Optimal Carbon Research Articles

Synthesis Optimization of Activated Carbon Driven from Scrap Tire for Adsorbent Yield and Methylene Blue Removal under Response Surface Methodology

This study aimed to investigate the synthesis optimization of activated carbon-driven scrap tires for adsorbent yield and methylene blue removal under response surface methodology. The scrap tire sample was activated by KOH using ethanol as a solvent. The optimized activated carbon was characterized using proximate analysis, scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Brunauer Emmett Teller (BET) method. The activated carbon was demineralized using 5 M NaOH + 98% H2SO4 (1 : 1) as a solvent to enhance the surface area. Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, and Dubinin-Radushkevich models were used to check the adsorption isotherm. The adsorption kinetics was checked using pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order models. Weber-Morris intraparticle diffusion model was used to study the diffusion mechanism. The optimum impregnation ratio, impregnation time, and carbonization temperature for synthesizing the activated carbon were 2 g/g, 12 hr, and 700°C, respectively. The moisture content, volatile matter, ash content, fixed carbon, and bulk density of the activated carbon were 6.13%, 9.42%, 5.34%, 79.11%, and 0.89 mg/L, respectively. The surface area of optimized activated carbon was enhanced by demineralization process and increased from 53 m2/g to 260.26 m2/g. Temkin adsorption isotherm with R2 values of 0.982 and pseudo-second-order adsorption kinetics with R2 values of 0.999 best fits the experimental data respectively. Intraparticle diffusion was not the only rate-controlling step for both optimized and demineralized (NaOH + H2SO4) activated carbon. It can be concluded that the optimized and demineralized activated carbon derived from scrap tires has a promising potential to be used as a low-cost adsorbent in developing countries including Ethiopia. However, further investigation needs to be conducted before scaling up at industrial level.

Embedding amorphous MoSx within hierarchical porous carbon by facile one-pot synthesis for superior sodium ion storage

The design of anode materials with a high specific capacity, high cyclic stability, and superior rate performance is required for the practical applications of sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). In this regard, we introduce in this work a facile, low-cost and scalable method for the synthesis of nanocomposites of amorphous molybdenum sulfide (a-MoSx) and hierarchical porous carbon and have systematically investigated their performance for sodium ion storage. In the synthesis, ammonium molybdate tetrahydrate and thioacetamide are used as molybdenum and sulfur sources, respectively, with abundant corn starch as the carbon source and KOH as an activation agent. A simple pyrolysis of their mixtures leads to the formation of nanocomposites with a-MoSx embedded within a hierarchical porous carbon (MoSx@HPC), which are featured with a high surface area of up to 518.4 m2 g−1 and hierarchical pores ranging from micropores to macropores. It has also been shown that the annealing of MoSx@HPC results in the formation of crystalline MoS2 nanosheets anchored in the hierarchical porous carbon matrix (MoS2@HPC). The as-prepared nanocomposite MoSx@HPC1 at an optimum carbon content of 32 wt% delivers a high specific sodium storage capacity of 599 mAh g−1 at 0.2 A g−1 and a high-rate performance with a retained capacity of 289 mAh g−1 at 5 A g−1. A comparison of the electrochemical performances of MoSx@HPC and MoS2@HPC demonstrates the superior specific capacity, rate performance, and charge transfer kinetics of the former, highlighting the unique advantageous role of amorphous MoSx relative to crystalline MoS2.

Biomass‐based Self‐single‐oxygen Heteroatom‐doped Hierarchical Porous Carbon Nanosheets for High‐performance Symmetrical Supercapacitors

