Background The main object of the present study is the industrial wastewater effluent treatment resulting from a solar cell manufacturing process, which is a Joint Egyptian Chinese Renewable Energy laboratory, in Sohag Governorate. Fluoric and hydrochloric acids are the main pollutants causing a pH of 1 to 3. The effluent is neutralized by the addition of both potassium hydroxide and calcium hydroxide to permit the precipitation of the resulting sparingly soluble calcium fluoride. The chlorides are partially precipitated as calcium chloride, and the further addition of hydrated aluminum sulfate is used to precipitate the remaining extra chloride as an insoluble complex to reach the allowable chloride concentration in the treated effluent. Set of experiments at bench and pilot scales were run to achieve the optimum conditions for defluorination and dichlorination taking into consideration not exceeding the allowable ranges of pollutants as soluble salts in the final effluent. Results Experimental results showed that the performance of a pilot scale was satisfactory in fluorides, chlorides, and dissolved solids by 97.64, 78.85, and 79.4% removal, respectively. Based on these results a full-scale industrial treatment unit was designed for construction and operation as a treatment unit for industrial wastewater contaminated with fluorides as main pollutant. Conclusions The recommended treatment procedure succeeded in the removal of fluorides and chlorides as main contaminants in the effluent which permit the use of treated water in the irrigation of non-edible plants, according to Egyptian Code No. (501/2015).

In this investigation, a green, cost-effective clean electrochemical process for preparing a highly concentrated ferric chloride (FeCl3) solution has been proposed. Many operating conditions, affected the used anodic dissolution process for FeCl3 production, were studied. Generating ferrous hydroxide electrochemically then dissolving it by hydrochloric acid and oxidized with chlorine free mixed oxidant, were proceeded steps to reach the production of our target ferric chloride. It is a green, clean, and novel process because it is environmentally and industrial safer than the traditional production technology. The most important studied experimental variables were applied like applied current density, sodium chloride concentration, electrolyte pH, at the most controlling operating parameter which is optimum electrolysis time. Experimental results revealed that optimum current density was 300 mA/cm(2); using 30gm/L saline solution, electrodes gap distance 5 cm, and stirring rate 150 rpm at pH 6.5 for 270 minutes, respectively. At these optimal operating parameters, 40% FeCl3 concentration can be prepared to consume 202 watts/liter of high quality with low capital, & operating costs. The economic indicators show that the running cost of production of 40% ferric chloride solution using the proposed cleaner electrochemical production technology will be 241.66$/ton and the suggested price is 450$/ton with a net profit of 156$ with high cash flow using the proposed green technology. The proposed methodology for FeCl3 production reviews the importance of using cleaner production and sustainable development indicators.

The study aims to conversion of dry algal biomass into biodiesel in a one-step process under supercritical methanol conditions for an environmentally friendly approach and economical. At supercritical conditions, methanol is used to extract and transesterify lipids from algae, resulting in fatty acid methyl esters. The process conditions inhibited the formation of byproducts, and the fatty acid methyl esters are made from polar phospholipids, free fatty acids, and triglycerides. The effects of dry algae to methanol (weight/volume) ratio (1:12-1:40), reaction temperature (150-300°C), and reaction time (5–50 min.) on the yield of fatty acid methyl esters are investigated. At 300°C, with a molar ratio of 1:30 (weight/volume) and a reaction period of 30 minutes, the conversion percentage reached 97 percent. Gas chromatography analysis was used to determine the purity of fatty acid methyl ester, which was found to be 80 percent pure and the alkyl ester content to be 77.6%. This green conversion method has the potential to provide an energy-efficient and economical route for biodiesel production, with a high predicted cetane number (60), high oxidation resistance, and low viscosity.

Nano nickel hydroxides and nano nickel compounds attract great attention because it is a significant industrial material of commercial importance and applications in nickel-metal hydride batteries, supper capacitors, water treatment, etc. This investigation gives the results of electrolytic preparation of nickel hydroxide powder by anodic dissolution technique and conversion of this nickel hydroxide to nano nickel oxide via heat treatment. The obtained operating conditions for anodic dissolution of nickel substrate in saline solution were 75mA/cm2, pH 6, 3g/l. sodium chloride, 20OC, electrode gap distance 3cm, electrode reverse polarity interval time 5min. at 150rpm stirring rate. The obtained nickel hydroxide powder completely converted to nano nickel oxide at 150OC for 6hr. Morphology, particle size and crystallographic patterns of prepared nickel hydroxide and nano nickel oxide were investigated by transmission electron microscope (TEM) and the scanning advanced electronic diffraction (SAED) pattern. It was found that average particle size of synthesized nano nickel hydroxide were of nano tube shapes with smooth surface and average diameters in the range of 2.16 – 3.32 nm. Obtained results affect the design of nickel hydroxide electrodes for charge storage applications. The obtained nano nickel oxide was tested for the removal of Methylene blue dye from its solutions via adsorption. For MB solution of 100mg/l. concentration the optimum conditions for complete removal were found to be: pH 11, 100mg/l. MB, 10g/l. nano nickel oxide dose, 20OC, stirring rate 150rpm, at contact time 90min. the results shows that the adsorption capacity of MB on the nano nickel oxide surface was 25mg.g-1, and with cleaning and dryeing then reuse of the nano nickel oxide more than 12 times of MB adsorption process without any signficant change of adsorption capacity indicationg that nano nickel oxide is very good dye adsorbant.

