Band 9, Heft 1

The demand for biodegradable material has been an important issue, especially in food packaging applications. Among many biodegradable materials, starch biopolymer has been recognised as a completely biodegradable material that can be produced from various plants. It is one of the richest resources that are renewable, biodegradable, and available at low cost. However, starch biopolymers are often associated with poor mechanical properties. Hence, the main objective of this study is to evaluate the mechanical and thermal characteristics of sugarcane bagasse fibre (SBF) reinforced thermoplastic cassava starch (TPCS), which was prior modified with beeswax (BW). It was found that the mechanical properties such as tensile, flexural, and impact strength have improved significantly with the incorporation of SBF loading into the TPCS/BW matrix. The highest tensile strength (12.2 MPa) and modulus (2222.6 MPa) were exhibit by sample with 20 wt% SBF loading and further increment of fibre led to decrease in the strength of the materials. The thermal properties showed that higher SBF loading resulted in improved thermal stability of the material, i.e., higher glass transition and melting temperature than the polymer matrix. Overall, SBF has shown good potential as a reinforcing material which is able to improve the functional characteristics of TPCS/BW as a new potential biodegradable material.

Natural fibre reinforced polymer composites have high potentials to be used in a variety of applications due to its environmental friendly and biodegradability capabilities. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of core fibre type, core thicknesses, and fibre configurations on the impact behaviour of hybrid natural fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) composites. The samples were made of kenaf, hemp and glass mat fibers, and polyester used as matrix resin. These samples were fabricated using a combination of hand lay-up and vacuum bagging systems. The Instron Dynatup 8250 was used in accordance to ASTM D7136. The results showed that the highest impact properties were in hemp hybrid composites. For fibre arrangement, system (1/4/1) in which kenaf, hemp and glass mat were arranged in outer layer (as skin) resulted a higher energy absorbed compared to system (2/2/2) in which kenaf, hemp and glass mat were arranged in middle layer (as core). The impact properties increased with the increasing of core thickness. These findings are significant for possible applications of natural/synthetic fibre reinforced polymer hybrid composites in the fields of vehicles, biomedical, transportation and other specific application could have benefited for further study in hybrid composite material improvement.

Material selection is the process of determining which material is best suited to meet the needs of a specific application. Mechanical characteristics, chemical properties, physical properties, electrical properties, and cost are all aspects that define the selection requirements. During the material selection process, these must be weighed. Materials selection is a process used by design engineers to choose the best materials for a specific component. To find the best composite materials, a materials selection system is used to find candidate materials from various composite materials that meet all of the material selection criteria, such as strength, stiffness, cost, and aesthetics. Similarly, a materials selection system will require candidate materials to contain several forms of NFC to identify the best appropriate NFC for a specific product. Materials selection for NFC goods is a relatively recent field of study. Because of the vast number of individual constituent materials in NFC, the work of selecting the best NFC for a specific product is regarded as challenging and time-intensive (Marques T, Esteves JL, Viana J, Loureiro N, Arteiro A. Design for sustainability with composite systems. In: 15th international conference on experimental mechanics (ICEM15); 2012:1–2 pp). Whereas conceptual design is a crucial activity in the design process in modern design, it is continually highlighted that improper conceptual design can lead to extensive rework and problems after the product is produced. According to (Pugh S. Total design: integrated methods for successful product engineering. Wokingham, England: Addison-Wesley Publishing; 1991), conceptual design activity is creating and assessing design solutions to meet the PDS. Because many design features are distinct in composites, and the tailor-made nature of composites has caused the design approach to be different, conceptual design with NFC is typically different from metals. Designing with NFC is similar to designing with a traditional composite product in terms of concept. This activity entails numerous processes, including creating a design brief, information collecting, market research, and product design specifications (PDS).

