Coagulation and flocculation are essential processes in a number of diverse disciplines, including biochemistry, cheese manufacturing, rubber manufacturing, and in water and waste water treatment. Coagulation-flocculation is effective for removing high concentration organic pollutants and heavy metals in water and wastewater. However, limited information exists on the efficiency of this coagulation-flocculation process for biodiesel wastewater treatment. The biodiesel wastewater is basic (alkaline), with a high content of oil and grease, and a low content of nitrogen and phosphorus. As such, biological treatment of the biodiesel wastewater is expected to be very difficult. For this reason supportive physic-chemical methods are often used. Although one of the most frequently employed method is coagulation. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the efficiency of coagulation and flocculation processes for removing suspended solid (SS), color, COD and oil and grease from biodiesel wastewater. Aluminum sulfate, polyaluminum chloride, ferric chloride and ferric sulfate as a coagulant in biodiesel wastewater treatment were studied using a standard jar test apparatus. The result shows that, at the optimum dose of PAC (300 mg/L), the percentage removal of SS, color, COD and oil and grease respectively 97%, 95%, 75% and 97% compared to only 92%, 92%, 53% and 99% at the optimal dose alum (500mg/L), 95%, 93%, 63% and 97% at the optimum dose of ferric chloride (350 mg/L) and 88%, 88%, 54% and 94% at the optimum dose of ferric sulfate (450 mg/L). The effect of coagulant dosages on suspended solid (SS), color, COD and oil and grease removal showed similar trend and PAC was found to be superior was observed at reasonable lower amount of coagulant i.e. 300 mg/L. The results showed that coagulation-flocculation is effective as a pre-treatment for treating biodiesel wastewater.

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Malaysia is a country that is a rich source of agricultural waste material. Three different crops were studied here, including pineapple (Ananas comosus) leaf, corn (Zea mays) stalk, and Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum). These crops are characterized as agricultural waste materials in Malaysia and have a high potential to be used as alternative fibers for the paper making industry. The objective of this work was to analyze the chemical composition of pineapple leaf, corn stalk, and Napier grass and to investigate the fiber morphology of these crops. The chemical components analyzed include the following: cellulose (Kurshner-Hoffner method), holocellulose (chlorination method), hemicellulose (chlorination method), ash content (TAPPI method T211-om-93), lignin content (TAPPI method T222-om-98), and soluble sodium hydroxide (TAPPI method T203-om-98). All handsheets morphologies were observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results indicated each crop has the potential for use as a fiber in paper making. SEM images indicated a condensed composition of the fiber structure. The observed chemical composition and morphology of these three crops indicate their suitability for use as fiber sources for the paper industry.

The production of biodiesel through the transesterification method produces a large amount of wastewater that contains a high level of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and oil and grease (O&G). In this study, coagulation was adopted to treat the biodiesel wastewater. Two types of coagulation were examined using a standard jar test apparatus, i.e. polyaluminium chloride (PAC) and aluminium sulphate. The effects of pH and coagulant dosage were examined at 150 rpm of rapid mixing and 20 rpm slow mixing and 30 min settling time. Higher removal of suspended solids (SS), colour, oil and grease (over 90%), and COD (over 80%) were achieved at pH 6. PAC was found to be superior to aluminium sulphate, yielding a lower amount of coagulation, i.e., 300 mg/L. The result indicated that the coagulation and flocculation process played bigger roles in the integrated treatment system.

Due to a shortage of wood source fibre in paper making industrys interest to agriculture residues fibre as a potential fibre sources in this industry. In this situation, importance has been developing in the paper industry from agriculture residue that will replace the wood fibre. Cocoa pod husk and Corn stalk are agriculture residues, which is good materials for paper production. The objectives of this study are to investigate the chemical characterization and surface morphology structure of these materials. The main components of materials which are cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin and ash content were parameters that involved in determination of chemical characterization in this study. The determination of chemical composition was accordance to Kurshner-Hoffner approach (cellulose), Chlorine Method (hemicellulose), T 222 om-06 (lignin) and T 211 om-07 (ash content). Scanning electron microscopy was used to observe the surface structure of materials. From results obtained, corn stalk shows the higher amount in cellulose (39%) and hemicellulose (42%) content compared to the cocoa pod husk. In addition, lower lignin content also obtained in Corn stalk (7.3%) rather than that Cocoa pod husk (14.7%). From Scanning electron microscopy images, Corn stalk and Cocoa pod husk contained abundance lignocellulosic and rough surface structure due to the untreated materials. The result either chemical characterization or surface morphology that obtained in Corn stalk and Cocoa pod husk fibre wastes can be used successfully as an alternative fibres sources in papermaking application.