017348   Sudhakar R;Ninge Gowda K N (NO, Apparel Technol and Mgmt Bangalore Univ, Central College Campus, Bangalore-560 001) : Eco-friendly dyeing of silk with copper pod bark extract. Man Made Text India 2005, 48(12), 456-9.

Natural colorant extracted from the bark of copper pod free, grown abundantly in India and the world over as an avenue free, is utilized for coloration of silk fabric. Different mordants at varying concentrations were used on silk for pre-mordanting to study their effect on the color value and fastness properties of the dyed samples. Silk fabrics were also dyed with different mordanting techniques using lowest concentration of mordants. Color values with respect to K/S. L^* a^* b^* and fastness properties were found to be influenced by the concentration, type of mordant and technique of mordanting.

2 tables, 16 ref

017347   Ray S C;Sharma G;Pore N K (NO, Inst of Jute Technol, 35 Ballygunge Road, Kolkata-700 019) : Some studies on twist loss of weft yarn and its effect on the properties of fabric woven in air jet loom. Man Made Text India 2005, 48(12), 460-2.

During passing of the weft yarn through the shed in air-jet loom, either the free end or any part of the yarn may rotate in same direction or in opposite direction of the twist of the yarn. Such rotation of yarn would cause twist variation (loss or gain) of yarn in fabric. In the study, attempts have been made to investigate the occurrence of twist loss in air-jet weaving and the effect of the same on the physical properties of the woven fabric. The experimental results reveal that twist los (up-to 11%) is a very common phenomenon in air-jet weaving. The twist loss is more near the selvedge compared to the middle of the fabric. Such twist loss has significant effect on air permeability of the woven fabric.

7 tables, 4 ref

017346   Patel B H;Tandel M G (Text Chem Dep Fac of Technol and Engng, The M.S. Univ of Baroda, Vadodara-390 001) : Antimicrobial finish to cotton fabric by natural extracts. Man Made Text India 2005, 48(12), 473-6.

Major problems associated with microoganism's growth in textiles are related to hygiene and fabric deterioration. In the investigation an attempt has been made to produce attractive and colourful textiles with antimicrobial finish using natural resources. Three natural extracts selected for the study can be successfully used as natural colourants to produce brown to gray colours on cotton fabric with very good all round fastness properties. These natural extracts also impart antimicrobail finish to cotton fabric which was evaluated by Bromophenol Blue (BPB) test. The samples show very encouraging results in terms of antimicrobial resistivity.

3 tables, 10 ref

017345   Kandasaamy P V;Senthil Kumar K (Text Technol Dep, Erode Inst of Technol, Kavindapadi, Tamil Nadu) : Extraction and structural analysis of palm seed fibre. Man Made Text India 2005, 48(12), 468-72.

Palm seed fibre is a natural cellulosic seed hair fibre like cotton. It is taken from the fruits of palmyra palm tree which is a common variety of trees grows in dry areas of south India. The fibre is extracted and analyzed for its various properties. It's morphological structure has been found with the help of SEM images and IR spectra.

7 illus, 3 tables, 6 ref

017344   Joshi M;Thakare V;Pal S K (Text Technol Dep, Indian Inst of Technol, Hauz Khas, New Delhi-110 016) : Polymer clay nanocomposites for coated textile applications. Man Made Text India 2005, 48(12), 448-55.

Revolutionary field of Nanotechnology and some of its promising aspects in the innovative field of Polymeric Nanococomposites has been explored. Polymer nanocomposites have recently attracted the attention of coating industry because they show substantially improved physical properties as compared to neat polymers. The polymer layered silicate nanocomposites are an important class of hybrid organic-inorganic materials with improved mechanical, thermal and thermomechanical properties. They also show superior UV and chemical resistance and are widely being investigated for improving the gas barrier and flame retardant applications. The common synthesis techniques to produce Polymeric Layered Silicate Nanocomposites and their feasibility as coatings for textiles to improve the property mix are discussed along with the improved properties that these materials could display. Polymer nanocomposite based coatings for enhanced gapsbarrier properties have been highlighted. Various other specciality coatings based on polymer nanocomposites with improved UV, abrasion, scratch and chemical resistance have also been briefly covered.

6 illus, 35 ref

016299   Talukdar M K (NO, Kusumgar Corporates, Mumbai-400 056) : Product development in geosynthetic. J Instn Engrs-Pt TE 2005, 86(August), 6-11.

Geosynthetics are being used by the civil engineering industry to provide support, stability, separation and drainage at or below the ground level. They are employed in the construction of buildings, bridges, retaining walls, dams, roads, railways and solid waste containments as well in embankment cuttins, dykes and sub-coastal engineering projects. In addition to providing significantly lower life-cycle construction and maintenance costs compared to many conventional engineering techniques, they also permit reduced use of land (eg. steeper cuttings and embankments) and fewer disturbances to the environment. In this paper, discusses about textile materials such as geotextiles and geogrids are discussed.

4 illus, 8 tables, 4 ref

016298   Sengupta S;Roy A N (NO, Natn Inst of Res on Jute and All Fibre Technol (ICAR), Kolkata-700 040) : Studies on tracking behaviour of jute needle-punched non-woven fabric. J Instn Engrs-Pt TE 2005, 86(August), 16-20.

Needle punched jute non-woven samples were prepared changing the needle gauge, punch density and depth of needle penetration. Surface appearance or the tracking of the needle punched non-woven fabric was evaluated by visual inspection and. grading technique. Tensile properties of the non-woven fabrics was also measured on an Instron Tensile Testing Machine. From the results of tensile behaviour and surface appearance of the fabric, it was concluded that almost trackless fabric can be made with 250 punches/cm², 8mm depth of needle penetration using 30 gauge needle. Fabric with maximum tracking was noted at 200 punches/cm², 12 mm depth of needle penetration and 21 gauge needle.

4 illus, 1 table, 6 ref

016297   Sarkar D;Mazumdar K;Datta S;Sinha D K (NO, Smt. J. D. Birla Inst, Kolkata) : Application of natural dyes from marigold flowers on cottont silk and wool. J Text Ass 2005, 66(2), 67-72.