This study aims to provide an alternative fully green biodegradable 3D printing filament other than polylactic acid (PLA) with better properties and lower prices using a fully environmentally friendly process. Two filaments [polylactic acid (PLA) and polylactic acid/coconut fiber (PLA-CF)] to be purchased and used to prepare a similar samples under the same conditions which to undergo the same testing to obtain and compare their properties as well as for further comparison with other filaments. The samples are to be designed using SOLIDWORKS software according to the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)standards. The prepared designs are then to be converted to gcode using CURA software. FDM Creality 3D printer (Model: CR10S-PRO) to be used printing a set of specimens for each required test. The prepared samples then undergo several mechanical tests to specify their exact properties. PLA 3D filament roll had been purchased from Fabbxible Technology; Crystallized nature based NatureWorks made from corn starch. While Magma PLA-CF roll had been purchased from 3D Gadgets Malaysia. Both rolls had an average diameter of 1.75 mm and average length of 300 m.

Post-treatment of particleboards using three types of amine compounds namely ethylamine, methylamine and propylamine, were produced with 8% urea formaldehyde (UF) resin content and were hot-pressed for 270 s at 180 °C was carried out. The amine compounds were applied over the surface of the particleboard surface at rate of 40–60 g/m 2 , and the formaldehyde emission value from the board was significantly reduced. In general, the findings of the post-treatment application showed that formaldehyde emissions were successfully decreased from 0.70 mg/L to 0.59–0.33 mg/L without having a substantial impact on the particleboard’s other qualities.

The aim of the presented investigation was to explore the physical and mechanical properties of plybamboo manufactured from two Malaysian commercial bamboo species – Gigantochloa levis (beting) and Gigantochloa scortechinii (semantan). Three-layer-plybamboo with dimensions of 12 × 350 × 350 mm was fabricated using melamine urea formaldehyde (MUF) as a binder. The moisture content, thickness swelling, water absorption, linear expansion parallel and perpendicular to the grain were done for determination of the physical properties. Whereas, mechanical properties were evaluated via bonding shear strength, modulus of rupture (MOR) and modulus of elasticity (MOE) and compression strength parallel to the grain. Results indicated that semantan plybamboo exhibited excellent mechanical properties along with better bond shear strength than beting plybamboo. MOR and MOE value for semantan and beting plybamboo were 130.86 N/mm 2 , 19661.30 N/mm 2 , 115.92 N/mm 2 and 25331.5 N/mm 2 , respectively. Moreover, the findings proved that the properties of both plybamboo satisfy the minimum standard requirement stipulated in the Malaysian Standard.

The study on the mechanical properties of cross laminated timber (CLT) panels made from tropical hardwood species is essential in order to promote the use of CLT as buildings material in Malaysia. The objective of this study were to evaluate the mechanical performance and failure characteristics of CLT fabricated from tropical timbers species, namely, batai ( Paraserianthes falcataria ), sesendok ( Endospermum malacensis ), rubberwood ( Hevea brasiliensis ) and kedondong (family Burceraceae). The modulus of rupture (MOR), modulus of elasticity (MOE), and compressive strength were determined. The failure characteristics of each samples were visually examined and recorded. The results indicated that CLT made from kedondong (KKK) had the highest value of MOR (82.63 N/mm 2 ) and MOE (11,371.33 N/mm 2 ) compared to other species. For compressive strength, CLT made from kedondong (KKK) and rubberwood (RRR) were not significantly different. The failure characteristics observed from bending test were tension, rolling shear and glue line failure while the crushing, shearing and splitting failure were found during compression test. Based on the results obtained, it showed that, the tropical hardwood is suitable to be used as raw material to produce CLT. However, more study should be conducted to observe the performance of CLT on durability and outdoor weathering.

