Sujeet Kesharvani¹, Sakhi Katre¹, Suyasha Pandey¹, Gaurav Dwivedi^1,*, Tikendra Nath Verma², Prashant Baredar¹

Energy Engineering, Vol.121, No.9, pp. 2363-2388, 2024, DOI:10.32604/ee.2024.052523

Abstract This study delves into biodiesel synthesis from non-edible oils and algae oil sources using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model to optimize biodiesel yield. Blend of C. vulgaris and Karanja oils is utilized, aiming to reduce free fatty acid content to 1% through single-step transesterification. Optimization reveals peak biodiesel yield conditions: 1% catalyst quantity, 91.47 min reaction time, 56.86°C reaction temperature, and 8.46:1 methanol to oil molar ratio. The ANN model outperforms RSM in yield prediction accuracy. Environmental impact assessment yields an E-factor of 0.0251 at maximum yield, indicating responsible production… More >

Yu Luo^1,2,3, Mengna Zong^1,2,3, Jin Wang^1,2,3, Xuechun Wang^1,2,3, Bo Bai^1,2,3,*, Chunyu Zhou^1,2,3,*, Junlin Zhu^1,2,3, Jianyu Xing^1,2,3, Moses M. C. Carlon Jr^1,2,3

Journal of Polymer Materials, Vol.41, No.2, pp. 87-103, 2024, DOI:10.32604/jpm.2024.054660

Abstract In this research, we developed a novel photo-stimulation-responsive composite sphere with a semi-interpenetrating polymer network (semi-IPN) structure, synthesized via an alkali gel method, to enhance the efficiency of agrochemicals. Chitosan (CS) serves as the structural matrix and protective shell, with a loading capacity for the plant growth hormone indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) of up to 41.73 μg/mg, effectively controlling the abrupt release of auxin. The incorporation of photothermal detonation nanodiamond (DND) and the photosensitive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAm) endows the spheres with the ability to respond to light and temperature stimuli, achieving intelligent control over IBA release. Characterization… More >

Song Lu¹, Jianjun Guo², Richard Ansah Herman¹, Xinyi Wu¹, Lin Ma¹, Guohua Wu^1,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.12, No.6, pp. 1043-1055, 2024, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2024.051767

Abstract Silk is widely used in the production of high-quality textiles. At the same time, the amount of silk textiles no longer in use and discarded is increasing, resulting in significant waste and pollution. This issue is of great concern in many countries where silk is used. Hydrogen peroxide as a naturally occurring compound is an important indicator of detection in both biology and the environment. This study aims to develop a composite fiber with hydrogen peroxide-sensing properties using discarded silk materials. To achieve this goal, firstly, polydopamine (PDA) was used to encapsulate the ZnFeO NPs… More > Graphic Abstract

Rudi Dungani^1,*, Mohammad Irfan Bakshi², Tsabita Zahra Hanifa¹, Mustika Dewi¹, Firda A. Syamani², Melbi Mahardika², Widya Fatriasari^2,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.12, No.6, pp. 1057-1069, 2024, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2024.049342

Abstract The present work emphasizes the isolation of cellulose nanofiber (CNF) from the kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus) bast through a chemo-mechanical process. In order to develop high CNF yield with superior properties of CNF for improving compatibility in varied applications this method is proposed. The fiber purification involved pulping and bleaching treatments, whereas mechanical treatment was performed by grinding and high-pressure treatments. The kraft pulping as a delignification method followed by bleaching has successfully removed almost 99% lignin in the fiber with high pulp yield and delignification selectivity. The morphology of the fibers was characterized by scanning electron More > Graphic Abstract

Huijuan Fu, Linlin Zhu, Chunhui Wang, Xiaoqi Xi, Yu Han, Lei Li, Yanmin Sun, Bin Yan^*

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.80, No.1, pp. 1711-1725, 2024, DOI:10.32604/cmc.2024.049623

Abstract Nano-computed tomography (Nano-CT) is an emerging, high-resolution imaging technique. However, due to their low-light properties, tabletop Nano-CT has to be scanned under long exposure conditions, which the scanning process is time-consuming. For 3D reconstruction data, this paper proposed a lightweight 3D noise reduction method for desktop-level Nano-CT called AAD-ResNet (Axial Attention DeNoise ResNet). The network is framed by the U-net structure. The encoder and decoder are incorporated with the proposed 3D axial attention mechanism and residual dense block. Each layer of the residual dense block can directly access the features of the previous layer, which More >

