Comparisons of various configurations of the edge delamination test for interlaminar fracture toughness

Various configurations of Edge Delamination Tension (EDT) test specimens, of both brittle (T300/5208) and toughened-matrix (T300/BP907) graphite reinforced composite laminates, were manufactured and tested. The mixed-mode interlaminar fracture toughness, G sub C, was measured using (30/30 sub 2/30/90 sub N)sub s, n=1 or 2, (35/-35/0/90) sub s and (35/0/-35/90) sub s layups designed to delaminate at low tensile strains. Laminates were made without inserts so that delaminations would form naturally between the central 90 deg plies and the adjacent angle plies. Laminates were also made with Teflon inserts implanted between the 90 deg plies and the adjacent angle (theta) plies at the straight edge to obtain a planar fracture surface. In addition, interlaminar tension fracture toughness, GIc, was measured from laminates with the same layup but with inserts in the midplane, between the central 90 deg plies, at the straight edge. All of the EDT configurations were useful for ranking the delamination resistance of composites with different matrix resins. Furthermore, the variety of layups and configurations available yield interlaminar fracture toughness measurements needed to generate delamination failure criteria. The influence of insert thickness and location, and coupon size on G sub c values were evaluated

Anti-microbial and anti-corrosive poly (ester amide urethane) siloxane modified ZnO hybrid coatings from Thevetia peruviana seed oil

The utilization of renewable resources for the development of organic coatings is a viable means of creating alternatives to petroleum-based chemicals which are not eco-friendly. This paper reports the synthesis of polyesteramide– urethane–silica–zinc oxide hybrid coatings from Thevetia peruviana seed oil (TPSO). The periphery of ZnO nano-particles is modified with 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane to prepare silica grafted ZnO composite particles. The TPSO based polyesteramide was reacted with 4,40- diisocyanatodicyclohexylmethane in presence of siloxane modified ZnO to obtain –NCO terminated polyesteramide– urethane–silica ZnO prepolymer. These hybrid pre-polymers were casted on tin foil and cured under atmospheric moisture to obtain eco-friendly, moisture cured polyesteramide– urethanes–silica–zinc oxide hybrid coating films. The synthesized polyester and polyurethane formation was confirmed by using FT-IR and NMR spectroscopic techniques.The resultant hybrid coating films were characterized by using FT-IR, TGA, DSC, SEM, corrosion resistance and microbial resistance. Results confirm that with increase of siloxane modified ZnO content in the polyurethane matrix thermal stability, glass transition temperature and corrosion resistance improved. The antibacterial activity shows that the hybrid films exhibit excellent resistance towards Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The salt spray test on coated panel samples show good corrosion resistance properties

Renewable resource based novel antimicrobial polyesteramide-urethenehybrid coatings

The use of renewable resources for the development of coating materials is a viable means to reduce environmental impact and support sustainability efforts. This paper describes a novel antimicrobial polyesteramide-urethane-silica- Zinc Oxide (ZnO) hybrid coatings based on milk bush seed oil as renewable resource. Initially ZnO nanoparticles were modified with aminopropyltrimethoxysilane to get silica grafted ZnO composite particles. The milk bush oil based polyesteramide were reacted with excess H12MDI to get NCO terminated polyesteramide-urethanes and the excess NCO was reacted with silica grafted ZnO composite particles to get the reactive hybrid prepolymers. These prepolymers were casted on tin foil and cured under atmospheric moisture to get eco-friendly moisture curing polyesteramide-urethane-silica- Zinc Oxide (ZnO) hybrid coatings films. The coatings films were evaluated for its antimicrobial and thermo mechanical properties while coated steel specimen were used for corrosion studies. The techniques such as FTIR, TGA, DSC, DMTA, SEM and XRD have been used in this study. The hybrid coating films has shown very good antibacterial and antifungal propertie$, higher thermal stability and better thermo mechanical properties. The improvement in the properties was dependent" on the concentration of ZnO composite particles in the coating films. The antibacterial experiments show that the ZnO doped films exhibit excellent antibacterial activity, especially for E.coli. The salt spray test on coated specimen show good corrosion resistance properties for hybrid coating

Expression of nestin - a stem cell associated intermediate filament in human CNS tumours

