South African Journal of Chemical Engineering最新文献

{"title":"Influence of silica addition in magnetite (Fe3O4) particles on physical properties for the application of nano-lubricant","authors":"Muhammadin Hamid ,&nbsp;Indri Dayana ,&nbsp;Habib Satria ,&nbsp;Dadan Ramdan ,&nbsp;Junaidi ,&nbsp;Muhammad Fadlan Siregar ,&nbsp;Dewi Sholeha ,&nbsp;Hadi Wijoyo","doi":"10.1016/j.sajce.2025.11.012","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajce.2025.11.012","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The preparation of silica-coated magnetite nanoparticles as a lubricant additive has been successfully carried out. The material was prepared using a combination of coprecipitation and ultrasonic methods. In this study, SEM characterization was also performed to support morphological analysis, XRD was performed to determine crystalline properties, and FTIR analysis was performed to help identify functional groups. Based on these characterizations, the silica was successfully coated with magnetite. Then, AAS testing, Viscosity, and lubricant tests were conducted to assess the impact of adding silica-coated magnetite to the lubricant. The stability of lubricants using magnetite, both without and with the addition of TEOS, at a viscosity of 100 °C, is 8.65 mm²/s and 8.96 mm²/s, respectively, for lubricants and nano-lubricants. The total base number showed the exact value of 0.55 in both the lubricant and nano-lubricant, and the contaminant results obtained. In conclusion, additives can produce suitable nano-lubricants.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21926,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Chemical Engineering","volume":"55 ","pages":"Pages 238-243"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145621231","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Photoelectrocatalytic degradation of tetracycline by a novel Gr /Ni-Sb-SnO2 photo-anode","authors":"Heba F. Uonis,&nbsp;Ali H. Abbar","doi":"10.1016/j.sajce.2025.10.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajce.2025.10.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The widespread use of pharmaceutical products in pharmaceutical therapies and agriculture has led to environmental pollution worldwide. In this work, a photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) process was applied for the degradation of a typical pharmaceutical product, tetracycline (TC), via a novel graphite (Gr)/Ni-Sb-SnO₂ photo-anode. The effect of nickel doping on the catalytic activity of the photo-anode was investigated with the help of XRD, SEM, AFM, and LSV techniques. The influence of several PEC parameters such as current density, pH, and initial concentration on the degradation of TC was studied and optimized using a response surface methodology (RSM). It was found that the Gr/Ni-Sb-SnO₂ (1:5:95) is the best photo-anode for TC degradation, and that increasing the nickel content above 1 % has a negative effect on the Gr/Ni-Sb-SnO₂ efficiency. RSM was found to be effective in describing the mathematical model linking PEC variables with TC removal at a correlation coefficient of 98.89 %. A significant interaction between the variables was observed in PEC, with the square term contributing 64.94 % to the model, and current density was the most important factor affecting TC degradation. The optimal conditions were a current density of 4.6 mA/cm², pH of 4.36, an initial concentration of 43 mg/L, and a time of 150 min in which a TC removal rate of 83.7 % was achieved corresponding to a COD removal of 62.3 % at a total energy consumption of 64.46 kWh/m³. A significant synergistic effect of PEC was observed, with rate constant being 1.56 times higher than that obtained for the photocatalytic process alone. In addition, the Gr/Ni-Sb-SnO₂ (1:5:95) photo-anode exhibited excellent degradation stability after five cycles of degradation test. Hence, Gr/Ni-Sb-SnO₂ (1:5:95) may serve as a good photo-anode for the photoelectrochemical treatment of industrial wastewaters.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21926,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Chemical Engineering","volume":"55 ","pages":"Pages 24-39"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145366028","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Investigation of the two-way movement of Williamson micropolar fluid in a porous medium with consideration of activation energy and thermal radiation","authors":"Rassol Hamed Rasheed ,&nbsp;Moafaq K.S. Al-Ghezi ,&nbsp;Mohammed Ali ,&nbsp;Ravishankar Sathyamurthy ,&nbsp;Mujtaba A. Flayyih ,&nbsp;Suhaeb sabbar rahi ,&nbsp;Hussein Togun ,&nbsp;Ahmed Mouthanna ,&nbsp;Davood Domiri Ganji","doi":"10.1016/j.sajce.2025.11.014","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajce.2025.11.014","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The