Sustainable Biocomposites Materials for Automotive Brake Pad Application:An Overview

Research into converting waste into viable eco-friendly products has gained global concern.Using natural fibres and pulverized metallic waste becomes necessary to reduce noxious environmental emissions due to indiscriminately occupying the land.This study reviews the literature in the broad area of green composites in search of materials that can be used in automotive brake pads.Materials made by biocomposite,rather than fossil fuels,will be favoured.A database containing the tribo-mechanical performance of numerous potential components for the future green composite was established using the technical details of bio-polymers and natural reinforcements.The development of materials with diverse compositions and varying proportions is now conceivable,and these materials can be permanently connected in fully regulated processes.This explanation demonstrates that all of these variables affect friction coefficient,resistance to wear from friction and high temperatures,and the operating life of brake pads to varying degrees.In this study,renewable materials for the matrix and reinforcement are screened to determine which have sufficient strength,coefficient of friction,wear resistance properties,and reasonable costs,making them a feasible option for a green composite.The most significant,intriguing,and unusual materials used in manufacturing brake pads are gathered in this review,which also analyzes how they affect the tribological characteristics of the pads.

Nonlinear Study on the Mechanical Performance of Built-Up Cold-Formed Steel Concrete-Filled Columns under Compression

Given their numerous functional and architectural benefits,such as improved bearing capacity and increased resistance to elastic instability modes,cold-formed steel(CFS)built-up sections have become increasingly developed and used in recent years,particularly in the construction industry.This paper presents an analytical and numerical study of assembled CFS two single channel-shaped columns with different slenderness and configurations(backto-back,face-to-face,and box).These columns were joined by double-row rivets for the back-to-back and box configurations,whereas they were welded together for the face-to-face design.The built-up columns were filled with ordinary concrete of good strength.Finite element models were applied,using ABAQUS software,to assess mechanical performance and study the influence of assembly techniques on the behavior of cold-formed columns under axial compression.Analytical approaches based on Eurocode 3 and Eurocode 4 recommendations for un-filled and concrete-filled columns respectively were followed for the numerical analysis,and concrete confinement effects were also considered per American Concrete Institute(ACI)standards for face-to-face and box configurations.The obtained results indicated a good correlation between the numerical results and the proposed analytical methodology which did not exceed 8%.The failure modes showed that the columns failed due to instabilities such as local and global buckling.

Go-Ahead Element of Domestic Architecture:Socio-Economic and Cultural Characteristics of the Residents in Benin

The domestic architecture of a traditional settlement is greatly influenced by the socio-economic and socio-cultural characteristics of its residents.Benin City which is the focus of the paper is a case of a traditional settlement undergoing domestic architectural evolution with the changing times influenced by factors of growth and development.The paper has examined the effect of socio-economic and socio-cultural characteristics as factors that partly determine the design,style,pattern,space use,organization,location and meaning as well as land use of the domestic architecture of Benin.The study employed the use of questionnaire administered to residents across the cross-section of the city.In the end,descriptive frequency tables were used to analyse the data collected from the residential zones in Benin.The research has been able to corroborate the theory that socio-economic and socio-cultural factors are some of the determinants/elements of domestic architecture of a people.

Energy Efficiency in Building: Case of Buildings at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria

Nigeria today faces serious challenge in providing adequate energy to meet the needs of her citizenry. Efforts are currently geared towards generation of more energy to ease the problem. While these efforts are commendable, it is equally desirable to explore ways to minimize consumption of generated energy. The objective of this work is to investigate the effect of building orientation on energy demand in buildings. This paper considered the use of standard design considerations, fundamental cooling load equations and the guidelines stipulated by the American Society of Heating, Cooling and Air conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). The study takes the designs of three buildings within the University of Ibadan, Nigeria into consideration with the view to harness the energy saving potentials through building orientation and selection of efficient cooling equipment. The results obtained were 155.34, 224.75, 86.35 kW and 163.60, 232.04 and 90.64 kW for the three lecture envelopes including the Faculty of Science, CBN and the Department of Chemistry lecture theatres using the North-South and East-West building orientations respectively. Increase in energy demand of 7.96, 7.29 and 4.29 kW was thus obtained with the East-West building orientation over North-South. Energy efficiency is thus guaranteed with North-South building orientation.

