Biocomposting process for utilization agro-industrial wastes

Biological treatment has played prominent roles in bioremediation of wastes and contaminants. Composting is one of the biological process that has been considered to be one of the most suitable ways of converting organic wastes into products that are beneficial for plant growth. The study of the bio-composting process by solid-state bioconversion utilizing palm oil mill effluent (POME) and empty fruit bunch (EFB) were studied in lab scale. From the study it is found that horizontal rotary drum bioreactor was the most suitable to run this study. In this project, four filamentous fungi were used; (i) Phanerochaete chrysosporium. (ii) Trichoderma harzianum. (iii) Aspergillus niger. (iv) Penicillium sp. The bioconversion of lignocellulosic materials by evaluating the C/N ratio and other parameters using horizontal rotary drum bioreactor were studied. The good and mature of the compost is reflected by C/N ratio, germination index and glucosamine assay. The result showed that the C/N ratio drop from days 10 onwards and in the range of 25 to 30. The germination indexes of 50 to 70% indicate that the compost produce was a phyto toxic-free product and merely achieved as mature compost. The composting period required to complete this process was two months. Thus, this study developed an effective and feasible composting technique of POME and EFB using horizontal rotary drum bioreactor by solid state bioconversion process

Active Fractions of Methanol Crude Obtained From Acacia Seyal Gum: Antioxidant Capacity Using FTIR Analysis

The present study is on Acacia seyal gum (ASG), which is an exudate from Talha tree. It provides a rich source of polyphenolics compounds that are used traditionally in folk medicine. The study aims to determine the antioxidant capacity (AC) and functional groups of ASG and Prebio-T-commercial (PTC) samples. The methanol crude extracts of both ASG and PTC have fractioned into chloroform (CHF), hexane (HF), acetone (AF) and methanol (MF) using solvent-solvent portion. Both ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC) assays for each fraction examined. Crude methanol extracts (CME) and its active compositions also analysed carefully using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) technique. The findings presented a wide variety of functional groups provided by the FTIR spectra (eights bands approximately. Regarding cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC), the methanol crude extracts values are 888.6±4.57 mg TE/100g extract, for PTC as compared to 474.3± 2.23 mg TE/100g of extract for ASG. However, both methanol and acetone fractions revealed significantly (p ≤ 0.05) high FRAP values ranged between 599.8±7.5 and 741.8±5.8 mg TE/100g fraction; for PTC and ASG, respectively. While CUPRAC showed insignificant (p ≥ 0.05) same values 356.1±2.62 mg TE/100g of fraction; for MF of both PTC and ASG respectively. Therefore, in this study, methanolic fractions (MFs) are found to be more effective than acetone fractions (AFs), except for CHF and HF. Finally, the antioxidant activity of the active fraction has provided some evidence regarding its functional groups which may have used in traditional medicine

Preparation and characterization of a new coagulant based on the sago starch biopolymer and its application in water turbidity removal

A new organic coagulant, sago starch (SS)-graft-polyacrylamide (PAm), was prepared by the cericion-induced redox polymerization of acrylamide (Am) onto SS at room temperature. The effects of the variation of the concentration of Am and the initiator on the percentages of yield and total conversion were investigated. The chemical composition, viscosity, and side-chain-average molecular weight of the obtained graft copolymers were determined. The newly obtained coagulant was tested for the treatment of the turbidity of water. The SS-g-PAm coagulants were found to achieve water turbidity removal up to 96.6%. The results of this study suggest that SS-gPAm copolymer is a potential coagulant for reducing turbidity during water treatment

Functionalized carbon nanomaterial for artificial bone replacement as filler material

This book presents emerging economical and environmentally friendly polymer composites that are free of the side effects observed in traditional composites. It focuses on eco-friendly composite materials using granulated cork, a by-product of the cork industry; cellulose pulp from the recycling of paper residues; hemp fibers; and a range of other environmentally friendly materials procured from various sources. The book presents the manufacturing methods, properties and characterization techniques of these eco-friendly composites. The respective chapters address classical and recent aspects of eco-friendly polymer composites and their chemistry, along with practical applications in the biomedical, pharmaceutical, automotive and other sectors. Topics addressed include the fundamentals, processing, properties, practicality, drawbacks and advantages of eco-friendly polymer composites. Featuring contributions by experts in the field with a variety of backgrounds and specialties, the book will appeal to researchers and students in the fields of materials science and environmental science. Moreover, it fills the gap between research work in the laboratory and practical applications in related industries