Kinetic study and modeling of biosurfactant production using Bacillus sp.

Background: Surfactants are one of the most important raw materials used in various industrial fields as emulsifiers, corrosion inhibitors, foaming agents, detergent products, and so on. However, commercial surfactant production is costly, and its demand is steadily increasing. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of typical strains of Bacillus sp. to produce biosurfactants through fermentation. It also included the investigation of the effect of initial glucose concentration and the carbon to nitrogen ratio. Results: The biosurfactant yield was in the range of 1\u20132.46 g/L at initial glucose concentrations of 10\u201370 g/L. The optimum fermentation condition was achieved at a carbon to nitrogen ratio of 12.4, with a decrease in surface tension of up to 27 mN/m. Conclusions: For further development and industrial applications, the modified Gompertz equation is proposed to predict the cell mass and biosurfactant production as a goodness of fit was obtained with this model. The modified Gompertz equation was also extended to enable the excellent prediction of the surface tension

Potential Peat Clay for Minerals Source Utilized as Adsorbent and Catalyst

The existence of peat clay is scattered in many parts of the world with the huge amount. The high compound of minerals in the peat clay can be potentially used as adsorbent and catalyst. This research aims to study the composition of peat clay and functional group of the compound in the peat clay. The characterization of x-ray fluorescence (XRF), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive x-ray (SEM- EDX) were assigned to compare the sample before and after calcination process at 700 oC 120 min. FTIR analysis showed the presence of quartz, kaolinite, hematite, illite in peat clay. The results of XRF analysis showed that chemical composition of peat clay was dominantly in the form of silica oxide (18%), aluminum oxide (7%), and iron oxide (15%). The amount of compounds was observed to increase to be 32%, 18% and 11%, respectively after calcinations. XRD analysis confirmed the presence of this mineral in the peat clay. SEM analysis showed flake structure of peat clay with EDX which indicated composition of the dominant element namely the presence of Al, Si, and Fe before and after calcination. This high amount of minerals in peat clay led to potential source to be utilized as adsorbent for removing the pollutant or as and catalyst for chemical process

Biopolymer of Chitosan from Fish Scales as Natural Coagulant for Iron–Contaminated Groundwater Treatment

Chitosan, the de-acetylated chitin derivative, was evaluated for its ability to be used as a natural coagulant for Martapura groundwater treatment. This study is used chitosan derived from original fish scales of Kalimantan called Papuyu (Anabas testudineus) for the treatment of iron ion-containing Martapura groundwater through coagulation-flocculation method. The reduction efficiency of iron ion removed by coagulation-flocculation processes using chitosan from Papuyu fish scales is the primary evaluating parameter. The obtained chitosan have been characterized and analyzed by Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray Fluroscence (XRF) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Using of the chitosan from Papuyu fish scales as coagulant at neutral pH and room temperature led to decreasing the groundwater iron concentration become 3.43 mg/L (around 71% removal). The result was then compare to the coagulation-flocculation treatment using the commercial chitosan from shrimps shell (93% deacetylated). Moreover, its found the coagulation-flocculation treatment using the chitosan from fish scales as coagulant more favor than the commercial one

One-step Synthesis to Enhance the Acidity of a Biocarbon-based Sulfonated Solid Acid Catalyst

The main purpose of this study is to produce and generate a solid acid catalyst from biomass with high reactivity that can be used in catalytical reactions such as hydrolysis, and is environmentally friendly and reusable. A biocarbon-based sulfonated catalyst was prepared by the carbonization of palm empty fruit bunches (PEFB), followed by sulfonation. In order to enhance the acidity of the biocarbon, different concentrations of hydroxyethylsulfonic acid were added to the solution during sulfonation at 180o C for 4 h in a Teflon stainless steel autoclave. The H+ ion capacity of the biocarbon-sulfonated acid catalyst (BSC) was increased twofold (3.57 mmol/g) in the presence of 10% of hydroxyethylsulfonic acid and 10% of acrylic acid. X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analysis showed that the BC-SO3H contained 38% of S. The original structure of the PEFB after carbonization disintegrated from the fibrous materials onto porous carbon. The crystalline index (CrI) of the PEFB significantly decreased to about 32% and a wide broad peak of a X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) pattern of around 20-30o were observed, which shows that an amorphous biocarbon structure had been identified. Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FT-IR) analysis confirmed that the -SO3H, COOH and -OH functional groups were deposited on the carbon due to specific peaks at around 1180 cm-1, 1724 cm-1 and 3431 cm-1, respectively. Decomposition of the sulfonic groups on the biocarbon-sulfonated solid catalyst was observed from 227.9o C, as it shown by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA).&nbsp

