Showing papers by "Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management published in 2012"
TL;DR: In this article, the surface modified fibers were characterized by FTIR spectroscopy and the degree of interfacial adhesion between the jute fiber and PLA was estimated using adhesion parameter obtained through DMA data.
Abstract: The main focus of this work is to improve the adhesion of jute fiber with polylactide (PLA). For this purpose, surface of the jute fiber was modified by alkali, permanganate, peroxide and silane treatments. The surface modified fibers were characterized by FTIR spectroscopy. Unidirectional composites were prepared with treated jute fibers and PLA matrix by hot pressing of solvent impregnated prepregs. Surface treatments resulted in enhancement of tensile and flexural properties and reduction in Izod impact strength. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) results showed that, treated composites have higher storage modulus and lower tangent delta with respect to untreated composite. The degree of interfacial adhesion between the jute fiber and PLA was estimated using adhesion parameter obtained through DMA data. The results of thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed a higher thermal stability for silane treated composites. Experimental results on abrasive wear tests revealed that the wear resistance of composite is sensitive to fiber/matrix adhesion.
296 citations
TL;DR: The utilization of shrimp waste as well as an alternative technology to replace hazardous chemical method that address the future trends in total utilization ofrimp waste for recovery of bioactive compounds are presented.
Abstract: The production of shrimp waste from shrimp processing industries has undergone a dramatic increase in recent years. Continued production of this biomaterial without corresponding development of utilizing technology has resulted in waste collection, disposal, and pollution problems. Currently used chemical process releases toxic chemicals such as HCl, acetic acid, and NaOH into aquatic ecosystem as byproducts which will spoil the aquatic flora and fauna. Environmental protection regulations have become stricter. Now, there is a need to treat and utilize the waste in most efficient manner. The shrimp waste contains several bioactive compounds such as chitin, pigments, amino acids, and fatty acids. These bioactive compounds have a wide range of applications including medical, therapies, cosmetics, paper, pulp and textile industries, biotechnology, and food applications. This current review article present the utilization of shrimp waste as well as an alternative technology to replace hazardous chemical method that address the future trends in total utilization of shrimp waste for recovery of bioactive compounds.
154 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a polyethylene oxide-polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PEO-PVP) blend using solution cast technique was analyzed in order to explore the long range and short-range dynamics of ions.
Abstract: Sodium ion‐conducting polymer blend electrolytes were prepared by dissolving NaCl salt in a polyethylene oxide–polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PEO–PVP) blend using solution cast technique. XRD and FTIR studies confirmed the complexation of the salt with polymer host which leads the reduction of its crystalline nature. FTIR spectra indicate the miscibility between PEO and PVP. Electrical conduction mechanism in the blend polymer complexes has been revealed by employing the complex impedance spectroscopy in the frequency range 1 Hz–1 MHz within the temperature range 303 K–343 K. The total conductivity, dielectric constant and electric modulus of the blend electrolytes are analyzed in order to explore the long range and short‐range dynamics of ions. Ionic conductivity increased with the increase of salt concentration as well as temperature. The dielectric constant showed large value at lower frequencies and increased with temperature indicating polar nature of PEO and PVP of the blend. The electric modulus formalism reveals the non‐Debye nature of the samples. The activation energies responsible for relaxation process measured from modulus spectra are found to be in good agreement with those obtained from dc conductivity studies.
116 citations
TL;DR: This paper reviews numerous production techniques for SLNs and special attention is paid to the characterization of the SLNs by using various analytical tools and emphasizes on physical state of lipid (supercooled melts, different lipid modifications).
Abstract: In the present scenario, most of the developed and new discovered drugs are posing real challenge to the formulation scientists due to their poor aqueous solubility which in turn is responsible for poor bioavailability. One of the approach to overcome above problem is the packaging of the drug in to particulate carrier system. Among various carriers, lipid emerged as very attractive candidate because of its unique property of enhancing the bioavailability of poorly water soluble drugs. Solid lipid, one of the physical forms of lipid, is used to formulate nanoparticles, popularly known as Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs), as an alternative carrier system to emulsions, liposomes and polymeric micro- and nano-particles. SLNs combine advantages of the traditional systems but avoid some of their major disadvantages. This paper reviews numerous production techniques for SLNs along with their advantages and disadvantages. Special attention is paid to the characterization of the SLNs by using various analytical tools. It also emphasizes on physical state of lipid (supercooled melts, different lipid modifications).
