ABSTRACT Alkali activation is a rapidly developing area in the global materials research and development community. It is based on alkali aluminosilicate chemistry with primary focus on the activation of solid aluminosilicate materials under alkaline conditions to produce three-dimensional network of inorganic polymer binders. However, little research has been conducted to harness this technology in the development of earth-based composites. This work provides insights on the application of ...
Abstract In this dissertation two main themes are explored. In the first part some phenomenologies of light transport across the ZnO/Al/ZnO (ZAZ) thin film multilayer structures are investigated. The multilayered ZAZ thin film composite structures are explored for potential applications as transparent electrodes (TEs) alternatives to the costly transparent indium-doped-tin-oxide (ITO) anodes that are used currently in organic solar cells (OSCs), organic light emitting devices (OLEDs) and var...
ABSTRACT Barite is an exceptional non-metallic mineral composed of barium sulphate and it is used mainly by the oil and gas industry as drilling mud in deep drilling, where high pressure is encountered. The specific gravity of barite should range from 4.2 to 4.6 in order to be used as drilling mud. In Nigeria, barite deposits are found in veins and cavities hosted by varieties of rocks. In this work, barite deposits in various troughs of Nigeria have been sampled and analysed for the purpose...
ABSTRACT Ceramic water filters are promising household water treatment technology, as they are capable of removing waterborne pathogens and thereby reducing diarrheal disease. Flow rates are the main quality control criterion for manufacturing, and multiple theoretical flow rate models have been published. This dissertation presents the results of combined experimental and theoretical studies of flow rate variation in ceramic water filters in frustumand disk-shaped ceramic water filters. Als...
ABSTRACT Wearing of mining tools leads to high replacement costs, machine downtime and loss of business opportunities. This work was however, aimed at improving the wear resistance of AISI 1065 and 1070 proeutectoid steels used for (barite) mining operations. To achieve this, the case hardening method adopted was pack-cyaniding with dried and pulverized cassava leaves (a type of carbonitiriding) at 700, 800, 850 and 900°C. After the carbonitriding process, the 1065 steel was quenched and tem...
Abstract Our ability to power modern airplanes and land based engines depends largely on the thrust generated most importantly by aero engines. Over the past 30 years material cost has become an important factor, especially in commercial aero engines where light weight and high temperature materials are needed for improved efficiency and specific thrust. The required combinations of high temperature properties has led to the applications of nickel-based superalloys and most recently gamma ba...
ABSTRACT The morphology of active layers of organic solar cells plays crucial roles in achieving good performing devices with longer life span. The process of fabricating these devices involved post deposition thermal annealing, which increases the crystallinity and enhances phase-separated domains of deposited active layer components. A blended composite of regioregular poly(3- hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) is used as the active layer in this BHJ sol...
ABSTRACT The Luteinizing Hormone-releasing Hormone (LHRH); also known as a GonadotropinReleasing Hormone can be utilized for targeted therapy with cytotoxic analogs, in which prodigiosin is linked to the [D-Lys6] LHRH. Our studies demonstrate receptor-mediated actions of the cytotoxic LHRH analog in LHRH receptor positive breast cancer cells. Chemotherapy today is the only systematic therapy for patients with triple negative breast cancer cells. About 50% to 64% of human breast cancer expres...
ABSTRACT This thesis focused on an implantable encapsulated structures that can deliver localized heating and controlled released of prodigiosin (PG) (a cancer drug) synthesized by bacteria (Serratia marcescens (subsp. marcescens)). Prototypical poly-dimethyl-siloxane (PDMS) packages, containing well-controlled micro-channels and drug storage compartments, were fabricated along with a drug-storing polymer produced by free radical polymerization of Poly(Nisopropylacrylamide)(PNIPA)-based gels...
ABSTRACT Implantable Bio-Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (BioMEMS) represent a new class of devices that can provide localized cancer drug delivery by the combined effect of chemotherapy and hyperthermia which gives it an advantage over prior devices. The current work presents the results of a theoretical and experimental study of a novel implantable drug delivery device. Prototype Poly-di-methyl-siloxane (PDMS) packages with well-controlled micro-channels, and a drug storage compartments w...
ABSTRACT Consumption of contaminated water may result in several water-borne diseases, including hepatitis, typhoid, cholera, dysentery and other diseases that cause diarrhoea. One of the ways this problem can be prevented is by the use of household water treatment and safe storage. As a result of this, the ceramic water filter, which is one of the effective water treatment techniques, was studied and evaluated to provide information that, will help improve their performance and promote thei...
ABSTRACT Topsoil stripping, drilling and blasting extraction, waste rock dumping, loading, and unloading, crushing and screening, and materials transport are among other activities involved in iron ore mining. These activities produce fugitive dust that may contain heavy metals which deteriorate the quality of ambient air. They also cause noise and surface water pollution, not to mention their effects on the soil and vegetation. Corrosion is another issue observed in iron ore mining; corrode...
ABSTRACT This research focused on studying the suitability of a blend of plant extracts for sweet corrosion inhibition on carbon steel in 3.5% NaCl solution. A comparative study was carried out to investigate the efficacy of sweet corrosion inhibition using palm, jatropha and palm-jatropha extracts at concentrations of 100 ppm, 200 ppm, and 400 ppm to show the effect of blending on the inhibitive performance of plant extracts. An analysis of the extracts was carried out and weight losses as ...
ABSTRACT Prodigiosin molecule, whose efficacy in the treatment of cancer has proven positive, has been studied using first-principles Density Functional Theory (DFT) methods as implemented in VASP - Vienna Ab initio Simulation Package. Initial structure of prodigiosin generated using ArgusLab 4.0.1 program was subjected to geometry optimization in the VASP program in order to determine the ground state structure. The optimized interatomic bond lengths and angles are comprehensively character...
ABSTRACT In this study, the fracture toughness and resistance curve behaviour of laminated panels, produced from the tropical Nigerian bamboo species Bambusa vulgaris, were investigated to assess its potential for use as an alternative construction material. Round bamboo culms were processed into laminated panels. The Mode I fracture toughness KIC, and the resistance-curve (R-curve) behaviour of the laminates in the crack arrester and divider orientations were investigated using ASTM E399 si...