High Porosity Values Research Articles

Co-extrusion of highly loaded feedstocks for fabrication of stainless steel-bioceramic core-shell structures

Co-extrusion of multi-materials structures shows technological challenges and opportunities. Filaments made of a metallic core and a ceramic shell are one example of how structural and functional features can be combined in a single component to provide a synergic effect. In this work, we focused on the fabrication of shell and core-shell scaffolds for potential applications as bone substitutes. Stainless steel 316L was selected for the core material, whilst in situ synthesized sphene (CaTiSiO5) bioactive ceramic was selected as a shell. The combination of a ductile core and a bioactive ceramic, so as scaffolds made of empty struts may represent a new generation of bone substitutes with mechanical properties closer to the ones of natural bone so as with improved bioactivity. Therefore, formulated inks were co-extruded in one step using a customized printing set-up. Microstructural and mechanical properties were investigated on shell and core-shell filaments and 3D structures. Shell bioceramics scaffolds possessed high porosity and target compression strength values. The sintering environment at the core-shell interface caused severe 316L oxidation thus compromising the ductility of the metallic part, however compression strength increased of 53% compared to shell structures.

Numerical investigation of droplet impacting, spreading and penetration on porous substrates

The behavior of droplets impacting porous surfaces, including spreading and penetration, plays a critical role in various engineering applications, yet the underlying mechanisms governing the interaction between these processes remain unclear. In this study, the complex interplay between droplet spreading and penetration on porous media was comprehensively investigated using the Level Set method. The droplet evolutions outside and inside the porous substrate influenced by droplet size, impact velocity, porosity, particle diameter, surface tension, and dynamic viscosity were explored. The results indicate that increases in droplet size and velocity lead to a simultaneous increase in both spreading factor and penetration depth. Higher values of porosity, particle diameter, and surface tension facilitated droplet penetration, despite at the expense of impeding droplet spreading on porous surfaces. Droplet size and surface tension exhibited less pronounced effects on penetration depth, particularly during the early stages. The spreading factor exhibited a non-monotonic trend with viscosity, initially increasing and subsequently decreasing, while the penetration depth decreased accordingly. Moreover, a larger spreading diameter corresponds to an expanded penetration width. A correlation was proposed to predict the maximum spreading factor based on Weber number, Reynolds number, and Darcy number, which can predict 83 % data in literature with deviations within ±20 %. This study provides new insights into the droplet dynamics on porous media and offers practical guidance for optimizing relevant engineering applications.

Bioactive stem cell-laden 3D nanofibrous scaffolds for tissue engineering

This study presents biomimetic nanoscaffolds composed of electrospun polycaprolactone-collagen (PCL-Coll) nanofibers, loaded with bioactive Arnebia euchroma (AE) extract and stem cells, to develop cell-based tissue engineering constructs. The incorporation of AE extract, known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, into the PCL-Coll nanofibers resulted in nanoscaffolds denoted as PCL-Coll/AE0, PCL-Coll/AE5, PCL-Coll/AE10, and PCL-Coll/AE15, corresponding to AE extract concentrations of 0.0, 5.0, 10.0, and 15.0 wt%, respectively. The PCL-Coll/AE nanoscaffolds exhibited high porosity values of 62.81 ± 4.78 %, 59.9 ± 2.10 %, 52.44 ± 2.66 %, and 46.32 ± 1.35 %, respectively, thereby providing an optimal 3D environment for cell attachment and proliferation. Analysis of the AE extract revealed the presence of abundant shikonin, a key bioactive compound, as indicated by its characteristic absorption bands at 490, 520, and 560 nm. FE-SEM data confirmed the homogeneous immobilization of AE compounds within the 3D nanofiber scaffolds, with fibers averaging 316 ± 137 nm in diameter, falling within the range of natural collagen fibers. To evaluate the structural integrity of the fully stem cell-laden scaffolds, we assessed cell growth, cell attachment within the PCL-Coll/AE nanoscaffolds, the cytoprotective effects of AE extract, and the expression levels of stemness-related genes, including Nanog, Rex1, Sox2, Oct4, Klf4, and C-Myc. Real-time PCR assays indicated that key indicators of stemness were upregulated, with average increases from 120 ± 15 % in PCL-Coll/AE0 to 250 ± 30 % in PCL-Coll/AE15 over a two-week period. These upregulations promote cell proliferation and facilitate cell cycle progression. Data indicate that increasing the concentration of bioactive AE extract within the scaffolds enhanced cell adhesion on the scaffold surface and improved cell viability after 7 days of culture, with viability rising from 109 ± 6.15 % in PCL-Coll/AE0 to 145.5 ± 10.11 % in PCL-Coll/AE15. Cytoprotective assays against oxidative stress induced by H₂O₂ revealed relative cell viability for PCL-Coll/AE0, PCL-Coll/AE5, PCL-Coll/AE10, and PCL-Coll/AE15 as 42.78 ± 5.85 %, 49.29 ± 6.79 %, 64.98 ± 3.32 %, and 78.68 ± 3.09 %, respectively. These results correlate with the antioxidant potency of AE extract compounds, particularly shikonin and its derivatives. Therefore, the cell-laden biomimetic PCL-Coll/AE15 scaffolds, which demonstrate sustained stemness features and a continuous local release of bioactive AE compounds, represent a promising candidate for tissue engineering applications.

