Performances of sandwich membrane in reclamation of water from final discharged POME

An investigation was made to examine the performance of sandwich configurations of paired ultrafiltration membranes in reclamation of water from final discharged POME. Two membranes were sandwiched together in different configurations without spacer. Two types of membrane were used in this study which were PES and RC with MWCO 5kDa. The sandwich configurations were known as SS-Sandwich, SB-sandwich, where S indicates that the skin layer faces the feed and B indicates that support layer faces towards the feed. The result of single membrane was compared with both sandwich arrangement. SS-sandwich configuration showed the best permeate quality for PES MWCO 5kDa. The pollutant reduced range up to 80%-90% compared to single membrane which were 60%-70% range. The quality of permeate obtained for total dissolved solid (TDS), suspended solid (mg/L), turbidity, BOD5, COD, were 535 mg/L, <25 mg/L, 0.88 NTU, BOD5 23.3 mg/L, and 48 mg/L. The quality of permeate from SS-sandwich membrane of 5 kDa was beyond reuse standard and approaching drinking water standard for TSS, TDS and turbidity. Therefore it can be concluded that, water reclaimed from treating final discharged from palm oil mill effluent using ultrafiltration technique with right sandwich configuration at optimum operating conditions was successfully complied with WHO reuse water standard

Ultrafiltration of palm oil mill effluent: effects of operational pressure and stirring speed on performance and membranes fouling

Palm oil mill effluent (POME) is the largest pollutant discharged into the rivers of Malaysia. Thus UF membrane study was conducted to investigate the effect of pressure and stirring speed on performance of POME treatment and fouling of membrane. Two types of membrane polyethersulfone (PES) and regenerated cellulose (RC) with molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) 5 and 10 kDa were used in this study. Results showed that, as pressure increased, fouling increased however permeate quality improved, the best pressure was 1.0 bar, where the fouling was not too high and produce good permeate quality. As stirring speed increased, fouling reduced and permeate quality improved, however, when stirring speed increased from 600 rpm to 800 rpm, there was no significant improvement on the permeate quality. Therefore, the best condition was at 1.0 bar and 600 rpm. PES membrane with MWCO 5 kDa showed the best permeate quality, even fouling slightly higher than RC membrane. The permeate quality obtained were analyzed in term of dissolved solid, turbidity, suspended solid, biological oxygen demand (BOD5) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) were 538 mg/L, 1.02 NTU, < 25 mg/L, 27.7 mg/L and 62.8 mg/L, respectively with dominant type of fouling is cake resistance. Thus, it can be concluded water reuse standard was successfully achieved in terms of BOD5 and suspended solid

Surface Finish And Mechanical Properties Of Fdm Part After Blow Cold Vapor Treatment

Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is a 3D printing/additive manufacturing (AM)technology that creates a part layer by layer.However,the printed parts have poor surface finish and staircase effect,which is the inherent characteristics of FDM printed parts.This contributes to poor quality of the final components.Thus,in this paper, post process treatment on 3D printed part by using blow cold vapor has been made.The parts were fabricated by using the open-source 3D printer with acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) material.Then,after the treatment,the surface finish and the mechanical properties of the parts were analyzed.The cold vapor treatment using chemical agents,namely acetone and methyl-ethyl-ketone (MEK).A comparison was made between the parts before and after treatment.It is found that the proposed method is able to improve the surface finishing of FDM parts.However,the method has affected the tensile strength where there is a slight decrease in the strength value

Airco Wind Turbine Prototype Design And Development

The AIRco Wind Turbine is a new kind of product that can generate an electrical power from aerodynamic air flow that can be used to charge the phone. It is a green technology that used the wind as a source of energy to rotate the wind turbine and small electrical motor to generate an electrical power. This product is assembled and attached to the side of motorcycles basket in order to collect the wind energy to generate an electric power and also come with a gadget storage to place the phone when charging the battery. When travelling by riding the motorcycle, the energy from the aerodynamic air flow that occurs when increase the acceleration of the motorcycle can be converted to be an electrical power with adding few electrical components such as 12 volt DC electrical motor 5 volt voltage regulator and USB port which can used to charge our gadgets. It is an alternative way to generate the electrical power using the aerodynamic air flow as a free green energy. The objectives of this research are to analyze and propose the best blade design for wind flow, to design and develop functional prototype of AirCo Wind Turbine and to testing power generation from prototype

Design For Manufacturability (DFM) Of 3D Printed Parts Fabricated Using Open Source 3D Printer

Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is one of the well-known additive manufacturing (AM) techniques to fabricate the part using layer-by-layer concept. Recently, an open source 3D printer is become widely available used by 3D printer user because of its affordability and portability. In this study, the performance of an open source 3D printer was evaluated based on the dimensional accuracy of the printed parts. The test model was fabricated using two types of printer, which is low cost 3D printer, Prusa and mid-end 3D printer, Cubepro. Then, the dimension of every model structure was measured using Rexscan 3D laser scanner and was compared

