Potentiality of Indian pineapple leaf fiber for apparels

The use of textile-grade fiber extracted from the Indian pineapple leaf is an unexplored area. Pineapple leaf fiber (PALF) is fine, soft, and moderately strong and is much acceptable for fashion garment. An attempt has been made to extract and soften Indian PALF from the pineapple leaves by decortication and subsequent water retting. Decorticated cum retted fiber has shown better physicomechanical and surface appearance properties than decorticated fiber. Fine yarn (38 tex) was spun in a suitable spinning system, and the property performance was found to be suitable to make eco-sustainable novelty fabric. Fabric was developed by using cotton as warp yarn and PALF-based yarn as weft in a handloom. The developed fabric shows very good physical and mechanical properties, desired for apparels. This inferred that Indian PALF may be successfully used to make eco-niche apparel quality fabric as well as novelty textiles.     

EOCGS: energy efficient optimum number of cluster head and grid head selection in wireless sensor networks

Telecommunication Systems -     

In Vitro Structural and Functional Evaluation of Gold Nanoparticles Conjugated Antibiotics

Bactericidal efficacy of gold nanoparticles conjugated with ampicillin, streptomycin and kanamycin were evaluated. Gold nanoparticles (Gnps) were conjugated with the antibiotics during the synthesis of nanoparticles utilizing the combined reducing property of antibiotics and sodium borohydride. The conjugation of nanoparticles was confirmed by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and electron microscopic (EM) studies. Such Gnps conjugated antibiotics showed greater bactericidal activity in standard agar well diffusion assay. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of all the three antibiotics along with their Gnps conjugated forms were determined in three bacterial strains, Escherichia coli DH5α, Micrococcus luteus and Staphylococcus aureus. Among them, streptomycin and kanamycin showed significant reduction in MIC values in their Gnps conjugated form whereas; Gnps conjugated ampicillin showed slight decrement in the MIC value compared to its free form. On the other hand, all of them showed more heat stability in their Gnps conjugated forms. Thus, our findings indicated that Gnps conjugated antibiotics are more efficient and might have significant therapeutic implications. Biswarup Saha and Jaydeep Bhattacharya authors contributed equally.     

Optimization of biodegradation of natural fiber (Chorchorus capsularis): HDPE composite using response surface methodology

Deterioration in mechano-chemical properties due to biodegradation of prepared high-density polyethylene and jute eco-friendly polymer composites in soil and pure microbial culture was investigated through a programmed experimental design. The composite was prepared by compression molding process and then subjected to biodegradation. The biodegradation process was studied using face-centered central composite experimental design protocol and the model equations were formulated to assess the effects of jute fiber loading and treatment time on biodegradation (expressed as percentage loss in composite weight and tensile strength) of the composite. The optimal process conditions corresponding to maximum biodegradation were evaluated for both the media using response surface methodology. The maximum weight losses were 25.8924 % for soil medium and 12.4167 % for pure culture medium at 30 wt% jute fiber loading and 6 months of treatment time. At the derived optimal conditions, the effects of biodegradation were also manifested as 84.2621 and 70.9842 % losses in the tensile strength in soil and pure culture media, respectively. The present study, thus, demonstrates that HDPE/jute composite polymer can be appreciably biodegradable and the extent of biodegradation is more pronounced in soil medium compared to pure microbial culture. The analyses of the evolution of chemical composition and microstructure of the composite before and after biodegradation were performed through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy. FTIR spectra indicated significant changes in chemical composition due to biodegradation, while the ruptured structure of the treated composite revealed notable changes in the morphology due to biodegradation.     

Knoevenagel condensation reaction over acid–base bifunctional nanocrystalline CexZr1−xO2 solid solutions

Highly thermally stable three-dimensional spongelike mesoporous Ce_xZr_1?xO₂ solid solutions consisting of nanometer size particles with different Ce/Zr compositions were synthesized by a modified sol–gel procedure using a triethanolamine/water mixture as a solvent to be used in liquid Knoevenagel condensation reaction. These materials were investigated in detail by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, chemical analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), UV–Vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and adsorption microcalorimetry. The XRD, HRTEM and XPS studies proved the presence of nanocrystalline Ce_xZr_1?xO₂ solid solutions. These solid solutions showed excellent chemoselectivity in the classical Knoevenagel reaction. The large pore sizes (around 10 nm) highlight the possibility of using Ce_xZr_1?xO₂ as a support material for versatile catalytic systems. The results obtained from NH₃ and SO₂ adsorption microcalorimetry experiments successfully demonstrated the incorporation of ZrO₂ into the CeO₂ lattice resulting in both acidic and basic surface sites in a mixed oxide matrix.     

Infrastructure Challenges Caused by Industrial Transformation to Achieve Greenhouse Gas Neutrality. Ammonia Production in the Antwerp-Rotterdam-Rhine-Ruhr Area

Several pathways for potentially greenhouse gas neutral production of ammonia have been investigated compared to today's conventional ammonia production at chemical sites in Antwerp, Dormagen, and Geleen. These pathways include on-site water electrolysis using grid electricity, off-site production via water electrolysis using renewable electricity and supply of green hydrogen to the site, pyrolysis of natural gas and conventional ammonia production coupled with CO₂-capture on-site and transport to a storage site. All pathways effectively eliminate scope 1 emissions present in conventional production but continue to emit scope 2 emissions from grid electricity consumption. Eventually, a coordinated industry-wide and cross-industry effort is needed to address the transformational changes and develop the common cross-border infrastructures.     

Effect of hydroxyl content on the physical properties of calcium metaphosphate glasses

The hydroxyl (OH) content of calcium metaphosphate glasses has been controlled in the range 50–800 ppm by melting calcium dihydrogen phosphate in air, under vacuum and with fluoride addition. Density, refractive index and glass transition temperature of the glasses increase with decrease in OH content while the coefficient of thermal expansion remains almost unchanged. With gradual decrease in OH, the UV cutoff initially shifts towards shorter and finally towards longer wavelengths. IR spectroscopic study shows that the OH groups exist exclusively in the hydrogen bonded states. Correlations of the glass properties with OH content have been explained in terms of structural rearrangement leading to the change in P-O bond length and O-P-O/P-O-P bond angles of the PO₄ tetrahedral units of (PO ₃ ⁻ ) _n chains. These changes are caused due to conversion of non-bridging oxygens (NBOs) of the H-bonded OH groups into bridging oxygens (BOs) during progress of dehydroxylation.