An Extended Octagonal Ring Dynamometer for Measurement of Forces on a Simple Tillage Tool

The analysis, design, construction, evaluation and use of an extended octagonal ring dynamometer for measurement of draught, vertical force and moment on a simple tillage tool are presented. The dynamometer was used to measure tool forces as functions of depth, rake angle and speed, for a wide plane blade.The dynamometer was designed for a maximum draught of 4.4 kN, vertical force of 4.0 kN and moment of 2.2 kN-m. Evaluation and calibration showed linear response (R2 =  0.99 to 1.00) for the relationship between applied load and output voltage and no hysteresis effect within the load range was observed. Actual sensitivity obtained were 0.332 m V/N.V for draught, 0.726m V/N.V for vertical force and 2.5 m V/N-m.V for moment. Maximum cross sensitivity was less than 6%. The dynamometer showed expected response of tool forces as affected by tool depth, rake angle and speed

Evaluation of some ceramic properties of Gadabiu clay deposit (Kwali Area Council, Abuja, Nigeria)

Purpose. To evaluate some ceramic properties of Gadabiu clay deposit, Kwali Area Council, Abuja Nigeria. Methods. Soil samples from the study area were subjected to various physical and mechanical tests such as; X-ray diffraction (XRD), porosity, grain size distribution, cold crush strength, modulus of rupture, linear shrinkage, bulk density, water absorption, loss on ignition, moisture content, plasticity index and refractoriness. Findings. Results of XRD of the samples indicate that the deposit is of three crystalline components of quartz – 64.73%, feldspar – 6.05% and kaolinite – 29.22%. XRD also identified the dominant oxide compositions of the clay to be silicon oxide and aluminum oxide; while titanium oxide and manganese oxide were found in traces. Laboratory analysis on physical properties of the clay like porosity, grain size distribution, cold crushing strength, modulus of rupture, linear shrinkage, bulk density, water absorption, loss on ignition, moisture content, plasticity index and refractoriness were carried out, and well presented in the paper. Originality. The results can be compared to standard requirements in clay soil for ceramic productions. Practical implications. The results from this investigation can guide intending investors in their decision making. It can also be used as supporting document when applying for mine license and bank loan.Мета. Оцінка керамічних властивостей глини родовища Гадабіу, територіальна рада Квалі (Абуджа, Нігерія) на основі фізико-механічних випробувань для можливості її використання у промислових цілях. Методика. Були відібрані 12 проб глини родовища з глибин 3, 7 і 10 м та піддані фізичним і механічних випробуванням, а також рентгеноструктурному аналізу (РСА) для визначення пористості, розподілу зерна за величиною, межі міцності на розрив і стиск, лінійного стиску, об’ємної щільності, гігроскопічності, втрати ваги при прокалюванні, вмісту вологи, коефіцієнта пластичності й вогнетривкості. Результати. Встановлено, що зразки глини родовища містять три кристалічних компоненти: кварц – 64.73%, польовий шпат – 6.05% і каолініт – 29.22%. РСА дозволив визначити, що в глинах родовища переважають оксиди кремнію та алюмінію, тоді як оксиди марганцю й титану представлені дуже незначно. Досліджені такі фізичні властивості глини як пористість, розподіл зерна по величині, межа міцності на розрив і стиск, лінійний стиск, об’ємна щільність, гігроскопічність, втрата ваги при прокалюванні, вміст вологи, коефіцієнт пластичності та вогнетривкість, що знаходяться в межах прийнятних стандартів для виробництва кераміки. Встановлено середній пластичний індекс глини, який є вище мінімальних вимог, необхідних для виробництва кераміки. Наукова новизна. Виявлено зональне покращення фізико-механічних властивостей та сортності глини з глибиною (від 3 до 10 м) в умовах родовища Гадабіу. Практична значимість. Встановлена промислова придатність глини родовища Гадабіу для виробництва кераміки.Цель. Оценка керамических свойств глины месторождения Гадабиу, территориальный совет Квали (Абуджа, Нигерия) на основании физико-механических испытаний для возможности ее применения в промышленных целях. Методика. Были отобраны 12 проб глины месторождения с глубины 3, 7 и 10 м и подвергнуты физическим и механическим испытаниям, а также рентгеноструктурному анализу (РСА) для определения пористости, распределения зерна по величине, предела прочности на разрыв и сжатие, линейного сжатия, объемной плотности, гигроскопичности, потери веса при прокаливании, содержания влаги, коэффициента пластичности и огнеупорности. Результаты. Установлено, что образцы глины месторождения содержат три кристаллических компонента: кварц – 64.73%, полевой шпат – 6.05%, и каолинит – 29.22%. РСА также позволил определить, что в глинах месторождения преобладают оксиды кремния и алюминия, тогда как оксиды марганца и титана представлены очень незначительно. Исследованы такие физические свойства глины как пористость, распределение зерна по величине, предел прочности на разрыв и сжатие, линейное сжатие, объемная плотность, гигроскопичность, потеря веса при прокаливании, содержание влаги, коэффициент пластичности и огнеупорность, находящиеся в пределах приемлемых стандартов для производства керамики. Установлен средний пластический индекс глины, который является выше минимальных требований, необходимого для производства керамики. Научная новизна. Выявлено зональное улучшение физико-механических свойств и сортности глины с глубиной (от 3 до 10 м) в условиях месторождения Гадабиу. Практическая значимость. Установлена промышленная пригодность глины месторождения Гадабиу для производства керамики.The authors are grateful for the support of management of West African Ceramics Ltd, Ajaokuta, Kogi State, Nigeria

