008631   Kaur Gurbinder;Pickrell G;Kumar V;Pandey O P; Singh K;Arya S K (Material Science and Engineering Dep, Holden Hall, Virginia Tech, Blackburg, VA 24060, USA, Email: gkaur82@gmail.com) : Mechancal, dielectric and optical assessment of glass composites prepared using milling technique. Bull Mater Sci 2015, 38(4), 1003-8.

In the present investigation, mechanical and spectroscopic properties of glass composites have been investigated. The glass composites have been prepared by the milling technique instead of using any filler particle. Due to the presence of different alkaline earth modifiers in composites, marked difference in their strength and optical properties is observed. The band gap, Urbach energy and the extinction coefficient of the glass composites have been calculated using UV-visible spectroscopy. Moreover, the real and imaginary dielectric constants have also been calculated for all the composites in addition to the Weibull statistics and cumulative probability of failure. The results have been discussed in light of comparison between the glass composites and the individual glasses. The mechanical and optical properties indicate marked effect on the mechanical strength, band gap and Urbach energy for glass composites as compared with the individual glasses.

6 illus, 2 table, 30 ref

008630   Kathirvelan J;Vijayaraghavan R (School of Electronics Engineering, VIT Univ, Vellore-632 014, Email: rvijayaraghvan@vit.ac.in) : Detection of methane using multiwalled carbon nanotubes. Bull Mater Sci 2015, 38(4), 909-13.

Sensor for detecting and estimating methane using multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as the sensing element has been developed for the first time. Silver electrodes have been ink-jet printed on glass substrate over which MWCNT is brush coated to fabricate the sensor element which is of chemoresistive type. The sensitivity of the sensor (increase in the resistance of the sensor on exposure to analyte) increases linearly with concentration of methane and a maximum sensitivity of about 20% has been observed for 160 ppm of methane. A prototype device has been fabricated with this sensor and tested for its performance. It could be used to detect methane on site.

9 illus, 39 ref

008629   Kathiresan N;Manoharan J S (Information Technology Dep, Bharathiyar College of Engineering and Technology, Karaikal) : Comparative analysis of fusion techniques based on multi resolution transforms. Natn Acad Sci Lett 2015, 38(1), 61-5.

Medical images play an important role in detection of abnormalities. A medical image like CT or MR does not at times give all the required data required for detection at a given time. Multi spectral imaging plays a significant role in projecting a clear picture of an abnormality. When the data available at hand is a MR and CT image of a particular area, the MR image may give details which are not provided by the CT and vice versa. Hence, an optimal approach would be to fuse the two images to get the combined details of both the image without degrading the image quality. Image fusion provides optimal results when done on a multi resolution platform. A detailed comparative study of the wavelet transform for image fusion using various techniques has been presented in this paper.

14 ref

008628   Karunambigai S;Geetha K;Shabeer H A (NO, Tirupur Electricity Distribution, Tirupur-641 604, Email: skarunambigai@yahoo.com) : Power quality improvement of grid connected solar system. J scient ind Res 2015, 74(6), 354-7.

The need to generate pollution free energy has triggered the effect towards the usage of solar energy interconnection with the grid. Consequently, the Photovoltaic [PV] panel interfaced with the grid causes the power quality problems such as a harmonics, voltage sag etc., Active power filters are the powerful tool for mitigation of harmonics. This proposed work describes the methodology for improving power quality of the grid interfaced with renewable energy. The inverter used in this methodology can also be used as a power converter for injecting power from solar to grid along with harmonic compensation. The proposed concept is validated through dynamic simulation using MATLAB/Simulink Power system toolbox.

3 illus, 2 tables, 14 ref

008627   Karishma S K B;Sreedevi J;Noor Cheshma P; Sarada K (NO, Koneru Lakshmaiah Univ, Vaddeswaram, Guntur-522 502, Email: benazeerkarishma@yahoo.in) : DC fault analysis in voltage source converter based HVDC link. Jl CPRI 2015, 11(2), 269-76.

Use of voltage source converter (VSC) based HVDC transmission for the interconnection of various power networks is increasing day by day. However, VSCs susceptibility to DC faults, particularly the potential damage caused to the converter switches due to overcurrent, is an issue. The fault clearing must be done very rapidly, to limit the effect of the fault on neighboring networks. This paper analyses the two terminal behavior of a VSC- based HVDC system under DC fault condition. In this work, HVDC link is connected between the systems of two different frequencies. Simulations are carried out in RSCAD/RTDS^{TM software and the performance of the system is analyzed for Defaults and the results are presented.}

15 illus, 1 table, 11 ref

008626   Kaliaraj G;Vishwakarma V;Ramadoss A; Ramachandran D;Rabel A M (Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Sathyabama Univ, Chennai-600 119, Email: vinitavishwakarma1@gmail.com) : Corrosion, haemocompatibility and bacterial adhesion behaviour of TiZrN-coated 316L SS for bioimplants. Bull Mater Sci 2015, 38(4), 951-55.

TiZrN coating was deposited on 316L stainless steel (SS) by the reactive magnetron co-sputtering technique. Cubic phase of TiZrN with uniform surface morphology was observed by X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy. Bacterial adhesion, haemocompatibility and corrosion behaviour of TiZrN coating were examined in order to evaluate the coating's compatibility for ideal implant. Results revealed that TiZrN coatings exhibited less bacterial attachment against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli bacteria, negligible platelets activation and superior corrosion resistance than the uncoated 316L SS.

6 illus, 1 tables, 12 ref

008625   Heydari F;Maghsoudipour A;Alizadeh M;Khakpour Z;Javaheri M (Ceramic Div, Material and Energy Research Centre, P. Box 31787-316, Karaj, Alborz, Iran, Email: fheydari88@gmail.com) : Synthesis and evaluation of effective parameters in thermal expansion coefficient of Ln_0.6Sr_0.4Co_0.2M_0.8O_3- (Ln=La, Nd and M=Mn, Fe perovskite oxide. Bull Mater Sci 2015, 38(4), 1009-14.

In this study, oxides Ln_0.6Sr_0.4Co_0.2M_0.8O_3-δ (Ln = La,Nd and M = Mn,Fe) have been prepared and characterized to study the influence of the different cations on thermal expansion coefficient (TEC). TEC decreases favourably with replacement of Nd^{3+ and Mn3+ ions in the lattice. Nd3+ leads to decreasing ionicity of the Ln-O bond and phase transition from rhombohedral to orthorhombic. Structural parameters of compounds have been determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD). FT-IR analysis has been used to compare the bond strength of different cations in the lattice. Variations of lattice parameters of compounds have been monitored by in-situ XRD at different temperatures in order to study the thermo-chemical expansivity. Concentration of oxide ion vacancy has been determined by high temperature gravimetry. The results show more stability of Mn4+ ions in high temperature in comparison with Fe4+ ions, which suppreses the tendency to lose oxygen from the lattice with the increase in temperature.}

8 illus, 2 table, 27 ref

008624   Gupta R;Nagamanasa H;Ganapathy R;Kulkarn G (Chemistry and Physics of Materials Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore-560 064, Email: guk@cnsms.res.in) : Viscolastic nature of Au nanoparticle-PDMS nanocomposite gels. Bull Mater Sci 2015, 38(4), 817-23.

