Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) shows an important role in the sustainable agriculture industry. The increasing demand for crop production with a significant reduction of synthetic chemical fertilizers and pesticides use is a big challenge nowadays. The use of PGPR has been proven to be an environmentally sound way of increasing crop yields by facilitating plant growth through either a direct or indirect mechanism. The mechanisms of PGPR include regulating hormonal and nutritional balance, inducing resistance against plant pathogens, and solubilizing nutrients for easy uptake by plants. In addition, PGPR show synergistic and antagonistic interactions with microorganisms within the rhizosphere and beyond in bulk soil, which indirectly boosts plant growth rate. There are many bacteria species that act as PGPR, described in the literature as successful for improving plant growth. However, there is a gap between the mode of action (mechanism) of the PGPR for plant growth and the role of the PGPR as biofertilizer-thus the importance of nano-encapsulation technology in improving the efficacy of PGPR. Hence, this review bridges the gap mentioned and summarizes the mechanism of PGPR as a biofertilizer for agricultural sustainability.
Advanced energy storage technology based on phase change materials (PCMs) has received considerable attention over the last decade for used in various applications. Buildings are the major industry which needs this advanced technology to improve internal building comfort and the reduction of energy usage. However, the main barrier which affects the application of this technology in building sector is the method to incorporate the PCMs into the building materials and the method used to measure the effectiveness of the PCMs as TES in building. In this paper, a review on the TES systems based on PCMs, their thermo-physical and chemical properties, and potential application as TES for buildings have been carried out. The methodologies for the incorporation of PCMs into the building materials, and their thermal performance are discussed.
The preparation of activated carbon using palm kernel shells as the precursor (PKSAC) was successfully accomplished after the parametric optimization of the carbonization temperature, carbonization holding time, and the ratio of the activator (H3PO4) to the precursor. Optimization at 500 °C for 2 h of carbonization with 20% H3PO4 resulted in the highest surface area of the activated carbon (C20) of 1169 m2 g−1 and, with an average pore size of 27 Å. Subsequently, the preparation of shape-stabilized phase change material (SSPCM-C20) was done by the encapsulation of n-octadecane into the pores of the PKSAC, C20. The field emission scanning electron microscope images and the nitrogen gas adsorption-desorption isotherms show that n-octadecane was successfully encapsulated into the pores of C20. The resulting SSPCM-C20 nano-composite shows good thermal reliability which is chemically and thermally stable and can stand up to 500 melting and freezing cycles. This research work provided a new strategy for the preparation of SSPCM material for thermal energy storage application generated from oil palm waste.
This work focuses on the preparation of AC (activated carbon) through a physical activation method using peat soil as a precursor, followed by the use of the AC as an inorganic framework for the preparation of SPCM (shape-stabilized phase change material). The SPCM, composed of n-octadecane as the core and AC pores as a framework, was fabricated by a simple impregnation method, with the mass fraction of n-octadecane varying from 10 to 90 wt.%. The AC has a specific surface area of 893 m 2 g −1 and an average pore size of 22 Å. The field emission scanning electron microscope images and nitrogen gas adsorptiondesorption isotherms shows that the n-octadecane was actually encapsulated into the AC pores. The melting and freezing temperatures of the composite PCM (phase change material) were 30.9 °C and 24.1 °C, respectively, and its corresponding latent heat values were 95.4 Jg −1 and 99.6 Jg −1 , respectively. The composite shows a good thermal reliability, even after 1000 melting/freezing cycles. The present research provided a new SPCM material for thermal energy storage as well as some new insights into the design of composite PCM by tailoring the pore structure of AC derived from peat soil, a natural resource
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