AbstractBiomass‐based porous carbon holds potential for improving the electrochemical performance of supercapacitors due to its high surface area, 2D nanostructure, 3D hierarchical pores, and self‐multi‐doped‐heteroatoms. Here, 2D and 3D porous carbon nanostructures, as well as self‐single‐doped oxygen were successfully obtained from Moringa oleifera leaves waste by a facile, time‐saving, and cost‐effective strategy. The dried powder precursor was chemically provided with 0.5 m/L H3PO4 and ZnCl2 solutions at high‐temperature pyrolysis. Furthermore, electrode material was designed with sleekly slim binder‐free solid coins. The obtained porous carbon has a 2D nanosheet‐nanofiber and rich‐3D hierarchical porous structure with significantly high sub‐ultra micropores. Meanwhile, 17.62 % self‐doped oxygen was found to provide an extra pseudocapacitance effect. The optimum carbon possessed high electrochemical properties at a specific capacitance of 201 F g−1 in 1 M H2SO4 electrolyte. Furthermore, the maximum energy density was obtained at 25 Wh kg−1, at optimum power of 122 W kg−1 in current density of 1.0 A g−1. The electrochemical behavior of these samples was also reviewed through a 1 M Na2SO4 neutral aqueous electrolyte. Therefore, the great potential of Moringa oleifera leaves was observed as a porous carbon source with good material properties for enhancing the performance of electrochemical energy storage devices.

Optimization of the Carbonization Parameter of Exhausted Coffee Husk (ECH) as Biochar for Pb and Cu Removal Based on Energy Consumption

Recent studies on agricultural waste as a potential precursor of biochar for heavy metals removal from aqueous solution had not considered exhausted coffee husk (ECH) as the potential one. It is well-known that the carbonization process influences the removal performance of biochar, particularly removal efficiency (RE). However, previous studies rarely considered the energy consumption during the carbonization process. The major objective of this study is to investigate the optimum carbonization parameter on ECH biochar for removal of ion Pb and Cu from economic stand point. The ECH biochar was produced at the different heating temperature (300 – 600°C) and heating time (30 – 120 minutes). In regard to specific cost of bio-sorption, the results showed that 500°C was the optimum heating temperature of ECH biochar for the Pb removal, while 600°C was the optimum one for the Cu removal. Furthermore, the heating time experimental outcomes suggested that the optimum heating time were 30 minutes for Pb removal and 120 minutes done Cu removal. Key words: Biochar, carbonization temperature, carbonization time, exhausted coffee husk, specific energy cost

Impact of Agroclimatic Variables on Proteogenomics in Sugar Cane (Saccharum spp.) Plant Productivity.

Sugar cane (Saccharum spp. hybrids) is a major crop for sugar and renewable bioenergy worldwide, grown in arid and semiarid regions. China, the world’s fourth-largest sugar producer after Brazil, India, and the European Union, all share ∼80% of the global production, and the remaining ∼20% of sugar comes from sugar beets, mostly grown in the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, also used as a raw material in production of bioethanol for renewable energy. In view of carboxylation strategies, sugar cane qualifies as one of the best C4 crop. It has dual CO2 concentrating mechanisms located in its unique Krantz anatomy, having dimorphic chloroplasts located in mesophylls and bundle sheath cells for integrated operation of C4 and C3 carbon fixation cycles, regulated by enzymes to upgrade/sustain an ability for improved carbon assimilation to acquire an optimum carbon economy by producing enhanced plant biomass along with sugar yield under elevated temperature and strong irradiance with improved water-use efficiency. These superior intrinsic physiological carbon metabolisms encouraged us to reveal and recollect the facts for moving ahead with the molecular approaches to reveal the expression of proteogenomics linked with plant productivity under abiotic stress during its cultivation in specific agrizones globally.

Hierarchically Porous Carbon from Phoenix dactylifera Seed for High-Performance Supercapacitor Applications

Abstract Large surface area hierarchically nanoporous activated carbons are prepared by KOH activation and high temperature carbonization of agricultural waste, Phoenix dactylifera (date) seeds. The nanoporous activated carbon obtained by this method has excellent surface porosity with very large surface area, typically 2383.2 m2 g−1, and large pore volume (1.76 cm3 g−1) due to their interconnected micro- and mesoporous structure. The hierarchically nanoporous material of this activated carbon leads to excellent electrochemical charge storage capability for their application as supercapacitor electrode materials. In a three-electrode cell, an optimum carbon sample exhibited high specific capacitance ca. 386 F g−1 at a current density of 1 A g−1 with excellent retention of specific capacitance (63%) at a very high current density of 50 A g−1. Cyclic stability is also excellent with 98% specific capacitance retention after 10,000 charge-discharge cycles. These hierarchical nanoporous activated carbons derived from agricultural waste materials have sufficient potential for use as electrode materials in commercial, and advanced supercapacitors.

