016279   Soccol C R;Vandenberghe L P S;Costa B; Woiciechowski A L;Carvalho J C;Medeiros A B P;Francisco A M ;Bonom I J (Bioprocess Engng and Biotechnol Div Dept. of Chem Engng, UFPR Fedl Univ of Parana, PO Box 190011, CEP 81531-970 Curittba-PR, Brazil) : Brazilian biofuel program. J scient ind Res 2005, 64(11), 897-904.

Brazilian National Bio-Fuel Program comprises ProAlcool and Biodiesel; the former was initiated in 1975 to substitute gasoline for sugarcane alcohol in automobile use. ProAlcool passed through intensive changes due to fluctuant social-economic situation and public policies, which are fundamental to definitely install the use of biomass and make it competitive to face traditional fossil fuels. The production of flex fuel cars is bringing great promise for ProAlcool, not only for Brazilian market but also for rest of the world. In parallel, program of vegetable oils - OVEG, conceived in 1983, gave significant contribution to the automotive applications of vegetable oils (biodiesel) in vehicles. The fleet tested ran more thanonc million km at that time. The results demonstrated the technical feasibility of using vegetable oils in diesel engines.

4 illus, 4 tables, 36 ref

016278   Singh I B;Venkatachari G;Singh D R;Singh M; Yegneswaran A H (NO, Regional Res Lab, Bhopal-462 024) : Effect of Cr(VI) - Fe(II) interaction on the corrosion resistances of iron at different pH in dichromate solutions. Indian J chem Technol 2005, 12(6), 635-40.

Effect of Cr(VI)-Fe(II) interaction on the corrosion resistance of iron in dichromate solution has been studied under different experimental conditions. The presence of dissolved oxygen (DO) in the solution decreases Cr(VI) reduction by Fe(II) at pH 4 which became quite noticeable at pH 7. This probably influences corrosion of iron to certain extent. A positive shift of OCP and measurements of a higher charge transfer resistances of iron in dichromate solution of pH 2 and 3 suggest the formation of a protective film on iron. Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDXA) of iron immersed in Cr(VI) solution indicated a greater involvement of chromium in the formation of a protective film at iron surface. On the other hand, the EDXA analysis showed a decrease in chromium concentration in the reaction product film on the immersed iron surfaces m Cr(VI) solution at pH 4 and above. A shift of OCP in the negative direction and the occurrence of lower charge transfer resistance at the above pH as compared to pH 2 and 3 has been attributed to a decrease in the protective properties of the film.

8 illus, 2 tables, 28 ref

016277   Shashi Bhushan;Joshi V K (NO, Inst of Himalyan Bioresource Technol, CSIR, Palampur-176 061) : Baker's yeast production under fed batch culture from apple pomace. J scient ind Res 2006, 65(1), 72-6.

Apple pomace extract (APE) in aerobic variable fed batch culture under standardized fermentation parameters was evaluated for the production of baker's yeast. The substrate was fed at a flow rate of 0.39 dm³ h^-1 to regulate fermentable sugar concentration between 1-2% in bioreactor. An average specific growth rate of 0.24 h^-1 and cellular yield coefficient of 0.48 g/g sugar was obtained during baker's yeast production. Under variable fed batch aerobic baker's yeast fermentation, yield obtained with APE was 90% to that of expected theoretical yield and thus, qualified as an alternative to molasses, the traditional baker's yeast production carbon source. The dough raising capacity of experimentally produced yeast cells revealed no apparent difference from that of commercial sample.

3 illus, 1 table, 39 ref

016276   Sen R;Srivastava S K;Singh M M (NO, Cent Fuel Res Inst, P.O.-F.R.I., Dhanbad-828 108) : Role of instrumental techniques in studies on wet oxidation of coal. Indian J chem Technol 2005, 12(6), 719-26.

Coal being a complex macromolecular solid is insoluble in most organic solvents. For structural studies, coal has to be subjected to chemical degradation to generate smaller fragments, which are more amenable for characterisation. For this, oxidative degradation has commonly used. A large number of wet oxidising agents have been used by researchers. All these oxidising agents have shown different reactivities and mode of attack with respect to coal. However, for structural analysis to the successful the fragments generated by oxidation must be well characterised to generate the maximum information. Review discusses the use of various instrumental techniques used to characterise the oxidation products.

^iia67 ref

016275   Selvakumar N;Narayanasamy R (Dep of Mech Engng, Mepco Schlenk Engng Coll, Virudhunagar-626 005, Email: nselva@mepcoeng.ac.in) : Experimental investigation of strain hardening behaviour of sintered aluminium preforms. Trans Indian Inst Meterol 2005, 58(5), 789-99.

Cold upset-forming, densification and strain hardening behaviour of sintered aluminium preforms were investigated. Cylindrical preforms of four initial theoretical densities 82, 86, 89 and 92 percent with aspect ratio 75, were prepared using a suitable die, a punch and a die bottom insert on a 1. 0 MN capacity hydraulic testing machine. The instantaneous strain hardening exponent n_i, and strength coefficient k_i of the aluminium preforms were calculated and found to have reached the peak value when the deformation or packing density was at low value. Further, it has been observed that the value of n_i and k_i decreased and settled to a constant both of the fractional densities of the preforms tested irrespective of the lubricant.

6 illus, 2 tables, 12 ref

016274   Salunke P;Patel H A;Thakar P N (SMC Coll of Dairy Sci, Anand Agric Univ, Anand Campus, Anand-388 110) : Microbiological quality of Shrikhand sold in Maharashtra state. J Dairying Fd Home Sci 2005, 24(2), 150-2.

Market samples of Shrikhand were collected from twenty popular manufacturers, five from each of the four cities of Maharashtra and analysed for microbiological quality. The standard plate count (SPC) and yeast and mold counts (YMC) of the product ranged from 5.59 to 8.36 and 3.52 to 5.24 log cfu/g and square root transformed values of coliforms ranged from 1.00 to 5.67 cfu/g. Microbiological differences among manufacturers of different cities were too low to be significant. Almost all the samples did not meet the requirements for YMC as laid down under BIS standards.

1 table, 8 ref

016273   Sah D N;Sunil Kumar;Khan K B;Banerjee S (Post Irradiation Examination Div, BARC, Trombay, Mumbai-400 085, Email: dnsah@apsara.barc.ernet.in) : Determination of crystallography texture of zirconium alloy components using XRD patterns. Trans Indian Inst Meterol 2005, 58(5), 835-42.