Petrophysical Evaluation of Arkoses Reservoirs Based on Well Logs and Plug Samples: A Case Study From Alagamar Formation, Southeastern Portion of Onshore Potiguar Basin, Brazil

The Potiguar Basin is a sedimentary basin located in northeastern Brazil. It covers about 48,000 km² and extends from onshore to offshore. The onshore basin is thought to have formed during the Late Cretaceous, as a result of the opening of the Equatorial South Atlantic Ocean, filled with a thick sequence of sedimentary rocks, including sandstones, shales, and limestones, which were deposited in a variety of processes, including marine, deltaic, and fluvial. The study area is in the southern portion of the basin and the reservoir is composed of arkose sandstones deposited by alluvial fan and fluvial systems of the Upanema Member of the Alagamar Formation, which belongs to the post-rift phase of the Potiguar Basin. Recently, new drilling campaigns revealed a reservoir heterogeneity in these deposits, which requested a new petrophysical approach. Using conventional well logs and petrophysical laboratory analysis of plug samples, this study evaluated the best way to calculate the effective porosity, and shale volume and to understand the stratigraphic controls in the distribution of these properties. Three reservoir zones were mapped: the basal one, Zone 3, has disconnected sand bodies, low porosity, and high shale content; Zone 2 has better petrophysical properties, lateral distribution, and connectivity between the fans and Zone 1 is the better reservoir zone with larger sand bodies, higher porosity values, and well-connected fans.

Application of Cellulose Acetate Propionate Biopolymer Membrane in The Treatment of Textile Wastewater Containing Remazol Dye

Textile liquid waste is pollution resulted from textile industry activities that often produce hazardous and toxic materials. Therefore, appropriate processing techniques are needed. There are many processing methods that can be used in treating this textile liquid waste, one of which is using membrane technology with phase inversion techniques. Membrane technology has advantages over other processing methods such as, being biopolymeric, relatively lower energy consumption, does not use chemicals in the processing process, and does not cause new waste in the processing process. In this study, 3 variations of cellulose acetate propionate (CAP) concentration were carried out in the manufacture of membranes including, 13% CAP; 14% CAP; and 15% CAP. Membranes that have been made are then carried out several analyses, namely porosity analysis; flux analysis; rejection analysis; and color concentration reduction analysis. The results in this study found that the highest porosity value, rejection value and flux value were found in the CAP membrane with a concentration of 13%. The CAP membrane has the best rejection value on reducing the remazol concentration of 43% with a membrane of 13% CAP.