Effect of nutrient and physical parameters on dibenzothiophene desulfurization activity of Streptomyces sp. VUR PPR 101 isolated from oil contaminated soils of mechanical workshops

Motor vehicles use petroleum products and release sulfur dioxide gas which causes deleterious effects to environment and humans. The sulfur containing compounds present in petroleum products especially organosulfur compounds serve as major source of sulfur dioxide emission. During refining process, petroleum products are subjected to hydrodesulfurization for the removal of sulfur, which is not an efficient method and most of the organosulfur compounds are not eliminated particularly dibenzothiophene and its derivatives. A process known as biodesulfurization which employs microorganisms was suggested to be an alternative to hydrodesulfurization. The dibenzothiophene was selected as model organosulfur compound to perform biodesulfurization studies due its high recalcitrant nature. The microbes which remove sulfur via 4S pathway from organosulfur compounds (dibenzothiophene) are commercially important. In the present study, the effect of different nutrient sources (carbon, nitrogen and amino acid sources at different concentrations) and physical parameters like temperature and pH on dibenzothiophene desulfurization activity (via 4S pathway) of Streptomyces sp. VUR PPR 101 was studied and optimized. The optimum carbon and nitrogen sources for DBT biodesulfurization activity were found to be 4% glucose and 1% yeast extract, respectively. The best amino acid source reported was 0.3 mg/ml glutamine. At a temperature of 300C and pH 7.0, the organism showed maximum biodedulfurization activity.

Pseudomonas oligotrophica sp. nov., a Novel Denitrifying Bacterium Possessing Nitrogen Removal Capability Under Low Carbon-Nitrogen Ratio Condition.

Pseudomonas is a large and diverse genus within the Gammaproteobacteria known for its important ecological role in the environment. These bacteria exhibit versatile features of which the ability of heterotrophic nitrification and aerobic denitrification can be applied for nitrogen removal from the wastewater. A novel denitrifying bacterium, designated JM10B5aT, was isolated from the pond water for juvenile Litopenaeus vannamei. The phylogenetic, genomic, physiological, and biochemical analyses illustrated that strain JM10B5aT represented a novel species of the genus Pseudomonas, for which the name Pseudomonas oligotrophica sp. nov. was proposed. The effects of carbon sources and C/N ratios on denitrification performance of strain JM10B5aT were investigated. In addition, the results revealed that sodium acetate was selected as the optimum carbon source for denitrification of this strain. Besides, strain JM10B5aT could exhibit complete nitrate removal at the low C/N ratio of 3. Genomic analyses revealed that JM10B5aT possessed the functional genes including napA, narG, nirS, norB, and nosZ, which might participate in the complete denitrification process. Comparative genomic analyses indicated that many genes related to aggregation, utilization of alkylphosphonate and tricarballylate, biosynthesis of cofactors, and vitamins were contained in the genome of strain JM10B5aT. These genomic features were indicative of its adaption to various niches. Moreover, strain JM10B5aT harbored the complete operons required for the biosynthesis of vibrioferrin, a siderophore, which might be conducive to the high denitrification efficiency of denitrifying bacterium at low C/N ratio. Our findings demonstrated that the strain JM10B5aT could be a promising candidate for treating wastewater with a low C/N ratio.