flow of Williamson fluid over a stretched sheet serves as a model for various real-world scenarios involving the interaction of non-Newtonian fluids with moving surfaces. Its notable practical applications are in the fields of Polymer Processing, Food Processing, and Biomedical Applications. The primary goal of the proposed model is to investigate the effects of Ohmic heating and viscous dissipation on the bidirectional flow of Williamson and micropolar fluids within a porous medium over an extending surface. <strong>This study is novel in that it employs the FEM(Finite Element Method) approach to analyze the numerical values of the fluid and thermal characteristics of an incompressible convective flow over a flat surface for the first time. Another novel aspect of this work is the investigation of Arrhenius function terms and magnetic forces in moving fluid flow.</strong> Heat convection and velocity slip at the surface are also examined. The mathematical model of the problem results in higher-order, nonlinear ordinary differential equations through the appropriate combination of variables. The Finite Element Method is used to solve the given nonlinear system of differential equations. The present study has revealed several significant insights, notably that skin friction increases with the enhancement of porosity, as well as the characteristics of Williamson fluids and micropolar fluids. Flow patterns are analyzed and visualized by examining and graphing various components that result from the analysis. As the slip parameter increases, the velocity field decreases in the x-direction. As the heat transfer of the Williamson fluid flowing over the stretched sheet increases at k = 3, its velocity is approximately 45.55 % greater compared to the k = 1 case under the lowest heat transfer condition. The velocity in the x-direction decreases as the slip parameter increases. Additionally, it has been observed that the concentration of the Williamson fluid decreases, while the temperature distribution increases with higher Eckert number values.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21926,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Chemical Engineering","volume":"55 ","pages":"Pages 285-297"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145621203","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Novel carbon-based photocatalysts for degradation of micropollutants","authors":"Neha Rajpal ,&nbsp;Esther Naidoo ,&nbsp;Ebrahim Kadwa ,&nbsp;Sinethemba Xabela ,&nbsp;Martina Dlasková ,&nbsp;Olga Šolcová ,&nbsp;Karel Soukup ,&nbsp;Milan Carsky ,&nbsp;David Lokhat","doi":"10.1016/j.sajce.2025.12.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajce.2025.12.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this study, novel TiO₂ doped photocatalysts based on carbon foam derived from <em>Typha capensis</em>, a sustainable and naturally abundant biomass source, were prepared and evaluated for removal of an organic dye. The carbon foam was produced through a unique two-step process involving baking and carbonization, followed by chemical activation using either NaOH or HCl to improve its surface area, porosity, and surface chemistry. TiO₂ was then immobilised onto the activated carbon foam using a sol-gel method to enhance photocatalytic activity. The materials were extensively characterised, with BET surface area analysis showing a significant increase after chemical activation. The base-activated foam demonstrated the highest surface area. Microscopic analysis revealed a porous foam structure and confirmed the even distribution of TiO₂ particles on the carbon surface. X-ray diffraction analysis verified the presence of the anatase phase of TiO₂, which is known for its superior photocatalytic activity. Photocatalytic tests showed that the acid-activated carbon foam doped with TiO₂ exhibited the best performance, achieving a Rhodamine B degradation efficiency of approximately 19% under UV light. The superior activity is believed to stem from the improved surface chemistry introduced by acid activation, which aids TiO₂ dispersion and interaction with the pollutant molecules. This study highlights the potential of the novel carbon foam as a sustainable, low-cost, and potentially effective photocatalyst support for water treatment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21926,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Chemical Engineering","volume":"55 ","pages":"Pages 358-367"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145736217","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Influence of carbon sources and biosurfactants on selenite and lead bioremediation by Enterococcus sp","authors":"Job T. Tendenedzai,&nbsp;Evans M.N. Chirwa,&nbsp;Hendrik G. Brink","doi":"10.1016/j.sajce.2025.10.