Investigation of synergistic effects incorporating esterified lignin and guar gum composite aerogel for sustained oil spill cleanup

The recently developed aerogel demonstrates a high capacity for pollutant absorption, making it an environmentally friendly option for oily water treatment. In an effort to reduce the adverse effects of the black liquor accumulation in the pulp industry, this study focused on utilizing the mentioned abundant bio-resource lignin, which can be applied to various high-value applications such as 3D porous materials for oil spill cleanup. Lignin, precipitated from the black liquor, was esterified using maleic anhydride as the esterifying reagent to enhance the hydrophobicity. Then, the composite aerogel fabricated from esterified lignin and guar gum (GG) was successfully prepared through the facile freeze-drying, using glutaraldehyde (GA) as the cross-linker. The resulting aerogel exhibited high porosity values exceeding 95%, low density (27.4 mg/cm3), and an impressive absorption capacity of 32.5 g/g for sunflower oil. These results demonstrate the potential of black liquor utilization as a bio-waste source of lignin and highlight the cost-effective guar gum-esterified lignin composite aerogel, which exhibits remarkable oil absorption capabilities and environmental sustainability promotion.

FABRICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF POLYETHERSULFONE (PES) MEMBRANES BY BLENDING POLYMERS FOR REMOVAL OF ORGANIC COMPOUNDS IN AIR

The PES membrane was modified using a polymer blending method to improve the performance and characteristics of the membrane. This research aims to see the effect of adding biosilica additives on the performance characteristics of PES membranes and determine the optimal composition of additives and solvents for making membranes. The membrane was made using the Non-solvent Induced Phase Separation (NIPS) method with a composition consisting of 18% PES, with the addition of varying concentrations of silica (1%, 2%, 3%, and 4%) and the membrane using the solvent N-Methyl- 2 Pyrrolidone (NMP) and Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO). Membrane characterization was carried out by observing membrane morphology using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), membrane surface functional group analysis test using Fourier Tranform Infrared (FTIR), membrane porosity test using the dry-wet weight procedure method, the highest porosity value was found on membrane B2 using a solvent DMSO with 2% silica is 16.88%. Membrane performance was carried out by pure water flux testing, the highest pure water flux value was found in membrane B2 with 2% silica, namely 64.14 L/m2.h. The antifouling test uses flux ratio recovery, the highest antifouling value is found on the A3 membrane with 3% silica, namely 91.3%. As well as rejection of the humic acid solution as a Natural Organic Matter (NOM) sample model using the ultrafiltration (UF) module with a dead end filtration flow system, the highest rejection value was found on the B2 membrane with 2% silica, namely 64.4%.

Two-phase model for inverse Hall–Petch effect in nanocrystalline thin film: Atomistic simulation study

This work presents two methods to improve the understanding of the mechanical behavior of nanocrystalline thin films. Firstly, a simple two-phase model is proposed to explain the inverse Hall–Petch effect. The model suggests that the nanocrystalline material consists of the grain-boundary and the grain interior with different mechanical properties. Secondly, a computational method is developed to create more realistic grain boundaries in simulations of polycrystals. Traditionally created grain boundaries by Voronoi tessellation are too dense and do not accurately reflect the reality and the experimental results. The strength of the nanocrystalline aluminum thin film is simulated using molecular dynamics. The grain size dependence of the elastic modulus, ultimate tensile stress, and engineering yield strength is demonstrated. The experimental values of modulus and strength are approximately 6 times smaller probably due to the presence of porosity in the real sample. An approach is developed to introduce porosity in the simulated samples at the grain boundaries and in the grain interior to reduce this discrepancy. The modeled value of modulus for a grain size of 40 nm without porosity is 67GPa, whereas, with 50% grain-boundary porosity and 20% intra-granular porosity it is 30GPa. For the ultimate tensile strength, we get 3GPa and 1.4GPa for samples without porosity and with porosity, respectively. The simulated values of modulus with porosity are still 4 times higher and the values of strength are about 2 times higher than the experimental ones. The amount of porosity in our method can be adjusted to fit the experimental values; however, high values of porosity cause the mechanical instability of the simulated samples.

