Reuse Waste and Save the World by Production Fiber Reinforced 'CB' made from Empty Fruit Bunch (EFB)
At present Malaysia is the largest exporter of palm oil in the international market. In the process of extraction of palm oil from oil palm fruit, biomass materials such as palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) and palm pressed fibre (PPF) are generated as waste products. Natural fibres reinforced cement-based materials have gain increasing application in residential housing components. One of the natural fibres considered is oil palm empty fruit bunches (EFB) fibres which offer advantages such as availability, renewability, low cost and the established technology to extract the fibres. This study investigates the properties of cement board incorporated with large amount of oil palm EFB fibres Among the tests conducted was compressive strength, density, water absorption and thickness swelling tests. It was found that high EFB fibres content lead to lower strength and higher absorption . The results also indicate that high EFB fibres contents reduced the self-weight of the blocks and the resulting blocks can be classified as lightweight cement blocks suitable to be used as lightweight walling materials. Our research is to study the production of cement board using Empty fruit bunch(EFB)These board were made from empty fruit bunch, cement and water. Two chemical are added is aluminium sulphate and sodium silicate. Cement : EFB mixture by weight was 2.5:1, 2.75:1 and 3.0:1 used to produces a cement board.
Antimicrobial and Heavy Metal Sequestration Capacities of Graphene Polymer Nanofilms
Membrane bioreactors (MBR) are important components in the production of effluent in wastewater treatment systems. However, MBR are susceptible to biofouling, a process by which bacteria colonize the surface of the membrane in contact with water. Graphene could be a solution to biofilm formation. In this study, the graphene polymer nanocomposite’s antimicrobial and heavy metal removal properties and the mechanisms behind the properties were investigated. Five different films of nanocomposites with a form of graphene and a polymer were synthesized: Graphene, Graphene Oxide, PVK-GO, PVK-G, PVK. A Büchner funnel and a vacuum pump were used to coat membrane filters with solutions of each nanomaterial. Using the Büchner funnel, E. coli and B. subtilis bacteria were filtered through the filter and both the filtrate and the filter were examined for bacterial content. Similarly, a Pb2+ solution was filtered through the coated filters and percentage removal of the ion was calculated using Atomic Absorbtion Spectrometry. Further analysis from SEM data, ATR-IR, and an Oxidative Stress test revealed that the PVK-GO nanocomposite inactivates bacteria by causing oxidative stress and the carboxyl group binds to lead ions. PVK-GO was most effective at removing the highest percentage of heavy metal and inactivated the most bacteria and displayed the most antimicrobial properties. PVK-GO coatings provide an efficient and economical alternative to the current wastewater industry standard and can save millions of dollars and reduce environmental waste. Also, the coatings have applications in indwelling medical devices and can reduce the risks associated with biofilm formational and bacterial infections.