31 - IMPROVING SHELF-LIFE OF FRUITS USING THERMOGRAPHY

Novel technologies have always been an indispensable part of the scientific enterprise and a catalyst for new discoveries. The invisible radiation patterns of objects are converted into visible images called thermograms or thermal images. Thermal images can be utilized to estimate the ripeness of some fruits which do not change their color from yellow to green when they are ripe. Thermal imaging techniques are very helpful since color and fluorescent analytical approaches cannot be applied to these fruits. In this work, we show the different ripeness levels of avocado using thermal images non-destructively, in two-dimension. The work is based on the fact that fruits have different specific heat capacities at different temperatures, thus making their thermal images clear indicators of ripeness

Analisis Komposisi Fasa Komposit Keramik Berbasis SiO2-MgO dengan Penambahan B2O3 pada Temperatur Sinter 1150C

Komposit keramik berbasis SiO2-MgO menggunakan pasir Tanah Laut sebagai bahan baku dengan penambahan variasi B2O3 telah berhasil disintesis. Tujuan penambahan B2O3 adalah untuk meningkatkan densitas dan mereduksi porositas. Komposit dibuat dengan cara mencampurkan serbuk pasir Tanah Laut dan MgO dengan penambahan massa B2O3 sebesar 0%, 4,8%, dan 9,1% (berat) diaduk menggunakan mortar selama 30 menit. Campuran serbuk dicetak dalam bentuk pelet silinder dengan tekanan 4.500 N kemudian disinter pada temperatur 1150°C untuk membentuk komposit keramik padat. Identifikasi fasa dilakukan menggunakan X-Ray Diffractometer (XRD). Data XRD dianalisis secara kualitatif menggunakan Match!2 dan secara kuantitatif menggunakan Rietica. Hasil analisis data XRD menunjukkan bahwa pada temperatur sinter 1150°C tanpa B2O3 fasa yang ditemukan adalah kuarsa, forsterit dan enstatit. Sedangkan pada penambahan 4,8% dan 9,1% B2O3 fasa yang ditemukan kuarsa dan protoenstatit. Komposit mengalami penyusutan diameter maksimal sebesar 5.4(1)% pada 9,1% B2O3. Dari pendekatan RoM dalam analisis komposisi fasa maka nilai KET sampel-sampel komposit tersebut dapat dikategorikan sebagai kandidat seal fuel cell

Refractory concrete: A material that offers new ceramic opportunities.

Refractory concretes (RC) are industrial materials used most commonly in high temperature applications, primarily in the steel and glass industries. In most cases they are a mix of refractory aggregate’s chosen for specific hot engineering applications combined with a cement binder. RCs are known to ceramicists largely only for their insulating properties for which they are used in the manufacture of kilns as hot face lining. However, currently very little information is available regarding the structural and aesthetic possibilities that RC can offer to the artist and designer. Refractory concrete displays novel handling properties that include: increased green and fired toughness and strength, thermal shock resistance, ceramic glaze compatibility, thixotropic effects and rapid setting. These properties offer the opportunity to achieve the creation of objects that do not conform to some of the traditional limitations of conventional clay and yet are able draw upon the vast array of ceramic surface decoration available to the ceramicist [1]. This paper seeks to inform readers on the possibilities of RC and the potential for their use by smaller scale manufacturers in architectural applications through some practical advice and instruction on their use. The paper goes on to discuss how RC has been used in a recent PhD project to create contemporary Islamic ceramics that draw upon the rich history of ceramics in Arab states. The paper questions specifically how the cultural sustainability of Islamic architectural ceramics can be fostered in the face of western globalization and modernization and how RC might offer part of a solution