Search

This study reported polyaniline (PANi), an emerging multifunctional nanomaterial, for fabricating the polyphenylsulfone (PPSF)–PANi nanocomposite membrane for nanofiltration (NF) to remove heavy metals (Cd2+/Pb2+) from wastewater. PANi was synthesized via oxidative polymerization of an aniline monomer at a low concentration (≤0.1 M). Furthermore, the nanostructure of PANi was determined using transmission electron microscopy. The membrane structure and characteristic properties were studied in terms of surface and cross-section morphologies, topography, hydrophilicity, and surface charge using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), contact angle (CA) measurement, and zeta potential measurement, respectively. Thermal and mechanical properties and casting solution viscosity were also studied. The SEM results demonstrated that PANi inclusion helped to construct a typical asymmetric membrane with a pore size of ∼1 nm. Additionally, it enhanced the surface properties, which was indicated by a more considerable hydrophilicity (CA ≤ 52) and a shift in the zeta potential from −40 to −10 mV. Increasing the PANi concentration from 0.25 to 0.50 wt% aided the heavy metal rejection by the nanocomposite membrane, affording an increase of the Cd2+/Pb2+ rejection. However, the Cd2+/Pb2+ rejection decreased when the PANi concentration was 1.0 wt%. The optimized PPSF–PANi nanocomposite membrane at 0.50-wt% PANi exhibited a water permeability of 1.8 LMH/bar and high rejections of 99% and 95% toward Pb2+ and Cd2+, respectively. Tensile strength and TGA tests also revealed the role of PANi as a positive reinforcement on the mechanical and thermal properties of the membrane.

Drinking water defluoridation has attracted significant attention in the scientific community, from which membrane technology, by exploring thin film nanocomposite (TFN) membranes, has demonstrated a great potential for treating fluoride-contaminated water. This study investigates the development of a TFN membrane by integrating titanium oxide nanosheets (TiO2 NSs) into the polyamide (PA) layer using interfacial polymerization. The characterization results suggest that successfully incorporating TiO2 NSs into the PA layer of the TFN membrane led to a surface with a high negative charge, hydrophilic properties, and a smooth surface at the nanoscale. The TFN membrane, containing 80 ppm of TiO2 NSs, demonstrated a notably high fluoride rejection rate of 98%. The Donnan-steric-pore-model-dielectric-exclusion model was employed to analyze the effect of embedding TiO2 NSs into the PA layer of TFN on membrane properties, including charge density (Xd), the pore radius (rp), and pore dielectric constant (εp). The results indicated that embedding TiO2 NSs increased Xd and decreased the εp by less than the TFC membrane without significantly affecting the rp. The resulting TFN membrane demonstrates promising potential for application in water treatment systems, providing an effective and sustainable solution for fluoride remediation in drinking water.

The continuous improvements in the information system technology have made ERP one the widely used software in the organizations today. Higher Education Institutions are not very different from other business organizations. Tremendous amount of data is constantly generated in educational institutes which needs to be efficiently organized. For the same reason ERP is now making its way in education institutes to manage all types of data and help students, teaching staff and non-teaching staff in their daily activities. However, the satisfaction level of ERP users in educational institutes was unclear and needed thorough study. The main thought off motto of this research is to quantitively analyse the major consequences of ERP implementation on the level of contentment of people concerned with Higher Educational Institutions. Various independent variables are identified and their relationship with user satisfaction is statistically analysed using multiple regression analysis on the primary data that is collected from ERP users with the help of structured questionnaires. It was found that User Interface and Responsiveness of the ERP software had critical role to play with user contentment and performance. Furthermore, Completeness, Timeliness and Usefulness of the information provided on the ERP platform have significant relationship with the User Satisfaction of Higher Education Institutions. These findings can be utilized by ERP vendors during ERP suite development and implementation process in a Higher Education Institution.

