Effect of Particle Size on Young's Modulus of Carbon from Oil Palm Bunches

In an effort to use oil palm empty fruit bunches (EFB) for making carbon products, EFB was ground and pelletized. The pellets were carbonized in vacuo up to 1000°C, using a heating rate of about 200°C/h. Young's modulus of the carbon pellets was measured using the ultrasonic technique. The data shows that Young's modulus is significantly dependent on the particle size of the powder used in the preparation of the green body. Young's modulus of carbon pellets made from smaller particles (70% powder with size ~ 50 11m plus 30% powder with 50 11m ~ size ~ 150 11m) and larger particles (100% powder with 50 11m ~ size ~ 150 pm) was 1.02 GPa and 0.78 GPa respectively. These values appear to be about 5 to 6 times smaller than those of the carbon samples directly prepared from the endocarp of babassu coconut and about 9 times smaller than that of the carbon product from General Electric Company

Thermal Conductivity of Carbon Pellets Prepared from Oil Palm Bunches

Factors such as its natural properties, low cost and availability in large quantities as a waste product may give oil palm empty fruit bunches (EFB) a great potential for use as a precursor for producing solid carbon electrodes and electrical components. One of the important properties of this product is its thermal conductivity. The thermal conductivity of carbon pellets prepared from fibres of oil palm empty fruit bunches was measured at the temperature of 150°C using the dynamic technique. The value obtained was 1.38 Wm'\ K', which is 2-5 times lower than the value predicted in this work, the value for carbon prepared from cellulose, the value for commercial carbon measured in this work and the value quoted by manufacturer for glassy carbon product. This difference is due to the microstructure of the EFB-earbon which is more porous than the other carbon products

s-SCMM: A Simplified Software Configuration Management Model for Software Services in Public University

Software Configuration Management (SCM) is a process that supports Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), which benefits project management, development activities, maintenance activities, quality assurance activities, and the end users of the software product. However, findings from series of interviews have proven that SCM is difficult to operate and to be implemented by the practitioners in public universities specifically in Malaysia. Some of the SCM activities could be aided by using the SCM automated tools, however not all practitioners opted that due to inflexibility of the tools. Theoretical and empirical study have identified and revealed the current practices, success factors, essential elements, and components of SCM that were used frequently and beneficial among software practitioners. The empirical study also found that the main components of s-SCMM are process, SCM tool, and human.  The s-SCMM was proposed and developed by considering the main components: process, tools, human, and success factors. The s-SCMM model was validated through expert review. As the result, a Simplified SCM Model (or s-SCMM) was proposed and developed to help the execution and implementation of SCM in public university environment. The s-SCMM model is simplified by focusing on change management, version control, system building, and release management. Therefore, s-SCMM will become a platform to assist total implementation of SCM in organization. By using this model, the preparation and usage of SCM artefacts could become more effective, efficient, and systematic

Case study of SME'S family business: Issues in succession and conflict

The case focuses on the management of family own business by Era Edar Sdn. Bhd. as SME and Bumiputera company in homeopathy and alternative medicine.Dr. Azizan and Dr. Hamsiah as the founder of the company have confronted many issues and conflicts at early start-up and expansion stage of this family business.This business was set up intentionally as family business and has went through the succession process to the second generation although one of the founder still maintain her role in management and ownership of the company.Not only the late Dr. Azizan and Dr Hamsiah have well planned for start-up and growth of the company but also family planned to have twelve children for the purpose of family business.Their famous product EXAMO CKM 500, was formulated by Dr. Azizan has become synonym to this company.Dr. Hamsiah has confronted many challenges and tribulation in positioning Era Edar Marketing Sdn. Bhd. and KUSDA as a group of company to be known by the Malaysian society as today.The study highlighted several conflicts including communication, family relation, jealousy, and strategy that has been taken by the founder to overcome the problems. This case also highlighted the succession plan by the founders and there was also element of culture in the succession plan.Thus, this case study focuses on the management of conflicts and succession that experienced by Dr. Hamsiah as the spouse and the founder of this company