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajce.2025.10.008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study explored <em>Enterococcus</em> sp.'s potential for bioremediating selenite (SeO₃²⁻) and lead (Pb²⁺) contamination using different carbon sources (glucose, cooking oil and crude oil) while elucidating the underlying mechanisms. Aerobic batch reduction experiments were conducted (35±2 °C, 120 rpm, pH≈8, 50 h) with an initial 1 mM concentration of either SeO₃²⁻or Pb²⁺ which was quantified by Ion Chromatography and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy respectively. Key results showed that carbon source selection significantly influenced SeO₃²⁻and Pb²⁺ removal rates, elemental selenium (Se⁰) formation, and protein synthesis. Glucose and cooking oil were found to be the most efficient, leading to rapid SeO₃²⁻reduction (58 % and 55 % reduction, respectively), compared to crude oil (39 %). Similarly, Pb²⁺ removal rates followed a similar trend, with 38 %, 33 %, and 25 % reduction using glucose, cooking oil, and crude oil, respectively. The study also highlighted <em>Enterococcus</em> sp.'s varied mechanisms for SeO₃²⁻and Pb²⁺ reduction, with SeO₃²⁻ precipitating to Se⁰ while no precipitation of Pb²⁺ to Pb⁰ was observed. Furthermore, the bacteria exhibited versatility in biosurfactant production across the various carbon substrates. The biosurfactants notably promoted Se⁰ precipitation thus shedding light on their potential role in metal ion bioreduction.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21926,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Chemical Engineering","volume":"55 ","pages":"Pages 63-71"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145420016","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Oxidative torrefaction of eucalyptus woodchips using a silica sand layer for bioenergy enhancement","authors":"Juan Pablo Arteaga-Ramos ,&nbsp;Gabriel Alexandre-Pio ,&nbsp;Millos Julian Enrique Jinete-Torres ,&nbsp;José Claúdio Caraschi ,&nbsp;Gretta Larisa Aurora Arce-Ferrufino ,&nbsp;Ivonete Ávila ,&nbsp;Carlos Manuel Romero-Luna","doi":"10.1016/j.sajce.2025.11.019","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajce.2025.11.019","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Due to the increase in energy demand in recent years, renewable energy sources have gained greater prominence, with biomass considered as the fourth source of renewable energy. In Brazil, a biomass of great importance is the woodchips generated by the industrial production of eucalyptus. Eucalyptus woodchips are mainly used as fuel in several industries, however, like other biomasses, they have some disadvantages such as low calorific value and high humidity. These disadvantages can be minimized by the torrefaction process. The literature has presented several options, one of which is oxidative dry torrefaction. Within oxidative torrefaction, there is a form where the biomass is immersed in a bed of inert material, however this form of torrefaction is still under study. In this work, sand-assisted oxidative torrefaction of eucalyptus woodchips is studied, evaluating the temperature in the range of 200 – 300 °C, the high of the mineral layer in 3, 6, 12 cm, and two times of torrefaction 30 and 60 min. The torrefaction temperature range was varied, in addition, variables such as time and height of the sand bed will be evaluated. The results obtained indicate that the yield of torrefied biomass is inversely proportional to temperature and time. Furthermore, the height of the sand bed has an influence on the yield and properties of the torrefied biomass. Sand-assisted oxidative torrefaction improves high heating value, reduces moisture content, and increases grindability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21926,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Chemical Engineering","volume":"55 ","pages":"Pages 316-324"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145680947","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Experimentation of various co-culture fermentation strategies for better efficiency bioethanol production using wild cassava flour (Manihot glaziovii Muell. Arg) as substrate","authors":"Ida Bagus Wayan Gunam ,&nbsp;I Gede Arya Sujana ,&nbsp;I M. Mahaputra Wijaya ,&nbsp;I Wayan Arnata ,&nbsp;Yohanes Setiyo ,&nbsp;I Wayan Wisma Pradnyana Putra","doi":"10.1016/j.sajce.2025.11.013","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajce.2025.11.013","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The continuous increase in global demand for fossil-based fuels has driven the need for