57.3%), which in line with the detected functional groups by Fourier Transform Infrared-ray (FTIR) spectrophotometry. In thermogravimetry (TGA) analysis, all fibers possessed great thermal resistance with Tonset in the range of 307.4–328.1°C and Tpeak in the range of 352.4–347.9°C. Washingtonia fiber had a high potential to be applied as a bio-material for versatile applications in the future.

Characterization of Microcrystalline Cellulose Isolated from Conocarpus Fiber.

Conocarpus fiber is an abundantly available and sustainable cellulosic biomass. With its richness in cellulose content, it is potentially used for manufacturing microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), a cellulose derivative product with versatile industrial applications. In this work, different samples of bleached fiber (CPBLH), alkali-treated fiber (CPAKL), and acid-treated fiber (CPMCC) were produced from Conocarpus through integrated chemical process of bleaching, alkaline cooking, and acid hydrolysis, respectively. Characterizations of samples were carried out with Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX), Fourier Transform Infrared-Ray (FTIR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetric (TGA), and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). From morphology study, the bundle fiber feature of CPBLH disintegrated into micro-size fibrils of CPMCC, showing the amorphous compounds were substantially removed through chemical depolymerization. Meanwhile, the elemental analysis also proved that the traces of impurities such as cations and anions were successfully eliminated from CPMCC. The CPMCC also gave a considerably high yield of 27%, which endowed it with great sustainability in acting as alternative biomass for MCC production. Physicochemical analysis revealed the existence of crystalline cellulose domain in CPMCC had contributed it 75.7% crystallinity. In thermal analysis, CPMCC had stable decomposition behavior comparing to CPBLH and CPAKL fibers. Therefore, Conocarpus fiber could be a promising candidate for extracting MCC with excellent properties in the future.

Mid-FTIR and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy Based Evaluation of Oxidation Tendencies of Lubricating Oils for Effective Oil and Gas Operations

Lubricants help combat an array of challenges posed during both onshore and offshore operations including in the application of thrusters, mud pumps, mud agitators, drive systems, lifts/hoists systems etc. The evaporation loss of lubricating engine oil can significantly impact the engine’s performance and emissions, by thermal degradation and corrosion. The present research focuses on challenges arising due to oxidation of lubricating oils used in different machinery by implementing thorough quantitative analysis. The interferometry was adopted to test oil samples and infrared rays were resolved into its component wavelength relative to associated functional group such as C=O and O-H groups. The frequency domain was retrieved from interferometric data by Fourier transformation with the help of FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Ray) spectrometer. To comprehensively understand the wear and tear process inside the peripheries of the engine, atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) was used for determination of metals concentration. The changes in physical and chemical properties of oil samples were discussed to retrieve useful interpretations including percentage of wear and tear was found to be 15.2% at 3000 engine running hours. The research concluded by addressing the potential impact of oxidation by-products on the lubrication performance which ultimately influence the efficiency of the oil and gas upstream operations. The research inferred to contribute towards establishing a relative deterministic approach for predicting the oxidative tendencies of lubricating oils whilst keeping in view its physical characteristics.

Efficient and green catalytic degradation of high crosslinked rigid PU foam and recovery value-added products via selective cleavage of C–O and C–N bonds

The degradation and recovery of waste rigid polyurethane foam (RPUF) have confronted enormous challenge because of its three-dimensional network. An efficient strategy was developed for chemical recycling of high value-added aromatic polyamines and polyether polyols via selective cleavage of carbamate and urea bonds from RPUF and characterized by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Fourier Transform Infrared Ray (FT-IR). The carbamate and urea bonds were readily cleaved using (NH2)2CO/CH3CH2OH as degradation system at 180 °C for 10 h. Nevertheless, the C–C bonds and C–O–C of ether linkages as framework structure remained intact in the degradation process. Eventually, the high value-added products including aromatic polyamines and polyether polyols were retrieved. A feasible mechanism for degradation was proposed based on the NMR observations.

Microcrystalline Cellulose from Fruit Bunch Stalk of Date Palm: Isolation and Characterization

Present study deals with the extraction and isolation of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) from date palm fruit bunch stalk (DPFS) of date palm tree (Phoenix dactylifera L.) through integrated chemical method. To facilitate comparative study, each DPFS-treated, DPFS-pulp and DPFS-MCC samples were produced through respective bleaching, alkaline and acid hydrolysis treatments. The obtained samples were characterized in aspects of structural, morphological, elemental, crystallinity and thermal properties. From physicochemical analysis, fourier transform infrared ray (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed the improved cellulose crystalline structure from DPFS-treated to DPFS-MCC. Morphology analysis revealed that the isolated DPFS-pulp and DPFS-MCC samples had microfibrillar structure, which achieved through the fibre disintegration by a series of chemical treatments. Moreover, the rigidity was also found the highest for isolated DPFS-MCC with 79.4% crystallinity degree. Further, the DPFS-MCC sample manifested better thermal properties for its high weight loss (84.15%), low residual weight (15.44%) and high decomposition temperature (364.2 °C) compared to the other fibre samples. Also, the DSC analysis showed the thermal behaviour which is in line with the thermal decomposition of those fibre samples. Therefore, in view of the overall result, the isolated DPFS-MCC could act as potential filler for reinforcing polymeric materials in composite field of applications.

