Physico-chemical properties of ceramic pigments for high-temperature application

Heat resistant coatings are required primarily for stacks, exhaust pipes, reactors, space crafts and similar equipments that are permanently or occasionally exposed to elevated temperatures. High-temperature coatings are generally based on silicone resin with ceramic and metallic pigments. In this study, iron oxide, cobalt oxide (thermo chromic compound) and aluminum oxide are used for the preparation of four new types of coloured pigments. The thermal resistant characteristics of these ceramic pigments were studied by differential thermal analysis, thermo gravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetric analysis. These ceramic pigments are found to be thermally stable up to 400 °C.     

Direct synthesis and catalytic performance of ultralarge pore GaSBA-15 mesoporous molecular sieves with high gallium content

Mesoporous GaSBA-15 molecular sieves with different n_Si/n_Ga ratios have been directly synthesized using Pluronic 123 triblock polymer as a structure-directing agent by pH-adjusting method. The mesoporous materials have been characterized using ICP-AES, XRD, N₂ adsorption, ⁷¹Ga-MAS NMR, SEM and TEM. ICP-AES studies show a high amount of gallium incorporation on the silica pore walls. The structural and textural properties of calcined GaSBA-15 are characterized by XRD and N₂ adsorption. ⁷¹Ga MAS NMR results demonstrate that a high amount of tetrahedral-gallium could be substituted for Si in the framework of SBA-15. TEM and FE-SEM images show the uniform pore diameter and rope-like hexagonal mesoporous structure of GaSBA-15. These GaSBA-15 materials have been used as catalysts for vapour-phase t-butylation of 1,2-dihydroxybenzene (DHB) for selective synthesis of 4-t-butylcatechol (4-TBC) under different reaction conditions. GaSBA-15(10) gave the highest 93.2% conversion of DHB and 95.7% selectivity of 4-TBC as compared with other GaSBA-15 catalysts.     

Optimisation of metallic pigments in coatings by an electrochemical technique and an investigation of manganese powder as pigment for metal rich primers

Zinc dust and manganese powder as pigments were incorporated in epoxy-polyamide and butyl titanate medium, with different pigment volume concentration (PVC) ranging from 20 to 74. These protective coatings were coated on sand blasted mild steel substrates and immersed in 3 wt.% sodium chloride solution and the corrosion current was measured by the Tafel extrapolation method. From the corrosion current produced by these primers, the optimum level of the pigments in these binders was identified. Thus the protective performance of optimised primers was evaluated on a sand blasted mild steel surface by the Tafel polarisation method in 3 wt.% sodium chloride solution, over different periods of time. The results were found to be comparable with the salt spray test and galvanic current measurements. The manganese powder used for this investigation showed that it could be used as an alternative to zinc powder for metal rich primers.     

Seeding effects on crystallization temperatures of cordierite glass powder

The role of solid state epitaxy in the crystallization of nanocomposite cordierite glass to glass ceramic was investigated. The use of isostructural (-cordierite) seeds in cordierite glass led to a lowering in the crystallization temperature to form glass ceramic by about 50 °C compared to the unseeded glass. The use of non-isostructural seeds such as ZrO₂ and TiO₂ did not lower the crystallization temperature of cordierite glass to glass ceramic, and in the case of the TiO₂-seeded glass the crystallization temperature increased by about 50 °C compared to the unseeded-cordierite glass. The lowering in crystallization temperature by-cordierite seeding can be attributed to the nucleation and epitaxial growth mechanism.     

Foley catheters functionalised with a synergistic combination of antibiotics and silver nanoparticles resist biofilm formation