Stable gel of Au nanoparticles in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) nanocomposite is prepared by employing the curing agent of PDMS elastomer as a reducing agent for the formation of Au nanoparticles by an in-situ process. The viscoelastic nature of these gels is very sensitive to the Au nanoparticle loading and the synthetic temperature conditions. Even a very low Au content of 0.09 wt% is sufficient enough to bring in the transition from sponge state to gel state at room temperature. Higher synthetic temperature also forms sponge formation. Infrared and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy measurements have provided insight into PDMS crosslinking and nanoparticle formation, respectively. The optimization of the gel properties can have direct influence on the processability of Au nanoparticle-PDMS nanocomposite gels, with interesting implications in electronic, optical and microfluidic devices.

4 illus, 35 ref

008623   Gunes I;Keddam M;Chegroune R;Ozcatal M (Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Dep, Faculty of Technology, Afyon Kocatepe Univ, 03200 Afyonkarahisar, Turkey, Email: igunes@aku.edu.tr) : Growth kinetics of boride layers formed on 99.0% putiry nickel. Bull Mater Sci 2015, 38(4), 1113-15.

Present study reports on the kinetics of borided Nickel 201 alloy. The thermochemical treatment of boronizing was carried out in a solid medium consisting of B₄C and KBF₄ powders mixture at 1123, 1173 and 1223 K for 2, 4 and 6 h, respectively. The boride layer was characterized by optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction technique and micro-Vickers hardness tester. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed the existence of Ni₂B, Ni₂B, Ni₃B and Ni₄B₃ compounds at the surface of borided Nickel 201 alloy. The thickness of the boride layer increased with an increase in the boriding time and the temperature. The hardness of the nickel borides formed on the surface of the nickel substrate ranged from 1642 to 1854 HV0.05, whereas the Vickers hardness value of the untreated nickel was 185 HV 0.05. The growth kinetics of boride layers forming on the borided Nickel 201 alloy was also analysed. The boron activation energy (Q) was estimated as equal to 203.87 kJ mol-1 for the borided Nickel 201 alloy.

7 illus, 2 table, 33 ref

008622   Gourkhede D M (Thermal Research Centre, Central Power Research Institute, Koradi-441 111, Email: gourkhede@cpri.in ) : Damage assessment of attemperator of thermal power plant boilers. Jl CPRI 2015, 11(2), 417-24.

Due to rapid growth and development and the demand for power, has pushed steam plant design into new territories of temperature and thermal cycling. Coupled with this has been the tendency for plant suppliers to buy rather than design critical items of equipment in the hope of minimising exposure to the consequences of malfunction however, this has seen an upsurge of trouble in several areas -particularly with attemperator. Although simple in concept, attemperator can cause serious problems if details of their design are not properly considered, and/or if they are not properly applied to the systems they are to serve. This paper presents by using optical fiber based video imaging technique to identify the affected regions in the attemperator which causes the malfunctioning of the boiler which may resulting catastrophical failure and damaging its components. This will result in reduced frequency of forced outages of the plant which in turn lead to substantial savings to the utility.

15 illus, 2 tables, 110 ref

008621   George J;Nair V V;Ninan G;Nair K (R&D Dep, The Kerala Minerals and Metals Limited, Sankaramangalam-691 583, Email: johnwa2000george@yahoo.com) : Recovery and utilization of wash water solids generated during ilmenite leaching operation. J scient ind Res 2015, 74(6), 362-6.

Solid content in the spent wash water generated during leaching operations in chloride process for the production of TiO₂ pigment is not recovered and considered waste. A method is proposed for the recovery of the solids and enrichment of titanium values in these solids. The composition of the recovered and enriched solids is determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy and other analytical techniques. The samples are characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope. (SEM). The pigmentary qualities of the recovered material are studied in enamel paint formulations and compared against commercial rutile TiO₂ pigment. Partial replacement of the TiO₂ pigment with the recovered material has not made any significant impact on the various characteristics studied and approached the commercial rutile TiO₂ pigment standards. Also partial replacement realizes a TiO₂ saving in enamel paint formulations.

3 illus, 1 table, 21 ref

008620   Fatoorehchi H;Abolghasemi H (NO, Center for Separation Processes Modeling and Nano- Computations, Tahra, P.O. Box 11365-4563, Tehran, Iran) : Variational iteration method for theoretical investigation of falling film absorbers. Natn Acad Sci Lett 2015, 38(1), 67-70.

In this paper, the variational iteration method is employed to treat a PDE, which simulates the mass transfer inside a falling liquid film absorber. Upon finding the Lagrange multiplier and use of an appropriate initial approximation, the method is shown to converge to a convenient solution. In view of our prior works, it is revealed that the achieved solution is identical to those offered by the separation of variables method, the Adomian decomposition method, the differential transform method, and the homotopy perturbation method.

24 ref

008619   Ezhilarasi P;Nirmalkumar P (NO, ECE Dep, St. Joseph's College of Engineering, Chennai) : Algorithmic based VLSI architecture of integrated image compression for CMOS image sensor. Natn Acad Sci Lett 2015, 38(1), 49-59.

Challenging task of a CMOS image sensor is to have a well robust compression processor for multimedia and medical applications because it requires huge storage requirement of image data like small bowel images, retinal images and mammograms from different modalities such as ultra sonography, magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography and media files. To overcome image degradation at high compression ratio (CR), Authors have proposed an integrated compression technique which combines quadrant tree decomposition (QTD) and lifting based discrete wavelet transform (DWT) to provide promising results with high compression at low bit rates without losing any information of the image and the advancement in technology such as backside illumination makes CMOS sensor to use in medical imaging application. The input image is undergone QTD coding followed by lifting based DWT. The quantised and encoded transform coefficients are then decoded using inverse lifting based DWT to obtain the reconstructed image. Simulation results of our proposed compression scheme gives 80% pixel level memory reduction at a PSNR around 40 dB and less number of resources are utilized for different functions implemented in Xilinx ISE 9.1i varies from 0 to 53% and it finds application in the field of e-health, tele-consultation, tele-radiology, tele-matics and telemedicine.

22 ref

008618   Evin E;Guler O;Aksoy M;Guler S H (Metallurgy and Materials Engineering Dep, Firat Univ, Elazig-231 19, Turkey, Email: oguler@firat.edu.tr) : Effect of milling time on the formation of carbon nanotube by mechano thermal method. Bull Mater Sci 2015, 38(4), 857-63.

