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Hemicellulose in Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunches (EFB) can be hydrolyzed to xylose and then converted to furfural via dehydration. Generally, furfural production uses sulfuric acid as a solvent. However, this solvent has toxic and can cause corrosion in equipment. This study developed a furfural production process using a green solvent called deep eutectic solvent (DES). DES was synthesized by mixing choline chloride and oxalic acid with a mole ratio of 1:1. The temperature and processing time were varied at 100, 120, and 150oC, respectively, to obtain optimal furfural. The optimal furfural concentration was reached 7.72 g/l at 150oC for 30 minutes. This process can be an alternative environmentally friendly furfural production process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Certified reference materials (CRMs) provide measurements of quality and metrological traceability related to the International System of Units (SI). In this study, a candidate reference material (RM) for determination of nutrients (Ca, Cu and Zn) in milk powder has been developed and will become the first Indonesian milk CRM. Several analytical parameters for the preparation and measurement of the candidate RM have been optimized based on a microwave acid digestion and ICP-MS method. A 25 kGy60Co dosage of gamma radiation has been applied for the sterilization of the sample prior to storage at room temperature. The CRM BCR-BD151 Skimmed Milk Powder from European Reference Material (ERM) and CRM7512a Trace Elements in Milk Powder from National Metrology Institute of Japan (NMIJ) were used to validate the measurement method and to control the measurement quality. The results showed that, according to ISO/IEC Guide 35:2006, the prepared milk was found to be sufficiently homogenous as a matrix of nutrient reference materials with % inhomogeneity less than 2% for Ca, Cu, and Zn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modified cassava flour is made from fermented cassava and applied to substitute wheat flour. Mocaf wastewater was produce from the cassava soaking and fermentation process. This wastewater contains organic pollutant that must be treated before thrown into the environment. The objective of this study is to reduce COD, TSS, and TDS in Mocaf wastewater using electrocoagulation. The study was conducted on a laboratory scale using a batch reactor electrocoagulation with an aluminum electrode. The voltage of electro coagulator was varied (12, 18, and 24 Volt) with process time was 0, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, and 180 minutes. The results showed that removal of COD, TDS, and TSS in mocaf wastewater increases with an increasing electrolysis time. COD, TSS, and TDS removal could achieve 73%, 90%, and 36% respectively. Kinetic adsorption data fitted with a pseudo-second-order for COD removal. At the end of electrolysis time, the pH of wastewater towards neutral. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Imaging of latent fingerprint pattern (aka fingermark) is one of the most important and accurate detection methods in forensic investigation because of the characteristic of individual fingerprint. This detection technique relies on the mechanical adherence of fingerprint powder to the moisture and oily component of the skin left on the surface. The particle size of fingerprint powder is one of the critical parameter to obtain excellent fingerprint image. This study develops a simple, cheap and straightforward method to fabricate Nano size black dusting fingerprint powder based on Nano silica and applies the powder to visualize latent fingerprint. The nanostructured silica was prepared from tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and then modified with Nano carbon, methylene blue and sodium acetate to color the powder. Finally, as a proof-of-principle, the ability of this black Nano silica dusting powder to image latent fingerprint is successfully demonstrated and the results show that this fingerprint powder provides clearer fingerprint pattern compared to the commercial one highlighting the potential application of the nanostructured silica in forensic science. Keywords: latent fingerprint, nanostructured silica, black dusting powder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two significant parameters to evaluate the measurement results are known as precision and accuracy. Both are associated with indeterminate and determinate error, respectively, that normally happen in such spectrometric measurement method as Inductively Coupled Plasma - Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). These errors must be eliminated or suppressed to get high precision and accuracy of the method. Decreasing the errors thus increasing the precision and accuracy of the method. In this study, bracketing method using two-point standard calibration was proposed in order to suppress the indeterminate error caused by instrumental drift thus increasing the result precision, and applied for measuring cadmium in drinking water samples. Certified reference material of ERM CA011b-Hard drinking water UKmetals was used to know the determinate error or measurement bias. When bias is obtained, some corrections are needed to get the accurate measurement result. The result was compared to that by external calibration method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]