Zeolites NaA is one of the most valuable synthetic zeolites widely used as ion-exchange material, catalysts, and adsorbents in industry. There is therefore need to adopt a more energy-efficient route for its synthesis from low-cost and sustainable raw materials. In this present work, zeolites Na-A was synthesized from natural kaolinite clays obtained from three selected regions (Ikere, Okpella and Kankara) in Nigeria. The as-received kaolinite clays (IKclay, OKclay and KAclay) were initially beneficiated thoroughly to obtain pure powders (˂75 μm). The processed kaolinite clay powders were then subjected to heating in a muffle furnace at 850oC for 3 h at a heating rate of 10oC/min to convert the kaolinite clays to their respective metakaolins. The obtained metakaolins were then reacted with NaOH solutions at varying concentrations of 3.0 and 4.0M respectively using a low temperature hydrothermal transformation to obtained Zeolites Na-A powders. The obtained zeolites were then analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The results showed that zeolite NaA is produced with mixture of hydroxysodalite (HS) while the EDS revealed the presence of Si, Al, O and Na indicating chemical constituents of typical zeolite NaA. All the tested kaolinite clays are therefore suitable for preparation of zeolite NaA as cheaper source of silica and aluminum.
Protein has been isolated from Adenopus breviflorus seed flour and used as a supplement to the production of yoghurt. The chemical composition of the seed flour and protein isolate was determined using standard methods. The yoghurt so produced was analysed for its pH, total solids, titratable acidity and the sensory qualities evaluated using the nine point Hedonic scale from dislike extremely (1) and like extremely (9). The results obtained from the chemical composition of the seed flour and protein isolates showed that they are good sources of protein (30.44% and 94.14% respectively). There was s significant reduction in the mineral content and antinutrients of the seed flour after protein isolation. The result obtained from the sensory evaluation showed that milk can be substituted for Adenopus breviflorus protein isolate from the production of yoghurt up to 25% level of substitution without affecting the sensory qualities.
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