A Study on the Optimization of Nano-B4C Content for the Best Wear and Corrosion Properties of the Al-Based Hybrid Nanocomposites

This investigation is dedicated to producing hybrid nanocomposites based on AA2024, achieved through the utilization of powder metallurgy methods encompassing mechanical milling and hot pressing. The research focused on studying how changes in B4C content influence the mechanical, wear, and corrosion behavior of AA2024/h-BN/B4C hybrid nanocomposites. The findings revealed that as the B4C content increased, the relative density values decreased, and higher porosity values were observed in the hybrid nanocomposite samples. Among the tested samples, the hybrid nanocomposite with 4 wt% B4C exhibited the most favorable properties. It demonstrated significantly higher hardness and ultimate tensile strength compared to AA2024 matrix alloy, with values of 161 HB and 372 MPa, respectively. In contrast, the matrix alloy showed hardness and ultimate tensile strength values of 105 HB and 237 MPa, respectively. Furthermore, the wear resistance of hybrid nanocomposite with 4 wt% B4C displayed approximately 14 times greater wear resistance under 40 N load compared to the unreinforced AA2024 matrix alloy. The corrosion test results have revealed that the corrosion resistance of the hybrid nanocomposite reinforced with 4wt% B4C is nearly 47% higher compared to the corrosion resistance of the unreinforced AA2024 alloy. This nanocomposite exhibits the highest polarization resistance of 5.21 Ω.cm2.

The influence of hydrocarbon generation on the sealing capability of mudstone caprock rich in organic matter

To investigate the sealing capability of mudstone caprock during the evolution of organic matter (OM)-rich mudstone, a series of hydrous pyrolysis experiments were first conducted to examine the impact of hydrocarbon generation. The pore type, pore structure, porosity, and gas breakthrough pressure of pyrolytic residual samples were analyzed by field emission scanning electron microscopy, low pressure nitrogen adsorption measurements, porosimetry, and gas breakout core experiments. To model the environment at different depths, these six experiments on hydrous pyrolysis were performed at different temperatures, lithostatic pressures, and hydrodynamic pressures, while other experimental factors such as the original sample, heating time, and rate were kept constant. The results showed that during the thermal evolution process, hydrocarbons were generated from OM in mudstone, resulting in the formation of pores within the OM. Organic acids produced by hydrocarbon generation effectively dissolved minerals, leading to the creation of numerous dissolution pores. Changes in pore type led to changes in pore structure and porosity. The volume of micropores and macropores showed an increasing trend before reaching a Ro value of 1.41%. However, after passing this threshold, they began to decrease. The volume of mesopores showed a decreasing trend before reaching a Ro value of 1.32%. After 1.32%, they began to increase. The porosity was mainly affected by the pore volumes of the mesopores and macropores. The porosity exhibited two peaks: the first occurred at a Ro value of 0.72%, with a porosity level of 4.6%. The second occurred at a Ro value of 1.41% and a porosity level of 10.3%. The breakthrough pressure was a comprehensive reflection of these influences, and its trend exhibited a negative correlation with porosity (R2 = 0.886). For two high values of porosity, the breakthrough pressure corresponded to two low values. Smaller values of the breakthrough pressure indicated a poorer sealing capability of the mudstone caprock. Overall, hydrocarbon generation in the mudstone affected the sealing capability. The mudstone in the studied area exhibited good sealing at Ro below 1.32%. However, once above the 1.32% threshold, the fluctuations of the breakthrough pressure values exhibited considerable variability, requiring a comprehensive evaluation to assess its sealing capability.

Monitoring and Calibrating Building Materials Drying Kinetics with Capacitance Sensors

Building materials’ moisture content defines the overall durability and serviceability of buildings and infrastructures. Conventionally, moisture content is estimated by weighing the materials before and after drying. In this work, the results of capacitance wired sensors for measuring moisture content were investigated. These sensors facilitate in situ measurement of capacitance values, with the aid of specialized installation equipment, and the results are accessible via a cloud-based software application. In practice, the main drawback associated with the application of these sensors is related to their calibration. Thus, it is important to investigate different algorithms which convert capacitance readings into moisture content values. To address this, various specimens covering a diverse set of building materials were prepared in the laboratory. This study focused on examining two bricks, two sedimentary stones with low and high porosity values. and four different kinds of mortars (with different binders, namely hydrated lime putty, cement, natural hydraulic lime, and hydrated lime powder and pozzolan). The results indicated that a linear model can be recommended for calibrating sensor capacitance to moisture content measurements. This model can be used for the prediction of building material moisture content with high accuracy, from saturated to the dry state, covering the full range of drying kinetics.