Preferred orientation in zirconium alloy components, namely pressure tube, fuel cladding tube and calandria tube, which are used in Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR), was determined using 29 XRD scans method. XRD patterns of specimens from three well-defined directions in the tubes e. g., rolling direction (RD), transverse direction (TD) and radial or normal direction (ND) were analysed to get preferred orientation factors ƒ_r, ƒ_t and ƒ_n which represent the fraction of grains with their basal poles oriented in rolling direction, transverse direction and normal (radial) direction of the tube respectively. Results showed strong radial basal pole texture in the cladding tubes. The values of preferred orientation factors ƒ_r, ƒ_t and ƒ_n for PHWR cladding tube were found to be 0.11, 0.24 and 0.67 respectively. The samples of Zr-2.5% Nb pressure tube were analysed at three laboratories. The results obtained at the three laboratories were comparable. The mean values of preferred orientation factors ƒ_r, ƒ_t and ƒ_n for Zr-2.5%Nb pressure tube were found to be 0.06, 0.51 and 0.41 respectively. The values of ƒ_r, ƒ_t and ƒ_n for zircaloy-2 calandria tube were found to be 0.17, 0.29 and 0.57 respectively.

7 illus, 2 tables, 9 ref

016272   Puhan S;Vedaraman N;Rambrahamam B V;Nagarajan G (Chem Engng Div, Cent Leath Res Inst, Chennai, Email: nvedaraman@yahoo.co.in) : Mahua (Madhuca indica) seed oil: a source of renewable energy in India. J scient ind Res 2005, 64(11), 890-6.

Mahua oil methyl, ethyl and butyl esters were prepared and studied in a four stroke, direct injection diesel engine for their performance and emissions. The engine test results showed high thermal efficiency in case of methyl ester compared to all other esters and diesel fuel. Different emissions such us carbon monoxide (CO), oxides of nitrogen (NO_x), hydrocarbons (HC) is low for alkyl esters compared to diesel. Among alkyl esters except NO, all tail pipe emissions are lower in case of methyl ester compared to other esters. The ethyl ester shows lower NO₄ emission compared to other esters. Based on this study, mahua oil methyl ester performs well compared to other esters on the basis of performance and emissions.

7 illus, 18 ref

016271   Prasad N E;Dakshinamurthy K;Kamat S V; Vijaykumar M (Def Metall Res Lab, , PO Kanchanbaeh, Hyderabad-500 058, Email: nep@dmrl.ernet.in) : Flexural behaviour of 2D silica -silica continuous fibre reinforced ceramic-matrix composites. Trans Indian Inst Meterol 2005, 58(5), 883-95.

Advanced materials, such as continuous fiber-reinforced ceramic-matrix composites offer significant enhancements in a variety of properties, as compared to their bulk, monolithic counterparts. These properties include primarily the flexural and compressive strength and fracture toughness/energy. However, till date, there are hardly any scientific studies that are reported in case of the silica based fiber reinforced advanced ceramic composites, which bring out the effects of various experimental conditions on these properties. Some of these experimental conditions become very important as they simulate nearly the service conditions of components that are made from these materials. In the study, the effects of various test conditions on the flexural strength of 2D woven silica continuous fiber-reinforced, (silica) ceramic-matrix composite (CFCC) materials have been comprehensively evaluated and reported. These conditions include the span length (effectively the specimen dimensions), strain rate, test temperature, high temperature exposure and finally the thermal shock. The results obtained are discussed and rationalized in terms of the material characteristics and the mode of failure. The study reveals that the material exhibits a well defined critical span length (L_C), beyond which the mode of failure is tensile (fully bend or flexural loading) and also the fact that L_C depends on the strain rate and test temperature.

7 illus, 6 tables, 34 ref

016270   Poongothai N;Rajendran P;Natesan M; Palaniswamy N (NO, Govt Coll of Technol, Coimbatore-641 013) : Wood bark oils as vapour phase corrosion inhibitors for metals in NaCl and SO₂ environments. Indian J chem Technol 2005, 12(6), 641-7.

Wood bark oils of Cassia siamea-gonrai (CS), Cassia auriculata (CA), Crataeva religiosa (CR) and Strychnos nuxvomica (SNV) were extracted from the dry bark. These highly volatile oils are used as a vapour phase corrosion inhibitors (VPI) for mild steel and copper in sodium chloride and sulphur dioxide environments. The inhibition efficiency of these wood bark oils has been examined by using weight loss, potentiodynamic polarization and A. C. impedance spectroscopic methods. It has been found that the inhibition capability of these oils increases with increase in concentration from 0.4 to 4%. The results indicate that the bark oils have significant inhibilive effect. This is due to adsorption of inhibitor molecule on the metal surface. At higher concentration (8%) of the inhibitor, there is decrease in inhibition efficiency. It may be due to the formation of soluble metal-inhihilor complex in the salt environments. It has also been found that 4% concentration of these inhibitors offered, above 90% inhibition efficiency for both mild steel and copper.

6 illus, 6 tables, 23 ref

016269   Parthan B;Sathish Kumar (NO, , ) : Prospects for renewable energy projects under CDM. Energy Fuel Users J 2004, 54(3), 7-11.

Clean Develoment Mechanism is one of the so-called flexible mechanisms of the Kyoto Protocol. These mechanisms are designed to make it easier and cheaper for industrialized countries to meet the Green House Gas (GHG) emission reduction targets agreed to under the protocol. Article analyse the prospects for renewable energy projects under CDM. The CDM will also enable developing countries to attract investments in clean energy technology and assist them on a sustainable development path.

4 illus, 7 ref

016268   Park E S;Kim J H;Kim D H (Dept. of Metall Eng., Cent for Noncrystalline Mater, Vonsei University, 134 Shinchon-dong, Seodaemun-ku, Seoul 120-749 Korea, Email: dohkim@yonsei.ac.kr) : Glass forming ability and critical cooling rate for glass formation in bulk glass forming Ca-Mg-Zn alloys. Trans Indian Inst Meterol 2005, 58(4), 739-43.

New Ca-Mg-Zn alloy having significantly improved glass forming ability (GFA) has been developed. The ternary Ca₆₅ Mg₁₅ Zn₂₀ bulk metallic glass (BMG) with diameter of at least 15 mm is successfully fabricated by conventional copper mold casting method in air atmosphere. The measured critical cooling rate (R_c) for glass formation in the cone-shaped copper mold is less than 20K/S. The R_c has been calculated from an integrated transformation curve constructed by combining continuous cooling transformation (CCT) and continuous heating transformation (CHT) curves. The calculated R_c is in good agreement with the measured value.

3 illus, 11 ref

016267   Naveen Kumar;Sharma P R (NO, Delhi Coll of Engng, Bawana Road, Delhi-110 042, Email: naveenkumardce@rediffmail.com) : Jatropha curcus- a sustainable source for production of biodiesel. J scient ind Res 2005, 64(11), 883-9.

