Profile URL: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12573/2670
Job Title:Prof. Dr.
Email Address:nigmet.uzal@agu.edu.tr
Main Affiliation:02.03. İnşaat Mühendisliği
Status: Current Staff
ORCID:
0000-0002-0912-3459
0000-0002-0912-3459Scopus ID:
6504021457
6504021457YÖK Akademik: BD4CE6EFE152017B
Google Scholar:
UtJKq-kAAAAJ
UtJKq-kAAAAJWeb of Science ID:
GEW-3084-2022
GEW-3084-2022Name Variants:
Uzal, N. Uzal, Nigmet
57 results
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Now showing 1 - 10 of 57
Article Citation - WoS: 18Citation - Scopus: 19Removal of Pesticides From Secondary Treated Urban Wastewater by Reverse Osmosis(Springer Heidelberg, 2022-04-11) Ates, Nuray; Uzal, Nigmet; Yetis, Ulku; Dilek, Filiz B.The residues of pesticides that reach water resources from agricultural activities in several ways contaminate drinking water resources and threaten aquatic life. This study aimed to investigate the performance of three reverse osmosis (RO) membranes (BW30-LE, SW30-XLE, and GE-AD) in rejecting four different pesticides (tributyl phosphate, flutriafol, dicofol, and irgarol) from secondary treated urban wastewater and also to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the rejection of these pesticides. RO experiments were conducted using pesticide-spiked wastewater samples under 10 and 20 bar transmembrane pressures (TMP) and membrane performances were evaluated. Overall, all the membranes tested exhibited over 95% rejection performances for all pesticides at both TMPs. The highest rejections for tributyl phosphate (99.0%) and irgarol (98.3%) were obtained with the BW30-LE membrane, while for flutriafol (99.9%) and dicofol (99.1%) with the GE-AD membrane. The increase in TMP from 10 to 20 bar did not significantly affect the rejections of all pesticides. The rejection performances of RO membranes were found to be governed by projection area as well as molecular weight and hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity of pesticides. Among the membranes tested, the SW30-XLE membrane was the most prone to fouling due to the higher roughness.Article Citation - WoS: 1Citation - Scopus: 1Pre-Concentration of Municipal Wastewater Using Flocculation-Assisted Direct Ceramic Microfiltration Process: Optimization of Operational Conditions(Springer int Publ Ag, 2022-10) Ozcan, Ozlem; Sahinkaya, Erkan; Uzal, NigmetDirect ceramic microfiltration (DCMF) is an effective technology to pre-concentrate organic matter (OM) for the subsequent anaerobic energy-recovering processes and a fast, cost-effective, easy treatment process for municipal wastewater. The major problem in DCMF is the rapid fouling of the membrane. In this study, to maximize OM recovery rates and prevent membrane fouling, the DCMF process was alternately paired with dosing of a cationic polyacrylamide (PAM) flocculant and chemically enhanced primary sedimentation (CEPS). The DCMF process tested in three stages: (i) optimization of flocculant concentration (0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2 mg/L PAM) and dosing point, (ii) optimization of operational conditions (pH, filtration/backwash duration, flux, and recovery rate) to control membrane fouling, and (iii) long-term operation of the DCMF process. The influence of PAM dosage points on DCMF fouling behavior was explored, and system operating parameters in terms of OM recovery and TMP change were optimized. The CEPS + DCMF setup was discovered to be a potential option for overcoming fouling. The highest chemical oxygen demand (COD) was 520 +/- 20 mg/L in the concentrated wastewater using CEPS + DCMF experiments for 0.5 mg/L PAM. The highest OM pre-concentration was achieved at 90% recovery rate. After the optimization, COD concentration in the concentrate of the DCMF process reached 822 mg/L for the long-term (20 days) operation. The net potential energy production was calculated as 0.28 kWh/m(3) considering the theoretical COD of 1432 mg/L in the concentrate stream. As a novel approach, the CEPS + DCMF process can be used in place of conventional municipal wastewater treatment processes due to its acceptable OM removal performance, simple operation, small footprint, and potential energy generation.Article Citation - WoS: 82Citation - Scopus: 86Machine Learning-Aided Inverse Design and Discovery of Novel Polymeric Materials for Membrane Separation(Amer Chemical Soc, 2024-12-16) Dangayach, Raghav; Jeong, Nohyeong; Demirel, Elif; Uzal, Nigmet; Fung, Victor; Chen, YongshengPolymeric membranes have been widely used for liquid and gas