Oil Solvent Research Articles

Surface functionalization of synthesized sodium alginate from brown algae for maximizing the yield of re-refined used lubricating oil using extraction-flocculation–an environment-friendly approach

This study aims at efficient, economically feasible, and environmentally friendly regeneration of waste lubricant by surface-functionalized bio flocculant via extractive-flocculative technique for maximization of yield. Further, optimization has also been escalated for designing the optimal process parameters (such as reaction time, solvent to waste oil ratio, and bio-flocculant concentration) for enhancing the quality and cost effectiveness of the regenerated product. FTIR, SEM, and TGA analysis were used to characterize the synthesized bio-flocculant. GC-MS, FTIR, and NMR analysis were used to characterize the chemical composition, chemical nature, and functional group of virgin, used, and re-refined lubricant. Experimental findings showed that a grafting efficacy of 76% can be achieved with optimal conditions of reaction temperature of 70 °C, irradiation time of 6 min, 2.5 wt. % monomer concentration and 800 W microwave radiation. Maximum yield of 94% can be obtained with optimal process constraints such as reaction time of 60 min, refining temperature of 80 °C, the ratio of solvent and waste oil of 3:1 g/g and 1 g/kg of solvent flocculant dosage, grafting % of 76. Fuel characterization studies reveal that the fuel characteristics of re-refined lubricant are analogous to those of fresh oil.

Facilitate the preparation of naturally modified and self-healing superhydrophobic/superoleophilic biochar-based foams for efficient oil-water separation

Oil spills are sudden, complex, and long-term hazardous, and the existing adsorption materials still have the disadvantages of small selective adsorption capacity, easy secondary contamination, and difficult to repair after breakage in practical applications. Herein, melamine foam (MF) coated by ball milled biochar (BMBC) and natural beeswax (Wax@BMBC@MF) was prepared by a bio-inspired functionalization method and further added with self-healing function (SH-Wax@BMBC@MF) to cope with complex environments, and applied to oil-water separation for oil adsorption. SEM and FTIR results showed that BMBC and natural beeswax nanoparticles successfully encapsulated the smooth surface of the melamine foam skeleton. The loading of natural beeswax increased the foam's ability to absorb oil and organic solvents from 0.6108–1.134 g to 0.850–1.391 g, and the oil-absorbing capacity of the foam remained at 0. 758–1.263 g after being cut by a knife and self-healing. The oil-absorbing capacity of SH-Wax@BMBC@MF remained in the range of 0.936–1.336 g under acid/alkali environment (pH =1–13). The surface functional groups of BMBC improved the surface roughness of the material and strengthen the MF skeleton to adsorb oils and organic solvents by capillary action. The generation of the di-coordinated structure by Fe3+ and catechol group contributed the restoration of SH-Wax@BMBC@MF structure and oil absorption capacity. SH-Wax@BMBC@MF has superiority of superhydrophobic, superoleophilic, self-healing after damage, and environmental friendliness, which provides a promising solution for the treatment of oil spills at sea.

Oil-soluble polymer brushes-functionalized nanoMOFs for highly efficient friction and wear reduction

Nanomaterials as lubricating oil additives have attracted significant attention because of their designable composition and structure, suitable mechanical property, and tunable surface functionalities. However, the poor compatibility between nanomaterials and base oil limits their further applications. In this work, we demonstrated oil-soluble poly (lauryl methacrylate) (PLMA) brushes-grafted metal-organic frameworks nanoparticles (nanoMOFs) as lubricating oil additives that can achieve efficient friction reduction and anti-wear performance. Macroinitiators were synthesized by free-radical polymerization, which was coordinatively grafted onto the surface of the UiO-67 nanoparticles. Then, PLMA brushes were grown on the macroinitiator-modified UiO-67 by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization, which greatly improved the lipophilic property of the UiO-67 nanoparticles and significantly enhanced the colloidal stability and long-term dispersity in both non-polar solvent and base oil. By adding UiO-67@PLMA nanoparticles into the 500 SN base oil, coefficient of friction and wear volume reductions of 45.3% and 75.5% were achieved due to their excellent mechanical properties and oil dispersibility. Moreover, the load-carrying capacity of 500 SN was greatly increased from 100 to 500 N by the UiO-67@PLMA additives, and their excellent tribological performance was demonstrated even at a high friction frequency of 65 Hz and high temperature of 120 °C. Our work highlights oil-soluble polymer brushes-functionalized nanoMOFs for highly efficient lubricating additives.