Foley catheters are inevitable in health care unit. Pathogens colonise and form biofilm on catheter causing catheter‐associated urinary tract infection. Therefore, the authors aimed to functionalise catheter to resist biofilm formation. The authors impregnated urinary catheters with a synergistic combination of antibiotics and silver nanoparticles (SNPs) to evaluate antibiofilm efficacy in vitro and in vivo. SNPs were synthesised using Spirulina platensis. Synergy between the SNPs and antibiotics was determined by the checker‐board method. In vivo efficacy of the functionalised catheters was assessed in mice. Liver and kidney function tests of mice were performed. The in vitro anti‐adherence activity of the functionalised catheters was evaluated after 2 years. Nanoparticle sizes were 42–75 nm. Synergistic activity was observed among SNPs (2 µg/ml), amikacin (6.25 µg/ml), and nitrofurantoin (31.25 µg/ml). In mice, catheters functionalised with combinations of antibiotics and SNPs exhibited no colonisation until Day 14. Blood, liver, and kidney tests were normal. After 2 years, catheters functionalised with antibiotics exhibited 25% inhibition of bacterial adhesion, and catheters functionalised with the nanoparticle‐antibiotic combination exhibited 90% inhibition. Impregnation of urinary catheters with a synergistic combination of antibiotics and SNPs is an efficient and promising method for preventing biofilm formation.Inspec keywords: catheters, drugs, silver, nanoparticles, nanomedicine, liver, kidney, blood, microorganisms, adhesion, biomechanics, cellular biophysicsOther keywords: Foley catheters, synergistic nanoparticle‐antibiotics combination, silver nanoparticles, biofilm formation resitance, health care unit, pathogens, urinary tract infection, SNP, Spirulina platensis, checker‐board method, liver function, kidney function, vitro antiadherence activity, amikacin, nitrofurantoin, blood, bacterial adhesion, size 42 nm to 75 nm, Ag     

Facilitating GL13K Peptide Grafting on Polyetheretherketone via 1-Ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide: Surface Properties and Antibacterial Activity

In the present work, the antimicrobial peptide (AMP) of GL13K was successfully coated onto a polyetheretherketone (PEEK) substrate to investigate its antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) bacteria. To improve the coating efficiency, 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide (EDC) was mixed with a GL13K solution and coated on the PEEK surface for comparison. Both energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) data confirmed 30% greater peptide coating on PEEK/GL13K-EDC than PEEK without EDC treatment. The GL13K graft levels are depicted in the micrograms per square centimeter range. The PEEK/GL13K-EDC sample showed a smoother and lower roughness (Rq of 0.530 µm) than the PEEK/GL13K (0.634 µm) and PEEK (0.697 µm) samples. The surface of the PEEK/GL13K-EDC was more hydrophilic (with a water contact angle of 24°) than the PEEK/GL13K (40°) and pure PEEK (89°) samples. The pure PEEK disc did not exhibit any inhibition zone against S. aureus. After peptide coating, the samples demonstrated significant zones of inhibition: 28 mm and 25 mm for the PEEK/GL13K-EDC and PEEK/GL13K samples, respectively. The bacteria-challenged PEEK sample showed numerous bacteria clusters, whereas PEEK/GL13K contained a little bacteria and PEEK/GL13K-EDC had no bacterial attachment. The results confirm that the GL13K peptide coating was able to induce antibacterial and biofilm-inhibitory effects. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of successful GL13K peptide grafting on a PEEK substrate via EDC coupling. The present work illustrates a facile and promising coating technique for a polymeric surface to provide bactericidal activity and biofilm resistance to medical implantable devices.     

Long‐term impact of nitrogen and potassium fertilizers on yield,soil nutrients and biochemical parameters of tea

A field experiment was conducted with tea cultivar UPASI‐9 over a period of 9 years to evaluate the long‐term effects of nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) fertilizers on yield, biochemical parameters, soil and leaf nutrient status. The yield increase was as high as 66% over the control for N application of 450 kg ha^?1 year^?1. Polyphenol and amino acid contents increased with increase in K application rate. Positive and significant correlation was found between nitrate reductase activity and the amino acid content of the tea shoots. While ammoniacal nitrogen in the soil was not affected by the application of fertilizer, ammonium acetate extractable K increased. The failure to apply fertilizer resulted in depletion of the organic matter status of the soil. Although increased rate of nitrogen application increased the overall yield of made tea (kg ha^?1 year^?1), the specific yield (kg kg^?1 N) declined. The soil tended to become acidic from frequent application of high doses of nitrogenous fertilizer. The leaf NK status was significantly influenced by the various treatments. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

