M.S. Nazir

Characteristic Properties of Nanoclays and Characterization of Nanoparticulates and Nanocomposites

Clays have been one of the more important industrial minerals; and with the recent advent of nanotechnology, they have found multifarious applications and in each application, nanoclays help to improve the quality of product, economize on the cost and saves environment. The chapter describes key characteristics of nanoclays and their classification on the basis of the arrangement of “sheets” in their basic structural unit “layer”. Major groups include kaolin–serpentine, pyrophyllite-talc, smectite, vermiculite, mica and Chlorite. The structural, morphological and physicochemical properties of halloystite and montmorillonite nanoclays, representative of the 1:1 and 2:1 layer groups, respectively, are discussed as well. After briefly introducing the surface modification of clay minerals by modifying or functionalizing their surfaces and their incorporation into polymer matrices to develop polymer/clay nanocomposites, techniques that are being employed to characterize these nanoclays, in general, and the sample preparation for these techniques, in particular, are also reviewed in this chapter.

Comparative study on structural modification of Ceiba pentandra for oil sorption and palm oil mill effluent treatment

AbstractThe performance of raw Ceiba pentandra (L.) Gaertn (raw kapok fibers (RKF)) for oil sorption and palm oil mill effluent (POME) treatment was compared with structurally modified kapok (NaOH-treated (SKF) and surface-modified kapok fiber (SMKF)) and bentonite clay. Based on FTIR, kapok wax functional group at 1726/cm was not detected in SKF rendering higher hydrophilicity. The reduction in peak intensity at 473 and 523/cm upon HCl treatment of bentonite, suggests the cleavage of Si–O–Al bond layer and Si–O–Mg (Fe) bonds. For filtration under gravity at 0.08 g/cm3, SKF showed high POME sorption of 82 g/g, but lower diesel sorption of 23 g/g. With HCl-treated bentonite, POME sorption at 69 g/g was only slightly higher than diesel sorption of 60 g/g. However, RKF and raw bentonite achieved higher removal efficiency of biological oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand (COD), total organic carbon, and total nitrogen at 74–98% and 72–94%, respectively, than with SKF at 66–80%, and HCl-treated bentonite at ...

Kenaf-Biocomposites: Manufacturing, Characterization, and Applications

Given the environmental issues faced by the industry, the development of engineering products from natural resources has increased worldwide. The increasing demand for cost and weight reduction can be attained by sustainable manufacturing techniques. Kenaf plants are natural resources, which show high performance compared with other natural fibers. Kenaf fibers can be modified by physical and chemical methods. Kenaf polymer composites are fabricated via processing technologies based on thermoforming, thermoplastics, and thermosets. Thermoplastic processes, such as compression molding, pultrusion, extrusion, and solution blending, have been adapted but are limited to two-dimensional structures based on polymer composites. However, the thermoset processes include sheet molding and resin transfer molding techniques, which were also employed for the fabrication of kenaf polymer composites. Most of the recent work discussed Kenaf-Reinforced Composites (KRCs) prepared by compression molding. However, resin transfer molding has received attention because of its versatility. This chapter aimed to highlight and explore advance research related to the fabrication of kenaf polymer composites by various routes, as well as their physical and mechanical properties. A brief description of KRCs with different additives, fiber loadings, treatment, and polymers is also discussed. Furthermore, these KRCs with versatile mechanical properties may be used for construction, building materials, animal beds, corrosion resistance, marine, electrical, transportation, and automotive applications.

Effects of Residual Carbon on Microstructure and Surface Roughness of PIM 316L Stainless Steel

Powder injection molding (PIM) offers an attractive method for producing smart and intricate shapes components. PIM process is cost effective and equally applicable for metals and ceramics. Debinding process is the most critical step among all PIM steps and any residual during debinding can change the composition of sintered product resulting change in final properties. In this research work, the injection molded samples were thermally debound and sintered in various atmospheres. The results showed that the sintered samples with improper thermal debinding resulted the carbide formation at the surface and across the grain boundaries that caused to increase the roughness value.

Characterization and identification of newly isolated Acinetobacter baumannii strain serdang 1 for phenol removal

A new indigenous bacterial strain from Malaysian soil contaminated with petroleum waste had been successfully isolated, characterized and identified for phenol removal. The gram negative bacteria showed 98% identity with Acinetobacter baumannii based on Biolog{trade mark, serif} Identification System and the determination of a partial 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequence. The isolate clustered with species belonging to Acinetobacter clade in a 16S rDNA-based neighbour-joining phylogenetic tree.