11th Australasian Congress on Applied Mechanics (ACAM2024)

The amount of particulate matter emitted via anthropogenic activities is significantly increasing. Thus, a high percentage of the global human population suffers from airborne diseases. Hence, using membrane technologies for air purification is becoming more popular. ABS is recognised as an alternative material for conventional membrane manufacturing due to its economic viability, ease of processability, and convenience in forming less fouled membranes. This study investigated the effect of ABS polymer concentration of the dope solution, co-solvent, and thickness on the membrane characteristics. Eight experiments were conducted in three phases. ABS was varied in 15 wt%, 25 wt%, and 30 wt% with the solvent N, N-Dimethylformamide (DMF) in phase I. The effect of the membrane's dry thickness on its properties was explored using three different thicknesses in phase II. In phase III of the experiment, DMF/acetone weight percentages were 74:1 and 74.9:0.1, respectively, while ABS was 25 wt%. Synthesized membranes were characterised using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), water contact angle, mechanical properties, and Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The SEM images depicted membrane morphology when adding acetone to the dope solution. Pore sizes of all membranes were less than 1 mum. All FTIR spectrums have exhibited similar patterns, confirming the unchanged chemical bonds inside membranes. Tensile test results depict that when the polymer concentration of the dope solution increased from 15 wt% to 30 wt%, tensile strength increased from 1.78 MPa to 5.68 MPa, while the elongation increased by 6.83%. However, when the membrane thickness decreased from 0.56 mm to 0.13 mm, tensile strength was enhanced by 69%. Therefore, it can be concluded that ABS will be an excellent substitute material for membrane air filtration

The impact of COVID-19 on residential rehabilitation programs for individuals with substance use disorder

According to UNODC and WHO global estimates, only one in six individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) has access to residential rehabilitation programmes. This proportion further declined as a result of COVID-19 pandemic, which caused devastating problems to the individuals with SUD. The provision of residential treatment for individuals with SUD was interrupted due to COVID-19, in the aspects of the rehabilitation program, recruitment and service provision for rehabilitees or clients, staff and the infrastructural facilities. Further, individuals with SUD are known to have a greater risk of being infected with COVID-19 virus and developing post COVID complications due to their unstable psychological state, weakened immunity, malnutrition and other health related complications which have arisen with the prolonged use of substances. There is a timely need to provide a substantial emphasis on individuals with SUD during COVID-19 pandemic and to undertake the necessary steps to deliver the needed treatment. Critical appraisal of the available empirical evidence is instrumental prior to the laying-out and providing residential rehabilitation amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Hence, the current review intended to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on residential rehabilitation for individuals with SUD by scrutinizing the latest empirical evidence in order to battle against the future pandemic situations.</jats:p