Volume 20 Issue 2

Hot water-treated cow waste (HWTCW) was used as an efficient, low-cost, and sustainable adsorbent for the removal of cresol red dye and chromium(VI) from aqueous solutions. Functional groups present on the biomass surface were identified by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy as -OH, C=O, C=C, and C-O. The scanning electron microscopy analysis showed the structure relating to plant tissue and rough surfaces that were heterogeneous and irregular, revealing the origin of the biomass to be cellulose, lignin, hemicellulose, and other water-soluble components. Maximum adsorption capacity was attained at biomass dosage of 40 and 50 mg, 120 and 140 min as the time of contact, pH of 4 and 3, and temperature of 40 and 45 °C for CR and Cr (VI) adsorption. The equilibrium data from the adsorption of CR and Cr (VI) followed Langmuir and Freundlich models with maximum uptake of 73.3 and 66.4 mg/g. For the adsorption of CR by HWTCW, a pseudo-first-order kinetic model provided a better fit, whereas a pseudo-second-order model provided a better fit for Cr (VI) ions adsorption. The analysis of ΔH gave positive values of 22.4 kJ/mol for CR and 46.0 kJ/mol for Cr (VI) indicating the endothermic process.

The cooling of pellets is necessary because pellets reach 70 to 90 °C after the pellet press. The reduction in temperature solidifies the pellets, which increases the pellet quality and reduces the risk of self-heating during storage. Industrially, pellet plants use outdoor air in counterflow coolers and cooling ends when the pellet temperature is approximately 5 °C above ambient temperature. Cooling performed in the summer could result in high temperatures in the pellet stacks during storage, and cooling at low temperatures and high airflows in the winter could cause quality problems. Therefore, the aim was to determine how cooling air temperature, airflow, and storage time impact the durability, hardness, and off-gassing of the pellets. The results showed that the highest durability (97.7%) and hardness (310 N) were achieved when cooling with low-temperature air and low airflow. Additionally, durability and hardness stabilized at high values (98.9% and 640 N) after 30 to 40 days of storage, regardless of the airflow and cooling air temperature used. Furthermore, it was found that high airflows reduce off-gassing regardless of the cooling air temperature. It is recommended that the industry reduce airflow during the winter and increase it during the summer to produce high-quality pellets and minimize the risk of self-heating.

Natural compounds have received extra attention through the current decade to suppress Helicobacter pylori growth. This study investigated the phytochemical characterization of Murraya paniculata fruit extract (MPFE) and its estimation against different activities of H. pylori. Moreover, the molecular docking interactions (MDI) of catechin and kaempferol with H. pylori proteins were examined. Several compounds were detected via high performance liquid chromatography in MPFE with various concentrations. Of these, catechin, kaempferol, chlorogenic acid, and vanillin were measured as 11,000, 4960, 4610, and 65.8 µg/g, respectively. Excellent inhibition of H. pylori was recorded with an inhibition zone 24.3 mm using MPFE compared to the activity of standard antibiotic (16.2 mm). Both minimum inhibitory concentration and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) of MPFE were 60.5 µg/mL, whereas it was 15.6 µg/mL using standard antibiotic. The biofilm of H. pylori was inhibited by 25, 50, and 75% of MPFE MBC to a level of 68.2, 84.1, and 90.4%, respectively. Hemolysis caused by MPFE was prevented to a level of 21.2, 6.8, and, 3.3% at 25, 50, and 75% of MIC, respectively. The authors implemented the MDI using Molecular Operating Environment (MOE) software. The screened compounds interacted well with the H. pylori protein (PDB ID: 3K1H).

Changes in the number of mold spores and the color difference values of cardboard were evaluated during the molding process of paper wine boxes. The experiment utilized three types of cardboard: single white industrial paperboard (Q), grey-offset paperboard (S), and grey-coated white paperboard (T), along with nine strains of mold collected from mold-contaminated paper wine box samples. The molds were identified using both morphological and molecular techniques. These nine strains were inoculated on the surface of the cardboard and incubated at 28 °C and 98% relative humidity for 28 days to assess the number of mold spores and the color difference values. The results indicated a gradual increase in both the number of mold spores and the color difference values over the 28-day period. The total spore count was highest on cardboard type Q, followed by S and T (T < S < Q), whereas the average color difference value followed the reverse order (S < Q < T). A linear correlation model between the color difference value and spore count was developed using Matlab software to fit the data, providing a method to predict the number of mold spores based on the color difference values of the cardboard.

