Microalgae Chlorella as a potential bio-energy feedstock

Microalgae are promising biomass species owing to their fast growth rate and high CO₂ fixation ability as compared to terrestrial plants. Microalgae have long been recognized as potentially good source for biofuel production because of their high oil content and rapid biomass production. In this study Chlorella sp. MP-1 biomass was examined for its physical and chemical characteristics using Bomb calorimeter, TGDTA, CHN and FTIR. The proximate composition was calculated using standard ASTM methodology. Chlorella sp. MP-1 biomass shows low ash (5.93%), whereas high energy (18.59 MJ/kg), carbohydrate (19.46%), and lipid (28.82%) content. The algal de-oiled cake was characterized by FTIR spectroscopy and thermogravimetric study at 10 °C/min and 30 °C/min to investigate its feasibility for thermo-chemical conversion. The present investigation suggests that within the realm of biomass energy technologies the algal biomass can be used as feedstock for bio and thermo-chemical whereas the de-oiled cake for thermo-chemical conversion thereby serving the demand of second generation biofuels.     

A new aluminum-based metal matrix composite reinforced with cobalt ferrite magnetic nanoparticle

A new composite with cobalt ferrite magnetic nanoparticle dispersed in an aluminum matrix has been prepared using the ball-milling technique followed by compaction and sintering. Our efforts were largely focused on investigating the contribution of cobalt ferrite to the enhancement of structural, mechanical and magnetic properties of aluminum. Incorporation of 1–10 weight (wt)% of nanosized cobalt ferrite into the aluminum matrix could affect remarkable change in mechanical properties. Enhancement of hardness value, elastic modulus, and compressive strength was observed in the case of cobalt ferrite-incorporated aluminum matrix as compared to the pure aluminum sample. Incorporation of cobalt ferrite could impart considerable improvement of magnetization value of the aluminum matrix with a saturation magnetization of 17.07 emu/g for the aluminum sample reinforced with 10 wt% of cobalt ferrite. A decrease in coercive force in the sample arising from the increase in surface effects and inter-particle interaction between the ferromagnetic cobalt ferrite and soft phases in the matrix was also observed.     

Preparation of ordered porous carbon from tea by chemical activation and its use in Cr(VI) adsorption

Ordered porous carbon was prepared from a new carbon precursor??the tea leaves, the most widely used beverage worldwide by a chemical activation process. We obtained well developed spherical interlinked meso and micro pores with uniform pore morphology and high surface area from green, black and waste tea by NaOH as well as H₃PO₄ activation process. The carbon obtained from green tea by H₃PO₄ activation had the highest BET surface area of 1,285?m²g^?1 with total pore volume of 0.6243?mL?g^?1. The as prepared porous carbon showed high adsorption efficiency of Cr(VI) adsorption from aqueous solution.     

A Position Synchronization Controller for Co-ordinated Links (COOL) Dual Robot Arm Based on Integral Sliding Mode: Design and Experimental Validation

Machine Intelligence Research - In this study, a simple position synchronization control algorithm based on an integral sliding mode is developed for dual-arm robotic manipulator systems. A...     

Negative ion beam extraction in ROBIN

The RF based single driver ?ve ion source experiment test bed ROBIN (Replica Of BATMAN like source in INDIA) has been set up at Institute for Plasma Research (IPR), India in a technical collaboration with IPP, Garching, Germany. A hydrogen plasma of density 5 × 10¹² cm^?3 is expected in driver region of ROBIN by launching 100 kW RF power into the driver by 1 MHz RF generator. The cesiated source is expected to deliver a hydrogen negative ion beam of 10 A at 35 kV with a current density of 35 mA/cm² as observed in BATMAN.In first phase operation of the ROBIN ion source, a hydrogen plasma has been successfully generated (without extraction system) by coupling 80 kW RF input power through a matching network with high power factor (cos θ > 0.8) and different plasma parameters have been measured using Langmuir probes and emission spectroscopy. The plasma density of 2.5 × 10¹¹ cm^?3 has been measured in the extraction region of ROBIN. For negative hydrogen ion beam extraction in second phase operation, extraction system has been assembled and installed with ion source on the vacuum vessel. The source shall be first operated in volume mode for negative ion beam extraction. The commissioning of the source with high voltage power supply has been initiated.     

Equilibrium modeling,kinetic and thermodynamic studies on the adsorption of Cr(VI) using activated carbon derived from matured tea leaves

A new porous carbon with high surface area of 1,313.41 m² g^?1 with pore volume 1.359 cm³ g^?1 has been synthesized from matured tea leaves by chemical activation method using phosphoric acid. The carbon was found to be highly efficient for removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solution. The effects of various parameters such as contact time, initial metal ion concentration, pH, temperature and amount of adsorbent on the extent of adsorption were studied. Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin adsorption models were used to interpret the experimental data. The adsorption data were best fitted with Langmuir isotherm model. The adsorption capacity of Cr(VI) onto the activated carbon calculated from Langmuir isotherm was found to be 30.8 mg g^?1 at pH 4.8 and temperature 303 K. The adsorption capacity increases from 25.36 to 32.04 mg g^?1 with an increase in temperature from 303 to 323 K at initial Cr(VI) concentration of 60 mg L^?1. The adsorption process followed a pseudo second order kinetic model. Thermodynamic parameters ΔH⁰ (28.6 KJ mol^?1), ΔG⁰ at three different temperatures [(?0.145, ?1.09, ?2.04) KJ mol^?1] and ΔS⁰ (94.87 J mol^?1 K^?1) were calculated. These values confirm the adsorption process to be endothermic and spontaneous in nature.     

Biochar from oil cakes: an efficient and economical adsorbent for the removal of acid dyes from wool dye house effluent

Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy - In the reported study, biochars were prepared from almond, coconut, and mustard oil cakes by chemical activation with phosphoric acid followed by...