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Air-conditioning systems make the most significant part of energy consumption in the residential sector. There is no denying that it is essential to produce a comfortable indoor thermal environment for residents in a building. The actual goal is to achieve thermal comfort level without putting too much cost on the ecological system by trying to conserve the amount of energy consumed. An effective way to help achieve such a goal is by incorporating thermal insulation in buildings. Thermal insulations help reduce thermal energy gained during the implementation of a desired thermal comfort level. This study aims to use an environmentally friendly nanoparticle of date pits to create thermal insulations that can be used in buildings. Different ratios of the nanoparticle of the date pits and sand composite were investigated. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used to characterize the new materials. The material with nanoparticles of date pits and 50% by-volume epoxy provided good thermal insulation with thermal conductivity of 0.26 W⁄mK that could be used in the existing buildings. This has the potential to reduce the overall energy consumption by 4,494 kWh and thereby reduce CO2 emissions of a 570 m2 house by 1.8 tons annually. In conclusion, the future of using nanoparticles of date pits in construction is bright and promising due to their promising results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, municipal solid waste bottom ash (MSW-BA) and fly ash (MSW-FA) were used as a source of aluminosilicate to prepare geopolymer (GEO) adsorbents (GEO-MSWBA and GEO-MSWFA) for the removal of methylene blue (MB) from water. The effects of temperature, pH, and initial concentration on the MB adsorption onto GEO-MSWBA and GEO-MSWFA were evaluated. The adsorption isotherms parameters and thermodynamics were also determined. Detailed physical and chemical characterizations of the prepared adsorbents were carried out to further understand their impact on MB adsorption. The results from the scanning electron microscopy revealed a uniform granule-sphere like structure on both prepared geopolymers, which would facilitate the MB adsorption onto the adsorbents. The X-ray diffraction allowed observation of the microstructural transformations that occur after the alkaline activation. The surface areas of the GEO-MSWBA and the GEO-MSWFA were recorded as 32.78 m2/g and 4.5 m2/g, respectively. From the Fourier transform infrared, a stretching vibration of the aluminosilicate tetrahedral was observed, which indicated the success of geopolymerization. The prepared geopolymers showed a high capability of MB adsorption from an aqueous solution. The adsorption process was best suited and explained using the Langmuir isotherm model with a maximum adsorption capacity of 666.7 mg/g for the GEO-MSWBA (at 25°C) and 769.2 mg/g for the GEO-MSWFA (at 35°C). The positive value of the enthalpy (ΔHo) for the GEO-MSWBA suggested the reaction favored endothermic reaction while the negative value of entropy (ΔSo) indicated a solid/liquid random interaction. On the other hand, the negative ΔHo value for the GEO-MSWFA indicated the reaction followed an exothermic reaction causing energy to be released, the positive ΔSo value indicated a good affinity at the solid-liquid surface. The overall negative value for Gibbs free energy (ΔGo) for both adsorbents suggested the adsorption was spontaneous and feasible. It was also inferred that n- π interaction, direct and indirect hydrogen bond, and electrostatic interaction between the MB and the prepared geopolymers facilitated the adsorption process. The current study shows that the GEO-MSWBA and the GEO-MSWFA have a great potential of removing MB as a cationic dye from water without performing any sort of laborious pretreatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incineration has emerged as one of the acceptable ways to treat municipal solid waste (MSW) due to its potential in reducing the mass and volume of the waste. However, it produces two major by-product residues, namely MSW-bottom ash (MSW-BA) and MSW-fly ash (MSW-FA). These residues have gained great attention to their hazardous nature and potential to be reused and recycled. In this paper, the physicochemical characterizations of the MSW-BA and the MSW-FA were performed, followed by a systematic investigation of metals extraction from MSW-BA and MSW-FA. Various extracting agents were used to investigate the possibility to extract 21 metals including cadmium (Cd), vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), and lead (Pb). It was revealed that some metals were present in a high amount in the MSW-BA while other metals were higher in the MSW-FA. Moreover, the energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy results revealed that the MSW-BA was dominated by oxygen (O) 55.4 ±0.6 wt%, silicon (Si) 22.5 ±0.3 wt%, and calcium (Ca) 18.5 ±0.2 wt%. On the other hand, the MSW-FA was enriched with Ca 45.2 ±0.5 wt%, and O 40.3 ±0.4 wt%. From the scanning electron microscopy, the MSW-BA was observed as flaky with an irregular surface that consisted of large pores, while, the MSW-FA was present as agglomerated particles and had a bimodal distribution. Moreover, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed that Al-Fe-OH, Al-Al-OH, Si-O, C-O, and C-H were some of the major functional groups present in the ashes. The F-tests concluded that the metal extraction from the MSW-BA and MSW-FA were significantly affected by the acid type. it is concluded that nitric acid and phosphoric acid were the best-suited acid for the MSW-BA while sulfuric acid and phosphoric acid for the MSW-FA. More than 11 wt% of Cd and 9 wt% of Cu were extracted from MSW-BA while 6 wt% of Pb and 4.5 wt% of V were extracted from the MSW-FA. The present methodology is an interesting development in metal extraction from the MSW-BA and the MSW-FA, which can develop in a cost-effective and sustainable option to utilize MSW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]