Porous Texture Research Articles

Rock typing of the Miocene Hammam Faraun alluvial fan delta sandstone reservoir using well logs, nuclear magnetic resonance, artificial neural networks, and core analysis, Gulf of Suez, Egypt

The application of integrated methods to evaluate the quality of reservoir rocks is becoming crucial in petroleum geoscience. The Miocene reservoirs in the El Morgan Oil Field consist mainly of sandstones with interbedded dolomitic silts and shales. Based on the pore scale, the sandstone reservoir of Hammam Faraun Member is a heterogeneous reservoir, and this is the main challenge in this oil field that affects both production and exploration activities. In this article, we have integrated the well logs, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), artificial neural networks (ANN) and core analysis to better understand these alluvial fan sandstone reservoirs. The petrographic description indicates arkosic sandstone with varied pore types, texture, cement, and sorting. The studied flow and storage capacity for well#1, indicate four rock types with 24 flow units and eleven barriers, which indicates a high degree of heterogeneity. The artificial neural networks (ANN), that is, the K.mod module, were used to enhance the prediction quality and forecast of FZI in the uncored intervals, where the NMR‐calculated permeability acts as a calibration point for the FZI model validation. This study reveals that the FZI is controlled by permeability, which is mostly influenced by pore throat size. The NMR log showed varied free fluid volume with varied capillaries, clay‐bound volumes and minor streaks of tar along the studied unit. The reservoir pores in the study area are residual pores that have undergone mechanical compaction and cementation that reduce porosities, while dissolution enhances the sandstone porosities. Porosity and permeability were significantly reduced in the presence of clays and carbonate minerals, which indicates poor reservoir quality zones in some parts. The primary factor influencing permeability is pore throat size, which is heavily influenced by the depositional environment and subsequent diagenetic processes. The findings of this study could lead to the development of accurate reservoir static models for future exploration and development plans in the studied area and elsewhere in similar depositional settings.

Shape-Controlled synthesis of conjugated microporous polymer nanotubes and their implementation in continuous flow polymerization

Flow reactors have materialized as a reliable and sustainable approach toward polymer production and processing to promote efficient and uniform irradiation pathways. However, the disadvantages of existing homogeneous photocatalysts including noxiousness, restricted photocatalytic activity and stability, and difficult separation and purification, still pose a great challenge to the advancement of this technique. Herein, conjugated microporous polymer nanotubes (hPorBDP NTs) were fabricated through Sonogashira-Hagihara cross-coupling polycondensation with silica nanorods as sacrificial templates, followed by etching of the inner cores. The hPorBDP NTs with a hollow nanostructure and a highly porous texture were demonstrated to facilitate the separation procedure and provide more accessible active sites for photocatalytic reactions. The hPorBDP NTs were employed as heterogeneous catalysts to activate photoinduced electron/energy transfer-reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (PET-RAFT) polymerization in batch and in continuous flow system. Screening of the initial monomer concentrations and pump flow rates, high monomer conversions (ɑ > 80%) and narrow dispersities (Đ < 1.15) were achieved in continuous flow system for upscaled production of polymers. Separation and reutilization of the catalyst-bound NTs were realized through facile centrifugation, which resulted in negligible leaching and maintenance of catalytic performance over multiple polymerization cycles. As such, the development of photosynthesis system using hPorBDP NTs as heterogeneous photocatalysts should broaden the application scope of these fascinating catalysts while benefiting synthetic upscaling by continuous flow polymerization.

