Melt processing of biodegradable poly(lactic acid)/functionalized chitosan nanocomposite films: mechanical modeling with improved oxygen barrier and thermal properties

The present work demonstrates about the formulation of functionalized chitosan (CH-g-OLLA) through the transformation of hydrophilic nature of chitosan into hydrophobic by grafting with oligo(L-lactic acid) (OLLA). The developed CH-g-OLLA is easily soluble in poly(lactic acid) (PLA) matrix, which provides an opportunity towards producing industrially viable nanocomposite films for stringent food packaging and beverages applications. The grafting of OLLA chains is confirmed at NH₂ group of chitosan through the presence of two new peaks at 4.2 and 5.1 ppm in ¹H–NMR spectra. Various parameters like yield (%), grafting efficiency (%) and percent grafting (%) are calculated as ~51.6, ~40 and ~150%, respectively. Functionalized chitosan has been utilized as nano-filler in PLA matrix to fabricate PLA/CH-g-OLLA nanocomposite films which have compounded successfully by co-rotating twin screw compounder cum cast film extrusion technique (distinctly advantageous over conventional solution casting) at bench scale as well as semi-pilot scale and further demonstrated for its application in the area of food packaging with tailored oxygen barrier properties. Uniform dispersion of spherical aggregates of functionalized chitosan is observed in PLA/CH-g-OLLA nanocomposite films using TEM analysis. A significant reduction up to ~11 °C in glass transition temperature of PLA is observed by adding 5 wt% of nano-filler as a result of plasticization effect, which is an essential property in designing of flexible packages. Mechanical modeling of extruded PLA/CH-g-OLLA films has been performed to compare the experimental values with theoretical results using various mathematical models in which modified foam model, Nielsen model and modified Mitsuishi model demonstrate the best match for Young’s modulus (±0.08), tensile strength (±0.06) and percentage elongation (±0.03), respectively. This may be a significant contribution towards commercialization of such formulation where elegant melt extrusion process of PLA with functionalized chitosan is capable of reducing oxygen permeability up to ~10 folds due to a drastic reduction (~96%) in oxygen solubility.     

Use of alizarin red S for determining critical micelle concentration of cationic surfactants

The critical micelle concentrations of cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide and cetyl pyridinium bromide have been calculated by a spectral-dye method. Alizarin red S at pH 9.12 was found to be suitable for these two cationics. Two shifts in the dye maximum, one due to complex formation (500 mॖ or 525 mॖ) and the other due to the dye-surfactant complex solubilized in the micelles of the cationics were realized. The critical micelle concentration was represented by the point of intersection of two curves at wavelength 500 mॖ and 550 mॖ for cetyl pyridinium bromide and 525 mॖ and 550 mॖ for cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide.     

Effect of Reaction Parameters on γ-AlON Formation from Al2O3 and AlN

The formation of γ-AlON from Al₂O₃ and AlN was investigated as a function of some of the reaction parameters, that is, temperature and time. The appearance of phases was followed in conjunction with the change in lattice parameter to reveal the reaction sequences of formation. An oxygen-rich γ-AlON phase formed first, which reacted further with AlN. Nitrogen diffusion through the γ-AlON lattice seemed to be rate controlling.     

Synthesis,characterization, and performance evaluation of novel stabilized TDI‐based polyurethane coatings under accelerated weathering

Some toluene diisocyanate (TDI)‐based polyurethane resins (PURs) for coating applications were synthesized with castor oil and their performance was estimated under accelerated UV weathering with and without a novel UV absorber. Changes in physical properties, chemical structure, and color of the samples were monitored by mechanical property testing, FTIR spectroscopy, and colorimetry, respectively. A stable polyurethane coating was achieved at 0.5% concentration of additive in the host matrix. Mechanical properties were also retained as in the pristine PUR after mixing. Commercial Tinuvin P and benzotriazole‐based novel UV absorbers were found to improve the photoresistance of the PUR coating, and the highest efficiency of the novel UV absorber against weathering was estimated at 0.5 wt% concentration. J. VINYL. ADDIT. TECHNOL. 11:13–20, 2005. © 2005 Society of Plastics Engineers.     

ZBFR: zone based failure recovery in WSNs by utilizing mobility and coverage overlapping

Wireless sensor networks are more prone to failures as compared to other traditional networks. The frequent faults and failures sometime create large holes causing loss of sensing and connectivity coverage in the network. In present work, a zone based failure detection and recovery scheme is presented to reliably handle such node failures. We first propose a consensus and agreement based approach to elect a suitable monitor node called as zone monitor (ZM). ZM is responsible for coordinating failure recovery activities and maintaining desired coverage within a zone. In order to overcome failure overhead due to false failure detection, a consensus is carried out amongst neighboring nodes of a suspicious node to confirm the correct status with high accuracy. On confirmation of a node failure, the impact of resulting hole on coverage is analyzed and if impact exceeds beyond a particular threshold, a recovery process is initiated. The recovery process utilizes backup nodes having overlapping sensing coverage with failed node and may also relocate some nodes. Firstly a backup node is probed and activated if available. If no backup node is found, the solution strives to recover coverage jointly by recursively relocating some mobile nodes and probing backup nodes. The proposed scheme is analyzed and validated through NS-2 based simulation experiments.     

