Universal Journal of Carbon Research

Correlating Heat Treatment Conditions with the Physicochemical Properties of Thermally Reduced Graphene Oxide-Based Materials: A Comprehensive Review

Hamdane AKBI — 2024-07-25

The straightforward, cost-efficient, and scalable route of preparing graphene oxide-based materials (GOBMs) from graphite and transforming them into thermally reduced graphene oxide-based materials (T-RGOBMs) through heat treatment offers unparalleled versatility in customizing and refining the physicochemical properties of T-RGOBMs for various applications. To fully exploit the potential of this route, it is essential to determine the correlation between the physicochemical properties of the resulting T-RGOBMs and the preparation and heat treatment conditions of GOBMs. This article intends to provide a comprehensive discussion of the use of heat treatment routes to prepare T-RGOBMs with finely tuned physicochemical properties for specific applications. The review will focus on the key factors that can affect the end-product features, including the method of preparation of graphite oxide, the physical form of the ensuing GOBMs, and the parameters of the heat treatment process, such as temperature, heating rate, duration, atmosphere, and pressure. Furthermore, it will concentrate on the thermal transformations that take place during heat treatment, delve into the mechanisms and kinetics governing thermal decomposition, evaluate the potential risks associated with reducing GOBMs through heat treatment, and outline strategies to ensure a safe reduction process. The review will also explore recent advancements in the application of T-RGOBMs, providing examples of heat treatment strategies employed across various fields, including supercapacitors, gas sensing, and interference shielding. It serves as a useful guide for researchers and practitioners looking to appropriately prepare GOBMs and safely utilize the heat treatment to fine-tune their properties toward specific applications.

The Empirical Assessment of Renewable Energy Consumption, CO2 Emissions and Economic Growth of Nigeria

Muhammad Mustapha — 2024-07-25

The study captures the interconnection between economic growth, environmental impact, and energy use well as the role renewable energy and environmental practices play in these dynamics. which an investigation we carried out using data from the World Bank Development indicator. The link that connects CO2 emissions, renewable energy, fossil fuel energy, and economic growth in Nigeria between 1990 and 2020 was examined in this study. Due to the influence of other elements that different countries embrace, such as technology development and energy efficiency, the relationship is not always clear-cut. The result of the bound test was in favor of the variables' cointegration. The long-term equilibrium correction was calculated using the error correction model (ECM). This finding agrees with the majority of research findings in the body of literature that has already been published that discovered a negative impact between C02 emission and Renewable Energy both in the short and long term. Additionally, there is a short-term significant connection between CO2 emissions and fossil fuel energy, but this relationship will converge to a negative one over time (long run). Additionally, C02 emissions have a detrimental long-term and short-term impact on GDP. As a result, this study suggests using cleaner technology to maximize the benefits of renewable energy sources, particularly wood biomass, while reducing their drawbacks.

Forecast modeling of the resource potential of forests in the volga river basin for the regulation of carbon cycle and mitigation of global warming

Erland G. Kolomyts — 2024-07-25

One of the most important ways to achieve the goals stipulated by the Paris (2015) Agree-ment on Climate Change is to solve a two-fold task: 1) the absorption of CO₂ by the forest communities from the atmosphere during global warming and 2) their adaptation to these climate changes, which should ensure the effectiveness of adsorption itself. Given report presents the regional experience of the numerical solution of this task. Calculations of the carbon balance of forest formations in the Oka-Volga River basin were carried out for global forecasts of moderate and extreme warming. The proposed index of labile elastic-plastic stability of forest ecosystems, which characterizes their succession-restorative po-tential, was used as an indicator of adaptation. It plays the role of a direct environmental factor. A numerical experiment was conducted to assess the effect of the elastic-plastic stability of forest formations and the predicted climatic conditions on the carbon balance. A total of 11 linear equations were obtained (with a significance level of P <10^-6). The ob-tained values of the carbon balance of forest formations were compared with the initial (base) and final (final) sustainability indicators. In the upcoming 100-year forecast period, the overall stability of forest formations should increase, and to the greatest extent with extreme warming. Accordingly, one should expect a significant increase in the ability of boreal forests to ab-sorb greenhouse gases. It is determined unambiguous picture of a sig-nificant increase in the adsorption capacity of boreal forests with an increase in their regen-erative potential.

Highly-effective removal of methylene blue dye using Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) Pods modified with HCl: Optimization using response surface methodology

Kana Dénise Félicité — 2024-07-25

In this study, the cocoa pods modified with hydrochloric acid (CCA) was prepared and used as bio sorbent for methylene blue (MB) removal in aqueous solution. The CCA was characterized by Fourier Transformed Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and pH of point zero charge (pHpzc). The response surface methodology-full factorial design (RSM-FFD) approach was used to investigate the most influential biosorption parameters and optimize their effects on MB adsorbed quantity. The linear and non-linear regression have been used to find the best fit of isotherms and kinetics models. The optimum sorption parameters were found to be 6.0, 240 mg/L and 30 mg for the pH, MB initial concentration and adsorbent dose respectively. Under these optimum conditions, the MB adsorbed quantity was found to be 150.45 mg/g. The RSM-FFD based on the ANOVA revealed that, there was a good fit between the experimental and predicted values respect to the probability (P<0.05) and with 95% degree of confidence. The polynomial equation well explained the synergetic and antagonistic effects of examined factors on MB adsorbed quantity onto CCA. The Freundlich, D.K.R and Temkin isotherms models in one hand, the pseudo-first and pseudo-second order kinetics in order hand gave the best fit for the non-linear MB sorption data. These results demonstrated that, the CCA is a promising, low-cost and eco-friend sorbent for dyes remediation in aqueous medium.