Natural fibre reinforced polymer composites have the potential to be utilized at various applications due to their non-hazardous effect to the environment, biodegradable properties as well as enhanced mechanical characteristics. Nevertheless, mechanical properties of these composites are complicated to understand and predicted due to complex interaction between matrix and different type of fibres, fibres architecture and fibres arrangement. Therefore, this paper aims to study the effect of various types of fibres; kenaf mat, hemp mat and Glass Chopped Strand Mat as a core, core thickness; 1, 2 and 4 layers, and fibre arrangements; kenaf mat, hemp mat and Glass Chopped Strand Mat arranged in middle layer (core) or outer layer (skin) on tensile properties of hybrid composites. The hybrid composite specimens were prepared through combinations of hand lay-up and vacuum methods in which both methods are commonly employed techniques in industry. There are four types of fibre arrangement systems involved: (2:1:2), (2:2:2), (2:4:2) and (1:4:1). As expected, the glass fibres hybrid composites had the highest tensile performance compared to other hybrid composites. The fibre arrangement (2-1-2) was the best option for all types of fibres, while the use of 4 layers of kenaf mat, hemp mat and Glass Chopped Strand Mat as core material reduced the tensile properties. In comparison of (2-2-2) and (1-4-1), kenaf mat and Glass Chopped Strand Mat performed better as a core, while hemp mat performed better as skin.

Natural fibres have a high potential to replace synthetic fibres such as glass in a variety of applications. However, natural fibre-reinforced composites still have some limitations with respect to the mechanical performance especially in high load bearing capabilities. The hybridization of natural fibres with synthetic fibres in the same matrix has proven to create a balancing effect and enhanced the composites performance. Besides that, fibre architectures that include fibres continuity, fibres orientation, fibres arrangement and fibres interlocking are also considered to enhance the overall performance of the composites. In this study, the hemp mat, kenaf mat and glass chopped strand mat were hybridised with woven glass fibres, respectively in polyester resin to form 12 systems of the composites. The hybridization effects of different fibre core material, fibre core thickness and fibre arrangement on flexural response were investigated according to ASTM D7264. The results indicated that hybrid CSM glass/woven glass composite showed the highest flexural strength and modulus compared to hemp/woven glass and kenaf/woven glass composites, with about 377.15 ± 48.41 MPa and 16.74 ± 7.15 GPa. Among natural fibres, kenaf fibre (2WG/K/2WG) composite showed better flexural properties compared to hemp fibre (2WG/H/2WG) composite. 2WG/2G/2WG composites with two plies of CSM glass showed maximum flexural properties. As for hemp/woven glass and kenaf/glass hybrid composites, the flexural properties reached a maximum value in system arrangement of (2:1:2) but it reduced in the system arrangement of (2:2:2) and (2:4:2). On the evaluation effect of fibre arrangement, hemp, kenaf and glass mat used as core (arrange in the middle; (2:2:2)) showed higher flexural properties as compared to the use as skin (arrange in outer; (1:4:1)). (2WG/2K/2WG) showed better flexural properties than (2WG/2H/2WG) as the core, while (H/4WG/H) showed better flexural properties than (K/4WG/K) as skin.

Thermoset polymer are components with high strength, chemical inert and thermally stable, due to its high degree of cross-linking. Natural fibre composite is providing a winning solution for extraordinary performances yet biodegradable. Woven form fibre even found better in specific energy absorption and stronger in strength. Fabricating woven thermoset composites may be done in a variety of ways. However, processing errors or manufacturing defects often occur by many factors, especially thermoset composites with natural fibre reinforcement. It is nearly impossible to achieves in detect-free when in lab scale production. Hence, it is important to study and understand the factors that causing the defects. Processing parameters, compatibility of matrix/fibre combination, yarn production and woven waiving skills may be the reasons of composite’s defects. In this chapter, several fabrication methods for woven thermoset composite were introduced. Some major defects on manufacturing the thermoset composites were highlighted. Some future perception of the woven natural fibre thermoset composite also have been discussed. This chapter set as a guidance to avoid or minimizes manufacturing defects upon thermoset composite processing.

The rising prices of petroleum-based chemicals and the growing apprehension about food safety and dairy supplements have reignited interest in fermentation process to produce fumaric acid. This article reviews the main issues associated with industrial production of fumaric acid. Different approaches such as strain modulation, morphological control, selection of substrate and fermentative separation have been addressed and discussed followed by their potential towards production of fumaric acid at industrial scale is highlighted. The employment of biodegradable wastes as substrates for the microorganisms involved in fumaric acid synthesis has opened an economic and green route for production of the later on a commercial scale. Additionally, the commercial potential and technological approaches to the augmented fumaric acid derivatives have been discussed. Conclusion of the current review reveals future possibilities for microbial fumaric acid synthesis.

