Advanced Materials Research Vol. 911

Abstract: Development of platinum incorporating graphene (pt/graphene) thin films was prepared by sol-gel method via chemical bath deposition (CBD). Indium oxide (In₂O₃) as photoanode and pt/graphene as counter electrode is used to analyse the characteristics and performance of dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). Different annealing temperatures of 200 oC, 250 oC and 300 oC were proposed for the counter electrode in this study. The changes in the structural properties were analyzed by means of X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis. AFM results indicated very rough surface area of graphene sheet where roughness values decreased linearly from 0.65 μm to 0.18 μm by an increment in annealing temperature. The In₂O₃-based DSSC exhibited good photovoltaic performance with power conversion efficiency (η), photocurrent density (J_sc), open circuit voltage (V_oc) and fill factor (FF) of 0.47 %, 5.46 mA cm^-2, 0.54 V and 0.36 respectively. The obtained structural and photovoltaic performance analysis was proposed as a suitable benchmark for pt/graphene counter electrode with In₂O₃-based DSSC.

Abstract: This paper presents the defect distribution and yield analysis on silicon wafer. The generation and recombination lifetime were the key parameters and obtained from the currentvoltage and the capacitancevoltage of diode characteristics for forward bias. Then 3D contour maps were plotted as defect distribution and can be analyzed for the whole wafer which is useful for the yield analysis of the defects that were caused from fabrication process.

Abstract: This report Studied and development of diamond microelectrodes for Amperometric oxygen sensor. Boron-doped diamond film was Synthesized on a Si substrate by Hot-Filament CVD with the optimization Condition for film thickness 5 μm. This diamond film has the active area of electrode Control dimensions by technique uses SiO₂ be a mask Protecting diamond film formation. Four-point probe in additional and Hall Effect technique were used to measure the resistivity, and to measure carriers concentrations of the respectively. Study electrochemistry characteristics of diamond electrodes using Cyclic Voltammetry method. These B/C 10,000 PPM Boron doped diamond electrodes are used as working electrodes of Amperometric oxygen sensor for various of this gas levels detection. These electrodes are packaged with 0.1M KCl solution. The experiment show that current density of the diamond microelectrodes with 100 μm spacing was greater than the current density of the diamond microelectrodes with 40 μm spacing and the planar diamond electrode.

Abstract: The conventional magnetic recording has approached its physical limits. Further growth of the areal density is limited by the superparamagnetic effect and by the limited possibilities to further improve write heads design and pole materials in order to enhance the writing field. A new technology proposed to surpass these limits is the heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR). The principle of HAMR and the structure of a HAMR system are discussed, as well as the processes characterizing the writing process and the requirements for the materials needed for this type of recording. Some important challenges of the HAMR technology are summarized.

Abstract: The paper describes an investigation of using oil extracted from Bastard Poom beans as a biofuel. Unlike Palm oil, Bastard Poom bean oil is non-edible, therefore using it as a fuel does not create a demand conflict between food and fuel. Bastard Poom are a type of softwood trees and grown quickly. We find that to obtain a liter of oil, approximately 4.29 kg of beans are needed (oil extraction ratio of 21.57 % by weight). The chemical compositions of oil are determined. The oil consists of 40.16 %. Palmitic acid, 15.67 % Cis-11,14-Eicosadienoic acid and approximately 15 % each of Cis-9-Oleic and Cis-9,12-Linoleic acids. The oil heating value is 39,638 kJ/kg. The viscosity tested at 40 °C and densities tested at 15 °C are 44.61 mm²/s and 929.6 kg/m³, respectively. As a result, it has a considerable potential as an alternative to other biofuels among communities and farmers.