sustainable and renewable energy alternatives such as bioethanol. Wild cassava (<em>Manihot glaziovii</em> Muell. Arg), a non-edible starch-rich crop with high cyanogenic content, represents a promising feedstock for bioethanol production without competing with food resources. This study aimed to enhance bioethanol production efficiency from wild cassava flour (WCF) through various co-culture fermentation strategies combining <em>Aspergillus niger</em> FNCC 6018, isolate R5I4, and isolate R5I3 under Simultaneous Saccharification and Fermentation (SSF) and Simultaneous Saccharification and Co-Fermentation (SSCF) conditions. The fermentation was conducted at 35°C and pH 5 for 7–8 days in a 250 mL bioreactor containing 33.33 g of WCF and 166.67 mL of distilled water, with agitation at 100 rpm. Among 17 treatment combinations, the co-culture of R5I4, <em>A. niger</em> FNCC 6018, and R5I3, added at the 96th hour, yielded the highest ethanol concentration (28.277 ± 0.228 g/L), efficiency (46.20 ± 0.37%), productivity (0.168 g/L/h), and yield coefficient (0.028 g/g). SEM and HPLC analyses confirmed efficient starch hydrolysis and glucose-to-ethanol conversion. Phylogenetic analysis identified R5I3 as closely related to <em>Candida orthopsilosis</em> (91 %) and R5I4 to <em>Klebsiella variicola</em> (83 %). These findings demonstrate that wild cassava flour is a viable substrate for efficient bioethanol production using co-culture SSF/SSCF systems. Future work should focus on scaling up fermentation, optimizing environmental parameters, and exploring the metabolic engineering of the microbial consortium to improve ethanol yield and process economics further.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21926,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Chemical Engineering","volume":"55 ","pages":"Pages 271-284"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145621202","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Green synthesis of bimetal Mg-Y doped ZnO nanorods using extract of Sargassum siliquosum and their potential as biomedical materials","authors":"Yetria Rilda ,&nbsp;Wilna Putri Akmalya ,&nbsp;Upita Septiani ,&nbsp;Syukri Syukri ,&nbsp;Anthoni Agustien ,&nbsp;Hilfi Pardi ,&nbsp;Nofrijon Sofyan","doi":"10.1016/j.sajce.2025.11.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajce.2025.11.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The macroalga Sargassum siliquosum contains amino-cellulose bioactive compounds that act as stabilizing agents and growth controllers for metal precursor ions in the synthesis of Mg-Y/ZnO nanorods. This study aims to improve the multifunctional biomedical performance of ZnO (antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antidiabetic) through bimetal ion doping using Magnesium (Mg²⁺, 0.71 Å) and Yttrium (Y³⁺, 1.05 Å) at concentration ratios of 0.01–0.03 M within the ZnO lattice. Thermal analysis (TGA/DTA) shows that Mg-Y doping reduces the thermal stabilization temperature of ZnO from 800°C to 600°C. X-ray diffraction confirms the formation of a hexagonal wurtzite structure without secondary phases, supported by Rietveld refinement, FT-IR bonding profiles, and UV-Vis (Tauc plot) band gap narrowing to 3.01–3.10 eV. FE-SEM images reveal nanorod morphology of 25–35 µm, while EDX verifies Mg and Y incorporation. The doped samples exhibit strong antibacterial activity, with inhibition zones of ≥ 20 mm against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The 0.03 M Mg-Y/ZnO sample exhibits the highest biomedical performance, with significant antioxidant (IC₅₀ = 71.6 mg/L), anti-inflammatory (368 mg/L), and antidiabetic (420 mg/L) activities. These results indicate that Mg-Y bimetal doping enhances ZnO functionality and offers promising potential as a multifunctional biomedical material.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21926,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Chemical Engineering","volume":"55 ","pages":"Pages 119-130"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145517647","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Predictive ANN analysis of hydrothermal and entropy behavior of corrugated heat exchanger featuring tetra-hybrid nanofluid","authors":"Salma Jahan,&nbsp;Rehena Nasrin","doi":"10.1016/j.sajce.2025.12.012","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajce.2025.12.012","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Compact energy systems need working fluids with exceptional heat transfer (HT) properties for effective thermal management. Though their behavior in complex microchannels is little studied, tetra-hybrid nanofluids of four nanoparticles show great potential. This research employs numerical analysis to investigate the thermo-hydraulic characteristics