Non-edible oils like Jatropha, Pongamia, Argemone, Mahua, Castor, Sal etc., can be used for the production of bio-diesel. Jatropha curcus has enormous potential for biodiesel production in India. J curcus is a multipurpose plant with many attributes and considerable potential. It is a tropical plant that can be grown in low to high rainfall areas and can be used to reclaim land, as a hedge and/or as a commercial crop. Thus, growing it could provide employment, improve the environment and enhance the quality of rural life.

3 illus, 6 tables, 21 ref

016266   Murty B S;Hono K (Dept. of Metall. & Mater. Engg., Indian Inst of Technol Madras, Chennai, Email: murty@iitm.ac.in) : Al- Mg- and Fe-based nanocomposites by rapid solidification processing. Trans Indian Inst Meterol 2005, 58(4), 769-75.

Nanocomposites are new generation composites with ultrafine grained matrix and nanodispersions of reinforcement material. A variety of matrix materials in terms of their chemical nature (such as Al and Mg based) and structure (crystalline, quasicrystalline and amorphous matrices) and different reinforcements such as oxides, crystalline and quasicrystalline intermetallics are being considered worldwide. Deals with the development of Al- Mg- and Fe based nanocomposites by the Rapid solidification processing route. Al-Fe-V, Al-Ti-Cr, Mg-Cu-Y and Fe-Cu-B-Zr system are chosen for the work. A number of compositions have been made using arc melting of pure metals. These alloys were rapidly solidified using melt spinning at different wheel velocities in the range of 10-50 m/s. In all the cases, a variety of nanocomposite microstructures have been obtained depending on the composition and cooling rate during melt spinning. The microstructure of the melt spun nanocomposites has been analyzed using XRD and TEM. The microhardness of the nanocomposite ribbons have been studied and correlated to the microstructure of the alloys.

11 illus, 15 ref

016265   Mukhopadhyay N K;Subramanya Sarma V;Sankaran S (Dep of Metall Engng, Inst of Technol Banaras Hindu Univ, Varanasi-221 005, Email: vsarma@iitm.ac.in) : Analysis of the microindentation data obtained from a thermomechanically processed multiphase micro alloyed steel. Trans Indian Inst Meterol 2005, 58(5), 809-18.

Indentation experiments using Vickers micro- and macrohardness tester at various loads ranging from 50 mN to 98 N were performed on a multiphase (ferrite-bainite-martensite) microalloyed steel. The hardness response could be classified into three stages. At loads higher than 10 N a load independent hardness (4.74 GPa) was obtained. In the load range of 10 N to 1 N an indentation size effect (ISE) i.e., an increase in the hardness with the decrease in the load was observed, whereas, in the load range of 1 N to 50 mN a reverse ISE i.e., a decrease in the hardness with the decrease in load was observed. The experimental data were analysed using the energy balance and strain gradient plasticity (SGP) models. The energy balance model was able to predict the load independent hardness as well as both the ISE and the reverse ISE. On the other hand, the SGP model could predict only the ISE but not the reverse ISE. A modified SGP model was proposed to explain the ISE and reverse ISE. The hardness calculated based on the proposed model compares well with the experimental data. The mathematical equivalence between the modified SGP and the energy balance models has been established.

7 illus, 3 tables, 32 ref

016264   Mahendra Kumar;Bhalla A K (NO, Def Metall Res Lab, Kanchanbagh (P.O.) Hyderabad-500 058, Email: m_kumar46@yahoo.co.in) : Metal forming with explosives. Trans Indian Inst Meterol 2005, 58(5), 819-26.

Describes the development work on explosive forming of sheet metals. Various shapes such as cones with an apex angle of 48°, domes, hemispheres etc., were successfully formed in different materials like iron, stainless steel, copper, titanium, aluminium and nimonic 75 alloy. Scaling laws were applied for forming the shapes of size larger than 300 mm in diameter. Metallic dies were fabricated from reusable low melting kirksite alloy for shapes less than 200 mm diameter while concrete/epoxy coated dies were used for larger shapes in order to make the process economically attractive for producing even a few components of large size. Microstructural studies of the samples from the above components showed that metals with fcc structure work harden more readily than the bcc ones. The study has further confirmed that the deformation mechanisms such as slip, twinning and grain distortion operative in explosive forming are akin to that encountered in conventional metal forming. Apart from the processing aspects, the potential advantages of explosive forming have also been briefly highlighted in this paper.

15 illus, 2 tables, 11 ref

016263   Magnusson L;Fredriksson H (NO, KTH Casting of Metals, 10044 Stockholm, Sweden, Email: lenam@adrnin.kth.sel) : Inoculation of Al alloys with Ti. Trans Indian Inst Meterol 2005, 58(4), 553-6.

Solubility of Ti in the liquid in equilibrium with Al₃Ti is discussed. From this discussion, it is suggested that Al₃Ti is the phase nucleating Al. The proposal is based on evaluation of enthalpy and entropy of formation of Al₃Ti of experiments reported in literature. The heat of formation was found to be dependent on the processing. The variation of solubility is an effect of lattice defects in Al₃Ti. The effect of B on inoculation is discussed. TiB₂ acts as an inoculant of Al₃Ti and Al is nucleated on Al₃Ti.

4 illus, 1 table, 28 ref

016262   Kishore R;Singh R N;De P K;Santosh Kumar D; Raghu Shant J (Mater Sci Div, Bhabha Atom Res Cent, Mumbai-400 083, Email: kishorer@magnum. barc.ernet.in) : Foaming of commercial purity aluminium using zirconium hydride. Trans Indian Inst Meterol 2005, 58(5), 851-60.

Foaming in commercial purity aluminum was obtained by two techniques using different concentrations of the foaming agent zirconium hydride. The densification of the mixed powders of aluminum and zirconium hydride was obtained by (i) compacting in uniaxial press and (ii) by the powders rolling in sealed aluminum cans. The foaming was obtained by heating the pressed compacts in a furnace under argon flow and the roll under oxygen-butane flame in air. The compacts obtained using uni-axial press did not give good products while the rolled sheets showed good foaming behavior. The foamed parts (from rolled sheets) were characterized by measuring the pore size, distribution, bulk density and compression tests. The pore size increases, bulk density and compression strength decrease with increase in the concentration of the hydride powder.

9 illus, 2 tables, 32 ref

016261   Khatana A A (NO, , ) : Energy security through renewable energy and energy efficiency. Energy Fuel Users J 2004, 54(3), 1-6.

Energy policy package that will cover all sources of energy and will address all aspects like energy security, access and availability, affordability and pricing, efficiency and environment is needed. Energy security is addressing the total energy demand of a locality and search for solution that provide required energy based on local resources with energy production and distribution to be managed by local communities. Biomass is best suited to provide energy access and security in a sustainable and environment friendly manner. Other fully commercial renewable energy resources such as hydro and wind can supplement it wherever possible.