Mechano-thermal method was used for synthesizing the carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in this study. In this method, graphite powders in the elemental form were firstly exposed to milling process in high-energy ball milling and then the milled powders were annealed at high temperatures. As a result of milling of the graphite, ultra-active disordered carbon structures were obtained. This structure serves as a carbon source for the formation of nanotubes during the annealing process. This study investigated the effect of the milling process. For this purpose, graphite powders were milled at different periods such as 5 and 150 h and then annealed at 1600 °C. The transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy examinations demonstrated that CNTs formed in samples milled both for 5 and 150 h. However, the difference in the milling time influenced the amount of CNTs, their size and the formation of other structures except from nanotubes.

7 illus, 16 ref

008617   Elanchezhian P;Kumar Chinnaiyan V;Sudhir Kumar R;Karpagam J (SRF, Energy Effeciency and Renewable Energy Div, Central Power Research Institute, Bangalore-560 080, Email: elanchezhian.me@gmail.com) : Influence of irradiance, ambient conditions and AC power output on micro inverter temperature-overview. Jl CPRI 2015, 11(2), 391-400.

Solar energy is one of the cleanest and reliable sources of renewable energy on earth. Conventionally, extraction of solar power for electricity generation was limited to PV farms, however lately distributed generation form of solar power has emerged in the form of residential and commercial Grid Tied micro-inverters. Micro inverters temperature is strongly correlated with ambient temperature and PV module temperature, and moderately correlated with irradiance and AC power. Ambient temperature is the influencing factor under conditions of low irradiance in morning hours, when the irradiance is below 60 W/m^{2. Noon time data analysis reveals that the micro inverters thermal behaviour is more strongly influenced by PV module temperature than AC power. In this paper review about electrical circuit topology and Influence of irradiance, AC power, ambient temperature on PV module and micro inverter are discussed.}

7 illus, 1 table, 23 ref

008616   Divakaran D;Jain A (Smart Power & Energy System, Power Systems Div, Central Power Research Institute, Bangalore-560 080, Email: amitjain@cpri.in) : Strategies for detection of out-of-step phenomenon for power system protection and control. Jl CPRI 2015, 11(2), 237-46.

Power systems, nowadays, are subjected to severe oscillations during the post disturbance span of time because of its operation at very narrow stability margins. Out-of-step condition is a consequence of transient instability and protection against out-of-step condition is a major issue for the power industry. In order to operate a system safely and to protect from the damages caused to system components such as generators, transmission lines and switching equipment, proper out-of-step detection and necessary protective action has to be provided. This paper explains the various out-of-step detection strategies which can be augmented to the numerical relaying algorithms, their computational simplicity and reliability and also discusses the issues and challenges related to implementation.

13 illus, 10 ref

008615   Devendranath Ramkumar K;Mishra D; Thiruvengatam G;Sudharsan S P;Mohan T H;Saxena V;Pandey R;Arivazhagan N (School of Mechanical and Building Science, Vit Univ, Vellore-632 014, Email: deva@vit.ac.in) : Investigation on the microstructure and mechanical properties of multi pass PCGRA welding of super duplex stainless steel. Bull Mater Sci 2015, 38(4), 837-46.

This paper addresses the weldability, microstructure and mechanical properties of the multi-pass welding of super-duplex stainless steel (SDSS). Pulsed current gas tungsten arc welding (PCGTAW) was carried out employing ER2553 and ERNiCrMo^{-4 fillers. Microstructure examination showed the presence of austenite in different forms at the weld zone of ER2553 whereas multi-directional grain growth was observed for ERNiCrMo-4 welds. Tensile and impact studies corroborated that the weldments employing ER2553 exhibited better results compared with ERNiCrMo-4 weldments. Detailed structure-property relationships of the weldments have been reported in the present study. The results corroborated that the enhanced properties could be achieved with the matching filler wire compared with the over-alloyed filler.}

9 illus, 5 tables, 17 ref

008614   Delgado G E;Mora A J;Gallardo P G;Munoz M; Duran S;Quintero M;Briceno J M (Laboratorio De Cristalografia, De Quimica Dep, Facultad De Ciencias, Univ De Los Andes, Merida 5101, Venezuela, Email: gerzon@ula.ve) : Crystal structure of the quaternary compounds CuFe<2>AlSe<4> and CuFe<2>GaSe<4> from x-ray powder diffraction. Bull Mater Sci 2015, 38(4), 1061-4.

Crystal structure of the quaternary compounds CuFe₂AlSe₄ and CuFe₂GaSe₄, belonging to the system I-II2-III-VI4, were characterized using X-ray powder diffraction data. Both compounds crystallize in the tetragonal space group I42m (No. 121), Z = 2, with unit cell parameters a = 5.609(1) armstrung, c = 10.963(2) armstrung for CuFe2AlSe4 and a = 5.6165(3) armstrung, c = 11.075(1) armstrung for CuFe2GaSe4. These compounds are isostructural with CuFe2InSe4, and have a normal adamantane stannite structure.

2 illus, 4 tables, 35 ref

008613   Deepika C L;Brindha D (Biomedical Engineering Dep, PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, Email: cldeepika@yahoo.com) : Design of non-invasive multi-parameter pain monitoring system. J scient ind Res 2015, 74(6), 330-3.

Postoperative pain management of patients is a major medical and nursing challenge. Pain is still being measured in hospitals using Pain scales such as Faces scale. However this type of interpretation is not straightforward and management of postoperative pain using these methods continues to remain problematic and unsatisfactory. Poorly managed pain may interfere with postoperative complications, cause patient suffering and prolong recovery. In this paper, a multi-parametric method of objective pain monitoring using ECG, pulse rate and heart rate is proposed. The case of post-caesarean pain is taken up and the study showed that sympathetic tone increased, vagal tone decreased, heart rate and pulse rate increased during pain. A statistical't' test was performed on the data obtained from patients and the test results justified the conclusion.

2 illus, 1 table, 10 ref

008612   Datta A K (NO, Central Power Research Institute, Bhopal, Email: arun@cpri.in) : Shaft voltage and bearing current - a common phenomenon in electric machines. Jl CPRI 2015, 11(2), 349-56.

Presence of shaft voltage & bearing currents were noticed probably after the invention of electric rotating machines. Pittings on the bearing surfaces, changes in the chemical composition of bearing lubricants and premature bearing failures were some of the evidences of these phenomena. This paper discusses about the bearing mechanism and its failure causes. Origination of shaft voltage is elaborately presented here. Types of bearing currents and its mitigation techniques are also discussed briefly.

