Nik Normunira Mat Hassan

The increase in the production of municipal solid waste (MSW) and oil palm biomass in Malaysia needs to be managed using more advanced thermochemical solutions to overcome the shortcomings of existing conventional gasification technologies such as high tar production, low conversion efficiency, and unstable syngas quality. This study was conducted to evaluate the performance of a thermal arc plasma co-gasification process using a combination of oil palm empty bunches (EFB) and plastic waste, specifically low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as feedstock. The experiments were conducted in triplicates to ensure data reliability, using a 9 kW plasma integrated downdraft reactor operating at atmospheric pressure with a reaction time of 10–12 minutes at 90/10, 80/20, and 70/30 blend ratios. Gas chromatography analysis revealed that increasing the plastic fraction significantly enhanced hydrogen production (H2), with the EFB-LDPE blend reaching a maximum concentration of 8.83% at the 70/30 ratio, indicating an improvement in syngas quality. The optimum energy yield was obtained at the 80/20 blend ratio, producing a peak high calorific value (HHV) of 3.72 MJ/kg for the LDPE blend and 2.91 MJ/kg for the PET blend, demonstrating favourable energy recovery potential. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis using ImageJ software showed that the incorporation of LDPE increased the porous area to 18.05% with an average pore size of 55.29 µm², suggesting enhanced gas-solid interaction and improved char reactivity during the gasification process. In addition, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis provided evidence at the molecular level regarding the ability of plasma to decompose complex polymer structures. For the EFB-PET char product, the appearance of peaks at 1014.93 cm⁻¹ and 1378.04 cm⁻¹ indicated the formation of ester bonds and partial decomposition of the polymer chain. For the EFB-LDPE sample, the detection of C=N stretching vibrations at 2332.52 cm⁻¹ and C-O-C ester vibrations at 1012.98 cm⁻¹ confirmed the existence of a structural recombination process and strong interactions between the biomass fraction and the polymer. Overall, these findings prove that plasma co-gasification can not only optimize syngas quality, but also assist in the complete transformation of waste into more stable char residue with the presence of distinctive functional groups.

This research is intended to develop an IoT-based real-time control system for variable air volume air conditioning. This had been built using Node-RED, which provides optimized settings based on collected data from Arduino UNO microcontrollers and DHT11 sensors. The control system targeted supply air temperature and humidity as primary controlled variables that follow the Malaysian Standard MS 1525:2014. It uses Belimo NM24A and LM230A-S actuators for damper position control, providing the system with two-position and modulating control modes. Experimental results show that good air temperature and humidity control have been achieved, with very small power and energy consumption differences between the two modes. It further provides an interface to monitor and actuate the VAV system via the Node-RED dashboard.

This study investigates the effect of diameter holes (10mm and 20mm) representing cracks condition and injected with polyurethane doped with rubber waste (PUCR) in the grouting method to enhance soil stability in clay soil. The PU is mixed with rubber waste using one-shot method and then injected into clay samples. Rubber waste offers an economical and sustainable solution for geotechnical and geological engineering. The research aims to evaluate the FTIR of clay soil and settlement of clay samples for normal clay condition (NC), crack 10 mm condition (CC -10), Injected PUCR0 -10mm (IP0-10), injected PUCR7.5 -10mm (IP7.5-10), crack 20 mm condition (CC -20), Injected PUCR0 -20mm (IP0-20), injected PUCR7.5 -20mm (IP7.5-20). The one-dimensional oedometer test compared clay sample compression after being treated with PUCR injection at holes of different sizes and diameters. Consolidation tests underscore the influence of the polyurethane ratio on soil compressibility and settlement behaviour. The study demonstrates the interrelated nature of consolidation, compaction, and plastic index tests in predicting soil response to loading and moisture, providing a comprehensive foundation for further research and development in composite materials and geotechnical engineering. The findings offer valuable insights for future applications and environmental considerations.

Fiberglass is a synthetic material commonly used in construction, mainly for building and heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems. However, its use poses potential health and environmental risks. Bio-based materials such as palm empty fruit bunch (PEFB) and bamboo fiber (BF) are promising natural insulation materials, providing a sustainable substitute to the frequently used fiberglass in HVAC ducting. The aim of this study was to characterize the physical and chemical properties of nonwoven bamboo fiber (BF) and Palm Empty Fruit Bunch (PEFB), both untreated and treated, as insulation materials for interior applications. The untreated BF and PEFB fibers, and the sample fibers treated with silane coupling agent, were subjected to physical characterization in terms of hydrophobicity using water contact angle (WCA), morphology using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermal decomposition using thermo-gravimetric Analysis (TGA), chemical functional groups using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and thermal conductivity. The results suggest that the treated PEFB and BF display higher water repellence, improved thermal stability, and acceptable thermal conductivity. Therefore, treated PEFB and BF using silane coupling agents have a high potential to sustainably substitute the conventional FG as insulator for HVAC systems.