Date Palm Leaflet-Derived Carbon Microspheres Activated Using Phosphoric Acid for Efficient Lead (II) Adsorption

\ua9 2024 by the authors.The removal of lead metals from wastewater was carried out with carbon microspheres (CMs) prepared from date palm leaflets using a hydrothermal carbonization process (HTC). The prepared CMs were subsequently activated with phosphoric acid using the incipient wetness impregnation method. The prepared sample had a low Brunauer–Emmet–Teller (BET) surface area of 2.21 m2\ub7g−1, which increased substantially to 808 m2\ub7g−1 after the activation process. Various characterization techniques, such as scanning electron microscopy, BET analysis, Fourier transform infrared, and elemental analysis (CHNS), were used to evaluate the morphological structure and physico-chemical properties of the CMs before and after activation. The increase in surface area is an indicator of the activation process, which enhances the absorption properties of the material. The results demonstrated that the activated CMs had a notable adsorption capacity, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 136 mg\ub7g−1 for lead (II) ions. This finding suggests that the activated CMs are highly effective in removing lead pollutants from water. This research underscores the promise of utilizing activated carbon materials extracted from palm leaflets as an eco-friendly method with high potential for water purification, specifically in eliminating heavy metal pollutants, particularly lead (II), contributing to sustainability through biomass reuse

An examination of the characteristics associated with at-risk African-American students experiencing success in high school mathematics

In general, the underachievement of inner-city African-American high school students in mathematics has been attributed to their at-risk background, low teacher expectation, and negative attitude towards mathematics. (Gilbert & Gay, 1985; Stiff & Harvey, 1988). These students are considered at-risk because they come from communities where poverty and unemployment rates are high, drugs and violence are common, and there exists a high probability of dropping out of high school or becoming teenage parents (McLoyd, 1988). Despite the sociocultural, economical, and psychological forces working against them, some at-risk African-American students are experiencing success in high school mathematics.^ This study, conducted in an inner-city high school in the Northeast examined the factors, in-and-out-of school, contributing to the mathematics performance of at-risk African-American high school students (n = 6) who are experiencing success in high school mathematics (i.e., enrolled in a college preparatory mathematics program). This group was compared with a second group of at-risk African-American students (n = 6) from the same school with similar mathematics ability as defined by the TOMA-2 subtests but experiencing less success in high school mathematics (i.e., enrolled in a non-college preparatory mathematics program). In order to examine the factors contributing to the mathematics performance of the students, a case study research methodology was used.^ Data were collected in-and-out of school for three months using interviews, observations, and review of relevant documents. Students, parents, teachers, school personnel, and members of the community who had direct or indirect contact with the students were interviewed. Cross-case analysis and coding were used in analyzing the data.^ The students enrolled in the college preparatory mathematics courses generally believed that success in mathematics was due in part to their interest in the subject, belief in mathematics ability, solving extra mathematics problems, meaningful parental involvement, and motivation to do well in mathematics. In addition, high teacher expectation was identified as an important factor. However, the students enrolled in the non-college preparatory mathematics courses attributed their lack of success in mathematics to negative experiences in mathematics, lack of self-confidence in their mathematics ability, and a home environment conducive for promoting academic success was also lacking.

Liquid-liquid separation of azeotropic mixtures of ethanol/alkanes using deep eutectic solvents: COSMO-RS prediction and experimental validation

Separation of azeotropic mixtures is a topic of great industrial interest. In this work, liquid-liquid extraction using deep eutectic solvents (DESs) is explored to separate binary azeotropic mixtures of ethanol and n-hexane, n-heptane or n-octane. Ten DESs were screened using the COSMO-RS approach by predicting the activity coefficient at infinite dilution, γ∞ of ethanol and n-alkanes in each DES. Then, three DESs were selected for experimental validation where Tetrabutylammonium bromide/Levulinic acid (TBAB/LA) with a molar ratio (1:2) gave the best extractive performance for all systems. Ternary liquid-liquid extraction experiments were conducted at room temperature with this DES. It was found that the tie-lines of all systems have positive slopes, indicating that a small amount of solvent is required to extract ethanol. Moreover, the distribution ratio and selectivity values are all greater than unity and the DES was not detected in the raffinate phase which indicate minimal cross-contamination between extract and raffinate phases. Finally, COSMO-RS predictions of the ternary tie-lines were in excellent agreement with experimental data, with an average RMSD value of 1.65%. The experimental data were also successfully correlated with NRTL model with an average RMSD value of 1.50%

Theoretical Investigations of Inclusion Processes of (4-tert.-butylphenyl)(3-sulfonatophenyl)(phenyl) Phosphine in the β-Cyclodextrin

International audienc

Synthesis of Carbon Microspheres from Inedible Crystallized Date Palm Molasses: Influence of Temperature and Reaction Time

In this work, carbon microspheres (CMs) were prepared by hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of inedible crystallized date palm molasses. The effects of temperature and reaction time on the prepared materials were studied. Experiments were carried out at different temperatures (180, 200, 230 and 250 °C) with reaction times ranging from 2 to 10 h. It was found that temperature had the greatest influence on the mass yield of the CMs. No solid products were observed at a temperature of 180 °C and a reaction time less than 2 h. The highest yield was found to be 40.4% at 250 °C and a reaction time of 6 h. The results show that the CMs produced were approximately 5–9 μm in diameter. The results also show that the largest diameter of the CMs (8.9 μm) was obtained at a temperature of 250 °C and a reaction time of 6 h. Nonetheless, if the reaction time was extended beyond 6 h at 250 °C, the CMs fused and their shapes were deformed (non-spherical shapes). The synthesized materials were characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), Branuer-Emmett-Teller (BET) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). BET surface areas for the four samples were found to be less than 1 m2/g. The methylene blue adsorption studies indicated that the equilibrium adsorption capacity was reached after 15 min, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 12 mg/g. The recycling of date palm molasses (a known processed waste) to generate a useable carbon microsphere represents a beneficial step in the application of sustainable processing industries in the Middle East