13 illus, 17 ref

008611   Das I;Rao N B;Sundara Rajan J;Seetharamu S; Rao V V (Cryogenic Engineering Centre, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, West Bengal-721 302, Email: vvrao@hijli.iitkgp.ernet.in) : Cryogenic cooling aspects of HTS power cables. Jl CPRI 2015, 11(2), 311-21.

HTS (High Temperature Superconducting) cable has the ability of transmitting electrical power over long distances in an economical way, with improved stability and reliability. HTS Cable also provides a compact and low-loss transmission power line, in comparison with the conventional cable made out of copper or aluminium. The use of HTS tapes facilitates the cable operations with liquid nitrogen cooling system. A wide variety of HTS Cables with various cooling arrangements have been designed and developed. Their performance has been tested to obtain various thermo-hydaraulic and electrical data by installing the cables of different lengths in transmission and distribution networks. This paper reviews the cryogenic cooling aspects of previous and ongoing projects on superconducting cables for electrical power transmission around the world.

^iia16 illus, 1 table, 21 ref

008610   Chaturvedi D K;Singh M P;Iqbal M S;Singh V P (Electrical Engineering Dep, Dayalbagh Educational Institute, Dayalbagh, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, Email: dkc.foe@gmail.com) : On line GNN based induction motor parameter estimation. Jl CPRI 2015, 11(2), 333-9.

Induction motor is commonly used in industries due to its rugged construction and almost no maintenance. To precisely control the induction motor, accurate estimation of parameters is required. Artificial Neural Network (ANN) is used in the past for parameter estimation. The conventional ANN has its own problems such as learning issues, unknown size of ANN and its connections, etc. To overcome some of its problems generalized neural network is used in this paper. The GNN is trained to estimate parameters of three phase induction motor. Experimental setup is developed in DEI, which is consisting of a 415 V, 30 squirrel cage induction motor, data acquisition system and on-line parameter estimator.

3 tables, 11 illus, 17 ref

008609   Chaturvedi D K;Iqbal M S;Singh M P;Singh V P (Electrical Engineering Dep, Dayalbagh Educational Institute, Dayalbagh, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, Email: dkc.foe@gmail.com) : On line cooling system fault detection in induction motor. Jl CPRI 2015, 11(2), 341-8.

Induction motors are popularly used as an electric drives are the critical component in industrial systems. Most of the faults in induction motor are because of excessive heat generated in the machine. In the industrial application a large rating of induction motors are used which produce a significant heat. The heat is produced in the motor due to the different losses accumulated in the machine. Hence a healthy cooling system is always required to dissipate the heat and maintain the motor temperature within acceptable limits. This paper deals with the problem occurred specially in the cooling system under different operating conditions and investigate them. The on-line information is gathered from the machine about temperature, current and vibration signatures at different operating condition and the health of the cooling system is analyzed. Soft computing techniques are utilized for this purpose.

14 illus, 17 ref

008608   Chandrasekhar B;Lakshminarayanan S;Sudhir Kumar R (Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Div, Central Power Research Institute, Bangalore-560 080, Email: chandrasekhar_srf@cpri.in) : Integrated double input DC-DC buck converter in hybrid energy system. Jl CPRI 2015, 11(2), 401-5.

Integration of more than one energy source depends on the power electronic converters is an interesting and challenging task for researchers. In this paper, integrated double input DC to DC converter for low voltage energy source applications is explained. Integrated buck converter which can step down the input voltage according to output voltage required at the load end. The converter is able to integrate different voltages of various energy sources such as solar photovoltaic, wind energy system, fuel cell and diesel etc. of relatively low voltage. The converter is designed considering double input, in which same or different type of two inputs can be used individually or simultaneously. Modes of operation of converter are described in detail, closed loop simulation with a PI controller using MATLAB/Simulink^{TM results are presented in detail.}

11 illus, 1 table, 14 ref

008607   Bose V C;Biju V (Physics Dep, Keral Univ, Kariavattom, Thiruvananthapuram-695 581, Email: Bijunano@gmail.com) : Mixed valence nanostructured Mn₃O₄ for supercapacitor applications. Bull Mater Sci 2015, 38(4), 865-73.

Nanostructured Mn₃O₄ with an average crystallite size of <126>19 nm was synthesized through a microwave-assisted chemical route. Structural characterization was carried out using X-ray diffraction analysis and transmission electron microscopy. Observed change in the ratio of lattice constants, c/a for the sample compared with single-crystalline Mn₃O₄ points to the presence of Mn^{4+ ions at the octahedral sites. This is attributed to the presence of cation vacancies. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic studies confirm the presence of Mn4+ ions. Specific capacitance value of 665.08 F g-1 was obtained for symmetric supercapacitor with Mn₃O_{4 active material at slow scan rate. Reasonably high power and energy density values, viz., 4.27 kW kg-1} and 4.36 x 10-2 Wh kg-1, respectively, were obtained for charge-discharge cycles at a constant current of 12.74 mA cm-2}

10 illus, 1 tabel, 43 ref

008606   Berkmans A J;Jagannatham M;Haridoss P (Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Dep, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, Chennai-600 036, Email: prathap@iitm.ac.in) : Nanoscratch technique for aligning multiwalled carbon nanotubes synthesized by the arc discharge method in open air. Bull Mater Sci 2015, 38(4), 875-86.

Horizontally aligned and densely packed multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were synthesized in an open air, without the need for a controlled atmosphere, using a rotating cathode arc discharge method with the help of a metal scraper. The physical force exerted by the scraper results in in-situ alignment of MWCNTs along the direction of scrape marks. This strategy, which enables the alignment of nanotubes in a controlled fashion to any length and direction of interest, was examined to determine the force required to align a nanotube. A model is developed to understand the alignment process. Using the nanoscratch technique to mimic this strategy, and incorporating the data obtained from the nanoscratch technique into the model developed, the minimum force required to align a MWCNT, as well as the energy required to align a gram of nanotubes, has been estimated. The method demonstrated represents an economical approach for large-scale synthesis of aligned MWCNTs at low costs.

11 illus, 24 ref

008605   Babu M S;Shankar A;Seethalekshmi K (Electrical Engineering, BBD Univ, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, Email: srinu.babu@rediffmail.com) : Power system stability : mode identification in the power system oscillations using wide area measurement systems. Jl CPRI 2015, 11(2), 247-55.

In the past few decades power system oscillation damping remains as one of the major concerns for secure and reliable operation of power systems. In response to a continual increase in demand, power systems are driven closer to their limits, especially those of transmission capacity. As such, enhancing the transfer capability, while keeping the system stable, is one of the main goals for system operators. When we transfer a bulk amount of power over a long distance through relatively weak tie lines and high gain exciters then problem of small signal oscillation occurs. These oscillations have also resulted into instability and blackouts in the power system. In this instability problem there are different frequency components which are known as modes. This paper work consist of identification of low frequency components i.e. local area and inter area modes of oscillations in two area power system and also in IEEE 39 bus system.