Marigold flower is grown in plenty in eastern part of India throughout the year and can be a good source of raw material for natural dyes. Three varieties of fresh Marigold flowers viz. lemon yellow, golden yellow and maroon-yellow were taken as raw materials for natural dyeing of cotton, wool and silk textiles Amount of flower for particular volume of water and extraction time were optimized on the basis intensity of colour of the extract as indicated by optical density. The same were found to be 30g for amount of flower in 100 ml water and 40 minutes for extraction time. However the case of maroon-yellow marigold, the extraction time was 50 minutes. Cotton, wool and silk materials were dyed with extracts from three different varieties of Marigold after mordanting with eight different mordants in each case. An ageing time of seven days was allowed between dyeing and soaping. In all the cases attractive shades could be produced by such dyeings. Colour data of different shades as produced were measured in term of L*, a*, b* values and the same have been reported. The colourfastness property to washing of most of the dyed samples was in the range of 2-3 to 3. Colourfastness to light of the dyed samples varied with the change of mordant and the substrate. Highest rating for cotton was found to 3 and that for silk and wool was around 4.

11 tables, 11 ref

016296   Ramachandran T;Guruprasad S S (Dep of Text Technol, PSG Coll of Technol, Coimbatore-641 004) : Role of supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO₂) in wet processing. J Instn Engrs-Pt TE 2005, 86(August), 12-15.

Environmental pollution problems have driven impetus in developing the novel concepts in wet processing using supercritical carbon dioxide fluid. This novel concept is used for dyeing of synthetic fibers and natural fibres. Since carbon dioxide is inexpensive, non-toxic, environment friendly, chemically inert under many conditions and easily available, it can be utilized in textile wet processing at supercritical stage. In this SC-CO₂, dyeing process, there is no salt and auxiliaries are required, hence, the cost of the effluent treatment will be drastically reduced. The supercritical is non- aqueous process hence it is environment friendly. The review of the fundamental properties, the procedure of dyeing and scope of supercritical carbon dioxide in textile wet processing is discussed in the paper.

4 illus, 4 tables, 18 ref

016295   Ramachandralu K;Ramesh V (NO, PSG Coll of Technol, Coimbatore-641 004) : Design and development of twin air-jet nozzle system for ring spinning. J Instn Engrs-Pt TE 2005, 86(August), 1-5.

Utility of the air-jet and ring combination has been known in the last decade, on its ability to reduce the yarn hairiness. However, it still offers enough scope for further work, with respect to its application in cotton spinning. In the recent past, it has been proved by the textile researchers that with the employment of air-jet nozzle in ring spinning the yarn hairiness could be reduced. The paper examines the effect of employing twin air-jet nozzle in ring spinning. In the study an attempt has been made to combine the advantage of air-jet spinning system, with conventional ring spinning system. Two types of air-jet nozzle similar in all dimensions but differing in the direction of inclination of orifice, namely, 'S' nozzle and 'Z' nozzle and a suitable air chamber to house these two nozzles in tandem have been designed and fabricated. This twin air-jet nozzle assembly has been positioned in between the front roller nip and lappet hook without altering the spinning angle. The yarn emerging from the front roller nip has been guided to pass through the twin air-jet nozzle and subjected to the action of opposing swirling air current created by air vortex inside the nozzles. Trials have been conducted in mill condition on 30 's carded count on conventional ring spinning machine without and with twin air-jet nozzle under four different combinations of air pressure, ie, 0.25/0.25 bar, 0.25/0.50 bar, 0.50/0.50 bar and 0.5/1.0 bar in the 'S' and 'Z'/nozzles, respectively. The yarn samples thus produced have been tested for their properties like tenacity, elongation, evenness, imperfections, hairiness, diameter and twist. From the results it has been observed that the introduction of twin air-jet nozzle system in ring spinning has lead to better compaction of yam with improvement in yarn quality index, yarn tenacity and packing factor. The twin air-jet nozzle system under 0.25/0.50 bar pressure combination in the 'S' and 'Z' nozzles has produced the best results with 17.5% increased tenacity, 18.8% improvement in Yam Quality Index and 15% increased Packing Factor, when compared to regular ring spun yarn. The paper proves that the twin air-jet nozzle technology could be beneficially employed for the improvement of yarn quality by the spinning industry.

7 illus, 5 tables, 5 ref

016294   Mahajan S;Sidhu S P;Grewal J (Dep of Clothing and Texts, Coll of Hom Sci, PAU, Ludhiana) : Dyeing of silk with peach (Prunus persica) dye using combination of mordants. J Text Ass 2005, 66(2), 85-9.

Silk yarn was dyed with Peach leaves using six combinations of mordants namely Alum/Chrome; Alum/ Copper Sulphate; Alum/ Ferrous Sulphate; Chrome/ Copper Sulphate; Chrom Ferrous Sulphate and Copper Sulphate/Ferrous Sulphate in the ratio of 1:3, 1:1 and 3:1. The dyeing was carried out according to the optimized dyeing conditions, which were standardized beforehand. These optimized conditions were dye extraction time, dye concentration, dyeing medium, dyeing time etc. The dyeing was done using these optimized conditions and the above mentioned six combinations in three ratios with three mordanting methods namely pre, simultaneous and post mordanting. This resulted a total of 54 shades. The dyed samples were then evaluated for colour fastness to washing, light, rubbing and perspiration fastness according to ISO standards. On evaluation it was concluded that silk dyed with Peach leaves showed excellent washing fastness except for few samples, very good light fastness and fair to good rubbing and perspiration fastness.

2 illus, 2 tables, 4 ref

016293   Inamdar M S;Khan J S;Halbe A V;Khoja A K (Fac of Text Processing, Sarvajanik Collage of Engng and Technol, Surat-395 001) : Prospects for innovative technologies in textile processing industry. J Text Ass 2005, 66(2), 73-5.

Continuous technological developments are indispensable in textile processes to meet the hyper conscious consumer's need and competitive global market. Innovative technologies such as electrochemical technology, plasma technology, nano technology and sonochemical technology are discussed. These are anticipated for better prospects with due regards to their ecofriendly nature, energy efficient and quality performance.

1 illus, 17 ref

016292   Haghi A K;Ghanadzadeh H (NO, The Univ of Guilan, P.O. Box 3756, Rasht, Iran) : Thermal drying process. Indian J chem Technol 2005, 12(6), 654-63.

Different aspects of heat and water transfer through textiles has been reviewed in the paper. The study illustrates the impact of the heat transfer process on the moisture transfer processes, including moisture transfer by water diffusion, liquid capillary action, and moisture sorption of the fibres. It has also concluded that the fiber hygroscopicity is another key factor in determining the coupling effect between heat and moisture transfer processes.

6 illus, 5 tables, 76 ref

016291   Ghosh U K (Dep of Paper Technol, Indian Inst of Technol Roorkee, Saharanpur Campus, Saharanpur-247 001) : Short sequence environment friendly bleaching of wheat straw pulp. J scient ind Res 2006, 65(1), 68-71.

