Asoiro Felix Uzochukwu

• University of Nigeria

Biorefinery involves integrated systems or routes/pathways for converting biomass into different targeted valuable products such as energy, fuels, and chemicals by various physical, chemical, thermochemical, and biochemical technologies. It has recently gained increasing attention owing to its relevance. International Energy Agency Bioenergy Task 4...

Algae harvesting poses a huge challenge to the development and commercialization of the technology of algal biomass production, especially for microalgae where the algal cell density is almost equal to that of water. Macroalgae, which are popularly known as seaweeds, have several advantages compared to microalgae in terms of harvesting. For example...

Groundwater has proven to be a valuable resource for the local population of developing countries. Medical hydrogeology, a concept that primarily studies the positive and negative health effects of minerals in water has rarely been studied in Nigeria. Hence, we quantified the percentage of recommended daily intake (RDI) of calcium (Ca), magnesium (...

Brachystegia eurycoma (BE), Afzelia Africana (AA) and Mucuna solannie (MS) flours were blended (%, w/w) at varying proportions: 50:50, 60:40, 70:30, 80:20 and 100:0, with 100% of flours as the control; then analyzed based on the phyto-chemical, functional and proximate compositions. Tanin, saponin, alkaloid and flavonoid values were 4.19, 1.47, 1.4...

The effects of floral location on the physicochemical and thermal parameters of honey bee samples from Enugu North senatorial zone were evaluated. For physicochemical properties, a 14×5×10 completely randomized design (CRD) with a total of 700 observations (14 physicochemical properties as responses × 5 levels of floral location as treatment × 10 r...

This work evaluated plastic, wooden and carton crates and compared the best of them to traditional basket for possible adoption in safe handling and transportation of fresh tomato fruits in Nigeria. This was achieved through laboratory experiments and analysis involving static tests, simulating storage conditions (at average temperature and humidit...

This study focuses on catalytic co-pyrolysis of a lignocellulosic biomass (rice husk) and main components of the seaweed Enteromorpha clathrata (ie, protein, polysaccharide, and ash) using TGA and Py-GC/MS analytical techniques with the aim and novelty to unveil their catalytic co-pyrolysis thermal behaviors and synergistic effect of interactions b...

Imported rice is perceived to have better cooking properties than locally grown rice in Nigeria and it has increased its market share while reducing patronage for local rice. Rice in Nigeria has many applications, including consumption as whole cooked grain or dumpling or use as an adjunct in making beverages. Eighteen varieties of parboiled milled...

A culinary enhancer is a substance that enhances the flavor and other properties of soups, stews and foods. Normally in flour form, culinary enhancers are used to enhance the proximate composition, viscosity, flavor and some other rheological and functional properties of soups and convenience foods. Physical properties of culinary seeds are utilize...

Physical properties of rice grain is important for mechanisation and proper post-harvest handling operations to prevent post-harvest loss and achieve high head-rice grains. Knowledge on the physical properties of Nigeria’s local rice is limited which has led to losses and production of low quality grains characterised by large amount of brokens and...

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are bio‐electrochemical devices that use microbial metabolic processes to convert organic substances into electricity with high efficiency. In this study, the performance of a soil‐based MFC using urine as a substrate was assessed using polarization and power density curves. A single‐chamber, membrane‐less MFC with a car...

Phycology, Limnology, Aquatic Botany, Ecology

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are bio-electrochemical devices that use microbial metabolic processes to convert organic substances into electricity with high efficiency. In this study, the performance of a soil-based MFC using urine as a substrate was assessed using polarization and power density curves. A single-chamber, membrane-less MFC with a car...

The thermal heat conductivity, specific heat capacity, thermal heat diffusivity and bulk density of Prosopis africana seeds were determined as a function of moisture content. Specific heat capacity was measured by the method of mixture while the thermal heat conductivity was measured by the guarded hot plate method. Thermal heat diffusivity was cal...

Physical properties of agricultural products are the most important parameters to determine the optimum design of grading, conveying, processing, and packaging systems. This study was conducted to investigate some post-harvest physical properties of unshelled (black), shelled (yellow) and kernel of velvet tamarind (Dialium guineense) fruit. The phy...

Information on chemical properties of fruits is crucial in processing it into different foods. Mechanical properties of fruits determine their susceptibility to mechanical damages that occur during harvest, transportation, and storage; and which eventually lead to a pronounced reduction in commercial value. This study was conducted to investigate t...

Various post-harvest physical properties of African yam beans (Sphenostylis stenocarpa) as well as their application were investigated and reported. The major diameter, intermediate diameter, minor diameter, and geometric mean diameter were determined as 8.1778 cm, 6.712 cm, 6.3025 cm and 7.0128 cm, respectively. The sphericity indicated that the b...