Separation of acid–water mixtures by pervaporation using nanoparticle filled mixed matrix copolymer membranes

BACKGROUND: Low energy and less expensive membrane based separation of acetic acid‐water mixtures would be a better alternative to conventional separation processes. However, suitable acid resistant membranes are still lacking. Thus, the objective of the present study was to develop mixed matrix membrane (MMM) which would allow high flux and water selectivity over a wide range of feed concentrations of acid in water. RESULTS: Three MMMs, namely PANBA0.5, PANBA1.5 and PANBA3 were made by emulsion copolymerization of acrylonitrile (AN) and butyl acrylate (BA) with 5.5:1 comonomer ratio and in situ incorporation of 0.5, 1.5 and 3 wt%, sodium montmorilonite (Na‐MMT) nanofillers, respectively. For a feed concentration of 99.5 wt% of acid in water the membranes show good permeation flux (2.61, 3.19, 3.97 kg m^?2 h^?1 µm^?1, for PANBA0.5, PANBA1.5 and PANBA3 membrane, respectively) and very high separation factors for water (1473, 1370, 1292 for PANBA0.5, PANBA1.5 and PANBA3 membrane, respectively) at 30 °C. Similarly for a dilute acid–water solution, i.e. for 71.6 wt% acid the membrane showed a very high thickness normalize flux (8.67, 9.44, 11.56 kg m^?2 h^?1 µm^?1, for PANBA0.5, PANBA1.5 and PANBA3 membrane, respectively) and good water selectivity (101.7, 95.3, 79 for PANBA0.5, PANBA1.5 and PANBA3 membrane, respectively) at the same feed temperature. The permeation ratio, permeability, diffusion coefficient and activation energy for permeation of the membranes were also estimated. CONCLUSION: Unlike most of the reported membranes, the present MMMs allowed high flux and selectivity over a wide range of feed concentrations. These membranes may also be effective for separating other similar organic‐water mixtures. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

A simple and efficient sun tracking mechanism using programmable logic controller

To increase the unit area illumination of solar ray on PV panel, it is required to track the sun throughout the day. So to reach the goal various type of sun tracking mechanism is already developed but in this paper we designed two different types of sun tracking mechanism: single axis and dual axis tracking using programmable logic controller (PLC) as it has numbers of unique advantages like??it is faster, reliable, requires less maintenance and reprogrammable. A comparative study between those two systems is also presented in this paper. The whole system has been designed and tested using GE, FANUC PLC.     

Implication of molecular orientation on charge transport and gas sensing characteristics of cobalt–phthalocyanine thin films

Charge transport and gas sensing characteristics of cobalt phthalocyanine films deposited along (ATB) and perpendicular (PTB) to the natural twin boundaries of (0 0 1) LaAlO₃ substrate have been investigated. The charge carrier mobility of ATB films (∼5 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹) is five orders of magnitude higher compared to that of PTB films (∼7 × 10⁻⁵ cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹), suggesting that twin boundaries acts like a template for ordering of molecules. The ATB films on exposure to ammonia showed a reversible increase of resistance, with fast response and recovery. In contrast PTB films showed same sensitivity, but exhibits base resistance drift along with sluggish response.     

Observation of ZBCP Above T C at Au/Y1Ba2Cu3O7−δ Heterostructure with a Nano Hole: A Possible Evidence for the Cooper Pairs above T C

Fabrication of a nanojunction by making a nano- hole on PMMA layer deposited in between Au and Y₁Ba₂Cu₃O_7?δ (YBCO) films is reported. We have measured the current-voltage characteristics across Au/YBCO nanojunction at different temperatures and studied Andreev Reflection (AR) phenomena. The presence of Zero Bias Conductance Peak (ZBCP) due to AR, which is considered to be the well-known feature of d-wave superconductors, has been noticed at temperatures below and above the transition temperature (T _C ～87 K) up to 130 K. The result obtained indicates the possible- existence of the phase-incoherent Cooper pairs above T _C for Au/YBCO.     

Overview of the scientific production in the Pharmacy area in Brazil: profile and productivity of researchers granted with fellowships by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development

In Brazil, the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) distributes productivity fellowships in research (RS) as a recognition to individuals with outstanding productivity levels in their areas. The aim of this study is to evaluate the scientific production of the Brazilian Pharmacy area, one division of the Health Sciences Great Area of CNPq, considering the profile and productivity levels of RS fellows. The results showed that most of the 156 active RS fellows in 2015 were female, with doctorate completed in the Southeast region (mainly in University of São Paulo) and with research activities developed in the South and Southeast regions. Most of their work was published in journals classified as B1 and B2 Qualis in Pharmacy by the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES), with high prevalence of publications in local journals and/or specialized on medicinal plants. Besides, they featured much dependence on advising and productivity indexes related to the category and level of RS fellowship. The evolution of such data must be continually evaluated to determine the influence of CNPq productivity fellowships on performance and stratification of researchers in the Pharmacy area in Brazil.     