Oral Gastroretentive Film of Lacidipine for the Treatment of Gastroparesis

The research work was aimed to formulate and evaluate gastroretentive mucoadhesive film of calcium channel blocker, Lacidipine for treatment of gastroparesis. Box-Behnken design was used for preparation of optimized formulation using solvent casting method. In this design, different concentrations of mucoadhesive polymers HPMC E15, Eudragit RL100, and Eudragit RS100 were considered as independent variables and its effect on responses like percent drug release, swelling index at 12 h, and folding endurance of the film were examined. Drug and polymer compatibility studies were performed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. Optimized formulation was evaluated for organoleptic properties, weight variation, thickness, swelling index, folding endurance, drug content, tensile strength, percent elongation, drug release, and percent moisture loss. The results revealed that the film possessed considerable flexibility and smoothness, and in vitro drug release was found to be 95.22% ± 0.93% at the end of 12 h. Scanning electron microscopy imaging of film displayed smooth, uniform, and porous surface texture. The dissolution followed Higuchi's model and Hixson Crowell model displayed non-Fickian drug release mechanism. Furthermore, the film was incorporated in capsule and the presence of capsule showed no effect on the drug release profile. In addition, no change was observed in the appearance, drug content, swelling index, folding endurance, and drug release upon storage at 25°C ± 2°C and 60% ± 5% relative humidity for 3 months. Collectively, the study revealed that gastroretentive mucoadhesive film of Lacidipine could serve as an effective and alternate site-specific targeted delivery in the management of gastroparesis.

Efficient removal of Congo red and methylene blue using biochar from Medulla Tetrapanacis modified by potassium carbonate

Biochar (BC) prepared from Medulla Tetrapanacis was recognized as having potential in environmental remediation because of its porous texture, abundant chemical surface groups and mineral composition. In this study, a novel modified biochar (KBC) derived from Medulla Tetrapanacis achieved efficient adsorption of Congo red (CR) and methylene blue (MB). Characterization results suggested that the modification had little effect on the group distribution of KBC, but a dramatic expansion of specific surface area was observed on KBC (1180.45 m2/g) compared to BC (198.51 m2/g). KBC exhibited a maximum sorption of 584.17 mg/g for CR and 318.01 mg/g for MB. Kinetic and isotherm studies revealed sorption of CR and MB by KBC was chemosorption, which occurred on the monolayer surface. The comprehensive analysis also provided the basis for the application of KBC to practical production. These outcomes suggested that KBC may become a new option for the effluent treatment.

Source of gold and ore-forming processes in the Zarshuran gold deposit, NW Iran: Insights from in situ elemental and sulfur isotopic compositions of pyrite, fluid inclusions, and O−H isotopes

The Zarshuran gold deposit (155 t Au, average grade: 2.63 g/t), NW Iran, provides a new paradigm for understanding the multicomponent ore-forming processes and metallogeny of gold during the evolution of hydrothermal fluids. It is characterized by auriferous quartz veins and gold coexisting with disseminated Fe-As-S sulfide minerals that are hosted in a sequence of Early Cambrian metasedimentary rocks. A complex paragenesis is defined by five sulfide stages: pre-ore stage pyrite (Py0), early ore-stage pyrite (Py1 and Py2), middle ore-stage pyrite (Py3a, Py3b, and Py3c), late ore-stage pyrite (Py4), and post ore-stage pyrite (Py5). Py0 with framboidal texture is characterized by relatively low concentrations of As, Au, Cu, and Sb, and has a broad range of negative δ34S values from −28.2 to −3.7 ‰, indicating microbial reduction of marine sulfate. Py1 and Py2 show porous texture with As-rich bright bands also having high Au (mean: 18.4 ppm). Similarly, narrow ranges in δ34S from −3.6 to +3.2 ‰ likely suggest a deep-seated magmatic sulfur source. In the middle ore-stage, Py3a cryptocrystalline cores have a range of positive δ34S (+5.4 to +26.7 ‰) values and high concentration of As(-Au), whereas later well-crystallized outer rim Py3c is Co(-Ni) rich, has a much more restricted δ34S range (−2.9 to +1.4 ‰), indicating an evolution of fluid composition from As-rich to Co-rich. Most of the gold (mean: 20.2 ppm) and trace elements (Hg, Ag, Sb, and Tl) were deposited in Py4, whose δ34S values (+5.4 to +26.7 ‰) show that ore fluid sulfur in this stage was mainly sourced from a mixture of magmatic sulfur with minor input of reduced sedimentary rocks. Low gold and trace element content with slightly negative δ34S values (–8.5 to –4.2 ‰) of Py5 show that they were likely formed from a metal-poor oxidizing fluid.The mineralizing fluid system can be described as carbonic-aqueous with low to moderate salinity (3.2–15.1 wt% NaCl equiv.) and medium temperature of 285 to 317 °C (early ore-stage) and 255 to 290 °C (late ore-stage), which suggests that phase separation was responsible for gold precipitation during late ore-stage As-Hg-Sb sulfide veins. The δ18Ofluid ranges from −7.8 to +4.2 ‰, and the δD values for fluid inclusions in mineral range from −105 to −65 ‰, suggesting involvement of meteoric water during late- to post ore-stages. Our results indicate that the Zarshuran is a distal disseminated gold deposit formed during southward subduction of the Proto-Tethys oceanic lithosphere beneath the northern margin of Gondwanan terranes through the early Cambrian.