Background & objectives: Nestin is an intermediate filament protein expressed in undifferentiated cells during the development of brain and is considered as a marker for neuroepithelial stem cells. Expression of this protein in various CNS tumour cells suggests the possibility of existence of tumour stem cell modulating the evolution. We carried out an immunohistochemical study to demonstrate the expression of nestin and its co-expression with neuronal and glial intermediate filament and correlate with the grade of malignancy. Methods: Formalin fixed, paraffin processed sections from two human foetuses, 16 brain tumours of both neuronal and glial lineage and two metastatic tumours were immunostained with polyclonal antibody to nestin. Serial sections from primary brain tumours were also stained with monoclonal antibody to neurofilament (NF) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Fluorescent double labeling was carried out on four cases using laser confocal microscopy, to document co-localization of nestin with other intermediate filaments in the tumour cells. Results: Nestin expression was observed along the paraventricular zone of human foetuses and in brain tumours of both glial and neuronal lineage, of both high and low grades of malignancy. In addition, mature dysplastic spinal motor neurons adjacent to tumour and cerebellar Purkinje cells also expressed nestin along with neurofilament. Interpretation & conclusion: Nestin expression was noted in both low and high grade brain tumours and dysplastic neurons and did not parallel the malignant grade of the tumour. The expression of nestin in tumour cells and dysplastic neurons suggests aberrant expression of antigenically primitive proteins in cells to facilitate remodelling of the cell and migration. More studies are needed to elucidate the concept

भारत में शूलचर्मी पालन में संभावनाएं

Prospects of Echiniculture in Indi

Magneto-transport characteristics of La1.4Ca1.6Mn2O7 thin film deposited by spray pyrolysis

Polycrystalline thin films of double layer manganite La_1.4Ca_1.6Mn_2O_7 (DLCMO) have been deposited by nebulized spray pyrolysis on single crystal LaAlO_3 substrates. These single phase films having grain size in the range 70-100 nm exhibit ferromagnetic transition at T_C ~ 107K. The short range ferromagnetic ordering due to in plane spin coherence is evidenced to occur at a higher temperature around 225 K. Insulator/semiconductor to metal transition occurs at a lower temperature T_P ~ 55K. The transport mechanism above T_C is of Mott`s variable range hopping type. Below T_C the current-voltage characteristics show non-linear behaviour that becomes stronger with decreasing temperature. At low temperatures below T_CA ~ 30K a magnetically frustrated spin canted state is observed. The DLCMO films exhibit resonable low field magnetoresistance and at 77K the magnetoresistance ratio is ~ 5% at 0.6 kOe and \~ 13% at 3 kOe.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figure

Cooling rate dependence of the antiferromagnetic domain structure of a single crystalline charge ordered manganite

The low temperature phase of single crystals of Nd$_{0.5}$Ca$_{0.5}$MnO$_3$ and Gd$_{0.5}$Ca$_{0.5}$MnO$_3$ manganites is investigated by squid magnetometry. Nd$_{0.5}$Ca$_{0.5}$MnO$_3$ undergoes a charge-ordering transition at $T_{CO}$=245K, and a long range CE-type antiferromagnetic state is established at $T_N$=145K. The dc-magnetization shows a cooling rate dependence below $T_N$, associated with a weak spontaneous moment. The associated excess magnetization is related to uncompensated spins in the CE-type antiferromagnetic structure, and to the presence in this state of fully orbital ordered regions separated by orbital domain walls. The observed cooling rate dependence is interpreted to be a consequence of the rearrangement of the orbital domain state induced by the large structural changes occurring upon cooling.Comment: REVTeX4; 7 pages, 4 figures. Revised 2001/12/0

SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION AND ANTIBACTERIAL EVALUATIONS OF NOVEL HYBRID POLYESTERAMIDEURETHANES PREPARED FROM YELLOW OLEANDA SEED OIL

Air drying polyesteramide-urethanes resins were synthesized from Thevetia peruviana seed oil commonly known as Yellow oleanda (a tropical ornamental shrub) having about 68.8% unsaturated and 30.9% saturated fatty acids. The physico- chemical characterization of the optimized unsaturated FAME such as hydroxyl value, iodine value, saponification value, refractive index, inherent viscosity were carried out using standard methods. Through condensation reaction the N,N'- bis(2-hydroxyethyl) Thevetia peruviana (HETA) prepared from the FAME reacted with isophthalic acid to form polyesteramide. The latter undergo urethanation with H1 ' 2MDI. The structural elucidation of the moisture cured polyesteramide-urethane coating was based on FTIR, 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR spectroscopic methods. The coatings films were evaluated for its antihacterial activity and thermal stability properties on TGA and DSC. The SEM of the --uating films was also examined