8 illus, 2 tables, 23 ref

008604   Azadi S (Electrical Engineering Dep, Semnan Univ, Semnan, Iran, Email: sazadi@semnan.ac.ir) : Strengthening smith predictor robustness via azadi controller (positive feedback). J scient ind Res 2015, 74(8), 438-43.

Smith Predictor Controller is one the best nominates for the plants with large time delays. The controller theoretically performs perfect for suppressing the plant vibrations with strong consequences. However, when the plant model have some uncertainties from the nominate values, the robustness of controller which is based on the plant model violates, and converse results attains. Many researchers have challenged to overcome these uncertainties on the plant models either by fine computing the plant models, or by introducing some other compensators to the Smith predictors. However, when the uncertainties on the plant dynamics overstates, Smith Predictor cannot achieves its main function. In this research work, I applied Azadi controller to the Smith Predictor, and testify the system for very large variations on the plant dynamic. Azadi Controller actually is an adaptive controller with just one simple variable gain. This gain varies adaptively to yield worthy results. The stability analysis, and simulation results fully confirm that having Azadi controller augmented to the Smith Predictor can be appropriate for the plants with large uncertainty time delays. Azadi controller's initiative division and novelty has approved through patent No. 75315 registered in Iranian industrial and intellectual property office.

3 illus, 1 table, 33 ref

008603   Ashok Kumar K;Chethan Kumar N;Kapilan N (Mechanical Engineering Dep, M.S. Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bangalore-560 054, Email: chethankumarmech@gmail.com) : Performance and emission characteristics of mahua oil fuelled low heat rejection diesel engine. Jl CPRI 2015, 11(2), 407-16.

World energy reserves are depleting day-by-day and the demand is increasing. This leads to search for suitable renewable alternative fuels. Among the available alternative fuels, biodiesel can be used as an immediate substitute for the diesel engine. However, the biodiesel fuelled diesel engine gives lower brake thermal efficiency due to higher viscosity and lower volatility of the biodiesel. Hence, in this work, an attempt was made to increase the performance of the biodiesel fuelled engine using ceramic coating on the engine combustion chamber components. In this experimental study, engine components such as cylinder head, piston, exhaust and inlet valves were coated with Nickel Chromium (NiCr) alloy and Yttria Stabilized zirconia (Y₂O₃-Z_rO₂) of thickness 250 μm using plasma spray coating. Since mahua oil has significant potential for the biodiesel production, it was used for the biodiesel production. In this work, the engine tests were conducted on a single cylinder four stroke direct injection diesel engineand different blends were used as the fuels. The engine performance and emission characteristics were analysed by varying the load under both coated and uncoated conditions of the engine and results were compared with neat diesel. From the engine test results, it was observed that the engine performance with biodiesel blends such as B10 and B20, was increased from 3 to 7% depends upon the laud on the engine with thermal barrier coating as compared to the normal engine without coating.

18 illus, 4 tables, 20 ref

008602   Ajit Kumar;De A;Mozumdar S (Chemistry Dep, Delhi Univ, Delhi-110 007, Email: subhoscom@yahoo.co.in) : Synthesis of acrylate guar gum for delivery of bio active molecules. Bull Mater Sci 2015, 38(4), 1025-32.

Modification of natural polymers by graft copolymerization is a promising technique as it functionalizes these biopolymer to their potential, imparting desirable properties onto them. Grafting with vinyl monomers is the route for modifying the properties of the naturally occurring guar-gum for their better industrial exploitation and development of various commercial products. Acrylated guar-gum chain is synthesized and analysed using Fourier transform infrared, differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction techniques to gain an insight into the particle size and structural features. Chlorpyrifos is then entrapped into the polymer, and its release is studied under various conditions. Critical factors influencing the size, entrapment efficiency and release behaviour of entrapped chlorpyrifos have been studied.

4 illus, 1 table, 10 ref

007680   Yu C;Zhan S;Zhang H (School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Dalian Univ, Dalian 116622, P.R. China, Email: yuchiyuchi@163.com) : Dynamics study of membrane aeration biofilm reactor for food wastewater treatment. Asian J Chem 2015, 27(5), 1631-4.

In this study, the model focusing on the microbial dynamics of membrane aeration biofilm reactor (MABR) is established based on membrane aeration biofilm reactor material balance calculations according to the characteristic of membrane aeration biofilm reactor and the process of sewage treatment by self-designed membrane aeration biofilm reactor. By fitting experimental data, the operating biodegradation dynamics has been analyzed, the sludge yield and the dynamics of activated sludge of membrane aeration biofilm reactor have been compared and the simultaneous nitrification and denitrification dynamics has been researched. The conclusion of this study can provide reference for crafts designing of the wastewater treatment of membrane aeration biofilm reactor.

3 illus, 3 tables, 10 ref

007679   Xu H;Zeng M (School of Materials Science and Engineering, South Univ and Technology, Mianyang-621 010, Email: zengmin@swust.edu.cn) : Continuous production of barium titanate nanopower by hydrothermal synthesis. Asian J Chem 2015, 27(2), 425-8.

Continuous production of barium titanate fine particles were performed by hydrothermal synthesis process using a green reaction system. The mechanism of particle formation and growth and the feasibility of continuous production of barium titanate particles were also discussed. The separation solution had been reclaimed and recycled as a base solution, after the hydrothermal reaction in this study. This recycled process has been studied at least 9 cycles. The effect of the mineralizer and Ti-precursor material on particle size and its morphology was investigated.

17 ref

007678   Wang X;Hu C;Cheng C G;Zhao R S (Key Laboratory for applied Technology of Sophisticated Analytical Inst, Analysis and Test Center, Shandong Academy of Science, Jinan-250 014, Email: zhaors1976@126.com) : Determination of Hexabromocyclododecane diastereomers in Environmental water samples with ionic liquid dispersive liquid liquid microextraction. Asian J Chem 2015, 27(2), 514-16.

In this paper, a simple, rapid and sensitive method for the simultaneous enrichment and sensitive determination of hexabromocyclododecane diastereomers (HBCDs) in environmental water samples has been developed. It was based on ionic liquid-dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (IL-DLLME) and rapid resolution liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (RRLC-ESI-MS/ MS). Important factors affecting extraction efficiencies were investigated and optimized. Under the optimal conditions, experimental results exhibited excellent linear relationships over the range of 0.1-10 μg L^{-1. The limits of detection and relative standard deviations were in the range of 0.008-0.035 μg L-1 and 1.18-7.58%, respectively. The proposed method has been successfully applied for the trace analysis of hexabromocyclododecane diastereomers in environmental water samples.}

3 illus, 1 table, 9 ref

007677   Wang J;Xiong H;Xiong Z;Xu F;Fang J;Liu F;Ling Y;Pan J;Xie Y (Key Laboratory of Jiangxi Province for Ecological Diagnosis-Remediatio, Nanchang Hangkong Univ, Nanchang 330063, P.R. China, Email: fcxu@xmu.edu.cn) : Microbial fuel cells with modified MWNTs anode materials. Asian J Chem 2015, 27(5), 1584-8.