Lost in the New West: Performing Western Identity in Thomas McGuane’s Deadrock Novels

Lost in the New WestPerforming Western Identity in Thomas McGuane’s Deadrock Novels Mark Asquith (bio) Getting lost in the New West is easy because nobody seems to know where or even what it is. Even after years of scholarly study, western historian Donald Worster confided in his ironically titled “New West, True West” that “I could not put my finger on the map and say, ‘There is the West’” (143). Perhaps a map is not the best place to start. The Center of the American West’s promisingly titled Atlas of the New West (1997) is full of colorful maps that codify everything from dams, roads, and Native American reservations— but remains elusive in defining what binds them together into a cohesive whole (18). For Frederick Jackson Turner the West was less a place than a process of nation-building, but for the New Historians of the eighties it was the echo chamber of marginalized voices left out by Turner’s Anglo imperialism (Native Americans, African Americans, women in general). Much recent settler colonial criticism has accepted this pluralist vision while simultaneously seeking to replace its tendency toward American exceptionalism with a transnational comparative model that places the West within the context of other colonial projects. Conversely, the approach of post-structuralists has been to reject geography in favor of the West conceived as a signifier endlessly repeated and reinterpreted globally. Neil Campbell coins the term the “rhizomatic West,” which rejects the linearity of Turner (associated with the rootedness of a tree) in favor of the complex underground horizontal root system of the rhizome (which erupts everywhere) (Rhizomatic West 35). Whether a region defined by aridity, an idealistic direction of travel, a political paradigm endorsed through the ideology of “the Frontier,” a romantic “wilderness” promising self-identification (another Anglo-Imperial construct), or a free-floating cultural signifier comprised of kitsch symbols—how could we not get lost! [End Page 1] Thomas McGuane has spent a lifetime exploring the porous texture of the West. He writes in his foreword to William Allard’s photographic collection Vanishing Breed, Photographs of the Cowboy and the West: The West, whatever that is, is still there, believe it or not, in its entirety. It is the leading chimera of our geography. The dead windmills lost behind the high wire of the missile range, the stove-up cowboy at the unemployment office, the interstate that plunges through the homesteads, all bring aches to an American race memory. . . . The West vanished for the Indian and the drover; it vanished for the cowboy. Simultaneously it reappeared in all the same places, and in movies and rodeos. It’s like fire. Hollywood, calf tables, and depreciation schedules can’t kill it. (6–7) This is typical McGuane—the mockery lubricates the dryly serious and adds nuance while the scripted diffidence (“whatever that is”) is both flippant and demanding critical scrutiny. Campbell’s rhizomatic West is replaced with a set of combustible cultural signifiers—landscapes, homesteads, and vanishing Indians (McGuane’s preferred term)—making up a hopeful if misguided race memory. It lives in a set of landscapes, symbols (Stetsons and windmills), archetypes, and ritualistic tropes independent of both geography and history that help to produce a particular identity. The West becomes a “thirdspace” that flattens the distinction between new and old, fake and real in favor of competing narratives and dialogues (a form of Bakhtinian polyphony), the most important being the region’s conversation with its own past.1 McGuane’s West is symbolized by the town of Deadrock (a play on McGuane’s Livingston home), a cliché of a western town nestling beneath the aptly named Crazy Mountains. The mountains should act as a site of spiritual regeneration but are emblematic of Deadrock men struggling for self-definition in the shadow of hypermasculine mythology. It is a riposte to what he denounces in an interview with Gregory Morris as “the pompous backward-looking revisionist West of Wallace Stegner, Vardis Fisher, and even A. B. Guthrie” (McGuane, “Thomas McGuane” 210) and, as he makes [End Page 2] clear in the essay “Roping from A–B,” the southern nostalgia of Faulkner, whose Yoknapatawpha is a “morbid Cloud-Cuckoo...