The present study deals with the numerical simulation of stirred tank in the presence of nanofluids to see the effect of different volume fraction ( ϕ ) of nanoparticles on the behaviour of flow characteristics and for the calculation of mixing time in the entire tank. The flow is assumed to be steady, axisymmetric, two dimensional and incompressible. For the simulation of flow inside the vessel, partially-averaged Navier–Stokes (PANS) k u  −  ϵ u turbulence model is used. Control volume method has been taken to descretize the governing equation along with power-law schemes. Further, semi-implicit method for pressure-linked equations revised (SIMPLER) algorithm and line-by-line tri-diagonal matrix algorithm (TDMA) have been taken to obtain the solution. The objective is to investigate the influence of ϕ on the characteristic flow variables and to calculate mixing time for different ϕ of nanofluids and for different values of f k , PANS model parameter. It is noted that with the increase in ϕ , mixing time has also been increased and it increases very fast for PANS k u  −  ϵ u model with the increase in filter width f k .

Microbial metabolites have gained lot of industrial interest. These are currently employed in various industries including pharmaceuticals, chemical, textiles, food etc. Organic acids are among the important microbial products. Production of microbial organic acids present numerous advantages like agro-industrial waste may be utilized as substrate, low production cost, natural in origin and production is environment friendly. Malic acid is an organic acid (C4 dicarboxylic acid) that can be produced by microbes. It is also useful in industrial sectors as food, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals etc. Production/extraction of malic acid has been reported from fruits, egg shells, microbes, via chemical synthesis, bio-transformation and from renewable sources. Microbial production of malic acid seems very promising due to various advantages and the approach is environment-friendly. In recent years, researchers have focused on fermentative microbial production of malic acid and possibility of using agro-industrial waste as raw substrates. In current article, malic acid production along with applications has been discussed with recent advances in the area.

In these modern times, population increase is one of the major problems we, humans face. This brings a huge demand for resources; especially for agricultural resources. This requires us to produce large amounts of agricultural products. This was and is still being achieved through technological farming which uses excessive or large amounts of different weedicides, pesticides and chemical fertilizers which could produce large amounts of agricultural products, but the repercussions of using these chemical substances is immense for both the agricultural land and the people who consume the agricultural products. Due to the long-term usage of these chemicals the soil loses its fertility and pollutes the soil to the extent where its ability to sustain life is lost. Organic farming is the only way to resolve these problems. It is one of the most eco-friendly ways of farming which has the least effect on the environment and the population. It is an agricultural system where fertilizers and pesticides produced organically is used. Most commonly used fertilizers here are green manure and compost manure. This type of farming neither consumes nor releases synthetic pesticides and other harmful chemicals, thus it maintains the organic matter and nutritive value of the soil. Intensive agriculture, which makes extensive use of agrochemicals, has undoubtedly increased farm commodity output, but the negative impact of these chemicals on soil structure, soil microbiology, water quality, food, fodder and food materials is abundantly obvious. Pesticides and fertilizer nitrates have been identified in ground water in numerous agricultural areas due to chemical leaching. This can lead to different environmental problems and is one of the reasons for different diseases seen in people living near agricultural land.