High Permeability Streak Identification and Modelling Approach for Carbonate Reef Reservoir

Reef reservoirs are characterised by a complex structure of void space, which is a combination of intergranular porosity, fractures, and vuggy voids distributed chaotically in the carbonate body in different proportions. This causes great uncertainty in the distribution of porosity and permeability properties in the reservoir volume, making field development a complex and unpredictable process associated with many risks. High densities of carbonate secondary alterations can lead to the formation of zones with abnormally high porosity and permeability—high permeability streaks or super-reservoirs. Taking into account super-reservoirs in the bulk of the deposit is necessary in the dynamic modelling of complex-structure reservoirs because it affects the redistribution of filtration flows and is crucial for reservoir management. This paper proposes a method for identifying superreservoirs by identifying enormously high values of porosity and permeability from different-scale study results, followed by the combination and construction of probabilistic curves of superreservoirs. Based on the obtained curves, three probabilistic models of the existence of a superreservoir were identified: P10, P50, and P90, which were further distributed in the volume of the reservoir and on the basis of which new permeability arrays were calculated. Permeability arrays were simulated in a dynamic model of the Alpha field. The P50 probabilistic model showed the best history matching after one iteration.

The structure of the pore space of Tournaisian reservoir rocks in the southeast of Tatarstan Republic

The article shows the main types of structures of the porosity of the Tournaisian reservoirs from the southeast of Tatarstan. The main type of pore space is intergrain porosity, while the fractures have a subordinate significance. They are analyzed in detail main factors of the origin of the pore space of the Tournaisian reservoir rock. There are include depositional, diagenetic, structural and tectonically factors. The depositional factor is the selectivity of rock types as reservoirs, only two lithological types of limestone have industrially significant reservoir properties and represented by peloidal and crinoid-peloidal packstones. The diagenetic factor realizes via secondary leaching of carbonate rocks during burial diagenesis of rocks. Leaching processes provide the main increase in rock porosity. On the one hand, the structural and tectonic factor provides the possibility of oil charge in the structure, on the other hand, it shows the heterogeneity of the distribution of porosity depending on the position of the reservoir rocks on the structure. The highest porosity values are characteristic for the crest part, lower for the flanks and minimal for the deflections of the oil-bearing structures.

PETROPHYSICAL CHARACTERIZATION BY 3D MODEL OF ZONES 4 AND 3 OF THE TURONIAN RESERVOIR OF THE KINKASI FIELD IN THE D.R. CONGO COASTAL BASIN

Kinkasi is one of the oil fields of the DR Congo Coastal Basin. It is essentially formed of two main geological units (A and B) in the Turonian, each composed of a succession of different horizons (Zones) according to the type of siltstone. These two main units contain 6 Zones. Unit A consists of Z6 and Z5 of Coniacian age, while the rest of the reservoir (Z4, Z3, Z2 and Z1) is of Turonian age which is characteristic of Unit B. Indeed, the present study is devoted to the petrophysical characterization of the two zones Z4 and Z3 of the unit B in order to locate the interesting zones to develop this oil field. For this fire, we used the data of 11 wells having the geographical coordinates, the porosity, the permeability as well as the water saturation. The processing and interpretation of these data using the Kriging method allowed us to deduce from the scale of appreciation the areas that contain high values of porosity, permeability and water saturation. Porosity in zones 4 and 3 varies from good to very good, saturation 3 to 59% for zone 4 and 32 to 53% for zone 3 as well as permeability from poor to low for both zones. The combined interpretation of these three properties allowed us to find an interesting zone located towards the east of zones 4 and 3 with high porosity and permeability values and low water saturation values.