Wheat straw pulp made through soda process and after oxygen delignification, was subjected to various conventional bleaching processes involving elemental chlorine and short sequence elemental chlorine free (ECF) bleaching processes. It was observed that D₅₀,E_P,D₅₀, sequence gives 84.8% brightness(Elrepho) and excellent strength properties of pulp and generates lower pollution load, both in terms of COD and TICL, in comparison to the conventional bleaching processes involving elemental chlorine.

2 illus, 3 tables, 10 ref

016290   El-Molla M M;Schneider R (Text Res Div, Natn Res Cent, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt) : Synthesis of UV-curable binders of low VOC and low viscosity for ink jet printing. J Text Ass 2005, 66(2), 77-84.

Ultraviolet tight (UV) curing is environmentally friendly coatings technologies offering a unique range of performance properties that are finding increased application in the automotive industry In the past eight years, there has been a rapid increase in interest and research in ink jet printing on textile substrates. Most of the current research has taken proven technologies for paper printing and adapted these technologies for fabric. InkJet inks need to be of very low viscosity to transport the ink through the jet nozzle as well as for drop formation and integrity. Aqueous UV-curable of polyurethane acrylate binders were prepared from isophoron di-isocyanate, polyethylene glycol and hydroxy ethyl acrylate using dibutyl tin dilaurate as a catalyst. The effect of using different molecular weight polyethylene glycol on the theological properties and the apparent viscosity of the prepared binders was thoroughly investigated. Furthermore, the results obtained indicate that the prepared polyurethane acrylate which is an aqueous UV curable binder can be used safely for inks for ink jet printing to give printed goods characterized by soft handing and having good to excellent colour fastness properties. Infra-red spectra of polyethylene glycol before and after prepared binders indicate some physicochemical changes in the structure.

3 s 12 illus, 2 tables, 14 r

016289   Desai A A (Dep of Text Technol, Sarvajanik Coll of Engng and Technol, Surat-395 001) : Protective clothing for agricultural workers. J Text Ass 2005, 66(2), 59-62.

Millions of farm workers and pesticides mixers across the world risk contamination by pesticides. Thus, to avoid such problem, protective clothing is useful to give some degree of protection against pesticides. The nature of chemicals and the form and place of exposure decides the type of protection required. Reviews the protection required by agricultural workers who are at risk of contamination by pesticide insecticides and herbicides.

11 ref

015276   Thomas V;Saraswathyamma C K (NO, Rubb Res Inst of India, Kottayam-686 009, Email: rrii@vsnl.com) : Micromporphology of the leaves of Hevea brasiliensis and H. benthamiana. Nat Rubb Res 2004, 17(2), 126-32.

Light and scanning electron microscopic studies of the leaf surface of Hevea brasiliensis and H. benthamiana revealed that both the surfaces of the leaf lamina are sheathed in thick ornamental cuticle, which is more marked on the abaxial surface. The cuticular ornamentation of both the species appears as a reticulum of buttressed ridges around the stomata on the abaxial surface. The stomatal apparatus appears like a crypt. The buttressed ridges are sculptured with small cuticular continuities that appear as hairy appendages. In H. benthamiana the ridges are thick and arranged more or less compactly reducing the width of the stomatal aperture. The cuticle over the laminar nectary is thick and smooth. The cuticular pattern on the adaxial lamina is more or less uniform with long parallel striae arranged closely. The thick cuticle is covered with a thin layer of epicuticular wax. Although different interpretations have been given for the surface sculptures of H. brasiliensis, the study shows that the important component responsible for the leaf features is cuticular in nature. The possible role of cuticle and epicuticular wax in disease resistance and ecological adaptations of Hevea is suggested.

11 illus, 25 ref

015275   Soman T A;Premakumari D;Chandrasekhar T R; Thomas V;Nazeer M A (NO, Rubb Res Inst of India Hevea Breed Sub-Station, Kanyakumari-629 851, Email: hbsspar@rubberboard.org.in) : Establishment, early growth and yield indications of some modern Hevea brasiliensis clones in Thovalai taluk of Kanyakumari district. Nat Rubb Res 2004, 17(2), 144-9.

Eleven clones of Hevea brasiliensis were evaluated in a large-scale field trial at Keeriparai in the Thovalai Taluk of Kanyakumari District in India. The clones showed significant variations in casualty due to sun-scorch, juvenile girth, early tappability, girth at opening, mean girth increment over five juvenile years, bark thickness, number of latex vessel rows and test tap yield. The clones showed high variability for sun scorch casualty. This trait was also negatively correlated with growth attributes and test tap yield recorded after the incidence of sun scorch. The clones IRCA 111 and PB 314 were found suitable for the area with respect to establishment, growth, early tappability and initial yield. PB 255 and IRCA 230 were also promising clones in terms of establishment, growth and bark characters. No incidence of pink disease was observed in this trial. The control clone RRII 105 was ranked low for most of the characters evaluated.

4 tables, 11 ref

015274   Reju M J;Thapiyal A R;Deka H K;Soman T A; Nazee M A (Regional Res Stn, Rubb Res Inst of India, Tura-794 001) : Assessment of yield and yield stability of some Hevea brasiliensis clones under the high altitude conditions of Meghalaya. Nat Rubb Res 2004, 17(2), 139-43.

Quantum yield and yield stability of eighteen clones of Hevea brasiliensis were studied under the high altitude conditions, in two clone evaluation trials comprising often clones each, with two clones in common. In one of the trials, low coefficients of variation and high means were observed for RRIM 600 and RRII 203 whereas high coefficients of variation and high means for RRII 105 and PB 235. The highest expected average annual yield was computed for RRIM 600 followed by RRII 105. In the other trial, low coefficients of variation and high means were observed for RRII 209 and PB 311 and high coefficient of variation and high mean for RRII 105 and PB 310. However, the highest expected average annual yield was for PB 311. Successive recordings of average annual yield of clones from both trials have shown an increasing trend suggesting that it would take a few more years for yield stabilization.

2 illus, 4 tables, 9 ref

015273   Reghu C P;Abraham S T;Nair R B;Varghese Y A (NO, Rubb Res Inst of India, Kottayam-686 009) : Performance of certain wild Hevea accessions in the early phase of further evaluation. Nat Rubb Res 2004, 17(2), 103-07.