This study aimed to investigate the role of nano graphene dispersion on the rate of evaporation of saline water to save energy consumption during thermal desalination. The effect of various operating conditions including: current density, sulfuric acid concentration, electrolysis time and temperature were studied to optimize graphite dissolution. The produced nano graphene particles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), X-Ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The TEM-photographs proved that; the particles of nano graphene are spherical with diameter ranged from 10 to 41 nm. Increasing current density from 100 to 150 mA/cm2 at cell voltage 0.3 V and 60min. electrolysis time, increases graphite dissolution by 32%. From the results, it is clear that the selected dose for saving maximum energy was 10 g/l. This study indicates that graphene is one of the best nano material that can maximize the heat transfer efficiency.

Background Biomass fuels (bio-jet fuel) have recently attracted considerable attention as alternatives to conventional jet fuel. They have become the focus of aircraft manufacturers, engines, oil companies, governments and researchers alike. This study is concerned with the production of biojet fuel using waste cooking oil (WCO). Batch reactor is used for running the experimental study. The catalytic cracking products are investigated by GC mass spectra. Final products from different reaction conditions are subjected to fractional distillation. The (Bio kerosene) fraction was compared with the conventional jet A-1 and showed that it met the basic jet fuel specifications. Optimum reaction conditions are obtained at (450 °C), pressure of (120 bars), catalyst dose (2.5% w/v), reaction time (60 min) and hydrogen pressure 4 atmosphere. The aim of this study is to produce bio aviation fuel according to specifications and with a low freezing point from waste cooking oil in one step using a laboratory prepared catalyst and with a low percentage of hydrogen to complete the process of cracking and deoxygenation in one reactor, which is naturally reflected positively on the price of the final product of bio aviation fuel. Results The results indicated that the product obtained from WCO shows promising potential bio aviation fuels, having a low freezing point (− 55 °C) and that all bio kerosene’s specifications obtained at these conditions follow the international standard specifications of aviation turbine fuel. Conclusion Biojet fuel obtained from WCO has fairly acceptable physico-chemical properties compared to those of petroleum-based fuel. Adjustment of the hydro catalytic cracking reaction conditions was used to control quantities and characteristics of produced bio aviation fuel. Taking into consideration the economic evaluation WCO is preferable as raw material for bio aviation fuel production due to its low cost and its contribution in environmental pollution abatement. Blend of 5% bio aviation with jet A-1 (by volume) can be used in the engine without any modifications and a successful test of blended aviation fuel with 10% bio aviation has been achieved on Jet-Cat 80/120 engine.

Graphene derivatives revolutionize a lot of industries since its discovery. In this investigation nano graphene oxide (NGOCB) was synthesized via sulfuric acid dehydration by mixing of sugar (as source of carbon) with bentonite clay as substrate. NGOCB was characterized by using scaning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scattered area electronic diffraction analysis. The experimental results showed that the particles of graphene oxide are spherical in shape and the diameter ranged from 6 to 33 nm. The data indicated the presence of graphene oxide mono-layers with hexagonal pattern over the bentonite substrate surfaces. On applying the obtained NGOCB in thermal desalination process, several findings were observed such as saving the energy required for reaching the boiling temperature from room temperature by 11% (NGOCB 4 g/l). While on using 10 g/l of NGOCB more than 50% of the energy consumption for evaporation was saved. Also the generated desalinated water quantity obtained using nano graphene oxide was more than double the quantity that obtained by the traditional thermal desalination method. The generated steam was applied for electricity generation by mini steam turbine, which leads to 22% energy saving.