Reservoir quality of the Late Cretaceous Volador Formation of the Latrobe group, Gippsland Basin, Australia: Implications from integrated analytical techniques

Increasing demand for energy due to the populous Eastern Australia has driven oil and gas industries to find new sources of hydrocarbons as they are the primary energy suppliers. Intensive study has been done on the Volador Formation in the Gippsland Basin by means of core-based petrophysical, sedimentological, and petrographic analyses as well as well log-based interpretation and capillary pressure test. Five wells from Kipper, Basker and Tuna fields with available dataset were investigated in this study: Kipper-1, Basker-1, Basker-2, Basker-5 and Tuna-4. Overall, the formation has good reservoir quality based on the high porosity and permeability values obtained through core and well log petrophysical analyses. The formation made up of mostly moderate to coarse quartz grains that has experienced strong anti-compaction and is poorly cemented. Montmorillonite and illite clays are seen dispersed in the rock formation, with the minority being mixed clays. These clays and diagenetic features including kaolinite cement and quartz overgrowth that can lead to porosity reduction only have insignificant impact on the overall reservoir quality. In addition, capillary pressure data shows that most samples are found in the transition to good reservoir zones (<50% saturation). The results obtained from this study have shown that the Volador Formation in the Gippsland Basin is worth for hydrocarbon exploration.

Three-Dimensional Mass Transfer Modeling of Hydroquinone Adsorption on Phragmites australis Biochar.

In this work, the overall adsorption kinetic process of hydroquinone on Phragmites australis biochar (PAC) was analyzed in depth. A 3D mass transfer model of pore volume and surface diffusion was established, and the diffusion mechanism was analyzed. The characterization results show PAC has a higher porosity value, which is conducive to the adsorption of hydroquinone. The adsorption process modeling results show that the combined effect of pore volume diffusion and surface diffusion promotes the total diffusion process of hydroquinone in the PAC particles, and the two mechanisms of pore volume and surface diffusion exist simultaneously. Under the different operating concentrations, the range of surface diffusion coefficient Ds is 2.5 × 10-10-1.74 × 10-9 cm2/s, and the contribution rate of surface diffusion SDCP% is close to 100%, which is much larger than pore volume diffusion, revealing that regardless of the contact time and position, surface diffusion occupies the main position in intraparticle diffusion.

Impact of the compaction behavior of crushed salt on the thermo-hydro-mechanical response of a generic salt repository for heat-generating nuclear waste

Salt formations are a promising host rock for the disposal of heat-emitting nuclear waste due to their ability to heal fractures, high thermal conductivity, and near-zero permeability. This study investigates the concept of waste emplacement in salt formations by placing waste packages in drifts and backfilling them with crushed salt. The aim is to minimize fracturing and restore the initial properties of the host rock.One of the key issues in assessing the safety and performance of nuclear waste repositories in salt is determining the reconsolidation rate of the crushed salt backfill, which has been traditionally predicted using the C-WIPP model. However, this model was calibrated using data from uniaxial oedometer lab tests, where specimens with high initial porosity values have been compacted to medium porosity values. The observed compaction behavior has then been extrapolated to the low porosity range, leading to a prediction of rapid full reconsolidation of the backfill in less than 20 years. In contrast, the new C-WIPP/TUC model used in this study was calibrated for the medium porosity range, between 17% and 8%, based on more suitable triaxial lab tests. Using coupled Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical (THM) simulations with the TOUGH-FLAC simulator, it was found that the C-WIPP/TUC model predicts a slower reconsolidation rate of the backfill compared to the C-WIPP model, with an average porosity of the backfill remaining roughly 10 times that of natural salt after 10,000 years. The effects of the relatively slow reconsolidation of the crushed salt backfill on the THM behavior of the repository are also examined, highlighting the importance of accurately capturing the behavior of crushed salt for the study of the long-term integrity of a nuclear waste repository in salt.

Analisis Uji Kuat Tekan Uniaksial Batupasir Pada Formasi Pamaluan, Kecamatan Longikis, Kabupaten Paser, Provinsi Kalimantan Timur

The uniaxial compressive strength test was carried out to determine the value of rock strength. This research was conducted on sandstones in the Pamaluan Formation. The tests carried out in this study were physical properties tests, compressive strength tests and grain size tests on sandstones with a total of 30 samples on the physical properties test, 10 samples on the mechanical test and 500 gram grain size test at each point, the purpose of which is to determine the effect of porosity on the compressive strength of rock. In testing the physical properties carried out, the lowest and highest porosity values ​​were 17.27 and 22.91%. The results of the compressive strength test with the lowest and highest values ​​were 3.05 and 7.63 MPa. The grain size test results at points 1 and 2 are the same, namely fine sandstones with a percentage of 45 and 44%. From the results of research that has been done the value of porosity and grain size is very influential on the compressive strength test.