Predicting Suitable Field Workdays for Soil Tillage in North Central Nigeria

A simulation model was developed to predict suitable field workdays for tillage operations in North Central Nigeria. Predictions were made from a computer model which simulates daily soil moisture in the top 30 cm of soil depth using 6 years of daily meteorological records. The model was tested and validated by comparing its output with the observed workdays during the 1996 farming season on two soil types. Results show that there was good agreement between the observed and predicted values using established tractability criteria

Prospects for Multi-Functional Utilisation of Bamboo in Nigeria

The industrial utilisation of bamboo is expanding globally as a result of its role in climate change mitigation, adaptation and development.  Bamboo has more than 1,500 industrial applications and the uses are expaanding. In Nigeria, the prospects for multi-functional utilisation is high and increasing as a result of  the high dependence on importation of raw materials and the serious ecological and land degradation taking place in most parts of the country. Bamboo will find ready use in the wood and wood products sector of the economy as Nigeria currently depends on importation of plywood, particleboard and more recently  seasoned planks.  In the textile industry the low cotton production and productivity will encourage industrial textiles production from bamboo while the near total dependence on imported long fibre pulp will promote bamboo utilisation in the pulp and paper industry.  Bamboo utilisation in housing construction is likely to look up as a result of the current housing problems in both urban and rural areas and the high level of development in engineered bamboo production globally.  In Nigeria, bamboo utilisation will increse significantly in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries with adequate promotion of investment in these sectors. In line with the plans of international communities, thedevelopment and use of bamboo briquettes in place of firewood and wood briquettes coupled with establishment of bamboo plantations on degraded lands will significantly promote production and multifunctional utilisation of bamboo locally. Keywords: pharmaceuticals, bamboo, textiles, charcoal, environmental conservation

Impact of Privatization of Primary Pulp and Paper Mills on Performance of the Pulp and Paper Sector in Nigeria.