ZIF-8 derived carbon with confined sub-nanometer pores for electrochemically selective separation of chloride ions

Selective ion separation from aqueous solution is challenging and crucial for water purification. In this work, zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-8) derived nano-porous carbon (NC-X-A) with confined sub-nanometer pores was synthesized by acid leaching and alkali activation after the carbonization of ZIF-8 precursor for the selective electrochemical separation of chloride ions (Cl−). Here, the uptake capacity and selectivity of Cl− were improved by changing the carbonization temperature to tune the specific surface area and pore size. Based on the size confinement effect and the difference in free energies of dehydration, the obtained optimum carbon film, i.e., NC-1000-A coated electrode, exhibited separation factors of 1.384, 1.952 and 2.970 for Cl−/Br−, Cl−/F− and Cl−/SO42−, respectively. It also showed fast uptake/release ability with an uptake equilibrium time less than 90 min. The Cl− uptake capacity reached to 64.06 mg g−1 and retained 99.7% of its initial value even after 1000 uptake/release cycles due to its porous structure with high specific surface area, good electrical conductivity and extra electric driving force during the ESIX process. Thus, it is expected that this kind of carbon film would be applied as a promising electroactive material for the selective separation of Cl− from wastewater.

Synthesis and electrochemical performance of in‐situ and ex‐situ carbon‐ coated Na2Ti3O7, as a promising anode for sodium‐ion batteries

AbstractInsertion‐type layered Na2Ti3O7 has attracted the attention of the researchers and is considered to be one of the promising low‐voltage anode materiasl for sodium‐ion batteries. In spite of its fascinating electrochemical properties, the low electronic conductivity and structural instability of Na2Ti3O7 are major drawbacks that restrict its practical application. Surface modification with pyrolytic carbon is one of the effective ways to reduce irreversible capacity loss caused by electrolytic degradation. In this work, attempts have been made to investigate the effects of different carbon coating approaches on the electrochemical properties of sol‐gel‐synthesized Na2Ti3O7 microrods. The as‐synthesized Na2Ti3O7 rods are coated with a uniform carbon layer both by in‐situ and ex‐situ methods using citric acid and polyvinyl alcohol as carbon source, respectively. Ex‐situ carbon‐coated Na2Ti3O7 (Na2Ti3O7@C), due to better coating uniformity and higher graphitized carbon percentage, shows enhanced cyclability and rate performance compared to bare material and in‐situ carbon composite (Na2Ti3O7/C). Following the ex‐situ carbonization method using PVA as carbon source, it is found that increase of carbon content from 5wt% to 10wt% significantly improves its electrochemical properties. However, further increase in PVA amount has adverse effect on the cycling as well as rate performance of Na2Ti3O7@C. Surface modified Na2Ti3O7@C with optimum carbon content (10wt% C) shows improved cycling capacity (capacity retention ∼74.75% after100 cycle) and rate performance (∼67 mAhg‐1 at 1.5 Ag‐1). Both excess and inadequate carbon content have detrimental effect on the electrochemical properties of Na2Ti3O7 anode.

Optimization of IAA production by telluric bacteria isolated from northern Algeria

IAA production is among the most important mechanisms used by PGPB to improve plant growth, health, and productivity. Out of twenty-eight telluric bacterial isolates, the four producing high IAA amounts were identified by 16S rDNA gene sequencing as Bacillus subtilis (A7), Bacillus pumilus (E11), and Pseudomonas fluorescens (A5 and E9). IAA production conditions viz. incubation time, pH, temperature, tryptophan concentration, and carbon and nitrogen sources at different concentrations were optimized. These strains showed variations in the optimum of each parameter except incubation time which was 4 days for all strains. Fructose at 0.5% was the optimum carbon source for three of the tested strains. The four strains showed different preferences for the nitrogen source concerning IAA production.

Detoxification of a pyrolytic aqueous condensate from wheat straw for utilization as substrate in Aspergillus oryzae DSM 1863 cultivations

