Comparative analysis of in vitro ultraviolet radiation protection of fabrics woven from cotton and bamboo viscose yarns

Ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) of fabrics made of 100% cotton and 100% bamboo viscose yarns were studied and a comparative analysis carried out using curve fitting technique. Bamboo viscose fabrics showed higher shrinkage, cover percentage, areal density and UPF compared to its cotton counterpart woven with identical yarn counts and fabric sett. However, the predictive model of cotton fabric UPF using fabric areal density as the input was able to estimate the UPF of bamboo viscose fabrics with very good accuracy. Furthermore, the 100% cotton and 100% bamboo viscose fabrics showed the same UPF if their cover percentage and areal density is similar. It is inferred from the analysis that the apparently higher UPF of bamboo viscose fabrics can be attributed to their higher cover percentage and areal density instead of bamboo’s inherent UV protective property which has been claimed in various literatures.     

Establishment of a stable Amaranthus tricolor callus line for production of food colorant

This study aimed at demonstrating the effects of fermentation time (24, 48, 72, 96, and 120 h) and water activity (0.943, 0.970, and 0.985) on the production of cellulolytic enzymes by solid-state fermentation of purple mombin (Spondias purpurea L.) residue using Aspergillus niger. The fermentation was carried out at 35°C and the enzyme production was measured as endoglucanase and total cellulose activities. The optimum condition for endoglucanase was water activity 0.974 and 93.8 h of fermentation, reaching a production of 3.21 U/g of residue; whereas for total cellulase it was 0.958 and 79.4 h achieving 12.1 U/g of residue. Fermentation time had a greater effect on the endoglucanase activity, while water activity had a more significant influence on the total cellulase activity. Endoglucanase had optimum activity at temperature of 50°C and pH 5.0. Although cellulase total optimum activity was also at pH 5.0, the maximum activity was at 60°C.     

Quantitative determinations of phenol and resorcinol in pharmaceutical dosage forms by high-pressure liquid chromatography

The quantitative determinations of phenol in phenolated calamine lotion USP and of phenol and resorcinol in phenol-resorcinol-boric acid solution by high-pressure liquid chromatography are reported. The procedures are simple, rapid (no special preliminary treatment is required), and accurate. There is no interference from other ingredients of the lotion (bentonite magma, calamine, and zinc oxide) or solution (acetone and boric acid).     

Terminal nitrogen rise

Eighteen-breath nitrogen washouts were performed on eight subjects. Each washout could be simulated by a four-compartment model, each compartment with a different ventilation-to-volume ratio and a variable contribution to expiratory flow. In large breaths initiated near residual volume, a terminal nitrogen rise (TNR) was seen. To account for the TNR with this model, there were relatively small changes in flow from compartments with markedly different nitrogen concentration. Reasons are given for believing these compartments could not be the upper and lower lung. Three of these subjects were studied in the supine, seated, and head-down positions. The TNR was seen at the same lung volume in all positions. At routine bronchospirometry in a second group of subjects, sampling with small catheters during a nitrogen washout showed a TNR in the expirate of lungs, lobes, segments, and subsegments in the upright and supine positions. Apparently a large vertical hydrostatic gradient is unnecessary to produce a TNR. Finally, the TNR was shown to occur at that lung volume where transpulmonary pressure is very small and changing rapidly with volume. This TNR was often followed by a terminal nitrogen fall while the lung was continuing to empty. The TNR occurs when flow from a large poorly ventilated compartment increases relative to the flow from other compartments. A model of lung in which the poorly ventilated compartment develops high specific compliance at low lung volume explains these data.     

Impact properties of thermoplastic composites

The excellent properties exhibited by thermoplastic composites at much reduced weight have attracted attention in the development of products in different sectors. Thermoplastic (TP) composites, because of their distinctive properties as well as ease of manufacturing, have emerged as a competitor against the conventional thermoset resin-based composites. Depending on the application, these composites may undergo impact events at various velocities and often fail in many complex modes. Hence, the development of TP composites having high energy-dissipation at (the desired) much-reduced weight has become a challenging task, but it is a problem which may be alleviated through the appropriate selection of materials and fabrication processes. Furthermore, fibre surface modification has been shown to increase fibre-matrix interfacial adhesion, which can lead to improved impact resistance. Textile preforms are helpful in acting as a structural backbone in the composites since they offer a relatively free hand to the composite designer to tailor its properties to suit a specific application. Additionally, hybrid textile composite structures may help in achieving the desired properties at much lower weight.

Simulation software can play a significant role in the evaluation of composites without damaging physical samples. Once the simulation result has been validated with actual experimental results, it should be possible to predict the test outcomes for different composites, with different characteristics, at different energy levels without conducting further physical tests. Various numerical models have been developed which have to be incorporated into these software tools for better prediction of the result.

In the current issue of Textile Progress, the effects of various materials and test parameters on impact behaviour are critically analyzed. The effect of incorporating high-performance fibres and natural fibres or their hybrid combination on the impact properties of TP composites are also discussed and the essential properties of TP polymers are briefly explained. The effects of fibre and matrix hybridization, environmental factors, various textile preform structures and fibre surface modification treatments on the impact properties of thermoplastic composites are examined in detail. Various numerical models used for impact analysis are discussed and the potential applications of TP composites in automobile, aerospace and medical sectors are highlighted.