In a second phase evaluation of 80 selected wild accessions of Hevea brasiliensis in the 1981 IRRDB Brazilian germplasm collection established at the Rubber Research Institute of India, girth, bark thickness, total number of latex vessel rows, density of laticifers and test tap yield at the age of four years were studied. RRII 105, a popular clone, was used as control. The accessions showed statistically significant differences for all the five traits in the early growth phase. In general, the wild accessions were poor yielders except for one from Mato Grosso, MT/IT/15 - 28/207, with yield (9.72 g/t/t), comparable to RRII 105 (9.40 g/t/t). Certain accessions showed early girthing and longer boles with high but few branches, which are indications of timber production potential. The accessions from Mato Grosso, in general, continued to be superior in the early phase of further evaluation also. Among the top 25 per cent of the wild accessions ranked using rank sum method based on the pooled performance for all the five characters, 20 per cent were from Mato Grosso. Most of the accessions identified earlier as superior for yield and other secondary characters were ranked high.

3 tables, 11 ref

015272   Raiammal G;Mariamma George K;Mathew S; Peethambaran N E;Mathew N M (Dep of Training and Tech Consultancy, Rubb Bd, Kottayam-686 009) : Stability and vulcanization characteristics of enzyme deproteinized natural rubber latex. Nat Rubb Res 2004, 17(2), 95-102.

Colloidal stability of enzyme deproteinized natural rubber latex (EDPNRL) was investigated in comparison with the conventional high ammonia (HA) latex. The colloidal stability of EDPNRL was improved by the addition of potassium hydroxide or a combination of potassium hydroxide and ammonium laurate during compounding. The vulcanization characteristics of EDPNRL were compared with HA latex in a conventional sulphur system using zinc diethyldithiocarbamate (ZDC) as primary accelerator and ZDC in combination with other accelerators namely zinc di-n-butyldithiocarbamate (ZDBC), zinc dibenzyldithiocarbamate (ZDBEDC) and activated dithiocarbamate (Setsit-5). The compounds of EDPNRL with ZDC, ZDBC and their combinations were fast curing. The mechanical properties and ageing resistance were within the limits specified for dipped goods.

2 illus, 6 tables, 8 ref

015271   Prasannakumari P;Joseph M;George S;Punnoose K I (NO, Rubb Res Inst of India, Kottayam-686 009) : Movement of applied Potassium in a sandy clay loam soil under rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) plantation. Nat Rubb Res 2004, 17(2), 168-71.

Field and laboratory experiments were conducted in a sandy clay loam soil under rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) cultivation to study the movement of surface-applied K. The field experiment indicated that the influence of K fertilizer on K availability is reflected only in the 0-10 cm layer of the soil. Higher levels of K application did not influence the available K status. In the laboratory experiment using soil columns, movement of K up to 30 cm depth was observed.

3 tables, 11 ref

015270   Pathiratna L S S;Perera M K P;Wijesuriya B W (NO, Rubb Res Inst of Sri Lanka, Agalawatta, Sri Lanka, Email: dirrri@sltnet.lk) : Prformance of cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum J. Pres intercropped at different spacings of rubber (Hevea brasiliensis Meull. Arg.). Nat Rubb Res 2004, 17(2), 150-8.

The suitability of interrow spacing wider than the standard 8.1 m for rubber in rubber/cinnamon intercropping was investigated. Eleven spacings ranging from 7.2 to 18.0 m were tested. The experimental design used was convenient and reduced die land requirement. Closure of rubber canopies in the 7.2 m and 8.4 m spacings by the sixth year limited die available light to 12 per cent even in the middle of the interrow. When the interrow spacing was 12 m or more, the middle of the interrow had more than 80 per cent light. The length density of fine roots of rubber (RLD) was high close to rubber trees and in treatments with narrow interrow spacings, whereas it significantly decreased with the increase in distance from rubber trees. Bark yield of cinnamon was highest in the first harvest compared to the next two. Reduction in yield in subsequent harvests was observed in treatments with narrow interrows. The yield in the third harvest was about 19 per cent of the first harvest in the 7.2 m interrow spacing. The cumulative bark yield for die three harvests increased with the increase of the interrow space. The interrow spacings of 12 m or more was found suitable for a sustainable rubber/cinnamon intercropping. Growdi of rubber was not affected significnatly by the spacing treatments.

9 illus, 3 tables, 14 ref

015269   Maniruzzaman M;Rahaman M H;Akther Zaman M A (Dep of Appl Chem and Chem Technol, Islamic Univ, Kushtia # 7003, Bangladesh, Email: manir@kushtia.com) : Effect of various factors on pulque fibre dyed with direct dyes. J Polym Mater 2005, 22(3), 245-50.

Light and thermal effects of raw and bleached pulque fiber dyed with direct dyes (Direct Red 81 & Congo Red) have been studied. On prolong exposure to sunlight in air, loss in breaking strength of undyed and dyed raw pulque fibers is higher than that of corresponding undyed and dyed bleached pulque fibers. Thermal degradation of raw and beached fiber at 50<126>-180°C were shown with decreasing the molecular weight. When fiber is treated on exposure to sun light and heat it was observed that the strength of the fiber was dependent not only on the exposure period but also on the characteristics of the fiber. Less lignin content (6%) than jute fibre (12%) shown that the fiber is more stable on photochemical and thermal degradation. On exposure sunlight and heat treatment are also responsible in the fibers is lignin content.

4 illus, 4 tables, 17 ref

015268   Lakshmanan R;Punnoose K I;Edathil T T (NO, Rubb Res Inst of India Regional Res Stn, Padiyoor, Kannur-676 703, Email: radhavijayknr@rediffmail.com) : Response of rubber Hevea brasiliensis seedlings to irrigation in nursery. Nat Rubb Res 2004, 17(2), 172-6.

A study on the response of rubber seedlings to five moisture regimes (0, 25, 50, 75 per cent depletion of available soil moisture and unirrigated control) indicated 50 per cent depletion of available soil moisture to be the permissible level for optimum growth of seedlings. The growth attributes such as average leaf area, total aboveground biomass, length of the internode, number of leaves per whorl and whorl number were found to be significantly affected by moisture stress. Average seasonal and daily consumptive use and crop factor for the irrigation period were also worked out for the different moisture regimes.

^ssc7 tables, 5 ref

015267   Karthikakuttyamma M;Satisha G C;Suresh P R; Aiyer R S (NO, Rubb Res Inst of India, Kottayam-686 009) : Biomass production and nutrient budgeting of Hevea brasiliensis, South India. Nat Rubb Res 2004, 17(2), 108-14.

