Crosslinked PES/chitosan membranes with Ni-MAF-6 MOF incorporation for efficient CO2separation Mustafa Alsaady, Muhammad Faisal Usman, Hafiz Abdul Mannan, Serene Sow Mun Lock, Aymn Abdulrahman, et al. E Polymers, 2026 A novel series of high-performance mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) were engineered by fabricating the Ni-MAF-6 metal-organic framework nanoparticles (5–25 wt%) into polyethersulfone (PES)/chitosan matrix crosslinked with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTEOS). FTIR spectroscopy confirmed successful crosslinking and chemical integration of Ni-MAF-6 without degradation of the polymer matrix while SEM revealed uniform filler dispersion and defect-free morphology up to 20 wt% loading. TGA results demonstrated enhancement in thermal stability with increasing MOF content and mechanical testing verified the retention of structural integrity and flexibility despite high filler content. Gas permeation studies showed that CO 2 permeability as well as CO 2 /N 2 selectivity improved consistently with Ni-MAF-6 loading which is driven by the MOF’s high CO 2 adsorption capacity, chitosan’s selective barrier properties, and APTEOS-induced interfacial densification. The optimized PCNM-20 membrane achieved a CO 2 permeability of 39.2 barrer and a selectivity of 86.8 exceeding Robeson upper bound 2008 line and below 2019 line.
Multifunctional cellulose acetate-based smart films with ZIF-8 and curcumin oil for sustainable packaging applications Mahnoor Ali Asim, Hafiz Abdul Mannan, Mustafa Alsaady, Ningbo Gao, Aymn Abdulrahman, et al. E Polymers, 2026 Biopolymer based cellulose acetate films were developed as a potential eco-friendly alternative to food packaging materials. Cellulose acetate films were synthesized and modified by incorporating ZIF-8 nanoparticles (0.1–0.5 %) along with curcumin oil to enhance their functional properties. Different characterization techniques were performed to check and evaluate physicochemical and barrier properties. The films showed high protection against UV-Vis light by ZIF-8 incorporation along with excellent mechanical properties. WVP and AP testing showed that the barrier properties of the films improved substantially to reach 1.74 g/m 2 ·h WVTR with 3.9 mm/s air permeability. Additionally, these films proved their durability in mechanical tests by showing higher tensile strength and elongation at break. These films also demonstrated excellent antioxidant activities. The application of curcumin oil-based films is suitable for protecting dry or processed food because they exhibit resistance against moisture and air penetration.
Optimization of flexural strength in fly ash-based geopolymers through response surface methodology Ahmer Ali Siyal, Rashidah Mohamed Hamidi, Rashid M. Shamsuddin, Radin Maya Saphira Radin Mohamed, Suhaib Umer Ilyas Journal of Umm Al Qura University for Engineering and Architecture, 2025 Geopolymers possess very good compressive strength, but their low toughness and flexural strength inhibit them from various structural and non-structural applications. The geopolymers with better flexural strength would perform better in coating applications. The synthesis parameters of geopolymers and curing conditions play an important role in enhancing the flexural strength of geopolymers. Few studies have been reported on the optimization of the flexural strength of fly ash geopolymers; however, no study has been reported on the optimization of the flexural strength of fly ash geopolymers by varying mixing speed, mixing time, sodium hydroxide concentration, and curing temperature and time. This paper investigates the flexural strength optimization of fly ash-based geopolymer through response surface methodology (RSM) using a central composite design (CCD). The parameters of mixing speed and mixing time (250–600 rotations per minute (rpm) and 5–15 min), sodium hydroxide (NaOH) concentration (8–12 M), and curing temperature and curing time (40–80 ℃ and 1–28 days) were varied. Two separate optimizations of mixing conditions and synthesis and curing conditions were conducted. The Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) results of both optimizations showed the coefficient of determination (R2) and F-values of 0.9601 and 0.9887 and 33.72 and 97.17, respectively, and p-values of less than 0.05, and a non-significant lack of fit were obtained which showed well-fitting of the data to the quadratic model with a confidence level of 95%. The mixing speed and mixing time of 492 rpm and 10 min were found optimum in the first optimization, which resulted in the flexural strength of 10.45 MPa and the NaOH concentration, curing temperature, and curing time of 12 M, 80 ˚C, and 24 h respectively were found optimum in the second optimization which resulted in the optimum flexural strength of 15.23 MPa. The multi-parameter optimization through RSM enhanced the flexural strength of fly ash-based geopolymer, which shows that mixing conditions, synthesis parameters, and curing conditions play a significant role in flexural strength development of geopolymer. An enhanced flexural strength of fly ash geopolymers would improve their application in structural and non-structural applications.
Case studies in decarbonization of the petroleum industry Nawal Noshad, Suhaib Umer Ilyas, Shwetank Krishna, Serene Sow Mun Lock, Syahrir Ridha Decarbonizing the Petroleum Industry Current Status Ongoing Activities and Future Prospects, 2025
