Car wash water recycling system

The high rate of transportation and vehicle washing centers led to an increase in water consumption. When the water consumption increase, the amount of wastewater discharged and the cost of utility will also increase. Only the right technique used for washing the vehicles can minimize the amount of water consumption. Conservation of water will not only save the water supply, but it will also help in financial savings. Recycling and reusing the water from the car wash means collecting, processing, and treating the contaminated water to remove the dirt and contaminants and using the treated water again for car washing. As cars body always stained with dirt and dust while driving, some dirt such as small stones might stuck and penetrate into the wheels and caused major damage. Thus, a regular car wash usually is needed for every vehicle to avoid this problem. Moreover, getting a regular car wash can also improve car performance. Hence, periodically car washing is one of the best ways to preserve and maintain the performance of vehicles

Determinants of fresh fish purchasing behavior among Malaysian consumers.

The study investigates demographic and attitudinal characteristics that can affect the purchase decisions of marine fish among Malaysian consumers. A survey was conducted on Kuala Lumpur households using structured questionnaires. Seven hundred respondents were randomly interviewed with regard to their buying behaviour pattern, attitude and perception on fresh marine fish consumption. The data were analyzed using a logit binary model. It was found that the size and income of the households, gender, taste and the nutritional value of fresh fish significantly influenced the purchasing behavior of the respondents. The Malaysian seafood sector may find this study useful to encourage further consumer-based studies for promoting the growth of the domestic fresh marine fish and seafood market in general

Crank-Nicolson finite difference method for two-dimensional fractional sub-diffusion equation

A Crank-Nicolson finite difference method is presented to solve the time fractional two-dimensional sub-diffusion equation in the case where the Gr¨unwald-Letnikov definition is used for the time-fractional derivative. The stability and convergence of the proposed Crank-Nicolson scheme are also analyzed. Finally, numerical examples are presented to test that the numerical scheme is accurate and feasible

Asymmetric farm retail price movements in the Malaysian poultry market

The relationship between farm, wholesale, and retail prices provides insight into marketing efficiency including the welfare of both consumers and farmers. Investigating the price transmission process at different levels in the marketing channel is crucial in assessing the market efficiency in poultry meat and egg subsectors in Malaysia. Changes in the farm or wholesale price could lead to changes in retail prices asymmetrically and this might distort the poultry and egg markets. This study applied the error correction model of price transmission for the entire poultry meat and egg value chain. The test was carried out using retail and farm monthly price data of poultry meat and eggs from 2000 to 2007. Empirical results suggest that the farm and retail price transmission process for the poultry and egg market is asymmetric. Price transmission estimates with rising farm prices generally are larger than corresponding estimates associated with falling farm prices

Understanding women experiences and decision making in choosing birthplace

Understanding consumer behaviour pertaining to healthcare consumption is vital in assessing and improving the service quality. Maternity care is one the largest division that most of the healthcare provider holds within the community of healthcare market and childbirth is most common reported cases. Choosing the ideal birthplace is one of the pivotal decision in childbirth process and the decision made are influences by different attributes. Understanding women’s experiences during the childbirth process provide useful insights on how experiences influence the decision made. Intense competition and lucrative industry required healthcare provider to further understand the consumer need and demand as well focusing more towards customer-centred strategy.Purpose of this article is to discuss and review the relevant literature regarding the childbirth experiences and birthplace choice phenomenon from the lenses of consumer

Paper making from bagasse

Though the revolution of technology has reduced paper production everywhere around the world, the amount of paper consumed each day is still tremendously large. The paper industry remains a growth industry globally, with volumes forecast to increase 50% by 2035 with most of the growth occurring in the packaging and tissues sector. The main material used in paper production is wood fibre. In order to satisfy the large demand for paper, thousands of trees must be cut down every year. Deforestation caused by worldwide consumption of wood-based paper has been a huge environmental issue. As the awareness of sustainability continues to rise, the demand for sustainable paper increases. The investigation of looking for alternatives has been a critical issue. The new alternative on the market is sugarcane fibre paper [1]