Vitex doniana seed activated carbon for methylene blue adsorption: equilibrium and kinetics

This study evaluated the characteristics of zinc chloride modified vitex doniana seed activated carbon (VDZnCl2) for the removal of methylene blue. VDZnCl2 was characterized for textural properties, surface morphology and surface chemistry. Batch adsorption of methylene blue by VDZnCl2 was evaluated for the effects of concentration, contact time, adsorbent dosage, and solution pH. The surface area increased from 14 to 933 m2/g with porous texture to facilitate adsorption. The SEM micrograph showed varieties of pores with widened cavities. The FTIR spectra showed the characteristics of O–H and C=C groups commonly found in carbonaceous materials. The maximum methylene blue adsorption was recorded as 238 mg/g at concentration range of 1–800 mg/L and VDZnCl2 dosage of 50 mg. Sips isotherm fitted well with the equilibrium data, suggesting that the adsorption by VDZnCl2 was a physical process onto its heterogeneous surface, while the applicability of pseudo-first-order kinetics implies that external diffusion was the rate controlling mechanism. The performance put up by VDZnCl2 suggested that it is a potential adsorbent substitute for dye wastewater treatment.

Direct synthesis of ordered mesoporous materials from thermoplastic elastomers

The ability to manufacture ordered mesoporous materials using low-cost precursors and scalable processes is essential for unlocking their enormous potential to enable advancement in nanotechnology. While templating-based methods play a central role in the development of mesoporous materials, several limitations exist in conventional system design, including cost, volatile solvent consumption, and attainable pore sizes from commercial templating agents. This work pioneers a new manufacturing platform for producing ordered mesoporous materials through direct pyrolysis of crosslinked thermoplastic elastomer-based block copolymers. Specifically, olefinic majority phases are selectively crosslinked through sulfonation reactions and subsequently converted to carbon, while the minority block can be decomposed to form ordered mesopores. We demonstrate that this process can be extended to different polymer precursors for synthesizing mesoporous polymer, carbon, and silica. Furthermore, the obtained carbons possess large mesopores, sulfur-doped carbon framework, with tailorable pore textures upon varying the precursor identities.

Nitrogen-rich hierarchical porous polyphosphazene for rapid and efficient adsorption of anionic contaminants: Kinetics, isotherm, thermodynamics and mechanism

The rapid and highly-efficient uptake of waterbody contaminants by polymer-based adsorbent is still a challenge. Herein, a new nitrogen-rich hierarchical porous polymer (PCPM) was synthesized via a self-catalyzed polycondensation between hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene and melamine. The PCPM possessed hierarchical pore architecture with specific surface area of 321.1 m2/g and pore size distribution from 1.3 to 63.0 nm. Owing to the remarkable porous texture and nitrogen-rich active sites with high electron density, PCPM exhibited a high adsorption capacity of 187.5, 336.2, and 320.4 mg g−1 for Cr (VI), Congo red (CR), and diclofenac sodium (DCF), respectively. Moreover, the adsorption rate of these contaminants onto PCPM was very fast, reaching 90 % of adsorption equilibrium capacity for Cr (VI), CR and DCF within the first 7 min, 45 min and 30 min, respectively. Adsorption data revealed that the adsorption process conformed to pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir isotherm model. The removal process was spontaneous, exothermic for Cr (VI) and endothermic for CR and DCF. FT-IR and XPS analysis demonstrated that electrostatic interaction and hydrogen bonding contributed to the adsorption of CR and DCF onto PCPM, while the removal mechanism of Cr (VI) by PCPM included redox reaction and chelation besides the above two interactions.

