Universiti Teknologi Petronas

About: Universiti Teknologi Petronas is a education organization based out in Ipoh, Malaysia. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Adsorption & Ionic liquid. The organization has 6127 authors who have published 11284 publications receiving 119400 citations.

A critical review of development and demulsification mechanisms of crude oil emulsion in the petroleum industry

Abstract: The need for efficient demulsification process to treat emulsions in the petroleum industry is well acknowledged. For decades, numerous researches have been conducted to examine mechanisms of emulsification and demulsification. Untreated emulsion has both technical and commercial implications in the industry, especially in terms of treatment facilities, refining and transportation. Effective treatment is needed to ensure optimum production of hydrocarbons. The present paper is to review reported works on the formation of petroleum emulsions, demulsification treatments, characteristics of fit-for-purpose demulsifiers as well as research trends in emulsion treatment. Crude oils are naturally combined with natural surfactants having high tendency to form stable emulsion. The stable emulsion must be treated well to meet industrial requirements since crudes with a high volume of stable emulsion have a less value. Therefore, fundamental studies on natural surfactants, which contribute to the emulsion stability, are analyzed for the effective separation of emulsions into oil and water. This would involve the assessment of various reported mechanisms for the emulsification and right formulation for effective demulsification.

A Jatropha biomass as renewable materials for biocomposites and its applications.

Abstract: This review deals with the study of Jatropha biomass as renewable materials for biocomposites and its applications. Jatropha curcas is a multipurpose plant with many attributes and considerable potential. Jatropha plant is cultivated worldwide but it has specific cultivation area in Central and South America, Africa, and South Asia. The Jatropha plant produces many useful products, especially the seed from which oil can be extracted. Extracted oil has similar properties to palm oil and possible to obtain many products after processing. As biomass, Jatropha plant can used as a reinforcement in biocomposite development. Jatropha contain high amount of carbon especially in seed/husk, fruit shell and seed cake and can be used as filler in composite fabrication in the form of carbon black and activated carbon. In this review, we will discuss the distribution of Jatropha around the globe, chemical composition of various parts and extracts of Jatropha and their mechanical and physical properties. We will also cover the use of Jatropha biomass in various technical and biocomposite applications. With the development of green technology, Jatropha latex can be reduced to nanoparticle size. The chemical and physical properties of Jatropha contribute to its applications in food and non-food Products.

Acne analysis, grading and computational assessment methods: an overview.

Abstract: Introduction: This paper presents a comprehensive review of acne grading and measurement. Acne is a chronic disorder of the pilosebaceous units, with excess sebum production, follicular epidermal hyperproliferation, inflammation and Propionibacterium acnes activity. Most patients are affected with acne vulgaris, which is the prevalent type of acne. Acne vulgaris consists of comedones (whitehead and blackhead), papules, pustules, nodules and cysts. Objectives: To review and identify the issues for acne vulgaris grading and computational assessment methods. To determine the future direction for addressing the identified issues. Methods: There are two main methods of assessment for acne severity grading, namely, lesion counting and comparison of patient with a photographic standard. For the computational assessment method, the emphasis is on computational imaging techniques. Results: Current acne grading methods are very time consuming and tedious. Generally, they rely on approximation for counting lesions and hence the assessment is quite subjective, with both inter and intra-observer variability. It is important to accurately assess acne grade to evaluate its severity as this influences treatment selection and assessment of response to therapy. This will further help in better disease management and more efficacious treatment. Conclusion: Semi-automated or automated methods based on computational imaging techniques should be devised for acne grade assessment.