BackgroundThe pyrolytic aqueous condensate (PAC) formed during the fast pyrolysis of wheat straw contains a variety of organic carbons and might therefore potentially serve as an inexpensive substrate for microbial growth. One of its main components is acetic acid, which was recently shown to be a suitable carbon source for the filamentous fungus Aspergillus oryzae. However, the condensate also contains numerous toxic compounds that inhibit fungal growth and result in a tolerance of only about 1%. Therefore, to enable the use of the PAC as sole substrate for A. oryzae cultivations, a pretreatment seems to be necessary.ResultsVarious conditions for treatments with activated carbon, overliming, rotary evaporation and laccase were evaluated regarding fungal growth and the content of inhibitory model substances. Whereas the first three methods considerably increased the fungal tolerance to up to 1.625%, 12.5% and 30%, respectively, the enzymatic treatment did not result in any improvement. The optimum carbon load for the treatment with activated carbon was identified to be 10% (w/v) and overliming should ideally be performed at 100 °C and an initial pH of 12. The best detoxification results were achieved with rotary evaporation at 200 mbar as a complete removal of guaiacol and a strong reduction in the concentration of acetol, furfural, 2-cyclopenten-1-one and phenol by 84.9%, 95.4%, 97.7% and 86.2%, respectively, were observed. Subsequently, all possible combinations of the effective single methods were performed and rotary evaporation followed by overliming and activated carbon treatment proved to be most efficient as it enabled growth in 100% PAC shake-flask cultures and resulted in a maximum cell dry weight of 5.21 ± 0.46 g/L.ConclusionThis study provides a comprehensive insight into the detoxification efficiency of a variety of treatment methods at multiple conditions. It was revealed that with a suitable combination of these methods, PAC toxicity can be reduced to such an extent that growth on pure condensate is possible. This can be considered as a first important step towards a microbial valorization of the pyrolytic side-stream with A. oryzae.

Redefining the impact of preharvest factors on peach fruit quality development and metabolism: A review

One primary reason worldwide peach consumption has been in steady decline throughout the past few decades is due to poor fruit quality. Fruit quality is developed in the orchard by optimizing preharvest factors and orchard practices. Several studies have been conducted to understand how these factors influence peach internal quality, but often fail to control for confounding variables. One particular confounding variable that is influenced by preharvest factors and directly impacts fruit quality is maturation. Pomological experiments investigating the impact of preharvest factors on internal fruit quality must compare fruit of equal maturity. Maturity assessment through destructive and subjective methods is not feasible nor efficient. The use of visual radiation (Vis) and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) allowed the development of robust non-destructive tools for physiological maturity (index of absorbance difference, IAD) and internal fruit quality [dry matter content (DMC) and soluble solids concentration (SSC)] assessment simultaneously in a single scan. Recent studies investigated the impact of critical preharvest factors such as rootstock, canopy position, crop load and growing environment on peach fruit quality development and metabolism, while selecting for fruit of equal maturity. Studies on rootstock and canopy position revealed that the fruit's light environment was more influential in quality development and metabolic shifts than the genotype vigor or position alone. Fruit under sufficient carbon supply, which was determined by crop load, exhibited superior quality and phenotype when compared to carbon-starved fruit at harvest. Although, metabolite profile differences between distinct carbon supply conditions at harvest were minimal, when assessed at equal maturity. Early metabolic shifts under optimum carbon supply and optimum growing environment conditions may prime fruit quality at harvest. Catechin and sorbitol were associated with high-quality fruit, while amino acids and citric acid showcased relationships with inferior quality fruit.

Biochar mitigation of soil acidification and carbon sequestration is influenced by materials and temperature

The alleviation effects on soil acidification by different raw materials and pyrolysis temperatures can broaden the utilization of biochar. In this study, nine types of biochar produced from three raw materials, namely fruit tree branch, peanut shell, and cow dung, at three pyrolysis temperatures (300, 450, and 600 °C) were used to amend acidified brown soil; the rape growth, physiology character, soil chemical and microbial, along with soil organic carbon mineralization were also investigated. The results showed that application of biochar increased soil pH by 8.48–79.25% and reduced exchangeable acidity, exchangeable Al, and exchangeable H by 56.94–94.95%, 34.38–95.66%, and 58.72–93.27%, respectively. Biochar alleviated oxidative stress in plants, reduced malondialdehyde and glutathione content in leaves, promoted rape growth, and increased microbial community diversity and the relative abundances of Acidobacteria and Olpidiomycota in the acidic soil. Moreover, biochar reduced the mineralization rate of organic carbon and the proportion of mineral-bonded organic carbon. Overall, biochar application is an effective strategy to ameliorate soil acidification and enhance rape production and carbon sequestration. The mitigation effect of branch biochar and cow dung biochar on soil acidification was superior to that of peanut shell biochar. The effects of biochar depended on the pyrolysis temperature; the positive effects of biochar samples pyrolyzed at 450 and 600 ℃ were stronger than those pyrolyzed at 300 ℃. In this study, the optimum biochar materials and carbonization temperature for acidified soil improvement, as well as the effects of biochar application on soil microbial and carbon mineralization were clarified, which provides a new potential strategy for acidified soil improvement and expand the application range of biochar.