separation in various industrial applications over the past few decades because of their exceptional versatility and high tunability. Traditional trial-and-error methods for material synthesis are inadequate to meet the growing demands for high-performance membranes. Machine learning (ML) has demonstrated huge potential to accelerate design and discovery of membrane materials. In this review, we cover strengths and weaknesses of the traditional methods, followed by a discussion on the emergence of ML for developing advanced polymeric membranes. We describe methodologies for data collection, data preparation, the commonly used ML models, and the explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) tools implemented in membrane research. Furthermore, we explain the experimental and computational validation steps to verify the results provided by these ML models. Subsequently, we showcase successful case studies of polymeric membranes and emphasize inverse design methodology within a ML-driven structured framework. Finally, we conclude by highlighting the recent progress, challenges, and future research directions to advance ML research for next generation polymeric membranes. With this review, we aim to provide a comprehensive guideline to researchers, scientists, and engineers assisting in the implementation of ML to membrane research and to accelerate the membrane design and material discovery process.Conference Object Sustainable Water Management and Rehabilitation in the Mining Lakes, Ilgin-Konya, Turkey(Agro Arge Danismanlik San ve Tic As, 2016) Delibalta, M. S.; Uzal, N.; Lermi, A.The processes during the search, production and enrichment of mining operations naturally affects the air, soil, water resources in turn the natural environment and living organisms. In general, the environmental impact of coal opencast mining operations is much more significant than that of underground mining and mineral processing. After stripping of the material filling the holes in coal opencast production, with the rise of surface water and ground water level is composed of large or small ponds. Low pH (acidic characteristic) and high metal concentrations (Al, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Pb) of these ponds, containing sulfide minerals and the waste materials, for the sustainability of natural resources is one of the biggest environmental problems. This paper is to investigate geochemical characteristics of the pond waters in the Ilgm Coal deposit area. Geochemical analyses were made by ICP-MS in waters taken from ponds in each three-month periods. Highest heavy metal contents 1839 ppb Mn and 9777 ppb Fe, the average pH values 6.49-7.81, turbidity (NTU) 0.1263.6, sulphate content 0.05-2.67 mg SO4/L, chemical oxygen demand 4-136 mg O-2/L, and electrical conductivity 285 mu S/cm4.68 mS/cm have been measured during the monitoring study of five different lignite opencast mine post-production lakes of the TKI GLI Ilgm. Analyses were performed in three-month periods. The results were evaluated within the framework of relevant laws and regulations.Article Citation - WoS: 3Citation - Scopus: 3Investigation of the Treatability of Pre-Coagulated Slaughterhouse Wastewater Using Dead-End Filtration(Wiley, 2021-03-15) Ozdemir, Safiye; Uzal, Nigmet; Gokcek, Oznur BegumBACKGROUND In the present study, the performance of the membrane process, one of the advanced treatment methods that can enable the reuse of slaughterhouse wastewater, was evaluated. The wastewater was treated using ultrafiltration (UF) (10, 50 kDa), nanofiltration (NF) (150-300 DA) and reverse osmosis (RO) (500 kDa) membranes alone, and UF + NF, UF + RO membrane combinations at different pressures. In addition to rejection and permeate flux considerations, it was attempted to select the most effective membrane by performing scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared, contact angle, and atomic force microscopy analyses of the membranes used. RESULTS As a result of the experiments, the highest flux was observed at 5 bar for the 50 kDa UF membrane. When the performances of the sequential application of 10 and 50 kDa UF membranes followed by NF and RO membranes were evaluated, the highest flux was obtained for the sequential application of the 50 kDa UF membrane with the NF membrane as 19.68 and 9.05 L m(-2) h, respectively. CONCLUSION The highest chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal was obtained for the RO membrane at 20 bar as 88.67%, and for the 50 kDa UF + RO sequential application, the