The biomass accumulation and total nutrient content in twenty year old rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) trees was quantified by weighing the entire tree by destructive sampling and analysing the nutrient content in different parts of the tree. The balance sheet of nutrients for a planting cycle was worked out, and comparison was drawn between rubber (after three cycles) and forest ecosystems for nutrient reserve and depletion in soils. The branches and trunk accounted for 80 per cent and the roots comprised about 15 per cent of the total dry matter on whole plant basis. The concentration of nitrogen in the leaf and bark exceeded that in the branches and trunk, while calcium concentration in the bark was greater than that in the wood/leaf by factors ranging from five to forty times. In general, major portion of nutrients was accumulated in the branches and trunk and was in the order of Ca <60> N <62> K <62> Mg <62> P. Balance sheet of nutrients indicated that a substantial amount of all the nutrients was removed through biomass and there was a calcium deficit. The depletion of potassium and calcium at 60 cm depth was considerably higher in rubber cultivated soils compared to forest soils. The 'R' factor (per cent of cultivation within the cycle of fallowing and cropping) worked out for rubber plantation in South India was 12.5 per cent, which makes it an agro-forestry ecosystem closely resembling the rain forest.

1 illus, 5 tables, 9 ref

015266   Joseph S;Radusch H J;Androsch R;Lupke T; Thomas S (NO, St. Stephen's Coll, Pathanapuram, Kerala, Email: sabut@sanchaernet.com) : Studies on the morphology and thermal behaviour of polystyrene polybutadiene blends. J Polym Mater 2005, 22(3), 251-60.

Differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) measurements were done on blends of polystyrene (PS) and polybutadiene (PB) as a function of blend ratio. The blends showed the existence of two glass transition temperatures corresponding to PS and PB phases indicating immiscibility of the system. The DSC studies were also useful to evaluate the low temperature crystallization behaviour of PB. The miscibility of the chosen blend components is looked into from thermodynamic point of view in terms of interaction parameters. Morphological analysis of the cryofractured surfaces was carried out by scanning electron microscopy on these blends. A dimensional analysis of the dispersed domains in the blends was also performed in order to evaluate the influence of the dispersion mode of PS or PB in the PB/PS matrix. The morphological studies provided supportive evidences for thermal observations.

5 illus, 2 tables, 34 ref

015265   Joseph R;Alex R;Nair R B;Premalatha C K; Kuriakose B (NO, Rubb Res Inst of India, Kottayam-686 009, Email: rrii@rubberboard.org.in) : Studies on copper soap of rubber seed oil as peptizer for estimation of dirt content in natural rubber. Nat Rubb Res 2004, 17(2), 159-67.

Dirt content is one of the important quality parameters specified in the grading of technically specified rubber (TSR). It is estimated by dissolving rubber in a solvent with the aid of a peptizer, such as copper oleate and then determining the weight of dry matter retained on a standard sieve, when the solution is filtered. The performance of copper soap of mixed fatty acids, prepared from rubber seed oil, was evaluated for the estimation of dirt content of TSR in comparison with that of copper oleate. The results indicate that mixed fatty acid soaps of copper prepared from rubber seed oil is as good as copper oleate for the purpose and is a cheaper alternative.

4 illus, 4 tables, 36 ref

015264   John A;Varghese Y A;Mydin K K;Sebastian T; Thomas V;Saraswathyamma C K (NO, Rubb Res Inst of India, Kottayam-686 009) : Performance of certain introduced clones of Hevea brasiliensis in India. Nat Rubb Res 2004, 17(2), 115-20.

Twelve clones of rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) introduced from Malaysia and Thailand were evaluated in a large-scale trial in comparison to the popular clone RRII 105 in India. The performance of these clones with respect to yield, girth, girth increment, bark anatomical features, incidence of tapping panel dryness, wind damage and pink and powdery mildew diseases are presented. Significant clonal variations existed for all the characters. Clone PB 314 recorded the highest mean yield (79.08 g/t/t) over the first four years followed by PB 255 (76.16g/t/t). Eight clones yielded significantly higher than RRII 105. The trunk girth in the immature phase was the highest for PB 235 (61.33 cm) followed by PB 280. High girth and uniform growth coupled with high yield of these clones indicate their potential as latex timber clones.

1 illus, 5 tables, 15 ref

015263   Gohain T;Meti S;Mandal D;Singh R P;Chaudhuri D (Regional Res Stn, Rubb Res Inst of India, Housefed Complex, Dispur, Guwahati-781 005) : Growth performance of Hevea brasiliensis clones in Dooars region of West Bengal. Nat Rubb Res 2004, 17(2), 133-8.

Evaluation of growth of eleven clones of Hevea brasiliensis in the Dooars region of West Bengal revealed that though the initial survival was high (100%) for the clone RRII 105, the growth of the clones varied significantly from the second year and by the end of the eighth year RRII 208 recorded the highest mean girth (46.53 cm) followed by RRIM 600 (46.50 cm). The mean girth increment over 8 years was also higher for the clone RRII 208. Although the overall percentage of tappable trees at the end of 7 years was only 40, RRIM 700 recorded the highest (67%) tappability followed by RRII 208 (64%). By the eighth year, overall tappability increased to 66 per cent indicating one year delay in attaining tappable girth in comparison to the trees in the traditional rubber growing region of India. On the basis of growth index the clone RRIM 600, RRII 208, RRII 105, PB 235 and SCATC 93/114 were identified as better adapted clones under the sub-tropical and sub-humid climatic conditions of Dooars region.

1 illus, 4 tables, 14 ref

015262   George S;Philip V;Joseph K;Punnoose K L; Mathew T P (NO, Rubb Res Inst of India, Kottayam-686 002) : Integrated weed management in the planting strips of rubber. Nat Rubb Res 2004, 17(2), 121-5.

The efficacy of different weed management methods for immature rubber was evaluated in a field experiment. The treatments included manual (scraping and slashing) and chemical (glyphosate and paraquat + 2, 4-D) methods as well as their combinations to control weeds along the planting strips and plant basins. Application of glyphosate in the entire planting strip was the most cost effective method. The integrated approach of spraying glyphosate in the plant basin and slash weeding the remaining area was also found to be cost effective and eco-friendly.

1 illus, 2 tables, 5 ref

015261   Dey S K;Das G;Alam B;Sarma A C (Regional Res Stn, Rubb Res Inst of India, Agartala-799 006, Email: ddrrs@rediffmail.com) : Path analysis of yield and major yield components of Hevea brasiliensis clone RRIM 600 under environmental conditions of Tripura. Nat Rubb Res 2004, 17(2), 180-6.

