Natural leathers from natural materials: progressing toward a new arena in leather processing

Globally, the leather industry is currently undergoing radical transformation due to pollution and discharge legislations. Thus, the leather industry is pressurized to look for cleaner options for processing the raw hides and skins. Conventional methods of pre-tanning, tanning and post-tanning processes are known to contribute more than 98% of the total pollution load from the leather processing. The conventional method of the tanning process involves the "do-undo" principle. Furthermore, the conventional methods employed in leather processing subject the skin/ hide to a wide variation in pH (2.8-13.0). This results in the emission of huge amounts of pollution loads such as BOD, COD, TDS, TS, sulfates, chlorides and chromium. In the approach illustrated here, the hair and flesh removal as well as fiber opening have been achieved using biocatalysts at pH 8.0, pickle-free natural tanning employing vegetable tannins, and post-tanning using environmentally friendly chemicals. Hence, this process involves dehairing, fiber opening, and pickle-free natural tanning followed by ecofriendly post-tanning. It has been found that the extent of hair removal and opening up of fiber bundles is comparable to that of conventionally processed leathers. This has been substantiated through scanning electron microscopic analysis and softness measurements. Performance of the leathers is shown to be on par with conventionally chrome-tanned leathers through physical and hand evaluation. The process also exhibits zero metal (chromium) discharge and significant reduction in BOD, COD, TDS, and TS loads by 83, 69, 96, and 96%, respectively. Furthermore, the developed process seems to be economically viable.     

Fabrication of conducting polymer-gold nanoparticles film on electrodes using monolayer protected gold nanoparticles and its electrocatalytic application

We wish to report a simple and new strategy for the fabrication of gold nanoparticles-conducting polymer film on glassy carbon (GC) and indium tin oxide (ITO) surfaces using 5-amino-2-mercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazole capped gold nanoparticles (AMT-AuNPs) in 0.01 M H₂SO₄ by electropolymerization. The presence of amine groups on the surface of the AuNPs was responsible for the deposition of the AMT-AuNPs film on the electrode surface. The atomic force microscopy (AFM) studies reveal that the fabricated p-AMT-AuNPs film showed homogeneously distributed AuNPs with a spherical shape of ∼8 nm diameter. The XPS spectrum shows the binding energies at 83.8 and 87.5 eV in the Au 4f region corresponding to 4f_7/2 and 4f_5/2, respectively. The position and difference between these two peaks (3.7 eV) exactly match the value reported for Au⁰. The N1s XPS showed three binding energies at 396.7, 399.6 and 403.3 eV, corresponding to the NH, –NH– and –N⁺H–, respectively, confirming that the electropolymerization proceeded through the oxidation of –NH₂ groups present on the periphery of the AMT-AuNPs. The application of the present p-AMT-AuNPs modified electrode was demonstrated by studying the electro reduction of oxygen at pH 7.2. The p-AMT-AuNPs film enhanced the oxygen reduction current more than three times than that of p-AMT film prepared under identical conditions.     

Analysis of arbitrarily shaped microstrip patch antennas using segmentation technique and cavity model

Arbitrarily shaped microstrip patch antennas have been analyzed for resonant frequency, input impedance, and radiation patterns. The segmentation technique and the cavity model have been used for this purpose. The usefulness and the accuracy of the method are shown through comparison with experimental results for a rectangular ring antenna. The agreement is seen to be very good. Ihe method appears to be more efficient compared to those reported so far for arbitrary shapes. Moreover, feed reactance is built into the analysis. The method presented here can also be used to analyze microstrip antennas with various types of loadings, e.g., shorting pins, matched loads, etc.     

Gauge length effect on the tensile properties of leather

Tensile properties are important basic characteristics of materials and influence their end‐use and performance. More importantly, in the case of leather due to end‐use applications such as shoe uppers, automotive and furniture upholstery, mechanical properties such as tenacity are of extreme importance. Therefore, fundamental studies on the tensile properties of leather are needed. In this study, an attempt has been made to examine the effect of gauge length (GL) on the tensile properties of shoe upper leather. Two different specimens in the form of rectangular and dumbbell shapes have been cut from parallel and perpendicular directions to the body axis of the leather and have been tested. Results showed that the maximum breaking load and the percentage extension at break decreased with the increase in GL. Rectangular specimens showed a 30% decrease in maximum breaking load and a 13% decrease in percentage extension at break, while dumbbell specimens showed reductions in the order of 28 and 6%, respectively, as the GL increased from 9.53 cm to 23.5 cm. Highly varying supramolecular architecture of the collagen matrix and the frictional slippage caused by the free ends present in the collagen fibrils, which induce a weak‐link effect similar to the one found in cotton fibers and yarns, are considered to be the probable reasons for this behavior. A limited scanning electron microscopic study has been undertaken to pictorially represent the breakage of leather at different GLs. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 101: 1202–1209, 2006     

Achieving Superior Strength and Ductility in Ti-6Al-4V Recycled from Machining Chips by Equal Channel Angular Pressing

Ti-6Al-4V machining chips were recycled using equal channel angular pressing. The as-recycled material was fully dense and well bonded, but contained chip boundaries decorated by entrapped surface oxide, giving rise to brittleness in tensile loading. Annealing at high temperatures was effective in removing the oxide. The times required for completely dissolving the oxide layers were calculated using models based on oxygen diffusion in α- and β-Ti, respectively. It is shown that the oxide dissolution is rapid, taking from several minutes to less than one second at temperatures between 973 K and 1323 K (700 °C and 1050 °C) for thicknesses of up to 1 μm. In addition, bands of grains finer than those in the matrix occurred in the vicinity of the prior chip boundaries, caused by the enhanced level of oxygen diffusing away from the dissolving oxide which hindered local grain growth. It would take hours of annealing to homogenize the grain size and composition. The as-recycled material was subjected to conventional mill-annealing, leading to a finer microstructure with superior yield strength (~1150 MPa) and equivalent tensile ductility (~25 pct), compared to a commercial mill-annealed Ti-6Al-4V.     