The Variation Effect of Solvents on the Physicochemical Properties Baobab (Ophelussitularius) Seeds Oil

It is remarkable to notice that Baobab seeds are normally discarded in Sudan, without knowing the great wealth hidden. The present study was conducted to determine physicochemical properties of Baobab (Ophelussitularis) seeds oil and select proper solvent for oil extraction from seeds which contain approximately 22-45%, used n-hexane and ethanol as solvents, leaching was done by solid extraction method. Physicochemical properties of the Baobab seeds oil were evaluated by standard and established methods. Oils and solvents were separated using rotary evaporator, recovery solvent were 91.2% and 75% for n-hexane and ethanol respectively. The obtained Baobab oils color were golden yellow (reddish yellow) not effected by type of solvent, it showed resistance to change in color, results showed the maximum Baobab oil yields were 16% and 13.5 % for n-hexane and ethanol respectively. Crude protein CP was found to be13.475 g/100 g, oil content was 13.26 g/, Saponification value SV 338.4925 g and 406.725 g/100 g for Baobab oil extracted with n-hexane and ethanol respectively. Results were obtained for ash content, crude fiber, acid value, FFA and rheological properties. Physicochemical properties indicated that n-hexane was more suitable to extract Baobab oil more than ethanol and recover easy. The difference was clearly visible in PV, AV and µ, while n-hexane yields pure oil more than ethanol. All those results detected that seeds of Baobab are beneficial if they extracted using n-hexane. It is recommended to conduct additional research on this issue and insert other solvents to select the best solvent and study the effect of different solvents on the properties of resulting oil.

Direct patterning of liquid materials on flat and curved substrates using flexible molds with through-hole and post arrays.

Liquids undergo continuous deformation in the presence of external shear stresses; however, they are pinned between structures owing to their viscosity. Therefore, reshaping the liquids using their intrinsic material properties and structural interfaces is possible. In this study, we used the template-guided forming (TGF) method to reshape and produce oil patterns on flat and curved substrates. To produce oil patterns, we developed two oil patterning methods: direct heating-based oil patterning (DHOP) and solvent evaporation-based oil patterning (SEOP), which were characterized using various oils and solvents. To overcome the limitation of relying solely on liquid patterning that undergoes complete evaporation, we successfully fabricated liquid films using oil and nonpolar organic solvents that exhibit long-term stability. Therefore, achieving durability and control over the film thickness using nonpolar organic solvents has great potential for future applications in microfluidics. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the SEOP method in conjunction with TGF can produce various and unconventional patterns of an organic photoresist (SU-8), which cannot be produced through standard photolithography. Hence, we conclude that the proposed TFG-based oil pattering methods could be highly useful for producing unconventional and unprecedented patterns on flat and curved substrates for various applications, including microelectronics, optics, filtration and separation, biomedical engineering, and nanotechnology.

Optimization of avocado oil solvent extraction assisted by CaCO3 as coadjuvant using Response Surface Methodology

Coadjuvants, such as CaCO3, are essential to improve the effectiveness of the extraction process. This study aimed to assess how the addition of CaCO3 as a coadjuvant impacts the yield of avocado oil through the process of solvent extraction using hexane. Response surface methodology was employed to optimize parameters influencing oil yield during solvent extraction. A Box-Behnken design with three factors and three levels was utilized for the optimization process. Factors involved are, concentration of CaCO3 (1, 1.5, 2%), extraction time (30, 60, 90 min), and temperature of extraction (25, 35, 45 °C). The linear model provided the most accurate fit to the experimental data, substantiated by the highest determination coefficient (R2) value. The experiment showed that the highest yield of avocado oil, reaching 48.06%, was obtained by extracting it under the specified conditions: a CaCO3 concentration of 1.92%, an extraction time of 89.85 minutes, and a temperature of 43 °C. The extraction yield of 48.77±0.14% obtained from the experiments using optimized conditions.