COD removal was increased from 70% to 88.67%. (c) 2021 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).Article Citation - WoS: 50Citation - Scopus: 57Life Cycle Assessment of Lightweight Concrete Containing Recycled Plastics and Fly Ash(Taylor & Francis Ltd, 2020-06-05) Ersan, Yusuf Cagatay; Gulcimen, Sedat; Imis, Tuba Nur; Saygin, Osman; Uzal, NigmetResearchers put significant effort to decrease the environmental impact of concrete by using industrial by-products as an alternative binder. However, the considerable environmental impact still exists due to the consumption of natural resources as aggregates. Natural aggregates are the most used resources by volume in the construction sector. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate by-products as an alternative to natural aggregates as well. This study presents the environmental impact of lightweight concrete (LWC) produced by replacing natural aggregates with recycled waste plastic (polyethylene) (RWP) and partially replacing Portland cement with Class F fly ash (FA). Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was performed to compare a conventional LWC, containing pumice as natural aggregate and Portland cement as a binder, with green LWC, containing 30% RWP as pumice replacement and 20% FA as cement replacement. These scenarios were evaluated in terms of global warming potential, abiotic depletion, ozone layer depletion, terrestrial ecotoxicity, photochemical oxidation, acidification and eutrophication. LCA was coupled with mechanical tests at 7 days and 28 days. RWPs were found to be an environment-friendly replacement material for natural lightweight aggregates with an overall decrease in all CML-IA impacts except eutrophication. Tested green mix design also provided sufficient strength for nonstructural applications.Article Efficiency of L-DOPA+TiO2 Modified RO Membrane on Salinity Gradient Energy Generation by Pressure Retarded Osmosis(Pamukkale Univ, 2024) Ates, Nuray; Saki, Seda; Gokcek, Murat; Uzal, NigmetHarvesting energy from the salinity gradient of seawater and river water using pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) has been a major research topic of recent years. However, there is a need for efficient PRO membranes that can generate high power density and are pressure resistant, as the performance of current membranes on the market is poor. In this study, specific energy potential of PRO process using LDOPA+TiO2 modified BW30-LE membrane was evaluated on synthetic and real water samples. Polyamide BW30-LE RO membrane was modified by L-DOPA, L-DOPA+0.5 wt% TiO2 and L-DOPA+1 wt% TiO2. The effect of hydraulic pressure and temperature on generation of power density were evaluated for 5, 10, and 15 bar pressures, as well as 10 degrees C, 20 degrees C, and 30 degrees C degrees. The incorporation of TiO2 nanoparticles with L-DOPA increased the water flux by increasing the surface hydrophilicity and roughness of the membrane surface. The maximum specific power was observed as 1.6 W/m(2) for L-DOPA+1 wt% TiO2 modified BW30-LE membrane at 15 bar pressure. Besides, Mediterranean and Aegean, Black Sea water samples were used as draw solution and Seyhan, Ceyhan, Buyuk Menderes, Gediz, Yesilirmak, and Kizilirmak Rivers were used as feed solution. The highest osmotic power density was obtained by using L-DOPA+1 wt% TiO2 modified BW30-LE membrane with Ceyhan River as feed and Mediterranean Sea water as draw solution, which have the highest differences in salinity. In the mixture of Mediterranean and Ceyhan River, the highest power density was obtained at 10 bar pressure at 30 +/- 5 degrees C with 0.70 W/m(2).Article Citation - WoS: 58Citation - Scopus: 66Enhanced Hydrophilicity and Mechanical Robustness of Polysulfone Nanofiber Membranes by Addition of Polyethyleneimine and Al2O3 Nanoparticles(Elsevier, 2017-10) Uzal, Nigmet; Ates, Nuray; Saki, Seda; Bulbul, Y. Emre; Chen, YongshengA novel hydrophilic and mechanically robust polysulfone (PSF) nanofiber membrane (NFM) was prepared by electrospinning of a PSF solution blended with polyethyleneimine (PEI) and Al2O3 nanoparticles. The influence of PEI and Al2O3 nanoparticles concentration on the NFM characteristics was studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared FT-IR spectroscopy, porosity, water contact angle measurement, and tensile strength test. Filtration performance of the nanofiber membranes (NFMs) were evaluated by the measurement of pure water flux (PWF) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) rejection tests. According to the results, blending PSF solution with 2 wt.