of a tetra-hybrid nanofluid comprising multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), boron nitride (BN), nanodiamond (ND), and graphene (G) in a sinusoidal wavy crossflow microchannel heat exchanger (SWCFMCHE). The governing equations were solved using Galerkin’s weighted residual finite element method (FEM). Furthermore, an artificial neural network (ANN) model was developed to accurately predict key performance parameters such as Nusselt number (<em>Nu</em>), efficiency (ε), and performance index (<em>η</em>). The wavy microchannel heat exchanger’s heat transfer rate (HTR) was assessed by varying several important factors, such as the nanoparticle solid-volume fraction (<span><math><mi>ϕ</mi></math></span> = 0.01–2 %), number of wave cycles (NWC = 0–3), inlet velocity (<span><math><msub><mi>u</mi><mi>i</mi></msub></math></span> = 0.0038–0.2479 m/s), and heat exchanger (HE) material (copper, aluminum, and stainless steel). For comparison, several heat transferring fluids, including water and water-based hybrid, ternary, and tetra-hybrid nanofluids, were also investigated. Results show that tetra-hybrid nanofluid offers the highest HTR among all tested fluids at equal concentration ratios, <span><math><mi>ϕ</mi></math></span> = 2 %, particle diameter (<em>dp</em>) = 1 nm, nanoparticles shape factor (<span><math><mi>n</mi></math></span>) = 16.1576, and NWC = 2. In case of tetra-hybrid nanofluid, the highest <span><math><mrow><mi>N</mi><mi>u</mi></mrow></math></span> = 16.749 is achieved at <span><math><mrow><msub><mi>u</mi><mi>i</mi></msub><mo>=</mo><mn>0.2479</mn></mrow></math></span>m/s, showing enhancements of 19 %, 13 %, 9 %, and 4 % compared to all other heat transferring fluids. The highest efficiency (71.2 %) and performance index (601 × 10³) are observed for the tetra hybrid nanofluid at <span><math><mrow><msub><mi>u</mi><mi>i</mi></msub><mo>=</mo><mn>0.0038</mn></mrow></math></span> m/s. The ANN model accurately predicts thermo-hydraulic parameters. Overall, this integrated numerical and data-driven framework offers new insights into nanoparticle synergy and geometric enhancement, making a significant contribution to the design of efficient heat exchangers (HEs).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21926,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Chemical Engineering","volume":"55 ","pages":"Pages 439-459"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145839565","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhanced CO₂ adsorption capacity using activated serpentine: A study of process variables and breakthrough curve analysis","authors":"Alvan Ade Reza ,&nbsp;Mahidin Mahidin ,&nbsp;Yunardi Yunardi ,&nbsp;Asri Gani ,&nbsp;Edi Munawar","doi":"10.1016/j.sajce.2025.10.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sajce.2025.10.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the optimization of CO₂ adsorption using activated serpentine in a fixed-bed reactor, focusing on the effects of particle size (50 to 150 mesh), activation temperature (650 to 850 °C), activation duration (1.5 to 4.5 h), and CO₂ flow rate (0.1 to 1.0 SLPM). Characterization results indicate that thermal activation enhances surface area, pore structure, and adsorption efficiency. Experimental findings reveal that activation at 850 °C, with a 100 mesh particle size, achieves the highest adsorption efficiency, while the 150 mesh fraction exhibits the highest adsorption rate (0.71 mL/min g). An activation duration of 1.5 h provides an optimal balance between structural stability and reactivity, whereas a flow rate of 0.5 SLPM results in the highest adsorption efficiency (R² = 99.55 %). Breakthrough curve analysis confirms that smaller particle sizes and lower flow rates extend adsorption duration and enhance overall adsorption efficiency. Kinetic modeling using the Thomas, Yoon-Nelson, and Clark models demonstrates that the Clark and Yoon-Nelson models provide the most accurate predictions, with R² values reaching up to 99.55 % and lower Reduced Chi-Square values across various experimental conditions. The optimized adsorption conditions, including 850 °C activation, 100 mesh particle size, 1.5 h activation duration, and a 0.5 SLPM flow rate, achieve a balance between adsorption capacity and kinetics. These findings contribute to the advancement of serpentine-based adsorbents for carbon capture and storage (CCS) applications, supporting efforts to mitigate industrial CO₂ emissions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21926,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Chemical Engineering","volume":"55 ","pages":"Pages 50-62"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145420017","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}