The broomcorn plant (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) is one of the main cereal crops and its grains are used in food and feed sectors while its stems are used in broom production and as a building material. Polylactic acid (PLA) is a biobased polymer that is widely used as a matrix material in natural fiber-reinforced composites. In this study, the aim is to use broomcorn plant stems, which are agricultural waste, as reinforcement in composite production. For this purpose, fiber was obtained by purifying broomcorn plant stems from woody cells with enzyme and NaOH. To easily comb the fibers, 10 wt% cotton was added and blended and turned into nonwoven fabric via needle punching. Then, PLA was combined with the matrix using the hot press method to produce single and double-layered composites. To characterize the broomcorn fiber reinforced composite material, strength, elongation, scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared instrumental methods were used within the standards. According to the analysis results, broomcorn fiber has a high potential as a new reinforcement material suitable for composite production.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was synthesized via cheap bio-reduction and green method from leaf extracts of Azadirachta indica. The technique was optimized by studying variables such as  pH, temperature and concentration of the plant extracts. Gas Chromatography Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS) results indicated the presence of phytonutrients such as Piperidine, 2-Azacyclooctanone, 4-Dibenzofuranamine, Lauric anhydride, Cyclododecanol and Sorbic acid as the phytonutrients responsible for the reduction and resilience process. FT-IR results gave absorption bands indicating the presence of -OH, -NH and -C=O functional groups, while particle size analysis revealed an average particle size which is less than 100 nm, thus confirming the formation of a nanoparticle. UV-Vis investigation of the nanoparticles synthesized with concentration of 12.5 mg/mL produced a strong plasmon resonance band with an absorbance of 0.223 at 400 nm after 24 hrs incubation time and at a minimal concentration of 6.25 mg/mL, the absorbance further decreased with a hypsochromic shift to 600 nm. The synthesized silver nanoparticles showed excellent optical property towards the selected heavy metals with virtual color change and a shift in absorbance towards higher value. Selective detection of Pb²⁺, Cu²⁺ and Cd²⁺ was also confirmed by UV-visible spectra which is well pronounced with Pb²⁺ having the highest absorbance.

This study aimed to develop plywood, which is generally used as a building material in outdoor areas, by adding low-cost glass fiber and to examine some physical and mechanical properties of the developed plywood. For this, beech veneers (600 × 600 mm dimension, 2 mm thickness in 3% to 5% humidity) were glued with phenol-formaldehyde adhesive at the levels of 10%, 20%, and 30% by adding powdered e-type glass fiber in two different sizes (25 µm and 10 µm) to produce seven-layer beech plywood. Density, equilibrium moisture content, thickness swelling, tensile-shearing, and tensile-perpendicular to the surface were evaluated on test samples cut from the beech plywood in 50 × 50 mm dimension, and screwing torque values were carried out on test samples cut in 500 × 50 mm dimensions. Two-factor analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed separately for the tests above. Results indicated that in cases where interactions between the glass fiber size and ratio were significant at the 0.05 significance level, the least significant difference value (LSD) analysis of the interaction was performed. According to LSD results, the tensile strength perpendicular to the surface decreased as the glass fiber ratio was increased.

Cassava chaff in its raw and heat-treated (ash) forms was studied as an adsorbent for the removal of arsenic (As(V)) from aqueous solutions in a batch process. The findings indicated that pH significantly influenced As adsorption efficiency on raw cassava chaff, with optimal adsorption (78.6%) observed at a pH of approximately 4.5. Adsorption isotherm modeling revealed that the Langmuir model was more applicable to heat-treated cassava chaff, with maximum adsorption capacity of 101 mg/g, whereas the Freundlich model better described As adsorption on raw cassava chaff with maximum adsorption capacity of 82.2 mg/g. Kinetic studies showed that the pseudo-second-order model accurately represented As adsorption onto raw cassava chaff, while the pseudo-first-order model best fit the kinetics for heat-treated cassava chaff. The enthalpy change for heat-treated cassava chaff and raw sample were +35.3 kJ/mol and +55.3 kJ/mol, respectively, suggesting the process to be endothermic. Information from Fourier transform infrared analysis revealed that the adsorbent was made up of cellulose and hemicellulose materials. Functional groups including OH, C=C, C=O, and C-O may be involved in the uptake of As(V) ions. This work highlights heat-treated cassava chaff as a promising, robust solution for As-contaminated water treatment.

With the growing global demand for sustainable energy, the development of efficient and environmentally friendly energy conversion and storage materials has become a research hotspot. Paulownia wood, with its natural porous structure and good hygroscopicity, is considered a highly promising biomass material. However, its properties still need to be further optimized through pretreatment to meet specific application requirements. In this study, paulownia wood was chemically modified through delignification and lithium chloride (LiCl) compounding, and far-infrared paper was attached to its surface to enhance its hygroscopicity and electrochemical performance. These pretreatment methods not only increased the porosity of paulownia wood, but also significantly improved the ion transport capacity, thereby achieving excellent moisture absorption and power generation performance in a high humidity environment. Experimental results showed that the LiCl and delignified paulownia composite materials (DW@LiCl) material exhibited excellent electrochemical performance during the hygroscopic process: its current continuously increased with humidity, and the final voltage reached 0.494 V, which was significantly higher than that of other control groups. This modified paulownia wood material demonstrated significant application value in the field of hygroscopic power generation, such as directly generating electricity from ambient humidity, and it exhibits potential for the development of high-performance lithium-ion batteries.

This article examines the chemical deterioration of wooden materials on the exterior surfaces of a historical mansion in Kahramanmaraş, constructed using the Bağdadi Wall Construction Technique, which is a rare example of Late Ottoman-Turkish architecture. The study employed various analyses to demonstrate that environmental factors, such as air, temperature, light, rain, and biological decay, have aged the wood. Fourier transform infrared analysis revealed a decrease in holocellulose peak density and lignin degradation. X-ray diffraction analysis indicated that the amorphous components of hardwood had diminished, leading to an increase in crystallinity, while the crystalline cellulose content in softwood had decreased, thereby weakening the structure. Thermal analysis uncovered changes in thermal stability between the wood’s outer and inner surfaces. Ultraviolet analysis indicated a 21% color change on the exterior compared to that in the interior. Despite the deterioration of the exterior, the interior surfaces remained intact. Appropriate measures could prolong the mansion’s lifespan, and urgent restoration is necessary to preserve this important cultural heritage.