Characterization of Unsaturated Polyester Filled with Waste Coconut Shells, Walnut Shells, and Carbon Fibers

This study aims to evaluate the erosion behavior and the hardness of hybrid composites made of varying amounts of coconut shells,walnut shells,and carbonfibers dispersed in a polyester matrix.MINITAB(L16)Taguchi experiments were used to determine the optimal combination of parameters.In particular,an erosion device con-sisting of a motor with a constantflow rate of 45 L/min,a pump with a diameter of 40 mm,a nozzle with a dia-meter of 5 mm,and a tank made of“perspex glass”55 cm long,30 cm tall,and 25 cm wide was used.The tests were conducted by varying the sample-to-nozzle distance,the pattern angle,and the sand particle size.The results have revealed that the presence of 7.5%by weight of waste coconut shell,for conditions corresponding to 90°angle,sand size 425μm,stand distance 30 cm,gives the best wear resistance(3.04×10^(-5) g/g).Thefiller content and sand particle size affect the erosive rate,with the angle playing a secondary role.The distance between the sample and the nozzle has a weaker effect on erosive wear.The hardness results show that the models(UP-5%carbonfiber-2.5-3.5-4.5-5.5-6.5-7.5 wt.%waste coconut shell)give the best values for prayer compared to the samples(UP-5 wt.%carbonfiber-2.5-3.5-4.5-5.5-6.5-7.5 wt.%waste walnut shell).

Experimental Study of the Water Absorption Kinetics of the Coconut Shells (Nucifera) of Cameroun

The study is focused on the phenomenon of diffusion of water through the shells of two coconut species (coconut nucifera) of Cameroun. The kinetics absorption of water was studied experimentally by the gravimetric method with discontinuous control of the mass of the samples at the temperature of 23℃. The mature coconut shells were cleaned mechanically, cut in a spherical shape and placed in a drying oven with 105℃ for 4 hours before being plunged in distilled water at 23℃. This study made it possible not only to determine the rate of water absorbed, but also to model the water kinetic absorption of the shells. Of the two models tested (Peleg and Page), the Page model predicted very well the experimental data. The Fick law made it possible to evaluate the effective diffusivity coefficients at the initial and final phases of absorption. The effective diffusivity coefficient was given from the Arrhenius equation.

N-Doped rGO-Like Carbon Prepared from Coconut Shell:Structure and Specific Capacitance

An rGO−like carbon compound has been synthesized from biomass,i.e.,old coconut shell,by a carbonization process followed by heating at 400°C for 5 h.The nitrogen doping was achieved by adding the urea(CH4N2O)and stirring at 70°C for 14 h.The morphology and structure of the rGO-like carbon were investigated by electron microscopies and Raman spectroscopy.The presence of C-N functional groups was analyzed by Fourier transform infrared and synchrotron X-ray photoemission spectroscopy,while the particle and the specific capacitance were measured by particle sizer and cyclic voltammetry.The highest specific capacitance of 72.78 F/g is achieved by the sample with 20%urea,having the smallest particles size and the largest surface area.The corresponding sample has shown to be constituted by the appropriate amount of C–N pyrrolic and pyridinic defects.

Influence of Plastic and Coconut Shell (Cocos nucifera L.) on the Physico-Mechanical Properties of the 8/6 Composite Rafter

In this paper, the authors aim to propose the use of waste plastics as a binder in a coconut shell reinforcement for the development of an 8/6 size composite rafter to replace the natural 8/6 size backbone in construction. Following a study into the choice of the best proportions, a total of 30 size 8/6 composite rafters with different proportions of 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40% and 50% plastic content were developed. All the 8/6 composite rafters were subjected to mechanical (3-point bending strength and Monnin hardness) and physical (bulk density and water absorption) characterization analyses. The results show that flexural strength increases from 27.56 MPa to 33.30 MPa for proportions ranging from 20% to 35% plastic content. Above 35% plastic, the strength drops to 19.60 MPa for a 50% plastic content. Similarly, the Monnin hardness drops from 9 mm to 5 mm when the plastic content varies from 20 to 50%. As for the results of the physical characterisation, the values obtained for apparent density vary from 0.89 to 1 for proportions varying from 20% to 35% plastic content and drop to 0.94 for 50% plastic content. As for water absorption, values drop from 6.82% to 2.45% when the plastic content increases from 20% to 50%. These mechanical strengths stabilise at 35% plastic content. The development of an 8/6 chevron composite material based on plastic and coconut shell could therefore be a way of recovering waste and solving the problem of deforestation.