94 citations
TL;DR: In this article, an attempt is made to incorporate the Rice husk ash (RHA) particles in the molten aluminum A356.2 alloy by creating a vortex with the help of a mechanical stirrer and the melt temperature was maintained between 800 and 850 °C.
86 citations
TL;DR: The proposed FCM controller is compared with conventional controller and original Fuzzy controller in the presence of Generation Rate Constraint in case of two area and three area inter connected power systems.
70 citations
TL;DR: The dimensions of the model created by Polyjet were closest to the 3D STL virtual image followed by the 3DP model and FDM, and SEM analysis showed uniform smooth surface on Polyjet model with adequate surface details.
Abstract: Rapid prototyping (RP) is a technology that produces physical models by selectively solidifying ultra violet (UV) sensitive liquid resin using a laser beam. These models can be formed using various techniques. A study was undertaken to compare the dimensional accuracy and surface details of three prototype models with a 3D STL (standard template library) image. In this study the STL file was used to produce three different rapid prototype models namely; model 1—fused deposition model (FDM) using ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene), model 2—Polyjet using a clear resin and model 3—a 3 dimensional printing using a composite material. Measurements were made at various anatomical points. For surface detail reproductions the models were subjected to scanning electron microscopy analysis. The dimensions of the model created by Polyjet were closest to the 3D STL virtual image followed by the 3DP model and FDM. SEM analysis showed uniform smooth surface on Polyjet model with adequate surface details.
62 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the use of cellulose sulfuric acid as a heterogeneous eco friendly catalyst for the synthesis of 1,4 dihydropyridines under solvent free conditions via Hantzsch three component reaction of an aldehyde, ethyl acetoacetate and ammonium acetate at 100 °C for 2-5 h.
56 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a hybrid biocomposite composed of surface modified jute fiber and varying weight fractions of polylactide (PLA) and polycaprolactone (PCL) are fabricated by hot pressing of solvent impregnated prepregs.
Abstract: The main focus of this work is to develop biocomposites with improved stiffness and toughness. For this purpose, hybrid biocomposites composed of surface modified jute fiber and varying weight fractions of polylactide (PLA) and polycaprolactone (PCL) are fabricated by hot pressing of solvent impregnated prepregs. Mechanical, thermal (DSC), viscoelastic properties and biodegradation of the developed biocomposites were evaluated. Surface modification of the jute fiber resulted in improvement of tensile strength and modulus and reduction in impact toughness along with vibration damping capacity. The addition of biodegradable resin PCL to PLA matrix leads to recovery of the impact toughness and damping capacity of the biocomposites, without much sacrifice in stiffness and strength. Hybrid biocomposite with 10 wt% PCL attained an optimum balance between stiffness and toughness. In addition, PCL also accelerated the biodegradation rate of the composites. POLYM. COMPOS., 2012. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers
52 citations
TL;DR: Potential mechanisms of action of above novel PEs along with adverse reactions associated with traditional PEs are also considered in this review.
Abstract: The use of topical formulation is popular over the past decade due to extensive researches made in the field of transdermal drug delivery. As a result, an increasing number of drugs are being added to the list of therapeutic agents that can be delivered to systemic circulation through the skin. Commonly available dosage forms for the topical application are creams, ointments, gels, patches etc. The therapeutic benefits of the above topical formulations are limited due to barrier property of stratum corneum (SC). The use of chemical penetration enhancers (CPEs) is one of the long standing approach to overcome the barrier property of SC. Numerous class of novel compounds have been evaluated for penetration enhancement activity, including soft enhancement for percutaneous absorption (SEPA), for example, 2 N-nonyl-1,3- dioxolanes, N-acetyle prolinate esters (such as pentyl- and octyl-N-acetyle prolinate), alkyldiloxanes (e.g., 1-Alkyl-3-b-D glucopyranosyl-1,1,3,3-tetramethyl disiloxanes), transcarbam (such as 5-(dodecyloxycarbonyl) pentylammonium-5- (dodecyloxycarbonyl) pentylcarbamate), iminosulfurane (like N-hexyl,N-benzoyl-S,S-dimethylimino-sulfuranes), capsaicin derivatives (e.g., Nonivamide), cinnamene compounds (such as cinnamic acid, cinnamaldehyde etc), terpenes (like clove and basil oil) and synergestic combination of penetration enhancers (SCOPE). We briefly describe about the anatomy of skin. Potential mechanisms of action of above novel PEs along with adverse reactions associated with traditional PEs are also considered in this review.
