FOUR WAYS I CAN HELP MAKE YOUR SECONDARY SCHOOL STAND OUT

 

1. SCIENCE PRACTICALS: Nigerian schools have deficiency in practicals and it affects the quality of Doctors, Engineers, and Scientists we produce. Is your school new? I can get a very little amount of money from you and buy apparatus for Chemistry, Physics, and Biology Practicals. Design experiments you can start with then with time you keep buying other apparatus till you have everything that is stipulated by the regulatory bodies. For old schools, I can come around on contract to cordinate and execute science practicals.

 

2. ICT: This is the bedrock of modern day career. There is ICT in every discipline now. I can come around and help you set-up your ICT Lab, with a system or two - to start with. You will upgrade with time. If you are running WAEC Syllabus you will need MS Office, Graphics Suites, and BASIC Programming software. If you are running NABTEB Syllabus you will need the above tools. The only difference is that you will substitute AutoCAD for BASIC. I can assist your school to cordinate this.

 

3. BASIC TECHNOLOGY WORKSHOP: All professionals would end up using tools and equipment and this has made BST compulsory in our secondary schools. I can get very little amount of money from you to set-up a workshop. This workshop will expose your students to practicals in the area of technology. You will save cost of maintenance as the students would be the ones to handle minor repairs, services and products for you.

 

4. JETS Club: Junior Engineers, Technicians and Scientists club is one club I can help setup in your school. The students in schools i've assisted so far keep rolling out testimonies.

 

Make your school outstanding today. Let me give you the Technical support. 07037263653 (Odfid Technical Services ... Ensuring competence).

 

 

AMAZING VALUE OF COCONUT OIL

 

Characterization of Coconut Oil

Synonyms: Copra oil, Oleum Cocois (Harry, 1963). Coconut oil is edible oil extracted from the kennel of matured coconuts harvested from the coconuts palms (Cocos nucifera). It has various applications in food, medicine, and industry. Because of its high saturated fat content it is slow to oxide and, thus, resistant to rancidification, lasting up to two years without spoiling. (Fife, 2005)

The following is average fatty acid composition of Coconut oil – saturated acids: Caproic acid (0.2%), Caprylic acid (8.0%), Capric acid (7.0%), lauric acid (48.0%),  Mystric acid (17.5%) palmitic acid (8.8%) and Stearic acid (2.0%) Unsaturated acids: Oleic acid (6.0%) and linoleic acid (2.5%). Coconut oil occurs as white semi-solid, lard-lime fat readily becomes rancid on exposure to air. It is sometimes hydrogenated to improve its stability. Coconut oil melts at 21⁰C to 25⁰C, and has the following characteristics: Saponification value (251 to 264), Iodine Value 8 to 10), Refractive index at 40⁰C (1,44-5), Acid value (not greater than 6) (Harry, 1.63).

 

Coconut oil in Food

Coconut oil is commonly used in cooking, especially for frying, and is a common flavour in many south Asian curries. It has been used for cooking (in tropical parts of the world ) for thousand of years (clark, 2011) coconut oil (along with lauric leaf oil and palm kernel oil) contains a large proportion of lauric acid which is converted to monolaurin in the body,a fat otherwise found only in breast milk.(Beare-Roggers  et.al,2001) Lauric acid is destroyed by some oil processing method .

Other culinary uses including solid fats produced through hydrogenation in backed and confectionery good (Tarrago- Trani et.al, 2006) hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated coconut oil is often used in non-dairy creamers and snack, food, including popcorn. The smoke point of coconut oil is 177⁰C (351⁰F). (Katragadda et.al, 2010)

Coconut oil industry

Coconut oil has tested for use as feedstock for biodiesel to be used as a diesel engine fuel. In this manner, it can be applied to power generators and transport using diesel engines.  Since straight coconut oil has a high gelling temperature (22-25 ⁰C), a high viscosity, and a minimum combustion chamber  temperature of 500 ⁰C (932 ^OF) (to avoid polymerization of the fuel), coconut oil typically is transesterified to make biodiesel. Use of B 100 (100% biodiesel) is possible only in temperate climates, as the gel point is approximately 10 ^o C (50^oF) . The oil must meet the Weihenstephan  standard for pure vegetable oil used as a fuel otherwise  moderate to severe   damage  from  carbonization and  clogging  will  occur in  an unmodified  engine. The Philippines, vanuata,  samoa,  and several other  tropical  island  countries  are  using coconut  oil as an  alternative  fuel  source  to run automobiles,  trucks  and  buses,  and  to power  generators.  Coconut oil  is currently used as a fuel  for  transport  in  the Philippines  further  research  into  the  potential of coconut  oil as a fuel  for electricity generation is being carried out in the islands of the pacific. Although to date it appear that it is not useful as a fuel source due to the cost of labour and supply constraints.(AGTD, 2011)

Coconut oil can be used as an engine lubricant and as transformer oil. Acids derived from coconut can be used as herbicides. (James and Rahman, 2005)

Coconut oil can be used as a skin moisturizer, helping with dry skin and reduces protein loss when used in hair. Before the advent of electrical lighting ,coconut oil was the primary oil used  for illumination in india and was exported as cochin oil.(Brady,2020)

 

Coconut oil is an important base ingredient for the manufacture of soap. Soap made with coconut oil tends to be hard, although it retains more water than those made with other oils and therefore increases manufacturer yields. It is more soluble in hard water and salt water than other soaps allowing it to lather more easily. A basic coconut oil soap is clear when melted and a bright white when hardened. (Browning, 2003)

Source: Oduok, I. F. (2015): Industrial Characteristics of Palm Oil-Coconut Oil Blend and Its Application in The Production of Toilet Soap. B.Eng. Research Work. University of Uyo. Nigeria. Pp. 7 - 10

 

 

 

 

 

PRODUCTS AND DERIVATIVES FROM VEGETABLE OILS

 

 

We have broadly three sources of oils - petroleum, animal, and vegetable.