Optimizing Movement of Students from Hostels to Lecture Rooms in a Potential World Class University Using Transportation Model

Transportation issue is one of the significant zones of utilization of Linear Programming Model. In this paper, transportation model is utilized to decide an ideal answer for the transportation issue in a run of the mill world class university utilizing Covenant University as a contextual analysis. Covenant University is a potential world class University. The quick development of Covenant University Campus over the most recent fourteen years affects its transportation framework. This paper particularly takes a gander at streamlining the time spent by the students moving from their lodgings to lecture rooms. Google guide was utilized to figure the separation and time between every cause and every goal. North-west corner technique, Least Cost strategy and Vogel’s estimation technique were utilized to decide the underlying fundamental plausible arrangement (initial feasible solution) and MODI strategy was utilized to locate the ideal arrangement (optimal solution). The last outcome demonstrates that the development of understudies from hostel to lecture rooms can be streamlined if the total time spent is decreased.

Application of Dijkstra Algorithm to Proposed Tramway of a Potential World Class University

Nowadays, the development of “smart cities” with a high level of quality of life is becoming a prior challenge to be addressed. In this paper, promoting the model shift in railway transportation using tram network towards more reliable, greener and in general more sustainable transportation modes in a potential world class university is proposed. “Smart mobility” in a smart city will significantly contribute to achieving the goal of a university becoming a world class university. In order to have a regular and reliable rail system on campus, we optimize the route among major stations on campus, using shortest path problem Dijkstra algorithm in conjunction with a computer software called LINDO to arrive at the optimal route. In particular, it is observed that the shortest path from the main entrance gate (Canaan land entrance gate) to the Electrical Engineering Department is of distance 0.805 km.

The Impact of Satellite Communications on Environmental Hazard Control: Tool for the Realization of African Union Agenda 2063 Aspirations

Africa is a developing economy and as such, emphasis has been placed on the achievement of revolutionary goals that will place her on a similar rank as the developed economies. Pertaining to this objective, Heads of States and government all over Africa instigated the African Union (AU) Agenda 2063, which is a framework put in place to achieve a continental transformation over the next 40 years. The use of satellites has been proven to be a major influence on economic growth since it facilitates the exchange of information. Environmental hazards such as climate changes, pollution, and inefficient waste management can be classified as one of the drawbacks to achieving this economic growth we hope to accomplish. The purpose of this paper is to analyze and examine satellite communication as a tool for the attainment of an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa by means of combatting environmental hazards in the continent.

Renewable and Green Energy, Africa’s Pathway to Sustainable Development;Harnessing the Continent’s Natural Energy Sources

Renewable energy includes all forms of energy produced from renewable sources in a sustainable manner, including bioenergy, geothermal energy, hydropower, ocean energy, solar energy, and wind energy. Less than one quarter of Africa’s renewable power generation potential is utilized. Africa’s natural endowments are enormous, yet the continent experiences high energy shortage. Amongst the classifications of energy sources, renewable and green energy sources are increasingly gaining popularity due to their sustainable nature and environmental concerns. This paper explores the continent’s natural energy sources and identifies pathways to sustainable development. The paper also narrows the renewable and green energy sources obtainable on the continent and presents their contribution to the development of the continent. The awareness level of Africans towards renewable energy is discussed and the challenges of renewable and green energy sources are highlighted. Finally, the roles to be played by the government and private organizations in the development of renewable and green energy sources in Africa are discussed.

