Chemical Engineering

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    Synthesis of Ag-ZnO Hybrid for photocurrent production
    (2025-02-27) Heba Zaid
    Abstract Photovoltaic solar technologies offer a promising solution to the global energy crisis and the increasing demand for clean energy sources. Studies suggest that zinc oxide (ZnO) and silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) can enhance the properties of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) due to their abilities in electron transport and light absorption. This study aims to synthesize and characterize a ZnO-Ag hybrid structure to improve photocurrent production. This study focuses on the synthesis and characterization of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs), zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs), and their hybrid structure (ZnO-Ag) for enhanced photocurrent production. Ag-NPs were synthesized using a polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and ethylene glycol system, while ZnO-NPs were prepared via a microwave-assisted method followed by calcination. The hybrid structure was formed by combining Ag-NPs with ZnO-NPs under controlled conditions. UV-Visible spectroscopy confirmed the successful synthesis, with Ag-NPs exhibiting a peak at 461 nm and ZnO-NPs showing a peak at 370 nm, reflecting their optical and semiconducting properties. The fabricated samples were tested using a potentiostat to evaluate their photocurrent performance. I-V curve analysis revealed a significant improvement in short-circuit current (Isc) and open-circuit voltage (Voc) for the hybrid structure (Isc = 3.34 A, Voc = 2.23 V) compared to single-layer samples of ZnO or ZnO-Ag. This enhancement, reaching up to 50%, is attributed to improved charge transport, plasmonic effects of silver nanoparticles, increased surface area, and reduced charge loss within the hybrid structure. These results demonstrate the superior performance of the ZnO-Ag hybrid, showcasing its potential in photovoltaic and optoelectronic applications. The findings pave the way for future research to further optimize hybrid nanostructures for energy conversion technologies.
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    Olive Solid Waste As An Alternative of Coconut Charcoal
    (2025-01-19) Noor Rehan.; Sabreen Quzmar; Ruba Arafat; Bara’a Bsharat
    Project’s Abstract: Charcoal is produced by extracting water and other volatile components from animal and plant materials without oxygen. Since ancient times, charcoal has been used for various purposes, including art, medicine, and fuel. This experimental study aims to make charcoal from solid olive waste (peat) with properties based on international standards. It also includes the steps of manufacturing the charcoal to be produced in this study, which begin with drying the raw materials and carbonizing them by pyrolysis, followed by grinding and screening, then mixing the produced powder with starch and shaping it into briquettes, followed by pressing and drying and determining the physical and chemical properties of the produced charcoal. The first step in preparing charcoal was to purify the raw material (peat) from impurities and residual oil by washing it several times with hot water. It was dried in an oven for 24 hours and then cooled to room temperature. Carbonization (pyrolysis) was carried out by placing a dried and weighed peat sample in an oven at 500 °C for 2 hours. After carbonization was completed, the samples were cooled to room temperature inside a dryer. 100 grams of charred peat was ground using an electric grinder until it turned into a fine powder, then it was mixed with 30 ml of water and different concentrations of starch (1%, 2%, and 5%) until it became a homogeneous mixture. The experimental results showed that the high percentage of starch caused an increase in the percentage of ash resulting from the charcoal produced when used, and through this study, the percentage of starch 1% was adopted as the best sample for international standards for charcoal, after relying on the standards followed in Indonesia, the United States, and Japan, and the following results were obtained: moisture content 5%, volatile matter content 9%, ash content 6%, fixed carbon 80.5%, and calorific value 6233 (kcal). In addition, it was found that increasing the drying time after preparing the charcoal briquettes (about 48 hours) increases the hardness and ignition of the charcoal. The analytical study conducted on 10 people using the produced charcoal showed that the quality was very good and similar to the coconut charcoal available in the market, in terms of smell, ignition, and ash content produced with slightly less hardness due to the use of simple pressing tools
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    Turning Waste into Wealth: Bioethanol Synthesis from Food
    (2024-12-10) Omnia Atatrah; Ruaa Al-Qasarwa
    Abstract This research explored the production of bioethanol from food waste, with a focus on dates as a sustainable feedstock. Bioethanol, a renewable energy source, presents a viable alternative to fossil fuels due to its lower greenhouse gas emissions and biodegradability. The project aimed to explore ethanol production by investigating various fermentation processes using glucose and date substrates. Dates were pretreated, and the fermentation process was monitored by measuring sugar consumption and ethanol yield through distillation. The fermentation of dates and glucose were carried out at 30 °C using instant dry commercially available baker’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). The results indicated that glucose fermentation was completed within 6 hours, while dates required slightly longer due to the complexity of their sugars. Despite the slower rate, dates produced approximately 91.3% of the ethanol yield achieved with glucose. Furthermore, increasing the substrate concentration from 100 g/L to 200 g/L significantly enhanced ethanol yield, increasing from 15.01% to 34.54%, demonstrating the impact of substrate concentration on ethanol production. pH monitoring revealed a steady acidification during fermentation, essential for efficient ethanol conversion. The study demonstrated the potential of dates as an effective feedstock for bioethanol production. Future research could focus on optimizing fermentation through the use of different yeast strains, enzymatic treatments, and scaling the process for industrial applications, contributing to the advancement of sustainable biofuel production.