Green fire retardant finishing and combined dyeing of proteinous wool fabric

Flame retardancy was imparted to a scoured and bleached, proteinous woollen textile by using banana pseudostem sap, an ecofriendly waste agricultural product, at different pH levels. The flame retardancy characteristics of both the control and the treated fabrics were analysed in terms of the limiting oxygen index and the vertical flammability measurement. Thermal degradation and fire retardancy mechanisms were studied using thermogravimetry, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X‐ray analysis. Moreover, the charring mechanism of both the control and the banana‐pseudostem‐sap‐treated fabrics with varying pH was analysed and reported in detail. The wool fabric was also dyed with CI Acid Blue 25 using banana pseudostem sap as well as water as the medium. The fabric dyed with the banana pseudostem sap medium at pH 5.5 showed more colour exhaustion, colour strength, and thermal stability compared with the control wool fabric. The mechanism by which superior fire retardancy and colour strength are imparted to the woollen textile by the application of banana pseudostem sap is proposed.     

Comparative study of arsenic removal by iron using electrocoagulation and chemical coagulation

This research studied As(III) and As(V) removal during electrocoagulation (EC) in comparison with FeCl₃ chemical coagulation (CC). The study also attempted to verify chlorine production and the reported oxidation of As(III) during EC. Results showed that As(V) removal during batch EC was erratic at pH 6.5 and the removal was higher-than-expected based on the generation of ferrous iron (Fe²⁺) during EC. As(V) removal by batch EC was equal to or better than CC at pH 7.5 and 8.5, however soluble Fe²⁺ was observed in the 0.2-μm membrane filtrate at pH 7.5 (10-45%), and is a cause for concern. Continuous steady-state operation of the EC unit confirmed the deleterious presence of soluble Fe²⁺ in the treated water. The higher-than-expected As(V) removals during batch mode were presumed due to As(V) adsorption onto the iron rod oxyhydroxides surfaces prior to the attainment of steady-state operation. As(V) removal increased with decreasing pH during both CC and EC, however EC at pH 6.5 was anomalous because of erratic Fe²⁺ oxidation. The best adsorption capacity was observed with CC at pH 6.5, while lower but similar adsorption capacities were observed at pH 7.5 and 8.5 with CC and EC. A comparison of As(III) adsorption showed better removals during EC compared with CC possibly due to a temporary pH increase during EC. In contrast to literature reports, As(III) oxidation was not observed during EC, and As(III) adsorption onto iron hydroxides during EC was only 5-30% that of As(V) adsorption. Also in contrast to literature, significant Cl₂ was not generated during EC, in fact, the rods actually produced a significant chlorine demand due to reduced iron oxides on the rod. Although Cl₂ generation and As(III) oxidation are possible using a graphite anode, a combination of graphite and iron rods in the same EC unit did not produce As(III) oxidation. However, a two-stage process (graphite anode followed by iron anode in separate chambers) was effective in As(III) oxidation and removal. The competing ions, silica and phosphate interfered with As(V) adsorption during both CC and EC. However, the degree of interference depends on the concentration and presence of other competing ions. In particular, the presence of silica lowered the effect of phosphate with increasing pH due to silica’s own significant effect at high pHs.     

Senescent CD4+CD28− T Lymphocytes as a Potential Driver of Th17/Treg Imbalance and Alveolar Bone Resorption during Periodontitis

Senescent cells express a senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) with a pro-inflammatory bias, which contributes to the chronicity of inflammation. During chronic inflammatory diseases, infiltrating CD4⁺ T lymphocytes can undergo cellular senescence and arrest the surface expression of CD28, have a response biased towards T-helper type-17 (Th17) of immunity, and show a remarkable ability to induce osteoclastogenesis. As a cellular counterpart, T regulatory lymphocytes (Tregs) can also undergo cellular senescence, and CD28⁻ Tregs are able to express an SASP secretome, thus severely altering their immunosuppressive capacities. During periodontitis, the persistent microbial challenge and chronic inflammation favor the induction of cellular senescence. Therefore, senescence of Th17 and Treg lymphocytes could contribute to Th17/Treg imbalance and favor the tooth-supporting alveolar bone loss characteristic of the disease. In the present review, we describe the concept of cellular senescence; particularly, the one produced during chronic inflammation and persistent microbial antigen challenge. In addition, we detail the different markers used to identify senescent cells, proposing those specific to senescent T lymphocytes that can be used for periodontal research purposes. Finally, we discuss the existing literature that allows us to suggest the potential pathogenic role of senescent CD4⁺CD28⁻ T lymphocytes in periodontitis.     

Microstructural investigation on mechanical behavior of soil-geosynthetic interface in direct shear test

Interface shear strength between soil and geosynthetics mainly depends on the mechanical and physical properties of soil, geosynthetics and the normal stress acting at the interface. This paper presents results of an extensive experimental investigation carried out on sand-geosynthetic interface using modified large direct shear box. The study focusses on the shearing mechanism at the sand-geosynthetic interface and the effect of different parameters on the shearing mechanism. Smooth HDPE geomembrane, nonwoven needle punched geotextile and two types of sand having different mean particle size, have been used in the present study. Microstructural investigation of deformed specimen through Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) reveals the shearing mechanism which includes interlocking and fiber stretching for sand-geotextile while sliding, indentation and plowing for sand-geomembrane interface. The shearing mechanism for sand-geomembrane interface highly depends on the normal stress and degree of saturation of sand. The critical normal stress that demarcates the sliding and plowing mechanism for sand-geomembrane interface is different for dry and wet sand. The amount of scouring (or plowing) of the geomembrane surface reduces with increase in the mean particle size of sand. FESEM images revealed that the sand particles get adhered to the geotextile fibers for tests involving wet sands. The present microstructural study aided in understanding the shearing mechanism at sand-geosynthetic interface to a large extent.