A blend of radish oil (RO) and apricot kernel oil (AKO) was transesterified with methanol, ethanol, and their equivalent mixture, to yield methylic biodiesel (MBD), ethylic biodiesel (EBD), and methylic/ethylic biodiesel (MEBD), respectively with the refining of the so-developed fuels through adsorption onto the activated carbon prepared by ZnCl 2 activation of apricot shells. The best conversion of RO-AKO blend to MBD (96.12 ± 1.25%) and MEBD (94.23 ± 2.22) was attained at KOH concentration, 0.75% w/w of oil, alcohol/oil molar ratio, 6/1, mixing intensity, 600 rpm, reaction temperature, 60°C, and 45-min reaction period, whereas the best conditions that produced the highest yield of EBD (95.19 ± 2.0 %) were KOH concentration, 1.0 KOH % w/w of oil, ethanol/oil molar ratio, 8/1, mixing intensity, 600 rpm, reaction temperature, 65°C, and 75-min reaction period. The Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance confirmed formation of the alkyl esters from the RO-AKO blend. The quality of MBD, EBD, and MEBD obtained from the RO-AKO blend was evaluated and found comparable with the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D6751 standards. Additionally, blending of MEBD with petrodiesel was possible, and properties of the blends were in accordance with those established by ASTM D7467-17. The methanolysis of the RO-AKO mixture followed the pseudo-first-order kinetics with activation energy of 27.27 kJ mol −1 . In conclusion, the RO-AKO mixture could be lowcost feedstock for biodiesel production. Moreover, apricot shells could be exploited as a priceless and suitable adsorbent for the adsorption of impurities found in the crude alkyl esters for its high surface area.KEYWORDS radish oil-apricot kernel oil blend, alcoholysis reaction, purification by activated carbon, fuel properties assessment, identification of biodiesel, kinetics

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This study reports the exploitation of Garden cress Lepidium sativum L. seed as a novel non-edible raw feedstock for producing high yield and quality biodiesels vial the optimized alcoholysis reaction. The satisfactory oil content of the Garden cress seeds (28.50± 1.50 % w/w) encouraged its utilization for biodiesel (BD) creation. The garden cress seed oil (GCSO) was transesterified with ethanol and a blend of methanol and ethanol via optimized alkali-catalyzed alcoholysis reaction. The typical reaction conditions, which resulted in the maximum yield of the ethylic BD (90.45 ± 2.0 % were 1.0 wt.% KOH, 8:1 ethanol: GCSO molar ratio, 65 ℃ for a duration of 75 minutes, while 0.80 wt.% KOH, 6:1 mixed alcohols: GCSO molar ratio, 60 ℃, and a duration of 1h, were the typical experimental conditions, which produced the superlative yield of MEBD (97.50± 1.50%,). Transformation of the GCSO to its corresponding alkyl esters was certified through the FTIR, 1 H NMR, and thinlayer chromatography studies. Besides, fuel properties of the pristine GCSO have noticeably changed and obeyed the ASTM criteria as a result of the alcoholysis reaction of GCSO with the said alcohols. Blends prepared by blending BD samples with petro diesel at various ratios (v/v) exhibited their compatibility with the specifications fixed by the ASTM standards. The alcoholysis reaction of the GCSO obeyed the first-order kinetics with activation energy values of 30.71 kJ/mol for the ethanolysis of the GCSO, and 32.93 kJ/mol for the transesterification with mixed methanol/ethanol alcohols. This study disclosed that the GCSO possessed the potential to be utilized as a successful alternative to petroleum-based diesel.

Grafting of wastes polypropylene taken from sack with some active functional groups like maleic anhydride, N-phenylmaleamic acid, N(o-chloro-phenyl) maleamic acid, N(2,6diethyphenyl) maleamic acid and N(3-chloro-4-methylphenyl) maleamic acid were accomplished via free radical polymerization. The grafted polymers were examined as an ion exchanger toward Cu +2 , Zn +2 and Cd +2 ions from their aqueous solutions. The initial concentrations of metal ion solution, pH of the extraction medium and treatment time were studied as a factors influence the efficiency of extraction. The r esults were constructed with some isotherm models (Langmuir, Frendlich and Dubiuin-Radushkevish models). The langmuir and Dubini-Radushkevish isotherm are the more suitable models to describe the results than Frendlich model.