Transforming chromium containing collagen wastes into flexible composite sheets using cellulose derivatives: Structural,thermal, and mechanical investigations

Leather, footwear, and clothing industries produce significant quantity of chromium containing proteinaceous wastes. One of the major uses of these wastes is to convert them into sheets or boards. However, the previous methods could not provide flexible sheets with desired strength. Here, we describe a simple and efficient method for the preparation of flexible composite sheets using chromium containing collagenous wastes (CS) with the use of cellulose derivatives. The leather wastes have been partially hydrolyzed and converted into composite sheets under microwaves with the addition of 2‐hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) in varying concentrations from 2.5 to 20 wt%. A comprehensive strength as high as 3.14 ± 0.45 MPa with a softness of 3.8 ± 0.2 mm is achieved with the addition of 20 wt% HEC in the CS/HEC composite sheets. Scanning electron microscopic and mercury intrusion porosimetric analysis demonstrate the reduction in pores, especially micro pores (<50 μm), when the concentration of HEC is higher thereby showing improved interfacial adhesion of HEC onto CS. Infrared spectroscopy result indicates the presence of distinctive bands associated with both CS and HEC. There is also a reasonable increase in the thermal stability of the CS/HEC sheets as the content of HEC increases. Hence, the developed CS/HEC composite sheets were found to be flexible and have improved thermo‐mechanical properties, which are suitable for applications in leather product and allied industries. POLYM. COMPOS., 2011. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Exergy efficiency and irreversibility comparison of R22, R134a, R290 and R407C to replace R22 in an air conditioning system

This work presents an experimental comparison of exergy efficiency (EE), irreversibility at the process 1–2 (evaporator exit to compressor inlet), 2–3 (compressor inlet to condenser inlet), 3–4 (condenser inlet to expansion valve inlet), 4–5 (expansion valve inlet to evaporator inlet) and 5–1 (evaporator), and coefficient of performance (COP) of R22, and its substitutes R134a, R290 and R407C in vapor compression refrigeration system (VCRS) of an air conditioner. In addition, the effects of air temperature in the freezer with reference to environment states on irreversibility and EE have been investigated. At ?18°C air temperature in the freezer, 33°C reference environment state and 42% relative humidity refrigerants R22 and its substitutes R134a, R290 and R407C VCRSs the total irreversibilities are 665.7, 753.5, 582.1 and 677 W, and EEs are 22.9, 14.2, 26.5 and 20.6%, respectively. The refrigerant R290 is the best performer among candidate refrigerants but it suffers from flammability. Thus, R407C can considerably be used to replace R22.     

Water‐blown polyurethane–clay nanocomposite foams from biopolyol—effect of nanoclay on the properties

The present work deals with the development of polyurethane–clay nanocomposite foams by replacing part of the synthetic polyol with castor oil derivative. Hydroxylated castor oil was converted into diethanol amide by transamidation and the resulting polyol was formulated into water‐blown foams. Modified montmorillonite clay was used as nanofiller in different amounts viz. 0.5%, 1.0%, 2.0%, and 5.0% by total weight of the foam formulation. Rheological measurements on the polyol–clay mixtures indicated that up to 1% clay loading there is no significant change in the viscosity with shear rate and beyond 2%, shear thinning occurred. X‐ray diffraction studies further substantiated these results. The effect of the modified clay on the density, mechanical properties such as compression strength, compression modulus, and microstructure of the foams were investigated. The filler thus added had a reinforcing effect on the foam as observed in the density and compression strength measurements. Differential scanning calorimetric studies on T_g and dynamic mechanical analyses on the modulus clearly indicated that 1% clay loading and above led to exfoliation and plasticizing effect. Exfoliated nanocomposites in compositions containing 1% clay and more yielded a much higher nucleation rate than intercalated ones leading to reduced cell size as observed by optical and scanning electron microscopy. Thus, castor oil, which is readily available, relatively inexpensive, and environmentally benign nonedible oil, has been successfully used to prepare filled semirigid foams which can find application in insulation and packing. POLYM. COMPOS. 34:1306–1312, 2013. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Synthesis,characterization, optical and electrical properties of thermally stable polyazomethines derived from 4,4′-oxydianiline

Three soluble, thermally stable azomethine polymers were synthesized by the oxidative polycondensation of azomethine bisphenols using NaOCl as an oxidant in aqueous alkaline medium. The azomethine bisphenol monomers, 4,4′-oxybis[N-(2-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzilidine)aniline], 4,4′-oxybis[N-(2-hydroxy-5-bromobenzilidine)aniline] and 4,4′-oxybis[N-(2-hydroxynaphthalidine) aniline] were synthesized by the condensation of 4,4′-oxydianiline with three aromatic aldehydes. The structures of the monomers and polymers were confirmed by Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy, UV–visible, ¹H-NMR and ¹³C-NMR spectroscopic techniques. Morphology of the synthesized polymers was characterized using scanning electron microscope. The thermal stability of the polymers is evidenced by high carbines residue obtained in TGA. Fluorescence spectra showed that the emission maxima centred in the region 420–460 nm for all the compounds with large stokes shift values (?λ_ST). Electrical conductivity of iodine-doped polymers was measured by four-point probe technique. The synthesized polymers have shown good electrical conductivity on iodine doping, and it increases with the increase in iodine vapour contact time. The self-extinguishing property of the synthesized polymers was studied by the calculation of the limiting oxygen index values with van Krevelen’s equation.