 

By vegetable oil I am referring to oils gotten from plant sources. Examples include palm oil, coconut oil, palm kernel oil, avocado oil, jojoba oil, olive oil, corn oil, jatropha oil, peanut oil, orange pill oil, star apple seed oil etc.

 

Some of these oils are edible others are not but the good thing is that all the oils are extremely useful in various fields of human endeavour. The oils have application in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and confectionary.

 

A few of the industrial application of vegetable oils are highlighted in this write-up:

 

1.    In Fuel Production: edible and non-edible type, fresh and waste stock of vegetable oils are converted to diesel for driving of vehicles and powering of generators. It smokes less and has favouravle cetane value.

 

2.    In Oil Paint Production: Acrylic serves as binder in water paint while alkyd resyd performs the same function in oil paint. Alkyd resyd is obtained by modifying vegetable oils using readily available chemical feedstock.

 

3.    Drilling Mud Production: The two popular broad categories of drilling mud used in petroleum and water borehole drilling are water based and oil based mud. Water based though environmentally friendly has its drawback as it is not suitable for high temperature well formation. An alternative to it has been oil based mud using Diesel as carrier. With heightened environmental concern of diesel based mud, vegetable oil based mud has proven to be a candidate of choice.

 

4.    Detergent Feedstock: Detergent technology has been evolving over the years with linear akylbenzene sulphonate (LAS) being the choice candidate as a result of it biodegradability. LAS can be obtained by sulphonation of vegetable oil at appropriate process conditions.

 

The benefits of vegetable oil are great and the list appears to be endless.

 

Id Oduok is a Graduate Student of Chemical Engineering, specializing in Process Design. His research interest is Industrial Application of Vegetable Oils. A field he has been working on since his undergraduate research. He covers extraction, characterization, refining, and utilization of various vegetable oils. He also designs, simulate, model, and builds pilot scale equipment/plants in this field of interest.

 

Follow him on odfidtechnicalworld.blogspot.com. Also on academia.edu.ng/idoduok. Visit his Technical Center in Eket, Akwa Ibom State. Nigeria

 

REVISION FOR WASSCE BIOLOGY PRACTICAL

 

To prepare candidates for Monday, 31st August, 2020 WASSCE Biology Practical, I wish to highlight these areas that will enable them make outstanding result without cheating.

 

The areas you should work on are diffusion, test for classes of food, soil analysis, fruits and seeds, classification of living organism.

 

Placentation

 

Placentation is the arrangement of the ovules within the ovary. These ovules are attached to the ovary by fleshly structures called placentae (singular-placenta) through short stalks called funicles.

 

Types of placentation

 

a. Marginal placentation: In marginal placentation, the ovules are attached to the placenta along one margin of the ovary. Examples can be found in beans, cowpea, pride of Barbados.

b. Parietal placentation: In this arrangement, the ovules are attached to the slides of a syncarpous ovary having a single chamber e.g. pawpaw.

c. Axile placentation: In axile placentation, the carpels of syncarpous ovary meet in the centre to form the placenta which the ovules are attached e.g. Tomato

HOW TO PREPARE A BILL OF MATERIAL (QUOTATION)

 

Before attempting to construct a project of your own design, you should prepare a job plan. A job plan generally includes the following items:

1. A working drawing of the project. This is a carefully sketched freehand drawing.

2. A bill of materials.

3. A list of tools and equipment needed.

4. A list of the steps of procedure, in proper order, for making the project.

5. Approval before making the project (if required).

 

When you prepare a plan for a project which you are planning to carry out, you use the same procedure that is used in the metal industry. In the industry, every product to be made must be planned out in a working drawing form. Working drawings must be made for each part of each product. The proper material must be selected for each part, and the cost must be analyzed. Tools, machinery and equipment must be provided. The procedure must be carefully analyzed for most economical production. Your job plan, therefore, involves some of the kinds of things which are performed by manufacturing engineers, industrial technicians and skilled workers.

 

A job plan is, therefore, a comprehensive list of materials needed for a project, step-by-step procedure for making the project, the details of the worker's personal data, tools, and equipment needed for the project.

 

A bill of materials is the comprehensive list of all the materials that you will need to complete a project. This list includes bolts, screws, nuts, and washers that have uniform sizes and shapes. It may be useful to refer to a catalogue to get the sizes and types.

 

The bill of materials should be made up as follows:

 

1. The parts (identifies by number or letters).

2. The number of pieces needed for each.

3. The size of the material.

4. The shape and kind of material.

5. The unit cost of the material.

6. The total cost of the object.

 

Things to remember when preparing the bill of materials

 

1. The stock i.e. the raw (rough) materials you need to buy for the project.

2. Decide the shape of the stock you need and buy same.

3. The size given on the bill of materials, i.e. the size of the rough metal you will buy, including the waste to be cut off.

4. The size given on the working drawing, i.e. the finished size.

5. Sizes of materials (stock) are given as follows:

a. Flat piece of metal: thickness x width x length

b. Square piece of metal: thickness x width x length

c. Round piece of metal: diameter x length

d. Hexagonal piece of metal: distance across flat sides x length

 

Part No.	No. of Pieces	Size			Material (Type)	Unit Cost	Total Cost
		Thickness	Width	Length