Liquid-liquid phase of imidazolium-based ionic liquids in n-butyl acetate + n-butanol mixtures: Experimental measurements, quality testing, phase stability, thermodynamic modeling

The ester n-butyl acetate is an important chemical compound produced by esterification with n-butanol and used as solvent for pigments, vegetable oils and fats, and in the production of varnishes, coatings, waxes and resins. This work investigated the use of ionic liquids (ILs) as solvents in separation processes involving these substances. The ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([BMIM][Cl]) was synthesized, while 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ethyl sulfate ([EMIM][EtSO4]) and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([EMIM][BF4]) were purchased. The liquid–liquid equilibrium (LLE) was analyzed based on the experimental measurements (binodal curve, tie-lines), σ-profiles analysis (COSMOTherm), experimental data quality tests, phase stability and thermodynamic modeling with NRTL for the n-butyl acetate + n-butanol + IL ([BMIM][Cl], [EMIM][EtSO4], [EMIM][BF4]) systems at 298.15 K and 101.3 kPa. Experimental results indicated that the studied systems had the LLE phase behavior of type I. Experiments and calculations showed that [EMIM][EtSO4] and [BMIM][Cl] had the best capacities to separate the azeotrope n-butanol and n-butyl acetate. All systems showed separation factors values higher than unity. Low deviations, in the compositions of both liquid phases, indicate that the NRTL model was able to analyze the phase stability and model the phase behavior of the n-butyl acetate + n-butanol + IL systems using gamma-gamma approach.

Sequestration of oils from water using superhydrophobic silanized montmorillonite-KSF nanoclay coated polyurethane foam

Oil spills have disastrous consequences on the environment. Multifarious absorbents have been applied in oil spill remediation; however, the design of cost-effective, dependable, and environmentally benign absorbents is desirable and pressing. Here, a polyurethane foam (PF) with superhydrophobic/superoleophilic properties was fabricated by surface coating of montmorillonite (MMT) nanoclay. Initially, the hydrophobic MMT was obtained by grafting octadecyltrimethoxysilane (ODTMS) onto the surface of the nanoclay and this was then used to modify the foam via a dip-coating technique. This modification produces a superhydrophobic foam with a water contact angle reaching 153.83 ± 1.86°. The as-prepared foam demonstrates high absorption selectivity and excellent absorption capacity of 29.5–66.5 times weight gain for several organic solvents and oils. The efficiency of separation for multiple oil-water mixtures reached 99.87%. After 10 cycles of absorption-desorption studies, such superhydrophobic foam still sustained good oil absorption performance, thus exhibiting outstanding reusability and desirable regeneration for practical applications. The oil and organic solvent samples could swiftly and continuously be retrieved from the water by the modified foam. The fabrication method for the superhydrophobic PF by its modification with natural clay minerals appears to be simple, economical, and promising for expandable applications in the effective separation of oil-water mixtures.

Fabrication of bio-based biodegradable poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) composite foams for highly efficient oil-water separation

The open-cell bio-based biodegradable polymer foams show good application prospect in dealing with the serious environmental issue caused by oil spill and organic solvents spills, while the cell structures and hydrophobic properties of the foams limit their performance. In this work, the poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) was selected to help prepare bio-based biodegradable poly(lactic acid) (PLA) foams. Based on a two-step foaming method, the crystallization ability of different samples was regulated by the “original crystals” together with PHBV in the foaming process, where skeleton structures were provided to facilitate the open-cell structures and promote their mechanical property. As illustrated, PHBV facilitated the formation of open-cell PLA foams, where the foams displayed superior oil-water separation capacity. The maximum volume expansion ratio of the foams was 80.08, the contact angle of deionized water reached to 134.5°, the adsorption capacity for oil or organic solvents was 10.8 g/g-51.8 g/g, and the adsorption capacity for CCl4 can still maintained 83.5 % of the initial value after 10 adsorption-desorption cycles. This work not only clarified the foaming mechanism of open-cell foams, but also provided a green and simple method for preparing bio-based biodegradable foams possessing excellent oil-water separation performance.

