Performance of chemically modified Tripoli in catalytic pyrolysis of date kernels

The use of natural minerals as catalysts in pyrolysis enhances the products’ yield and quality. However, natural minerals may lack the proper active sites to effectively catalyze the pyrolytic reactions. This paper addresses the performance of iron-chemically modified Jordanian Tripoli catalysts in the catalytic pyrolysis of date kernels. The Fe-chemically modified Tripoli catalyst was prepared by impregnation method at three different loadings (0.046, 1.788, 3.530 wt %). The effect of three different process variables, namely: pyrolysis temperature, heating rate and iron-loading on the performance of date kernels pyrolysis were investigated. Full factorial design methodology is employed to study the main effects of process variables and possible interaction effects among the process variables on the yields of the catalytic pyrolysis products. The maximum gas yield (197.8 ml/g-feed) was obtained at a pyrolysis temperature of 600 °C, heating rate of 20 °C/min and 3.530 wt% Fe-loading. The maximum bio-oil yield (42.88 wt%) was obtained at a pyrolysis temperature of 500 °C, heating rate of 60 °C/min and 1.788 wt% Fe-loading. The maximum bio-char yield (38.72 wt%) was obtained at a pyrolysis temperature of 400 °C, heating rate of 20 °C/min and catalytic pyrolysis using natural Tripoli. First order egression models are proposed to predict the product yields. The main implication of this study is that Fe-loaded Tripoli has effectively enhanced the quality of bio-oil

AN OVERVIEW OF NANO-CRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE NANOFIBERS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS IN DRUG DELIVERY

Made from a variety of natural sources, Nano Crystalline Cellulose (NCC) is a unique renewable nanomaterial with a wide range of applications due to its high stiffness and strength, low weight, biodegradability, and environmental benefits. Because of its special inherent qualities, NCC is one of the most renewable materials to be addressed by nanomaterials. The origins, manufacture, characteristics, and applications of nanomaterials, including NCC and nanofibers, have been extensively studied by a large number of researchers throughout the years. Strong chemical reactivity, crystallinity, strength and stiffness, biocompatibility, biodegradability, shape, and nanoscale dimensions are just a few of the remarkable properties that these nanomaterials have been shown to possess in countless investigations. These characteristics enable the application of these nanoparticles in a number of fields, including medicine. Among the most traditional and popular techniques. Electrospinning is one of the earliest and most popular techniques for producing nanofibers. This method works well and can be modified to produce continuous nanofibers. NCC-based nanofibers are novel materials in the biomaterials industry. Recent studies demonstrated that electrospun nanofibers could be efficiently loaded with a wide range of drugs, such as proteins, chemotherapeutic agents, antibiotics, and analgesics with anti-inflammatory qualities. One application of NCC and nanofibers in the medical field is drug delivery. This review highlights a number of issues related to NCC nanofibers and their use in drug delivery applications, beginning with discussing the various natural polymer types used in drug delivery applications, the physicochemical and biological properties of NCC, its various applications, its significance, and its preparation techniques

Natural minerals as potential catalysts for the pyrolysis of date kernels: effect of catalysts on products yield and bio-oil quality

An increasing attention is being paid for the production of bio-oil especially in the countries that suffer from the lack of energy resources such as Jordan. The aim of this study is to investigate the catalytic effect of Jordanian minerals on the pyrolysis of date kernels. Experiments are carried out in a lab-scale externally heated-tubular reactor. The experiments are conducted at a fixed catalyst-to-feed ratio at 5 wt%, heating rate of 100°C/min and a final temperature of 500°C. The study investigated the performance of the considered catalysts on pyrolytic product yields and bio-oil quality. Results showed that oil shale ash produced the highest bio-oil yield (44.0 wt%), and zeolitic tuff produced the highest gas yield (138.1 ml/g-feed). The investigated catalysts altered the chemical composition of bio-oil. The produced bio-oil when using the zeolitic tuff as a catalyst possessed the best properties in terms of acidity and stability.</p

Photobiota of the Tropical Red Sea: Fatty Acid Profile Analysis and Nutritional Quality Assessments