The effect of environment, nutrition and tapping systems on yield and yield components of the clone RRIM 600 was studied during peak yielding months at Aganhala, India. Path analysis performed to understand the cause-effect relationship of different yield components revealed the influence of weather parameters. The temperature is the most important climatic parameter directly affecting the flow rate, dry rubber content and plugging of the latex vessels. Wind speed and pan evaporation also affected the rubber content in the latex and plugging of vessels. Other parameters like length of tapping cut, systems of tapping and tapping panel have significant influence on yield. Application of chemical stimulant (2.5% ethepon) also increased yield during low yielding period. Yield also increased with increase in nitrogen dose up to 30 kg/ha. The effects of all these factors on yield either by contributing towards DRC or by affecting the flow rate which ultimately causes early plugging and low yield are discussed.

8 illus, 5 tables, 16 ref

015260   Choudhury M;Sarma A C;Pal T K;Chakrabarty S K;Dey S K (NO, Regional Res Stn Rubb Res Inst of India Rubb Bd, Agartala-799 006, Email: mrinalrrii@yahoo.com) : Available nutrient status of rubber growing soils in the lower Brahmaputra valley of Assam. Nat Rubb Res 2004, 17(2), 177-9.

The status of nutrients in rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) growing soils of lower Brahmaputra valley of Assam was studied for understanding the soil fertility. The soils were acidic to strongly acidic in nature and majority of them were medium in organic carbon, low in available phosphorus and medium in potassium. Wide variation in fertility ratings indicates that these soils require specific management measures to maintain fertility depending on the age of the rubber plantation.

^ssc2 tables, 6 ref

013104   Raja B V R;Pal N;Talwar P L;Jayaswal N P (Alloy Steels Pl, SAIL, Durgapur-7813 208) : Development of stainless steel with enhanced inter granular corrosion resistance for nuclear applications. Steel India 2005, 28(1), 41-5.

Extra Low Carbon (ELC) Austenitic Stainless steel AISI 304L plates are used in fabricating tanks and pipes for storage and processing of nuclear fuels due to their high degree of resistance against corrosion caused by highly aggressive environment of fuel and fission products. The plates used to be imported by M/s Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai which fulfilled the corrosion level requirement of 18 mpy maximum as per tests of Inter Granular Attack (IGA) of ASTM A-262 Practice C. Alloy Steels Plant, Durgapur developed AISI 304L with modified chemistry through reduction in C, Si, S and P contents. Accordingly, trial heats were made and a corrosion rate value of 15.41 mpy maximum could be obtained.

6 illus, 4 tables, 4 ref

013103   Mukhopadhyay B;Keshari K K;Ray S K;Das P C (R&D Cent for Iron & Steel, SAIL, Ranchi-834 002) : Improvement in surface quality of hot rolled billets of chromium bearing steel. Steel India 2005, 28(1), 30-4.

Carbon-Manganese steel with carbon up to 0.3%, case hardening steels and many of the fine grain alloy grades are affected by AIN precipitation. Chromium bearing steels such as 20MC5 having high Cr percentage suffer from bad surface qualify due to the precipitation of high melting Cr oxides. AIN precipitation along the grain boundaries and powder entrapment are responsible for the surface and internal defects during the process of reheating and rolling. With the use of a suitable deoxidation practice, secondary treatment and bottom pouring mould powder, these defects could be reduced by about 10%.

7 illus, 2 tables, 3 ref

013102   Mukherjee T K;Ray H S (R&D Cent for Iron & Steel, SAIL, Ranchi-834 002) : Thermal analysis of blast furnace coke for comparative quality assessment. Steel India 2005, 28(1), 9-13.

Comparative assessment of cokes used in blast furnaces involves carrying out several tests. With a view to make this process less tedious, an attempt was made to study the reactivity of cokes produced from carbonization of several coals using a Shimadzu thermal analyzer in the flowing oxygen and flowing carbon dioxide atmospheres, and examine the possibility of using it as a fingerprint of the coke. The thermal analysis data were found to indicate perceptible differences in the reactivity of five coke samples studied. The order in which coke reactivity was found to vary in case of flowing oxygen atmosphere was not the same as that observed in case of the flowing carbon dioxide atmosphere. In the flowing oxygen atmosphere zero-order reaction kinetics were observed, and in the carbon dioxide atmosphere reaction kinetics could be described by a Johnson -Mehl type equation. In view of the results obtained in this study it is proposed that reactivity data should be generated using test samples of large size and consisting of bigger coke particles. This reactivity data should be correlated with the physical properties of coke.

5 illus, 2 tables, 6 ref

013101   Mukherjee A K;Mahapatra P C;Sabyasachi S K; Yadav S N S;Nath R K (R&D Cent for Iron & Steel, SAIL, Ranchi-834 002) : Recycling of BOF slag in the converter at Durgapur steel plant. Steel India 2005, 28(1), 35-40.

Disposal of solid waste generated in an integrated iron and steel plant is a serious problem the world over. The slag generated in Basic Oxygen Furnace( BOF) is yet to find an appreciable use. Recycled BOF slag contains free lime and its basicity ranges from 3.0 to 3.5 . The softening and melting points of this slag are relatively low, around 1342°C and 1352°C, respectively. As it is prefused, thermal condition inside the BOF is also favourable for its use. In the BOF, the slag basicity is quite low (~ 1.2-1.4) during the initial part of blow. Its use in the beginning of blow should help in early slag formation and improve slag basicity. During oxygen blowing, formation of SiO₂ and FeO enhances dissolution of BOF slag at lower temperatures. Describes various steps taken for initiating the use of BOF slag in the converter at the Durgapur Steel Plant of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL). It has been established that slag usage of 10 -15 (kg/tcs helps in facifitating early slag formation, and it results in reducing flux consumption by 6 - 7 kg/tcs.

4 illus, 2 tables, 5 ref

013100   Kumar A;Chaudhuri A J;Ghosh N K;Mukherjee D (R&D Cent for Iron & Steel, SAIL, Ranchi-834 002) : Effect of moisture and oil addition on bulk density and flowability of coal blend. Steel India 2005, 28(1), 14-21.

