This work was on the comparative evaluation of the property effects obtainable when acetylation is applied to parts of selected agro fibers that are obtainable within common localities. The fibers were subjected to different concentrations of acetylation treatment at ambient temperature for 3 h. The physico-chemical, morphological, and tensile properties of the fibers were examined after the treatment. It was discovered from the results that the procedures variedly influenced the constituents of the fibers, their resulting tensile properties as well as their post-acetylation treatment surface morphology. The proportion of crystalline cellulose in the starting fibers greatly influenced their post treatment composition, behaviour and properties. The results show that plantain fibers had the highest aspect ratios, followed by banana fibers with values of about 1000 and 417, respectively. These fibers exhibited the least density and are thus potential plant fibers for composite development. Banana fiber had the least density of about 1.38 g/cm³ while that of DombeyaBuettneri fiber possessed the highest value of 1.5 g/cm³. There was significant enhancement in the hemicellulose content of Combretum Racemosum, while the lignin content of the plantain fibers was highly reduced. The treatment favoured the enhancement of the tensile properties in Combretum Racemosum fibers, which had enhanced tensile strength and strain at all compositions of the treatment. Optimum tensile strength and strain values of 155 MPa and 0.046, respectively, are achieved at 4% composition. Dombeya Buettneri fibers showed the highest ultimate tensile strength among the plant fibers in the untreated condition, which was gradually decreased as the concentration of the reagents was increased. Overall, 4% acetylation treatment is optimum for tensile properties’ enhancement for most of the natural fibers evaluated.

Illegal disposal and recirculation of expired drugs is a global menace which can be solved by their re-utilization as corrosion inhibitors. Thus, helping to combat the current widespread corrosion-induced wastage of expensive mild steel infrastructure. The experimental investigation evaluated the capability and effectiveness of an expired drug (piroxicam) for inhibiting mild steel corrosion in blank 0.5M HCl and acidic environments containing 2 to 8 g/L of the expired drug. Spectrometry, weight loss analysis, atomic absorption spectroscopy, microscopy, polarisation and electrochemical impedance study (EIS) were employed. Analyses revealed drastic inhibition of corrosion in mild steel by expired piroxicam drug in the acid. Corrosion currents ( ) obtained at all concentrations of the expired drug were reduced in comparison to that of the uninhibited environment. The solution resistance recorded was not significantly altered; charge transfer resistances were increased while the capacitance of the electrochemical double layers (Double layer capacitance) as well as the concentration of dissolved iron (Feⁿ⁺) ions in the environment, were all reduced with increasing concentration of the expired drug. Although moderate amounts of the expired drug delivered appreciable levels of corrosion inhibition when dissolved directly into the corrosive environment and without any pre-treatment, increased concentration of expired drug resulted in increased corrosion inhibition efficiency. The highest corrosion inhibition efficiency obtained was 97.6% and was from the acidic environment that contained 8 g/L of expired piroxicam drug. The expired piroxicam drug inhibited corrosion of mild steel in 0.5M HCl acid via spontaneous physical adsorption (physisorption) process(s), obeying Langmuir’s adsorption isotherm.

The widespread corrosion of critical oil and gas infrastructure requires development of innovative and environmentally sustainable solutions. This research considers the repurposing of hitherto un-useful expired drugs to meet this challenge and to do so in ways that also puts stop to the menacing and illegal circulation of expired pharmaceuticals in developing economies. The corrosion inhibitory potential of expired paracetamol was evaluated for mild steel in acidic environment. Electrochemical analysis revealed that the corrosion current decreased from for the mild steel immersed in the blank/uninhibited 0.5M HCl environment to in the case of the sample in the 8g/l environment. The concentration of dissolved ions of iron in the acidic environment also followed this trend supported by the results obtained from the gravimetric analysis. Optical microscopy showed gradual covering of the corroding surface by a layer of inhibitor film with increasing concentration of the additive in the acidic environment. The corrosion inhibition efficiency increased with increasing concentration of the expired drug, reaching a maximum of 73.24% for 8.0 mM of expired paracetamol directly dissolved in the acid. Expired paracetamol acted as a mixed-type inhibitor for mild steel in 0.5M HCl and the corrosion inhibition process was spontaneous. All analyses agreed that expired paracetamol drug is capable of inhibiting corrosion of mild steel in HCl and that the corrosion inhibition is achievable without prior pretreatment. The research is fundamental as it attempts to lay some groundwork for further research towards developing viable and marketable product from this category of materials.