Alpha ketoglutaric acid is a biological compound found naturally in the human body. It plays an important role in the cell metabolism and has a role in various metabolic pathways including Kreb’s cycle, protein metabolism and so on. Keto glutaric acid is chemically prepared from succinic acid and oxalic acid. It is a direct precursor of glutamic acid and triazines. It can be produced by oxidative decarboxylation of isocitrate by isocitrate dehydrogenase. The yeast Yarrowia lipolytica is used as a prospective producer of alpha ketoglutaric acid from ethanol. The capability to synthesize Keto glutaric acid has so far been investigated for many microorganisms such as Pseudomonas fluoroscens , Bacillus subtilis etc. P. fluoroscens have the ability to synthesize a huge amount of alpha ketoglutaric acid in a glycerol medium supplemented with manganese (Mn). The Mangnese has a significant impact on glycerol metabolism resulting in the buildup of alpha ketoglutaric acid. The metabolism of succinate may result in the production of alpha ketoglutarate. Despite its importance in TCA cycle, alpha ketoglutaric acid buildup as an intermediate product of bacterial glucose oxidation. Along with chemical synthesis and microbial fermentation, enzymatic transformation can also be used to produce alpha ketoglutaric acid. Biodiesel waste is considered as cheap and renewable carbon source for the development of alpha ketoglutaric acid. Alpha ketoglutarate is used for kidney disease, intestinal and stomach disorders and many other conditions. It also plays an important role in the food industry as food and nutrient enhancers. The review is covering all the aspects related with the Alpha ketoglutaric acid production, utilization and product recovery.

Environmental pollution is a major global threat that is faced by the humans. Environmental science can be applied in many ways to protect the earth by pollution, by using innovative methods which will lead to the sustainable development. Production of biodiesel, bioplastic, bio pesticides, biogas, and biofertilizers are few of the ways that can be used in order to reduce and prevent the pollution. All the above ideas which are involved with scientific methodologies are discussed here. Moreover, these can act as promising solutions for the exciting environmental problems.

There are a variety of organic waste feedstocks that may be used to make biochar, such as agricultural byproducts and municipal solid waste. Biochar’s distinctive properties, such as its high carbon content and cation exchange capacity, large specific outer area, and stable structure, have attracted increased interest. The purpose of this study was to offer an overview of biochar with a focus on its environmental application by methodically analyzing and summarizing research on its production, characterization, modification, and the utilization in this review. Based on the kind of feedstocks used, the Biochar’s physiochemical characteristics might vary greatly. A variety of processes are used to create biochar, including pyrolysis, gasification, and hydrothermal carbonization. Acidic, alkaline, oxidizing agent, carbonaceous materials, steam and gas purging may be used to alter biochar. The environment field of application influences the adoption of modification methods. Soil remediation and improvement, carbon sequestration, composting of organic solid waste, water and wastewater purification, catalyst and activator, electrode materials and electrode modification are all examples of applications for biochar. In order to get consistent results, additional research into the use of biochar in carbon sequestration is needed. Soil microorganisms and biochar should be studied further to determine the primary cause of increased soil fertility in various soils and feedstocks. When biochar is utilized for environment remediation, further consideration must be given to the release of heavy metals and PAHs from biochar into the environment. To further understand how biochar works as an activator for per sulfate, more research into the link between biochar structure and activation capabilities is needed. There are several environmental remediation applications for biochar, and greater research is needed to understand its mode of action.

Organic carbon fixation is the primary source of biofuels energy. Plant biomass and municipal and industrial waste are used to make gasoline that is renewable and biodegradable. Biofuel could be beneficial due to the reduced dependency on fuel, to lower the reliance on overseas oil, to lower the emissions of greenhouse gases and it provides job opportunities for the rural people. Moreover, due to the very high demand for fuel, because most of the machines, vehicles use fuel to conduct day today activities. Due to this high demand, the price is also very high. Not only that, the burning of fossil fuel normally release carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide which are the greenhouse gases. But although biogas too releases those gases, they are released in very lower amounts. Therefore, fuel can act as a good solution for the problems that occur due to global warming and many other environmental problems.

