Optimization procedures using a variety of input parameters have gotten a lot of attention, but using three non-edible seed oils of Jatropha (Jatropha curcas), Sesame (Sesamum indicum), and Sweet Almond (Prunusamygdalus dulcis) has a few advantages, including availability and non-food competitiveness. Optimizing a two-stage trans-esterification process using a sodium hydroxide-based catalyst at a fixed catalyst (1.0wt %) and temperature (60 oC) while varying molar ratio (1:3, 1:6, 1:12), time (20–60 min), and mixing speed (500–1000 rpm), to produce optimal responses of yields were studied using response surface methodology (RSM). The optimization solution of molar ratio (1:3), time (40.9 min.), and speed (500 rpm) resulted in an 86.9 % for refined jatropha biodiesel (RJB), the optimization for refined sesame biodiesel (RJB) with molar ratio (1:6), time (41.7 min.), and speed (619 rpm) resulted in an 88.5 %, and the optimization for refined sweet almond biodiesel (RSAB) with the molar ratio (1:3), time (49.359 min.), and speed (500 rpm) resulted in an 88.7 % at the conditions. RJO, RJB, and RSAB had predicted biodiesel yields of 86.9 %, 88.5 %, and 88.7 %, with less than 0.2 % variation, respectively. The characteristics of biodiesel were studied, and the results were determined to meet both ASTM D6751 and EN14214 criteria. The effects of molar ratio, and time on biodiesel yield from their respective oils were important parameters that greatly influenced the yields, but speed only changed the yields marginally. This work has addressed important difficulties influencing mass production of biodiesel such as the utilization of low-cost feedstock such as non-edible vegetable oils, boosting production efficiency through variable optimization of process parameters, and lowering catalyst dosages through catalyst regeneration.
This work deals with thermal cracking of three samples of extract lubricating oil produced as a by-product from furfural extraction process of lubricating oil base stock in AL-Dura refinery. The thermal cracking processes were carried out at a temperature range of 325-400 ºC and atmospheric pressure by batch laboratory reactor. The distillation of cracking liquid products was achieved by general ASTM distillation (ASTM D -86) for separation of gasoline fraction up to 220 ºC from light cycle oil fraction above 220 ºC. The comparison between the conversions at different operating conditions of thermal cracking processes indicates that a high conversion was obtained at 375°C, according to gasoline production. According to gasoline produ
... Show MoreDecolorization of red azo dye (Cibacron Red FN-R) from synthetic wastewater has been investigated as a function of solar advanced oxidation process. The photocatalytic activity using ZnO as a photocatalysis has been estimated. Different parameters affected the removal efficiency, including pH of the solution, initial dye concentration and H2O2 concentration were evaluated to find out the optimum value of these parameters. The results proved that the optimal pH value was 8 and the most efficient H2O2 concentration was 100mg/L. Toxicity reduction percent for effluent solution was also monitored to assess the degradation process. This treatment method was able to strongly reduce the color and toxicity of reactive red dye-238 to about (99 an
... Show MoreWastewater treatment plants operators prefer to make adjustments because they are more cost effective, to use the existing tank instead of building new ones. In this case an imported materials would be used as bio-loads to increase biomass and thus maintain efficiency as the next organic loading increases.In the present study, a local substance "pumice stone" was used as a biological carrier in the aeration tank, and the experiments were carried out in five stages: without biological carriers, filling ratio of 4%,10%,20%, and25% with pumice stone, the maximum organic loading at each stage (1.1884, 1.2144, 1.9432, 2.7768, 3.3141)g BOD /l.d respectively.Other experiments were carried out to determine the best filling ratio, the SS remova
... Show MoreAbstract:
Due to the importance of technology and the accompanying changes of the environment affecting companies that use the technology mainly in their work, especially as most companies live in an unstable dynamic environment, which motivated the researchers to choose the International Company for smart card (Keycard) as a field of research and find ways to them to face Those changes.
The problem of the study was "limited attention to the components of technological change", which included research and development, innovation and information technology, which had an impact on the design decisions of the process (process selection, cust
... Show MoreFor over a decade, educational technology has been used sparingly in our schools and universities. Online training courses have been used since 2003 to fill the gaps in our learning system and to add extra program besides classroom learning. This paper aims to investigate the Iraqi EFL instructors’ participating in online training courses and its influence on the process of teaching and learning.
The sample of present study consists of 30 instructors from University of Baghdad. The questionnaire of sixteen items was constructed. After ensuring validity and reliability of questionnaire, it was applied on March 2013 and the result shows that most of instructors improve their teaching methods b
... Show MoreThe interest in green energy in recent years is very noticeable, as this energy is a very important alternative that can replace fuel in many applications, most notably electric power generation, so work must be done to develop a form of this energy such as wind energy by working on the development of turbines. The DMST method provided by Qblade software is an integrated tool for making a simulation of a vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT). The simulation was carried out on vertical axis wind turbines, designing turbine blades according to symmetrical NACA0018, and calculating some parameters such as power, torque and power coefficient. It is found that this type of turbine can be improved by treating the blade edges that cont
... Show MoreMixed phase rutile/anatase of TiO2 was prepared and studied by a closed field DC magnetron sputtering configuration (CFDCMS). It was found that the contents of rutile increased from the ratio of 38% to 53% as the deposition time increased from 3.5 hours to 4.5 hours.
The photocatalytic activity of the mixed phase rutile/anatase TiO2 was measured by monitoring the degradation of the blue methylene dye in an aqueous solution, under exposure to UV-radiation, using UV-vis absorption spectroscopy. It was proven that the photocatalytic activity in the mixed phase (TiO2) is a function of rutile content reaching a maximum value at 53% rutile. Thus, the effect of synergy between anatase- TiO2 and rutile- TiO2 was observed. It was observed that
In this study, successive electrocoagulation (EC) and electro-oxidation (EO) processes were used to minimize some of the major pollutants in real wastewater, such as organics (detected by chemical oxygen demand (COD)), and turbidity. The wastewater utilized in the present study was collected from the Midland Refinery Company in Baghdad-Iraq. The performance of the successive batch EC-EO processes was studied by utilizing Graphite and Aluminum (Al) as monopolar anode electrodes and stainless steel (st.st.) as the cathode. The Taguchi experimental design approach was used to attain the best experimental conditions for COD reduction as a major response. Starting from chemical oxygen demand COD of (600 ppm), the effects of current density (C
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