The hydrogen cyanide contents of Manihort utilissima (Cassava) bulbifera and Dioscorea domementeroum respectively. Higher hydrogen cyanide contents were observed in the fresh samples than the dried samples. Manihort utilissima was found to have the highest values both in the fresh and the dried forms. Statistical analysis of the mean values of hydrogen cyanide content of the tubers indicates a significant difference between the fresh and the dried forms of the tubers. The study revealed that tubers of these plants have relatively high content of hydrogen cyanide content.

Dealing effectively with plastic wastes has been a major global challenge. Different methods have been previously employed to proffer solution to plastic wastes problem however, all showed their energetic, economic and environmental implications. In this research, catalytic pyrolysis of low density polyethylene and polypropylene wastes was carried out to proffer solution to the problem. The plastic materials were collected and appropriately prepared after which ultimate and proximate analysis was carried out on them. The clay was collected from Naka, Gwer West Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria, thereafter, referred to as N-clay and was appropriately prepared, then analyzed by a BET analyzer for the following properties: the surface area, which was found to be 85.418 m2/g, pore size 2.100 nm and pore volume of 0.042 cc/g. Also, the XRF determination of the chemical composition of the N-clay was done and the SiO2/Al2O3 ratio was found to be 70.81/29.19. The N-clay and the plastics were then pyrolyzed in a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor in the ratio 1:3 respectively, at 500 oC with residence time of 30 min using nitrogen as purge gas. The polypropylene yielded 70.34 % liquid oil, 6.43 % char and 23.23 % gas. The liquid was analyzed for functional groups, using Raman spectrometer. Physicochemical analysis was also done on the oil and it was determined that the oil had properties consistent with commercial-grade gasoline. The low density polyethylene yielded wax, instead of liquid, char and gas. Finally, it was concluded that the N-clay was suitable as catalyst for the pyrolysis of plastics and the fuel oil obtained from polypropylene pyrolysis is comparable to gasoline fuel.

Aqueous extracts of Securidacalongepedunculata and Artocarpusheterophyllus were screened for photochemicals and both were found to contain saponins, tannins, flavonoid, cardiac glycosides, anthraquinones and alkaloids. Biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles was carried out from these extracts. The formation and stability of the reduced nanoparticles in the colloidal solutions were monitored using UV-visible spectroscopy. The Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR), indicated the presence of bio-molecules responsible for reduction and stabilization of the nanoparticles. The morphology of the nanoparticles formed from Securidacalongepedunculata was flake like and that from Artocarpusheterophyllus was plate-like as shown by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The nanoparticles from both plants showed potent anti-bacterial activities towards Staphylococcus aureus, a gram positive bacterium.

Afzelia africana seed oil was extracted from its oil-bearing seeds via soxhlet extraction with n-hexane as the solvent. The oil was characterized and the percentage yield, specific gravity, refractive index, iodine value, acid value and saponification value were; 24.6%, 0.9184, 1.4708, 105.75 (Wij’s), 5.61 (mg KOH/g) and 199.155 (mg/KOH/g) respectively. Dimer acids were synthesized by heating 50g of the oil at 3400C in nitrogen inert atmosphere using iodine crystals as catalyst. Characterization of the dimer acid indicated that refractive index, iodine value, acid value and saponification value were 1.4904, 126.90 (Wij’s),7.01 (mgKOH/g) and 136.043 (mgKOH/g) respectively. Fatty polyamide was synthesized by heating the dimer acid and ethylenediamine at a temperature of 2100C in an inert atmosphere. Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis for both the synthesized dimer acid and fatty polyamide was obtained. The dimer acid shows a peak at 1697.41cm-1 due to C=O stretch of carboxylic acid, a peak at 1080.17 cm-1 which corresponds to O-H bend of carboxylic acid. A peak corresponding to C-H stretch of alkane group shown at 2916.42 cm-1, a peak at 1111.03 cm-1 due to C-O-C stretch of fatty ester group. The polyamide showed a peak at 1180.47 cm-1 which corresponds to C-N stretch of aliphatic amine group. The significant difference in absorption between the synthesized dimer acid and fatty polyamide is the peak at 3533.71 cm-1 which corresponds to amide N-H stretching absorption that was present in the polyamide due to the higher number of hydrogen bonds formed by amide groups. The findings revealed that Afzalia africana seed oil is semi-drying in nature based on its iodine value and has the desirable qualities needed for producing surface coating vehicles.

Thevetia Nerrifolia and Jathropha Curcas seed oils were extracted from their oil seeds by soxhlet extraction using petroleum ether (40-60 o C) as solvent. The oils were characterized and the oil yield, refractive index, acid value, saponification value, iodine value, colour and relative density were found to be 47.77%, 1.464, 4.365 (mg/KOH), 125.62 (mg/KOH), 98.48 (wij), 4 + and 0.926 for Thevetia Nerrifolia seed oil and 46.56%, 1.496, 33.65 (mg/KOH), 175.12 (mg/KOH) 105.43 (Wij), 3 and 0.913 for Jathropha Curcas seed oil respectively. Dimer acids were prepared from these seed oils by heating 200g of each of the oils under nitrogen inert atmosphere in a four necked resin kettle at a temperature of 300 o C for 12 hours. The physicochemical properties of the dimer acids were analyzed and were found to compare favourably with each and other well known feed stocks of dimerization.