The possibility of using activated carbon developed from date palm seeds wastes as a permeable reactive barrier (PRB) to remove copper from polluted shallow groundwater was investigated. The activated carbon has been developed from date palm seeds by dehydrating methods using concentrated sulfuric acid. Batch tests were performed to characterize the equilibrium sorption properties of new activated carbon in copper-containing aqueous solutions, while the sandy soil (aquifer) was assumed to be inert. Under the studied conditions, the Langmuir isotherm model gives a better fit for the sorption data of copper by activated carbon than other models. At a pilot scale, One-dimensional column experiments were performed, and an integrated model based on the solution of an advection-reaction-dispersion mass balance equation, using COMSOL Multiphysics 3.5a software which is based on finite element method, was developed to study the space and time concentration of copper within groundwater. Experimental and numerical results proved that the PRB represents a potential role in the restriction of the copper plume migration. Also, these results showed that the greater thickness of PRB results in a better treatment of copper and that the barrier starts to saturate with contaminant as a function of the travel time. However, a good agreement between the predicted (theoretical) and experimental results with RMSE not exceeded the 0.08 proved these methods are effective and efficient tools in description of copper transport phenomena adopted here.
Solid-state fermentation (SSF) is an advanced bioprocess technique with several advantages; however, various challenges including nutrient heterogeneity and limited mass transfer. To address these limitations, this study investigated the use of konjac sponge as an inert carrier for Bacillus subtilis in an adsorbed-carrier SSF (ACSSF) system employing loquat seed hydrolysate, and examined the effects of substrate composition, moisture content, and inoculum size, which were subsequently optimized. The results demonstrate that the adsorbed carrier system enables better contact between the microorganism and the substrate, leading to boosted mass transfer and hence Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) production. Under the optimized conditions (pH
... Show MoreThis work introduces a newly synthesized triazole derivative, 5-([(2-furanyl)methyl]-thiomethyl)-4-(naphtha-2-yl)-3-hydroxyl-4H-1,2,4-triazole (FTNT), as an effective corrosion inhibitor for carbon steel A106 G/B in 0.1 M HCl solution. The structure of the novel derivative was confirmed by FTIR, 1 H NMR, and 13 C NMR spectra. Potentiodynamic polarization measurements reveal that FTNT markedly suppresses corrosion, with inhibition efficiency reaching 81.6% at 600 ppm. Thermodynamic analysis indicates spontaneous, physisorption/chemisorption-augmented adsorption of FTNT on the steel surface, best described by the Freundlich isotherm. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) surface examination demonstrated that a protective FTNT coating precipitated on
... Show MoreThis paper examines the impact of flexural strengthening on the percentage of damaged strands in internally unbonded tendons in partially prestressed concrete beams (0, 14.28%, and 28.57%) and the recovering conditions using CFRP composite longitudinal laminates at the soffit, and end anchorage U-wrap sheets to restore the original flexural capacity and mitigate the delamination of the soffit of longitudinal Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) laminates. The composition of the laminates and anchors affected the stress of the CFRP, the failure mode, and thus the behavior of the beam. The experimental results revealed that the usage of CFRP laminates has a considerable impact on strand strain, particularly when anchors are employed
... Show MoreExcessive intake of fluoride, mainly through drinking water is a serious health hazard affecting humans worldwide. In this study, the defluoridation capacities of locally available raw waste beef bones have been estimated. Several experimental parameters including contact time, pH, bone dose, fluoride initial concentration, bone grains size, agitation rate, and the effect of co-existence of anions in actual samples of wastewater were studied for fluoride removal from aqueous solutions. Results indicated excellent fluoride removal effeciency up to 99.7% at fluoride initial concentration of 10 mg F/L and 120 min contact time. Maximum fluoride uptake was obtained at neutral pH range 6-7. Fluoride removal kinetic was well described by the ps
... Show MoreA comparative study was done on the adsorption of methyl orange dye (MO) using non-activated and activated corn leaves with hydrochloric acid as an adsorbent material. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were utilized to specify the properties of adsorbent material. The effect of several variables (pH, initial dye concentration, temperature, amount of adsorbent and contact time) on the removal efficiency was studied and the results indicated that the adsorption efficiency increases with the increase in the concentration of dye, adsorbent dosage and contact time, while inversely proportional to the increase in pH and temperature for both the treated and untreated corn leav
... Show MoreA comparative study was done on the adsorption of methyl orange dye (MO) using non-activated and activated corn leaves with hydrochloric acid as an adsorbent material. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were utilized to specify the properties of adsorbent material. The effect of several variables (pH, initial dye concentration, temperature, amount of adsorbent and contact time) on the removal efficiency was studied and the results indicated that the adsorption efficiency increases with the increase in the concentration of dye, adsorbent dosage and contact time, while inversely proportional to the increase in pH and temperature for both the treated and untreated corn leaves. The equi
... Show MoreThe presence of heavy metals in the environment is major concern due to their toxicity. In the present study a strong acid cation exchange resin, Amberlite IR 120 was used for the removal of lead, zinc and copper from simulated wastewater. The optimum conditions were determined in a batch system of concentration 100 mg/L, pH range between 1 and 8, contact time between 5 and 120 minutes, and amount of adsorbent was from 0.05 to 0.45 g/100 ml. A constant stirring speed, 180 rpm, was chosen during all of the experiments. The optimum conditions were found to be pH of 4 for copper and lead and pH 6 for zinc, contact time of 60 min and 0.35 g of adsorbent. Three different temperatures (25, 40 and 60°C) were selected to investigate the effect
... Show MoreCopper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles were synthesized through the thermal decomposition of a copper(II) Schiff-base complex. The complex was formed by reacting cupric acetate with a Schiff base in a 2:1 metal-to-ligand ratio. The Schiff base itself was synthesized via the condensation of benzidine and 2-hydroxybenzaldehyde in the presence of glacial acetic acid. This newly synthesized symmetric Schiff base served as the ligand for the Cu(II) metal ion complex. The ligand and its complex were characterized using several spectroscopic methods, including FTIR, UV-vis, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, CHNS, and AAS, along with TGA, molar conductivity and magnetic susceptibility measurements. The CuO nanoparticles were produced by thermally decomposing the
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