47 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a clarifying agent, sago at a concentration of 2 g/L, has decreased the tannins by 42.85% but the respective sample's visual clarity is only 94%.
Abstract: Cashew apples are tropical fruits rich in sugars, minerals, and vitamin C. In spite of having high nutritional value, neither the fresh cashew apples nor the juice is consumed due to astringency. In the present investigation an attempt was made to reduce the astringency without affecting the nutrient quality of the juice. The clarifying agent, sago at a concentration of 2 g/L, has decreased the tannins by 42.85% but the respective sample’s visual clarity is only 94%. The same clarifying agent with the same concentration along with sterile filtration has decreased the tannins by 41.75% with improved visual clarity of 96%. This clarified juice sample was treated with chemical preservatives and the quality of the juice was assessed periodically up to 4 months. The shelf life of juice treated with citric acid and benzoic acid at 0.1 g/L each and stored at 4°C was prolonged up to 90 days.
TL;DR: It is stated that hypoxia preconditioning by CoCl₂ supplementation in rats increases mitochondrial biogenesis, glucose uptake and metabolism by aerobic respiration in skeletal muscle, which leads to increased physical performance.
TL;DR: Lyophilized cells, immobilized in polyacrylamide gels could be used for uranium bioprecipitation in a flow through system resulting in 70% removal from 1mM input uranium solution and a loading of 1 g uranium/g dry weight cells.
Abstract: The stability and superior metal bioremediation ability of genetically engineered Deinococcus radiodurans cells, expressing a non-specific acid phosphatase, PhoN in high radiation environment has already been established. The lyophilized recombinant DrPhoN cells retained PhoN activity and uranium precipitation ability. Such cells also displayed an extended shelf life of 6 months during storage at room temperature and showed surface associated precipitation of uranium as well as other metals like cadmium. Lyophilized cells, immobilized in polyacrylamide gels could be used for uranium bioprecipitation in a flow through system resulting in 70% removal from 1mM input uranium solution and a loading of 1 g uranium/g dry weight cells. Compared with a batch process which achieved a loading of 5.7 g uranium/g biomass, the efficiency of the column process was low due to clogging of the column by the precipitate.
TL;DR: D. metel can be used in the treatment of infectious diseases caused by resistant pathogenic microorganisms and among all microorganisms studied Erwinia caratovara and Pseudomonas syringae showed the considerable growth inhibition with chloroform and methanolic extracts.
TL;DR: In this article, the second order mathematical models in terms of machining parameters were developed for surface roughness prediction using response surface methodology (RSM) on the basis of experimental results.
TL;DR: The findings of this study indicate that erythromycin is of questionable benefit in the treatment of severe orofacial odontogenic infections and amoxicillin/clavulanate and clindamycin would also be advocated as being useful alternatives for the management of severe dengue fever.
Abstract: Introduction: The inappropriate use of antibiotics has contributed to a worldwide problem of antimicrobial resistance. The objective of present study is to assess the most common microorganisms causing orofacial infections and their antimicrobial susceptibility to routinely used antibiotics in this part of India. Materials and Methods: Sixty eight patients with orofacial infection were selected on the basis of a series of predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Samples were collected under aseptic conditions and subjected to culture and antibiotic susceptibility testing. Descriptive statistics were provided. Results: A total of 64 aerobic and 87 anaerobic strains were isolated. The predominant bacteria were Streptococci viridans (64%), Prevotella (43%), Peptostreptococcus (26%), Porphyromonas (7%), and Fusobacterium (14%). The isolated strains seemed to be highly sensitive to the routinely used antibiotics such as amoxicillin - clavulanate and amoxicillin alone, clindamycin, and levofloxacin. In contrast, more resistance to erythromycin was observed. Conclusion: Amoxicillin still possesses powerful antimicrobial activity against major pathogens in orofacial odontogenic infections. Amoxicillin/clavulanate and clindamycin would also be advocated as being useful alternatives for the management of severe orofacial infections. However, the findings of this study indicate that erythromycin is of questionable benefit in the treatment of severe orofacial odontogenic infections.
TL;DR: Results showed that a high-visibility crosswalk and a median refuge helped to improve pedestrian as well as driver behavior, whereas a Danish offset increased the proportion of diverted pedestrians.
