Faculty Publications
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Item Disposal of obsolete mobile phones: A review on replacement, disposal methods, in-use lifespan, reuse and recycling(SAGE Publications Ltd, 2023) Prabhu N, S.; Majhi, R.Usage/consumption of mobile phones has increased rapidly around the world. As of April 2021, there were 5.27 billion mobile phone users. Meanwhile, the generation of obsolete mobile phones/mobile phone wastes is also increased mainly due to the replacement of mobile phones. The in-use lifespan of mobile phones is correspondingly getting decreased. The inappropriate disposal of obsolete mobile phones leads to adverse consequences on the environment, human health and on metal recovery. This review article provides an insight on findings from various articles on disposal of obsolete mobile phones by users/consumers. The various aspects, such as reasons for replacement, disposal methods adopted by users/consumers, impact due to the adoption of improper disposal methods such as handing them over to the informal recycling sector and storage/hibernation after its in-use lifespan, were covered. Along with this, the study even focuses on reduce, reuse and recycle (3Rs) of sustainability. Reduce means reduction of mobile phone replacement frequency. Storage of mobile phones post-in-use lifespan is the most opted disposal method, and it is one of the significant barriers to reuse, recycling and metal recovery. When it comes to recycling, the research undertaken on the recycling of obsolete mobile phones is not as in-depth when compared to the research done on recycling of e-waste in general. This article identifies future directions for sustainable end-of-life management of obsolete mobile phones. © The Author(s) 2022.Item Sustainable approaches for utilizing waste in building construction: Two case studies in India(CAFET INNOVA Technical Society cafetinnova@gmail.com 1-2-18/103, Mohini Mansion, Gagan Mahal Road, Domalguda, Hyderabad 500029, 2014) Kasthurba, A.K.; Reddy, K.R.; Venkat Reddy, D.V.Problems associated with increasing waste due to rising urban developments and its environmental concerns are reviewed. The challenges and standards for sustainable construction are outlined. This study explores potential utilization of different types of waste materials in building construction for its efficient and sustainable management. The benefits and challenges in utilization of waste for building applications are reviewed. Two case studies which demonstrate effective utilization of waste in construction projects carried out in India are outlined. These sustainable approaches of managing waste in building construction shall help private and governmental agencies to incorporate effective waste management strategies in future. This study will offer a background and useful guide for engineers and material scientists to develop standards and specifications for cost effective alternate building materials and techniques for economy, energy, and environmental benefits. © 2014 CAFET-INNOVA TECHNICAL SOCIETY. All rights reserved.Item Conversion of waste polypropylene to liquid fuel using acid-activated kaolin(SAGE Publications Ltd, 2014) Panda, A.K.; Singh, R.K.Waste polypropylene was subjected to thermal degradation in the presence of kaolin and acid-treated kaolin, with different catalyst-to-plastics ratios, in a semi-batch reactor at a temperature range of 400-550°C to obtain optimized process conditions for the production of liquid fuels. The effects of process temperature, catalyst and feed composition on yield and quality of the oil were determined. For a thermal decomposition reaction at up to 450°C, the major product is volatile oil; and the major products at a higher temperature (475-550°C) are either viscous liquid or wax. The highest yield of condensed fraction in the thermal reaction is 82.85% by weight at 500°C. Use of kaolin and acid-treated kaolin as a catalyst decreased the reaction time and increased the yield of liquid fraction. The major product of catalysed degradation at all temperatures is highly volatile liquid oil. The maximum oil yield using kaolin and acidtreated kaolin is 87.5% and 92%, respectively, at 500°C. The oil obtained was characterized using GC-MS for its composition and different fuel properties by IS methods. © The Author(s) 2014.Item Dissolution of kraft lignin using Protic Ionic Liquids and characterization(Elsevier B.V., 2016) Rashid, T.; Chong, C.F.; Iyyaswami, I.; Murugesan, T.In the present research three Protic Ionic Liquids (pyridinium formate, pyridinium acetate and pyridinium propionate) were synthesized and tested for the dissolution and subsequent regeneration of kraft lignin. Among the investigated solvents, pyridinium formate showed a higher dissolution capacity (70% w/w) i.e. (710 g/L) at 75 °C within 1 h. The results indicated that the introduced solvent is thermally stable, noncorrosive, possesses low viscosity and is easy to recycle. The dissolution process is purely physical and the physicochemical analysis of the regenerated lignin showed high thermal stability, with reduction in polydispersity and the average molecular weight was reduced from 4119 g/mol to 1249 g/mol. FTIR spectroscopy and 1H NMR results proved that the regenerated lignin is less degraded. Moreover the OH vibrations of regenerated lignin showed a weak inter and intramolecular interaction in regenerated lignin, which could positively help in reducing its chemical resistance towards processing for further commercial applications. Due to the higher solubility of lignin and its stability towards recyclability, the pyridinium formate proved that present selective dissolution and regeneration of lignin could significantly enhance the pretreatment techniques for lignocellulosic biomass. © 2016 Elsevier B.V.Item Life cycle assessment of municipal solid waste management options for India(Elsevier Ltd, 2019) Khandelwal, H.; Thalla, A.K.; Kumar, S.; Kumar, R.Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) tool can be used for environmental assessment of Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM) system. The present study aims to evaluate the impact of MSWM system in Nagpur city, India under four different scenarios. i.e., composting combined with landfilling (S1), material recovery facility (MRF) & composting combined with landfilling (S2), MRF & anaerobic digestion (AD) combined with landfilling (S3) and MRF, AD & composting combined with landfilling (S4) using LCA tool. The sensitivity analysis was also performed for evaluating the influence of recycling rate of valuable resources in all the considered scenarios. The scenarios were compared using Gabi 8.5.0.79 model and CML-1A impact characterization method. S2 was found to have the least environmental impacts on global warming, human toxicity, eutrophication, and photochemical ozone creation potential categories. The sensitivity analysis indicated an inversely proportional relation between change in recycling rate and total environmental burdens. © 2019 Elsevier LtdItem Functionalization of β-cyclodextrin onto NiFe2O4 nanoparticles for the removal of ketoprofen and diclofenac from the aqueous solutions(Institute for Ionics, 2024) Ilango, I.; Mohan Balakrishnan, R.M.; Visvanathan, C.; Bui, X.-T.; Velusamy, P.A new β-CD functionalized nickel ferrite nanocomposite was synthesized and used to remove pharmaceutical drugs, such as ketoprofen (KF) and diclofenac (DCF). The co-precipitation approach was utilised to synthesize nickel ferrite (NFO) nanoparticles, which were then functionalized with TEOS to form NFO@SiO2; β-cyclodextrin was then functionalized using GPTMS as an interface to form NFO@SiO2@β-CD. FTIR, ZD, FE-SEM, EDX, TGA/DTG, VSM, BET, zeta potential and particle size analysis were then used to characterise the nanocomposites. The NFO@SiO2@β-CD has an average diameter of 109.1 nm, superparamagnetic behaviour, a mesoporous surface and a specific surface of 20.78 m2/g. The functionalized NFO@SiO2@ β-CD nanocomposite removed 94% of diclofenac in 5 min and 80% of ketoprofen in 360 min with the adsorption capacities of 8.46 and 0.54 mg/g, respectively. The obtained experimental datum for both the pollutants was fitted in kinetic and isotherm models, with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Freundlich adsorption isotherm showing the best fit with the highest regression of R 2 = 0.99. The nanocomposite was regenerated using 0.1 M NaOH and recycled for about four consecutive cycles in which the reduction in the removal efficiency of ketoprofen and diclofenac was observed to be 51.36% and 64%, respectively. These results suggested that the NFO@SiO2@β-CD nanocomposite could be used specifically to target the low-concentrated pharmaceutical pollutants. Graphical Abstract: Schematic representation of Functionalization of β-Cyclodextrin onto NiFe2O4 nanoparticles for the removal of ketoprofen and diclofenac from the aqueous solutions. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] © 2023, The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Iranian Society of Environmentalists (IRSEN) and Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University.Item Experimental investigation on sludge conditioning and dewatering using an agricultural biomass coupled with resource recovery(Academic Press, 2024) Chopade, G.; Devatha, C.P.In this study, the effect of modified areca husk fibre biochar (MAFB-AlCl3) on dairy sludge conditioning and dewatering along with raw and modified coconut shell biochar (MCSB-FeCl3) was investigated. Further, MgO impregnated biochars of areca husk fibre and coconut shells was carried out to evaluate the performance on phosphate recovery from the diary sludge. The enhancement in sludge dewatering with MAFB-AlCl3 were evaluated experimentally and significant reduction of capillary suction time (CST) (51.6 %), moisture content (18%), zeta potential (1.3 mV) and increased settleability (32.7%) were observed. The sludge conditioning parameters namely dosage (% of dry solids (DS)), rapid mixing time (RMT), slow mixing time (SMT) were optimized by response surface methodology for the modified biochars. Optimum CST (31.51 s) was obtained at dosage (50 % of DS), RMT (9.89 min) and SMT (17.23 min). Results of batch study for phosphate recovery by MgO impregnated biochars (MgB) was found to be 96.6 % and 100 % by MgB of areca husk fibre (MgAFB) and coconut shells (MgCSB) respectively. The morphological characteristics and elemental distribution using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) & energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) reveals the structural change in the sludge particles for the modified biochars as well as for sludge. Hence MAFB-AlCl3, MgAFB and MgCSB is proved to be suitable and an effective candidate for sludge conditioning and dewatering coupled with phosphate recovery in handling the diary sludge. © 2024 Elsevier LtdItem An empirical investigation to understand mobile phone users’ behavioural intention to give their end-of-life mobile phones for formal recycling(Elsevier Ltd, 2024) Prabhu N, S.; Majhi, R.Mobile phones have turned into a highly essential device for numerous individuals. Swift innovation and decrease in in-use lifespan have increased the generation of end-of-life mobile phones (EOL-MPs). Lesser formal recycling of EOL-MPs has detrimental outcomes on the environment, human health, and circular economy. Therefore, this research was undertaken to investigate factors impacting mobile phone users’ behavioural intention to give their EOL-MPs for formal recycling. The conceptual model was developed by integrating the theory of planned behaviour, norm activation model, and value-belief-norm theory. Responses were collected from mobile phone users aged 18 and above residing in Bengaluru, Mangaluru, and Huballi-Dharvad cities of Karnataka state, India. 1135 responses were analysed by applying partial least squares structural equation modelling. Incentives was figured out to be the most positively impacting construct on behavioural intention. Followed by awareness of consequences, social media, past recycling experience, and recycling attitude. Whereas risk perception regarding information security and convenience of recycling negatively impacts behavioural intention. Personal norms get activated by awareness of consequences and ascription of responsibility. As a result, personal norms positively impact behavioural intention. In addition, biospheric values also positively impact personal norms. The outcomes of PLSpredict signify that the conceptual model has high out-of-sample predictive power. The outcomes of this research can be utilized by various stakeholders like e-waste collection organisations, e-waste recycling organisations, mobile phone manufacturing companies, city corporations, educational institutions, etc for improving sustainable end-of-life management of EOL-MPs. © 2024 Elsevier Ltd