016260   Kalam M A;Masjuki H H (Dep of Mech Engng, Univ of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia, Email: kalam@um.edu.my) : Recent developments on biodiesel in Malaysia. J scient ind Res 2005, 64(11), 920-7.

Recent developments on biodiesel production form palm oil, its properties and engine test results to evaluate its performance on diesel engine have been presented. The potential of palm diesel to be commercially used depends on its price comparison with diesel fuel and its status of reservation. Increasing cost and pollution effects of fossil diesel fuel can be resolved through producing vegetable oil based fuels such as palm diesel. The paper discusses Malaysian palm diesel as well as global biodiesel status, standardization of biodiesel and their commercial price consideration and various engine test results on aspects of brake power, combustion, emissions, engine wear and lubrication performance.

14 illus, 5 tables, 22 ref

016259   Kalaikannan A;Anjaneyulu A S R;Santhi D (Div of Livestock Products and Technol, Indian Vet Res Inst, Izatnagar-243 122) : Effect of dried eggs on the quality of chicken patties from spent hen meat and byproducts. Indian J Poult Sci 2005, 40(3), 249-54.

To find the optimum level of incorporation of dried albumen (DA), dried yolk (DY) or whole egg powder (WEP) in the chicken patties made from broiler spent hen meat and edible byproducts (skin, heart and gizzard), each dehydrated egg product was added separately at three levels (1%, 2% and 3%) to the basic patties formulation. DA significantly enhanced the emulsion stability (ES), product yield and reduced the product shrinkage with highest positive effect on the sensory scores for flavour, juiciness and texture at 1% level of incorporation. Hence, it was found to be optimum. DY markedly improved the ES, product yield and sensory scores at 1% level of incorporation. But at 2 and 3% level of incorporation, it had a significant adverse effect on ES, product yield, product shrinkage and sensory scores. Hence, the addition of DY at 1% level was found to be optimum. Although addition of WEP upto 2% appeared to have positive effect on ES, product yield or shear force value but organoleptically, 1% level of incorporation was found to be optimum.

4 tables, 20 ref

016258   Ju Y;Vali S R (Dep of Chem Engng, Natn Taiwan Univ of Sci and Technol, 43 Sec 4, Keelung Road, Taipei 106-07, Email: ju@mail.ntust.edu.tw) : Rice bran oil as a potential resource for biodiesel. J scient ind Res 2005, 64(11), 866-82.

Biodiesel (BD) is receiving increased attention as an alternative, non-toxic, biodegradable, and renewable diesel fuel. Exploring new energy resources, such as BD fuel, is of growing importance in recent years. The main concern with BD fuel is its high price. One of the future aims in BD research is on the selection of inexpensive feedstock with high value-added byproducts. Rice bran is a by-product of rice milling that contains 15-23% lipids and a significant amount of nutraceutical compounds. Due to the presence of active lipase in the bran and the lack of economical stabilization methods, most bran is used as livestock feed or boiler fuel and most rice bran oil (RBO) produced is not of edible grade. Thus RBO is relatively an inexpensive raw material for the production of BD. The utilization of by-product such as defatted rice bran for the production of proteins, carbohydrates, phytochemical, and the isolation and purification of value added nutraceutical generated during BD production from RBO are attractive options to lower the cost of BD. Production of DD from RBO can be carried out either via in situ esterification, lipase-catalyzed esterification, acid-catalyzed or base-catalyzed reactions. A single step reaction for the conversion of RBO with high free fatty acid content into BD, via acid-catalyzed, base-catalyzed or lipase-catalyzed, fails to attain high conversion in reasonably short time. Pretreatment of crude RBO such as dewaxing/degumming is a crucial step because of its efficient methanolysis. The fatty acid composition of dewaxed/degummed RBO is similar to that of other vegetable oils, which are used as BD feedstock. Various byproducts generated from the rice bran during the production of BD and their applications are also addressed.

^iia6 illus, 4 tables, 158 ref

016257   Jorjani E (Min Engng Dep Res and Sci campus, Azad Univ, Poonak, Hesarak, Tehran, Iran, Email: esjorjani@yahoo.com) : Biological removal of sulfur from coal flotation concentrate by culture isolated from coal washery plant tailing dump. Trans Indian Inst Meterol 2005, 58(5), 843-9.

Combination of flotation and microbial leaching processes was used to achieve acceptable level of sulfur and ash in Tabas coal sample of Iran. Representative sample of the minus 500 micron size fraction was subjected to flotation separation for the removal of ash and sulfur. The final concentrate with recovery, combustion value and sulfur content of 86.03, 86.45 and 1.35% respectively were achieved at pH: 8 and following reagent dosage and operating conditions: collector: diesel oil (1200 g/ton), frother: MIBC (5%) + pine oil (95%) with concentration of 120 (g/ton), depressant: sodium silicate (1000 g/ton), particle size: <60> 500 μ m and pulp density: 7%. Because of fine distribution of sulfur on Tabas coal macerals and lithotypes, high percentage of total sulfur (79.9%) is distributed in flotation concentrate and only 20.1% is yielded in the tails. So microbial leaching using a species isolated from coal washery plant tailing dump was used in batch system to remove sulfur from flotation concentrate. The conditions were opimized for the maximum removal of sulfur. These conditions were found to be pH of 2, particle size less than 0.18 mm, pulp density; 8%, temperature; 30 °C shaking rate: 150 rpm conditions. Total sulfur and ash content was reduced by bioleaching from 13.55 and 1.35 in flotation concentrate to 9.47 and 0.55 in the final leached concentrate, a reduction of 35 and 61.9% respectively. Sterilization of coal adversely affects the sulfur reduction. The results suggest that the isolated culture is sufficiently effective for depyritization of Tabas coal flotation concentrate in stirred system.

5 illus, 2 tables, 35 ref

016256   His S (Economic Stud Div, French Inst of Petrol (IFP), 1&4 Avenue de Bois-Preau, F-92 852 Rulil-Malmaison cedes, France, Email: stephane.his@ifp.fr) : Biofuels in Europe. J scient ind Res 2005, 64(11), 931-5.

Biofuels have been under industrial development for over 20 years. Still handicapped by high costs, their future once again looks promising because they might be able to help reduce oil consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in the transport sector. This is especially true in Europe, where recently approved directives contain ambitious production volume targets encouraging member states to develop biofuels.

3 tables, 5 ref

016255   Hanna M A;Isom L;Campbell J (NO, Univ of Nebraska Indusirial Agric Products Cent, 209 LW Cliase Hall, Lincoln, NE 68583-0730, Email: mhanna1@unl.edu) : Biodiesel: current perspectives and future. J scient ind Res 2005, 64(11), 854-7.

