Low Cost Porous Alumina with Tailored Microstructure and Thermal Conductivity Prepared using Rice Husk and Sucrose

This study demonstrates a cost‐effective way to fabricate porous ceramics with tailored porosity and pore microstructure using 5–40 wt% rice husk (RH) in <75 μm, 75–180 μm, 180–355 μm, 355–420 μm, and 420–600 μm size, as pore former. Sucrose, used as binder, also acted as a pore former. Porous alumina compacts with 20%–66% volume fraction porosity and 50–516 μm pore size (length) were successfully fabricated. Microstructure of samples reveal randomly oriented elongated coarse pores and fine pores (avg. size 4 μm), created during burnout of RH and sucrose, respectively. Samples with isolated and/or interconnected pores were fabricated using this process. Thermal conductivity of the samples prepared was measured using Transient Plane Source (TPS) technique. Thermal conductivity ranges from 1.2 to 24 W/mK. Experimental results agree closely with predictions made based on Effective Medium Theory (EMT) for a two‐phase system.     

Copolymerization of styrene with an α‐olefin via atom transfer radical polymerization

This investigation reports the preparation of styrene–α‐olefinic random copolymers, using 1‐octene as an α‐olefin, via atom transfer radical polymerization. Atom transfer radical copolymerization of styrene with 1‐octene was successfully carried out using phenylethyl bromide as initiator and CuBr as catalyst in combination with N, N, N′, N″, N″‐pentamethyldiethylenetriamine as ligand. The copolymers had controlled molecular weight, narrow dispersity and well‐defined end groups with significant 1‐octene incorporation in the polymer. Incorporation of 1‐octene in the copolymers was confirmed using ¹H NMR and matrix‐assisted laser desorption ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectroscopy. An increase in 1‐octene content in the monomer feed led to an increase in the level of incorporation of the α‐olefin in the copolymer. An increase in the concentration of 1‐octene led to a decrease in the rate of polymerization and an increase in dispersity. The glass transition temperature of the copolymer gradually decreased as the incorporation of 1‐octene increased. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Linearizer for pulse-shaping of received pulse in ultra-wideband radio systems

This paper presents a novel concept of pulse-shaping in an ultra-wide band radio system. Instead of attempting to design an antenna with flat group delay, the emphasis has been shifted to the signal processing aspect of pulse shaping. The received pulse which has broadened due to non-linear phase response of the propagating channel is shaped back closer to the ideal pulse using a linearizer. The block schematic of the linearizer is presented along with simulated results. Though only a Rayleigh first order pulse has been used for simulation purpose, the method can easily be generalized to incorporate other pulse shapes.     

Computational study of 5<Emphasis Type="Italic">d</Emphasis> transition metal mononitrides and monoborides using density functional method

5d-metal mononitrides and monoborides viz. X-N and X-B (X = La, Hf, Ta, W, Re, Os, Ir, Pt, Au, Hg) are studied using density functional method based B3LYP functional with LANL2DZ and SDD basis set. The lowest spin state, electron affinities, ionization potentials and binding energies for mononitrides and monoborides are obtained. The electronic state and electronic configuration of mononitrides and monoborides are discussed. Orbitals involved in bond formation are identified. The properties of mononitrides and monoborides are compared. It is found that 5d-metal atoms form stronger bond with nitrogen atom than the boron atom. The range of binding energy, electron affinity and ionization potential is wider for mononitrides than that for monoborides. The properties of 5d-metal mononitrides and 3d-metal mononitrides are also compared. The binding energies for the former are lower than those for the latter.     

Cold Model Investigations of Melting of Ice in a Gas-Stirred Vessel

The melting of steel scrap in high temperature liquid iron melt is investigated by conducting cold model experiments of the melting of ice sample of different geometries and sizes in an argon-stirred vessel containing water. The melting process of ice samples is observed using a high-speed camera. Design of experiments is based on similarity criteria. The relationships between non-dimensional groups related to heat transfer (Nu, Re, Pr, and Gr) are derived for different experimental conditions. The results are compared with those reported in the literature. The heat transfer coefficient is estimated as a function of mixing power and is found to be in good agreement with the calculated values obtained by using reported relationships in literature.     