Dataset on potential large scale production of biosurfactant using Bacillus sp.

Surfactants are very important in industry. The cost of commercial surfactant production is still high and the surfactant demand is constantly increasing. Microbial production of surfactant known as biosurfactant shows commercial potency. Utilization of Bacillus sp. strain on glucose fermentation for biosurfactant production was then studied. This type of microbe was isolated from soil contaminated with palm oil. The selection of the strain was based on its ability to form emulsifying zone around the colony and its capability to grow compared with those for commercial bacteria of Bacillus pumilus JCM 2508. The results showed a potentially promising strain with high biosurfactant yields and low surface tension. For further scale-up development, the microbe performance in a fermentor was compared with those in a flask and a proposed model to predict the kinetic profiles of cell mass, biosurfactant and surface tension were also described. The data presented here are related to the research article entitled “Kinetic study and modeling of biosurfactant production using Bacillus sp.” (Heryani and Putra, 2017) [1]. Keywords: Biosurfactant, Bacillus sp., Kinetic model, Emulsifiers, Glucose, Surface tensio

Potential fly ash waste as catalytic converter for reduction of HC and CO emissions

The huge amount of fly ash produced in the coal industry has caused environmental problems. This research presents the performance of catalytic converters manufactured from coal fly ash for the reduction of gas emissions of a motor vehicle. At idle engine speed and 0.1 MPa air pressure, the presence of activated fly ash as a catalytic converter could reduce the emissions of hydrocarbons (HC) and carbon monoxide (CO) up to 48 and 45%, respectively. The increase in the length of catalytic converter could further decrease the emissions of HC and CO. By increasing the engine speed, the emissions decreased with or without catalytic converter. The optimum air pressure was obtained at 0.1 MPa. The minimum emissions of HC and CO were observed at the engine speed of 2000 rpm, catalyst length of 9 cm and air pressure of 0.1 MPa with the value of 1260 and 8510 ppm, respectively. Therefore, the utilization of fly ash as catalytic converter in the exhaust system motor vehicles can minimize several environmental problems such as fly ash waste and gas emission. Keywords: Catalytic converter, Coal fly ash, Motor vehicle, Gas emission, HC, C

Potential Peat Clay for Minerals Source Utilized as Adsorbent and Catalyst

The existence of peat clay is scattered in many parts of the world with the huge amount. The high compound of minerals in the peat clay can be potentially used as adsorbent and catalyst. This research aims to study the composition of peat clay and functional group of the compound in the peat clay. The characterization of x-ray fluorescence (XRF), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive x-ray (SEM- EDX) were assigned to compare the sample before and after calcination process at 700 oC 120 min. FTIR analysis showed the presence of quartz, kaolinite, hematite, illite in peat clay. The results of XRF analysis showed that chemical composition of peat clay was dominantly in the form of silica oxide (18%), aluminum oxide (7%), and iron oxide (15%). The amount of compounds was observed to increase to be 32%, 18% and 11%, respectively after calcinations. XRD analysis confirmed the presence of this mineral in the peat clay. SEM analysis showed flake structure of peat clay with EDX which indicated composition of the dominant element namely the presence of Al, Si, and Fe before and after calcination. This high amount of minerals in peat clay led to potential source to be utilized as adsorbent for removing the pollutant or as and catalyst for chemical process