The role of surface and structural properties on the adsorptive behavior of vinyl-methyl decorated silica aerogel-like hybrids for oil/organic solvent clean-up practices

The uncontrolled release of oil and organic solvents into aquatic environment is becoming a growing concern for ecosystems. This underscores the need for the improvement and development of efficient functional sorbents.The primary objective of this work was to design vinyl/methyl-decorated silica aerogel-like hybrids as novel adsorbents for oil and organic solvents and to uncover the relationship between the physicochemical and microstructural changes induced by organic substitution in silica backbone and the adsorption performance of these hybrids. The silica hybrids were prepared in two series through co-condensation of vinyltrimethoxysilane (VTMS) and methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) or tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS). Gradual vinyl substitution was used to monitor the changes in the physicochemical and morphological properties. These changes were investigated using a variety of complementary characterizations techniques such as 29Si-MAS-NMR, and small angle neutron/X-ray scattering (SANS and SAXS) analyses, and basic characterization techniques like FTIR, SEM, N2 porosimetry and contact angle measurements. The results confirmed significant structural changes in VT series as VTMS content increased, while it had only a limited effect on the network formation in VM series. In the VT series, the samples exhibited predominantly mesoporous characteristics, resulting in large specific surface areas (792–1021 m2/g). In the VM-series, the samples were mostly macroporous and appeared in a sponge-like monolithic form. Successful vinyl/methyl substitution led to good hydrophobicity (up to 147°) in each series and contributed to an excellent self-cleaning ability. Thanks to their lightweight structure and hydrophobicity, the samples VT-100 and VM-50 exhibited the highest adsorption capacities (up to 11.63 g/g for VM-50 and 10.92 g/g for VT-100) for most organic pollutants and demonstrated stable performance along 10 cycles. The free-standing monolithic structure, well-developed porous network, high hydrophobicity, easy-to-clean property, and superior adsorption performance establish these materials as prime candidates for oil spill remediation practices. Additionally, their potential applications extend to various sectors, including the textile industry for protective clothing, transportation for oil spill response equipment on ships and aircraft, marine and coastal protection to prevent contamination, as green building materials to reduce maintenance needs and enhance energy efficiency, and as protective materials for cultural heritage buildings.

DC Resistance Measurements in Multi‐Layer Additively Manufactured Yttrium Barium Copper Oxide Components

Additive manufacturing can offer new methods to shape materials that are difficult or too brittle in nature to process traditionally. In this work the optimization of a linseed oil and ICP solvent based solution with 90 wt% solid loading of the high temperature superconducting material yttrium barium copper oxide (YBCO) for additive manufacturing is demonstrated. The post sintered, printed components are analysed using a combination of X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), magnetometry, and DC transport measurements. It is shown for the first time, for multilayer additively manufactured YBCO, direct DC transport measurements that indicate a current carrying percolative path with an upper transition temperature of 86.5 K.

Process design and techno-economic analysis for the lignin oil solvent recovery and purification process

A technology to extract lignin oil from pretreated biomass has been developed for a cosmetic additive application (i.e., UV protection) through isopropyl alcohol without any catalyst. It was used for co-product lignin oil with XOS from a biorefinery process in this study. One of the key factors impacting economic feasibility is extraction solvent recovery, and it is important to design the process details based on techno-economic analysis. Therefore, this study has integrated lab experiments, process designs with Aspen Plus process simulations, and Excel-based techno-economic analysis to investigate the effect of solvent recovery on overall economics. Three options for solvent recovery (e.g., distillation, salting-out, and molecular sieve) have been explored. The salting-out method showed the best economic performance with an IRR of 33.6%, while the distillation method was 21.7% and the molecular sieve method was 16.7%. Key parameters are also identified by sensitivity analyses, which indicate the improvement potential for each case. This study has laid a foundation for lignin oil production studies, but its concept and approach can be applied to any solvent recycling in a biorefinery process, which is often neglected in lab-scale biorefinery studies.