Environmentally Friendly Bifunctional Catalyst for ORR and OER from Coconut Shell Particles

Catalyst for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is at the heart of key renewable energy technologies such as water splitting and rechargeable batteries. But developing a low-cost oxygen electrode catalyst with high activity at low overpotential remains a great challenge. Coconut shells can be utilized as suitable raw material to produce activated carbon for enhanced adsorption capacity, bulk density, and hardness to be used as regenerative fuel cells running ORR and OER. The present work is designed to obtain an alternative to noble metal-based catalysts by synthesizing electroactive N-doped porous carbon from coconut shells;the use of biodegradable raw material through a single-step activation followed by nitrogen doping provides a more economical and environmentally friendly route to produce green catalysts for fuel cell applications. In valorization of biomass for the development of novel catalytic materials, our aim is also to reduce the use of hazardous chemicals. N-doped activated carbon shows promising bifunctional catalyst for ORR and OER as low-cost noble-metal-free and carbon-based oxygen catalysts.

Kinetics Analysis of Coconut Shell Pyrolysis

[Objective] The paper aimed to study kinetics analysis of coconut shell pyrolysis. [Method] Thermo gravimetric analysis was used to study the pyrolysis characteristic of coconut shell at different pyrolysis rates (5, 10, 20 K/min). [Result] The pyrolysis process included 3 stages, water loss, pyrolysis, and thermal condensation. The pyrolysis process can be described through first-order reaction model. With the increasing pyrolysis rate, activation energy in the first stage rose, but activation energy in the second stage reduced. [Conclusion] The study provided theoretical basis for the promotion and application of biomass energy.

Low-temperature Denitration Mechanism of NH_(3)-SCR over Fe/AC Catalyst

To study the modification mechanism of activated carbon(AC)by Fe and the low-temperature NH_(3)-selective catalytic reduction(SCR)denitration mechanism of Fe/AC catalysts,Fe/AC catalysts were prepared using coconut shell AC activated by nitric acid as the support and iron oxide as the active component.The crystal structure,surface morphology,pore structure,functional groups and valence states of the active components of Fe/AC catalysts were characterised by X-ray diffraction,scanning electron microscopy,nitrogen adsorption and desorption,Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy,respectively.The effect of Fe loading and calcination temperature on the low-temperature denitration of NH_(3)-SCR over Fe/AC catalysts was studied using NH_(3)as the reducing gas at low temperature(150℃).The results show that the iron oxide on the Fe/AC catalyst is spherical and uniformly dispersed on the surface of AC,thereby improving the crystallisation performance and increasing the number of active sites and specific surface area on AC in contact with the reaction gas.Hence,a rapid NH_(3)-SCR reaction was realised.When the roasting temperature remains constant,the iron oxide crystals formed by increasing the amount of loading can enter the AC pore structure and accumulate to form more micropores.When the roasting temperature is raised from 400 to 500℃,the iron oxide is mainly transformed fromα-Fe_(2)O_(3)toγ-Fe_(2)O_(3),which improves the iron oxide dispersion and increases its denitration active site,allowing gas adsorption.When the Fe loading amount is 10%,and the roasting temperature is 500℃,the NO removal rate of the Fe/AC catalyst can reach 95%.According to the study,the low-temperature NH_(3)-SCR mechanism of Fe/AC catalyst is proposed,in which the redox reaction between Fe~(2+)and Fe~(3+)will facilitate the formation of reactive oxygen vacancies,which increases the amount of oxygen adsorption on the surface,especially the increase in surface acid sites,and promotes and adsorbs more reaction gases(NH_(3),O_(2),NO).The transformation from the standard SCR reaction to the fast SCR reaction is accelerated.

Low-Temperature Denitrification Performance of Cu2O/Activated Carbon Catalysts for Selective Catalytic Reduction of NOx by CO

To improve the denitrification performance of carbon-based materials for sintering flue gas,we prepared a composite catalyst comprising coconut shell activated carbon(AC)modified by thermal oxidation air.The microstructure,the specific surface area,the pore volume,the crystal structure,and functional groups presented in the prepared Cu2O/AC catalysts were thoroughly characterized.By using scanning electron microscopy(SEM),nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherms,Fourier-transform infrared(FTIR)spectroscopy and X-ray diffractometry(XRD),the effects of Cu2O loading and calcination temperature on Cu2O/AC catalysts were investigated at low temperature(150℃).The research shows that Cu on the Cu2O/AC catalyst is in the form of Cu2O with good crystalline performance and is spherical and uniformly dispersed on the AC surface.The loading of Cu2O increases the active sites and the specific surface area of the reaction gas contact,which is conducive to the rapid progress of the carbon monoxide selective catalytic reduction(CO-SCR)reaction.When the loading of Cu2O was 8%and the calcination temperature was 500℃,the removal rate of NOx facilitated by the Cu2O/AC catalyst reached 97.9%.These findings provide a theoretical basis for understanding the denitrification of sintering flue gas.