Marine exoelectrons S. marisflavi EP1 were intertidal sediments that taken from a marine surface of Xiamen Baicheng Sea. This study examined the electricity production performance of three different anode materials in microbial fuel cells i.e., graphite, multi-walled carbon nanotubes and the esterified multi-walled carbon nanotubes. The results showed that the produced maximum voltage of the above three anode materials were 0.5282 V, 0.4329 V and 0.3123 V, respectively, along with the maximum power densities were 341.6, 241.1 and 151.4 mW/cm^{2. The maximum power density to use the esterified multi-walled carbon nanotubes as the microbial fuel cell anode was 1.25 times as that of graphite. The growth of bacteria on the surface of the esterified multi-walled carbon nanotubes is faster than that on the surface of the graphite anode. It indicates that esterified multi-walled carbon nanotubes modified anode can significantly increased the electricity production of extracellular electronic metabolic capacity, so as to improve producing electrical properties of the microbial fuel cell.}

5 illus, 1 table, 21 ref

007676   Wang H;Zhang Y;You Z (College of Civil and Architecture Engineering, Hebei United Univ, Tangshan, P.R. China, Email: wanghao1689@gmail.com) : Electrochemical removal of nitrogenous compounds in relation to concentration of chloride ions of micro-polluted water. Asian J Chem 2015, 27(5), 1599-601.

Micro-polluted water was treated by electrochemical oxidation method in this work. When the plate distance was 1 cm and electrolysis time was 10 min, NaCl solution was added to the reaction equipment, which made the ratios of concentration of NH₄^{+ and Cl- were 1:1, 1:2 and 1:3, respectively. The removal effects on nitrogenous compounds of the change of the chloride concentration in the water by electrochemical method were investigated. The results revealed that the higher the chloride concentration in the water, the higher the removal rate to nitrogenous compounds, along with the increase of cell voltage, the removal rates of nitrogenous compounds increased too. Considering the power consumption per ton wastewater and other factors, the optimal running conditions of this experiment were the cell voltage 6 V and the ratio of concentration of NH₄+ and Cl- were 1:3.}

4 illus, 12 ref

007675   Venkatesh S;Raju S (NO, Vel Tech High Tech Dr Rangarajan Dr Sakunthala Engineering College, Avadi, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, Email: venkat_iomau@hotmail.com) : Novel treatment of biodegradable market waste with laboratory scale anaerobic digesters using PVC pipes. Pollut Res 2014, 33(3), 613-17.

Anaerobic digestion of biodegradable solid wastes is being considered as an effective method of both management of solid wastes and also as a renewable source of energy in the form of biogas. Anaerobic digestion is the bacterial fermentation of organic wastes in the absence of free oxygen. Since the vegetable waste forms the major portion of organic waste and generation of biogas seems to be a viable waste management option. The present study focuses on the anaerobic digestion of vegetable waste using high solid digestion (HSD) of different designs. The performance of three types of HSD operated with vegetable waste as substrate was evaluated. The first type digester was with solid and liquid phase within the digester unit. The second type was a single unit without any phase separation. The third type of digester was with a separate solid and liquid phase units. The performance of type III digester was 8.9% higher than type 1 and 23.1% more than type II digester. The highest biogas yield in type III digester was found to be statistically significant at 99% confidential level.

2 illus,4 table, 10 ref

007674   Thiruvengadam M;Kumar G N P;Sivakumar D (Civil Engineering Dep, Vel Tech High Tech Dr. Rangarajan Dr Sakunthala Engineering College, Avadi, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, Email: m_thiruvengadam@hotmail.com) : Validity of darcy and forchheimer equation of porous medium flow. Pollut Res 2014, 33(3), 511-18.

This paper presents a review of validity of experimentation; analysis and application of porous medium flow equations of Darcy and Forchheimer, which are critically reviewed theoretically and experimentally. The drawbacks observed while computing the coefficients of these equations have been critically analyzed. New equations have been obtained in terms of measurable quantities and compared with experimental data in laminar and turbulent regimes. Experiments have been conducted on porous media of large spread of sizes in parallel flow permeameter, the experimental results are compared with Darcy and Forchheimer equations, and its validity is checked.

17 illus,1 table, 11 ref

007673   Sivakumar D;Thiruvengadam M;Anand R; Ponpandian M (Civil Engineering Dep, Vel Tech High Tech Dr. Rangarajan Dr Sakunthala Engineering College, Avadi, Chennai, Tamil Nadu) : Suitability of groundwater around Pallavaram, Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Pollut Res 2014, 33(3), 541-6.

Groundwater quality was assessed nearby places of Pallavaram, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. The selected physico-chemical parameters were pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), total hardness (TH), calcium (Ca) magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), chloride (Cl), nitrate (NO₃), sulphate (SO₄) and chromium ion (Cr(VI)). In order to find out the suitability of the groundwater for drinking purpose, compared the value of selected parameters with the value of selected parameters from BIS drinking water quality standard. The physico-chemical study of the groundwater systems of selected in and around Pallavaram industrial estate showed that groundwater is nearly acidic and mostly oxidizing in nature. Further, the water quality index (WQI) rating was obtained to quantify the overall groundwater quality status of the area. The results indicated that the groundwater is not fit for drinking purpose, and can be used for drinking purpose after treatment.

5 table, 15 ref

007672   Sivakumar D;Shankar D;Kandaswamy A N; Ammaiappan M (Civil Engineering Dep, Vel Tech High Tech Dr Rangarajan Dr Sakunthala Engineering College, Avadi, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, Email: shri_sivakumar@hotmail.com) : Role of electro-dialysis and electro dialysis cum adsorption for chromuum (VI) reduction. Pollut Res 2014, 33(3), 547-52.

In the present study, chromium (VI) was removed using the method called electro-dialysis, and electro-dialysis cum adsorption methods. The experimental investigations have been carried out by using electro-dialysis and electro-dialysis cum adsorption methods for different temperatures and different agitation speeds against different pH. The study compared the results of wastewater treated with electro dialysis method with electro-dialysis cum adsorption method. The validation tests proved that the selected method is having reproducing capacity for removing Cr(VI) from any type of Cr(VI) contaminated wastewater. Finally, this study concluded that the maximum removal of chromium (VI) from tannery industrial wastewater was found with the combination of electrodialysis cum adsorption method than electro-dialysis method alone.

7 illus, 15 ref

007671   Sivakumar D (Civil Engineering Dep, Vel Tech High Tech Dr Rangarajan Dr Sakunthala Engineering College, Avadi, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, Email: shri_sivakumar@hotmail.com) : Role of low cost agro based agro based adsorbent to treat hospital wastewater. Pollut Res 2014, 33(3), 573-6.

