2008 Analysis of the Geometry of Drilled Holes in Demolition ...

#4
Production of Cellulose-Chitin Films Using LiCl/DMAc Solvent
System
Maria Kim Feliz N. Abog, Ana Gabriela T. Gatchalian, Maria Sylvia C. Nachura
ABSTRACT
Due to the general availability of plastics, people assume that it is cheaper
to manufacture more of it than to reuse it. Unfortunately, this practice contributes
to the buildup of non-biodegradable wastes in landfills. The solvent system
LiCl/N,N-dimethylacetamide (LiCl/DMAc) has been known to dissolve both chitin
and cellulose. It has been used in the formation of chitin and cellulose films. In
this study, the ability of LiCl/DMAc solvent system to produce an aggregate film
composed of chitin and cellulose was determined. Chitin was first extracted from
squid pen, according to the methodology of Le Gal and Ulber (2005). An amount
of 0.12 g of extracted chitin and 0.12 g of commercially available cellulose were
dissolved in 5% LiCl/DMAc to test if films can be formed through this method. The
mixture formed a gel-like substance with a definite shape. The substance was
then flattened out to form the film. The biodegradability of the film was tested
against a negative control of commercially available plastic wrap using the soil
burial test. The test, conducted at room temperature, using soil compost of with a
pH of 7, lasted for two weeks. It showed that barely 10% of the original weight of
the films was left, which means that the films produced are indeed biodegradable.
The negative control, on the other hand, showed no weight loss at all. It was
concluded that the LiCl/DMAc solvent system can produce biodegradable chitincellulose
aggregate films, but the flimsiness of the said films made them
unsuitable as a commercial plastic substitute. Further processing of the films to
increase their tensile strength and additional research on cheaper solvents that
could substitute for more expensive LiCl/DMAc solvent system are recommended.
#5
An All-Organic solution for hydroponics
Anna Lynn C Alcaraz, Trisha Mae S Perez, Aldrin Raphael G Mariano
ABSTRACT
An all-organic solution made up of coconut water, rice wash (hugas bigas),
extracts from fermented garlic, fish entrails and banana stalks was formulated as
a cheaper and more environment-friendly substitute for synthetic solutions in
hydroponics.
Garlic was fermented in gin to extract protective enzymes needed by
plants, while banana stalks and fish entrails were separately fermented in brown
sugar. The extracts from banana stalks and fish entrails served as sources of