The experimental study on the performance,combustion and emission characteristics of a diesel engine using diesel – biodiesel – diethyl ether blends

ABSTRACT

In the present research work, the experimental analysis has been executed to investigate the influence of diethyl ether as an oxygenated additive to the diesel-biodiesel blend on the performance, combustion and emission characteristics of a diesel engine. The biodiesel (Frying oil methyl ester) was prepared by the transesterification process, and the biodiesel was added (40% by volume) to the diesel fuel to prepare the diesel-biodiesel blend (D60FME40). The diethyl ether was added to the diesel-biodiesel blends D60FM35 (diesel 60% + biodiesel 35% by volume) and D60FM30 (diesel 60% + biodiesel 30% by volume) with suitable volume proportions of 5% and 10% respectively to form diesel-biodiesel-diethyl ether blends ((D60FM35DEE5) & (D60FM30DEE10)). Initially, the test was conducted with diesel fuel to obtain the baseline reference reading. Then, the reading was compared with results taken from the engine using a diesel-biodiesel blend (D60FME40) and diethyl ether blends (D60FM35DEE5) & (D60FM30DEE10). The results reveal that the maximum brake thermal efficiency was obtained with diesel fuel and it was higher than the diesel-biodiesel blend and diethyl ether blends. The peak in-cylinder gas pressure and heat release rate in the premixed stage was less for the diesel-biodiesel blend, but it was increased with the addition of diethyl ether to the blend. The diesel-biodiesel-diethyl ether blends show less carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon emissions except for NO_X emission as compared to the diesel and diesel-biodiesel blend, especially at the engine rated power.     

Batch adsorptive removal of copper ions in aqueous solutions by ion exchange resins: 1200H and IRN97H

The removal of copper from aqueous solution by ion exchange resins, such as 1200H and IRN97H, is described. Effect of initial metal ion concentration, agitation time and pH on adsorption capacities of ion exchange resins was investigated in a batch mode. The adsorption process, which is pH dependent, shows maximum removal of copper in the pH range 2–7 for an initial copper concentration of 10 mg/L. The experimental data have been analyzed by using the Freundlich, Langmuir, Redlich-Peterson, Temkin and Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherm models. The batch sorption kinetics have been tested for a first-order, pseudo-first order and pseudo-second order kinetic reaction models. The rate constants of adsorption for all these kinetic models have been calculated. Results showed that the intraparticle diffusion and initial sorption into resins of Cu(II) in the ion exchange resins was the main rate limiting step. The uptake of copper by the ion exchange resins was reversible and thus has good potential for the removal/recovery of copper from aqueous solutions. We conclude that such ion exchange resins can be used for the efficient removal of copper from water and wastewater. This paper is dedicated to Professor Hyun-Ku Rhee on the occasion of his retirement from Seoul National University.     

CFD investigation of helical wire-wrapped 7-pin fuel bundle and the challenges in modeling full scale 217 pin bundle

Flow and temperature distributions of sodium in a heat generating fuel pin bundle with helically wound spacer wire have been predicted from basic principles by solving the three-dimensional conservation equations of mass, momentum and energy, for a wide range of Reynolds number. Turbulence has been modeled using the k– turbulence model. The geometry details of the bundle and heat flux from the fuel pin are similar to that of the Indian Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) that is currently under construction. The focus of the study is to assess the effect of transverse flow in promoting flow and temperature uniformity. It is seen that the ratio of maximum transverse velocity to the maximum axial velocity is nearly equal to the tangent of the rolling up angle of the spacer wire. Due to the wire wrap, the difference in bulk sodium temperature between the peripheral and central sub-channels is reduced to by a factor of 4 when compared to that without spacer wire. The film drop at the junction between wire and the pin is found to be only 70 °C. The predicted results are found to be in close agreement with that of the experimental results reported in literature. The present study considers a 7-pin bundle assembly of one helical pitch. The computational time and memory required for a 217 pin with 15 pitches assembly is ascertained to be 500 times that required for the current study. Hence, research activities have been directed towards developing a parallel CFD code and structural mesh generation software.