Effect of operational parameters on the photocatalytic degradation of Methylene blue dye solution using manganese doped ZnO nanoparticles

Abstract Photocatalytic degradation of aqueous solution of methylene blue dye under UV light illumination was studied by using manganese doped ZnO ( Z n 1 - x M n x O , where x = 0.00 , x = 0.02 a n d x = 0.05 ) nanoparticles as a photocatalyst. The nanophotocatalysts were synthesized by wet chemical co-precipitation method. The structural, morphological, and optical properties of the photocatalysts were done by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron microscope (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-Ray (EDX), photoluminescence (PL), Fourier Transform Infrared Ray (FTIR) and UV–visible spectroscopic techniques. An improved photocatalytic efficiency of ZnO was observed upon doping with Mn and 2% Mn-doped ZnO exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity among the doped samples. The effect of operating parameters such as amount of catalyst, the initial dye concentration, and initial pH on the rate of dye degradation using 2% Mn-doped ZnO was studied. Under the optimum operation conditions, approximately 99% of dye removal was achieved after 120 min of irradiation.

Characterization of Photoprotective Hydroxiapatite from <i>Fringescale sardinella</i> (Valenciennes, 1847) Bones as Natural Sunscreen for Cosmeceutical Treatments

Fish processing industry has led to large amounts of waste every year around the world. However, waste from the fish bone contains valuable compound such as hydroxyapatite (HAp). Fish bones are natural resources and have an attractive added value which contains HAp that can potentially be used as hybrid sunscreen. Therefore, Fringescale sardinella (Valenciennes, 1847) bones have been discovered and HAp was synthesized to be applied in cosmeceuticals applications. The properties of HAp from Fringescale sardinella bones have been characterized with Fourier Transform Infrared Ray (FTIR) and Cytotoxicity test. The emulsions have been formulated and tested under Ultraviolet Visible (UV-Vis) Spectroscopy. Results had indicated that fish bones doped with FeCl2 shows higher tendency as sunscreen compared to MnCl2 and unmodified bones. Thus, the utilization of waste from fish bones will not only adding value to the by-products, but also help in reducing pollution to the environment and preventing from global warming. Hence, formulation on emulsion synthesized from fish bone is designed as a new hybrid innovation in cosmeceutical products and boost up the efficiency of skin prevention from UV radiation.

Isolation and characterization of nanocrystalline cellulose from roselle-derived microcrystalline cellulose

Roselle fiber is a renewable and sustainable agricultural waste enriched with cellulose polysaccharides. The isolation of Nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) from roselle-derived microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) is an alternative approach to recover the agricultural roselle plant residue. In the present study, acid hydrolysis with different reaction time was carried out to degrade the roselle-derived MCC to form NCC. The characterizations of isolated NCC were conducted through Fourier Transform Infrared Ray (FTIR), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). As evaluated from the performed morphological investigations, the needle-like shape NCC nanostructures were observed under TEM and AFM microscopy studies, while irregular rod-like shape of NCC was observed under FESEM analysis. With 60min hydrolysis time, XRD analysis demonstrated the highest NCC crystallinity degree with 79.5%. In thermal analysis by TGA and DSC, the shorter hydrolysis time tended to produce NCC with higher thermal stability. Thus, the isolated NCC from roselle-derived MCC has high potential to be used in application of pharmaceutical and biomedical fields for nanocomposite fabrication.

Recovery of high specific area silica and sodium fluoride from sodium hexafluorosilicate

Sodium fluoride and high specific area silica were synthesized by using sodium hexafluorosilicate (Na2SiF6) and sodium carbonate decahydrate (Na2CO3·10H2O). The influencing factors of react temperature, contact time, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and molar ratio of Na2SiF6 to Na2CO3·10H2O were investigated. The optimum process involves the reaction of 0.075 mol Na2SiF6 and 150 mL, 0.225 mol Na2CO3·10H2O (molar ratio of 1:3) at 85 °C for 90 min, and 2.0×10−3 mol sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as additive. The results show that the purities of SiO2 and NaF at extraction yields of 96.5% and 98.0% are 91.0% and 98.6%, respectively. The obtained SiO2 were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared ray (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis (DSC-TGA), N2 absorption/desorption (BET) and laser particle size analyzer. The result demonstrates that SiO2 particles have a high BET surface area of 103 m2/g, and a mean grain size of 985 nm.