Photosynthetic organisms are primary sources of marine-derived molecules, particularly &omega;3 fatty acids (FAs), which influence the quality of marine foods. It is reported that tropical organisms possess lower FA nutritional quality than those from colder oceans. However, the high biodiversity known for tropical areas may help compensate for this deficiency by producing a high diversity of molecules with nutritional benefits for the ecosystem. Here we addressed this aspect by analyzing the FA profiles of 20 photosynthetic organisms from the salty and warm Red Sea, a biodiversity hot spot, including cyanobacteria, eukaryotic microalgae, macroalgae, mangrove leaves, as well as three selected reef&rsquo;s photosymbiotic zooxanthellate corals and jellyfish. Using direct transesterification, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, FA absolute quantification, and nutritional indexes, we evaluated their lipid nutritional qualities. We observed interspecific and strain-specific variabilities in qualities, which the unique environmental conditions of the Red Sea may help to explain. Generally, eukaryotic microalgae exhibited the highest nutritional quality. The previously unanalyzed diatoms Leyanella sp. and Minutocellus sp. had the highest eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) contents. The bioprospected Red Sea photobiota exhibited pharmaceutical and nutraceutical potential. By sourcing and quantifying these bioactive compounds, we highlight the untapped rich biodiversity of the Red Sea and showcase opportunities to harness these potentials

المهارات ومستوى الأداء لرجال الأمن العام وأثرها في احتواء الحراك الشعبي في المجتمع الأردني

هدفت الدراسة إلى التعرف على المهارات ومستوى الأداء لرجال الأمن العام ودورها في احتواء الحراك الشعبي في المجتمع الأردني، وعلاقتها بمنع تفاقم هذا الحراك ووصوله إلى مرحلة العنف الذي يهدد استقرار المجتمع، ولتحقيق هدف الدراسة تم سحب عينة عشوائية تكونت من (359) فردًا من المشاركين في الحراك الشعبي بالعاصمة «عمان»، وبالتحديد منطقة الجامع الحسيني في وسط المدينة، ومن المشاركين من مختلف المحافظات الأردنية، وقد تم استخدام الاستبانة كأداة لجمع البيانات الميدانية، واعتمدت الدراسة في منهجيتها على منهج المسح الاجتماعي بأسلوب العينة العشوائية لجمع البيانات وتحليلها باستخدام الأساليب الإحصائية الوصفية والاستدلالية، مثل: تحليل التباين الأحادي، وتحليل الانحدار المتعدد، وأظهرت النتائج أن مستوى توافر المهارات لدى رجال الأمن في التعامل مع الحراك الشعبي حصل على درجة متوسطة بمتوسط حسابي عام (3.29)، وأن هناك أثرًا ذا دلالة إحصائية لهذه المهارات في منع تفاقم الحراك الشعبي، وأظهرت النتائج أن مستوى أداء رجال الأمن للواجبات المنوطة بهم خلال الحراك الشعبي جاء بدرجة مرتفعة أيضًا، بمتوسط حسابي عام (3.52)، وأن هناك أثرًا ذا دلالة إحصائية لمستوى أداء رجال الأمن للواجبات المنوطة بهم لاحتواء الحراك الشعبي، وأوصت الدراسة بناءً على نتائجها بضرورة عقد دورات متخصصة لرجال الأمن في مجال المهارات اللازمة للتعامل مع الحراك الشعبي.</jats:p

Phosphate removal from aqueous solutions by using natural Jordanian zeolitic tuff

In this study, a naturally occurring zeolitic tuff located in Jordan was investigated as a potential adsorbent for phosphate removal from aqueous solution. Adsorption kinetics and thermodynamics of phosphate adsorption under different temperatures were studied. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model adequately fitted the collected experimental data under different initial ion concentrations. The Langmuir model is found to be successfully fitting the experimental data. Thermodynamic parameters such as Gibbs's free energy change, standard enthalpy change, and entropy change were evaluated and the results indicated that the sorption process is spontaneous, exothermic with small degree of randomness during the sorption process