Abstract: This paper summarizes an evaluation of the effectiveness of selected infrastructure-based countermeasures to enhance pedestrian safety. The countermeasures evaluated in this paper were high-visibility crosswalk, median refuge, Danish offset, and pedestrian channelization. The selected countermeasures were deployed at eight locations in the Las Vegas, Nevada, metropolitan area. The evaluations were based on field observations of pedestrian and driver behaviors before and after the installation of the countermeasures. The selected countermeasures were evaluated with measures of effectiveness such as pedestrians who were trapped in the street, pedestrians who looked for vehicles before they began to cross, pedestrians who looked for vehicles before they crossed the second half of the street, pedestrians who were captured (those who modified their path to use the crosswalk but did not go out of their way to do so), pedestrians who were diverted (those who had to go out of their way to use the crosswalk or cha...
Journal Article•
TL;DR: In this article, a detailed scheme is worked out to convert raw customer data into meaningful and useful data that suits modeling buying behavior and in turn, converts this meaningful data into knowledge for which predictive data mining techniques are adopted.
Abstract: The customer churn is a common measure of lost customers. By minimizing customer churn, a company can maximize its profits. Companies have recognized that existing customers are the most valuable assets. Customer retention is critical for a good marketing and a customer relationship management strategy. The prevention of customer churn through customer retention is a core issue of Customer Relationship Management (CRM). The paper presents churn prediction based on data mining tools in banking. In this paper, a study on modeling purchasing behavior of bank customers in Indian scenario has been attempted. A detailed scheme is worked out to convert raw customer data into meaningful and useful data that suits modeling buying behavior and in turn, converts this meaningful data into knowledge for which predictive data mining techniques are adopted. In this analysis, the researchers have experimented with 2 classification techniques namely CART, and C 5.0. The prediction success rate of Churn class by CART is quite high but C 5.0 had shown poor results in predicting churn customers. However, the prediction success rate of Active class by C 5.0 is more effective than the other technique. However, for reaping significant benefits, the models have predicted the churn behavior.
TL;DR: It can be concluded that Morinda tinctoria plant can be exploited to discover the bioactive natural products that may serve as leads in the development of new pharmaceuticals.
Abstract: Objective The objective of the present work is to evaluate the presence of Phytochemical constituents and antimicrobial activity of different extracts of leaves of Morinda tinctoria Roxb. Methods The serial exhaustive extraction was done with a series of solvents: Hexane, Chloroform, Ethylacetate and Methanol with increasing polarity using soxhlet apparatus. The Phytochemical analysis was done by using the standard procedures. Antimicrobial activity was evaluated by Agar well diffusion method against nine human pathogens. Results The results revealed that the leaf extracts contain a broad spectrum of secondary metabolites: Alkaloids, Phytosterols, Flavonoids, Phenols and Triterpenes in major proportion. Methanol extract was shown to be more effective against all the organisms followed by Ethylacetate, Chloroform and Hexane extracts. Proteus vulgaris (24mm) was found to be most sensitive organism followed by Klebsiella pneumonia (21mm) and Enterococcus feacelis (21mm). Conclusions The present study concludes that the different extracts of M. tinctoria leaves contain a broad spectrum of secondary metabolites and also exhibit antimicrobial activity against all the tested microorganisms. It can also be concluded that Morinda tinctoria plant can be exploited to discover the bioactive natural products that may serve as leads in the development of new pharmaceuticals.
TL;DR: In this paper, the effect of T6 heat treatment on the damping behavior of aluminum/rice husk ash (RHA) composites fabricated by vortex method was studied using dynamic mechanical analyser (DMA) at frequencies ranging from 1 Hz to 25 Hz at room temperature under three-point bending test mode.
Abstract: In the present work, effect of T6 heat treatment on the damping behaviour of aluminum/rice husk ash (RHA) composites fabricated by vortex method was studied using dynamic mechanical analyser (DMA) at frequencies ranging from 1 Hz to 25 Hz at room temperature under three-point bending test mode. The matrix material for the present work was A356·2 and reinforced with different weight % of 4, 6 and 8 rice husk ash particles. It was observed that composite exhibits high damping capacities than unreinforced alloy and increases with increase in weight % and the storage modulus increases with the addition of RHA particles but decreases with the increase in weight %. The heat treated composites exhibit higher damping capacity than the composites without heat treatment and increases with the increase in weight % of the reinforcement and loss in the storage modulus was observed and further decreases with the increase in the weight % of reinforcement. The related mechanisms were also discussed.