Xujing Zhang¹, Hatem Abushammala², Debora Puglia³, Binbao Lu¹, Pengwu Xu¹, Weijun Yang^1,*, Piming Ma¹

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.12, No.5, pp. 895-908, 2024, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2024.049810

Abstract Fluorescent nanomaterials have attracted much attention, due to their unique luminescent properties and promising applications in biomedical areas. In this study, lignin based fluorescent nanoparticles (LFNP) with high yield (up to 32.4%) were prepared from lignin nanoparticles (LNP) by one-pot hydrothermal method with ethylenediamine (EDA) and citric acid. Morphology and chemical structure of LFNP were investigated by SEM, FT-IR, and zeta potential, and it was found that the structure of LFNP changed with the increase of citric acid addition. LFNP showed the highest fluorescence intensity under UV excitation at wavelengths of 375–385 nm, with emission More > Graphic Abstract

Ponusa Songtipya^1,2,*, Thummanoon Prodpran^1,2, Ladawan Songtipya^1,2, Theerarat Sengsuk¹

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.12, No.5, pp. 951-967, 2024, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2024.049068

Abstract The synergistic effect of organoclay (OC) and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles on the crucial properties of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) nanocomposite films was systematically investigated herein. After their incorporation into PLA via the solvent casting technique, the water vapor barrier property of the PLA/OC/ZnO film improved by a maximum of 86% compared to the neat PLA film without the deterioration of Young’s modulus or the tensile strength. Moreover, the film’s self-antibacterial activity against foodborne pathogens, including gram-negative (Escherichia coli, E. coli) and gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus, S. aureus) bacteria, was enhanced by a maximum of approximately 98–99% compared to the neat… More > Graphic Abstract

Karam H. Mohammed¹, Ashraf E. Al-Mirani¹, Bashar Mahmood Ali², Omar Rafae Alomar^1,*

Frontiers in Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol.22, No.3, pp. 839-854, 2024, DOI:10.32604/fhmt.2024.052671

Abstract This work involves an experimental study on the performance of automobile air-conditioning systems by adding Al₂O₃ nanoparticles to oil compressors to investigate their impacts on the enhancement of the speed cooling of refrigeration systems and to compare it with the system operated using only oil. The Al₂O₃ nanoparticles have been added to the oil compressor for different ranges of mass concentration (Ø = 0.1%, Ø = 0.15% and Ø = 0.2%). The stability of Al₂O₃ nanoparticles has been tested by direct observation for different time periods. The results indicated that the air conditioning system that operated by More >

Abuzar Abid Siddiqui¹, Mustafa Turkyilmazoglu^2,3,*

CMES-Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences, Vol.140, No.3, pp. 2487-2512, 2024, DOI:10.32604/cmes.2024.050525

Abstract The physical problem of the thin film flow of a micropolar fluid over a dynamic and inclined substrate under the influence of gravitational and thermal forces in the presence of nanoparticles is formulated. Five different types of nanoparticle samples are accounted for in this current study, namely gold Au, silver Ag, molybdenum disulfide M_oS₂, aluminum oxide Al₂O₃, and silicon dioxide SiO₂. Blood, a micropolar fluid, serves as the common base fluid. An exact closed-form solution for this problem is derived for the first time in the literature. The results are particularly validated against those for the Newtonian fluid… More >

Hui Tian¹, Dandan Zhao¹, Yannan Wu^2,3,*, Xingyu Yi¹, Jun Ma¹, Xiang Zhou⁴

FDMP-Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing, Vol.20, No.6, pp. 1265-1277, 2024, DOI:10.32604/fdmp.2023.044833

Abstract The low porosity and low permeability of tight oil reservoirs call for improvements in the current technologies for oil recovery. Traditional chemical solutions with large molecular size cannot effectively flow through the nano-pores of the reservoir. In this study, the feasibility of Nanofluids has been investigated using a high pressure high temperature core-holder and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The results of the experiments indicate that the specified Nanofluids can enhance the tight oil recovery significantly. The water and oil relative permeability curve shifts to the high water saturation side after Nanofluid flooding, thereby demonstrating an More > Graphic Abstract