Reservoir characterization, in relation to the petrophysical modeling of Baharyia formation, Razzak field, northern western desert, Egypt

The present work aims to investigate the reservoir characterizations of the Lower Cenomanian Baharyia Formation by creating isoparametic maps to calculate the petrophysical parameters and detect the favorable parts for oil accumulations using the available well logging data. Baharyia Formation is one of the main hydrocarbon sandstone reservoirs in the northern Western Desert of Egypt. About 90% of the Western Desert field produces form Baharyia sandstone Formation. This has been achieved through the analyses of the conventional wireline logs and petrophysical modeling. The Baharyia Formation comprises a complex of depositional lithofacies such as interbedded siltstone, shale, sandstones and pebbly sandstones. Petrophysical modeling of the Baharyia Formation was performed, based on the interpretation of complete wireline logs from five wells in Razzak oil field, north Western desert, Egypt. Petrophysical analysis accomplished, such as: shale volume, total and effective porosities, water saturation and hydrocarbon saturation, were deduced and utilized in the petrophysical subdivision of the Baharyia Formation. Relations between theses petrophysical parameters are established to define the implications of such parameters on the Baharyia Formation. Iso-parametric and litho-saturation crossplots are used to delineate variations in petrophysical parameters across the area. The obtained petrophysical results reveal that, the Baharyia Formation have a good reservoir quality, with high effective porosity values exceeding 18%,volume of shale about 30% and low water saturation values of 25%. The rock genetic types of the Baharyia Formation deduced form the log curve shapes proved that the Baharyia Formation was deposited from fluvial to marine environments passing through the tidal flood plain conditions. However, the lithology of the Baharyia Formation composed of sandstone, siltstone, shale and minor limestone inter-beds.

Curcumin-loaded Butea monosperma gum-based hydrogel: A new excipient for controlled drug delivery and anti-bacterial applications

The wide spectrum of applications provided by curcumin has attracted researchers worldwide to identify its molecular targets and employ it in various biomedical applications. The present research work focuses on the development of a Butea monosperma gum-based hydrogel encapsulated with curcumin and further employing it for two diverse applications, i.e., drug delivery and anti-bacterial application. A central composite design was utilized for the optimization of significant process variables to achieve maximum swelling. A maximum of 662 % swelling was attained at initiator (0.06 g), monomer (3 ml), crosslinker (0.08 g), solvent (14 ml), and time (60 s). Furthermore, the characterization of the synthesized hydrogel was performed via FTIR, SEM, TGA, H1-NMR, and XRD analysis. Various important properties like swelling rate under different solutions, water retention capacity, re-swelling capability, porosity, and density measurement suggested that the prepared hydrogel exhibited a highly stable crosslinked network with high porosity (0.23) and density (62.5 g/cm3) values. The encapsulation efficiency of curcumin in the hydrogel was reported to be 93 % and 87.3 %, respectively, wherein BM-g-poly(AA) ∼ Cur exhibited excellent sustained pH-responsive site release of curcumin at two different pH values, with the maximum amount of release taking place at pH 7.4 (792 ppm) and a minimum at pH 5 (550 ppm) due to the lesser ionization of the functional groups present in the hydrogel at a lower pH value. Additionally, the results from the pH shock studies indicated our material to be stable and efficient even with fluctuations in pH, resulting in the optimal amount of drug release at each pH range. Furthermore, anti-bacterial studies revealed that the synthesized BM-g-poly(AA) ∼ Cur was effective against both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, with maximum values of zones of inhibition of 16 mm in diameter, thereby showing the best results in comparison to the already developed matrices till date. As a result, the newly discovered BM-g-poly(AA) ∼ Cur properties reflect the hydrogel network's suitability for drug release and anti-bacterial applications.