01 Dec 2012
TL;DR: In this paper an attempt is made to study about the variation of phase angle of digital differentiators with the application of fractional delay.
Abstract: This paper deals with the design and applications of digital differentiators For real time applications it is mandatory that a differentiator should have as small an order as possible Different procedures available for the design of FIR and IIR type digital differentiators are presented The IIR Type digital differentiators are obtained by inversion and magnitude stabilization of the existing digital integrators In some applications like controls, waveshaping, oscillators and communications require a constant 90° phase for differentiators In this paper an attempt is made to study about the variation of phase angle of digital differentiators with the application of fractional delay The use of digital differentiators for the detection of edges in an image, QRS detection in an ECG signal is illustrated It has been observed that the digital differentiators have shown superior performance compared to the well known gradient method With the proven efciency of the differentiators in various applications, they have been implemented in hardware using Verilog
TL;DR: The percentage recovery was in good agreement with the labeled amount in the pharmaceutical formulations and the method is simple, specific, precise and accurate for the determination of Letrozole in pharmaceutical formulations.
TL;DR: Two simple, accurate, precise, reproducible and economical UV spectroscopic methods for simultaneous estimation of Ciprofloxacin and Tinidazole in tablet dosage form showed good reproducibility and recovery and were successfully applied for the routine analysis of drugs in commercial tablets.
Abstract: Two simple, accurate, precise, reproducible and economical UV spectroscopic methods (A & B) for simultaneous estimation of Ciprofloxacin and Tinidazole in tablet dosage form have been developed. Method A employs solving of simultaneous equations based on the measurement of absorbance at two wavelengths, 271nm and 318nm which are the λmax values of Ciprofloxacin and Tinidazole respectively in phosphate buffer (pH 6.8). Method B is based on the principle of Q-Analysis where in the absorbance was measured at 292nm (iso-absorptive point) and 271nm (λmax of Ciprofloxacin)in phosphate buffer (pH 6.8). Ciprofloxacin and Tinidazole shows linearity at all the selected wave-lengths and obeys Beer’s law in the concentration range of 10-35µg/mL and 10-80µg/mL respectively. Recovery studies for Ciprofloxacin and Tinidazole were performed and the percentage recovery for both the drugs was obtained in the range of 98.1-99.7% (Method A) and 98.0-100.4% (Method B) confirming the accuracy of the proposed method. Both the methods showed good reproducibility and recovery with %RSD less than 2. Statistical validation of the data shows that the proposed methods can be successfully applied for the routine analysis of drugs in commercial tablets. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/icpj.v1i10.11849 International Current Pharmaceutical Journal 2012, 1(10): 317-321
TL;DR: The findings presented in this paper give guidelines for future study into the possible roles and interactions of essential trace elements in the breast carcinogenic process.
Abstract: Trace elemental imbalance in human beings is postulated to exert action, directly or indirectly, on the carcinogenic process. The objective of this study was to evaluate the levels of trace elements in blood sera of breast cancer patients and analyze their alteration with respect to healthy controls. This work was also intended to establish the role played by the trace elements in carcinogenic process. Particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE) technique was used for trace elemental analysis of blood sera of breast cancer patients and healthy controls. The PIXE measurements were carried out using a 2.5 MeV collimated proton beam from the 3 MV Tandem Pelletron accelerator at Institute of Physics, Bhubaneswar, India. On comparing the trace elemental content in the sera of breast cancer patients with those of control subjects, significant variations were observed in the levels of most of the trace elements. The serum levels of almost all the elements except Fe and Cu were observed to be depressed in cancer patients with respect to normal subjects. However, this variation was significant only for Ti (P < 0.00005), Cr (P < 0.005), Mn (P < 0.0005), Ni (P < 0.01), Zn (P < 0.000001), and Se (P < 0.05). On the other hand, significant elevations were observed in serum Fe (P < 0.05) and Cu (P < 0.005) levels in cancer patients. The findings presented in this paper give guidelines for future study into the possible roles and interactions of essential trace elements in the breast carcinogenic process.
TL;DR: Findings indicate compounds isolated from ethanolic extracts of Crotalaria sps.
TL;DR: An exact solution to the problem of flow due to the impulsive motion of an infinite vertical plate in its own plane in the presence of species concentration, Newtonian heating at the plate, and first-order chemical reaction has been derived by the Laplace transform technique.