Persepsi masyarakat terhadap keperluan perkhidmatan kaunseling spiritual

Kajian ini dijalankan untuk mengenal pasti persepsi masyarakat terhadap keperluan perkhidmatan kaunseling spiritual dalam kalangan masyarakat di Daerah Alor Gajah, Melaka. Aspek spiritual dalam kaunseling merupakan perkara penting yang perlu diperkasakan dalam perkhidmatan kaunseling kerana banyak permasalahan dalam kehidupan dikenal pasti berpunca daripada masalah spiritual yang tidak diurus dengan baik. Kebanyakan daripada perkhidmatan kaunseling yang ditawarkan di Malaysia menggunakan pendekatan kaunseling berteraskan teori Barat yang kurang memberi penekanan kepada elemen spiritual dalam sesi kaunseling yang dijalankan. Oleh yang demikian, kajian ini dijalankan untuk menganalisis persepsi masyarakat terhadap keperluan perkhidmatan kaunseling spiritual dalam masyarakat. Kajian kuantitatif berbentuk deskriptif dan inferensi ini dijalankan ke atas 100 orang responden menggunakan borang soal selidik Client Attitudes Towards Spirituality in Therapy (CAST). Ujian kebolehpercayaan yang digunakan dalam kajian ini ialah analisis Alpha Cronbach dan bacaan untuk Religious Discussion ialah 0.79, manakala untuk perbincangan spiritual pula ialah 0.83 yang menunjukkan ketekalan dalaman adalah boleh diterima untuk kedua-dua ukuran. Data dianalisis menggunakan perisian Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) yang menggunakan analisis Ujian-t dan ANOVA Sehala. Ujian Post Hoc dijalankan untuk menguji perbezaan yang ketara dalam pemboleh ubah yang dikaji. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan terdapat keperluan yang tinggi terhadap perkhidmatan kaunseling spiritual dalam kalangan responden. Kajian turut mendapati tidak terdapat perbezaan yang signifikan berkaitan dengan persepsi masyarakat terhadap keperluan perkhidmatan kaunseling spiritual mengikut faktor demografi, iaitu jantina, tahap pendidikan dan umur. Walau bagaimanapun terdapat perbezaan yang signifikan persepsi masyarakat terhadap keperluan perkhidmatan kaunseling spiritual mengikut faktor bangsa yang dikaji. Secara keseluruhan kajian ini memberi pendedahan kepada masyarakat bahawa persoalan spiritual atau kerohanian dalam kaunseling merupakan satu keperluan yang perlu diberi perhatian wajar agar perkhidmatan kaunseling yang ditawarkan menepati keperluan manusia dan berupaya mengatasi masalah klien secara berkesan dalam usaha mencapai kesejahteraan hidup

Analysis of rectangular flexible horizontal piezoelectric cantilever beam base on ANSYS

This paper presents the analysis of energy harvester by using rectangular flexible piezoelectric cantilever beam in which applied on sea wave. The limitation of blade design is it only focus on single direction flow of sea wave motion. The finite element model is constructed by using ANSYS to optimize the blade design to maximize the output power. The analysis of rectangular flexible piezoelectric design shows the ability to generate variable of electric power from minimum 20 µW up to 141.30 µW, with dimension of width, length, height of piezo is 10 mm, 30 mm, 0.10 mm and amplitude of sea wave surface of 1.5 m respectively

Novel laurel aromatic evergreen biomass derived hierarchical porous carbon nanosheet as sustainable electrode for high performance symmetric supercapacitor

Biomass-based activated carbon with features combinations of 2D nano-structure, 3D hierarchical porous, and self− /co-doping active heteroatoms have proven excellent performance as sustainable electrodes for high-energy supercapacitors. Therefore, this study aims to obtain activated carbon with 2D nanosheet, 3D hierarchical pores, and self‑oxygen doped from the typical aromatic biomass of Indonesian laurel aromatic evergreen (ILAE), Laurus nobilis. It was carried out using a fast and toxic residue-free strategy as an active material for symmetrical supercapacitors. The optimization of the activated carbon structure was controlled through the activating agent ratio in high-temperature pyrolysis. It was discovered that the prepared ILAE carbon material has a 2D gauze-like nanosheet structure with a hierarchical pore network that enables fast and efficient accessibility. Furthermore, the porosity of the optimal ILAE-activated carbon possessed enriched micropores of 88 % and confirmed mesopores of 12 % with a high carbon content of 95.07 % and 4.49 % functional oxygen as self-doping heteroatom. In two-electrode configuration systems, the ILAE nanosheet-activated carbon-based supercapacitor exhibits excellent electrochemical performance with a high specific capacitance of 205 F g− 1 at 1 A g− 1 in a 1 M H2SO4 electrolyte. Furthermore, their capability rate was maintained at 81.16 % in 10 A g− 1 with an optimum coulombic efficiency of 81.66 %. Moreover, the symmetrical supercapacitor device in aqueous electrolyte performed excellent energy output behaviors as high as 21.56 Wh kg− 1 with maximum power output of 1.101 kW kg− 1 , respectively. This indicated that the novel ILAE biomass proves high potential as a source of activated carbon enrich-nanosheet with 3D hierarchical pores prepared with the up-to-date approach to enhance the performance of electrochemical energy storage device

