Abstract This work investigated the corrosion resistance of zinc-plated low carbon steel in cocoa fluid. Low carbon steel samples were zinc electroplated at voltages between 0.5 V and 0.9 V for 5–20 min. The plated samples were then subjected to a cocoa fluid environment for 30 days. The electrode potentials mV (SCE) were measured every day. Weight loss was determined at intervals of 5 days for the exposure period. The result showed corrosion attack on the zinc-plated steel, the severity in...
ABSTRACT Halloysite, a natural mineral mined in many parts of the world has gained a lot of attention recently due to its ability to control and sustain the release of drugs and other active agents. It is a hollow tubular structure composed of double layer of aluminosilicate minerals in the nanometric range. They are non-toxic and biocompatible as compared to other nanocarriers. Its unique structure can be modified to improve its properties for control drug delivery applications. In this stud...
ABSTRACT Global uncertainty over fossil fuels security provides the impetus for the development of fuels from renewable feedstocks. A promising route to diesel is available through transesterification of vegetable oils. In this work, there is a novel development of the true liquid crystal templating approach to the synthesis of uniformly dispersed ordered porous mixed oxides. Via this route, a family of mesoporous and mesomacroporous MgO/SBA-15 and CaO/SBA-15 catalysts with metal loading in t...
ABSTRACT Nanocrystalline zinc oxide particles were synthesized via sol-gel method using zinc acetate as precursor. Calcination temperature was varied to determine its effect on particle size. The resultant samples were subjected to X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR), UVvisible and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) characterization techniques. X-ray diffraction results showed nanocrystalline wurtzite ZnO particles with crystallite size ranging from 16 nm to 30 nm resp...
ABSTRACT In the present scenario of the over dependence and shortcomings of fossil fuels, integrated biorefinery techniques have been developed to process biodegradable and sustainable feedstock for use as green energy. Brown seaweed biomass, recently has been under the spotlight for the production of biogas via anaerobic digestion. In this study, the effects of acclimatising inoculum to Ecklonia maxima, a brown seaweed type for the production of biogas have been investigated. Biomass of Eckl...
ABSTRACT The urgent need for affordable housing is driving the research for cheap and sustainable building materials. The nuisance caused by cocoa pod husks, which is an agro waste, could be curbed by the incorporation of potash derived from its ash into brick batch mix. These potash incorporated bricks tend to allow sintering at lower temperatures thus reducing production cost and hence making them cheaper. In this project, the SiO2 – Al2O3 – K2O ternary phase diagram was used to design ...
ABSTRACT Gold nanoparticles were synthesized by reducing aqueous chloroauric acid (HAuCl4) with three different bacteria. Various microorganisms were verified to see how feasible they will be in synthesizing gold nanoparticles. Three microorganisms were screened and found to produce gold nanoparticles effectively. These bacteria include; Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus subtilis and serratia mercensis mercensis. Microorganisms in the synthesis of nanoparticles appear as an environmentally frien...
SUMMARY Since the pioneering report of the discovery of graphene in 2004 by Novoselov et al, scientists and researchers worldwide have carried out in depth investigations in this new family of carbon because of its myriad properties and potential applications. The synthesis of the novel nanoscale material is the main target in current material science. This study investigates the effect of different types of cabon source and catalyst for the production of large area, single/few crystalline l...
ABSTRACT Cancer is one of the leading causes of death globally and its treatment and cure are therefore very important. Chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery have been the major forms of treatment. In this work, magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles are biologically synthesized using maize leaves, plantain leaves and peels extracts as mediators. The synthesized particles were magnetic and this aided in their washing after the synthesis. UV-Vis spectroscopy pointed to the formation of the Fe3O4 nanopart...
ABSTRACT This work presents the effects of metakaolin as a supplementary cementitious material in mortars for construction applications. Kaolin from Teleku Bokazo was calcined at 650oC and partially used to replace Portland limestone cement to produce mortars and paste. The metakaolin was successfully used in a cement paste and its effect observed in the different cement replacements proportions. The replacements ranged from 10% - 35% by mass and characterised after 3, 7, 14 and 28 days of cu...
ABSTRACT This work presents the effects of metakaolin as a supplementary cementitious material in mortars for construction applications. Kaolin from Teleku Bokazo was calcined at 650oC and partially used to replace Portland limestone cement to produce mortars and paste. The metakaolin was successfully used in a cement paste and its effect observed in the different cement replacements proportions. The replacements ranged from 10% - 35% by mass and characterised after 3, 7, 14 and 28 days of c...
ABSTRACT Dye pollutants contaminate water bodies when they are improperly disposed into the ecosystem. Effects caused by the disposal of these dye pollutants include aesthetic pollution, eutrophication and perturbations in aquatic life. This work aims to mitigate these water contamination problems by studying possible degradation of these pollutant compounds. Semiconductor photocatalytic process using nanocrystalline TiO2 as the semiconductor catalyst was adopted in this work to photodegrade ...
ABSTRACT Nano titanium dioxide (TiO2) has been found to possess enhanced antibacterial properties and has thus been employed in various photocatalytic applications. Studies have confirmed higher photocatalytic activity when the TiO2 photocatalyst is doped with silver (Ag). The reported enhancement is due to valence band electrons being excited at longer wavelengths, hence extending absorbance further into the visible light region. For nano catalysts that interact in such a region, they are te...
ABSTRACT The low total conversion efficiency of dye sensitized solar cells have caused researchers to improve the individual components of the cell. This work aims to produce zinc oxide nanoparticles to help improve absorption and also reduce recombination in the photo anode of the dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). In this work, zinc oxide nanoparticles were produced using the hydrothermal synthesis technique and the annealing effect was conducted on the prepared samples. The samples prepared...
ABSTRACT This work presents the effects of metakaolin as a supplementary cementitious material in mortars for construction applications. Kaolin from Teleku Bokazo was calcined at 650oC and partially used to replace Portland limestone cement to produce mortars and paste. The metakaolin was successfully used in a cement paste and its effect observed in the different cement replacements proportions. The replacements ranged from 10% - 35% by mass and characterised after 3, 7, 14 and 28 days of cu...