Purification of lanthanum chloride from high-load zinc contaminants remains a major challenge in producing grade 5N lanthanum oxides. This study investigates the process of matrix-driven solvent extraction using tertiary amine N235 to treat a 1.41 M rare earth oxides (REO) industrial lanthanum chloride feed containing 3000 mg/L zinc. Thermodynamic modelling with Medusa Hydra and Langmuir isotherms revealed that the high chloride activity (> 4 M) of the matrix induced significant changes in coordination towards the extractable [ZnCl4](2-)complex. This transition has a spontaneous Gibbs free energy of-14.68 kJ/mol. While the two-stage countercurrent flow sheet meets the industry target of less than 50 mg/L zinc, the five-stage configuration achieves a four-log reduction to 0.23 mg/L, effectively achieving 99.999% purity. This reagent's lean approach, using water-induced stripping, offers a sustainable and mathematically validated framework for ultra rare earth finishes.
Purifying rare earth elements (REEs) from ion-adsorbed clay (IAC) deposits demands complex solvent extraction (SX) setups to achieve commercial-grade purity. This study presents the design and validation of a four-train counter-current SX flowsheet for processing a pre-treated REE chloride liquor sourced from Malaysia's Jeli deposit. Using an iterative steady-state mass-balance simulation in Microsoft Excel, the research determines the operational parameters needed to achieve a 4N (99.99%) terminal purity target for each REE stream. The methodology involved pinpointing critical A/B separation cuts and optimising the organic-to-aqueous (O/A) ratios across the cascade. The results show that the flowsheet effectively fractionates the feedstock, starting with a bulk LREE/HREE separation (Train 1) and culminating in the challenging separation of praseodymium (Pr) and neodymium (Nd) (Train 4). The simulation identified Pr/Nd separation as the primary technical bottleneck, requiring 62 equilibrium stages (NE) due to a low separation factor (beta) of 1.70. In contrast, simpler bulk splits needed as few as 16 stages. These findings confirm the theoretical minimum stage requirements (Nmin) and provide a detailed stage-wise concentration profile for each train. The study concludes that the Pr/Nd circuit dictates the overall plant footprint and capital intensity. The developed flowsheet offers a solid technical blueprint for commercialising Malaysian IAC resources, ensuring high-purity REE recovery through optimised metallurgical design.
Traditionally in Malaysia, the leaves of Abrus precatorius, a flowering plant that belongs to the legume family, Fabaceae, are used to treat various ailments such as coughs, diarrhoea, wound healing and even as anticancer and antivirus remedy. The study aimed to identify the phytocompounds present in A. precatorius leaves using (1) different solvents and (2) two different extraction methods for each solvent. Additionally, we have also intended to investigate the anti-proliferative activity of those maceration-based extracts on selected cancer and normal cell lines. In this study, two extraction methods were used (maceration and Soxhlet extraction), using sequential solvents according to their polarity, starting with hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol. The phytocompounds were identified via the GC-MS technique. The findings reported that the ethyl acetate extract (obtained via Soxhlet extraction) contained the highest amount of terpenoids, while the methanol extract (obtained via maceration) contained the highest combination of terpenoids and phenolic compounds. The triple negative breast cancer cell line, MDAMB-231 showed high sensitivity towards all A. precatorius leaf extracts (maceration-based). The hexane extract of A. precatorius leaves (maceration-based) showed the lowest IC50 on MDA-MB-231 cells at 80.75 ± 64.0 μg/mL. In conclusion, potential anticancer phytocompounds were identified in the A. precatorius leaves extracts such as 1-octacosanol, neophytadiene and 4-vinylphenol. All maceration-based extracts exhibited non-cytotoxicity effect on both normal breast cell MCF-10a and fibroblast cell NIH (3T3). The MDA-MB-231 cell line was the most sensitive towards all maceration-based extracts, particularly hexane-maceration based.
Brachiaria decumbens, commonly known as signal grass, is widely used as livestock feed in tropical regions due to its high nutritional value and availability. However, its high concentration of steroidal saponins poses toxicity risks, raising concerns for small ruminant farmers. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of feeding ensiled B. decumbens on the health and performance of sheep under tropical conditions. A total of eighteen six-month-old male Dorper cross sheep were used in a feeding trial and assigned to three treatment groups: the control group (T1), fed Pennisetum purpureum; Treatment 2 (T2), fed fresh B. decumbens; and Treatment 3 (T3), fed ensiled B. decumbens. Over the 98-day experimental period, clinical data were collected weekly. At the end of the study, all 18 sheep were slaughtered for morphometric, gross morphology, and histopathological analyses of their organs. The results revealed significant differences (p<0.05) in the health performance of sheep across feeding groups. Sheep in the T3 group, fed ensiled B. decumbens, exhibited slightly higher body weight gain compared to both the T2 group fed fresh B. decumbens and the control group (T1). Additionally, only T2 sheep exhibited pale ocular mucous membranes during the final 21 days of the study. In terms of organ morphometrics, T1 and T3 sheep had lower organ width, length, and weight compared to T2 sheep. Most vital organs appeared grossly normal across all treatments; however, post-mortem examination of T2 sheep revealed lung lesions, including congestion and pus accumulation in the caudal lobes. Histopathological analysis indicated mild to moderate lesions in various organs of T2 sheep fed fresh B. decumbens, whereas no lesions were observed in the T1 and T3 groups. This study concludes that incorporating ensiled B. decumbens into the diet of small ruminants yields more favorable health and performance outcomes than feeding fresh B. decumbens.
This study investigates how Procreate influences the creative capacities of students in visual communication programs through three related mechanisms: cognitive engagement, motivation, and achievement expectations. Using a quantitative cross-sectional survey design, data were collected from 374 students and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The results supported all proposed hypotheses and showed that Procreate use is associated with higher levels of perceived creative self-efficacy rather than objective creative ability. Perceived creativity was directly related to cognitive engagement ((3 = 0.268) and indirectly influenced through increased motivation ((3 = 0.548), which subsequently affected creative ability ((3 = 0.262), as well as through strengthened expectations of creative success ((3 = 0.552), which in turn influenced creative ability ((3 = 0.340). Together, these factors explained 54.8% of the variance in creative abilities, with expectations demonstrating a stronger mediating effect than motivation. The findings extend previous research by clarifying the psychological processes through which digital tools shape creative expression. From an instructional design perspective, the results suggest that curricula should move beyond teaching technical software skills and instead focus on fostering motivation and positive expectations for creative achievement when integrating Procreate. Overall, the study highlights the complex relationship between digital tools and creativity in visual communication education and provides empirical guidance for using technology to support sustained creative development.