% PEI and 0.05 wt.% Al2O3 nanoparticles resulted in formation of NFMs with high porosity and increased mechanical strength, which exhibited a low water contact angle of 23.5 and high water flux of 28,456 L/m(2) h. On the other hand, incorporation of nanoparticles and PEI in the PSF membrane matrix led to increasing of tensile strength that it was changed from 0.15 to 0.69 for pure PSF and PSF/PEI/Al2O3, respectively. A-24 and 48% BSA rejection performances were obtained by nanoparticle incorporated PSF membranes. In conclusion, the studies strongly suggest that blending with hydrophilic additives of NFMs can enhance the hydrophilicity and mechanical strength of PSF membranes and these NFMs can be effectively used in water based membrane systems. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Article Citation - WoS: 5Citation - Scopus: 6Predicting Potential of Pressure Retarded Osmosis Power for Different Estuaries in Turkey(Wiley, 2018-11-29) Saki, Seda; Uzal, Nigmet; Gokcek, Murat; Ates, NurayPressure retarded osmosis (PRO) is an alternative renewable energy source recovered from the salinity gradient between the fresh water (feed solution) and salty water (draw solution). In order to implement osmotic power, the site-specific characteristics including the river and sea salinity, annual flow rates, ecological restrictions were taken into account. This study revealed a comprehensive analysis for a theoretical potential of PRO process for different estuaries in Turkey. In this study, the power potential prediction of PRO process for the Ceyhan, Sakarya, and Meric Rivers were analyzed via Gibbs free energy calculations. The net annual energy production is projected to be 167, 164, and 208 GWh/y for Ceyhan, Sakarya, and Meric Rivers, respectively. Meric River has the highest energy production of 208 GWh/yr with 186 m(3)/s mean flow rate and 245 mg/L salinity. These results clearly show that Turkey's rivers having high salinity and flow rate are feasible and applicable for making the osmotic power plant economically. Thereby, it is providing essential direction to the improvement of its design, installation, and operation. The developed methodology for the evaluation of the osmotic power potential of other rivers can be considered as a basis to assess the whole potential on a worldwide level. (c) 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 38:e13085, 2019Conference Object Citation - WoS: 5Citation - Scopus: 6The Selection of Washing Machine Programs With Fuzzy Dematel and Moora-Ratio Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Methods Considering Environmental and Cost Criteria(Elsevier Science inc, 2024-01) Fidan, Fatma Sener; Aydogan, Emel Kizilkaya; Uzal, NigmetThe washing machine is the prevalent white household equipment in contemporary society. These machines provide consumers with a range of program options that encompass several variables, including temperature and detergent type. Nevertheless, the selection made by individual customers about the washing machine program they opt for carries substantial environmental consequences during the use stage of textile products. According to studies on the life cycle of clothes, it has been established that the use stage, following the extraction of raw materials, exerts the most substantial influence on environmental impacts. The objective of this research is to assess the washing machine programs provided by the manufacturer through the application of a comprehensive systematic approach for analysis. The evaluation of scenarios for washing machine programs was conducted using the MOORA-Ratio multi-criteria decision-making process. This evaluation considered various parameters, including environmental impact and cost. The life cycle assessment methodology was employed to quantify the environmental impact of the specified criteria. Based on the comprehensive study conducted by integrating criteria across numerous dimensions, it has been determined that the most favorable scenario wass scenario 1, which was developed for the Cotton 20 C program. The primary objective of this research endeavor is to fill a significant need in the current body of literature by undertaking a comprehensive review of washing machine programs that have not been previously recorded. This study employs a comprehensive methodology to investigate the environmental and economic implications linked to these activities, with the objective of delivering significant insights to producers and users.