Biodiesel, a fuel comprised of mono-alkyl esters of long chain fatty acids derived from vegetable oils or animal fat (or mixtures thereof), is produced by transesterification with glycerol being produced as a co-product. Worldwide, 1 billion ton of diesel fuel are consumed annually. The total feedstocks available for biodiesel production are 115 million tons. This represents less than 12% of diesel fuel use. The opportunities for the future for biodiesel include improvements in the conversion technology, which appears promising, and expanding the amount of available feedstock through various plans to increase oil yields or oilseed production.

11 ref

016254   Hainke M;Steinbach S;Ratke L;Muller G (NO, Fraunhofer Inst IISB Crystal Growth Lab, Erlangen Germany, Email: marc.hainke@iisb.fraunhofer.de) : Effect of forced fluid flow on microstructure in directionally solidified Al-Si base alloys. Trans Indian Inst Meterol 2005, 58(4), 639-44.

Solidification microstructure is the consequence of a wide range of process parameters, like the growth velocity, the temperature gradient and the composition. The application of time dependent magnetic fields during directional solidification offers the possibility to create defined flow conditions in solidification processing. Reports about solidification experiments with rotating magnetic fields (RMF). The effect of the forced melt flow on microstructural parameters like the primary and secondary dendrite arm spacing is analyzed for a wide range of magnetic field parameters. The experimental analysis is supported by a rigorous application of numerical modeling.

5 illus, 15 ref

016253   Haider S;Mazumdar D (Dep of Mater and Metall Engng, Indian Inst of Technol, Kanpur-208 016, Email: dipak@iitk.ac.in@igcar.ernet.in) : Modelling of time <126> temperature evolution during heating of steel ingots and slab. Trans Indian Inst Meterol 2005, 58(5), 873-82.

Embodying the commercial software package. Fluent®, a computational procedure has been developed to mathematically model heating of steel ingot and slab in a furnace. Parallel to this, experiments were also carried out in a laboratory scale set-up wherein, temperature of both the furnace and the solid was monitored as a function of time through two independent thermocouples. In general, reasonable agreement between experimental measurement and numerical predictions was observed. Extensive numerical calculations also were carried out to assess the sensitivity of predicted results to various model parameters and it was shown that time step size (Δt), emissivity (ε) as well as the ambient temperature are critical and influence the accuracy of the predicted results significantly. The mathematical model was extrapolated to deduce "complete thermal homogenisation period" of industrial scale ingots in a reheating furnace. It was found that steel ingots, initially at room temperature, and weighing typically 4 to 5 tons require almost 5 to 6 hrs. of heating time to become practically thermally homogeneous.

9 illus, 1 table, 11 ref

016252   Gupta R K;Panda R;Ghosh B R;Sinha P R (Mech Engng Entity, Vikram Sarabhai Space Cent, Trivandrum-22, Email: rohitkumar_gupta@vssc.org) : Impurities in aluminium alloys -challenges for aerospace quality. Trans Indian Inst Meterol 2005, 58(5), 931-7.

Quality of cast billets of aluminium alloys essentially dictates their behaviour during further downstream processing for fabrication of hardwares and their performance in service. The stringent design criteria demanded by launch vehicle applications cannot be met without controlling various detrimental factors of material, like presence of impurities and trace elements including alkali metals, non metallic inclusions, gas contents etc. during melting stage itself. A general review of the effects of these harmful elements and their control are presented.

3 illus, 4 tables, 20 ref

016251   Gnansounou E;Dauriat A (Lab of Energy Systems (LASEN) ICARE-ENAC, , Swiss Federal Institute of Technology of Lausanne (EPFL), Email: edgard.gnansounou@epfl.ch) : Ethanol fuel from biomass. J scient ind Res 2005, 64(11), 809-21.

A general review of biomass-to-ethanol analysis of conversion pathways from technical, economic and environmental points of view, and estimation of production cost in the Indian context have been presented. Due to learning curve and other economic reasons, Brazil and the United States are found to be more competitive worldwide and will maintain their comparative advantage in the next decade. However, the fast growth of the world demand of bio-ethanol fuel as well as the perspectives of the oil market may notably influence the international market price of bio-ethanol fuel and give windows for a wide scale production in other regions such as Europe and Asia. As one of the major producers and consumers of sugars and the second populous country, India gives a high priority to food production. However, Indian production of bio-ethanol can be envisaged successfully and preliminary analyses exhibit a promising avenue. In long term, lignocellulose-to-ethanol is the most viable pathway from environmental point of view. However, its production cost must be reduced for giving this process a chance to drive forward the strategy of biomass-to-ethanol worldwide.

^iia5 illus, 4 tables, 29 ref

016250   Galbe M;Liden G;Zacchi G (Chem Engng, Lund Univ, P O Box 124, S-221 00 Lund, Sweden, Email: Guido.Zacchi@chemeng.ltn.se) : Production of ethanol from biomass-research in Sweden. J scient ind Res 2005, 64(11), 905-19.

Ethanol produced from various lignocellulosic materials such as wood, agricultural and forest residues has the potential to be a valuable substitute for, or complement to, gasoline. Research activities in Sweden on development of the technology for ethanol production from lignocellulosics have been reviewed. The paper focuses on hemicellulose and cellulose hydrolysis and fermentation as well as on process integration and tech no-economic evaluation of the overall process.

^iia9 illus, 4 tables, 70 ref

016249   Fuxiao Y;Yinfeng L;Jianzhong C (Key Lab of Electromagnetic Processing of Mater (Ministry of Education), Northeastern Univ, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110004, People's Republic of China, Email: fxyu@mail.neu.edu.cn) : Banded structure in the semi-continuously DC cast Al-15Si alloy. Trans Indian Inst Meterol 2005, 58(4), 591-6.

Various microstructures can be observed in the hypereutectic Al-Si alloys solidified under different conditions. Authors has reported newly observed banded structure in a semi-continuously DC cast Al-lSSi alloy billet of diameter of 103 mm. The "bands" are in fact a set of paraboloids of revolution consisting of large Al dendrites plus eutectics among them with very fine Si particles about 1 μm in size. In between the bands the microstructure is dominated by eutectics similar to the above ones. It seems that it is possible to produce high quality hypereutectic Al-Si alloys in a simple and economic way.

illus, tables, ref

016248   Feroj S;King P;Prasad V S R K (Dep of Chem Engg, RVR & JC Coll of Engg, Guntur, AP-522 019) : Treatment of metallic effluents using coconut shell coke. J envir Sci Engng 2005, 47(2), 109-14.