When the structures of the complexes of the same primary ligand with different metals and different co-ligands are evaluated in detail, it is thought that it will be easier to reach the target molecules by determining the factors affecting the structure. The study of the structures of metal(II) 2-fluorobenzoates with various N-donor ligands is aimed to contribute to future research. In this study, the crystal structures of transition metal(II) 2-fluorobenzoates with N-donor ligand complexes such as 2,2′-bipyridine, 1,10′-phenanthroline, nicotinamide, isonicotinamide, 4-pyridylmethanol, and 2-aminopyridine were investigated. According to the literature review, it was determined that Cu(II), Zn(II), Cd(II), Pb(II), Co(II), and Ni(II) 2-fluorobenzoates with N-donor ligand exhibit monomeric, dimeric, ionic, and polymeric structures. Although the fluorobenzoate anion has the most electronegative element (fluorine) at the 2-position in the benzene ring, only a few of its complexes have O–H⋯F, N–H⋯F, and C–H⋯F hydrogen bonds. A Pb(II) 2-fluorobenzoate complex without an N- donor ligand is the only complex in which the fluorobenzoate anion coordinates to the metal via the fluorine atom. The structures of the 19 complexes studied included 11 monomers, 5 dimers, 2 ionic, and 1 coordination polymer. In addition, 8 of these complexes are copper(II), 5 of them are Pb(II), 2 of them are Cd(II) and Zn(II), and one of them is Co(II) and Ni(II) metal centered. Many transition metal(II) 2-fluorobenzoate complexes can still be contributed to the literature, according to the findings of this study. Furthermore, because metal carboxylate complexes have various physical and biological potential applications today, their importance in materials science should be emphasized.

Sustainable development is the development of people’s needs without harming the environment. From this study we would like to discuss how to apply basic science for sustainable development. Most of the time people do not think about the environment during development projects. They only think about their profits. As a result of these unplanned development projects, so much harm occurs to the environment such as water pollution, air pollution, climatic changes, global warming and greenhouse effect. Loss of biodiversity is another crucial problem occurs due to industrial revolution. Most of the time people cut forests and trees for different development projects. Because of these activities many animals lost their habitats and so many plants and natural water resources get destroyed. Do not stop development projects but should think twice before doing any action that harmful to the environment and also it will affect directly or indirectly to animals and mankind. Basic and General science provide good solution for the problems that have created due to industrial activities.

South Africa, a country considered affluent in nature, ranks third in global biodiversity and encompasses approximately 9% of higher plants on planet Earth. Many indigenous plants have been utilised as herbal medicine, proving successful in treating numerous ailments. From the common cold to pandemic maladies such as COVID-19 in the 21st century and the treatment of incurable diseases, South African inhabitants have found great promise in the healing properties of these plants. Phytomedicine is a rapidly evolving topic, with in-depth bioactive composition analysis, identifying therapeutic action mechanisms, and disease prevention. While we are now poised to take advantage of nature’s medicine cabinet with greater scientific vigour, it remains critical that these practises are done with caution. Overharvesting significantly impacts biodiversity and cultivation practices amidst the beautiful nature of these nutraceuticals. This book chapter focuses on the therapeutic potential of commonly used South African medicinal plants, their ethnopharmacological properties, and how we can conserve this treasure cove we call home for future generations.

The increased concern among environmental scientists in East Africa, and improved access to state-of-the-art technologies have seen an exponential rise in scientific data on the occurrence of chemicals of emerging concern (CECs) in East African water resources and research on their removal from water. Among the recently reported CECs of interest in East Africa are pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) and per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). This chapter discusses the recent data on the sources, progress, and challenges in the management of PPCPs and PFAS as emerging contaminants in the East African region. Pollution control and abatement measures are also outlined with recommendations for future studies and directions in CECs management in the continent. Both PPCPs and PFAS are reported in water resources in East African countries such as Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Ethiopia with mass loading concentrations as high as above 1000 mg day −1 . The findings reveal there exists still a paucity of research work in most East African nations and the underlying risks remain largely unknown.