Green Electrospinning of Biodegradable Cellulose Acetate Nanofibrous Membranes with Tunable Porosity

The electrospinning of polymer nanofibers has received significant attention owing to their high surface-area-to-volume ratio, high porosity, adjustable pore size and texture, and highly interconnected porous structure. In particular, the electrospinning of biodegradable cellulose acetate (CA) nanofibers has sparked interest in diverse applications, including drug delivery systems, scaffolding for tissue engineering, air filtration, and affinity membrane systems. However, the electrospinning process has been mostly performed using toxic and hazardous solvents and additives. We developed electrospun CA nanofibers using a green solvent system comprising dimethyl carbonate and cyclopentanone. The use of green additives, namely, tetrabutylammonium bromide salts and sophorolipid-based biosurfactants, obtained from honey yeast, substantially improved the spinnability of the CA solution. Moreover, the nanofiber diameter and porous texture were tunable by adjusting the solvent ratio. Pore generation was induced using volatile dimethyl carbonate, which quickly evaporated from the fiber jet. Molecular dynamics simulations demonstrated that the electrospinning process can be divided into three stages. The addition of the biosurfactant facilitated the evaporation process and improved the uniformity of the nanofibers. Furthermore, the nanofibers can be degraded using esterase and cellulase enzymes. To summarize, the electrospinning of ultrafine CA porous nanofibers with tunable morphology was achieved using green solvents and additives.

The characterization of bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) coprolites in the archaeological record

The archaeological record of the Lagar Velho rock shelter (Lapedo Valley, Leiria, Portugal) bears testimony to several significant Upper Palaeolithic occupations, most notably the Lapedo Child burial (LV1) dating from the Gravettian. Excavations undertaken at the site since 2018 have seen the recovery of a large quantity of coprolites, above all in layer 143 (c. 29 ka cal BP). The study of these fossilized remains points to the bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) as the main coprogenic agent and provides the first descriptions of these avian coprolites in archaeological assemblages. The analyses reported involved the comparison of the coprogenic samples with modern bearded vulture scats. A new morphotype is proposed for discriminating the faeces of this avian scavenger based on (1) macroscopic analyses, (2) morphometric comparisons with other fossil and modern scats and (3) their mineralogical and elemental composition. Among the criteria proposed here to identify the coprolites of the bearded vulture are their cylindrical shape, diameter, pointed extremities and homogeneous porous texture, as well as their massive internal texture, hard consistency and total absence of bone inclusions (attributable in all likelihood to a high digastric juice acidity capable of dissolving bones). Our results indicate that, as well as being used by humans for short-term stays, the Lagar Velho rock shelter was used by the bearded vulture as a nesting site. We provide new evidence from Iberia of the activity of this avian scavenger as a bone accumulator in archaeological sites.

Synthesis of extracellular silica nanoparticles through bioleaching of sand by Fusarium oxysporum and nematicidal evaluation

ABSTRACT Meloidogyne javanica, a destructive soil-borne parasite that may infect practically all cultivated plants worldwide. Utilizing efficient bio-safe management techniques, crop damage caused by nematodes that feed on plants is reduced. Therefore, the aim of this study is to biosynthesize extracellular silica nanoparticles (SiO2-NPs) through bioleaching of sand by Fusarium oxysporum and characterizes SiO2-NPs and evaluates their nematicidal potential against M. javanica in vitro. During in vitro experiments, second stage juveniles (J2s) and egg masses of M. javanica were treated with various concentrations (50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 ppm of SiO2-NPs). All concentrations applied caused J2s mortality and inhibited egg hatching to a varying degree. The SiO2-NPs applied at same concentrations in addition predict preventing J2s from penetrating tomato roots. The characterizations of synthesized SiO2-NPs were done by XRD, FTIR, SEM-EDX, TEM-SAED, and UV Visible NIR Spectrometer. XRD technique analyzed amorphous phase of SiO2-NPs exhibiting a broad peak. The FTIR spectrum identified a range of efficient functional groups, capping and stability agents. TEM images of SiO2-NPs showed porous texture and had an average size of 22.5 nm. To our knowledge, this is first account of synthetic SiO2-NPs acting as natural nematicides through bioleaching of sand by F. oxysporum.