The integrated pulp aand paper mills established in Nigeria were privatized in the mid 2000 as a result of lack of adequate funds to import requisite raw materials and generally because of their non performance.  The Nigeria Paper Mill commenced rehabilitation immediately after privatization and started production in the 2009. The two other mills are yet to start production.   While Nigeria Paper Mill has rehabilitated its paper machines, it is currently producing kraft paper within 60-250gsm range using recycled paper. The mill has been able to reduce national dependence on kraft paper importation, although, its customers are agitating that it should add long fibre pulp to the recycled waste paper pulp in order to increase the strength of its products. The deficit turn-over of the non production of the three pulp and paper mills between 2006-2009 to the economy was 153.05 billion naira.  This is estimated to rise to 180 billion in 2015 as a result of the increasing cost of long fibre pulp and the anticipated rise in demand for paper as a build up to the 2015 general elections.  The major problems the mills may likely continue to face even after becoming fully operational are dependence on imported long fibre pulp and chemicals, epileptic energy supply, thereby increasing costs of production.  These are likely to forestall the gains of the privatization exercise among which are deepening of local market, technology transfer, employment generation and reduction in cost of paper products locally.  Thus, government  has significant role to play in monitoring the post privatization activities at the mills and in providing suitable environment for profitable operation of the mills by finding sustainable solution to the problems of long fibre pulp sourcing within the polity. Keywords: privatization, turn over, long fibre, rehabilitation, energy.

Comparative Analysis of Wood Properties of Afzelia africana and Anogeissus leiocarpus Growing in Nigeria.

Afzelia africana and Anogeissus leiocarpus are two timber species growing in Nigeria. The two species are used in the construction industry. While A. africana is regarded as a high grade wood species, A leiocarpus is referred to as a medium wood species. This study was carried out to determine the heartwood, sapwood and bark proportions of the two species along with their wood densities and alcohol benzene soluble extractable contents. The ages of the trees used in the study varied from 34 to 52 years in A. africana and 35 to 57 years in A leiocarpus. The heartwood ratio in A africana ranged from 44.6% to 75.9% with a mean of 60.9%.  The sapwood proportion also varied from 32.5% to 43.6% ,with a mean of 28.76%. The bark ratio varied from 5.8% to 12.24% with a mean of 10.20%.  The heartwood content of A. leiocarpus was a paltry 6.12% while the proportions of the sapwood and bark were 87.80% and 10.77% respectively. The mean densities of the two wood species were 716kg/m3 in A. africana and 731kg/m3in A. leiocarpus. The mean alcohol benzene soluble extractable content was 2.64% in A. africana and 1.82% in A. leiocarpus. The result obtained indicated that A. africana will be more durable and can be use without treatment in most applications while A. leiocapus may require adequate preservative treatment in situations where it will be used for outdoor purposes, most especially when it is to have contact with the ground in service. Keywords: heartwood, sapwood, bark, density, extractives

Quartz- Porphyry Dolerite in A Selected Part of Southern Benue Trough, Nigeria

The dolerites in some parts of southern Benue Trough were studied petrographically. The results show that most of the dolerites in the Anambra and Afikpo basins are olivine dolerites except Umuchieze LokpaUkwu that host mostly quartz porphyry dolerites. The thin section results show that the dolerite rocks in Umuchieze LokpaUkwu has mineral paragenesis of plagioclase feldspar+quartz +pyroxene + biotite + hornblende + and hematite. The pore spaces and fractures in the rocks are healed by the infilling of quartz.  The porphyritic texture of the dolerite in the study area show variable temperatures of the crystallized magma that formed the dolerite. The sharp contacts of the dolerites and the host rocks could play roles in the alteration of the crystallizing magma. Hydrothermal interaction, contamination and assimilation played major roles in the evolutionary processes of the magma that formed the quartz-porphyry dolerite. Key word: Quartz, Dolerites, Benue Trough, Magma DOI: 10.7176/JEES/10-2-09 Publication date: February 29th 202

