Browsing by Author "Anang, Daniel Adjah"

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    Fuel Properties and Emission Characteristics of Biodiesel Fuel Produced from Waste Cooking Oil Using CaO/CaFe2O4 catalyst
    (Journal of Ghana Science Association, 2024-01-20) AbdulRasheed, Tawakalitu; Afotey, Benjamin; Ankudey, Emmanuel Godwin; Anang, Daniel Adjah
    Abstract This study investigates the fuel properties and emission characteristics of biodiesel derived from waste cooking oil (WCO) feedstock utilizing a novel CaO/CaFe2O4 composite catalyst. The biodiesel production process involves transesterification, yielding a renewable and environmentally friendly fuel source. Fuel properties such as density, kinematic viscosity, flash point, cetane number, and calorific value of the produced biodiesel and its blends were determined and compared with the ASTM biodiesel standard. The chemical composition of the fatty acid methyl ester of the produced biodiesel was confirmed with a Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometer and a Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectrometer was used to determine the functional groups and chemical bonds present in the biodiesel. The characteristics of the exhaust emissions of the different blends of biodiesel with petro-diesel (B20, B50, and B80) as well as pure biodiesel (B100) and petro-diesel (D100) were evaluated through the exhaust gas emissions analysis at a constant speed of 1500 rpm in a four-stroke diesel engine. Exhaust gas emissions such as carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxides (NOX ), were measured. The results indicate that the WCO produced biodiesel meets the ASTM standard specifications for these properties, showcasing its potential as a feasible alternative to petrodiesel. Additionally, emission study results indicate that utilizing B20, B50, and B80 blends resulted in reduced CO, HC, and CO2 emissions when compared to petro-diesel fuel amounting to (7.88, 25.29, and 31.26%), (9.24, 5.54, and 27.85%) and (10.04, 6.02, and 21.96%) respectively. All biodiesels (blend or raw) emit more NOX than petro-diesel
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    Synthesis of magnesium oxide from waste magnesium-rich Cucurbita pepo (pumpkin) seeds
    (Sustainable Environment, 2023-09-21) Agyapong, Patience Oduroa; Gikunoo, Emmanuel; Arthur, Emmanuel Kwesi; Anang, Daniel Adjah; Agyemang, Frank Ofori; Foli, Gordon; Baah, Douglas Siaw
    Recent studies have focused on the processing of biowaste to obtain added value and to reduce organic waste in the general stream. This study investigated the synthesis of magnesium oxide (MgO) from magnesium-rich Cucurbita pepo (pumpkin) seeds for a precursor solution as a reducing agent via an eco-friendly method for the first time. The pumpkin seeds were ashed at 550°C for 6 h and subjected to acid-leaching. Mg(OH) 2 M NaOH. The Mg(OH) 2 was then precipitated using an aqueous solution of 2.0 was then calcined at 550°C for 4 h to obtain MgO. Physicochemical properties (i.e. proximate analysis, elemental composition, electrical conductivity (EC), pH) and selected heavy metals (i.e. Pb, Fe, As, Cd, Cr, Hg, Cu, and Ni) analyses were conducted on the seed samples and as-synthesized MgO. X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier- transform infrared (FTIR), citric acid test (CAT), and acid neutralization capacity (ANC) tests were techniques used to characterize the synthesized MgO. The results revealed the percentage yield of the MgO to be 23%. The pH of the as-synthesized MgO was recorded as 10.63. XRF studies showed that MgO made up 75.1% of the total weight synthesized. XRD results showed the presence of crystalline cubic structures of MgO. FTIR results showed a peak at 584 cm −1 which confirmed the formation of MgO. The produced MgO was highly reactive, with a CAT time of 2 s. The ANC of the MgO was high at 22.77 mol + /kg. Also, metal concentrations such as Fe, Cu, Cd, Ni, Pb, Hg, As, and Cr in MgO were below the WHO stipulated limits of 350, 36, 0.8, 35, 85, 0.03, 40, and 100, respectively. This implies its suitability for soil remediation purposes. Results indicate that the as-synthesized MgO from Cucurbita pepo (C. pepo) seeds could be used for several applications due to its high alkalinity, reactivity, and fast CAT time.