Comparison of corrosion performance of various conversion coatings on magnesium alloy using electrochemical techniques

Comparative studies on some of the important chemical conversion coatings, namely, phosphate–permanganate, galvanic black anodizing, dichromate treatment, and micro arc oxidized and modified acid fluoride anodizing on magnesium alloy AZ31B have been conducted. The surface morphology and composition of the coatings were examined through SEM and EDX techniques. Corrosion resistances of these coatings were compared using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and linear polarization studies. The corrosion resistances of the coatings investigated were found to be according to the order as follows: modified acid fluoride > micro arc oxidized phosphate > micro arc oxidized silicate > dichromate > galvanic black anodizing > phosphate-permanganate > bare magnesium.     

Optimization of phosphate coating properties on steel sheet for superior paint performance

The adhesion of electrodeposition (ED) paint on steel sheets for automobiles is highly influenced by the properties of the zinc phosphate coating which is used to improve its corrosion resistance. In the present study, a steel surface was pretreated with two types of zinc phosphate formulations followed by ED painting. The surface morphology, crystal plane, and porosity properties of phosphate coating on steel samples were studied by scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, and electron probe microanalyzer, respectively. The corrosion resistance of painted samples was evaluated by an accelerated corrosion test as well as by electrochemical techniques like cathodic disbonding and AC?CDC?CAC tests. The phosphate coating enriched with a phosphophyllite structure showed small globular crystals with less porosity, whereas a hopeite structure showed coarse crystals with high porosity and comparatively thicker coating. The maximum corrosion resistance was observed in the painted sample, where the phosphate coating comprised a phosphophyllite structure. On the other hand, the painted samples phosphated with a predominantly hopeite structure showed inferior corrosion resistance performance. The unphosphated sample showed severe degradation in paint adhesion and corrosion resistance, which substantiates the importance of phosphate pretreatment.     

Synthesis of polyaniline based composite material and its analytical applications for the removal of highly toxic Hg<Superscript>2+</Superscript> metal ion: Antibacterial activity against <Emphasis Type="Italic">E. coli</Emphasis>

A composite material polyaniline-Zr(IV) phosphoborate (PZPB) was synthesized via sol-gel method by the combination of Zr(IV) phosphoborate and polyaniline. The PZPB composite material was characterized by various analytical techniques. The PZPB composite material was found to be selective for Hg²⁺+ metal ion due to the high distribution coefficient values for Hg²⁺+ metal ion in all mediums. The PZPB composite material was used for Hg²⁺+ removal under different experimental conditions. The antibacterial activity of PZPB composite material was also studied against E. coli.     

Effect of temperature and velocity of superheated steam on initial condensation of distillers’ spent grain pellets during drying

Initial condensation on the sample surface during superheated steam (SS) drying leads to increased sample moisture affecting its mechanical and thermal properties. A study was conducted to understand the effect of temperature and velocity of SS on the amount of initial condensation on distillers’ spent grain pellets with an initial moisture content of 25% (wet basis). These pellets were dried using SS at 120, 150, and 180°C with velocities 0.5, 1.0, 1.2, and 1.4 m/s. Separate experiments were conducted for recording mass and surface temperature of the pellets during SS drying. Mass recorded over the drying period was then compared with the predicted mass obtained by solving the standard heat balance and film condensation equations. The predicted values of mass flux due to initial condensation were in close agreement with directly measured values with a maximum mean square error of 0.20. There was a 60–64% decrease in the amount of initial condensation as the temperature of SS was increased from 120 to 180°C. The results indicate that the initial condensation can be minimal when the temperature of SS is equal or above 180°C with SS velocity equal or above 1 m/s using a preheated drying chamber.     

The HLD-NAC Model for Mixtures of Ionic and Nonionic Surfactants

The HLD-NAC model has been used as an “equation of state” to predict the properties of microemulsion (μE) systems formulated with either anionic or nonionic surfactants. The model uses the concept of the hydrophilic-lipophilic difference (HLD) to calculate the chemical potential difference of transferring a surfactant from the oil to the aqueous phase; as a function of formulation variables such as type of surfactant, oil, temperature, electrolyte concentration. The value of HLD is used as a scaling parameter to calculate the net and average curvatures (NAC) of the surfactant at the water/oil interface. These curvatures determine the phase volumes, phase transitions, and solubilization capacity of μEs. In this work, the HLD-NAC model is extended to nonideal surfactant mixtures of anionic and nonionic surfactants. The phase behavior of limonene μEs formulated with binary mixtures of sodium dihexyl sulfosuccinate with nonionic nonylphenol ethoxylates and alcohol ethoxylates was used to determine the deviations of the HLD from the ideal mixing behavior. The deviations were fitted using a 2-parameters Margules equation. The results suggests that the deviations in anionic-rich systems are due to the charge shielding effect of nonionic surfactants, and in nonionic-rich systems, the deviations seem to be explained by the increase in hydration of the surfactant headgroups due to the presence of anionic surfactants. When these corrections were used to predict the curvature of dioctyl sulfosuccinate-dodecyl pentaethylene glycol-heptane μEs, the HLD-NAC model corrected for the nonidealities reproduced not only the trends but also the actual range of values reported in the literature.