Abstract: An exact solution to the problem of flow due to the impulsive motion of an infinite vertical plate in its own plane in the presence of i) species concentration, ii) Newtonian heating at the plate, and iii) first-order chemical reaction has been derived by the Laplace transform technique. The influence of various parameters entering into the problem on the velocity field and skin friction for both air and water in the cases of both cooling and heating of the plate is discussed.
TL;DR: A ranking method for ordering fuzzy numbers based on area, mode, spreads and weights of generalized fuzzy numbers is described, which can rank various types of fuzzy numbers and also crisp numbers which are considered to be a special case of fuzzyNumbers.
Abstract: This paper describes a ranking method for ordering fuzzy numbers based on area, mode, spreads and weights of generalized fuzzy numbers. The area used in this method is obtained from the generalized trapezoidal fuzzy number, first by splitting the generalized trapezoidal fuzzy numbers into three plane figures and then calculating the centroids of each plane figure followed by the centroid of these centroids and then finding the area of this centroid from origin which is a process of defuzzification proposed in this paper. This method is simple in evaluation and can rank various types of fuzzy numbers and also crisp numbers which are considered to be a special case of fuzzy numbers.
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TL;DR: Ranula is a form of mucocele which specifically occurs in the floor of the mouth in association with the ducts of the submaxillary or sublingual gland.
Abstract: Ranula is a form of mucocele which specifically occurs in the floor of the mouth in association with the ducts of the submaxillary or sublingual gland. The term Ranula is derived from the Latin word Rana which means ‘Belly of frog’, because the lesions in the floor of the mouth resemble the bulging underbelly of a frog. The formation of ranula is thought to be due to the excretory duct rupture followed by extravasation and accumulation of saliva into the surrounding tissue. The accumulation of mucous in the surrounding connective tissue forms a pseudocyst that lacks an epithelial lining. Ranulas have classically been divided into simple and diving/plunging/cervical. Simple ranulas remain confined to the sublingual space, whereas diving ranulas extend beyond it [1]. Plunging ranula though rare are well documented causes of neck swelling. It is accepted that they arise as a result of extravasation of saliva from the sublingual gland through a hiatus in the mylohyoid muscle. If the only presentation is a cervical swelling, diagnosis can be difficult and advanced diagnostic technique like CT plays an important role in diagnosis.
TL;DR: Positive results of the study indicated the applicability of PECs in the design of oral controlled release drug delivery systems.
Abstract: The phenomena of polymer interactions and formation of polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs) of oppositely charged polymers have been the focus of interest in fundamental and applied research. Such PECs may possess unique properties that are different from those of individual polymers. In the present study, attempts were made to prepare PECs of negative colloid gum karaya (GK) and positively charged polysaccharide chitosan (CH). The association and factors affecting the interactions between GK and CH were studied by pH and conductivity studies. The dried complexes were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transformed Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy. The PECs were utilized for encapsulation of diclofenac sodium. Selected polyelectrolyte microparticles were compressed into tablets and were compared with commercial sustained release product Voveran SR®. Positive results of the study indicated the applicability of PECs in the design of oral controlled release drug delivery systems.
TL;DR: In this article, the effects of alum as coagulant in conjunction with bean, sago, and chitin as co-agulants on the removal of color, turbidity, hardness, and Escherichia coli from water were investigated.
Abstract: Access to safe drinking water is important as a health and development issue at national, regional, and local levels. About one billion people do not have healthy drinking water. More than six million people (about two million children) die because of diarrhea which is caused by polluted water. Developing countries pay a high cost to import chemicals including polyaluminium chloride and alum. This is the reason why these countries need low-cost methods requiring low maintenance and skill. The use of synthetic coagulants is not regarded as suitable due to health and economic considerations. The present study was aimed to investigate the effects of alum as coagulant in conjunction with bean, sago, and chitin as coagulants on the removal of color, turbidity, hardness, and Escherichia coli from water. A conventional jar test apparatus was employed for the tests. The study was taken up in three stages, initially with synthetic waters, followed by testing of the efficiency of coagulants individually on surface waters and, lastly, testing of blended coagulants. The experiment was conducted at three different pH conditions of 6, 7, and 8. The dosages chosen were 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2 mg/l. The results showed that turbidity decrease provided also a primary E. coli reduction. Hardness removal efficiency was observed to be 93% at pH 7 with 1-mg/l concentration by alum, whereas chitin was stable at all the pH ranges showing the highest removal at 1 and 1.5mg/l with pH 7. In conclusion, using natural coagulants results in considerable savings in chemicals and sludge handling cost may be achieved.