Citrus Fruits Value Chain Development in Nigeria

Citrus is one of the world’s most important economic fruit crops. It belongs to the group of fruits that includes oranges, lemon, limes, grape fruits and tangerines. Many citrus fruits are generally eaten fresh.  Oranges and grapefruit juices are popular breakfast beverages, but more astringent citrus such as lemons and limes are used for garnishing or in cooked dishes.  Citrus fruits are also made use of in production of squashes, citrus fruit powders, marmalade and other flavouring agents. After the extraction of the juice from the fruit, the resulting fruit pulp is a possible livestock feed and the rind oil is an expensive commodity in the international market.  Citrus seeds are also known to contain sweetening agents, which are being studied as probable sugar substitute.  Citrus peels can be used for the production of citric acid, lactic acid, feed yeast and vinegar. The leaves, flowers, peels, fruits and dried bark of citrus have important medicinal values.  The dried bark of citrus is a raw material for the production of insecticides. Citrus has also found use in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and soap industries. Citrus is grown globally with the largest commercial cultivation in Brazil and China. The 2007 Food and Agricultural Organization’s report rated Nigeria as the 9th citrus producing country with annual average production capacity of about 3,325,000 tonnes. However, citrus fruits produced in Nigeria are mostly consumed locally without much value addition. In an effort to promote increased production and processing of tropical fruits in the country, the Federal Government banned the importation of packed juice in 2002 and then launched a Presidential Initiative on Tropical Fruits Production in 2005. This paper examines the citrus value chain in Nigeria, efforts towards the development of citrus value chain, challenges and strategies for harnessing the potentials of citrus fruits for economic development of the country. The paper identifies lack of value addition as the major constraint in harnessing the citrus potentials in Nigeria. Other challenges identified include post harvest losses due to poor road network, lack of infrastructure for storage and preservation, lack of improved varieties, poor R&D funding and poor handling of the fruits during harvesting and transportation.  Strategies for effective development and utilization of citrus potentials in Nigeria were identified to include establishment of cold storage infrastructure across the country to reduce post harvest losses, adequate funding of Research for the development of improved varieties, establishment of citrus orchards, establishment of processing clusters and dedicated development of citrus value chain in Nigeria. Nigeria’s immense potentials in citrus production if well harnessed, will position the country in the lead in world trade production of the commodity and can save the country up to $480 million in import bills. KEYWORDS: Fruits, citrus, post harvest losses, value chain, processing cluster

Development of a Computer Program for the Design of Auger Conveyors for Agricultural Products

The screw or auger conveyor is an important conveyor in agricultural and food processing industries. The classical approach to its analysis and design involve the determination of the type and dimensions of the pitch, capacity, screw housing, clearance, length and diameter, shaft diameter, speed of revolution, filling factor, necessary elevation, and power requirements, in addition to the design of the layout. These are done by a combination of calculation and selection from charts. After these, the torque requirement is checked against maximum allowable torque given in charts, which may require the designer to repeat the process in an iterative manner. This can be frustrating where it is done for different products and where it is necessary to consider alternative designs in order to achieve design optimization. A computer program was developed for the above processes to remove the constraints of the classical approach. The program which is iterative and menu driven, accepts relevant input data (material to be conveyed, required capacity, elevations involved, etc) and does the required calculations, selection and optimization. It then gives the user the required dimensions and parameters of the conveyor. Results of evaluation tests show that the program is efficient in the design process and saves time, especially where alternative designs are required to be produced

Effect of Moisture Content and Types of Structural Surfaces on coefficient of Friction of two Nigerian Food Grains....

 ABSTRACTThe knowledge of coefficient of friction of food grains on various structural surfaces is important in analysis and design of post harvest handling, food processing and storage equipment.  Measurements were made to determine the coefficient of friction of two local food grains (sorghum and millet).  Effects of various structural surfaces and different moisture content levels on the measured parameters (coefficient of friction) were determined. Both factors examined had a high significant effect (P< 0.01) on the coefficient of friction of the grains.  The coefficient of friction obtained for sorghum ranged from 0.43 ± 0.05 to 0.71± 0.12 over a moisture content range of 22.9 to 33.3 % (wb).  That of millet ranged from 0.19 ± 0.04 to 0.46 ± 0.08 over a moisture range of 21 % to 34.7 % (wb).  For sorghum, the highest values of coefficient of friction were obtained with concrete followed by steel, wood and plastic.  Coefficient of friction for the grains increased linearly with increase in moisture content.  For millet, the highest values of coefficient of friction were obtained with concrete surfaces, followed by steel, plastic and wood.Keywords: Coefficient of friction, structural surfaces, grain handling, sorghum, millet, Nigeria