Abstract: The draft beer fermentation process was monitored by using electronic nose. The system used the seven types of generally commercial metal oxide gas sensor in array. The selected process was one of the commercial processes and the data were gathered every hour for 10 day process which was 240 steps. It was processed for monitoring the chemical reaction for quality control. The results showed the good difference of the chemical reaction of the each day very clearly. The signature processing showed the variance 98.78 %, 96.55 % of the first component (PC1) and 2.3 % of the second component (PC2), which was sufficiency for data explanation in 2D plot. It would be useful for production process to ensure a quality standard.

Abstract: This study aims to optimize the conditions for mannose production from deproteinated palm kernel cake (DPKC) via acid hydrolysis using fumaric acid. In order to convert DPKC into mannose, three important factors, i.e., reaction temperature (156 224 °C), acid concentration (0.02 0.08 N) and reaction time (4.96 89.04 min) were considered. The maximum mannose yield, 53.37%, was achieved at 188 °C, 0.06 N fumaric acid and reaction time of 51 min 32 s with the determination coefficient (R²) value of 0.9667.

Abstract: Ionic liquid (IL) has been shown to affect cellulose crystalline structure in lignocellulosic biomass (LB) during pretreatment. This research was carried out with two different experimental design involving IL to observe the effect of dissolution in IL on: (A) the crystallinity of cellulose and (B) the dissolution efficiency of LB. For experiment A, the types of IL used in this research were 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium Acetate [EMI[A, 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium Chloride [AMI[C, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium Chloride [BMI[C and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium Chloride [EMI[C. The crystallinity degree of LB was investigated before and after pretreatment with IL. The microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) was used as the simulated LB (cellulose content) was dissolved in IL and the crystallinity after the dissolution was analyzed. The temperature (70°C, 80°C, 90°C, 99°C) and concentration ratio of IL with volume/volume (v/v: 10%, 25%, 50%) were varied while the dissolution time remained constant. The crystallinity was analyzed by using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The results showed that the dissolution temperature and IL concentration ratio affects the intensity of the FTIR peaks. In experiment B, the dissolution of LB with 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium Chloride [BMI[C and 1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium Chloride [EMI[C as ILs were investigated. Four types of LB involved were Elaeis guineensis species of Oil Palm Trunk (OPT) and Oil Palm Frond (OPF) and Pennisetum purpureum species (elephant grass) originated from Taiwan and India. From the results obtained, the [BMI[C gave better dissolution to biomass.

Abstract: The impact of development of ionic liquids (ILs) in biochemical appliances has attracted attention from many researchers to further investigate on the potential of ILs. Use of ILs has provided an effective alternative in the conversion of source of carbohydrate in woody plant into fermentable sugar for ethanol production. To investigate how the presence of ILs affects the fermentation process, fermentation by using E. coli were conducted in different fermentation conditions with the presence of ILs. The purpose of this research is to investigate microbial growth under the presence of ILs with various parameters. Ability of E. coli to grow in facultative condition has made these bacteria suitable for this research. In this research, the growths of E. coli in the presence of ILs were observed by shaken culture method for 24 hours. The E. coli was tested to grow in 5 % v/v [0.005, 20 % v/v [0.02, and 50 % v/v [0.05 of IL concentration ratios. The three types of ILs used for this research were 1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium Acetate [EMIM][A, 1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium Chloride [BMIM][Cl] and 1-Allyl-3-methylimidazolium Chloride [AMIM][Cl]. The growth patterns of E. coli were also observed during the fermentation with shaking frequency of 250 rpm, 300 rpm and 350 rpm.

Abstract: Four types of biomass were characterized to investigate its metal adsorption capacity. The biomass were soaked in with nickel and cobalt solutions to examine the effect of biomass to amount of metal adsorbed. Oil palm mesocarp fibre (OPMF), empty fruit bunch (EFB), palm kernel shell (PKS) and sawdust were used in this study. Among all the biomass studied, oil palm mesocarp fibre shows the highest adsorption capacity with 1.8 mg/g and 1.6 mg/g of nickel and cobalt uptake, respectively. The metals adsorbed on the biomass were found to disperse into nanosize range.