Oxyphyllones A and B,novel sesquiterpenes with an unusual 4,5-secoeudesmane skeleton from Alpinia oxyphylla

Two novel 4,5-secoeudesmane sesquiterpenoids, oxyphyllones A （1） and B （2） were isolated from the fruits of Alpinia oxyphylla. Their structures were established by spectroscopic methods including 1D and 21） NMR spectra. These two compounds are the first example of naturally occurring sesquiterpenoids with a 4,5-secoeudesmane skeleton in the family of Zingiberaceae and oxyphyllone A （1） is the first 4,5-secoeudesmane type of 13-norsesquiterpenoid. Compounds 1 and 2 exhibited no cytotoxicities against three cancer cell lines at 10 μg/mL. ？ 2009 Ning Hua Tan. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society. All rights reserved.

Anticorrosion properties and thin film composite deposition of ZnSiC-Cr_3C_2 coating on mild steel

This work considered the influence of Cr3 C2 particle loading on microstructure and mechanical properties of Zn-SiC-Cr3 C2 nanocomposite produced via electrocodeposition are investigated. The surface nature of the nanocomposite coatings were characterized using scanning electron microscope(SEM)coupled with the energy dispersive spectrometer(EDS). Abrasive wear behaviour and hardness property of Zn-SiC-Cr3 C2 nanocomposite produced were investigated using CERT UMT-2 multi-functional tribological tester and Dura Scan hardness tester. The corrosion property was evaluated through linear polarization approach. The result showed that the coatings exhibited good stability and Cr_3 C_2 nanocomposite loading significantly improved the micro structural performance, hardness property,wear resistance as well as corrosion resistance of the coatings.

Influence of spark plasma sintering on microstructure and corrosion behaviour of Ti-6Al-4V alloy reinforced with micron-sized Si_3N_4powder

Ti-6 Al-4 V-Si3 N4 composites were effectively fabricated by spark plasma sintering(SPS) technique. The addition of Si_3 N_4 on Ti-6 AI-4 V was varied from 5% to 15%(wt fraction). The effect of Si_3 N_4 addition on the densification, microstructure, and microhardness and corrosion behaviour of Ti-6 Al-4 V was investigated.An increase in microhardness value was recorded from 325.46 HV_(0.1) to 585.73 HV_(0.1). X-ray diffraction(XRD) analysis showed that the intensity of diffraction peaks of Si3 N4 phase in the composites increased.The sintered Ti-6 Al-4 V reinforced with Si_3 N_4 compacts revealed the non-existence of intermediate phases, such as TiSi_2(titanium silicide) which was expected. SEM analysis of the spark plasma sintered composites revealed a and β phase microstructures in Ti-6 Al-4 V with uniform distribution of Si3 N4 particulates in the matrix. The corrosion resistance property of the material was improved by the addition of Si_3 N_4 from 0.986629 mm/year to 0.030547 mm/year.

Effect of WO3 Nanoparticle Loading on the Microstructural, Mechanical and Corrosion Resistance of Zn Matrix/TiO2-WO3 Nanocomposite Coatings for Marine Application

In this study, for marine application purposes, we evaluated the effect of process parameter and particle loading on the microstructure, mechanical reinforcement and corrosion resistance properties of a Zn-TiO2-WO3 nanocomposite produced via electrodeposition. We characterized the morphological properties of the composite coatings with a Scanning Electron Microscope （SEM） equipped with an Energy Dispersive Spectrometer （EDS）. We carried out mechanical examination using a Dura Scan hardness tester and a CERT UMT-2 multi-functional tribological tester. We evaluated the corrosion properties by linear polarization in 3.5% NaCl. The results show that the coatings exhibited good stability and the quantitative particle loading greatly enhanced the structural and morphological properties, hardness behavior and corrosion resistance of the coatings. We observed the precipitation of this alloy on steel is greatly influenced by the composite characteristics.

