Journal of Materials Science Research and Reviews

Conversion of Mango Wood Sawdust into Biochar: Preparation & Structural Characterization

Tue, 26 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Effective and affordable methods for removing heavy metals (HMs) are urgently required, as these contaminants pose significant risks to both human health and the environment. Adsorption has emerged as a highly promising therapeutic technique in recent years due to the difficulty of biodegrading and transforming heavy metals. Due to its wide range of potential applications, biochar (BC), a sustainable and inexpensive adsorbent substance made from agricultural waste, has recently garnered a lot of research interest. Mango wood sawdust was converted into biochar utilizing the pyrolysis process in an oxygen-limited environment. The pyrolysis process was carried out until the temperature reached 600 degrees Celsius while the heating rate was kept at 5 degrees Celsius per minute. While XRD analysis shows a broad diffraction peak around 26 degrees (2 theta), indicating the presence of amorphous carbon with partially ordered graphite structures with 3.34865 A⁰ d-spacing. SEM analysis clearly shows highly porous sites that increase surface area, attachment sites, and water retention capacity as well as increase adsorption of heavy metals and increase cation exchange capacity. Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) method showed peak position between 600 and 800 nm indicates that most biochar is of a comparable size, carefully regulated synthesis conditions with the average particle size about 700 nm. This work helps to sustainable waste management and environmental protection by highlighting the efficient use of agricultural waste to create value-added carbon products. In order to determine its true effectiveness, future research will employ this biochar in real-world water treatment procedures across a range of industries. Future research will also examine the prepared biochar's recyclable and reusable qualities.

Eco-Friendly Carbon Dots Derived from Non-lignin Cellulose of Borassus aethiopum for Corrosion Mitigation of Mild Steel in Hydrochloric Acid

Izuchukwu O. Madu, Joseph T. Nwabanne, Iheoma C. Nwuzor — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This study investigated the synthesis, characterization, and corrosion inhibition performance of non-lignin-containing cellulose-based carbon dots (NLC-CDs) derived from African fan palm (Borassus aethiopum) for mild steel protection in 1 M HCl solution. Non-lignin-containing cellulose was extracted from African fan palm fibers through alkaline treatment and subsequently converted into carbon dots using a hydrothermal method at 160 °C for 12 h. The synthesized NLC-CDs were characterized using UV–Vis spectroscopy, FTIR, TEM, and scanning probe microscopy analyses. UV–Vis analysis revealed characteristic absorption peaks associated with π–π* and n–π* transitions, while FTIR confirmed the presence of oxygen-containing functional groups responsible for adsorption behavior. TEM results showed uniformly dispersed spherical nanoparticles with an average particle size of approximately 7.45 nm. Corrosion inhibition performance was evaluated using weight loss and electrochemical techniques. The results demonstrated that inhibition efficiency increased with inhibitor concentration, reaching a maximum efficiency above 90% at 200 mg/L. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy revealed increased charge transfer resistance and reduced double-layer capacitance in the presence of NLC-CDs, confirming the formation of a protective adsorbed film on the mild steel surface. SEM, EDS, and AFM surface analyses further verified reduced surface deterioration and smoother morphologies for inhibited samples. Adsorption studies followed the Langmuir adsorption isotherm, indicating monolayer adsorption behavior. The findings establish NLC-CDs from Borassus aethiopum as an eco-friendly, effective, and sustainable green corrosion inhibitor for mild steel in acidic environments.

Evaluation of the Proximate Composition of Date Fruit (Phoenix dactylifera L.) and Its Potential Health Benefits

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Date fruit (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is a nutritionally important crop consumed widely in arid and semi-arid regions, where it contributes to energy intake and food security. Processing date fruit into powder may improve handling, storage stability and its suitability for use as a natural sweetening ingredient. This study evaluated the proximate composition of laboratory-processed Phoenix dactylifera L. powder and considered its potential nutritional relevance based on the measured composition. Fully ripened date fruits at the Tamr stage were cleaned, deseeded, dried in a hot-air oven at 60–70°C, milled and sieved to obtain a uniform powder. Moisture, ash, crude protein, crude fat and crude fibre were determined using standard analytical procedures, while total carbohydrate was estimated by difference. Analyses were conducted in triplicate, and results were expressed as mean ± standard deviation. The powder contained total carbohydrate as the predominant component (69.42 ± 4.48%), followed by crude fat (14.85 ± 6.25%), moisture (11.04 ± 1.14%), ash (2.49 ± 0.01%), crude fibre (2.03 ± 2.11%) and crude protein (0.17 ± 0.06%). The proximate fractions differed significantly (p < 0.05), with carbohydrate being approximately six to ten times higher than the other measured nutrients. The relatively low moisture content suggests improved storage stability, while the ash fraction indicates the presence of inorganic mineral constituents. The high carbohydrate level confirms that date fruit powder is an energy-rich material with potential use in food formulation and as a natural sweetening ingredient. However, health-related implications remain inferential because individual minerals, bioactive compounds, antioxidant activity and direct physiological effects were not experimentally assessed in this study.