ZnO1-xTex and ZnO1-xSx semiconductor alloys as competent materials for opto-electronic and solar cell applications:a comparative analysis

ZnO_1-xTe_x ternary alloys have great potential to work as a photovoltaic (PV) absorber in solar cells. ZnO_1-xS_x is also a ZnO based alloy that have uses in solar cells. In this paper we report the comparative study of various parameters of ZnO_1-xTe_x and ZnO_1-xS_x for selecting it to be a competent material for solar cell applications. The parameters are mainly being calculated using the well-known VCA (virtual crystal approximation) and VBAC (Valence Band Anti-Crossing) model. It was certainly being analysed that the incorporation of Te atoms produces a high band gap lower than S atoms in the host ZnO material. The spin-orbit splitting energy value of ZnO_1-xTe_x was found to be higher than that of ZnO_1-xS_x. Beside this, the strain effects are also higher in ZnO_1-xTe_x than ZnO_1-xS_x. The remarkable notifying result which the paper is reporting is that at a higher percentage of Te atoms in ZnO_1-xTe_x, the spin-orbit splitting energy value rises above the band gap value, which signifies a very less internal carrier recombination that decreases the leakage current and increases the efficiency of the solar cell. Moreover, it also covers a wide wavelength range compared to ZnO_1-xS_x.     

A hybrid backtracking search algorithm with wavelet mutation-based nonlinear system identification of Hammerstein models

In this paper a novel and accurate approach is presented to identify varieties of nonlinear Hammerstein models (closed loop and open loop) with the help of an optimization algorithm that combines a recently proposed backtracking search algorithm with wavelet theory-based mutation scheme (BSA-WM). The optimum output MSE associated with each plant along with its statistical information justifies the better precision and accuracy of BSA-WM-based identification approach as compared to the other methods reported in earlier literature.     

Rician noise removal in magnitude MRI images using efficient anisotropic diffusion filtering

In this article, a new methodology for denoising of Rician noise in Magnetic Resonance Images (MRI) is presented. MRI imaging creates a distinctive view into the interior of a human body and has become an essential tool of clinical diagnosis. However, Rician noise is a type of artifact inherent to the acquisition process of the magnitude MRI image, making diagnosis difficult. We proposed a moment‐based Rician noise reduction technique in anisotropic diffusion filtering. We extend the work of the classical anisotropic diffusion filter and have customized it to remove Rician noise in the magnitude MRI image in 3D domain space. Our proposed scheme shows better results against various quality measures in terms of noise removal and edge preservation while retaining fine textures.     

Application of rice husk ash in brick aggregate concrete to improve the permeability and resistance against acid and sulfate attack

Brick-aggregate-concrete with a greater permeability is susceptible to decay at a faster rate under the action of acid and sulfate. This study tries to improve the durability of brick aggregate concrete by the addition of rice husk ash, which has been termed brick-ash concrete in this paper. The permeability and sorptivity of stone-aggregate-concrete, brick-aggregate concrete, and brick-ash concrete samples with different percentages of rice husk ash and different water-to-binder ratios were investigated. The concrete samples were also exposed to 1.5 % hydrochloric acid and 5 % sodium sulfate along with periodic drying and wetting cycle and periodic observations in terms of compressive strength, weight loss, and ultrasonic pulse velocity test for 360 days. 5 % to 10 % rice husk ash can significantly improve the permeability and resistance to the harsh environment of brick aggregate concrete. Additionally, this study also presents the equations to predict the actual strength from ultrasonic pulse velocity values for the brick ash concrete specimen exposed to acid and sulfate environments.     

Friction stir processing of Al6061-SiC-graphite hybrid surface composites

Friction stir processing (FSP) of Al6061-SiC-Graphite hybrid composites is studied in detail via force analysis, spectroscopic, microstructural and indentation studies. Effect of various tool rotational speeds was assessed, and the axial force variation was monitored. The presence of graphite as a reinforcement influences the axial force fluctuations due to its flaky nature and high thermal conductivity. Variation in microstructure at different tool rotational speed is studied using scanning electron microscope. The tool rotational speed has a significant influence on the area of FSP zone, fragmentation and depth of penetration of particles, dispersion of agglomerates and grain refinement of the matrix material. Spectroscopic characterization of the processed samples was done using Raman analysis and X-Ray diffraction studies. A noticeable change in intensity and shift in the respective Raman peak positions were observed, indicating residual stresses and various disorders in the crystal structure of the reinforced particles. Influence of tool rotational speed and existence of SiC and Graphite particles on the mechanical properties were further evaluated using nano indentation testing. The hybrid composite shows the combination of best and uniform mechanical properties at an optimum set of processing parameters.