Production of Manganese Peroxidase by Trametes villosa on Unexpensive Substrate and Its Application in the Removal of Lignin from Agricultural Wastes

Manganese peroxidase (MnP) is a ligninolytic enzyme that is involved in the removal of lignin from the cell wall of plants. This removal facilitates the access of hydrolytic enzymes to the carbohydrate polymers that are hydrolyzed to simple sugars, which allows the subsequent fermentation to obtain bioproducts, such as ethanol. In this work, response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize the culture conditions on unexpensive substrate for MnP secretion by Trametes villosa. Three independent variables were evaluated (i.e., temperature, moisture content and pH). The crude extract containing MnP was used in the delignification experiment and it caused a reduction in lignin content for all residues tested: 35.05 ± 1.45 (%) for the sugar cane bagasse;63.11 ± 0.06 (%) for the sisal fiber and 39.61 ± 0.39 (%) for the coconut shell, under the reaction conditions tested after 4 hours of fermentation. The preliminary results exhibited the potential application of this enzyme in the removal of lignin from plant residues. However, the conditions should be evaluated and optimized for each residue type.

Evaluation of stearic acid/coconut shell charcoal composite phase change thermal energy storage materials for tankless solar water heater

This work presents a cost-effective and environment-friendly form-stabilized phase change material(PCM)and corresponding solar thermal application in the tankless solar water heater(TSWH).Coconut shell charcoal(CSC)as supporting material was modified by moderate oxidant of H_(2)O_(2)with different concentrations,and then sta-bilized stearic acid(SA)to prepare composite PCMs through vacuum impregnation.It found that CSC support causes a 15.70%improvement of SA loadage after treated by 15%H_(2)O_(2)due to coefficient enhancement by phys-ical interaction and surface modification.The modified CSC 15 support appears more super macropores which contribute to the impregnation of SA than non-modified CSC 0 support verifying from SEM and BET results.And the content of oxygen functional groups was increased after oxidation modification,also motivating SA stabiliza-tion by hydrogen bond interaction in XPS analysis.FTIR results proved there is no chemical reaction happened between SA and CSC.Moreover,the latent heat and phase transition temperature of the as-prepared SA/CSC 15 composite are 76.69 J g^(−1)and 52.52℃,respectively.All composites exhibit excellent thermal stability under a working temperature of 180℃and form stability during phase change.Thermal energy storage-release test within 70℃presents the composite has fast heat transfer efficiency than pure SA.The composite filled in TSWH system has 0.75 W m^(−1)K^(−1)thermal conductivity which is 2.88 times higher than that of pure SA(0.26 W m^(−1)K−1).Besides,the TSWH system with a flow rate of 0.004 kg s^(−1)could heat water effectively after sunset and the energy obtained from the thermal storage system within 1830 s testing times is about 0.15 kW h.In all,SA/CSC composite with good physical-thermo properties has potential in thermal energy storage application,especially in solar energy storage.

Biochar reduces uptake and accumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs) in winter wheat on a PAH-contaminated soil

For years, biochar has been successfully used for the remediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs) in contaminated soils, not only for improving their removal from soil but also for reducing their uptake by crops. However, the underlying mechanism of biochar application reducing PAH uptake and accumulation in winter wheat remains unclear. Pot trials were conducted on a PAH-contaminated soil amended with bamboo biochar, coconut shell biochar,and maize straw biochar(MSB) for an entire growth period of winter wheat. Compared with no biochar control(CK), application of the three types of biochar significantly(P < 0.01) reduced grain PAH concentration, total equivalent concentration(TEC), and incremental lifetime cancer risk(ILCR), indicating that biochar application, especially MSB, reduced the risk of exposure to PAHs in wheat grain. Furthermore, all three types of biochar significantly(P < 0.05)reduced PAH uptake and accumulation in wheat roots and stems, probably because biochar application enhanced the degradation of PAHs in the rhizosphere soil. Compared with CK, application of the three types of biochar significantly(P < 0.05) reduced the concentration of PAHs in the rhizosphere soil by15.9%–33.7%. It was found that the degradation rate of high-molecular-weight(HMW) PAHs(5-and 6-ring PAHs) was significantly(P < 0.05) higher than that of low-molecular-weight(LMW) PAHs(2–4-ring PAHs) regardless of the type of biochar used. Additionally, all three types of biochar significantly increased the relative abundance of the dominant bacterial phyla and genera in soil. Redundancy and correlation analyses also showed that there was a strong correlation between the removal rate of PAHs and dominant bacteria in the rhizosphere soil. This study indicated that biochar effectively reduced the health risk from dietary exposure to PAHs in wheat grains by increasing the abundance of bacteria related to PAH degradation, promoting the biodegradation of PAHs in the rhizosphere soil, and consequently reducing PAH uptake by wheat.