In response to the IUPAC call to introduce systems thinking in tertiary chemistry education, we have developed and implemented two interventions at the first-year undergraduate level: one was designed to integrate systems thinking in first-year organic chemistry using the topic of surfactants and the other in a first-semester service course to engineering students using the stoichiometry of the synthesis of aspirin. We demonstrate how the systems thinking approach in both interventions did not lose the focus of the chemistry content that needed to be covered, exposed students to the concept of systems thinking, started to develop some systems thinking skills, and made a case for the contribution that chemistry can and should make to meet the UN sustainable development goals. Through both the design and the implementation process, it has become clear that introducing systems thinking is complex and it remains a challenge to keep the complexity manageable to avoid cognitive overload. Both interventions leveraged the power of group work to help students deal with the complexity of the topics while also developing participatory competence required for sustainability. The development of systems thinking skills and a capacity to cope with complexity requires multiple opportunities. Infusing syllabus themes that relate to real chemical systems with a systems thinking perspective can provide such an opportunity without compromising chemistry teaching. We believe that skills development should continue throughout the undergraduate chemistry degree to deliver chemistry graduates who can make a difference to global sustainability.

Geopolymer materials have captivated as a promising material for building restoration due to their environmentally sustainable nature as well as their potential to use a variety of waste products as precursors. Numerous industrial, municipal and agricultural wastes can be used to create environmentally acceptable, sustainable, structurally sound geopolymer matrices. These new generation materials, fabricated by following the geopolymerisation reactions of alumino-silicate oxides with alkali activators, have the advantages of high mechanical strength, corrosion resistance, durability, fire resistance etc., and can serve as a substitute for construction materials like Ordinary Portland Cement since they carry enormous impact on the environment. This review presents the importance of geopolymeric materials and their role in sustainable development giving special emphasis to kaolin, metakaolin, zeolite, fly ash, dolomite, red mud and clay based geopolymer materials.

Covid 19 pandemic taught us many lessons. Wearing mask becomes an essential to save our lives. At the same time, management of mask wastages is becoming threat to the environment as they release harmful dyes and fibres. Here in this work we attempt to degrade the mask dyes from the surface of the mask using nano metal oxide based silicate photo catalysts. Two nanocomposites PbO-SiO 2 and TiO 2 -SiO 2 were studied on the degradation of coloured mask. The percentage degradation was found to be more than 90%. The results are encouraging so that the proposed catalysts can be used for coating on the masks or used as photo catalyst to degrade the used masks.

Many researchers have become more interested in utilizing plant based natural fibre as reinforcement for the fabrication of aluminium matrix composites (AMCs) in recent time. The utilization of these environmentally friendly and cost effective plant based natural fibre is necessitated to avoid environmental pollution. The desire for cost-effective and low-cost energy materials in automotive, biomedical, aerospace, marine, and other applications, however, is redefining the research environment in plant based natural fibre metal matrix composite materials. As a result, the goal of this review study is to investigate the impact of agricultural waste-based reinforcements on the mechanical properties and corrosion behaviour of AMCs made using various fabrication routes. Processing settings can be modified to produce homogenous structures with superior AMC characteristics, according to the findings. Plant based natural fibre ash reinforcing materials such as palm kernel shell ash, rice husk ash, sugarcane bagasse, bamboo stem ash, and corn cob ash can reduce AMCs density without sacrificing mechanical qualities. Furthermore, efficient utilization of plant based natural fibre reduces manufacturing costs and prevents environmental pollution, making it a sustainable material. Brittle composites , unlike ceramic and synthetic reinforced composites, are not formed by plant based natural fibre reinforcements. As a result of our findings, plant based natural fibre AMCs have a high potential to replace expensive and hazardous ceramic and synthetic reinforced-AMCs, which can be used in a variety of automotive applications requiring lower cost, higher strength-to-weight ratio, and corrosion resistance.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of sanding treatment on Acacia mangium plywood panel properties. Three layered A. mangium plywood panels were produced from sanded veneer using three different grit sizes: S180, S240 and S320, from medium to ultrafine respectively, with one non-sanded panel as control. Melamine urea formaldehyde resin was unvaryingly used as binder. The outturn of the sanding treatment was observed through a set of evaluations which includes the contact angle test for surface properties, shear strength and static bending for the mechanical properties, and thickness swelling and water absorption rate for the physical properties and dimensional stability. The study shows that almost all of the properties exhibit significant differences at p ≤ 0.05 except for the density and shear test. From the results, the modulus of elasticity of plywood decreases with the increase of grit sizes but shows no significant difference with the control and S240 samples. The S180 samples notably shows an impressive mechanical property with the highest modulus of rupture, albeit the lowest dimensional stability. Nonetheless, the result of this study indicated that the sanding treatment shows a notable increase in the physical, mechanical and dimensional stability of the panel, with the S180 medium grit proving to be adequate and best in improving the plywood panels. As excessive smoothness may negatively affect the wettability itself due to the production of uneven surface and the development of loose fiber that compromises the adherence of the MUF and veneer, the higher grits negatively impacted its treatment on the surface.