A laboratory scale study was carried out at the Bokaro Steel Plant of Steel Authority of India Limited to investigate the effect of moisture and High Speed Diesel (HSD) oil addition to coal blend on its bulk density and permeability. Bulk density was measured using the Drop Method as well as the Cone method. It was found that, from the techno-economic point of view, corresponding to the industrial regime of moisture level (7-8%), the optimum level of HSD oil in the blend was 0.03%. At this level of HSD oil addition, average flowability of coal improved by 1.5 kg/sec, bulk density by 23 kg/m³, M40 index of coke improved by 1 point and M10 improved by 0.3 point. Corresponding to the annual blast furnace coke requirement of 2.5 Mt, the total monetary benefit worked out to be Rs. 50 millions.

3 illus, 3 tables, 8 ref

013099   Jayaswal N P;Mukherjee S;Mukherjee S (Alloy Steels Plants, SAIL, Durgapur-713 208) : A fuzzy logic based scheduling system for heat treatment shop treating varied grades of steel. Steel India 2005, 28(1), 46-53.

In the buoyant market for alloy and specials steels, customer's requirement has become multifarious for varied end-use applications with very stringent control on qualify and delivery parameters. The customers are demanding several grades of steels in smaller lots with very specific delivery schedules in line with Just-in-Time concept to minimize inventory-holding cost. Since all grades undergo case-specific heat treatments before delivery to customers, the above-mentioned condition has resulted in planning optimal furnace loading sequence at heat treatment units, where most of the time furnaces are forced to run with under-capacity since treatable lots of varied grades, sizes or shape cannot be combined together arbitrarily. This is causing poor capacity utilization, adverse techno-economics and failures in coping up with delivery schedules. Formulating a system based on conventional mathematical programming is very limited owing to uncertainties in the parameters. However, scope exists for applying some heuristics to identify compatible lots for combining different treatable lots based on approximate knowledge. An attempt has been made to apply fuzzy logic based on heuristics to develop robust schedules for optimal capacity utilization of heat treatment facilities.

4 illus, 4 tables, 6 ref

013098   Jain M;Pan S K;Mukherjee S K;Srivastava M P; Sarkar H C (R&D Cent for Iron & Steel, SAIL, Ranchi-834 002) : Development of a process flowsheet for silica reduction in iron ore fines of Rajhara mines. Steel India 2005, 28(1), 1-8.

Rajhara mines, a captive mine of Steel Authority of India Ltd. (SAIL) for Bhilai Steel Plant, processes nearly 3,5 Mt/year of iron ore in a dry circuit comprising of only crushing and screening facilities. The present system is unable to reduce the silica content of iron ore fines (-10 mm fraction) to below 3.5%, which is the norm. A detailed experimental study was carried out to develop an appropriate beneficiation route to treat -10mm ore whereby silica in ore fines could be reduced to below 3%. A circuit comprising of wet screening at 1 mm and treating -1 mm fraction in hydro-cyclone and floatex is proposed. It is expected that this circuit would produce iron ore fines concentrate with greater than 64.5% Fe, 2.89% SiO?2 and 0.88% Al₂O₃, with around 83% recovery.

4 illus, 2 tables, 7 ref

013097   Ghosh B N;Kumar V;Bhowmik B;Kumar P;Manjhi S P (R&D Cent for Iron & Steel, SAIL, Ranchi-834 002) : PC based on-line monitorlng and control system for the reheating furnace at skelp mill of Durgapur steel plant. Steel India 2005, 28(1), 54-62.

Centralised, PC-based on-line monitoring and heating control system was designed , developed and implemented in the reheating furnace of Skelp Mill of Durgapur Steel Plant. All the burners were also suitably modified to increase the flame thrust and velocity with a view to improve the heat transfer from flame to material stock within the furnace chamber. Optimised heating regime was also developed and introduced for automatic process control with the constraints of varying throughput / mill delays and quality demands of Skelp Mill. The control system precisely controls the temperature of different zones within an accuracy of ±5 °C. The computer control system is in operation since April 2003, and it is working satisfactorily. Introduction of modified gas burner nozzle and computerised furnace operation have resulted in an increase of about 5% in the furnace productivity, 6-8% saving in fuel consumption, and 8-10% reduction in scale formation.

2 illus, 4 tables, 8 ref

011981   Xing-xiang Z;Yi L;Xiao-ming T;Kit-lun Y (Inst of Text & Clothing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic Univ, Hong Kong) : Structures and properties of thermo-regulated knitted fabrics. Indian J Fibre Text Res 2005, 30(4), 377-83.

Microencapsulated n-octadecane was coated on the surface of cotton and cotton/polypropylene (60:40) knitted fabrics to produce thermo-regulated textiles. The structures, morphologies, phase change properties, heat flux, softness and smoothness were studied using SEM, DSC, Thermo Lab II and Smart Hand Tester, etc. It is observed that the microcapsules are inserted into the loops and adhered on the surface of fibre. The thermo-regulated knitted fabrics absorb and release 8-20 J/g of heat energy at approximately 32°C and 17°C respectively. The thermal conductivity of the coated fabric is found to be higher than that of the untreated fabric; however, the difference is small. The measured maximum heat absorption rate of the coated fabric is also slightly higher than that of untreated fabric. The heat flux of the fabrics is contributed by three factors, namely cold textile touches the hot plate and absorbs heat; heat conducts from the hot plate to the cold plate; and phase change material absorbs heat when the fabric touches the hot plate. The heat flux of MicroPCMs coated fabric is significantly higher than that of the control. The softness and smoothness of the fabric decrease after coating; however, they get better after washing with water.

4 illus, 5 tables, 15 ref

011980   Wei Q;Wang X Q (NO, , , Email: qfwei@sytu.edu.cn) : ESEM study of tensile behaviour of spunbonded bicomponent fibre nonwovens. Indian J Fibre Text Res 2005, 30(4), 384-8.

Tensile behaviour of polyethylene/polypropylene (PE/PP) bicomponent fibre spunbonded nonwovens has been studied using an environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM). A tensile stage, mounted in the ESEM, was used to examine the dynamic process of the PE/PP bicomponent fibre spunbonded nonwovens at different stages of deformation. The visual information obtained through the ESEM provides clear evidence of relevant mechanism of nonwoven deformation. The study shows that the ESEM is a powerful tool for examining the dynamic tensile behaviour of different materials.

5 illus, 1 table, 5 ref

011979   Tyagi G K;Sharma D (NO, The Technological Inst of Texts & Sci, Bhiwani-127 021) : Low-stress properties of mercerized cotton ring and OE rotor-spun yarns. Indian J Fibre Text Res 2005, 30(3), 290-4.