In this work, the effect of embedding graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets into the polyamide (PA) layer of thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) membrane properties, including the pore radius (rp), pore dielectric constant (εp), and charge density (Xd), was studied by applying Donnan-steric-pore-model-dielectric-exclusion (DSPM-DE) model. A TFN membrane was fabricated via interfacial polymerization by dispersing GO in an aqueous m-phenylenediamine solution. Characterizations using atomic force microscopy, zeta potential and contact angle of fabricated TFN membrane showed a smooth surface, a high negative surface charge and hydrophilic nature. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared analyses confirmed the incorporation of GO in the PA layer of the TFN membrane. The Supply–Demand-Based Optimisation (SDO) algorithm was applied as an appropriate technique to fit experimental values of NaCl rejection with the DSPM-DE model to predict membrane properties. The SDO algorithm showed an excellent agreement between experimental data and the DSPM-DE model and the ability to predict accurate values of TFN membrane characteristics. The obtained results indicate no significant effect of GO nanosheets on the pore radius of the PA layer. The Xd of membranes increased toward negative with NaCl concentration due to adsorbing chloride ions onto the membrane surfaces. The Xd increase in TFN membrane was more because of GO presence; thereby TFN membrane performance improved. The εp value of the solution inside pores for the TFC membrane decreased more than the TFN membrane.

This study introduces a promising and practical method for the removal of paracetamol from aqueous environments, employing graphene oxide–polymer nanocomposite beads. The approach involves the utilization of a straightforward and facile phase inversion method, offering a convenient and efficient one-step process for the creation of adsorbent beads by integrating polymers and graphene oxide (GO). The synthesized nanocomposite beads are tailored for the removal of paracetamol from simulated wastewater in batch systems. Extensive characterization techniques including XPS, FTIR, SEM, TGA, and zeta potential analysis are employed to scrutinize the chemical properties and structural attributes of the prepared beads. The investigation explores the impact of critical parameters such as adsorbent dosage, adsorption duration, initial paracetamol concentration, and solution pH on the adsorption process. These nanocomposite beads exhibit an exceptional paracetamol removal efficiency, achieving up to 99% removal. This research not only contributes to the advancement of efficient and sustainable adsorbent materials for pollutant removal but also underscores their potential for environmentally friendly and cost-effective solutions in the domain of wastewater treatment.

This study focuses on the synthesis and characterization of dual-layer sulfonated polyphenylenesulfone (SPPSu) nanocomposite hollow fiber nanofiltration membranes incorporating titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles through the phase inversion technique. Advanced tools and methods were employed to systematically evaluate the properties and performance of the newly developed membranes. The investigation primarily centered on the impact of TiO2 addition in the SPPSu inner layer on pure water permeability and salt rejection. The nanocomposite membranes exhibited a remarkable three-fold increase in pure water permeability, achieving a flux of 5.4 L/m2h.bar compared to pristine membranes. The addition of TiO2 also enhanced the mechanical properties, with an expected tensile strength increase from 2.4 to 3.9 MPa. An evaluation of salt rejection performance using a laboratory-scale filtration setup revealed a maximal rejection of 95% for Mg2SO4, indicating the effective separation capabilities of the modified dual-layer hollow fiber nanocomposite membranes for divalent ions. The successful synthesis and characterization of these membranes highlight their potential for nanofiltration processes, specifically in selectively separating divalent ions from aqueous solutions, owing to their improved pure water flux, mechanical strength, and salt rejection performance.

Polyphenylsulfone (PPSU) membranes are of fundamental importance for many applications such as water treatment, gas separation, energy, electronics, and biomedicine, due to their low cost, controlled crystallinity, chemical, thermal, and mechanical stability. Numerous research studies have shown that modifying surface properties of PPSU membranes influences their stability and functionality. Therefore, the modification of the PPSU membrane surface is a pressing issue for both research and industrial communities. In this review, various surface modification methods and processes along with their mechanisms and performance are considered starting from 2002. There are three main approaches to the modification of PPSU membranes. The first one is bulk modifications, and it includes functional groups inclusion via sulfonation, amination, and chloromethylation. The second is blending with polymer (for instance, blending nanomaterials and biopolymers). Finally, the third one deals with physical and chemical surface modifications. Obviously, each method has its own limitations and advantages that are outlined below. Generally speaking, modified PPSU membranes demonstrate improved physical and chemical properties and enhanced performance. The advancements in PPSU modification have opened the door for the advance of membrane technology and multiple prospective applications.

