Sehliselo Ndlovu

The heterogeneous coagulation and flocculation of brewery wastewater using carbon nanotubes

Coagulation and flocculation treatment processes play a central role in the way wastewater effluents are managed. Their primary function is particle removal that can impart colour to a water source, create turbidity, and/or retain bacterial and viral organisms. This study was carried out to investigate whether carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can be used as heterogeneous coagulants and/or flocculants in the pretreatment of brewery wastewater. A series of experiments were conducted in which the efficiencies of pristine and functionalised CNTs were compared with the efficiency of traditional ferric chloride in a coagulation/flocculation process. Turbidity and chemical oxygen demand (COD), including the zeta potential were used to monitor the progress of the coagulation/flocculation process. Both pristine and functionalised CNTs demonstrated the ability to successfully coagulate colloidal particles in the brewery wastewater. Overall, ferric chloride was found to be a more effective coagulant than both the pristine and functionalised CNTs.

Human health effects of residual carbon nanotubes and traditional water treatment chemicals in drinking water

The volume of industrial and domestic wastewater is increasing significantly year by year with the change in the lifestyle based on mass consumption and mass disposal brought about by the dramatic development of economies and industries. Therefore, effective advanced wastewater treatment is required because wastewater contains a variety of constituents such as particles, organic materials, and emulsion depending on the resource. However, residual chemicals that remain during the treatment of wastewaters form a variety of known and unknown by-products through reactions between the chemicals and some pollutants. Chronic exposure to these by-products or residual chemicals through the ingestion of drinking water, inhalation and dermal contact during regular indoor activities (e.g., showering, bathing, cooking) may pose cancer and non-cancer risks to human health. For example, residual aluminium salts in treated water may cause Alzheimers disease (AD). As for carbon nanotubes (CNTs), despite their potential impacts on human health and the environment having been receiving more and more attention in the recent past, existing information on the toxicity of CNTs in drinking water is limited with many open questions. Furthermore, though general topics on the human health impacts of traditional water treatment chemicals have been studied, no comparative analysis has been done. Therefore, a qualitative comparison of the human health effects of both residual CNTs and traditional water treatment chemicals is given in this paper. In addition, it is also important to cover and compare the human health effects of CNTs to those of traditional water treatment chemicals together in one review because they are both used for water treatment and purification.

The production of carbon nanotubes from carbon dioxide: challenges and opportunities

Abstract Recent advances in the production of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are reviewed with an emphasis on the use of carbon dioxide (CO2) as a sole source of carbon. Compared to the most widely used carbon precursors such as graphite, methane, acetylene, ethanol, ethylene, and coal-derived hydrocarbons, CO2 is competitively cheaper with relatively high carbon yield content. However, CNT synthesis from CO2 is a newly emerging technology, and hence it needs to be explored further. A theoretical and analytical comparison of the currently existing CNT-CO2 synthesis techniques is given including a review of some of the process parameters (i.e., temperature, pressure, catalyst, etc.) that affect the CO2 reduction rate. Such analysis indicates that there is still a fundamental need to further explore the following aspects so as to realize the full potential of CO2 based CNT technology: (1) the CNT-CO2 synthesis and formation mechanism, (2) catalytic effects of transitional metals and mechanisms, (3) utilization of metallocenes in the CNT-CO2 reactions, (4) applicability of ferrite-organometallic compounds in the CNT-CO2 synthesis reactions, and (5) the effects of process parameters such as temperature, etc.

Role of Ore Mineralogy in Optimizing Conditions for Bioleaching low-grade Complex Sulphide Ores

The role that ore mineralogy plays in understanding and optimizing the conditions favouring the bioleaching of complex sulphide ore containing high amounts of siderite was studied using mixed cultures of mesophilic bacteria, with emphasis on zinc, lead and copper recoveries. The influencing parameters investigated include particle size, stirring speed, volume of inoculum, pulp density, and pH. The results show that the mixed mesophilic cultures can extract about two and a half times the amount of zinc than copper over an equivalent period of time. The highest zinc and copper recoveries of 89.2% and 36.4% respectively are obtained at particle size of 75 μm, stirring speed of 150 r/min, pulp density of 10% (w/v), 12% (v/v) inoculum concentration, and a pH of 1.6. Variations in elemental composition within different particle sizes resulting from the mineralogy of the ore account for the bioleaching behaviour at varying particle sizes. The dissolution at varying pulp density, volume of inoculum, solution pH and the low solution potential observed are also influenced by ore mineralogy.

Characterisation of Factors in the Bacterial Leaching of Nickel Laterites Using Statistical Design of Experiments

Identifying influential factors in the bacterial leaching of nickel laterites using a mixed culture of chemolithotrophic micro-organisms was explored using the approach of statistical design of experiments. In a series of experiments, pH, particle size, pulp density, type of substrate and inoculum size were statistically combined using a quarter fractional factorial designs 2 5−2 III and tested for their influence on nickel recovery using chemolithotrophic microorganisms. The results indicated that inoculum size was not statistically significant while the rest of the factors were statistically significant. Under the ranges studied the interaction between the variables was found to be weak. The results also showed that recovery was maximized at low pH and low pulp density. In the range studied, particles of less than 38μm had a negative influence on nickel recovery. Sulphur substrate also showed better effects than pyrite.