Mineralogical and sulfur isotopic characteristics of Archean greenstone belt‐hosted gold mineralization at the Tau deposit of the Mupane gold mine, Botswana

AbstractThe Mupane gold deposit, which is one of the numerous gold occurrences in the Tati Greenstone Belt in the northeastern part of Botswana, consists of four orebodies, namely Tau, Tawana, Kwena, and Tholo deposits. The present research, which focuses on the genesis of the Tau deposit, was based on ore petrography, mineral chemistry of sulfides, and sulfur isotope data. Mineralogical characteristics of the host rocks indicate that banded iron formation at the Tau deposit includes iron oxides (magnetite), carbonates (siderite and ankerite), silicates (chlorite and amphibole), and sulfides (arsenopyrite and pyrrhotite). The deposit features arsenopyrite‐rich zones associated with biotite‐chlorite veins, which are indicative of the precipitation of arsenopyrite concomitant with potassic alteration. The replacement of magnetite by pyrrhotite in some samples suggests that sulfidation was likely the dominant gold precipitation mechanism because it is considered to have destabilized gold‐thiocomplexes in the ore‐forming fluids. Based on textural relationships and chemical composition, arsenopyrite is interpreted to reflect two generations. Arsenopyrite 1 is possibly early in origin, sieve textured with abundant inclusions of pyrrhotite. Arsenopyrite 1 was then overgrown by late arsenopyrite 2 with no porous textures and rare inclusions of pyrrhotite. Gold mineralization was initiated by focused fluid flow and sulfidation of the oxide facies banded iron formation, leading to an epigenetic gold mineralization. The mineralogical assemblages, textures, and mineral chemistry data at the Tau gold deposit revealed two‐stage gold mineralizations commencing with the deposition of invisible gold in arsenopyrite 1 followed by the later formation of native gold during hydrothermal alteration and post‐depositional recrystallization of arsenopyrite 1. Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometric analysis of arsenopyrite from the Tau deposit revealed that the hydrothermal event responsible for the formation of late native gold also affected the distribution of other trace elements within the grains as evidenced by varying trace elements contents in arsenopyrite 1 and arsenopyrite 2. The range of δ34S of gold‐bearing assemblages from the Tau deposit is restricted from +1.6 to +3.9‰, which is typical of Archean orogenic gold deposits and indicates that overall reduced hydrothermal conditions prevailed during the gold mineralization process at the Tau deposit. The results from this study suggest that gold mineralization involved multi‐processes such as sulfidation, metamorphism, deformation, hydrothermal alteration, and gold remobilization.

Fabrication and properties of Sn(iv) porphyrin-linked porous organic polymer for environmental applications.

A robust porous organic polymer cross-linked by Sn(iv) porphyrin (SnPOP) was fabricated by reacting trans-dihydroxo-[5,15,10,20-tetrakis(phenyl)porphyrinato]tin(iv) (SnP) with fluorinated polyimide (FPI) via sol-gel formation, followed by supercritical CO2 drying. The structural and porous properties of SnPOP were characterized using FT-IR, UV-vis, and fluorescence spectroscopies, along with field-emission scanning electron microscopy and gas sorption experiments. The reaction between the SnP's oxophilic Sn(iv) center and FPI's carboxylic acid moiety resulted in a controllable cross-linked porous texture. This material features the desirable physical properties of porphyrin and exhibits mesoporous structures with a relatively high surface area. SnPOP is thermally stable at temperatures up to 600 °C and highly resistant to boiling water, strong acids, and bases, owing to its assembly via formation of covalent bonds instead of typically weaker hydrogen bonds. The modified chemical and morphological structures of SnPOP showed an impressive CO2 uptake capacity of 58.48 mg g-1 at 273 K, with a preference for CO2 over N2. SnPOP showed significant efficiency in removing pollutant dyes, such as methylene blue and methyl orange, from dye-contaminated water. Additionally, SnPOP was a photocatalyst for fabricating silver nanoparticles of regular shape and size. All these properties make SnPOP a potential candidate for environmental applications like pollutant removal, gas storage, and separation.