Quality of Accounting Information and Internal Audit Characteristics in Nigeria

The basic goal of accounting is to provide quality accounting information that will aid reliable decision-making. The quality level of this accounting information comes from the company＇s governance practices, thereby emphasizing the importance of corporate governance in companies. Recently, following the financial crises resulting in accounting scandals, attention has been moving towards internal audit function as an important factor in the structure of corporate governance. This paper therefore examined the extent of the relationship between internal audit function and the quality of accounting information of companies. The study adopted the survey research design. The research instrument employed was questionnaire which was administered to internal auditors of the ＂Big Four＂. Linear regression analysis was employed in the analysis of the data collected with the use of Statistical Packages for Social Sciences （SPSS）. The results revealed that there is a significant relationship between the internal audit characteristics and the quality of accounting information. It was recommended that in order to provide credibility to the financial statement, there should be a law in place mandating attachment of internal auditors report to the financial statement.

Size,efficiency,market power,and economies of scale in the African banking sector

There is a growing body of evidence that interest rate spreads in Africa are higher for big banks compared to small banks.One concern is that big banks might be using their market power to charge higher lending rates as they become larger,more efficient,and unchallenged.In contrast,several studies found that when bank size increases beyond certain thresholds,diseconomies of scale are introduced that lead to inefficiency.In that case,we also would expect to see widened interest margins.This study examines the connection between bank size and efficiency to understand whether that relationship is influenced by exploitation of market power or economies of scale.Using a panel of 162 African banks for 2001–2011,we analyzed the empirical data using instrumental variables and fixed effects regressions,with overlapping and non-overlapping thresholds for bank size.We found two key results.First,bank size increases bank interest rate margins with an inverted U-shaped nexus.Second,market power and economies of scale do not increase or decrease the interest rate margins significantly.The main policy implication is that interest rate margins cannot be elucidated by either market power or economies of scale.Other implications are discussed.

Analysis of inhibition of concrete steel-rebar corrosion by Na_2Cr_2O_7 concentrations:Implications for conflicting reports on inhibitor effectiveness

Corrosion test data were measured using non-destructive electrochemical techniques and analysed for studying inhibition effectiveness by different concentrations of NazCr207 on the corrosion of concrete steel-rehar in NaC1 and in H2SO4 media. For these, specifications of ASTM G16-95 R04 were combined with the normal and the Gumbel probability density functions as model analytical methods for addressing issues of conflicting reports of inhibitor effectiveness that had generated concerns. Results show that reinforced concrete samples admixed with concentrations having 4 g （0.012 7 tool）, 8 g （0.025 4 mol） and 6 g （0.019 l tool） NaaCr207 exhibited, in that order, high inhibition effectiveness, with respective efficiency, r/, of （90.46±1.30）%, （88.41＋2.24）% and （84.87±4.74）%, in the NaC1 medium. These exhibit good agreements within replicates and statistical methods for the samples. Also, optimal inhibition effectiveness model in the H2SO4 medium was exhibited by 8 g （0.025 4 mol） Na2Cr207 concentration having r/=（78.44±1.10）%. These bear implications for addressing conflicting test data in the study of effective inhibitors for mitigating steel-rebar corrosion in aggressive environments.

Characterization of ceramic reinforced titanium matrix composites fabricated by spark plasma sintering for anti-ballistic applications

Titanium has found extensive use in various engineering applications due to its attractive physical,mechanical, and chemical characteristics. However, titanium has relatively low hardness for use as an armour material. ZrB2 was incorporated to the Ti matrix to form a Ti-based binary composites. In this study, powder metallurgy techniques were employed to disperse the ceramic particulates throughout the matrix material then consolidated through spark plasma sintering. The composites were densified at1300 ℃, pressure of 50 MPa, and holding time of 5 min. The microstructure and phase analysis of the sintered composites was carried out using SEM and XRD, while the hardness was determined using Vickers' microhardness tester. The SEM and XRD results confirmed the presence of the TiB whiskers which renowned with the improving the hardness of titanium. The hardness of the composite with 10 wt% ZrB_2 showed the highest hardness compared to that obtained for the 5 and 15 wt% ZrB_2 composites which was 495 and 571 Hv respectively.