Carbon-Nano Fibers Yield Improvement with Iodinated Electrospun PVA/Silver Nanoparticle as Precursor via One-Step Synthesis at Low Temperature

High temperature is required in carbon fiber synthesis in the carbonization step. However, direct high-temperature heating without the presence of additive materials would affect the yield and structure of carbon fibers produced. Thus, this study aims to synthesize carbon fibers from poly-vinyl alcohol (PVA), as the precursor and reducing agent, using silver nanoparticles (SNP) from silver nitrate (AgNO3) as additives. The pre-treatment of PVA was performed in three steps, i.e., mixing PVA/AgNO3, electrospinning, and iodination. The interaction of PVA and AgNO3 was assessed by FTIR, and SEM was used to characterize the electro-spun fibers prior and after iodination; Raman spectrophotometer was carried out to confirm the yield of carbon fibers. There was reduction in oxygen groups (3000–3800 cm−1) and emergence of –C=O (1100 cm−1) and –C=C– (1627 cm−1) functional groups, indicating formation of carbon layers. Based on the DT/GA results, the silver nanoparticles reduce the need of high temperature with optimum carbonization at 350 °C and lead to the formation of more regular graphene layers. Graphene layers with a size distribution of 0.438 nm and well-organized structures were successfully formed, and the Raman shifting showed higher intensities of G and G’ bands in the presence of Ag. Based on DT/GA results, the yield of carbon fibers with iodinated PVA fibers and SNP as additive had higher rates around 800 µg/min, reaching 33% at 500 °C. Thus, it is demonstrated that iodinated PVA/AgNO3 samples can significantly improve carbon fiber yield at low temperatures.

Supercritical CO2 extraction of fermented soybean lipids against erastin-induced ferroptosis in rat pheochromocytoma cells

The optimum supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) extraction of fermented soybean lipids (FSE-C) was as follows: 35 °C, 30 MPa, and 2.40 ± 0.19% moisture content using response surface methodology. The fatty acid composition of FSE-C contained more palmitic acid and α-linolenic acid and less linoleic acid than unfermented soybean lipids (SE-C). FSE-C had higher contents of minor active components (phytosterols, squalene, total flavonoid, and total polyphenol) than SE-C. The protective effects of FSE-C on erastin-induced ferroptosis were investigated to reveal the potential mechanisms of action characterized by increasing cell viability and glutathione concentrations, attenuating levels of intracellular Fe2+ ion, lipid peroxidation, and ROS, as well as modifying mRNA expression (GPx4, SLC7A11, ACSL4, and LPCAT3) and lipid metabolism. These findings suggest that FSE-C is a class of active ingredients against erastin-induced ferroptosis and warrants further exploration and utilization as a functional food.

Studies of carbon percentage variation and mixing Saprolite-Limonite in selective reduction

The mixing way of 2 type laterite makes them useful for extraction and no bounding between saprolite and limonite in the roasting process which has problem in impurities. The optimum carbon percentage of saprolite and limonite is the concerned purpose for this research. The ratio of saprolite and limonite (solid: solid) are 1:4 and gave heat treatment at 1150 °C with 1 h holding time and magnetic separation for getting to know the optimum nickel grade and recovery. All samples are analyzed with XRD, ICP, and SEM-EDS to get info on the phases, element percent, and morphology. The optimum ratio is 1.5 % carbon, with the nickel grade is optimum and minimal impurities in the product.

Does Grazing Affect Soil Carbon in Subtropical Humid Seminatural Grasslands?