The Effect Of Substitution Of Mustard Green Extract As A Natural Colorant In The Manufacture Of Rolled Pancakes

This study aims to analyze roll pancakes with green mustard extract substitution as much as 10%, 20%, and 30%. This research was conducted at the culinary arts workshop majoring in family welfare science in October 2021. This type of research was an experimental study using a completely randomized design (CRD) consisting of 3 treatments and 3 repetitions. Data analysis was obtained from Organoleptic Test involving 5 expert panelists. The data obtained were then analyzed using the ANAVA method, if there was a significant effect, it would be continued with the Duncan test. The results showed that the substitution of mustard greens had an effect on the green color of the rolled pancake skin. Which does not affect the shape, aroma, texture and taste. Based on the results of the study, the best quality pancake rolls were in the X3 treatment with a score of 3.60, the best green quality pancake rolls in the X3 treatment with a score of 3.80, the pancake rolls had the best fragrant aroma quality in the X3 treatment with a score 3.13, pancake rolls with the best chewy texture quality in X3 treatment 3.13, roll pancakes with the best porous texture quality in X3 treatment with a score of 3.53, pancake rolls with the best sweet taste quality in X3 treatment with a score of 3.53, very suitable for consumption. So for further research, it is recommended that the use of mustard greens extract should be as much as 30%, namely with X3 treatment.

Comprehension of the adsorption mechanism in the selective color removal of extra-aged Tequila to produce Cristalino Tequila using tailored carbon materials

A tailored Carbon Material (CM) was designed to be used in the selective color removal of an Extra-aged Tequila to produce Cristalino Tequila. The CM showed a low superficial area and well-defined canals. Its elemental composition is mainly carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen, with groups -OH, -COOH, -CO, and -NH2 also present on its surface. Using a Taguchi L9-type experimental design, optimal operational conditions for selective color removal were defined (particle size 1.18–2.00 mm; dose 0.08 g mL−1). Results obtained showed a 12.2% elimination of the 280 nm band (attributed to polyphenols) and a 33.3% elimination of the 365 nm band (attributed to flavonoids) on a UV-Vis spectrum of the Tequila sample. The selectivity of CM is associated with its porous texture and the participation of nitrogenated groups during the adsorption mechanism. The present study shows that it is possible to produce Cristalino Tequila, which corresponds to an Extra-aged Tequila without color, preserving mainly the polyphenolic compounds characteristic of the aged beverage.

Geographic variations of pore structure of clayey soils along a climatic gradient

Soil pore structure over a wide range of pore sizes regulates soil functions and relies heavily on pedogenic processes. To date, limited knowledge is available on the spatial variations of soil pore structure and underlying mechanisms over a broad geographic scale. Herein, seven typical zonal soils with increased status of soil development in heavy-textures were collected at different genetic horizons under forests along the mid-temperate to tropic climate gradient in eastern China. Pore size distribution (PSD, 0.006 ∼ 800 μm) of aggregates (sized ∼ 1 cm3) and other pore structure characteristics (void ratio, pore area and average diameter) were determined by mercury intrusion porosimetry. Differential PSD displayed tri- or bi-modal patterns and different pore size classes followed diverse geographic trends. Textural pores most influenced by soil type exhibited larger void ratio and pore area in highly than in moderately developed soils; structural porosity most influenced by soil horizon overall decreased with increased soil depth, indicating the decreased levels of hierarchical aggregation whatever soil type. Relative to soil texture and total organic matter (0.70≤|r|≤0.92), total and textural pores were more related to inorganic cementing agents (0.71≤|r|≤0.95, p < 0.001), where kaolinite and free iron/aluminum oxides (mainly crystalline form) exerted the positive effects on void ratio and pore area through clayey pores, in contrast to vermiculite and exchangeable cations; void ratio and pore size of structural pores could be separately promoted by sand-silt size organic matter and vermiculite (r = 0.79 and 0.73, p < 0.001). Additionally, clay-sized organic matter, sand, and free manganese oxides played a secondary effect (R2 = 0.04 ∼ 0.30, p < 0.05) and their specific roles differed with pore size class. The overall results suggest that the dramatic geographic variations of soil pore structure are controlled by both inorganic cementing agents and specific organic components to a large extent at the regional scale.

