Studies on Enhancement of Silt Erosion Resistance of 13/4 Martensitic Stainless Steel by Low-Temperature Salt Bath Nitriding

Low-temperature salt bath nitriding of heat treated and tempered 13/4 Martensitic stainless steel (13/4HTT) was carried at 450 °C (N450) and 500 °C (N500) for 10 h each. The nitrided samples were characterized by using x-ray diffractometer, field emission scanning electron microscope and optical microscope. The nanohardness and elastic modulus of the cross section of nitrided specimen were measured by nanoindentation test using Hysitron TI950 triboindenter. The nitrided 13/4HTT (N450 and N500) and 13/4HTT specimens were subjected to slurry erosion test in a slurry pot tester. The test was conducted for 48 h, and weight loss was measured after every 6 h. The relative speed of slurry with respect to specimen was 4.55 m/s. It was found that the weight loss due to erosion of the N450 is 83% less than that of 13/4HTT and that of N500 was 92% more than that of 13/4HTT. The erosion mechanism is correlated to the phases present in the specimens. The improvement in the slurry erosion resistance of N450 is due to presence of expanded martensite (\(\alpha_{N}\)-Fe). Increasing the temperature of nitriding to 500 °C led to the decrease in the slurry erosion resistance of N500 due to the formation of brittle CrN phase.     

Comparative dry matter intake and nutrient utilisation efficiency in lactating cattle and buffaloes

An attempt was made to assess the comparative dry matter intake and nutrient utilisation efficiency of lactating buffaloes and cows based on results obtained from experimental feeding trials conducted in India. Data on dry matter (DM) intake, total digestible nutrient (TDN) intake, digestible crude protein (DCP) intake, body weight or metabolic body size (MBS), body weight change, milk yield or 4% fat‐corrected milk (FCM) yield, milk fat percentage and roughage/concentrate ratio in the diet of lactating buffaloes and cows were collected from published reports. The data were processed and analysed to assess the comparative dry matter intake and nutrient utilisation efficiency using suitable statistical analysis models. DM intake was significantly (P < 0.01) lower in buffaloes (2.57 kg DM per 100 kg body weight or 119.2 g kg^?1 MBS) than in cattle (3.09 kg DM per 100 kg body weight or 132.0 g kg^?1 MBS). Mean gross energetic efficiency (30.53 versus 27.83%; P < 0.01), gross protein efficiency (45.48 versus 37.06%; P < 0.01), net energetic efficiency (69.16 versus 64.10%; P < 0.05) and net protein efficiency (80.15 versus 59.59%; P < 0.001) were significantly higher in buffaloes than in cattle. Lactating buffaloes consumed significantly less (P < 0.001) protein (75.69 g DCP) and less (P < 0.01) energy (695.9 g TDN) than cows (93.89 g DCP, 774.8 g TDN) for production of 1 kg of 4% fat‐corrected milk. Buffaloes had higher energy and protein utilisation efficiencies as compared with cattle at similar fat‐corrected milk production level, plane of energy and protein nutrition, body size and body weight change. Buffaloes (1.189 kg DM kg^?1 4% FCM) consumed a similar (P > 0.05) amount of feed dry matter to that of cows (1.267 kg DM kg^?1 4% FCM). However, when DM intake kg^?1 FCM (4%) was compared at constant levels of metabolic body size, fat‐corrected milk, body weight change, dietary energy concentration and green forage percentage in the diet, lactating buffaloes consumed significantly less DM kg^?1 FCM yield as compared with cattle. It was concluded that DM intake was lower in lactating buffaloes. Moreover, lactating buffaloes utilised dietary dry matter, energy and protein for milk production more efficiently than cattle. © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

Pen Plotter as a Low-Cost Platform for Rapid Device Prototyping with Solution-Processable Nanomaterials

The use of inexpensive benchtop plotters in combination with refillable writing pens and markers as a powerful route to print nanomaterial-based inks on paper substrates is studied. It is proved that this approach is very robust, it can be used to print inks of many different solution-processable nanomaterials, and is very precise, allowing pattern features with pitch separation as narrow as 80 μm. The general character of this printing platform by printing van der Waals materials, organic semiconductors, hybrid perovskites and colloidal nanoparticles with a broad range of properties (from insulators to superconductors) is illustrated. The system is used to easily create several example applications such as an all-printed, paper-supported photodetector. This printing platform can be very helpful for research groups with a wealth of expertise in synthesis of solution-processable nanomaterials but that lack the infrastructure, resources, and expertise to perform traditional inkjet printing for fast device prototyping.     

Effect of 1-D silver grated electrode on wafer‐based TOPCon c-Si solar cell

Silicon - A modified structure of Anti reflection coating (ARC) less wafer based 200&nbsp;μm thick c-Si Solar cell with tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar cell is proposed with...     

Segmented Drain Engineered Tunnel Field Effect Transistor for Suppression of Ambipolarity

Silicon - In this paper, a new Si0.6Ge0.4/Si heterostructure tunneling field-effect transistor with segmented drain (SiGe/Si SD TFET) is proposed and simulated by Silvaco ATLAS simulator. The drain...