Rangelands account for a large portion of global carbon stocks and have high potential for carbon sequestration if managed properly. Grazing has variable effects on soil organic carbon depending on climate, geography, and soil type; therefore, grazers in various regions may need to be managed differently to ensure optimum carbon sequestration. This study aimed to assess the impacts of cattle grazing on soil carbon in seminatural subtropical humid rangelands in Florida. We measured root biomass, bulk density, soil organic carbon (SOC), and total carbon (TC) concentrations and used the equivalent soil mass method to assess organic carbon stock (OCS) and total carbon stock at three depths (0−5 cm, 5−15 cm, and 15−30 cm) inside and outside of five 15-yr-old grazing exclosures. We also surveyed the vegetation at each sampling location and litter biomass inside and outside of exclosures. We found that grazing increased bulk density, decreased root biomass, but did not affect litter amount. SOC and TC concentrations did not differ significantly between ungrazed and grazed plots. On an equivalent soil mass basis, we found greater soil carbon stocks in grazed plots within the shallower part of the soil (0−5 cm). Removal of grazing resulted in a clear difference in vegetation composition between grazed and ungrazed plots, with grazed plots having higher grass cover (on average 60% in grazed vs. 13% in ungrazed) and ungrazed having higher forb cover (on average 78% in ungrazed vs. 32% in grazed). Results provide evidence that grazing increased soil carbon stocks in the top layer of soil, but longer-term studies are needed to assess the impact of grazing on SOC concentrations. To further clarify the impact of grazing on drivers of soil carbon in subtropical humid seminatural grasslands, we recommend further study of grazing impacts on productivity, root production and turnover, and microbial responses.

Biosorptive and Biodegradative Mechanistic Approach for the Decolorization of Congo Red Dye by Aspergillus Species

In this work,Aspergillus terreus GS28 andAspergillus flavus CR500 isolated from industrial waste sludge examined for the decolorization of Congo red (CR) dye. The rate of CR decolorization raised due to optimum pH, temperature, carbon, nitrogen, and heavy metals. In the comparative study,A. terreushas the maximum ability (95%) to decolorize CR (≈ 100mg L-1) as compared withA. flavus (92.96%) under optimized condition after 120h. GC-MS and FTIR analysis of the fungal-metabolite and fungal-biomass shows bio-degradation and biosorption processes respectively. The degraded products were benzenepropanic (Rt-26.147), 3, 4-diaminonapthelene-1-sulfonic acid, and benzenedicarboxylic acid (Rt-26.660) byA. terreus, and benzenedicarboxylic acid (Rt-41.467) byA. flavus. The phytotoxicity assay revealed that a decrease in toxicity of the degraded product towards the growth and germination rate of two plant seeds compared to CR. Thus, the finding suggests that both the fungi act promising CR remediation candidates, induces restoration of CR polluted wastewater and save soil-land.

Green synthesis of Supercapacitor electrodes activated carbon from Veitchia Merilli Seed waste by a two-stages pyrolysis in integration

Pyrolysis process consists of two-stages in integration aims to carbon purification, evaporates volatile compounds so that it enlarges the pore diameter, and increases the surface area of the activated carbon. This research was used Veitchia Merilli seed (VMS) waste by optimizing the stages-carbonization to obtain a high specific capacitance. Initial preparation begins with the pre-carbonization process at a temperature of 200°C, the activated carbon powder is converted into a monolith form using a Hydraulic Press and followed by a pyrolysis process in the stages-carbonization with temperature variations of 500°C, 600°C, and 700°C and the stages-physical activation at temperature of 800°C. The results showed that the thermal resistance temperature of the carbon powder was 287°C. The lowest density value occurs in the VMS-600 sample of 0.591 gr/cm3 and Microstructure analysis shows that the carbon electrode is amorphous which is characterized by the presence of peaks at 2θ angles around 24° and 44° with the highest Lc value of 15.069 nm, with the highest specific capacitance value of the supercapacitor cell of 210,442 F/g. Temperature 600°C is the optimum temperature carbonization in the process fabrication of carbon electrodes from VMS waste for supercapacitor cell application.