Heterostructure tailoring of carbon nanotubes grown on prismatic NiCo clusters for high-efficiency electromagnetic absorption

The employment of electromagnetic (EM) absorbers integrating elaborate architecture, enhanced microwave absorption and multifunctional features remains a formidable challenge in practical applications including military stealth and incoming 5G electronic information era. Herein, a novel microwave absorber has been fabricated by in-situ growing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on the prismatic nickel–cobalt (NiCo) clusters derived from Ni-Co layered double hydroxides (NiCo-LDH) via catalytic carbonization of ethyl acetate. The NiCo/CNTs composites with highly porous texture could provide sufficient open space to balance the impedance and introduce magnetic loss mechanism. Accordingly, the absorbers achieved remarkable EM absorption performance with a minimum reflection loss of –46.2 dB at 1.5 mm and broad bandwidth of 5.8 GHz owing to synergistic magnetic-dielectric effects and distinct structural merits. The NiCo/CNTs absorber manifests superior radar wave attenuation by the radar cross section simulation and density functional theory (DFT) was also performed to elucidate the potential mechanisms of the heterostructure formation and performance enhancement in the NiCo/CNTs composites. This work is expected to provide new insights or inspirations to modulate EM properties by rationally designing heterostructure for the elimination of severe EM pollution.

Development and Optimization of Tamarind Gum-β-Cyclodextrin-g-Poly(Methacrylate) pH-Responsive Hydrogels for Sustained Delivery of Acyclovir.

Acyclovir has a short half-life and offers poor bioavailability. Its daily dose is 200 mg five times a day. A tamarind gum and β-cyclodextrin-based pH-responsive hydrogel network for sustained delivery of acyclovir was developed using the free-radical polymerization technique. Developed networks were characterized by FTIR, DSC, TGA, PXRD, EDX, and SEM. The effect of varying feed ratios of polymers, monomers, and crosslinker on the gel fraction, swelling, and release was also investigated. FTIR findings confirmed the compatibility of the ingredients in a new complex polymer. The thermal stability of acyclovir was increased within the newly synthesized polymer. SEM photomicrographs confirmed the porous texture of hydrogels. The gel fraction was improved (from 90.12% to 98.12%) with increased reactant concentrations. The pH of the dissolution medium and the reactant contents affected swelling dynamics and acyclovir release from the developed carrier system. Based on the R2 value, the best-fit model was zero-order kinetics with non-Fickian diffusion as a release mechanism. The biocompatibility of the developed network was confirmed through hematology, LFT, RFT, lipid profile, and histopathological examinations. No sign of pathology, necrosis, or abrasion was observed. Thus, a pH-responsive and biocompatible polymeric system was developed for sustained delivery of acyclovir to reduce the dosing frequency and improve patient compliance.

Modification of activated carbon-based adsorbent for removal of industrial dyes and heavy metals: A review

The resources of water are contaminated by discharging of various pollutants from sources including industrial and domestic zones. A variety of physical, chemical, and biological processes are implemented for treating pollutants. Adsorption is the most accustomed process due to its high efficiency, simple procedure, and cost-effectiveness. Adsorption is widely used for removing various pollutants from wastewater. This review focused on physical and chemical modified adsorption systems indicates the improvement in adsorption of industrial dyes and heavy metals from wastewater. Chemical modifications, comprise with the acid, base, and impregnation of metal ions, are broadly studied due to availability of reagents, easy in modification, and adjusting surface functional groups. Different activating agents are used to introduce the different surface functional groups, which also depend on the type of water to be treated. Literature shows the high adsorption ability of industrial dyes and heavy metals towards chemically modified activated carbon, especially with LiOH, KOH and H2SO4 which shows the improvement in oxygenated functional groups. The adsorption capacity increases up to 40 % after modification within an activation temperature of 75 to 900 ℃, and 60 to 240 min of activation time is beneficial and depends on the adsorbents used. The physical modification by microwave heating provides a quick thermal reaction with homogeneous structure from inside out and equal distribution of pore structure and texture. The modification cost also plays an essential role while selecting adsorbents. The physical and chemical modification significantly improves the pore volume and various functional groups, which are quick low-cost treatment processes. The physical and chemical activation cost with LiOH, KOH, and H2SO4 reagents found in USD 1.72 to 2.89 per kg of adsorbent is suitable for large-scale models.