Biodiesel is becoming one of the most attractive alternative biofuels for petroleum-based diesel fuels. The castor plant is one of the abundant non-edible oils found in many countries. This paper aims to study Libyan castor oil and its potential for diesel conversion. Experiments were carried out in the laboratories of the Specific Center for Training in the Oil Industries in Al-Zawiya. The oil was extracted using a Soxhlet extractor and n-hexane solvent at 60 °C. Transesterification reactions were conducted in a batch reactor (a three-neck flask was used, where the middle opening carries a reflux condensation unit) at 65 °C. The methanol-to-castor oil molar ratio was 6:1, with a catalyst concentration of 1 wt.% relative to the castor oil, and the reaction time was 30 min. Castor oil was analysed and found to have a fatty acid content of 0.7%. The productivity of biodiesel exhibited 80% yield. Standard test methods of analysis were conducted to determine the biodiesel’s properties. Results indicated that the kinematic viscosity at 40 °C was 14.24 cSt, the density was 0.924 g/cm3, the cetane number (CN) was 54 and the pour point was −15 °C, indicating that castor oil biodiesel is of high quality, with a high CN and a low pour point.
Mutans streptococci (MS) are a group of oral bacteria considered as the main cariogenic organisms. MS consists of several species of genus Streptococcus which are sharing similar phenotypes and genotypes. The aim of this study is to determine the genetic diversity of the core species of clinical strains of Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sobrinus and Streptococcus downei by using repitative extragenic palindromic (REP) primer. The DNA of the clinical strains of S. mutans (n=10), S. sobrinus (n=05) and S. downei (n=04) have been employed in the present study, which have been previously isolated from caries active subjects. The DNA of the clinical and reference strains was
... Show MoreLactiplantibacillus plantarum, one of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), is found in various foods, including dairy products, meat, and vegetables, and most of these bacteria offer beneficial effects to humans and animals as potential probiotics with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities. The aim of this study was evaluating the antibacterial efficacy of L. plantarum against some foodborne bacteria isolated from dairy products. This research involved 34 dairy products, including local and imported milk, cheese, and yogurt sold locally in Baghdad province, Iraq, during May 2022. For the isolation of L. plantarum, a special medium called MRS (de Man Rogosa and Sharpe) was applied. Colonie
... Show MoreLipase enzyme has attracted a lot of attention in recent years because of its diverse biotechnological applications. The present study was conducted to screen germinated seeds of four crops, namely sunflower (Helianthus annuus), flaxor linseed (Linum usitatissimum ), peanut (Arachis hypogaea ) and castor bean (Ricinus communis), for the activity of their lipases. to the study also included the extraction and purification of lipase from the seeds of the most promising crop using different solvents. The results indicated that the maximum enzymatic activity (0.669 U/ml) was obtained when 0.1 M Tris-HCl buffer extract was used after 3 days of seed germination of all the tested species, as compared to the other test solvents
... Show MoreDue to the deliberate disposal of industrial waste, a great amount of petroleum hydrocarbons pollute the soil and aquatic environments. Bioremediation that depends on the microorganisms in the removal of pollutants is more efficient and cost-effective technology. In this study, five rhizobacteria were isolated from Phragmites australis roots and exposed to real wastewater from Al-Daura refinery with 70 mg/L total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) concentration. The five selected rhizobacteria were examined in a biodegradation test for seven days to remove TPH. The results showed that 80% TPH degradation as the maximum value by Sphingomonas Paucimobilis as identified with Vitek® 2 Compact (France).
The Catharanthus roseus plant was extracted and converted to nanoparticles in this work. The Soxhlet method was used to extract alkaloid compounds from the Catharanthus roseus plant and converted them to the nanoscale. Chitosan polymer was used as a linking material and converted to Chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs). The extracted alkaloids were linked with Chitosan nanoparticles by maleic anhydride to get the final product (CSNPs-Linker-alkaloids). The pure Chitosan, Chitosan nanoparticles, and CSNPs-Linker-alkaloids were characterized by X-ray diffractometer, and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy. X-ray results show that all samples have an orthorhombic structure with crystallite size in nanodimensions. FTIR spectra prove that
... Show More2-hydrazinylbenzo[d]thiazole compound [1] is produced from reaction of 2-mercapto-benzothiazole with hydrazine hydride in ethanol. Compound [1] reacted with maleic anhydride in DMF to produce (Z)-4-(2-(benzo[d] thiazol-2yl) hydrazinyl)-4-oxobut-2-enoic acid [compound (2)]. While the treatment of compound [2] with the ammonium persulfate (NH4)2S2O8 (as the initiator) in order to produce compound [3], then compound [3] reacted with thionyl chloride in benzene to produce compound [4], finally compound [4] reaction with various drugs: cephalexin, amoxicillin, sulfamethizole, elecoxib obtained polymers [5–8]. The structure of synthesized compounds identified by spectral data: fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and proton nuclear magneti
... Show More2-hydrazinylbenzo[d]thiazole compound [1] is produced from reaction of 2-mercapto-benzothiazole with hydrazine hydride in ethanol. Compound [1] reacted with maleic anhydride in DMF to produce (Z)-4-(2-(benzo[d] thiazol-2yl) hydrazinyl)-4-oxobut-2-enoic acid [compound (2)]. While the treatment of compound [2] with the ammonium persulfate (NH4)2S2O8 (as the initiator) in order to produce compound [3], then compound [3] reacted with thionyl chloride in benzene to produce compound [4], finally compound [4] reaction with various drugs: cephalexin, amoxicillin, sulfamethizole, elecoxib obtained polymers [5–8]. The structure of synthesized compounds identified by spectral data: fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and proton nuclear magneti
... Show MoreSustainability including renewable energy and green power, is one of the important feature in recent years due to environmental constraints and the emission of CO2 from fossil fuel. Pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) process is considered one of the effective technology for power generation. This study assessed the application of pressure retarded osmosis to produce power from Tigris River water in Baghdad City, Iraq. Spiral wound TFC membrane was tested in the PRO process with different variables. The effect of different types of draw solutions (MgCl2, NaCl, Sodium Formate, KCl, Sodium Acetate), applied pressure (0 – 7 bar), and draw solution concentration (0.08 and 0.4 M) were tested in this work. The flux, recovery, and power density for
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