Effect of Herbal Extract Treatment on the Moisture Management Properties of Cotton Knitted Fabrics

ABSTRACT

In this work, the moisture management properties of combination herbal extract treated cotton knitted fabrics were explored. The herbs namely wild turmeric (Curcuma aromatica Salisb.) and holy basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum L.) were used for the study. The pre-treated single jersey cotton knitted fabrics were given finishing treatment with 50%:50% combination herbal extract of wild turmeric and holy basil using pad-dry-cure method. The randomized response surface Box–Behnken design using quadratic model was used for the finishing treatment with process parameters such as combination herbal extract concentration of 1%, 2.5%, and 4%; crosslinking agent concentration of 3%, 5%, and 7%; curing temperature of 80°, 100°, and 120°. The analysis of variance results analysis using Design Expert software shows that the moisture management properties of the treated fabrics are influenced by the finishing process parameters. The study results revealed that the finishing treatment has altered the moisture management properties of the treated fabrics and resulted in excellent accumulative one way transport capability which increased their overall moisture management capability.     

One-step synthesis and solvent-induced exfoliation of hybrid organic-inorganic phyllosilicate-like materials

A room-temperature sol-gel-based process was used to produce by direct synthesis talc-like organosilicates having hexadecyl or aminopropyl groups pending in the interlayer space. Thermal analyses, Fourier transform infrared and 13C/29Si solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies confirmed the presence of organic moieties bonded to the inorganic network. Exfoliation of these organoclays in polar solvents such as water for the positively charged magnesium phyllo(aminopropyl)silicate, and in low polar solvents such as toluene and chloroform for hydrophobic magnesium phyllo(hexadecyl)silicate, was investigated by TEM. The ability of these layered magnesium organosilicates to exfoliate in appropriate solvents was exploited for the preparation of transparent self-supporting films and ordered macroporous networks using by latex colloidal crystal templates.     

Minimization of Moisture Readsorption in Dried Coal Samples

Low-rank coals csonstitute a major energy source for the future as reserves of such high-moisture coals around the world are vast. Currently they are considered undesirable since high moisture content entails high transportation costs, potential safety hazards in transportation and storage, and the low thermal efficiency obtained in combustion of such coals. Furthermore, low-moisture-content coal is needed for the various coal pyrolysis, gasification developed. Hence, various upgrading processes have been developed to reduce the moisture content. Moisture readsorption and spontaneous combustion are important issues in coal upgrading processes. This article discusses results of laboratory experiments conducted to study the options for minimization of readsorption of moisture after drying of selected coal samples. Results suggest that there is little benefit in drying low-rank coal at high temperatures. It was found that the higher the amount of bitumen used for coating, the lower is the readsorption of moisture by dried coal. Also, mixing high-temperature-dried coal with wet coal in appropriate proportion can yield reduced moisture content as the sensible heat in the hot coal is utilized for evaporation.     

Factors Affecting Quality of Dried Low-Rank Coals

The chemical and physical properties of coal are strongly affected by the upgrading process employed. For high-moisture coals, upgrading involves thermal dehydration to improve the calorific value of the coal on mass basis. This study evaluates the feasibility of upgrading a low-rank/grade coal using the oven drying method. The objective of this research work is to study the drying characteristics of low-rank coals and to understand the factors affecting the quality of dried low-rank coals. This article describes laboratory experiments conducted on the characterization of the low-rank coals before and after the drying process. The results on drying kinetics, re-absorption of coal samples, and proximate analysis of coal samples before and after drying are discussed. It was found that the upgrading process produced coal with better heating value and combustion characteristics than those of the raw coal samples.     

Electrochemical Deposition of 58SiO2‐33CaO‐9P2O5 Nanobioactive Glass Particles on Ti‐6Al‐4V Alloy for Biomedical Applications

The nanobioactive glass (58SiO₂‐33CaO‐9P₂O₅) powders were synthesized by simple sol–gel method. The prepared samples reveal amorphous nature, agglomerated spherical morphology with particle size of 100–150 nm. The specific surface area of nanobioactive glass (NBG) particle is 147 m²/g. The NBG samples were coated on titanium (Ti‐6Al‐4V) alloy through electrochemical deposition method. The particle size of the NBG‐coated surface was in the order of 200–300 nm, and it was confirmed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis. In vitro and AFM studies reveal the existence of higher bioactivity and uniform coating of NBG on implants at 80 V for 1 h.     

Preparation and characterization of mesostructured Zr-SBA-16: efficient Lewis acidic catalyst for Hantzsch reaction

Journal of Porous Materials - Mesostructured Zr-SBA-16 (3D cubic arrangement, Im3m space group) with different Si/Zr ratio was successfully synthesized by using Pluronic F127 triblock copolymer and...     

Effect of Load and Composition on Friction and Dry Sliding Wear Behavior of Tungsten Carbide Particle-Reinforced Iron Composites

Investigations on the dry sliding wear behavior of tungsten carbide (WC)-reinforced iron matrix composites were carried out at room temperature. Three sets of samples (unreinforced iron, 4 wt% micrometer-size (～5–15 μm) WC-reinforced iron and 4 wt% nanosize (～30 nm) WC-reinforced iron were prepared using a powder metallurgy route to assess their friction and wear behaviors under two different loads. The relative dry sliding wear performances of the micrometer-size and nanosize WC-reinforced composites were compared with unreinforced matrix. An increase in microhardness of the order of 2.5 times was observed in the case of 4 wt% nanosize WC-reinforced iron matrix compared to the unreinforced iron matrix. The wear rate was 1.35 to 1.45 times lower in the case of nanocomposites compared to the unreinforced iron matrix (under different experimental conditions). The values of the coefficient of friction (COF) of composites were found to decrease with increase in load. Nanocomposites showed lower COF, surface roughness, and fractal dimension (D) values than micrometer-size WC-reinforced composites and the unreinforced iron matrix.     

pH Sensitive graft copolymers for zero order drug release: a mechanistic analysis

Aliphatic polyesters containing pendent unsaturation were synthesized by the polycondensation of a diol, dicarboxylic acid and glycidyl methacrylate. Grafting methacrylic acid (MAA) resulted in graft copolymers containing polyester backbone and MAA grafts. Depending on composition, the polymers swelled extensively and eroded or dissolved at near neutral pH but remained in collapsed state at acidic pH. Three representative drugs differing in solubility, viz., Diltiazem hydrochloride (DH), Indomethacin (IM) and Verapamil hydrochloride (VH) were released at constant rate from tablets made by compressing spray-dried microparticles. The release of DH at constant rate has been attributed to increase in diffusion coefficient of the drug from the swollen layer of matrix. The release of IM and VH at constant rate was governed by erosion and was enhanced in matrices which undergo dissolution. The release rate was enhanced with increasing MAA content and the frequency of grafts along the polyester backbone. Once a day dosage forms for drugs differing in solubility have been developed using a single polymer matrix which is easy to manufacture.