Structural evolution, optoelectrical and corrosion properties of electrodeposited WO_3 integration on Zn-TiO_2 electrolyte for defence super application

Multifunctional nano composite coatings of Zn-TiO_2-WO_3 were deposited electrolytically on mild steel(MS) from Zn bath, having Zn^(2+) ions and uniform dispersion of TiO_2 and WO_3 nano particulates. The electrical, optical and corrosion resistance characteristics of the electrocodeposited coatings were assessed by Keithley 2400 Series Source meter with Multimeters, Newport Solar Simulator and a PGSTAT30 Autolab potentiostat respectively. The morphological characteristics of the composite coatings were characterized by scanning electron microscope(SEM) equipped with energy dispersive spectrometer(EDS). The result revealed that the electrocodeposits showed good stability and Zn-TiO_2-WO_3 nanocomposite deposits displayed enhanced microstructural qualities, good electrical conductivity and exhibited enriched corrosion resistance.

Corrosion Resistance ofAA6063-Type AI-Mg-Si Alloy by Silicon Carbide in Sodium Chloride Solution for Marine Application

The present work focused on corrosion inhibition of AA6063 type Al-Mg-Si alloy in sodium chloride （NaCI） solution with a silicon carbide inhibitor, using the potentiodynamic electrochemical method. The aluminium alloy surface morphology was examined, in the as-received and as-corroded in the un-inhibited state, with scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy dispersive spectroscopy （SEM-EDS）. The results obtained via linear polarization indicated a high corrosion potential for the unprotected as-received alloy. Equally, inhibition efficiency as high as 98.82% at 10.0 g/v silicon carbide addition was obtained with increased polarization resistance fRy）, while the current density reduced significantly for inhibited samples compared to the un-inhibited aluminium alloy. The adsorption mechanism of the inhibitor aluminium alloy follows the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. This shows that the corrosion rate of aluminium alloy with silicon carbide in NaCI environment decreased significantly with addition of the inhibitor.

Plasticity,strength,permeability and compressibility characteristics of black cotton soil stabilized with precipitated silica

The suitability of using precipitated silica(PS) from the burning of rice husk was investigated to improve the geotechnical engineering properties of a black cotton soil. A laboratory experimental program consisting of series of specific gravity, Atterberg limits, compaction, California bearing ratio(CBR), unconfined compression and consolidation tests was conducted on the untreated and PS treated soil samples. The application of PS to the soil significantly changed its properties by reducing its plasticity and making it more workable, improving its soaked strength, and increasing its permeability and the rate at which the soil gets consolidated. An optimal PS content of 50%, which provided the highest soaked strength, is recommended for the improvement of the subgrade characteristics of the BC soil for use as a pavement layer material.

Design of a Low-Cost Air Quality Monitoring System Using Arduino and ThingSpeak

The impact of daily emissions of gaseous and particulate pollutants of machines and industries on human health and the environment has attracted increasing concerns.This impact has significantly led to a notable increase in mortality in the highly industrialized zones.Therefore,monitoring air quality and creating public awareness are important for a safer future,which led the governments globally to investmulti-billion in policymaking and solution stratification to address the problem.This study aims to design a realtime Internet of Things low-cost air quality monitoring system.The system utilizes air quality and carbon monoxide sensors for monitoring gaseous pollutants.Moreover,the system utilizes an Arduino Nano development board equipped with a WiFi module to effectively send readings to a ThingSpeak online channel platformfor instantaneous and real-time display of air quality.The ThingSpeak uses HTTP protocols to send emails in raising awareness of poor air quality.The level of concentration is monitored graphically through channels with the help of ThingSpeak to aid remote communication.Athreshold value is set.Thus,when pollutants have become unhealthy and harmful,the system trips off an alarm,and e-mail notifications are sent to the officials.The results have shown that the work was successfully implemented a design of a low-cost air quality monitoring system using Arduino and ThingSpeak,showing that an air quality system can be implemented using a low-cost technology,Arduino and ThingSpeak.