Effect of various parameters on the removal of metal ions (Zinc and Cadmium) by adsorption using coconut shell coke is investigated. The time of contact, initial metal ion concentration, adsorbent dosage, volume of the adsorbate solution, size of the adsorbent particle and the effect of the presence of another metal at various concentrations are the parameters studied. The adsorption isotherms so obtained in the study followed the Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms showing a marginal average deviation.

8 illus, 1 table, 10 ref

016247   Dutta S K (Metall Engng Dep Fac of Tech. & Engg., M. S. Univ of Baroda, Kalabhavan, Vadodara-390 001, Email: skdmet@yahoo.com) : Kinetics and mechanism of iron ore coal composite pellets reduction. Trans Indian Inst Meterol 2005, 58(5), 801-8.

During non-isothermal reduction of composite pellets, it is found that degree of reduction varies from 46 to 99 pct, depending upon pellets composition and heating rate. It is also observed that devolatilization of coal generates reducing gases (such as H₂, CO etc). A significant quantity (approximately 10 to 20 pct of pellet weight) of extraneous H₂O and CO₂ are retained by oven-dried pellets as chemically combined or strongly adsorbed species. These gases, liberate during heating to high temperature, react with carbon and hydrocarbon to generate additional quantities of CO and H2. The paper analyses the non-isothermal kinetics data and discusses the mechanism of iron ore-coal composite pellets reduction. Activation energy values obtained for final stage reduction, vary from 183 to 268 KJ/mol. Hence, it can be concluded that the overall rate of reduction of composite pellets is controlled by the rate of gasification reactions.

2 illus, 3 tables, 18 ref

016246   Dong C;Wang Y;Qiang J (St Key Lab of Mater Modification and Dep of Mater Engng, Dalian Univ of Technol, Dalian 116024, China, Email: dong@dlut.edu.cn) : Icosahedral clusters and composition rules for Zr-based bulk metallic glasses. Trans Indian Inst Meterol 2005, 58(4), 731-8.

Describes the formation rules of Zr-based bulk metallic glasses, originally developed for 'quasicrystals, by combining cluster structures with phase diagram features. Introduces the e/a-constant. and e/a-variant criteria for ternary systems, and e/a-constant and atomic size constant criteria for quaternary systems. Shows how the glass forming composition optimization is realized by applying these rules in the Zr-Al-Ni and Zr-Al-Ni-Cu systems. In both systems the optimized glass-forming composition is related to a common binary icosahedral cluster Zr₉Ni₄ derived from the fee Zr₂Ni phase.

2 illus, 4 tables, 27 ref

016245   Dey S;Pathak P N (Miner Processing Div, Natn Metall Lab, Jamshedpur-831 007, Email: sdey_2@yahoo.com) : Comparative studies of amenability to processing of graphite from different sources. Trans Indian Inst Meterol 2005, 58(5), 905-10.

Beneficiation aspects of Graphite samples from two different geographical regions viz. Bishrampur, Gaura, Murma mines belonging to Palamau district of Jharkhand state and Phulbani mines in Sambalpur district of Orissa were studied. Graphite from Palamau district are found to be flaky and of low grade with assay ranging between 9.3-13.0% fixed carbon but that of Orissa are of high grade, with 48.2% fixed carbon. The mineralogical study reveals that texture of Palamau district graphite is different from that of the Phulbani mines. Silica is the main impurity in Bishrampur, Gaura, Murma mines besides iron oxide and little of mica, whereas the Phulbani mines contains high mica and siliceous gangue. A flowsheet was developed to these graphite deposits.

6 illus, 3 tables, 3 ref

016244   Demirbas A (Dep of Chem Engng, Selcuk Univ, Campus, Konya, Turkey, Email: ayhandemirbas@hotmail.com) : Biodiesel production from vegetable oils by supercritical methanol. J scient ind Res 2005, 64(11), 858-65.

Transesterification of vegetable oils in supercritical methanol are carried out without using any catalyst. Methyl esters of vegetable oils or biodiesels have several outstanding advantages among other new-renewable and clean engine fuel alternatives and one be used in any diesel engine without modification. The most important variables affecting the methyl ester yield during the transesterification reaction are molar ratio of alcohol to vegetable oil and reaction temperature. Compared to no. 2 Diesel fuel, all vegetable oils are more viscous, while the methyl esters of vegetable oils are slightly more viscous. Biodiesel has become more attractive because of its environmental benefits. The cost of biodiesel, however, is the main obstacle to commercialization. With cooking oils as raw material, viability of a continuous transesterification process and recovery of high quality glycerol as a biodiesel by-product are primary options to be considered to lower the cost of biodiesel. Supercritical methanol has a high potential for both transesterification of triglycerides and methyl estcrification of free fatty acids to methyl esters for diesel fuel substitute. In supercritical methanol transesterfication method, yield of conversion rises 95% in 10 min. Viscosity of vegetable oils (27.2-53.6 mm²/s) get reduced in vegetable oil methyl esters (3.59-4.63 mm²/s). The flash point values of vegetable oil methyl esters are highly lower than those of vegetable oils. An increase in density from 860 to 885 kg/m³ for vegetable oil methyl esters increases the viscosity from 3.59 to 4.63 mm²/s.

5 illus, 2 tables, 30 ref

016243   Bungay H R (HP Isermann Dep of Chem and Biol Engng, Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst Troy, NY 12180-3590, USA, Email: bungah@rpi.edu) : Biomass energy priority for developing nations. J scient ind Res 2005, 64(11), 928-30.

All countries have unused biomass resources. Some are wastes with costs for disposal, but others are cultivated and collected. Because arable lands arc not abundant and vary greatly in fertility, access to water, harvesting cost, and transportation costs, the decisions about what biomass to collect and how to use it must be wise. It is naive to view biomass as the panacea for the coming energy crisis because there is not enough in practical locations and the costs involved in retrieving and refining it will he relatively high. Major thrusts for commercialization of biomass refining are imminent, and fuel elhanol, despite its enormous potential, may not he the most profitable product. Comparison of some developing countries shows wide differences in their problems and potential solutions.

4 tables, 5 ref

016242   Bhattacharjee S;Datta S;Bhattacharjee C (Dep of Chem Engng, Jadavpur Univ, Kolkata-700 032) : Performance study on improvement of wastewater characteristics of kraft black liquor from pu|p and paper industries using hybrid treatment methodology. Indian J envir Prot 2005, 25(9), 774-83.