Effectiveness of Tamarind kernel powder, a cheap agro-based adsorbent was evaluated to remove colour, turbidity, BOD, COD, TDS and fecal coliform in hospital wastewaters. Experiments were carried out by adding Tamarind kernel powder to the hospital wastewater at different dosages, different rapid mixing contact time and slow mixing contact time. Maximum removal of 86.1, 83.7, 85.3, 81.3, 90.1, and 85.2% respectively for colour, turbidity, BOD, COD, TDS and fecal coliform was obtained at an optimum dosage of 40 g/L, an optimum rapid mixing contact time of 16 min. and an optimum slow mixing contact time of 40 min. The results of this study revealed that most of the selected parameters in a treated hospital wastewaters showed within surface water discharge standard acceptable limits. Thus, this study concluded that Tamarind kernel powder is used as good adsorbent for the removal of colour, turbidity, BOD, COD, TDS and fecal coliform in hospital wastewater.

3 illus, 1 table, 13 ref

007670   Rani N C;Talikoti R;Kannan S R (Civil Engineering Dep, College of Engineering Guindy, Anna Univ, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, Email: nirmalababu93@gmail.com) : Waste water characteristics of a private multispecialty hospital at Chennai. Pollut Res 2014, 33(3), 619-22.

Shortage of water resources, its conservation due to population growth are the important issues for Environmental Engineers. Besides, hospital wastewater has the same quality as municipal wastewater, they may also potentially contain various hazardous components like infectious pathogens, toxic, biodegradable and radioactive contaminants that can cause pollution and health problems. In this paper, physical and chemical characteristics of produced wastewater in a private hospital located at the outskirts of Chennai were investigated. Results were compared with the effluent parameters of wastewater standards. The findings of the study showed that BOD, COD and TDS of the wastewater were 108.2, 176.65 and 53.55 mg/L respectively. Comparison of the indicators between effluents of wastewater treatment systems and the CPHEEO standards of Environment, showed a considerable increase in the hospital wastewater. Hence it was decided to go for the design of various treatment units.

5 illus, 2 table, 20 ref

007669   Rani N C;Talikoti R;Kannan S R (Research Scholar, Civil Engineering Dep, College of Engineering Guindy, Anna Univ, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, Email: nirmalababu93@gmail.com) : Enumerating the efficacy of natural coagulants in water treatment. Pollut Res 2014, 33(3), 559-66.

Coagulation is an essential process in the treatment of both turbid surface and industrial waste waters normally precedes the more complex secondary and tertiary water treatment processes. A review of biomass coagulant obtained from natural sources, processes, effectiveness and their relevant coagulant mechanisms for treatment of turbid water is presented. These coagulants are used as Point-of-Use technology in underdeveloped communities since they are relatively cost effective and available in abundant compared to chemical coagulants and can be easily processed and biodegradable. These natural coagulants, when they are used for treatment of waters with turbidity range 50 - 500 NTU are comparable to chemical coagulants in terms of treatment efficiency. The mechanisms for turbidity removal by these coagulants are adsorption followed by charge neutralization or polymeric bridging effect. The frequently studied coagulants are seeds of Moringa oleifera and Strychnos potatorum, pads and fruits of Cactus Opuntia, Okra Gum and mucilage extracted from the fruits of Coccinia indica etc. Once optimized, utilization of natural coagulants as they are renewable sources, will definitely create important progress in sustainable environmental technology as it will improve the quality of life for the developing countries.

1 illus, 51 ref

007668   Rajeshwari A;Amrita Kumari;Chandrasekaran N; Mukherjee A (Centre for Nanobiotechnology, VIT Univ, Vellore-632 014, Email: amit.mookerjea@gmail.com) : Spectroscopic studies on TiO₂ nanoparticles-bovine serum albumin interaction under visible light and dark conditions. Asian J Chem 2015, 27(5), 1798-804.

Titania (TiO₂) nanoparticles are increasingly used in the consumer and industrial applications, but there is only a handful of studies regarding their interactions with protein molecules. The aim of the present study was to explore the interaction between TiO₂ nanoparticles and bovine serum albumin (BSA) under visible light and dark conditions. The UV-visible spectral studies showed a concentration dependent increase in absorption intensity under both the conditions denoting the formation of BSA-TiO₂ complex. The fluorescence quenching was noted upon addition of nanoparticles. The number of TiO₂ binding sites on bovine serum albumin were determined (light: 0.6, dark: 1.9) by Stern-Volmer plot. The circular dichroism analysis showed significant changes in a-helix content of the protein structure upon adding TiO₂. A significant reduction in reactive oxygen species generation by the TiO₂ nanoparticles was observed upon interaction with bovine serum albumin for both the conditions denoting the protein modulated decrease in photo reactivity of TiO₂ nanoparticles. This is one of the foremost studies to present a comparative estimation of the spectral changes upon interaction of bovine serum albumin with TiO₂ nanoparticles under visible light and dark conditions. In a direct implication to potential cytotoxicity of TiO₂ nanoparticles, this study confirms that interactions with bovine serum albumin can substantially reduce reactive oxygen species generation by the nanoparticles.

7 illus, 2 tables, 31 ref

007667   Maleknia L;Rezazadeh Majdi Z (Textile Engineering Dep, Islamic Azad Univ, South Tehran Branch, Ahang Street, Nabard, Blv, Tehran, Iran, Email: melika02@azad.ac.ir) : Electrospinning of gelatin nanofiber for biomedical application. Oriental J Chem 2014, 30(4), 2043-8.

A series of new and commercially available polymers have been proposed as matrices for cell regeneration and proliferation for tissue engineering applications but lot of questions like interaction of scaffolds with biological systems, toxicity, in vivo studies etc. have to be thoroughly investigated before the technology can be used for any real practical biomedical application. In this Study gelatin nanofibers were prepared via electrospinning using aqueous solutions of formic acid/water as the solvent instead of cylotoxic solvents. The parameters, such as electric field, concentration of solutions and spinning distance were examined for studying the effects on electrospinability and morphology of gelatin nanofibers mats.Gelatin solutions with various concentrations of gelatin (20%-30%, w/v) were prepared using concentrated aqueous formic acid/water with ratios (100/0, 75/25, 50/50 and 75/25, %v/v) as solvent at room temperature.Morphology of nanofibres was examined by scanning electron microscopy and diameter, diameter distribution and uniformity were measured with image analyzer software. The lowest diameter of gelatin nanofibers (197 nm) was achieved when the gelatin concentration was 20%. The results showed that the spinability of gelatin strongly depend on the solvent used.