Utilization of lignin in empty fruit bunch for production of fine chemicals: development of subcritical water technology and ΔpcaHG-ΔcatA Rhodococcus jostii RHA1

Lignin is an alternative source of chemicals particularly phenolic compounds if it could broken down into smaller molecular units. Subcritical water (SCW) is a known technology that has the ability to break down lignin by hydrolysis. In this study, the SCW depolymerizes empty fruit bunch derived lignin into a mixture of aromatic compounds. The mixture, however, is impractical to be utilized and the cost to separate each of the components is relatively high. Rhodococcus jostii RHA1 is a bacterium that can degrade a wide range of aromatic compounds. Specific gene deletion of RHA1 has shown that the RHA1 loses its ability to catabolize specific chemicals. This research project aims to utilize empty fruit bunch derived lignin via SCW technology and subsequently biological process using mutant Rhodococcus jostii RHA1, ΔpcaHG-ΔcatA mutant RHA1

Magnetite nanoparticles in wastewater treatment

Clean water is very important for health and well-being of humans and ecosystem. However, over the year, a billion tons of industrial waste, fertilizers and chemical waste were dumped untreated into water bodies, such as rivers, lake and oceans contributing towards water pollution, then threatening human health and ecosystem. Hence, the need for clean water has urged scientists to research and find solutions for improving water quality. Application of nanoparticles in wastewater treatment improves the environmental quality by elimination of harmful pollutants in wastewater. Magnetite is one of the nanoparticles used in wastewater treatment because of its specific large surface area, high reactivity in adsorption and recoverable from treated water via magnetic separation technology. Preparation method of magnetite nanoparticles is the important key to its adsorption efficiency

Investigation of the oxidation behaviour of the polycrystalline Co-Ni base superalloys

The initial study reported here focused on the oxidation of Co-Al-W alloys containing nickel (29-34 at. %) and chromium (12-17 at. %) additions with the objective of improving the oxidation resistance of these alloys at high temperatures (800-850 °C) for high-pressure turbine discs. Starting with the analysis in the as-atomised powder, the material was then consolidated using hot-isostatic pressing (HIP) and a two-stage HIP was performed to optimise the precipitation of carbides. Solution heat-treated and aged samples were studied in terms of the effects of additional alloying elements on the alloys’ oxidation behaviour after high temperature exposures. Isotopic oxidation tracer experiments were carried out at 800-850 °C in isotopically enriched oxygen (16O- and 18O-) to elucidate the oxidation mechanisms. Oxidation mechanisms in alloys with different Co-Ni ratio and Cr, Al contents were investigated in polycrystalline cobalt-base superalloys. Various characterisation techniques were used to investigate the oxidation mechanisms such as FEG-SEM, STEM with EDX, high resolution TEM, FIB-SEM, and FIB-SIMS were applied. The various phases present in the initial and oxidised microstructures have been established, together with the oxidation behaviour of the alloy. After oxidation at 800 °C for 200 hours, the alloys exhibit a multi-layered structure, consisting of an outer oxide scale with a continuous alumina layer at the oxide-alloy interface. The bulk metal consisting of a cobalt solid solution containing secondary phases (Co3W and CoAl), carbides precipitates (Ta-Zr carbides) and fine γ’ (Co3(Al-W)) precipitates. The oxidation behaviour on shot-peened surfaces was studied and it was found that shot-peening does not affect the oxidation resistance directly but it does alter the sub-surface region causing recrystallisation and thus opening up diffusion paths for cations/anions diffusions. The study of oxygen transport mechanisms using 18O2 as a tracer element has revealed that an outer chromium-rich oxide layer formed at the metal surface during the initial oxidation and continuous inner alumina layer is primarily formed subsequently. This alumina layer appears to effectively block the diffusion of oxygen to the metal/oxide interface and oxidation proceeds by outward cation diffusion. This study demonstrates that protective oxide scales can be formed in cobalt-base superalloys.Open Acces