PPSU hollow fiber nanofiltration membranes are prepared by applying two concentrations and various extrusion pressures according to the phase inversion method. Cross-sectional area and outer structures were characterized by using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). In additional to the pore size distribution, either the mean roughness or the mean pore size of the PPSU hollow fiber surfaces was evaluated by AFM. It was found that the morphology of the PPSU fibers had both sponge-like and finger-like structures through different extrusion pressures and PPSU concentrations. The mean pore size and mean roughness for inner and outer surfaces were seen to be decreased with the increase of extrusion pressure at two different PPSU concentrations. Moreover, the lead ion rejection was significantly improved from 19 to 78 % with increasing the extrusion pressure from 2.5 to 3 bar at 25 wt.% PPSU concentration.
Reinforced concrete (RC) beams containing a longitudinal cavity have become an innovative development and advantage for economic purposes of light-weight members without largely affecting their resistance against the applied loads. This type of openings can also be used for maintenance purposes and usage space of communication lines, pipelines, etc. RC beams are primarily loaded in the plane of the members, which are two-dimensional in a plane stress state and the dominant structural behaviours include bending, shear, or combination of both. In the present study, six numerical models of RC beams with and without openings were simulated by using commercial finite element software ANSYS to evaluate the structural behaviours of those b
... Show MoreNon-prismatic reinforced concrete (RC) beams are widely used for various practical purposes, including enhancing architectural aesthetics and increasing the overall thickness in the support area above the column, which gives high assurance to services that this will not result in the distortion of construction features and can reduce heights. The hollow sections (recess) can also be used for the maintenance of large structural sections and the safe passage of utility lines of water, gas, telecommunications, electricity, etc. They are generally used in large and complex civil engineering works like bridges. This study conducted a numerical study using the commercial finite element software ANSYS version 15 for analysing RC beams, hol
... Show MoreUnder cyclic loading, aluminum alloys exhibit less fatigue life than steel alloys of similar strength and this is considered as Achilles's heel of such alloys. A nanosecond fiber laser was used to apply high speed laser shock peening process on thin aluminum plates in order to enhance the fatigue life by introducing compressive residual stresses. The effect of three working parameters namely the pulse repetition rate (PRR), spot size (ω) and scanning speed (v) on limiting the fatigue failure was investigated. The optimum results, represented by the longer fatigue life, were at PRR of 22.5 kHz, ω of 0.04 mm and at both v's of 200 and 500 mm/sec. The research yielded significant results represented by a maximum percentage increase in the fa
... Show MoreMicrobial water disinfection with UV rays is a universal technology. Disinfection is a method used to treat drinking water. This can be accomplished using physical and/or chemical processes. Physical Methods: Heating and UV rays are two main methods - UV rays to destroy cells and kill bacteria. The physical process generally gives drinking water an instant purification without producing harmful substances. However, there is no pollution in the water to ensure continuous cleaning. This study’s primary goal is to obtain environmentally safe drinking water in situations of water shortages and homes that lack clean water. Therefore, resort to appropriate home treatment. Therefore, an ex
Gold nanoparticles AuNPs have proven to be powerful tools in various nanomedicine applications, because of their photo-optical distinctiveness and biocompatibility. Noble metal gold nanoparticles was prepared by pulsed laser ablation method (1064-Nd: YAG with various Laser power from 200 to 800 mJ and 1 Hz frequency) in distil water. The process was characterized using UV-VIS absorption spectroscopy. Morphology and average size of nanoparticles were estimated using AFM and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis which show the nature of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Antibacterial activity of gold nanoparticles as a function of particles concentration against gram negative bacterium Escherichia coli and gram positive bacterial Staphylococcus aureu
... Show MorePolyethersulfone (PES) ultrafiltration membrane blending NaX zeolite crystals as a hydrophilic additive was examined for zinc (II) and lead ions Pb (II) removal from aqueous solutions. The effect of NaX zeolite content on the permeation flux and removal efficiency was studied. The results showed that adding zeolite to the polymer matrix enhanced the permeation flux. The permeation flux of all the zeolite/PES matrix membranes was higher than the pristine membrane. No significant improvement was observed in the removal of Zn (II) ions using all prepared membranes as the removal percentage did not raise above 29.2%. However, the removal percentage of Pb (II) ions was enhanced to 97% using a membrane containing 0.9%wt. zeolite. Also, it was
... Show MoreThis work presents a novel technique for the detection of oil aging in electrical transformers using a single mode optical fiber sensor based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR). The aging of insulating oil is a critical issue in the maintenance and performance of electrical transformers, as it can lead to reduce insulation properties, increase risk of electrical breakdown, and decrease operational lifespan. Many parameters are calculated in this study in order to examine the efficiency of this sensor like sensitivity (S), signal to noise ratio (SNR), resolution (refractive index unit) and figure of merit (FOM) and the values are for figure of merit is 11.05, the signal to noise ratio is 20.3, the sensitivity is 6.63, and the resolution is 3
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In this study, optical fibers were designed and implemented as a chemical sensor based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR) to estimate the age of the oil used in electrical transformers. The study depends on the refractive indices of the oil. The sensor was created by embedding the center portion of the optical fiber in a resin block, followed by polishing, and tapering to create the optical fiber sensor. The tapering time was 50 min. The multi-mode optical fiber was coated with 60 nm thickness gold metal. The deposition length was 4 cm. The sensor's resonance wavelength was 415 nm. The primary sensor parameters were calculated, including sensitivity (6.25), signal-to-noise ratio (2.38), figure of merit (4.88), and accuracy (3.2)
... Show MoreIn this research, the preparation of a chemically activated carbon from date stones by using electric and microwave assisted K2CO3 activation was studied. The effect of radiation power, radiation time, and impregnation ratio on the yield and Iodine number on the activated carbons was investigated. The activated carbon characterizations were examined by its surface area, pore structure analysis, bulk density, moisture content, ash content, iodine number, FTIR, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The adsorption capacity was also studied by adsorption of fluoroquinolones antibiotics, CIP, NOR, and LEVO, by the prepared activated carbon.
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