ENVIRONMENTAL TOBACCO SMOKE REMOVAL CAPABILITY OF ACTIVATED CARBON

Removal of gaseous and vapor constituents of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) by activated carbons in a packed bed arrangement was studied under dynamic conditions and was compared with that by silica gel and molecular sieve 13X. ETS is a mixture of sidestream smoke and exhaled mainstream smoke, and it consists of various organic and inorganic compounds, trace heavy metals, and particulate matters. Due to the complex nature of ETS-air mixture, its removal from indoors is a challenging task. For experimentation in a laboratory, the ETS was produced from a specially designed smoking apparatus that simulated the puffng of a cigarette by a person. Air containing ETS was passed through a bed containing about 25 grams of activated carbon at room temperature. The flow rate of air-ETS mixture through the bed was 4000 cm3/min. The relative humidity of the air was 50% and contained about 35 to 40 ppm of hydrocarbons as measured as methane-equivalent. The number of particles in the inlet air stream were in the range of 30,000 to 35,000 particles/cm3. About 60% of hydrocarbons present in ETS were removed at these operating conditions for a period of about 70 hours. Based on 15 adsorption and regeneration cycles, it was noted that the carbon bed did not loose its capacity for ETS significantly as indicated by the BET surface area and water adsorption data. At the beginning of an adsorption cycle, the carbon bed captured a significant number of particles. However, the bed rapidly lost its particle capture effciency as the experiment progressed. The number of particles in the outlet air stream was found to be the same as that of the inlet stream within five minutes.     

Application of Rachinger''s method to separate overlapped doublets in the X-ray photoelectron spectrum

Rachinger's method of separating ₁ and ₂ doublets in X-ray emission spectra is applied for the first time to separate the superimposed doublets due to spin-orbit coupling. This method has been applied to separate closely lying doublets such as (Ag 4p_3/2and Ag 4p_1/2, (Ni 3p_3/2and Ni 3p_1/2) and (Cu 3p_3/2and Cu 3p_1/2). The intensities ratios of the separated peaks are measured and compared with the ratios obtained from a first-order calculation. An excellent agreement between the measured and calculated ratios are obtained. Residual background intensities compared with the estimated values are found to agree within certain uncertainties.     

Characterization of tempered martensite embrittlement using hardness measurement

A series of experiments were carried out on three commercial steels to explore the possibility for characterizing tempered martensite embrittlement (TME) by Rockwell, macro-, and micro-Vickers hardness tests. The results indicate distinct hardness peaks in two steels and an inflection in the other around the TME temperature. A new analytical approach for examining the slope of hardness-tempering temperature plots appears to reveal the TME phenomenon more sensitively. Dilatometric examinations substantiate that the temperature of hardness peak/inflection occurs beyond the second stage of tempering.     

On the notion of control signals in digital designs

The concept of control signals is fundamental to digital design. It evokes the notion of one or more signals that influence computation on other signals in a system, and regulate the behavior of the system. A formal definition of control signals is presented. It is argued that knowledge of the control signals in a complex design such as a microprocessor or a computer is crucial to the comprehension and specification of the design and that knowledge of the control signals of a design leads to a more efficient hardware implementation. The identification of control signals in two microprocessors are presented as examples     

Sodium silicate as a coke inhibitor during naphtha pyrolysis

Rates of coke formation during steam pyrolysis of naphtha have been investigated in a jet-stirred reactor both for sodium silicate coated and uncoated Inconel 600 surfaces in the temperature range of 1078–1108 K. Coke formation rates were significantly reduced on sodium silicate coated plates due to the passivation of the metal surface. However, the coking rates gradually increased with successive decokings of the coated surface.     