3 illus, 16 ref

007666   Lv Y (College of Material and Chemical Engineering, Sichuan Univ of Science and Engineering, Zigong 643000, Sichuan Province, P.R. China, Email: yongjunlv@qq.com) : Fluorescence properties of boradiazaindacenes (BODIPY) in different surfactant solutions. Asian J Chem 2015, 27(5), 1907-9.

Novel yellow-green fluorescent BODIPY dye (1) was synthesized and its fluorescence properties were investigated in various surfactant solutions, including myristyltrimethylammonium bromide, sodium dodecylbenzenesulphonate, sodium dodecylsulfate and triton X-100. The results show that BODIPY dye (1) displays an obvious fluorescence sensitizing effect in the presence of myristyltrimethylammonium bromide, which can be attributed to the entrance of 1 into myristyltrimethylammonium bromide micelle. Furthermore, there is a good linear relationship between fluorescence intensity and myristyltrimethylammonium bromide concentration in the range of 0-2.1 x 10^{-3 mol/L, with the association constant of 3.71 x 104.}

5 illus, 21 ref

007665   Lu M;Zhan H;Li Q (School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Henan Normal Univ, Henan Key Laboratory for Environmental Pollution Control, Xinxiang, Henan-453 007, Email: mercury6068@hotmail.com) : Microcrystalline anthracene enrichment spectrophotometry determination of trace crystal violet. Asian J Chem 2015, 27(2), 507-10.

New method that utilizes microcrystalline anthracene as solid phase extractant was developed for the enrichment of trace crystal violet in water samples. It indicated that the crystal violet in water samples was completely surrounded by microcrystalline anthracene in the presence of NH₄SCN and the microcrystalline anthracene carrier could be recycled after the desorption of crystal violet. Crystal violet could be detected directly by spectrophotometry under the maximum absorption wavelength (λ = 579 nm). The influences of different parameters, such as the amount of NH₄SCN and anthracene, acidity, enrichment time and coexistence of other salts on the enrichment yield of crystal violet have been studied to optimize the experimental conditions. The novel procedure was used to concentrate crystal violet in real water samples and the recovery is 62.4-103.1%. Analytical results obtained by this novel method are very satisfactory.

3 illus, 1 table, 9 ref

007664   Liu Y;Song C;Wang J;Bai Y;Run M (College of Chemistry & Environmental Science, Hebei Univ, Baoding 071002, P.R. China, Email: lhbx@hbu.cn) : Rheology, mechanical properties and non-isothermal crystallization kinetics of poly(trimethylene terephthalate)/thermoplastic polyester elastomer blends. Asian J Chem 2015, 27(5), 1683-91.

In order to toughen poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT) material, thermoplastic polyester elastomer (TPEE) was blended with PTT for preparing polymer blends and their rheology behaviors, phase morphology, impact strength dependence on molding temperatures, melting and non-isothermal crystallization kinetics were investigated by capillary rheometer, impact tester, scanning electron microscopy, wide angle X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry, respectively. The results suggest that the blends' apparent viscosities and the pseudoplasticity increase with increasing TPEE contents and TPEE has a good effect on improving the blends' melt viscosity. Thermoplastic polyester elastomer, which is partially miscible with PTT, also has a good toughening effect on PTT for the toughness increases with increasing TPEE content. However, the toughness decreases with molding temperatures increasing from 25 to 75 °C. The blends crystallize at lower rate and lower dimension than those of PTT. With increasing flexible TPEE, the blends show less crystallization ability for their more positive crystallization effective activation energy.

11 illus, 2 tables, 38 ref

007663   Liu W;Wang J;Chen X;Wei J;Yang X (State Key Laboratory of Hollow Fiber Membrane Materials and Processes, Tianjin Polytechnic Univ, Tianjin 300387, P.R. China, Email: liuhuiwen217@yahoo.com) : Preparation and characterization of platinum and rhodium nanoparticles stabilized by functional polymer microspheres. Asian J Chem 2015, 27(5), 1894-8.

Platinum and rhodium nanoparticles with different sizes were synthesized by in situ reduction of the metallic precursor, supported on the highly crosslinked monodisperse poly(DVB-co-AA), poly(EGDMA-co-VPy) and poly(EGDMA-co-HEMA)-SH microspheres with different functional groups on the surface, which were prepared by distillation-precipitation polymerization. The Pt and Rh nanoparticles were characterized by TEM, which show high distribution on the polymer supporters and narrow-dispersed diameters. The interaction between Pt and Rh nanoparticles and the functional groups of polymer supports were investigated by X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It is found that the sizes of metallic particles have relationship with the interaction of metals and functional groups and electronegativity of metals: with respect to the same metal, the stronger interaction, the smaller diameter of the nanoparticle; for the same polymer supporter, the larger electronegativity of the noble metals, the bigger size of the nanoparticle.

2 illus, 1 table, 16 ref

007662   Lim C S (Advanced Materials Science and Engineering Dep, Hanseo Univ, Seosan 356-706, Republic of Korea, Email: cslim@hanseo.ac.kr) : Upconversion properties of BaY₂(MoO₄)₄:Er<. Asian J Chem 2015, 27(5), 1777-80.

Double molybdate BaY₂(MoO₄)₄:Er^{3+/Yb3+ phosphors with the doping concentrations of Er3+ and Yb3+ (Er3+ = 0.05, 0.1, 0.2 and Yb3+ = 0.2, 0.45) have been successfully synthesized by a cyclic microwave-modified sol-gel process and their upconversion properties have been investigated. Well-crystallized particles were formed after heat treatment at 900 °C for 12 h, showing a fine and homogeneous morphology. Under excitation at 980 nm, BaY₂(MoO₄)₄:Er3+/Yb3+ particles exhibited a strong 525 nm emission band and a weak 550 nm emission band in the green region and a very weak 655 nm emission band in the red region. The Raman spectra of the particles indicated the strong peaks at higher frequencies and weak peaks at lower frequencies.}

4 illus, 27 ref

007661   Li D;Xue N;Cheng F Q;Du Z P;Sun C Y (Institute of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Shanxi Univ, No. 92 Wucheng Road, Taiyuan 030006, Shanxi Province, P.R. China, Email: cfangqin@sxu.edu.cn) : New technology of KCI flotation using mixed amine. Asian J Chem 2015, 27(5), 1714-18.

This paper studied the flotation recovery of KCl using a mixture of different carbochain amines as the collector in KCl flotation process. The results indicated that a much higher recovery of KCl was obtained through optimization of a mixed amine collector. Contact angle measurements revealed that mixed amine collectors further increased the hydrophobicity of the crystal surface of KCl. The solution surface tension could be reduced to 43 mN/m at 25 °C when the mixed amine was used. The aggregate size of mixed collector and the turbidity of the flotation solution showed that the dispersion of mixed amine colloids was better than that of octadecylamine collectors.

8 illus, 12 ref