Evaluation of performance and fouling resistance of sandwich ultrafiltration for treatment of final discharged palm oil mill effluent(no full stop in abstract)

Oil palm is the important agriculture industry in Malaysia which consumed hundreds tonnes of water for the proses and 50% of which ends up as effluent. However, water can be sustained and conserved by treating final discharged and recycle back to the plant. Membrane ultrafiltration has been proven a reliable tool in treating wastewater, therefore, it is a promising green technology to treat final discharged from palm oil mill. Thus, this work is carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of ultrafiltration in reclaiming water from final discharged palm oil mill effluent (POME) as well as to investigate the fouling of membrane. Two types of membrane used were polyethersulfone (PES) and regenerated cellulose (RC) of 5kDa and 10 kDa. The first part of this study is to evaluate the effect of parameters that are: pressure (0.5 bar, 1.0 bar, 1.5 bar, 2.0 bar), stirring speed (0 rpm, 400 rpm, 600 rpm, 800 rpm) and pH value (6, 7, 8, 10) on ultrafiltration treatment and fouling resistance. The appropriate filtration condition was recognized and the permeate was further analysed for COD, BOD5 and suspended solid. Based on the parametric study, selected condition was fixed for the second part to evaluate the effect of sandwich configuration to further improve the final discharged quality and to analyse fouling resistance. Cake layer resistance was found to be dominant for all membranes tested. Two flat membranes were sandwiched together with both effective layer facing up (SS) or the effective layer of the bottom membrane facing down (SB) The results showed of the best permeate quality was achieved with 5 kDa PES membrane at pressure 1.0 bar, 600 rpm and pH 8: the reduction of COD, BOD5, turbidity, and total dissolved solid were 67.3%, 72.47%, 94.2% and 40% respectively. For sandwich membrane, interestingly, SS-sandwich showed the best permeate quality with pollutant reduction up to 80-90% (PES 5kDa) compared to 60-70% for single membrane. The quality of permeate from SS-sandwich membrane of 5 kDa was beyond reuse standard and approaching drinking water standard for TSS, TDS and turbidity. Therefore it can be concluded that, with the appropriate arrangement of sandwich membrane and operating condition, water reuse which successfully complies with World Health Organization (WHO) standard can be reclaimed from POME using UF technique

Nanostructured composite adsorbents and membranes for selective dye, oil and heavy metal ion separation

Vast industrial development has been a driving force behind economic growth and technological advancement in the modern world. However, this progress has come at a significant cost to the environment and the well-being of wildlife and humans. One of the most crucial environmental issues associated with industrialization is the production of wastewater, which is released into our water systems, containing various pollutants such as oils, dyes, and heavy metals. Hence, the development of highly efficient materials in water treatment technologies, such as membrane separations or adsorbents, is urgent. In recent research, the incorporation of guest molecules, such as nanoparticles or nanocrystals, in nanocomposites has shown great potential in enhancing the separation performance. This Ph.D. research focuses on the design and development of nanostructured materials, particularly nanocrystal decorated reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanocomposites, for the removal of molecules and ions from wastewater. Addressing the challenges of high energy consumption and complex synthesis conditions associated with current materials, this study introduces an innovative, energy-efficient UV irradiation method for the reduction of graphene oxide. This method significantly reduces the use of solvents and energy while shortening the processing time, marking a breakthrough in the synthesis of rGO-based materials for environmental applications. The research successfully applies this reduction technique to create an rGO-ZnO sponge with exceptional oil adsorption capacities and selectivity, demonstrating excellent recyclability over 100 cycles. Further exploration led to the development of an rGO-ZnO nanocomposite membrane, integrating ZnO nanorods to enhance membrane flux and introduce photocatalytic self-cleaning properties, offering a promising solution for dye removal and environmental remediation. Additionally, the study ventures into alternative treatment strategies to address membrane fouling by developing a three-dimensional (3D) rGO aerogel modified with polydopamine and ZIF-8 nano adsorbents. This composite aerogel showcases ultrahigh adsorption capacities for dyes and heavy metals, emphasizing the potential of carbon nanomaterials in water treatment. This research contributes significantly to the field of water treatment by advancing the fabrication and application of rGO nanocomposites, offering sustainable, efficient, and cost-effective solutions for pollutant removal. Through innovative material design and systematic exploration, the findings enhance our understanding of graphene oxide nanocomposites' potential in addressing environmental and public health challenges, signaling a critical advancement towards cleaner water and a healthier environment

Synthesis, characterization and biological activities of tridentate ons Schiff bases and their mixed-ligand metal complexes containing imidazole or benzimidazole

Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed and the second leading cause of cancer death among women after lung cancer. This fact had led the researchers to continuously synthesize new drugs to treat breast cancer. Thus, with this aim, new mixed-ligand metal complexes have been synthesized and evaluated for their biological activities in this research. Three series of tridentate Schiff bases derived from 4-methyl-3-thiosemicarbazide, 4-ethyl-3-thiosemicarbazide and 4-phenyl-3-thiosemicarbazide were synthesized using three aldehydes via condensation reactions, to form tridentate Oxygen-Nitrogen-Sulphur (ONS) containing ligands. The Schiff bases were then complexed with the imidazole or benzimidazole and Cu(II) and Ni(II) salts to produce new mixed-ligand transition metal complexes. These compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, molar conductivity,magnetic susceptibility and various spectroscopic techniques including Fourier- Transform Infrared (FT-IR), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR),UltraViolet/Visible (UV/Vis) and Inductively Coupled Plasma – Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES) analyses. The elemental analyses support the proposed formulae for the synthesized compounds while the molar conductance values indicated that the metal complexes were essentially non-electrolytes in DMSO solution. The magnetic susceptibility measurements and spectral results support the four-coordinate (square planar) geometry in which the Schiff bases behave as the tridentate ONS donor ligand coordinating via the hydroxyl oxygen, azomethine nitrogen, and thiolo sulphur atom while the imidazole or benzimidazole coordinates as a unidentate N-donor ligand. Single Crystal X-ray crystallographic analysis of five new mixed-ligand Cu(II) and Ni(II) complexes containing imidazole or benzimidazole shows that the complex exhibit a distorted square planar structure. The Schiff bases and their metal complexes have been evaluated for their biological activities against estrogen receptor positive breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) and estrogen receptor negative breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB-231). All of the Cu(II) complexes from salicylaldehyde and 3-methoxy salicylaldehyde derivatives with five Ni(II) complexes showed marked cytotoxicity against the cell lines while all except MTSali Schiff bases and most Ni(II) complexes were found to be inactive

Thermal Stability and Rheological Properties of Epoxidized Natural Rubber-Based Magnetorheological Elastomer

Determination of the thermal characteristics and temperature-dependent rheological properties of the magnetorheological elastomers (MREs) is of paramount importance particularly with regards to MRE applications. Hitherto, a paucity of temperature dependent analysis has been conducted by MRE researchers. In this study, an investigation on the thermal and rheological properties of epoxidized natural rubber (ENR)-based MREs was performed. Various percentages of carbonyl iron particles (CIPs) were blended with the ENR compound using a two roll-mill for the preparation of the ENR-based MRE samples. The morphological, elemental, and thermal analyses were performed before the rheological test. Several characterizations, as well as the effects of the strain amplitude, temperature, and magnetic field on the rheological properties of ENR-based MRE samples, were evaluated. The micrographs and elemental results were well-correlated regarding the CIP and Fe contents, and a uniform distribution of CIPs was achieved. The results of the thermal test indicated that the incorporation of CIPs enhanced the thermal stability of the ENR-based MREs. Based on the rheological analysis, the storage modulus and loss factor were dependent on the CIP content and strain amplitude. The effect of temperature on the rheological properties revealed that the stiffness of the ENR-based MREs was considered stable, and they were appropriate to be employed in the MRE devices exposed to high temperatures above 45 &#176;C

Mixed-ligand metal complexes containing an ONS Schiff base and imidazole/benzimidazole ligands: synthesis, characterization, crystallography and biological activity

Salicylaldehyde-4-methylthiosemicarbazone (H2MTSali) has been prepared via the condensation reaction of 4-methyl-3-thiosemicarbazide and salicylaldehyde. Four new mixed-ligand copper(II) and nickel(II) complexes with a general formula [M(MTSali)L] (M = Cu2+ or Ni2+; L = co-ligand) were synthesized, where L is either imidazole (im) or benzimidazole (bzim). The Schiff base and its mixed-ligand complexes were characterized by IR and UV/Vis spectroscopy, and the complexes by molar conductivity and magnetic susceptibility measurements. The spectroscopic data indicated that the Schiff base behaves as a tridentate ONS donor ligand coordinating via the phenoxide-oxygen, azomethine-nitrogen, and thiolate-sulphur atoms. Magnetic data indicate a square planar environment for the nickel(II) complexes while molar conductance values indicate that the metal complexes are essentially non-electrolytes in DMSO solution. X-ray crystallography shows Cu(MTSali)bzim (1) and Ni(MTSali)bzim (3) to be isostructural, with the metal(II) ions being coordinated by a N2OS donor set that defines an approximate square planar geometry; in both cases, the benzimidazole is splayed with respect to the coordination plane. The copper(II) complexes were active against MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines, more so than H2MTSali, whereas the nickel(II) complexes were inactive