Vol. 20(11) November 2016
Effect of Octadecyl Amine modified MMT on Thermal
Stability, Visco-elastic Properties and Crystallization Behaviour of Polyamide 6
Nanocomposites
Barman Ghanshyam, Sonawane Shriram S. and Wasewar Kailas L.
PA6 is a widely used engineering polymer but it has limited
application due to low mechanical strength and thermal properties for industrial
use. The aim of this research is to improve these properties of PA6. Octadecylamine
modified MMT clay has improved d-spacing value as 11.19 at 2θ=7.891. The XRD analysis
showed crysrtallinity enhanced by 48.30 % for 7 wt % addition of clay as compared
to virgin PA6 i.e. (53%) in PA6. Moreover, the crystalline property of the PA6/OMMT
nanocomposites was also investigated using DSC, and it was found that the degree
of crystallinity of the PA6/OMMT was much higher than virgin PA6. TGA analysis confirms
improvement in thermal properties by 22% by the addition of 3% OMMT than virgin
PA6. DMA analysis showing improvement in viscoelastic properties as compared to
virgin PA6 were found to be 13, 17, 23 and 26% for 1, 3, 5 and 7 wt % respectively.
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Effect of Physical Parameters on Production of Bioethanol
by Bacillus cereus Strain McR 3
Tiwari Shubhra, Jadhav S. K. and Tiwari K. L.
The objective of the experiment is to study the production
of bioethanol from rice bran from Bacillus cereus strain McR 3. This study was designed
to evaluate the role of some fermentation parameters such as nutrients and metal
ions supplementation which affects the production process. Bioethanol has emerged
as the most suitable renewable alternative to fossil fuel as their quality constituents
match diesel and petrol respectively. In addition, they are less polluting than
their fossil fuel counterparts. To study the effect of different nutrients and metal
ions, it was supplied at different concentration and quantity. The maximum production
was observed with the supplementation of peptone and zinc chloride.
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Morphological responses of Cotton fibres under Water
stress condition studied by SEM
Bonde Shilpa, Chandrasekhar C. N. and Pusadkar Pratik
Water stress is one of the most severe constraints to
crop productivity. Plants display a variety of physiological and morphological responses
both at the cellular and whole organism level upon sensing water stress. The Scanning
Electron Microscope (SEM) is a type of electron microscope that images the sample
surface by scanning it with a high-energy beam of electrons in a raster scan pattern.
The effects on the morphology of fibres were studied by Scanning Electron Microscopy
at 0 DPA and 3 DPA. At 100X to 200X magnification the drought stressed ovule showed
reduced size and remarkable malformation. At 800X to 1000X the epidermal cells clearly
viewed to develop the fibre initials in control condition but in severe stress undefined
structure of epidermal cells was found. At 1600X to 2000X the cells were clearly
visible. Bunny Bt showed the highest fibre diameter in control as well as water
stress compared to Pratima and Anjali.
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An improved Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation
protocol for Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) - An Economical important crop
Khandelwal V., Solanki V.H. and Kansara R.V.
Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is a fiber producing economical
and industrial important crop with other different usage. An improved and efficient
protocol was established for Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated genetic transformation
of G. hirsutum using seeds. Agrobacterium strain LBA 4404 harboring the binary vector
pBIN1F containing neomycin phosphotransferase (nptII) and cry1F (Bacillus thuringiensis
var. aizawai) genes, controlled by promoter CaMV 35S were used for transformation.
Numbers of parameters (Age of seedlings, O.D.600nm of bacterium culture, infection
duration, co-cultivation period, pH of the co-cultivation medium and acetosyringone
concentration) were optimized that influence transformation efficiency. The highest
transformation efficiency was achieved by two days old seeds which were infected
with Agrobacterium culture with OD600 = 0.6 for 20 minutes followed by co-cultivation
for 3 days in a co-cultivation medium containing 100μM acetosyringone at pH 5.8.
Co-cultivated and infected seeds were initially cultured on half strength Murashige
and Skoog (MS) medium for germination by selecting on same medium supplemented with
50 mg L-1 kanamycin. Selected putative transgenic plants were transferred to plastic
cup containing mixture of soil: sand: vermicompost (1:1:1). Further, molecular analysis
was performed by PCR and insect leaf bioassay for confirmation of transgenes presence
in selected putative transgenic plants.
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Characterizing the ultra-trace mercury analysis in
hazardous wastes from coastal beaches
Thomas B.V.
Plastic materials in the coastal waters and in back off
shoreline beaches have been observed on the rise over the recent years. Plastic
wastes in the shoreline beaches categorized by light and heavy density polyethylene
(LDPE and HDPE) materials were found to physically obstruct marine lives as well
chemically suspected to contain mercury (Hg) that may sustain as a long-term pollutant
in the ecosystem. Various methods determining Hg in plastic wastes at low detectable
levels showed matrices instability and Hg loss or accumulation. Precise, repeatable
and reproducible results were obtained with (a) micro-analytical modifications,
(b) digestion of solid samples to liquid state and (c) analysis of samples in the
direct mercury analyzer (DMA-80) with absorption spectrophotometry (0.0015ng detection
limits) over other instruments. Quantification and dispersed wastes collected annually
in beaches not only labeled plastics as hazardous wastes that destroyed the serenity
of beaches but also characterized the additive source of Hg contamination in plastics
that is deleterious to marine lives and humans.
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