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    Production and Characterization of Nanocomposites Composed of Polyvinyl Alcohol and Silver
    (2024-09-22) Abeer Bsharat; Shahed Salameh; Sondos soboh
    Abstract Nanocomposites are synthetic or naturally occurring solid materials created by combining two or more different constituent materials, each with its own important physical or chemical qualities, to form a new substance with enhanced properties. PVA/Ag nanocomposites are currently in great demand for a variety of industrial applications due to their improved thermal, optical, electrical, and antibacterial properties. In this work, Ag-NPs have been synthesized by using rapid method (microwave-assisted method), studying the effect of the microwave power on Ag-NPs properties like optical such as energy bandgap, electrical, product yield and then used to enhance the properties of PVA films such as electrical, thermal, and antibacterial properties. It was found that the power affected size, increasing power leads to an increase in size and a decrease in the energy band gap from 2.93eV to 2.55eV. As for the product yield, 22.11% of the Ag-NPs which is not significantly change d by power changes, The synthesized Ag-NPs showed a broad spectrum of antibacterial activities toward different Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria strains, The decrease in power lead to a decrease in the Ag-NPs’ size , inducing an increase in their ability to penetrate the cell membrane, improving antibacterial activity for Ag-NPs. Ag/PVA nanocomposite film caused high colony forming unit reduction from 36 to 6 with a reduction percent of 84 %for the E. coli bacteria. Different volume of Ag-NPs that were prepared at medium- low power and combined with PVA polymer to give Ag/PVA nanocomposite film. The UV-Vis absorption of Ag/PVA nanocomposite film increases with increasing Ag-NPs had with a slight effect on the band gap, resulted from the distribution of the particles within the PVA film. Also, the electrical conductivity of PVA film increases from 0.065 S/m to 0.57 S/m with increasing the amount of Ag-NPs added to the film, the degree of crystallinity of PVA film increases from 14.047% to 18.331% with increasing the wt% of Ag-NPs added to the film.
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    Design and Simulation of an Extractive Distillation Process to Dehydrate Ethanol Using Aspen Plus
    (2024-09-05) Mohammad Debes
    I Abstract This project introduces an optimized design for an extractive distillation system for the production of anhydrous ethanol using Aspen Plus software. Addressing the increasing demand for alternative energy sources, particularly bioethanol, the project focuses on overcoming the challenges of ethanol-water azeotropic mixtures through the innovative use of glycerol as an entrainer. By simulating the distillation process, the project aims to design a system that can purify ethanol from near-isotropic purity to anhydrous purity, achieving a final product of 99.7% ethanol by mass from an input of 92% ethanol, with minimal energy use and waste generation. The design has achieved and surpassed the objective it originally set out to accomplish by showcasing a system that is energy-efficient, environmentally friendly, and resistant to fluctuations in process and environmental variables. This research contributes valuable insights into high-purity substance production through distillation processes, paving the way for further application in the industry and aligning with the objectives of green chemistry.