Schiff bases of ethylenediamine as corrosion inhibitors of zinc in sulphuric acid

The work described here deals with the performance of ethylenediamine N,N^′-dibenzylidene, ethylenediamine N,N^′-di(p-methoxybenzylidene), ethylenediamine N,N^′-disalicylidene as corrosion inhibitors for zinc in sulphuric acid. The effect of various parameters on the efficiency of these inhibitors has been studied. Ethylenediamine N,N^′-di(p-methoxybenzylidene) and ethylenediamine N,N^′-disalicylidene give 99% protection under a variety of conditions. Activation energies in the presence and absence of inhibitors have been calculated. It appears that an efficient inhibitor is characterized by a relatively greater decrease in free energy of adsorption, relatively lower entropy of adsorption and relatively lower heat of adsorption. Galvanostatic polarisation studies indicate that these are basically cathodic inhibitors. Cathodic protection in the presence of these inhibitors has been studied. With an efficient inhibitor, cathodic protection is achieved at potentials much less negative than that required for plain acid. The difference between protective potential and corrosion potential appears to be less for an effective inhibitor. Mechanism of the action of inhibitors has been provided.     

Study of the fracture toughness and fracture morphology of polybenzimidazole

Polybenzimidazole (PBI) is a relatively new polymeric material exhibiting unusual properties that are attributable to its aromatic-heterocyclic monomer structure. Owing to its high strength, stiffness and excellent stability in hostile chemical and thermal environments, PBI is being used increasingly in critical applications. As a result, understanding the failure mechanisms of the material is vital. This paper presents the results of a study of the fracture toughness and fracture morphology of polybenzimidazole. The standard compact tension specimen was used as the basic experimental specimen in this study. The fracture tests were performed in an Instron tensile testing machine. The effects of varying the loading rate, and the ratio of the initial crack length,a, to the ligament length,W, were investigated. The fracture surface morphology was examined using optical and scanning electron microscopy. The results of this study indicate that the precracking technique significantly affects the measured fracture toughness. Also, an increase in the loading rate causes a significant decrease in fracture toughness. Examination of the fracture morphology reveals that PBI fracture surfaces exhibit many of the characteristics expected of a tough engineering plastic.     

Sequence-specific RNase H cleavage of gag mRNA from HIV-1 infected cells by an antisense oligonucleotide in vitro

We have used a ribonuclease protection assay to investigate RNase H cleavage of HIV-1 mRNA mediated by phosphorothioate antisense oligonucleotides complementary to the gag region of the HIV-1 genome in vitro. Cell lysate experiments in H9 and U937 cells chronically infected with HIV-1 IIIB showed RNase H cleavage of unspliced gag message but no cleavage of spliced message which did not contain the target gag region. RNase H cleavage products were detected at oligonucleotide concentrations as low as 0.01 microM and the RNase H activity was seen to be concentration dependent. Similar experiments with 1-, 3- and 5-mismatch oligonucleotides demonstrated sequence specificity at low concentrations, with cleavage of gag mRNA correlating with the predicted activities of the parent and mismatch oligonucleotides based on their hybridization melting temperatures. Experiments in living cells suggested that RNase H-specific antisense activity was largely determined by the amount of oligonucleotide taken up by the different cell lines studied. RNase H cleavage products were detected in antisense oligonucleotide treated MT-4 cells acutely infected with HIV-1 IIIB, but not in infected H9 cells treated with oligonucleotide under the same conditions. The data presented demonstrate potent and specific RNase H cleavage of HIV-1 mRNA mediated by an antisense oligonucleotide targeted to HIV-1 gag mRNA, and are in agreement with previous reports that the major obstacle to demonstrating antisense activity in living cells remains the lack of penetration of these agents into the desired cellular compartment.     

Horizontally polarized waves in inhomogeneous media--Energy conservation and reciprocity relationships

Full wave solutions for the electromagnetic fields of a horizontally polarized wave propagating through an inhomogeneous ionized medium are derived using a generalized WKB method. Both the electron density and the collision frequency of the horizontally stratified media are assumed to vary and special attention is given to permittivity profiles with critical coupling regions. The reflection and transmission coefficients and the characteristic surface impedance for an inhomogeneous layer of finite thickness are computed as functions of the transverse wave number for various permittivity profiles. Excitation of both propagating and evanescent waves are considered. For some special permittivity profiles considered, closed form analytical solutions for the electromagnetic fields are known. Computations derived from these solutions are in good agreement with those obtained using the generalized WKB method. The results are also shown to satisfy energy conservation and reciprocity relationships in electromagnetic theory.     