Superplasticity in a high strength powder aluminum

The superplastic properties of a rapidly solidified, high strength P/M Al alloy and the same alloy reinforced with SiC particulates (SiC _p ) have been studied. To prepare superplastic test materials, a matrix alloy powder of composition 7.2Zn-2.4Mg-2Cu-0.2Zr-0.12Cr-0.2Co (Kaiser PM-64) and the powder mixed with 10 to 20 vol pct SiC _p (~5 μm diameter) were thermomechanically processed to very fine equiaxed grain structures of ~6 μm and ~8 μm, respectively. Superplasticity in these materials was evaluated by characterizing (1) high temperature stability, (2) dynamic grain growth, (3) strain rate sensitivity, (4) flow stress behavior, (5) cavitation and cavitation control, and (6) total superplastic strain. It was observed that the PM-64 alloy could achieve a total elongation of over 800 pct, while the SiC_p reinforced alloy could attain an elongation greater than 500 pct before failure. Also, it was shown that with the use of hydrostatic pressure during superplastic flow, cavitation could be controlled. Observations were made of the effect SiC _p reinforcement particles had on the superplastic flow stress behavior. Interpretations are proposed to explain the role of particulates during superplastic straining.     

Mathematical modeling of mixing phenomena in a gas stirred liquid bath

A macroscopic, steady state energy balance model has been formulated to describe mixing phenom-ena in a liquid bath stirred by injecting gas through a straight nozzle fitted axially at the bottom of the vessel. This, along with experimental data on a water model previously reported, was employed to make predictions. Input energy terms considered in the model consist of buoyancy energy and empirically determined fraction of gas kinetic energy. Dissipation of energy was attributed to liquid circulation and bubble slip. The two-phase plume was assumed to be a truncated cone whose dimen-sions depended upon operating conditions. Numerical solution of model equations gave liquid velocity and gas hold-up inside the plume as well as liquid circulation rate and liquid velocity in the region outside the plume. Influence of process variables, e.g., gas flow rate, bath height, and nozzle diameter, have been predicted. Validity of the model has been established by comparing some pre-dicted entrainment ratios with those experimentally measured by other investigators. Empirical cor-relations to predict circulation time and circulation number have been proposed. Circulation number was found to vary between 2 and 12 in contrast to the existing assumption in the literature of a con-stant value of 3. Usefulness of these correlations in predicting mixing time for industrial vessels has been demonstrated. Formerly a Graduate Student in the De-partment of Metallurgical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technol-ogy, Kanpur     

Envelope glycoprotein gp120 of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 alters ion transport in astrocytes: implications for AIDS dementia complex

Infection by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is often complicated by a variety of neurological abnormalities. The most common clinical syndrome, termed acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) dementia complex, presents as a subcortical dementia with cognitive, motor, and behavioral disturbances and is unique to HIV-1 infection. The pathogenesis of this syndrome is poorly understood but is believed to involve interactions among virally infected macrophages/microglia, astrocytes, and neurons. In this study, we show that exposure of primary rat and human astrocytes to heat-activated HIV-1 virions, or to eukaryotically expressed HIV-1 and HIV-2 envelope glycoproteins (gp120) stimulates amiloride-sensitive Na+/H+ antiport, potassium conductance, and glutamate efflux. These effects are blocked specifically by amiloride, an inhibitor of Na+/H+ antiport and by the selective removal of gp120 with immobilized monoclonal antibody. As a result of modulation of astrocytic function by gp120, the ensuing neuronal depolarization and glutamate exposure could activate both voltage-gated and N-methyl-D-aspartate-regulated Ca2+ channels, leading to increases in intraneuronal Ca2+ and neuronal death. These findings implicate the astrocyte directly in the pathogenesis of AIDS dementia complex.     

Effect of sillimanite beach sand composition on mullitization and properties of Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>-SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> system

Mullite was developed by reaction sintering of sillimanite beach sand and calcined alumina. Two varieties of sillimanite beach sand viz. S and Z having different compositions were selected. Synthesis and properties of mullite were very much dependent on the sillimanite beach sand composition. Presence of higher amount of impurities in the Z-variety of sillimanite sand favours the densification by liquid phase formation. Presence of zircon in Z-variety increases the hardness and fracture toughness. Alumina addition improves the mechanical/thermomechanical properties of the samples. Mullite retains the usual orthorhombic habit of sillimanite. Rounded to sub rounded zirconia dispersed within the mullite matrix of the sample ZA is noticed.