The Microbial Assisted Leaching of Nickel Laterites Using a Mixed Culture of Chemolithotrophic Microorganisms

Nickel laterite contains metal values but is not capable of participating in the primary chemolithotrophic bacterial oxidation because it contains neither Fe2+ iron nor substantial amount of reduced sulphur. Its metal value can, however, be recovered by allowing the primary oxidation of FeS2, or similar iron/sulphur minerals to provide H2SO4 acid solutions, which solubilise the metal content. This study investigated the possibility of treating nickel laterites using chemolithotrophic microorganisms. Preliminary studies conducted using H2SO4 acid, citric acid and acidified Fe2(SO4)3 gave an insight on the use of chemolithotrophic bacteria in this process,. Results showed that H2SO4 acid performed better, in terms of nickel recovery, than citric acid or acidified Fe2(SO4)3. In the bacterial leaching test works, mixed cultures of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, Acidithiobacillus caldus and Leptospirillum ferrooxidans were used in the presence of elemental sulphur and FeS2 as energy sources. The sulphur substrate exhibited better effects in terms of bacterial growth, acidification and nickel recovery than the FeS2 substrate. Using response surface methodology, the theoretical optimum conditions for maximum nickel recovery (79.8%) within the conditions studied was an initial pH of 2.0, 63μm particle size and 2.6% pulp density.

Kinetic model of carbon nanotube production from carbon dioxide in a floating catalytic chemical vapour deposition reactor

The production of carbon nanostructures, including carbon nanotubes (CNTs), by chemical vapour deposition (CVD) occurs by thermally induced decomposition of carbon-containing precursors. The decomposition of the feedstock leading to intermediate reaction products is an important step, but rarely incorporated in rate equations, since it is generally assumed that carbon diffusion through or over the catalyst nanoparticles is the rate-limiting step in the production of CNTs. Furthermore, there is no kinetic model to date for the production of CNTs from carbon dioxide. These aspects are addressed in this study with the aid of a series of experiments conducted in a floating catalytic CVD reactor in which the effects of reactor temperature, concentration and flow rate of CO2 were investigated. A simple rate equation for the reductive adsorption of CO2 onto the catalyst surface followed by carbon diffusion leading to the production of CNTs is proposed as follows: d[CNT]/dt = K[CO2], where K is proportional to the diffusion coefficient of carbon. The derived kinetic model is used to calculate the amount of CNTs for a given concentration of CO2, and the experimentally measured data fits the simple rate equation very well at low carbon dioxide concentration.

Electrochemical studies on interplay of mineralogical variation and particle size on bioleaching low grade complex sulphide ores

The interplay of mineralogical variation and mineral phase distribution within varying particle sizes on the dissolution behaviour of a low grade complex sulphide ore was investigated through bioleaching experiments and electrochemical technique. Investigations were carried out utilizing mineralogical data on the variations in mineral and phase distribution within particle sizes of ＜53μm, 53-75μm, 75-106μm and 106-150μm in mixed mesophilic cultures of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans and Leptospirillum ferrooxidans. Electrochemical behaviour was studied using particulate electrodes from the four varying particle sizes and from massive electrodes prepared from the two major sulphide mineral rich phases (sphalerite-rich and galena-rich) and a complex mineralogical phase of the bulk ore. Bioleaching studies reveal the highest recoveries at a particle size of 75μm, while electrochemical investigations reveal the highest dissolution at particle size of 106μm. Electrochemical results show that sphalerite rich phase has the highest dissolution rate while galena-rich complex phase has the least. SEM studies confirm the highest bacterial attack at the sphalerite-rich phase. The discrepancies between the dissolutions within particle sizes obtained from bioleaching experiments and electrochemical studies are consistent with and attributed both to the physical and mineralogical influences. Electrochemical behaviour is influenced and controlled by galvanic interaction resulting from mineralogical variation, while bioleaching behaviour is influenced by mineralogical variation as well as physical effect of particle size.

Biotechnology and Nanotechnology: A Means for Sustainable Development in Africa

In this twenty-first Century, Africa is still lagging behind both in the development and utilization of new cost-effective and high-productive technologies. This is expected to remain so for a long time to come. The lack of technological innovations and monetary investments are some of the key factors that are viewed as contributing to Africa‘s perpetual underdevelopment and economic instability. In this context, sound technology transfer and acquisition can play an active role in African development and economic sustainability. This chapter looks at how appropriate technology transfer can enhance economic development in Africa, with particular focus on two specific areas, namely Biotechnology and Nanotechnology. Concurrently, this chapter also reviews and discusses some of the key factors that generally impede technology transfer in Africa. Equally, this chapter also addresses some of the merits and demerits of technology transfer, in particular as related to the African continent and its quest for sustainable development and economic growth. Both Biotechnology and Nanotechnology are relatively new, but these are hot technologies that have great potential in many industrial sectors where they can serve to cost-effectively optimize operational processes, increase efficiency, and maximize productivity.

Ti-Mg Alloy Powder Synthesis via Mechanochemical Reduction of TiO2 by Elemental Magnesium

This paper reports the preliminary results of an investigation on the synthesis of a Ti-Mg alloy powder through mechanochemical processing of TiO2 and Mg powders. TiO2 was mixed with elemental Mg according to a nominal stoichiometric composition with 15% excess Mg. The powder mixture was mechanically milled in a Simoloyer high energy ball mill for 5 different durations. Contamination was minimised by processing under a high purity argon atmosphere. Changes in phase composition were studied by XRD techniques. TiO2 was reduced, as shown by the formation of MgO. The extent of the reduction, as indicated by XRD peaks’ intensities, increased with milling time. XRD spectra of powders milled for 24 hours revealed virtual disappearance of TiO2 peaks and there was no evidence of elemental Ti. The lattice parameter of the resulting Ti metal was larger than that of elemental Ti. This implies that the Ti was alloyed with free Mg to produce Ti-Mg alloy powder. The lattice parameter increased with increasing milling time.