A hybrid technique for wire antennas in a cavity

Two numerical techniques for solving the current distribution on wire antennas, namely point matching and reaction matching, have been combined in a particular fashion to yield a new technique termed the "hybrid method." The hybrid method is well suited for a wire antenna mounted in a cavity. Over the antenna, piecewise sinusoidal basis functions with reaction matching are used, and on the support structure, point matching is used with pulse basis functions. The hybrid method has been applied to calculate the input impedance and the radiation efficiency of the three-turn loop antenna in an open circular cavity. Calculated input resistance of the antenna is found to agree quite well with measured data. Effects of varying the extent of recession of the antenna and varying the radius and the material of the antenna wire on the bandwidth, the efficiency, the antiresonance frequencies, and the general input reactance level of the antenna have been examined for a specific antenna geometry. The results are considered to be indicative of the general characteristics of a multiturn loop antenna with nearby support structure. The computer program that has been developed may be applied to a systematic parametric study of this type of antenna in order to optimize it for a particular application.     

Hexagonal dislocation networks in titanium

Hexagonal dislocation networks which occurred in as-annealed commercial Ti-A 50 rod and following partial extrusion under hydrostatic pressure at room temperature were studied using transmission electron microscopy. For the as-annealed condition networks were observed on the prism, basal and {2•1•1x} planes, while for the extrusion networks were only observed on the basal plane. The various stages in the development of the networks are presented and mechanisms by which they form are proposed. The self energies of the dislocation hexagons constituting the various networks are calculated using the equations proposed by de Wit and Ruff. They increase in the order: a) networks on the basal plane in the as-annealed condition, b) networks on the prism plane in the asannealed condition and c) networks on the basal plane in the partially extruded condition. This paper is based on Doctoral Thesis presented in October 1973 by S. P. AGRAWAL to the Department of Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science at the University of Kentucky.     

Specialized supply firms, property rights and firm boundaries

The proper specification of intellectual property rights (IPRs)is a delicate and controversial matter. In this paper, we considerone specialized context in which IPRs can add to efficiency.We build on contributions of both ‘firm capabilities’scholars (e.g. Teece, Pisano et al.) and ‘property rights’economists (e.g. Hart) to show that IPRs can affect efficiencyby influencing the location of technological innovation. Usinga simple set up, where the key choice is whether a technology-intensiveinput will be supplied by an independent firm or produced in-house,we analyze how the choice is affected by the strength of IPRsand by the existence (and nature) of information spillovers.Specifically, we show that when the supply relationship is likelyto produce new information of value to the supplier, strongerproperty rights favor independent suppliers over vertical integration.An important implication of our model (backed by empirical casestudies) is that strong IPRs therefore encourage investmentsin specialized firms with strong ‘firm capabilities’in the area of innovative input supply. IPRs therefore may playa role—along with multiple other factors—in thelocation of firm boundaries in some cases. This contributionto the viability of small, specialized firms, with their superiorability to innovate in some cases, must be taken into accountin evaluating recent criticisms of over-fragmented IPR ownership(i.e. the ‘anticommons’ problem). It also contributesto an understanding of IPRs in the ‘post-Chandlerian’economy, where smaller, specialized firms play a prominent role.     

Synthesis, characterization, thermolysis and performance evaluation of mercuric-5-nitrotetrazole (MNT)

Mercuric-5-nitrotetrazole (MNT) was synthesized on using a reported method. The product having bulk density of 1.5 g/cm3, was obtained during this work using mercuric nitrate doped with additives such as cephol/dextrin in the process. Synthesized MNT was characterized by metal content analysis, IR and ESCA. The DTA profile indicated the thermal stability of MNT up to 200 degrees C. It revealed its higher thermally sensitive [thermal sensitive figure (S) approximately 0.8] in comparison to that of service lead azide (SLA) [S approximately 0.4]. Percussion sensitivity data also showed higher sensitivity of MNT. However, it was found less friction sensitive than SLA. The chemical stability of MNT in a carbon dioxide environment was evaluated in comparison to SLA by determining mercury (gravimetrically) and lead azide (volumetrically) contents respectively. Results obtained indicated that no discernable changes occurred in MNT, even after storage for 90 days while in case of SLA, drastic change in lead azide content was observed. IR spectra of MNT sample stored in a closed aluminum dish for 5-10 years could be superimposed on that of the freshly prepared MNT sample. The performance of MNT filled detonator no. 27 assessed in terms of extent of damage on a witness plate was found equivalent to that of the standard ASA (azide, styphynate and aluminium) composition filled detonator.