Copper extraction into emulsion liquid membranes using LIX 984N-C®

The extraction of copper from aqueous sulfate media into ELMs using the extractant LIX 984N-C was studied. Appropriately characterized emulsions on the basis of viscosity and internal drop sizes were used to study the effect of different parameters on extraction. The effects of stirring speed, surfactant concentration, pH of the external continuous phase, carrier concentration, internal phase stripping acid concentration and initial copper concentration are reported. These results show that LIX 984N-C efficiently extracts copper at low pH values typical of leach solutions. It was found that LIX 984N-C could extract up to 80% copper from aqueous solutions at pH value of 1. Performance of LIX 984N-C was also compared with LIX 84 and LIX 84-I at different pH values. Results indicate that LIX 984N-C could open up new avenues for extraction of copper into ELMs, not only from dilute solutions, but also from sulfuric acid leach solutions.     

e-Commerce security — A life cycle approach

The rapid evolution of computing and communication technologies and their standardizations have made the boom in e-commerce possible. Lowering of the cost of operation, increase in the speed of transactions, and easy global reach to customers and vendors have been the reasons for the overwhelming popularity of this new way of commerce. This article examines the issues related to the security of the assets and transactions in the e-commerce components and activities. Since large public money is involved in the transactions, the role of information security and privacy is not exaggerated in this kind of business. After examining the technologies used in e-commerce, the article goes on to identify the security requirement of e-commerce systems from perceived threats and vulnerabilities. Then e-commerce security is viewed as an engineering management problem and a life cycle approach is put forward. How the e-commerce systems can be made secure using the life cycle approach is outlined. The relevant standards and laws are also discussed in the perspective of e-commerce. The article closes with some future research directions and conclusions.     

Effect of Polysaccharides on the Properties of the Mucoadhesive Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) Multicore–Shell Microparticles

This study discusses about the effect of polysaccharides (agar, gum tragacanth, and guar gum) on the properties of the core (organogel)–shell [poly(vinyl alcohol)] microparticles. The size, swelling, and mucoadhesive properties of the poly(vinyl alcohol) microparticles were altered in the presence of the polysaccharides. Thermal analysis confirmed the presence of organogels within the microparticles. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the presence of the polysaccharides within the microparticles. The microparticles were biocompatible in nature. Drug release indicated that an alteration in the shell composition can be used for altering drug release. Ciprofloxacin-loaded microparticles showed sufficient antimicrobial efficiency.     

Investigation of Eccentric Open Eye Formation in a Slab Caster Tundish

Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B - Inert gas shrouding in tundish can result in the formation of a tundish open eye (TOE) due to the presence of reversed flows on the upper surface of the...     

Failure analysis of air pre-heater tubes of a petrochemicals plant

Heat resistant alloy tubes used in the higher temperature range of 1150–1273 K depends on the protective scale integrity for prevention of corrosion induced premature failures in a mixed gas environment with potential corrodents for oxidation, carburization and sulphidation attack. Cast HK40+Nb alloy tubes of an air pre-heater unit of a petrochemical industry failed prematurely after 13,000 h in service. The unit used smoke gas containing gaseous corrodents that could cause oxidation/sulphidation/carburization type of attack. Failed parts showed crack/punctures below the corrosion product filled pits. The crack occurred in the fully carburized zone present at the thinned out centre of the pit. Factors like excessive temperature cycling, overheating, presence of impurities either in the pre-heating gas mixture or that got introduced while in operation were found to be the reasons for breach of protective scale integrity leading to unwarranted corrosion attack resulting in thinning of tube material and internal corrosion penetration which finally led to premature failure.     

Efficacy of organophosphorus derivatives containing chalcones/chalcone semicarbazones against fungal pathogens of sugarcane

Ten newly synthesized organophosphorus derivatives containing substituted chalcones and substituted chalcone semicarbazones were tested for their antifungal efficacy against Colletotrichum falcatum, Fusarium oxysporum, Curvularia pallescens (all sugarcane pathogens). The O,O-diethylphosphate derivatives containing 2-chlorochalcone and 2-chlorochalcone semicarbazone exhibited 70-85% mycelial inhibition against all the test fungi at 1000 ppm. The screening results were correlated with structural features of the tested compounds.     

Interaction between borosilicate melt and Inconel

Understanding the mode of interaction between borosilicate melt and Inconel is important for long time usage of melter pot in vitrification plant. The present study shows that significant elemental exchanges take place across the borosilicate melt/Inconel interface resulting in the development of (Fe, Ni)CrO₄ needle and (Fe, Ni)Cr₂O₄ cubic phases. This results in significant depletion of Cr within Inconel near the interface. Beside these, CrB precipitates formed along the Inconel grain boundaries.     

Face posture estimation using eigen analysis on an IBR (image based rendered) database

In this paper, we present a novel representation of the human face for estimating the orientation of the human head in a two dimensional intensity image. The method combines the use of the much familiar eigenvalue based dissimilarity measure with image based rendering. There are two main components of the algorithm described here: the offline hierarchical image database generation and organization, and the online pose estimation stage. The synthetic images of the subject's face are automatically generated offline, for a large set of pose parameter values, using an affine coordinate based image reprojection technique. The resulting database is formally called as the IBR (or image based rendered) database. This is followed by the hierarchical organization of the database, which is driven by the eigenvalue based dissimilarity measure between any two synthetic image pair. This hierarchically organized database is a detailed, yet structured, representation of the subject's face. During the pose estimation of a subject in an image, the eigenvalue based measure is invoked again to search the synthetic (IBR) image closest to the real image. This approach provides a relatively easy first step to narrow down the search space for complex feature detection and tracking algorithms in potential applications like virtual reality and video-teleconferencing applications.     

Studies of protein binding to nonpolar solutes by using zonal elution and high-performance affinity chromatography: interactions of cis- and trans-clomiphene with human serum albumin in the presence of beta-cyclodextrin

High-performance affinity chromatography and zonal elution studies were used to examine the binding that takes place between the drug clomiphene and the protein human serum albumin (HSA). Equations were derived to describe the behavior of zonal elution experiments in which a solubilizing agent is present in the mobile phase to aid in the dissolution of a competing agent or injected analyte. These equations were then used to determine the association equilibrium constants for the clomiphene/HSA system, with beta-cyclodextrin being used as a complexation agent to improve the water solubility of cis- and trans-clomiphene without affecting the nature of their binding to HSA. It was found in these studies that both cis- and trans-clomiphene have 1:1 interactions at a common binding region on HSA (association constants at pH 7.4 and 37 degrees C: cis, 7.5 x 10(6) M-1; trans, 1.3 x 10(6) M-1). Further competition experiments between cis- or trans-clomiphene and various site-selective probes indicated that the clomiphene-binding region is the same as the proposed tamoxifen site of HSA. The approach and equations used within this report are general ones that can be applied to zonal elution studies of other solute-ligand systems in which one or more of the test components have limited solubility in the desired mobile phase.