Coal fly ash is found to be one of the key pollutants worldwide due to its toxic heavy metal content. However, due to advancements in technology, coal fly ash has gained importance in various emerging fields. They are rich sources of carbonaceous particles which remain unburnt during burning of various coals in thermal power plants (TPPs). Various carbonaceous nanoparticles in the form of fullerenes, soot, and carbon nanotubes could be recovered from coal fly ash by applying trending techniques. Moreover, coal fly ash is comprised of rich sources of organic carbons such as polycyclic and polyaromatic hydrocarbons that are used in various industries for the development of carbon-derived value-added materials and nanocomposites. Here, we focus on all the types of carbon nanominerals from coal fly ash with the latest techniques applied. Moreover, we also emphasize the recovery of organic carbons in polyaromatic (PAHs) and polycyclic hydrocarbons (PCHs) from coal fly ash (CFA). Finally, we try to elucidate the latest applications of such carbon particle in the industry.

We fabricated a nanofiltration membrane consisting of a polyaniline (PANI) film on a polyphenylsulfone (PPSU) substrate membrane. The PANI film acted as a potent separation enhancer and antimicrobial coating. The membrane was analyzed via scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy to examine its morphology, topography, contact angle, and zeta potential. We aimed to investigate the impact of the PANI film on the surface properties of the membrane. Membrane performance was then evaluated in terms of water permeation and rejection of methylene blue (MB), an organic dye. Coating the PPSU membrane with a PANI film imparted significant advantages, including finely tuned nanometer-scale membrane pores and tailored surface properties, including increased hydrophilicity and zeta potential. The PANI film also significantly enhanced separation of the MB dye. The PANI-coated membrane rejected over 90% of MB with little compromise in membrane permeability. The PANI film also enhanced the antimicrobial activity of the membrane. The bacteriostasis (BR) values of PANI-coated PPSU membranes after six and sixteen hours of incubation with Escherichia coli were 63.5% and 95.2%, respectively. The BR values of PANI-coated PPSU membranes after six and sixteen hours of incubation with Staphylococcus aureus were 70.6% and 88.0%, respectively.

A frequency lock loop (FLL) based steady state linear Kalman filter (SSLKF) for unified power quality conditioner (UPQC) control in three-phase systems is introduced. The SSLKF provides a highly accurate and fast estimation of grid frequency and the fundamental components (FCs) of the input signals. The Kalman filter is designed using an optimized filtering technique and intrinsic adaptive bandwidth architecture, and is easily integrated into a multiple model system. Therefore, the Kalman state estimator is fast and simple. The fundamental positive sequence components (FPSCs) of the grid voltages in a UPQC system are estimated via these SSLKF-FLL based filters. The estimation of reference signals for a UPQC controller is based on these FPSCs. Therefore, both active filters of a UPQC can perform one and more functions towards improving power quality in a distribution network. In addition to the SSLKF-FLL based algorithm, a bat optimization algorithm (based on the echolocation phenomenon of bats) is implemented to estimate the value of the proportional integral (PI) controller gains. The bat algorithm has a tendency to automatically zoom into a region where a promising alternative solution occurs, preventing the solution from becoming trapped in a local minima. The complete three-phase UPQC is simulated in the Matlab/Simulink platform and the hardware is tested under various power quality problems.

The development of electrode materials plays a vital role in energy storage applications to save and store energy. In the present work, the synthesis of nanorod shaped Mn3O4 supported with amorphous carbon (Mn3O4/AC) is reported by the microwave method for supercapacitor application. The as-prepared electrode material was then characterized using microscopic and spectroscopic techniques. The electrochemical supercapacitor performance of Mn3O4/AC was examined by the cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge–discharge method inside the three-electrode assembly cell. The results showed that the Mn3O4/AC delivers the excellent capacitance value of the 569.5 Fg−1 at the current load of 1 Ag−1, higher than the previously reported Mn3O4 based electrodes. The better performance of the Mn3O4/AC is credited to the excellent redox behaviour of the Mn3O4 and the presence of the amorphous carbon, which facilitated the fast ion interaction between the electrode and electrolyte during the electrochemical reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]