Biodiesel can be prepared from various types of vegetable oils or animal fats with the aid of a catalyst.
Calcium oxide (CaO) is one of the prospective heterogeneous catalysts for biodiesel synthesis. Modification
of CaO by impregnation on silica (SiO2) can improve the performance of CaO as catalyst. Egg shells and rice
husks as biomass waste can be used as raw materials for the preparation of the silica modified CaO catalyst.
The present study was directed to synthesize and characterize CaO impregnated SiO2 catalyst from biomass
waste and apply it as catalyst in biodiesel synthesis. The catalyst was synthesized by wet impregnation
method and characterized by x-ray diffraction, x-ray fluorescence, nitrogen adsorption-desorption, and
basicity density. The activity of the catalyst in biodiesel synthesis was assayed at different molar ratios of
palm oil to methanol ranging from 1:6, 1:9, 1:12 and 1:15. The biodiesel composition was determined by gas
chromatography-mass spectroscopy and the properties of the biodiesel were also characterized. The results
showed that the CaO impregnated SiO2 catalyst was successfully synthesized based on confirmation by XRD
and XRF. The catalyst has a surface area, average pore diameter, total pore volume, and basicity density of
19.38 m2
/g, 3.22 nm, 0.0122 cm3
/g, and 3.4 mmol/g, respectively. The catalyst activity assay indicates that
the molar ratio of palm oil to methanol of 1:12 is the optimum condition for biodiesel synthesis. At this
molar ratio, 81.4% biodiesel yield was achieved, and it met the quality standards according to ASTM D
6751.
New series of 2-mecapto benzoxazole derivatives (1-20) incorporated into fused to different nitrogen and suphur containing heterocyclic were prepared from 2-meracpto benzoxazole, when treated with hydrazine hydrate to afford 2-hydrazino benzoxazol (1). Compound (1) converted to a variety of pyridazinone andphthalazinone derivatives (2-4) by reaction with different carboxylic anhydride. Also, reaction of (1) with phenyl isothiocyanate and ethyl chloro acetate afforded 3-phenyl-1,3-thiazolidin-2,4-dione-2-(benzoxazole-2-yl-hydrazone) (6). Azomethines (7-10) were prepared through reaction of (1) with aromatic aldehyde, then (7, 8) converted to thaizolidinone derivatives (11, 12). Treatment of (1) with active methylene compounds afforded deriva
... Show MoreConcentrations of heavy metals (Copper Cu, Iron Fe, Manganese Mn, Cadmium Cd, and Lead Pb) have been studied in river crab Sesarma boulengeri (Outer part of the shield and interior tissues) which caught from two stations in Shatt Al – Arab river (Salhia and Aldeir areas). Elements concentrations were measured by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer, concentration of heavy metals in the internal tissues was higher than in the outer shield in both of the stations with the highest value of the elements was to iron 95.21 mg\ kg during the spring as well as copper was 55 mg\kg and manganese was 39.09 mg\kg. The study showed the presence of seasonal changes in the studied heavy metals concentrations values in the tissues of river crab;
... Show MoreUsing an environmentally friendly chemical process, a novel nanocomposite consisting of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and silver(I) oxide (Ag2O) nanoparticles was successfully synthesized in this work, and its optical properties along with photoelectric performance were investigated. Ag2O is a narrow-bandgap p-type semiconductor with strong visible light response but exhibits poor carrier separation and structural instability during exposure to radiation. In order to overcome shortcomings encountered with Ag2O, rGO was used as a conductive support to produce rGO@Ag2O nanocomposites with improved electronic interactions. Various characterization tests, including energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS), field emission scanning electron mic
... Show MoreAdsorption studies were carried out to test the ability of the Iraqi rice bran (Amber type) to adsorb some metals divalent cations (Cd2+, Co2+, Cu2+, Fe2+, Ni2+, Pb2+, and Zn2+) as an alternative tool to remove these pollutants from water. The Concentrations of these ions in water were measured using flame and flamless atomic absorption spectrophotometry techniques. The applicability of the adsorption isotherm on Langmuir or Freundlisch equation were tested and found to be dependent on the type of ions. The results showed different adsorptive behavior and different capacities of the adsorption of the ions on the surface of the bran. The correlation between the amounts adsorbed and different cation parameters including (electronegativity, io
... Show MoreCopper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) were synthesized by two methods. The first was chemical method by using copper nitrate Cu (NO3)2 and NaOH, while the second was green method by using Eucalyptus camaldulensis leaves extract and Cu (NO3)2. These methods easily give a large scale production of CuO nanoparticles. X-ray diffraction pattern (XRD) reveals single phase monoclinic structure. The average crystalline size of CuO NPs was measured and used by Scherrer equation which found 44.06nm from chemical method, while the average crystalline size was found from green method was 27.2nm. The morphology analysis using atomic force microscopy showed that the grain size for CuO NPs was synthesized by chemical and green methods were 77.70 and 89.24
... Show MoreThe main aim of the current research is to focus the light on some bacterial contamination on cracked eggshell and egg content plus studying the sensitivity of these bacterial isolates to antibiotics. For this purpose, a total of 50 eggs were collected from the markets in Baghdad city (Iraq) and examined for bacterial isolation from cracked eggshells and from the egg contents. The bacterial isolates were cultured and purified then transferred to a specific media to study its sensitivity against antibiotics. The results revealed that bacteria isolated from both cracked eggshells (46%) and egg contents (44%). The bacteria isolated include E. coli, Staphylococcus, Enterococcus faecalis, Enterobacter and Pseudomonas. The results of antibiotic s
... Show MoreRandom laser gain media is synthesized with different types of dye at the same concentration (1×10-3 M) as an active material and silicon dioxide NPs (silica SiO2) as scatter centers through the Sol-Gel technique. The prepared samples are tested with UV–Vis spectroscopy, Fluorescence Spectroscopy, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), and Energy Dispersive X-ray Diffraction (EDX). The end result demonstrates that doped dyes with silica nanoparticles at a concentration of 0.0016 mol/ml have lower absorbance and higher fluorescence spectra than pure dyes. FESEM scans revealed that the morphology of nanocrystalline silica is clusters of nano-sized spherical particles in the range (25-67) nm. It is con
... Show MoreFifty-Four paddy samples, 45 soil samples, and nine irrigation water samples of some paddy fields at Alfurat Alawsat Area, Iraq were collected to investigate the microbial quality including total count bacteria (TCB), molds and yeast, total coliform (TC), and E. coli bacteria. Paddy samples were processed at the laboratory level to produce rice at 32 and 36 whiteness, and the microbial quality of the produced rice was conducted too. The results showed that all irrigation water samples were overpassed the FDA limit for E. coli. All paddy samples were exceeded the good limit of TCB, but no sample exceeded the acceptable limit. Most paddy samples were exceeded the FDA limit for molds and yeast, and few paddy samples exc
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