Synthesis of a nano-crystalline solid acid catalyst from fly ash and its catalytic performance

The synthesis of nano-crystalline activated fly ash catalyst (AFAC) with crystallite size of 12 nm was carried out by chemical and thermal treatment of fly ash, a waste material generated from coal-burning power plants. Fly ash was chemically activated using sulfuric acid followed by thermal activation at 600 °C. The variation of surface and Physico-chemical properties of the fly ash by activation methods resulted in improved acidity and therefore, catalytic activity for acid catalyzed reactions. The AFAC was characterized by X-ray diffraction, FT-IR spectroscopy, N₂-adsorption–desorption isotherm, scanning electron microscopy, flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry and sulfur content by CHNS/O elemental analysis. It showed amorphous nature due to high silica content (81%) and possessed high BET surface area (120 m²/g). The catalyst was found to be highly active solid acid catalyst for liquid phase esterification of salicylic acid with acetic anhydride and methanol giving acetylsalicylic acid and methyl salicylate respectively. A maximum yield of 97% with high purity of acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) and a very high conversion 87% of salicylic acid to methyl salicylate (oil of wintergreen) was obtained with AFAC. The surface acidity and therefore, catalytic activity in AFAC was originated by increased silica content, hydroxyl content and higher surface area as compared to fly ash. The study shows that coal generated fly ash can be converted into potential solid acid catalyst for acid catalyzed reactions. Furthermore, this catalyst may replace conventional environmentally hazardous homogeneous liquid acids making an ecofriendly; solvent free, atom efficient, solid acid based catalytic process. The application of fly ash to synthesize a solid acid catalyst finds a noble way to utilize this abundant waste material.     

One‐pot synthesis of a polysaccharide‐based graft copolymer with an efficient redox pair (Fe2+/BrO3−)

A graft copolymer based on a polysaccharide (sodium salt of carboxymethylcellulose) and a vinyl monomer (acrylamide) has been synthesized in a nitrogen atmosphere, and its reaction conditions have been optimized for a better yield with ferrous sulfate and potassium bromate as a redox initiator. The effects of ferrous ion, bromate ion, hydrogen ion, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, and acrylamide along with the reaction time and temperature have been studied through the determination of the grafting parameters: the grafting ratio, add‐on, conversion, efficiency, homopolymer, and rate of grafting. The maximum yield has been found to occur when the acrylamide concentration is 8.0 × 10^?2 mol/dm³, whereas the maximum conversion occurs at a minimum concentration of acrylamide, that is, at 3.0 × 10^?2 mol/dm³. The grafting parameters have been found to increase with an increasing concentration of the redox initiator (Fe²⁺, from 2.0 × 10^?3 to 10.0 × 10^?3 mol/dm³; BrO, from 2.2 × 10^?3 to 4.0 × 10^?3 mol/dm³). The maximum efficiency occurs with a reaction time of 210 min. The rate of grafting has been found to be maximum up to 60 min; after that, it decreases rapidly. In this article, it is shown that the hydrogen ion leads to a very clear decrease in the grafting parameters as its concentration increases from 2.1 × 10^?3 to 11.3 × 10^?3 mol/dm³. Grafted gum and ungrafted gum have been characterized with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. A probable mechanism has been suggested for graft copolymerization. It has been observed that the graft copolymer is thermally more stable than the parent backbone. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Tribological Behavior of Si3N4 and Si3N4/Carbon Fiber Composites Against Stainless Steel Under Water Lubrication for a Thrust-Bearing Application

The tribological behavior of Si₃N₄ ceramics and Si₃N₄/carbon fiber composites sliding against stainless steel under water lubrication was investigated using a thrust-bearing-type test method with normal applied loads varying from 0 to 1000 N in 100 N increments. In the case of the monolithic Si₃N₄, the friction coefficient was found to increase up to 0.4 the first time the applied load was increased from 100 to 200 N, and sudden failure of the ceramic ring specimen occurred. In the case of the Si₃N₄/carbon fiber composite, a low friction coefficient was maintained up to the maximum normal load of 1000 N. The addition of the carbon fibers to the silicon nitride ceramics effectively restricts material transfer from the stainless steel to the Si₃N₄ worn surface due to reduction of solid–solid contact through the solid lubricating effect of the carbon fibers.     

A study on ligno‐cellulosic fabric Hardwikia binata

A naturally occurring fabric belonging to the species Hardwikia binata was extracted from the sheath of stem, bark, and branches of the tree. The fabric specimens were treated with sodium hydroxide and poly (vinyl alcohol). The morphology of the fabric specimens before and after NaOH treatment was studied using scanning electron microscopy technique. Ligno‐cellulosic properties of fabric were analyzed by XRD, FTIR, and thermo gravimetric methods before and after NaOH treatment. Tensile strength and percentage of elongation at break of the fabric were also studied by using a universal testing machine (model AGS‐10kNG). The results showed that the poly (vinyl alcohol)‐treated fabric specimens showed higher tensile strength than sodium hydroxide‐treated fabric specimens. The Binata fabric has good thermal resistance and was also found to increase by alkali treatment. The FTIR method indicates lowering the hemi cellulose and lignin content by alkali treatment in the fabric. Further, the X‐ray diffraction studies revealed an increase in crystallinity of the fabric by alkali treatment. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010