Effect of yarn linear density, yarn structure, twist factor and rotor speed on low-stress properties of mercerized cotton ring- and rotor-spun yarns has been studied. For both ring- and rotor-spun yarns, the initial modulus at 1% and 3% extensions, packing density and hairiness change markedly as a result of mercerization treatment. Flexural rigidity increases significantly, however it is considerably lower for ring- spun yarns. The abrasion resistance of both types of yarns decreases but yarn twist increases it.

5 illus, 2 tables, 7 ref

011978   Tyagi G K;Sharma D (NO, The Tchnological Inst of Text & Sci, Bhiwani-127 021) : Thermal comfort characteristics of polyester-cotton MVS yarn fabrics. Indian J Fibre Text Res 2005, 30(4), 363-70.

Thermal comfort characteristics, viz. air permeability; water vapour diffusion, wickability, absorbency and thermal insulation, of scoured and finished fabrics made from polyester-cotton MVS yarns have been evaluated. The experimental results reveal that the air permeability and the water vapour diffusion of the scoured fabrics initially increase with increasing twisting jet pressure of Murata vortex spinner and then decrease. Wickability and thermal insulation of these fabrics, on the other hand, resister a decrease initially with the increase in twisting jet pressure and then increase with further rise in twisting jet pressure. Wider nozzle distance enhances air permeability and water vapour diffusion of MVS yarn scoured fabrics but has a deleterious effect on wickability and thermal insulation. Higher cotton content is also effective in improving wickability, absorbency and thermal insulation properties but lowers the air permeability and, water vapour diffusion. The chemical finishing significantly reduces the air permeability, water vapour diffusion, wickability, absorbency and thermal insulation of these fabrics.

4 illus, 4 tables, 13 ref

011977   Tyagi G K;Khanna Y (NO, The Technological Inst of Text & Sci, Bhiwani-127 021, Email: drgktyagi@rediffmail.com) : Structure and mechanical properties of polyester DREF-3 yarns produced with different core-wrapper ratios and production speeds. Indian J Fibre Text Res 2005, 30(4), 407-13.

Effect of fibre profile, fibre linear density, core content and yarn draw-off speed on structure and mechanical properties of polyester DREF-3 yarns has been studied. It is observed that the trilobal fibres offer no significant benefit in friction spinning with regard to yarn quality. The yarns produced with a thicker core, in general, are significantly stronger, less extensible and yield higher work of rupture and abrasion resistance than the equivalent yarns produced with a thinner core. Higher production speed and fibre denier lead to a marked decline in these characteristics but increase the mean fibre extent and helix diameter. In general, the trilobal fibre yarns exhibit lower values of mean fibre extent, helix angle and helix diameter than those of the circular fibre yarns.

6 illus, 5 tables, 9 ref

011976   Thilagavathi G;Rajendrakumar K;Rajendran R (Dep of Text Technol, PSG Coll of Technol, Coimbatore-641 004) : Development of ecofriendly antimicrobial textile finishes using herbs. Indian J Fibre Text Res 2005, 30(4), 431-6.

Various herbal species were screened for their antimicrobial activities by employing preliminary (qualitative) antimicrobial tests. Methanolic extraction procedure was followed for extracting the active substances from herbs. Antimicrobial efficacy was assayed by AATCC (agar diffusion and parallel streak) method and Hohenstein modified challenge test. The neem leaves (Azadirachta indica), prickly chaff flower (Achyranthus aspera), tulsi leaves (Ocimum basilicum) and pomegranate rind (Punica granatum) were found to exhibit antimicrobial activity against the strains of Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli. Neem ranked first followed by pomegranate and prickly chaff flower. Despite the negative results of tulsi in the qualitative tests, it showed 73% bacterial reduction in the quantitative challenge test. The treated fabric samples exhibited resistance to degradability as tested by digging soil test.

8 illus, 15 ref

011975   Thilagavathi G;Gukanathan G;Munusamy B (Dep of Text Technol, PSG Coll of Technol, Coimbatore-641 004) : Yarn hairiness controlled by modified yarn path in cotton ring spinning. Indian J Fibre Text Res 2005, 30(3), 295-301.

Influence of yarn path on spinning triangle and, in turn, on yarn hairiness has been studied. The yarns have been produced from cotton (40s Mali-juli and 60s MCU5) and 45s polyester/cotton (Recron/MCU5, 67:33) by varying the yarn path in right and left diagonals by spinning with adjacent spindles and then tested for hairiness, strength, unevenness and breakage. The test results have been compared with the respective conventional straight path yarns. It is observed that there is a 50% reduction in hairiness in the left diagonal path with slight increase in strength. Right diagonal path shows deterioration in spinning efficiency and no improvement in hairiness.

7 illus, 6 tables, 5 ref

011974   Somashekarappa H;Mahesh S S;Somashekar R (Dep of Stud in Phys, Univ of Mysore, Manasagangotri, Mysore-570 006) : Variation in crystallite shape ellipsoid in non-mulberry silk fibres. Indian J Fibre Text Res 2005, 30(3), 309-14.

Wide angle X-ray scattering data recorded from the coarse and fine fibres of mulberry and non-mulberry silk, like muga, tassar and eri, have been used along with exponential, Reinhold and Lognormal functions for crystal size distributions to determine the microstructural parameters and hence to compute the shape of the crystallite ellipsoid. The estimated microstructural parameters have been correlated with the reported physical parameters like tenacity and toughness of silk fibres. It is observed that the tenacity decreases with the increase in crystal size for both mulberry and non- mulberry silk fibres, which essentially reflects the fact that ordering in the lattice may not be a favoured factor in the textile industry.

4 illus, 2 tables, 20 ref

011973   Shanmugam N;Doke S S (NO, Cent Inst for Res on Cott Technol, Adenwala Road, Mumbai-400 019) : Highest standard count estimation from fibre parameters using neural network techniques. Indian J Fibre Text Res 2005, 30(3), 302-8.

Artificial neural network (ANN) model has been developed for predicting highest standard count (HSC) from fibre properties, namely 2.5% span length, uniformity ratio, micronaire and bundle strength. The developed ANN model was compared with the multiple regression and fibre quality index (FQI) based regression models. ANN ranking of fibre properties was carried out using difference in test performance values as indicator and in case of multiple regression, standardized regression coefficients were used. It has been observed that in both ANN and multiple regression models, the ranks of span length and bundle strength are the same. The span length is the largest contributor for HSC and the bundle strength is the least contributor. The mean absolute errors of ANN and multiple regression equation are found to be less by 15% and 11% respectively in comparison with FQI-based linear regression equation.

3 illus, 4 tables, 34 ref