Background The nano-adsorbents present considerable decontamination potential due to their unique characteristics. This study aimed to investigate the adsorption efficiency and capacity of synthesized nano graphene oxide coated layer over Egyptian clays (bentonite, kaolinite and feldspar) as substrate. The experimental work involves nano graphene oxide coating using acid dehydration via sulfuric acid in presence of different percentage of sugar (fine powder from 1 to 7%), followed by thermal activation to improve the adsorption capacity of natural clay that is locally available in Egypt. Several operating parameters were studied to prepare the superior adsorbent (type of substrate, sulfuric acid concentration, sugar concentration and contact time). Results The optimum preparation conditions of nano graphene oxide coated bentonite (NGOCB) adsorbent were bentonite substrate 1 kg, sulfuric acid concentration 1.5 kg/kg clay, sugar fine powder 50 g/kg clay, water 3000 ml/kg clay, and stirring time of 30 min at 100 °C. The morphology characterization showed that the deposited graphene oxide layer is in the nano form (6 to 33 nm). Sets of experiments were conducted to evaluate the adsorption performance of synthesized NGOCB for removal of methylene blue (MB) dye from aqueous solutions. Effect of initial dye concentration, contact time, pH and temperature on the adsorption capacity of the modified adsorbent were studied. The capacity of the prepared nano graphene oxide coated bentonite adsorbent was 1000 mg/g. Conclusions The removal efficiency of nano graphene coated clay reached to 99.9% that indicates the Egyptian bentonite could be employed as a low-cost absorbent for dye removal.

Background and Objective: A model for the activated sludge aeration reactor is developed to study the effect of operating conditions on biodegradable organic pollutants treatment. Methods: The model was developed and fitted using an experimental study conducted for wastewater collected from meat processing industrial units in Egypt. Inlet biomass and substrate concentrations are the operating parameters considered in our study. Results: After treatment; biomass outlet concentration was reduced substantially. After reaching steady-state operation, outlet biomass concentration was not affected by the inlet biomass concentration, while outlet substrate concentration showed great dependency on the inlet substrate concentration. The model agrees well with the experimental data collected from an industrial activated sludge treatment unit. Conclusion: By varying process parameters, the model can be used effectively to predict and optimize the system behavior under different operating conditions. Varying the substrate concentration may lead to optimizing the process conditions for the system under study.

Banana contains important nutrients, which could be recycled into useful materials to be reused in different purposes. Extraction of mixed nano bio stimulant fertilizer from banana peels is the main purpose of this investigation. Nano-fertilizer extract was subjected to physical and chemical analyses for characterization. The fertilizer constituent size ranged from 19 to 55 nm, and the histogram illustrates that the major nanoparticles were 40 nm with an average percentage of 36% while 55-nm particles were the minor size with an average percentage of 6%. The synthesized nanofertilizers contained chelated potassium, chelated iron, tryptophan, urea, amino acids, protein, and citric acid. Nano-fertilizer extracted from banana peels was applied in agriculture of two crops, tomato and fenugreek. The data revealed that germination percentage increased with increasing dose of banana peel extract for both crops. For tomato crop, the germination percentage was increased from 14% (control without nano) to 97% after 7 days of plantation. Also, the same trend was noticed for fenugreek crop, the germination percentage was enhanced from 25% (control without nano) to 93.14%.

Treatment of municipal wastewater using advanced physicochemical process maximizes the removal of biological oxygen demand (BOD 5 ), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and phosphate. Also discarding of suspended solids using nano adsorbent then electrochemical treatment, followed by ultra-filtration membrane was conducted. So, treated wastewater can be reused for agriculture of non-edible or wood trees, fishes, livestock and sheep farming. The results showed that: BOD 5 , COD, and phosphates percent removal of 93%, 95% and 100% respectively. Using mini hydro turbine of power generation about 1.5 k wt/h and with a flow rate of 10–15 L/s. 50% of the energy consumption could be recovered by rotation of the mini hydro-turbine using reject flow. Construction and operating costs of sewage treatment plants can be reduced up to 50% compared with that of traditional low-efficiency biological treatment plants. Sludge produced from the advanced proposed process in this investigation can be used as fertilizer due to its quality while that produced from the traditional treatment process is unsafe to reuse.

In this investigation nano silver was prepared by reduction of silver nitrate using fenugreek extract. Use of natural reducing agent in the synthesis of nano silver is an environmentally friendly process in contrary of using chemical reducing agent. High resonance transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) tests are used to characterize prepared nano silver. The results confirmed that, the morphology of the prepared nano silver were of spherical shape with smooth surface and average diameter of 17nm. Produced nano silver was tested as antibacterial agent and it is successful against E-coli and staphylococcus aureus due to the increase of the inhibition zone than using 1 molar silver nitrate alone i.e. the use of nano silver increased the inhibition zone of E-coli and staphylococcus aureus. So the synthesis of nano silver leads towards chemical use as antibacterial agent.