This review is a brief treatise on some simple β-carboline alkaloids that are abundantly available in plants, animals and foodstuff. These alkaloids are well known for their pharmacological action as well as their allelopathic behaviour. The focus of this review is on sustainable use of naturally occurring compounds in safeguarding human health and protecting our environment at large i.e. the prospective applications of these molecules for Sustainable Theranostics . The review commences with an initial introduction to the β-carboline alkaloids, followed by an outlay of their geographical distribution and natural abundance, then the basic structure and building units of the simplest β-carboline alkaloids have been mentioned. This is followed by a discussion on the important methods of extraction from natural sources both plants and animals. Then the foundation for the use of these alkaloids in Sustainable Theranostics has been built by discussing their interesting photophysics, interactions with important biological molecules and an extensive survey of their therapeutic potential and allelopathic behaviour. Finally the review ends with a silver lining mentioning the future prospective applications of these alkaloids with special relevance to sustainability issues.

Diagnostic imaging (DI) refers to techniques and methods of creating images of the body’s internal parts and organs with or without the use of ionizing radiation, for purposes of diagnosing, monitoring and characterizing diseases. By default, DI equipment are technology based and in recent times, there has been widespread automation of DI operations in high-income countries while low and middle-income countries (LMICs) are yet to gain traction in automated DI. Advanced DI techniques employ artificial intelligence (AI) protocols to enable imaging equipment perceive data more accurately than humans do, and yet automatically or under expert evaluation, make clinical decisions such as diagnosis and characterization of diseases. In this narrative review, SWOT analysis is used to examine the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats associated with the deployment of AI-based DI protocols in LMICs. Drawing from this analysis, a case is then made to justify the need for widespread AI applications in DI in resource-poor settings. Among other strengths discussed, AI-based DI systems could enhance accuracies in diagnosis, monitoring, characterization of diseases and offer efficient image acquisition, processing, segmentation and analysis procedures, but may have weaknesses regarding the need for big data, huge initial and maintenance costs, and inadequate technical expertise of professionals. They present opportunities for synthetic modality transfer, increased access to imaging services, and protocol optimization; and threats of input training data biases, lack of regulatory frameworks and perceived fear of job losses among DI professionals. The analysis showed that successful integration of AI in DI procedures could position LMICs towards achievement of universal health coverage by 2030/2035. LMICs will however have to learn from the experiences of advanced settings, train critical staff in relevant areas of AI and proceed to develop in-house AI systems with all relevant stakeholders onboard.

The overall concept of OneHealth focuses on health and infectious disease in the context of the relationship between humans, animals, and the environment. In poultry production, there are many opportunities to implement OneHealth by organizing work and introducing appropriate engineering solutions. It is recommended that future research directions include designing and testing solutions to improve air quality and the elimination of antibiotics in the poultry industry. For this to be possible, it is essential to understand the indigenous microbiota of poultry, which plays a crucial role in nutrients, but also restricts the growth of pathogenic organisms. In poultry production, the most important thing is disease control in the herd, high product quality, and product efficiency. Food safety is key for consumers, as some zoonoses are transmitted through the food chain. Moreover, antibiotic resistance of bacteria is becoming a growing threat. For this reason, it is essential to maintain the proper immune status in the herd. Virus disease control in poultry is based on vaccination programs and the maintenance of biosecurity. This chapter aims to present the current state of knowledge in the field of immunity and microbiome of poultry in the context of the OneHealth concept.