Study of the morphology and mechanical properties of polypropylene composites with silica or rice‐husk

The mechanical, morphological behavior and water absorption characteristics of polypropylene (PP) and silica, or PP and rice‐husk, composites have been studied. The silica used in this study as filler was a commercial type produced from soluble glass or rice husks. The compatibilizing effect of PP grafted with monomethyl itaconate (PP‐g‐MMI) and/or with vinyltriethoxysilane (PP‐g‐VTES) as polar monomers on the mechanical properties and water absorption was also investigated. In general, a high loading of the studied fillers in the polymer matrix increases the stiffness and the water absorption capacity. This effect is more noticeable in the tensile modulus of the PP/silica composite with PP‐g‐VTES as compatibilizer. However, the increase of the rice‐husk charge as a natural filler in the PP matrix decreases the stiffness, and in the presence of PP‐g‐MMI as compatibilizer in PP/rice‐husk, the tensile modulus and water absorption of the composite were improved. The better adhesion and phase continuity in the PP/silica and PP/rice‐husk composites with different compatibilizers was confirmed by the morphological study. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

"Significance of serum gamma glutamyl transpeptidase in cholestatic jaundice"

In conclusion, our study showed that serum G.G.T rises in cholestasis, and the rise is significantly higher in extraphepatic cholestasis as compared to intrahepatic cholestasis. Serum G.G.T has not shown any superiority over alkaline phosphatase in the evaluation of cholestatic liver disease. However, two considerations must caution against the use of serum G.G.T. alone for evaluation of hepatobiliary disease. The first of these is the lack of specificity for hepatobiliary disease. Serum G.G.T. activity can be elevated in some non-hepatic disorders such as acute pancreatitis, congestive cardiac failure, myocardial infarction, diabetes mellitus and alcoholism. Determination of serum G.G.T. in these patients is of no value. Second, the possibility that changes in serum G.G.T. activity results from drug administration in man.     

Development of nano indium tin oxide (ITO) grains by alkaline hydrolysis of In(III) and Sn(IV) salts

Indium tin oxide (ITO) nano powders of different compositions (In: Sn = 90: 10, 70: 30 and 50: 50) were prepared by heat treatment (300-450°C) of mixed hydroxides of In(III) and Sn(IV). The hydroxides were obtained by the reaction of aq. NH₃ with mixed aq. solutions of In(NO₃)₃ and SnCl₄. FTIR and TG/DTA studies revealed that powders existed as In(OH)₃H₂O—SnO₃H₂H₂O in the solid state and then they transformed to In₂O₃—SnO₂ via some metastable intermediates after 300°C. Cubic phase of In₂O₃ was identified by XRD for the oxides up to 30% of Sn. Particle size measurements of the solid dispersed in acetone and SEM study for microstructure showed that the oxides were in the nano range (55-75 nm) whereas the size range determined from Debye-Scherrer equation were 11–24 nm.     

Organic‐acid‐catalyzed sol–gel route for preparing poly(methyl methacrylate)–silica hybrid materials

In this study, a series of organic–inorganic hybrid sol–gel materials consisting of a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) matrix and dispersed silica (SiO₂) particles were successfully prepared through an organic‐acid‐catalyzed sol–gel route with N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone as the mixing solvent. The as‐synthesized PMMA–SiO₂ nanocomposites were subsequently characterized with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The solid phase of organic camphor sulfonic acid was employed to catalyze the hydrolysis and condensation (i.e., sol–gel reactions) of tetraethyl orthosilicate in the PMMA matrix. The formation of the hybrid membranes was beneficial for the physical properties at low SiO₂ loadings, especially for enhanced mechanical strength and gas barrier properties, in comparison with the neat PMMA. The effects of material composition on the thermal stability, thermal conductivity, mechanical strength, molecular permeability, optical clarity, and surface morphology of the as‐prepared hybrid PMMA–SiO₂ nanocomposites in the form of membranes were investigated with thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis, gas permeability analysis, ultraviolet–visible transmission spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy, respectively. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Method for crosscorrelating images in the presence of geometric distortion