Fabrication of superhydrophobic melamine sponge composite sorbent in supercritical carbon dioxide atmosphere for selective and effective oil removal from water

In this study, both the modification of activated halloysite nanotube (HNT) with methyltriethoxysilane (METES) and the fabrication of durable, superhydrophobic (water contact angle: 153.0°) and superoleophilic (oil contact angle: 0 °) melamine sponge (MS)-HNT-METES sorbent material (MS-METES) were achieved in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) atmosphere. For the coating of MS with clay mineral and METES through sol-gel reaction in scCO2, optimal process conditions were determined to be pressure difference of 60 bars at 35 °C, solvent/METES mass ratio of 7.5, METES/MS mass ratio of 10, and degas time of 400 s. Successful preparation of MS-METES was proven by XPS, FTIR, 29Si-MAS NMR, SEM, and contact angle measurements. MS-METES displayed excellent sorption capacity for various petroleum products, oils, and organic solvents (49.6–122.4 g/g), remarkable oil-water separation efficiency (99.1%, for continuous separation technique), high selectivity for oil/organic solvent in acidic, salty, and alkaline solution conditions, good reusability, chemical stability and robustness, and outstanding flexibility and mechanical stability. We believe that the innovative process used in this study will have great potential to be used by researchers in the direct fabrication of new superhydrophobic and superoleophilic sorbent materials for the selective removal of oil and organic solvent spills from water.

Transparent Oil-Water Separating Hydrophobic Sponge Prepared from a Pickering High Internal Phase Emulsion Stabilized by Octadecyltrichlorosilane Grafting Carbon Nanotubes.

Increasingly, oil spills and industrial discharges are wreaking havoc on the water environment; in order to efficiently separate oil and water from sewage containing oil or organic solvents, a novel porous polymer (P(EHA-co-BA)) was prepared by Pickering high internal phase emulsion (HIPE) template method. To obtain polyHIPE with better oil/water separation capacities, octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS)-modified carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and surfactants were used as costabilizers for HIPE, which improved the stability of HIPE as well as the mechanical properties and the separation efficiency of polyHIPE. In the presence of 1 wt % OTS-CNT adding in the oil phase, 1%OTS-CNT polyHIPE has high porosity (92.21%), favorable hydrophobicity (a water contact angle of 128°), and excellent mechanical properties. As a result, 1%OTS-CNT polyHIPE has high absorption of oils and oily solvents, e.g., dichloromethane up to 36 g/g, and maintains an absorption efficiency of >97% after 20 reapplications. In the formulation of polyHIPE, cinnamaldehyde (CA) has been added to provide superior antibacterial properties against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). It appears that the novel polyHIPE proposed in this work is a reusable antibacterial porous polymer with promising applications for oil-water separation.

FLUID PROPERTIES OF COMPONENTS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF EUDRAGIT RS-BASED IN SITU-FORMING GEL AND MICROPARTICLE AND THEIR PHASE INVERSIONS

Solvent exchange-induced in situ-forming gel (isg) and in situ-forming microparticles (ism) have been currently applied as drug delivery approaches for periodontitis treatment. Doxycycline hyclate-loaded Eudragit RS-based isg and ism were prepared in this study. The basic properties such as density, pH, surface/interfacial tension of their solvents including dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), N-methyl pyrrolidone (NMP), and 2-pyrrolidone (PYR) in Eudragit RS solution and oils (olive oil and camellia oil) were assessed. This research also tested for apparent viscosity of solvent and drug-free and doxycycline hyclate-loaded ERS-based isg and ism, and their phase transformation rates. Density of PYR was higher than that of DMSO whereas these solvents exhibited the less wettability than oils on glass slide. All fabricated doxycycline hyclate-loaded Eudragit RS-based ism formulations showed good emulsion physical stability with no phase separation for 1 hour. The apparent viscosity of ism was significantly less than that of isg. DMSO-based isg and ism exhibited a significantly less viscosity than that of PYR-based formulations. Rapid phase inversion was evident after isg and ism exposure to agarose gel indicating fast solvent exchange. The loose barrier of camellia oil from its less viscosity facilitated a water diffusion inward Eudragit RS-based ism easier than using viscous olive oil. Solvent exchange-induced doxycycline hyclate-loaded Eudragit RS-based ism using DMSO as the solvent and camellia oil as the continuous phase exhibited various appropriate physicochemical characteristics for applying as drug delivery system for periodontitis treatment.

