1. Optimising Consistency of Voltage Output Using 3D Printed MFC

   Koh Jing Xuan, Ng Seow Teng, Mosammat Nazmun Nahar, GOH Yinglun Allan

   Abstract: A microbial fuel cell (MFC) exhibiting a higher peak voltage and more consistent voltage output has been cheaply constructed using 3D printing. MFCs are renewable sources of energy. Although they have a high voltage output, it is inconsistent. The orientation of the cell and interaction between electrodes and solution prevent high energy output from Bennetto’s cell (Kim, Chang, & Gadd, 2007) and the aim of this research is therefore to optimise the consistency of voltage output from MFCs by changing its size and orientation. MFCs with different dimensions allowing more interaction between the electrodes and solutions have been designed. The volume of solution the MFC can hold was increased and the cell was placed both horizontally and vertically to check whether reduced density differences within the solutions will affect its voltage output. The redesigned cells were 3D printed and the voltage for both redesigned and Bennetto’s cells were recorded by data loggers. Runs were conducted to compare voltage output of an original Bennetto cell and a printed Bennetto cell, a printed cell with same volume but different dimensions and a printed cell with maximised volume. The runs show that the voltage of the maximised cell indeed exceeded the Bennetto cell by 5.35%.

   Keywords: microbial fuel cell, 3D printing, renewable energy.

   Pages: 303 – 312 | Full PDF Paper

2. Removal of Uranium from Acidic Solution Using Activated Carbon Impregnated with Tri Butyl Phosphate

   Hassanien Gomaa Abdien Gomaa (H. Gomaa), Mohamed Farid Mohamed Cheira (M. Farid), Mohamed Abd-Elmottaleb Abd-Elraheem (M. A. Abd-Elraheem), Tarek Ahmed Saef El-Naser (T. A. Seaf El-Naser), Ibrahim Hashem Zidan (I. H. Zidan)

   Abstract: In this work, the recovery of uranium from phosphate ore (El Sibaiya area, Egypt) requires applying some hydrometallurgical processes, leaching and extraction. To study the leaching of uranium ions from its ores, the ore material was first crushed and grinded to the liberation size (200 mesh ≡ 0.075 mm), amenable for U dissolution. The acid leaching process depends largely on a number of factors; these factors include acid type and its concentration, oxidizing agent concentration, leaching time, temperature, and solid/liquid ratio (S/L). These parameters have been investigated and optimized conditions was determined (1g of phosphate ore contact with 4ml of H₂SO₄ (200g/l) and H₂O₂ (5%) for 90min. at 70^◦C. The adsorption of uranium(VI) from acidic leach liquor onto activated carbon (AC) and impregnated AC by tributyl phosphate (TBP) have been studied using a batch adsorber. The parameters that affect the uranium(VI) adsorption, such as contact time, solution pH, initial uranium(VI) concentration, concentration of TBP, amount of AC and modified AC, and temperature, have been investigated and optimized conditions was determined (0.03g of AC, modified AC contact with 50 ml of leach liquor for 45min. at pH 4 and at room temperature). The maximum loading of uranium ions on AC and TBP/AC are 24.3 mg/g (243 mg/l), and 58.2 mg/g (582 mg/l), respectively. And it was analyzed by the Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and the Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Both the kinetic and the sorption isotherm modeling have been applied upon the obtained data. Thus, it was found that the uranium sorption obeys a pseudo-second order reaction while the Freundlich sorption isotherm model is most suitable to describe the studied sorption reaction.

   Keywords: Standard uranium solution, El Sibaiya phosphate ore, Activated carbon (AC) and Tri butyl phosphate (TBP).

   Pages: 313 – 340 | Full PDF Paper

3. Thermal Destruction of Metal-Containing Nanocomposites Based on Isotactic Polypropylene

   N. I. Kurbanova, N.A. Alimirzoeva, A. M. Kuliev, T. I. Medintseva, O. P. Kuznetsova, E. V. Prut

   Abstract: Created new thermoplastic elastomers based on isotactic polypropylene and ternary ethylene-propylene-diene elastomer using a metal-containing nanofillers. Studied the influence of nanofillers containing nanoparticles of different metals oxides on the physico-mechanical and thermal properties, as well as the structure of the uncured and dynamically vulcanized blendsusing differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), differential thermal analysis (DTA) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Shown the emergence in the polymer containing metal nanoparticles, a fine spherulitic structure, promoting the improvement of properties of obtained nanocomposites.

   Keywords: Thermoplastic elastomers, isotactic polypropylene, triple ethylene-propylene-diene elastomer, the metal-containing nanofillers, DTA – DSC analysis.

   Pages: 341 – 358 | Full PDF Paper