Boyerhardison1701

Aluminium composite materials are beneficial in most engineering applications, most notably, because of their lightweight to strength ratio amongst many others. This study reports the reinforcement of aluminium alloy 8011 with cow horn and corncob in varying weight percentages of 5wt%, 10wt%, 15wt% and 20wt%. This study adopted the Stir casting method based on availability and cost-effectiveness as the cheapest method amongst others. The developed composite materials were in eight different samples alongside one control sample of the aluminium alloy base material. The samples used for this experimental study were tested for tensile strength, hardness and microstructural analysis. The outcome of the study shows that the sample with 20wt% of cow horn reinforcement gave the best-improved properties in terms of yield strength, ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and hardness with percentage improvement of 57%, 52.6% and 54.4% respectively. Hardness was also improved with 52.6% over the control sample with the 15wt% cow horn reinforced sample. Cow horn of 10wt% reinforcement improved the material by 61%. The results shown have justified the relevant effect of agro-waste materials in composite development.This study presents an analysis of the effects of manure and lime commonly used to improve agricultural productivity and evaluates the potential for such soil amendments to mobilise/immobilise metal fractions in soils contaminated from nearby mine tailings in the Zambian Copperbelt. Lime and manure were applied at the onset of the study, and their effects were studied over two planting seasons, i.e. 2016-17 and 2017-18. Operationally defined plant-available Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in the soil, were determined by extraction with DTPA-TEA (diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid-triethanolamine) and 0.01 M Ca(NO3)2, before, and after, applying the amendments. In unamended soils, Cd was the most available and Ni the least. Lime application decreased extractable Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn. The response to lime was greater in soils with an initially acidic pH than in those with approximately neutral pH values. Manure increased DTPA extractable Zn, but decreased DTPA and Ca(NO3)2 extractable Cd, Cu and Pb. Combined lime and manure amendment exhibited a greater reduction in DTPA extractable Cd, Ni, Pb, Zn, as well as for Ca(NO3)2 extractable Cd compared to separate applications of lime and manure. The amendments had a significant residual effect on most of the soil fractions between season 1 and 2. The results obtained in this study showed that soil amendment with minimal lime and manure whilst benefiting agricultural productivity, may significantly reduce the mobility or plant availability of metals from contaminated agricultural soils. This is important in contaminated, typical tropical soils used for crop production by resource poor communities affected by mining or other industrial activities.The use of plant and plant products in the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) is made possible because of the natural inherent phytochemicals responsible for the reduction of respective metallic salts to nanoparticle forms, and ensuring therapeutic applicability. In this study, synthesis of AgNPs and AuNPs was performed using two different aqueous extraction methods for Crassocephalum rubens maceration using laboratory method of extraction (cold aqueous extract of Crassocephalum rubens (AECR)), and decoction using traditional healer's method of extraction (hot aqueous crude extract of Crassocephalum rubens (CECR)). The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using various methods, and in vitro antioxidant potential were thereafter investigated. The characterization results indicated the formation of mostly spherical-shaped AgNPs and AuNPs with surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band of 470 nm and 540 nm, respectively. The nanoparticles possess high antioxidant potentials but AECR synthesized AuNPs exhibited the least phytochemical contents and antioxidant potential when compared to other nanoparticles. It can therefore be concluded that extraction method and nanoparticle type are important factors that could influence the antioxidant properties of the nanoparticles. Further studies using these nanoparticles as anticancer or anti-inflammatory agent in both in vitro and in vivo are underway.The cutting force in orthogonal cutting of steel AISI 1045 was predicted by applying 2D finite element analysis (FEA) using two methods; (i) Lagrangian (LAG) and (ii) Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ALE). Johnson-Cook (J-C) models were used for defining plastic and failure properties of simulated materials. The predicted force was validated experimentally by using dynamometer. Comparison held between the simulation methods and experimental work in terms of results accuracy, reading stability, and chip morphology. Furthermore, this study adopted new modeling idea to control the excessive distortion of mesh elements along chip separation line by defining nearly zero damage criterion for these elements. Galunisertib research buy The results demonstrated that LAG and ALE methods could predict the cutting force but with different accuracy, as LAG and ALE results deviated from experimental results with minimum error percentage 3.6% and 0.14% respectively. As well, ALE method showed stable force readings and continues smooth chip during simulation, while LAG method showed unstable force readings and discontinuous realistic chip.Polymer-based controlled-release formulations are gaining significant advantage over chemical fertilizers in recent years as they contribute to the preservation of soil fertility by reducing soil pollution in farm lands. In this work, urea (a nitrogen source fertilizer) has been entrapped within chitosan-alginate and gelatin-alginate composite beads at three different concentrations. The physical properties of the polymer composite beads namely the diameter, porosity, yield percentage, Carr's index and Hausner's ratio were determined. These fertilizer-loaded beads were also characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Fourier Transform-Infra Red (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Urea enhanced swelling of chitosan-alginate beads through the creation of pores whereas in the case of gelatin-alginate formulations, urea decreased the swelling. The swelling of the polymer composite beads was found to be maximum at pH of 5.6 when compared to that of pH conditions, 7 and 8.5. The chitosan-alginate composite beads were found to possess better fertilizer entrapping efficiency than the gelatin-alginate composite beads.