Based on a successful experimental result from laboratory and bench scale for treatment of wastewater from beverages industry, an industrial and efficient treatment unit is designed and constructed. The broad goal of this study was to design and construct effluent, cost effective and high quality treatment unit. The used technology is the activated sludge process of extended aeration type followed by rapid sand filters and chlorination as tertiary treatment. Experimental results have been considered as the basis for full scale design of the industrial capacity of 1600 m3/day treatment plant. Final effluent characteristics after treatment comply with Egyptian legalizations after reducing COD and BOD5 by about 97% and 95% respectively. So it is recommended to reuse treated effluent in textile industry in dyeing process.

Distillate of upgraded palm biodiesel was blended in different volume percentages (5, 10, 15, and 20%) with jet A-1. The mixture can be used as a replacement for petroleum Jet fuel. Physical properties of blends were measured and compared with those of jet A-1. Empirical equations were developed to predict the properties of blended fuel, including density, kinematic viscosity, freezing point, H/C ratio, and acid value. The statistical analysis indicated that the proposed equations predictions agree well with the experimental data. The predicted model shows an (R2) between 0.99–0.98, indicating good fitting between the experimental data and proposed model. The distillate of upgraded palm biodiesel was miscible with the kerosene jet A-1 in all volume fractions under study 5–20%. The economic analysis shows that the production cost per unit of the produced bio jet fuel was much higher than the selling price of the petroleum jet fuel. This price difference is due to the raw materials cost; as the palm oil used is nearly three times that of crude oil. The economic evaluation study reveals that the operating cost of prepared bio jet equals to 2360 $/ton, which is a promising result.

•Pyrolysis of agricultural wastes at 500°C for 15min produced bio-oil and bio-coal.•Produced bio-oil can be used as it is in electrical generating station.•Bio-chars produced are suitable for carbon sequestration or long term storage CO2 for green house climate change.

Nano size spherical carbon particles of less than 100 nm diameters are attracting for new applications in human life and industry fields. In this work, different nano carbon particles structures including spherical shape were synthesized by phosphoric acid dehydration process. Shape and size of the obtained nano sized carbon sphere particles were characterized by means of JEOL-JEM-1200 Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM). The effect of different phosphoric acid concentrations, 0.06M, 0.1M and 0.5M respectively was studied. Also, influence of sugar concentration, temperature and heating time were investigated. The optimum conditions were concluded as, 0.1M phosphoric acid, 50g/l sugar concentration, 100oC and 15minutes heating time was selected for carbon nano spheres preparation.

Current study was aimed to propose a novel design for compact sewage water treatment plant with a capacity of 100 m3/day (2x50 m3/day). The major pollutants are SS, BOD5, COD and organic pollutants. The recommended treatment process is an aerobic activated sludge. The analysis results of the sewage water are: pH average values 6-8, turbidity 12 UNT, daily suspended solid 850 mg/L, BOD is760 mg/L. The proposed design for the treatment plant consists mainly of: a bar screen, aerated gas trap, aeration tank and a collection pit. The main components of the extended aeration unit are: clarifier, sludge holding tank and diffused air system. The general objective of this investigation is to treat sewage wastewater and produce treated water which coincides with environmental regulations. While the specific objective is to get odourless, colourless treated water free of pathogens and toxic materials so it can be used for irrigation of non-edible trees.

In the production of biodiesel from vegetable oils, separation and purification of biodiesel and glycerol as a by-product are critical processes. Conventional methods used for this separation are gravitational settling, decantation and filtration. Biodiesel and glycerol were produced through transesterification of jatropha curcas oil (JCO) using; KOH as a liquid base catalyst and CaO as a solid super base catalyst respectively with methanol. Reducing free fatty acids for (JCO) by esterification was studied. Biodiesel purification is performed by washing using water and acids. Fuel properties of produced fatty acids methyl esters (biodiesel) including; density, viscosity, flash point, cetane number, acid value and iodine value were qualified. The results showed that; the produced biodiesel can safely be used as an alternative diesel fuel. The use of solid base catalyst (CaO) showed a great improvement in produced glycerol purity up to 99.46%. A comparison between homogeneous and heterogeneous reaction conditions and products' purity are presented. Key words— Biodiesel, Jatropha curcas, homogeneous, Vegetable oils pretreatment, Glycerol separation,Decalcification, Glycerol purification. ——————————  ——————————