Facile Fabrication of High-Performance Superhydrophobic Reusable Oil-Absorbing Sponges

Wastewater treatment from oil, oil products and organic mixtures is a very relevant topic that can be successfully utilized to solve problems of severe environmental pollution, such as oil spills, industrial oily wastewater discharges and water treatment in the water treatment process. In this work, we have developed new superhydrophobic magnetic polyurethane (PU) sponges, functionalized with reduced graphene oxide (RGO), MgFe2O4 nanoparticles, and silicone oil AS 100 (SO), as a selective and reusable sorbent for the purification and separation of wastewater from oil and organic solvents. The surface morphology and wettability of the sponge surface were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and a contact angle analysis system, respectively. The results showed that the obtained PU sponge PU/RGO/MgFe2O4/SO had excellent mechanical and water-repellent properties, good reusability (lasted more than 20 cycles), as well as fast (immersion time 20 s) and excellent absorption capacity (16.61–44.86 g/g), and additional good magnetic properties, which made it easy to separate the sponge from the water with a magnet. The presence of RGO in the composition of the nanomaterial improves the separating and cleaning properties of the materials and also leads to an increase in the absorption capacity of oil and various organic solvents. The synthesized PU sponge has great potential for practical applications due to its facile fabrication and excellent oil–water separation properties.

The Effect of Aerobic Training and Eugenol Supplementation on the Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor and Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase Expression in the Skeletal Muscle of Male Rats Poisoned With Chlorpyrifos

Background: Chlorpyrifos (CPF) is an insecticide and has a wide range of applications in the world. The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of 4-week aerobic exercise and eugenol supplementation on the brain-derived neurotrophic factor/phosphoinositide 3-kinase (BDNF/PI3K) pathway on the skeletal muscle of male rats poisoned with CPF. Materials and Methods: Overall, 12-week-old female rats were used in this experimental research. The rats were randomly divided into 7 groups (8 rats in each group), including healthy control, toxic control, poison solvent, corn oil solvent, poisoned+eugenol, poisoned+aerobic exercise, and poisoned+aerobic exercise+eugenol. Moderate training in the range of 50%-60% VO2max, including 5 training sessions per week (treadmill). Poisoning was performed with CPF poison with a dose of 3 mg/kg. The dose of eugenol was determined to be 250 mg/kg. Finally, a one-way analysis of variance and Tukey’s post hoc test were employed to check the difference between groups. Results: The expression of PI3K and BDNF in the poisoned control group was lower than that in the healthy control group (P=0.049 and P=0.001, respectively). In addition, the expression of PI3K and BDNF was higher in the poisoned+eugenol+exercise group compared to the poisoned control group (P=0.009 and P=0.03, respectively). The corn solvent group also had a higher PI3K and BDNF expression in comparison to the poisoned control group (P=0.025 and P=0.01, respectively). Eventually, there was no significant difference among other groups. Conclusion: Exercise and eugenol increased PI3K and BDNF expression. It is thought that exercise and consumption of eugenol in poisoned rats reduces damage and improves muscle function and the BDNF/PI3K signaling pathway.

Interfacial Polymerization Depth Mediated by the Shuttle Effect Regulating the Application Performance of Pesticide-Loaded Microcapsules.