Kraft black liquor (KBL), the wastewater generated from digester house of pulp and paper industry using sodium hydroxide and sodium sulphide during chemical pulping, cause severe damage to terrestrial ecosytem. KBL contains resins, fatty acids, colour, BOD, COD, AOX, and VOC's. In this work, the treatability of KBL has been studied using primary or physicochemical treatment processes, biological treatment processes and tertiary treatment processes using adsorption by powdered activated carbon. In primary treatment, coagulation, flocculation and sedimentation were carried out for the removal of suspended solids, colloidal particles, floating matters and colour. Various coagulants used were alum, ferric chloride and polyelectrolyte, while lime was added for pH adjustment in each case prior to addition of coagulants. The optimum dosages were found for alum and ferric chloride solutions on the basis of the %-reduction in BOD, COD, suspended solids, turbidity of the supernatant formed in each case. Performance of biological treatment in terms of improvement of wastewater quality was evaluated using aeration time, bacterial culture dosages as variables. In the tertiary treatment process, the dosages of activated carbon were varied and the resulting supernatant was analyzed for BOD, COD, TDS and turbidity. This proposed process scheme was found to be highly efficient in reducing the BOD and COD values by 99.13% and 98.3%, respectively.

6 illus, 4 tables, 25 ref

016241   Bhargava A K;Tiwari A N (Dep of Metall Engng, Malaviya Natn Inst of Technol, Jaipur-302 017, Email: ant@met.iitb.ac.in) : Wear resistance of RS-D2 steel reinforced aluminium composites. Trans Indian Inst Meterol 2005, 58(5), 827-33.

Rapidly solidified (RS) D2 steel particle reinforced aluminium matrix composites have been fabricated using powder metallurgy technique involving sintering and hot pressing. Density of the composites has been found to be almost 100% that of the theoretical value. The composite containing even 0.9 vol% particles could exhibit a hardness of 116 BHN as against 40 BHN of aluminium matrix. EDX analysis and microhardness measurements indicate the presence of (Fe, Cr)2Al5 at the particle-matrix interface. The effect of RS-D2 particles on the wear resistance of aluminium against 600 grit bonded SiC countersurface has been studied using Pin-on-Disc type wear set up. The wear resistance of the composites has been found to increase remarkably with the concentration of RS-D2 particles. The abrasive wear resistance (Ω) shows a positive deviation from the rule of mixture. A five fold improvement in Ω with respect to aluminium matrix has been achieved by incorporating only 2.8 vol % of RS-D2 reinforcement.

7 illus, 1 table, 25 ref

016240   Appa Rao B V;Srinivasa Rao S;Sarath Babu M (NO, Natn Inst of Technol Deemed Univ, Warangal-506 004, Email: bva@nitw.ernet.in) : Synergistic effect of NTMP, Zn<. Indian J chem Technol 2005, 12(6), 629-34.

Nitrilotirs (methylenephosphonic acid) (NTMP) inhibits corrosion of carbon steel in presence of Zn²⁺. However, in order to make the inhibitor more environment friendly, it is necessary to reduce the levels of Zn²⁺ or phosphonate or both by introducing an environment friendly organic salt as a second synergist. In the paper, the inhibitive action of ascorbate as a second synergist in the presence of relatively low concentrations of NTMP and Zn²⁺, has been presented. Addition of just 25 ppm of ascorbate to 20 ppm each of NTMP and Zn²⁺, at pH=7, increased the inhibition efficiency markedly from 35 to 95%. In the pH range of 6-4, the concentration of ascorbate required to bring up the inhibition efficiency to 94%, is only 10 ppm. However, the alkaline region demanded relatively higher concentration of ascorbare. This ternary system is quite effective in a wide pH range, 4-10. This is the uniqueness of this new synergistic formulation. Potentiostatic polarization studies indicated that this synergistic formulation acts as a mixed inhibitor, predominantly cathodic in nature. A large increase in charge transfer resistance and also a decrease in double layer capacitance of the surface film, were observed from a.c. impedance studies. X-ray photoelectron spectrum of the surface film indicated the presence of the elements, viz., P, O, N, C, Zn and Fe in the film. The shifts in binding energies of these elements indicated the presence of oxides and hydroxides of iron and zinc as well as complexes of Fe(III) and Zn(II) with phosphonate and ascorbate. The reflection absorption FTIR spectrum of the surface film also supported the formation of insoluble complexes of phosphonate and ascorbate with metal ions as well as presence of Zn(OH)₂ on the metal surface. A suitable mechanism of corrosion inhibition has been proposed, which corroborates all the above experimental results.

7 illus, 2 tables, 27 ref

015259   Swaminathan B;Goswami M (NO, The Fertil Ass of India 10, Shaheed Jit Singh Marg, New Delhi-110 067, Email: tech@faidelhi.org) : Water conservation in Indian fertiliser industry. Indian J Fertil 2005, 1(9), 11-15.

Importance of water can never be overemphasised since water resource is limited and needs to be protected from environmental consequences. Fertiliser industry is water intensive and has been increasingly experiencing scarcity of water since mid-eighties which affected its production performance adversely. As a consequence continuous efforts were made to conserve water and promote its efficient use. A significant reduction in water consumption was achieved through identification of areas where use of water can be reduced or eliminated, incorporation of modifications to reduce raw water consumption, tapping water from other sources, etc. An attempt has been made in this paper to evaluate the performance of the Indian fertiliser industry with respect to water consumption efficiency for both nitrogenous and complex fertilisers. Various innovative measures adopted to reuse/recycle treated effluents and modifications incorporated to reduce raw water consumption/effluent are dealt with in this paper.

1 illus, 1 tables, 14 ref

015258   Suresh Khahna S;Ram Kumar;Rao N J;Kanna Babu (NO, Alfa Laval India Ltd., Pune) : A systematic approach of controlling water soluble scales in modern evaporator plant. IPPTA Jl 2005, 17(4), 57-62.

In Kraft pulping process, the evaporators, which concentrate the weak black liquor from -15% to 65-75% total solids for firing in the recovery boiler, routinely foul with inorganic and/or organic scale on heat transfer surfaces. This is a major problem in modern evaporator plant, resulting in lost capacity and lost time for scale removal. In respose to industry need, the study, is conducted on evaporator performance to evaluate the nature and extent of evaporator fouling problems (particular on water soluble scales) and is recommended a strategy to minimize the problem. Particularly at higher concentration of black liquor.

11 illus, 5 tables, 5 ref

015257   Singhal D K (NO, Chandpur Enterprises Ltd., Noorpur Road, Chandpur, Bijnor-246 725) : Manpower training in small paper mills. IPPTA Jl 2005, 17(4), 73-5.

Paper discusses issues related to in-plant training in small paper mills. In the world of continuously changing technologies, it is very important to train manpower according to mills requirement. Training requirements in small paper mills are different than others, and need special more attention at the lower level. Some possible actions that can be done in small paper mills, and the achieved benefits have been discussed in the paper.