The conventional crosscorrelation function (XCF) used in temporal and spatial displacement measurement is unable to provide satisfactory results when linear distortion is also present in the signals. A 'nested' correlation function (NCF) is proposed which produces accurate results, when the distortion is dispersive, with negligible computational overhead.<>     

Methodology for evaluating a novel education technology: a case study of handheld video games in Chile

Many school systems, in both the developed and developing world, are implementing educational technology to assist in student learning. However, there is no clear consensus on how to evaluate these new technologies. This paper proposes a comprehensive methodology for estimating the value of a new educational technology in three steps: benefit analysis, through the administration of a well-designed experiment; cost analysis, which incorporates costs to weigh against the benefits; and feasibility analysis, which introduces real-world concerns that may affect the ability to actually implement the technology. To illustrate the methodology, a case study from Chile is used where portable educational video games were introduced into first and second grade classrooms with the aim of improving learning in mathematics and language. This paper demonstrates the importance of all three steps in the evaluation process and provides a framework for future analyses.     

Influence of grafted polypropylene on the mechanical properties of mineral‐filled polypropylene composites

The purpose of this work was to study how mineral fillers would behave in a polypropylene (PP) matrix when PP modified with maleic anhydride (MA) and/or itaconic acid (IA) was used as a coupling agent in the preparation of mineral‐filled PP composites. The composites were characterized with tensile mechanical measurements and morphological analysis. The optimum amount of the coupling agent to be used to obtain composites with improved mechanical properties was established. The results indicated that these coupling agents enhanced the tensile strength of the composites significantly, and the extent of the coupling effect depended on the nature of the interface that formed. The incorporation of coupling agents enhanced the resistance to deformation of the composite. The behavior of IA‐modified PP as a coupling agent was similar to that of a commercial MA‐modified PP for the filled PP composites. Evidence of improved interfacial bonding was revealed by scanning electron microscopy studies, which examined the surfaces of fractured tensile test specimens; their microstructures confirmed the mechanical results with respect to the observed homogeneous or optimized dispersion of the mineral‐filler phase in these composites. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103: 2343–2350, 2007     

Liquid-Phase Catalytic Hydroxylation of Phenol Using Cu(II), Ni(II) and Zn(II) Complexes of Amidate Ligand Encapsulated in Zeolite-Y as Catalysts

Copper(II), nickel(II) and zinc(II) complexes of amidate ligand 1,2-bis(2-hydroxybenzamido)ethane(H₂hybe) encapsulated in the super cages of zeolite-Y have been prepared and characterized by spectroscopic studies and thermal as well as X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns. These complexes catalyze the liquid-phase hydroxylation of phenol with H₂O₂ to catechol as a major product and hydroquinone as a minor product. Considering the concentration of substrate and oxidant, amount of catalyst, temperature of the reaction and volume of solvent, a best-suited reaction condition has been optimized to get maximum hydroxylation. Under the optimized reaction conditions, [Cu(hybe)]-Y has shown the highest conversion of 40% after 6h, which is followed by [Ni(hybe)]-Y with 37% conversion and [Zn(hybe)]-Y has shown the poorest performance with 33% conversion. All these catalysts are more selective towards catechol formation (90%), irrespective of their catalytic performance.     

Modal analysis of prestressed draft pad of freight wagons using finite element method

The present work intends to investigate dynamic behaviour of draft gear using finite element method. The longitudinal force that the draft gear absorbs usually leads to the failure of its components, especially, the load bearing draft pads. Dynamic behaviour of an individual draft pad and a draft gear is determined and characterized with exciting frequencies and corresponding mode shapes. The effect of compressive prestress load on the dynamic behaviour of an individual draft pad is also determined as the draft pads in assembled state are under constant axial compressive force in the draft gear. The vibration characteristics of individual draft pad are compared with draft pads that are part of draft gear. The modal analysis gives us a basis for subjecting a draft pad to higher frequency loading for determining its fatigue behaviour.