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This study was aimed at the synthesis and characterization of alkyd from rubber seed/linseed oil blends. Different percentages of rubber seed oil were blended with linseed oil for the preparation of alkyd via condensation polymerisation of monoglyceride with phthalic anhydride. Physiochemical properties like colour, acid value, saponification value, iodine value, drying schedule, chemical resistance were evaluated for the different alkyd samples synthesized. The colour of the different samples was unaffected by blending. The acid values of the alkyds obtained were observed to be in the range of 8.59–10.1 mgKOH/g. The iodine values of the different alkyd samples prepared increased with increase in the percentage of linseed oil in the blends. The blends showed resistance to brine, water and acid. However, only some exhibited fair resistance to alkali. The intrinsic viscosity was also determined by extrapolation from Huggins and Kraemer viscosity relationship. The results showed that the alkyd resins synthesized from the blend of linseed and rubber seed oil showed favourable properties that make linseed oil good blending oil for the synthesis of alkyd resin.

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Chitosan, a naturally occurring biopolymer extracted from prawn heads was used in the treatment of crump rubber processing effluent for safe disposal into the environment. The triplicate analyses of the effluent samples obtained by composite sampling method indicated high levels of pollution which violated the permissible limits of environmental discharge standards; with a low DO of 0.63mg/L, BOD, 312.00±1.32mg/L and COD, 1069.58±2.42mg/L (mean±SD) respectively. Chitosan was analyzed according to standard procedures; it showed good coagulative potentials from the elemental analysis and a degree of deacetylation of 76.5%. The crump rubber processing effluent was treated with chitosan and Iron (III) Chloride respectively by coagulation and flocculation method and the results obtained via the physico-chemical characterization of the treated effluent showed that the use of chitosan as a coagulant compared favourably with Iron (III) Chloride after treatment. DO levels increased from 0.63mg/L to 3.90 mg/L. There were also remarkable reduction in the Turbidity, Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) levels of the treated samples by over 80% respectively and 70% reduction in the nutrient levels. The efficacy of chitosan in comparison with Iron (III) Chloride suggests that it can be used as a replacement for synthetic coagulants based on its availability and environmental friendliness.

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