The highly water-soluble nematicide fosthiazate is anticipated to undergo microencapsulation in order to enhance its retention around plant roots and mitigate leaching into groundwater. However, the underlying mechanism governing the influence of hydrophilicity of the microcapsule (MC) core on the evolution of the microcapsule shell remains unclear, posing challenges for encapsulating water-soluble core materials. This study elucidates the microlevel formation mechanism of microcapsules by investigating the impact of interfacial mass transfer on shell formation and proposes a method for regulating the structure of shells. The study reveals that enhancing the hydrophilicity of the core enhances the shuttle effect between the oil and aqueous phase, expands the region of polymerization reactions, and forms a loose and thick shell. The thickness of the microcapsule shell prepared using solvent oil 150# (MCs-SOL) measures only 264 nm, while that of the microcapsules prepared using propylene glycol diacetate and solvent oil 150# at a ratio of 2:1 (MCs-P2S1) is 5.2 times greater. The enhanced compactness of the shell reduced the release rate of microcapsules and the leaching distance of fosthiazate in soil, thereby mitigating the risk of leaching loss and facilitating the distribution of active ingredients within crop roots. The MCs-SOL had a limited leaching distance measurement of 8 cm and exhibited a satisfactory efficacy of 87.3% in controlling root galling nematodes. The thickness and compactness of the MCs shell can be regulated by manipulating the interfacial shuttle effect, providing a promising approach to enhancing utilization efficiency while mitigating potential environmental risks.

Natural Juncus effusus fiber-based separator with 3D porous structure for oil/water emulsion separation

The leakage of oil and organic solvents has emerged as the primary factor of water resources contamination and environmental degradation, causing an urgent and desirable quest for widely exploring and developing eco-friendly materials with hydrophobicity and lipophilicity. Herein, we presented a biomass-based separator composed of poly(vinyl butyral) (PVB) and natural Juncus effusus (JE) which effectively separated oil-water mixtures, to address the aforementioned issue. The as-prepared PVB/JE-based separator, benefiting from the microporous, inner three-dimensional (3D) structure, and natural wettability of JE fiber, exhibits satisfied oil absorption and separation capabilities. The hydrophobic porous in PVB/JE can effectively block the water within the oil, while providing saturated oil absorption capacity. Furthermore, the separator can also efficient separate water in multiple types of water-in-oil surfactant-stabilized emulsion (separation efficiency > 93%). After repeated use (10 cycles) or continuous filtration (20 min), the separator maintained good separation efficiency ( > 83%) and flux ( > 2000 L m−2 h−1). The PVB/JE-based separator exhibited satisfied potential for the rational utilization of biomass materials and application in oil/water separation, owing to its convenient manufacturing process, high separation efficiency, and eco-friendly raw material.

THE EFFECT OF QUERCETIN ON SOME HEMATOLOGICAL PARAMETERS AGAINST BISPHENOL-A EXPOSURE IN STREPTOZOCIN-INDUCED RATS

Bisphenol-A (BPA) is an endocrine-disrupting environmental toxin widely used in the composition of plastics. Today, the widespread use of BPA in preserving and packaging food and beverages increases BPA exposure. Therefore, recent research has focused on the health effects of continuous exposure to BPA. This study aimed to investigate the protective effect of quercetin (QUE) on different hematologic variables in rats induced by the environmental toxin BPA and streptozocin (STZ). Wistar albino rats were administered BPA orally (p.o.) at 10 mg/kg and QUE intraperitoneally (i.p.) at 15 mg/kg for 14 days. STZ was administered subcutaneously (s.c.) in a single dose of 50 mg/kg at the beginning of the experiment. 72 rats were randomly selected for the experimental procedure and divided into 9 groups with 8 animals in each group. The groups were created as follows; Group 1: Control (Saline); Group 2: Corn oil (0.5 ml, solvent); Group 3: STZ (50 mg/kg); Group 4: BPA (10 mg/kg); Group 5: QUE (15mg/kg); Group 6: STZ (50 mg/kg) + QUE (15mg/kg); Group 7: BPA (10 mg/kg) + QUE (15mg/kg); Group 8: STZ (50 mg/kg) + BPA group (10 mg/kg); Group 9: STZ (50 mg/kg) + BPA (10 mg/kg) + QUE (15mg/kg). STZ and BPA-treated rats showed functional variability in all hematologic parameters. The combination of STZ and BPA significantly reduced erythrocytes, leukocytes, and their associated parameters. However, QUE treatment alone or in combination corrected the altered hematologic parameters. The results of this study demonstrated that exposure to BPA in combination with STZ may alter hematologic indices, while QUE may be a therapeutic agent to correct the altered blood profile.