Modeling of the sheet‐molding process for poly(methyl methacrylate)

The sheet‐molding process for the production of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) involves an isothermal batch reactor followed by polymerization in a mold (the latter is referred to as a “sheet reactor”). The temperature at the outer walls of the mold varies with time. In addition, due to finite rates of heat transfer in the viscous reaction mass, spatial temperature gradients are present inside the mold. Further, the volume of the reaction mass also decreases with polymerization. These several physicochemical phenomena are incorporated into the model developed for this process. It was found that the monomer conversion attains high values of near‐unity in most of the inner region in the mold. This is because of the high temperatures there, since the heat generated due to the exothermicity of the polymerization cannot be removed fast enough. However, the temperature of the mold walls has to be increased in the later stages of polymerization so that the material near the outer edges can also attain high conversions of about 98%. This would give PMMA sheets having excellent mechanical strength. The effects of important operating (decision) variables were studied and it was observed that the heat‐transfer resistance in the mold influences the spatial distribution of the temperature, which, in turn, influences the various properties (e.g., monomer conversion, number‐average molecular weight, and polydispersity index) of the product significantly. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 81: 1951–1971, 2001     

Antibacterial mode of action of seed essential oil of Eleutherococcus senticosus against foodborne pathogens

This study investigated the antibacterial mechanism of action of the seed essential oil of Eleutherococcus senticosus (ESEO) against foodborne pathogenic bacteria. Preliminarily, the ESEO (1000 μg disc^?1) showed potential antibacterial effect as diameter of inhibition zones (12.0 ± 0.2–37.0 ± 2.0 mm) against the tested foodborne pathogens. The MIC and MBC values of ESEO against the tested bacteria were found in the range of 125–500 and 500–1000 μg mL^?1, respectively. At MIC concentration, the ESEO had potential inhibitory effect on the cell viability of the tested pathogens. In addition, SEM analysis showed the inhibitory effect of ESEO as confirmed by considerable morphological alterations on the cell wall of B. cereus ATCC 13061 and E. coli O157:H7 ATCC 43889. Moreover, the ESEO revealed its mode of action against foodborne pathogens on membrane integrity as confirmed by release of extracellular ATP, 260‐nm absorbing materials and leakage of potassium ions. These findings confirm that the ESEO can be used as a potential antibacterial agent in food industry to inhibit the growth of various foodborne pathogens.     

Temperature measurements in steady axisymmetric partially premixed flames by use of rainbow schlieren deflectometry

We focus on the utility of rainbow schlieren as a tool for measuring the temperature of axisymmetric partially premixed flames (PPFs). Methane-air PPFs are established on a coannular burner. The flames involve two spatially distinct reaction zones, one in an inner premixed region that has a curved tip and a spatially planar wing portion and another that involves an outer nonpremixed zone in which intermediate species burn in air. Schlieren images are found to visualize clearly these PPF characteristics through light deflection by steep refractive-index gradients in the two reaction zone fronts. The temperature distributions of two flames established at fuel-rich mixture equivalence ratios of phi(r) = 1.5 and 2.0, with bulk-averaged velocities, Vreac = 60 cm s(-1) and Vair = 50 cm s(-1), are inferred from color schlieren images, and a measurement error analysis is performed. Errors arise from two sources. One lies in the process of inferring the temperature from the refractive-index measurement by making assumptions regarding the local composition of the flame. We have shown through simulations that the average temperature deviations due to these assumptions are 1.7% for the phi(r) = 1.5 flame and 2.3% for the phi(r) = 2.0 flame. Another source involves the local uncertainty in the measurement of the transverse ray displacement at the filter plane that is used to determine the refractive index and thereafter the flame temperature. We have ascertained that a maximum error of 4.3% in the temperature determination can be attributed to this local measurement uncertainty. This investigation demonstrates the capability of the schlieren technique for providing not only qualitative displays of the PPFs but also full-field-of-view temperature measurements that are accurate, spatially resolved, and nonintrusive.