Elektrod superkapasitor daripada komposit karbon teraktif dan grafen dengan perekat PVDF-HFP

Elektrod superkapasitor elektrokimia dwi-lapisan telah dihasilkan menggunakan serbuk karbon monolit teraktif (KMT) sebagai bahan pemula dan grafen sebagai bahan tambah. Elektrod telah disediakan dengan mencampurkan serbuk KMT dan grafen dengan peratus berat yang berbeza (0, 5, 10, 20 dan 40 % bt.) yang ditambah larutan polivinilidena fluorida-heksafluoropropilena (PVDF-HFP) sebagai agen perekat serta karbon hitam sebagai agen konduksian. Pencirian fizikal dijalankan ke atas elektrod dengan menggunakan kaedah pembelauan sinar-X (XRD) dan isoterma jerapan-nyahjerapan. Prestasi sel superkapasitor dengan elektrolit akueus 6 M KOH telah diuji menggunakan kaedah spektroskopi impedans elektrokimia (EIS), voltametri berkitar (CV) dan cas-discas galvanostatik (GCD). Sel superkapasitor dengan bahan tambah grafen 5 % bt. (KMT05) didapati mempunyai kapasitans tentu yang tertinggi (172 F g-1), tenaga tentu yang tertinggi (11 Wh kg-1), kuasa tentu yang tertinggi (196.13 W kg-1), masa gerak balas terendah (2 s) serta rintangan pemindahan cas terendah (2.4 Ω) berbanding sel-sel yang lain. Ini menunjukkan bahawa bahan tambah grafen 5 % bt. adalah optimum untuk meningkatkan prestasi sel. Hasil ini selaras dengan saiz mikrohablur serta luas permukaan tentu KMT05X yang lebih besar berbanding KMT tanpa bahan tambah grafen (KMT00X)

Microcrystallite dimension and total active surface area of carbon electrode from mixtures of pre-carbonized oil palm empty fruit bunches and green petroleum cokes

Carbon pellets (CP) were prepared from the green pellets (GP) containing mixtures of pre-carbonized oil palm empty fruit bunches (SACG) and Green Petroleum Cokes (GPC), with the weight percentages (x) of SACG in the samples at 10%, 30%, 50%, 70% and 90%. Carbonization process to produce the CP was conducted up to 900oC using a multi steps heating profile. The interlayer spacing (d200 and d100), stack height (Lc), stack width (La,) and effective dimension L of the turbostratic crystallites (microsrystallite) in the CPs were estimated from X-ray diffraction data; d200, d100, La, L increased and Lc decreased with increasing weight percentage of SACG. The total surface area of active material of the CP (Atot) with thickness, t, estimated from Lc was found to follow the equation, Atot = [4.8086 – 0.0083x]1010 t, indicating a significant influence of the SACG content in the mixture of the green body

Study of trapezoidal flexible horizontal piezoelectric cantilever beam based on ANSYS

This paper presents the analysis of energy harvester by utilizing trapezoidal adaptable piezoelectric cantilever beam in which applied on ocean wave. The limitation of blade configuration is it just spotlight on single design progression of ocean wave movement. The limited component model is built by utilizing ANSYS to enhance the blade configuration to boost the output power. The analysis of trapezoidal adaptable piezoelectric plan shows the capacity to produce variable of electric force from least 18.4 µW up to 146.80 µW, with measurement of width, length, tallness of piezo is 5 mm, 30 mm, 0.10 mm and abundancy of ocean wave surface of 1.5 m individually