1 ref

015256   Singh S;Gursahani K;Collins R (Kellogg Brown & Root, Inc, (KBR), USA) : Increase capacity and improve energy efficiency of ammonia plant using KRES™ and/or Purifier™ technology while changing feedstock from naphtha to natural gas. Indian J Fertil 2005, 1(9), 37-43.

This paper provides an overview of new flow scheme options and compares them with older conventional techniques. KBR's proven technologies can bring significant capacity increase and energy savings to the ammonia producer along with other life cycle savings for the owner.

7 illus, 3 tables, 6 ref

015255   Sharma V (NO, Ingenious Inc., U. S. A.) : Advanced simulation solutions for pulping & recovery operations. IPPTA Jl 2005, 17(4), 53-5.

The increased complexity of process operations in the Pulping and Recovery plants has mandated the use of user-friendly IT tools for increased productivity and efficient plant operations. Advance dynamic simulation with effective operator training simulators offer the best option to achieve these objectives. One such simulation package is Prodyn, which provides opportunities for entire process plants dynamic simulation using a powerful simulation engine in the background and to ensure properly trained operators, who understand the dynamics of the plant very well and also are knowledgeable in plant safety management procedures for safe and efficient plant operation. This provides a user-friendly interface, which allows the user the capability to train, learn and test the various dynamic operations of a process model. The dynamic simulation capability facilitate study of what-if scenarios, evaluate technology options and builds up effective start-up and shut down procedures as key elements of operator training. Case studies have been discussed to bring out typical benefits to the Pulping and recovery operations.

3 illus, 3 ref

015254   Shankaranarayana K H;Ravikumar G; Rajeevalochan A N;Gangadi V (NO, Inst of Wood Sci and Technol, P O Malleswaram, Bangalore-560 003) : Fragrant oils from exhausted sandalwood powder and sandal sapwood. J scient ind Res 2005, 64(12), 965-6.

Exhausted sandalwood powder and sandal sapwood powder on treatment with 25 % HC1 followed by steam distillation yielded essential oils, AESP (0.6%) (acidified exhausted sandal powder) and SWA (0.9%) (sapwood acidified). Both oils had almond like note and were strong, heavy and were different in characteristics and composition from those of natural sandal wood oil.

1 illus, 5 ref

015253   Sefain M Z;Mobarak F;Fadl M H;Kassem N F (Cellulose and Paper Dept, Natn Res Cent, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt) : Improvement of paper properties part I: application of different techniques using gelatin-hexamine mixture to bagasse pulp.. IPPTA Jl 2005, 17(4), 81-4.

Sizing of paper is a treatment primarily designed to reduce the rate of penetration of liquids. Sizing treatments are applied either by internal precipitation on the fibers in the beater (in-pulp) or by surface treatment on the web of the paper by two different techniques namely: dipping and spraying. This study shows the effect of treatment of unbleached and bleached bagasse pulp with gelatin-hexamine mixture according to mentioned methods to compare the changes that occurred in water resistance and permeability.

3 illus, 6 ref

015252   Sarkar U;Roy D R;Chattaraj P K;Parthasarathi R;Padmanabhan J;Subramanian V (Dep of Chem, Indian Inst of Technol, Kharagpur-721 302, Email: pkc@chem.iitkgp.ernet.ir) : A conceptual DFT approach towards analysing toxicity. J chem Sci 2005, 117(5), 599-612.

Applicability of DFT-based descriptors for the development of toxicological structure-activity relationships is assessed. Emphasis in the present study is on the quality of DFT-based descriptors for the development of toxicological QSARs and, more specifically, on the potential of the electrophilicity concept in predicting toxicity of benzidine derivatives and the series of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) expressed in terms of their biological activity data (pIC₅₀)- First, two benzidine derivatives, which act as electron-donating agents in their interactions with biomolecules are considered. Overall toxicity in general and the most probable site of reactivity in particular are effectively described by the global and local electrophilicity parameters respectively. Interaction of two benzidine derivatives with nucleic acid (NA) bases/selected base pairs is determined using Parr's charge transfer formula. The experimental biological activity data (pIC₅₀) for the family of PAH, namely polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDF), poly-halogenated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PHDD) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) are taken as dependent variables and the HF energy (E), along with DFT-based global and local descriptors, viz., electrophilicity index (ω) and local electrophilic power (ω⁺) respectively are taken as independent variables. Fairly good correlation is obtained showing the significance of the selected descriptors in the QSAR on toxins that act as electron acceptors in the presence of biomolecules. Effects of population analysis schemes in the calculation of Fukui functions as well as that of solvation are probed. Similarly, some electron-donor aliphatic amines are studied in the present work. Global and local electrophilicities along with the HF energy are adequate in explaining the toxicity of several substances, both electron donors or acceptors when they interact with biosystem, in gas as well as solution phases.

6 illus, 8 tables, 54 ref

015251   Sanghi S;Rungta A;Malshe V C (Paints Div, MUICT, Matunga (E), Mumbai-400 019) : Photochromism. Paintindia 2005, 55(12), 73-90.

Photochromism is the reversible change in the absorption spectrum of a molecule on irradiation by light of certain wavelength. This phenomenon is observed in various compounds. Two types of photochromic polymer systems exist, those in which photo chrome is incorporated into a polymer binder in the form of a solid solution and the others inherently photochromic polymers. Attempts to review the properties needed for any class of photo-chromic compounds and the mechanisms responsible for the photo chromic effect and also gives an account of the synthesis, structural and physical properties of fulgides, benzopyrans, naphthopyrans, spironaphthoxazines, spirobenzopyrans and their derivatives. The chiral photochromic Liquid Crystalline (LC) polymers are of great importance because they combine the properties of LC polymers and photochromic polymers. Also covers the extensive applications of the photo chromic polymer systems in the field of ophthalmics, printing, textiles and in optical data storage.

25 illus, 4 ref

015250   Patange G D (NO, Uttam Galva Steels Limited, Mumbai, Email: patangeganesh@hotmail.com) : Performance of paint coating on galvanized steel in coil coating line. Paintindia 2005, 55(12), 91-102.

Paint coatings are specialty products, which are used to give long term protection under a broad range of corrosive conditions, extending from atmospheric exposure to full immersion in strongly corrosive solutions. A paint coating provides them little strength, yet they protect galvanized steel, so that the strength and integrity of steel can be maintained. The quality of paint coated ho-dip galvanized (HDG) steel sheets against aggressive environments depends on several factors linked to galvanizing, tension regulation at various sections, concentration of alkaline bath and chemical conversion coating bath, hydrogen evolution and baking temperature of primer and topcoat ovens. Each component gives a contribution to the final anticorrosive performance of the coated product.

15 illus, 5 ref