Starch as the Flame Retardant for Electrolytes in Lithium-Ion Cells

The main purpose of this work is to illustrate the flame retardant properties of corn starch that is used as an additive to the classic electrolytes in lithium-ion cells. The advantages of using natural biomass include the increased biodegradability of the cell, compliance with the slogan of green chemistry, as well as the widespread availability and easy isolation of this ingredient. Due to the non-Newtonian properties of starch, it increases work safety and prevents the occurrence of thermal runaway as a shear-thinning fluid in the event of a collision. Thus, its use may, in the future, prevent explosions that affect electric cars with lithium-ion batteries without significantly degrading the electrochemical parameters of the cell. In the manuscript, the viscosity test, flash point measurements, the SET (self-extinguishing time) test and conductivity measurements were performed, in addition to the determination of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) for the anode system. Additionally, the kinetic and thermodynamic parameters, for both flow and conductivity, were determined for a deeper analysis; this constitutes the scientific novelty of this study. Through mathematical analysis, it was shown that the optimal amount of added starch is 5%. This is supported primarily by the determined kinetic and thermodynamic parameters and the fact that the system did not gel during heating.

Experimental behaviour of road by using plastic waste

The use of plastic and related materials is increasing exponentially due to tremendous growth in population, urbanization and changed life style leads to widespread littering of plastic on the landscape. Disposal of waste plastic is a serious problem globally due to their non-biodegradability and hazardous to human healths, since these are not disposed scientifically and thus, create ground and water. If this curse to mankind in the form of waste plastic is used as a boon for mankind by using it as additives in road construction, it will proved to be a best solution over worst road condition. In the present paper techniques has been developed to use plastic waste for construction of bituminous roads and flexible pavements. In general bitumen is used as binder in road construction. Binding properties of this bitumen can be modified by blending it with waste plastic pieces. It can be used for construction purpose. Keywords— Bitumen, Coarse Aggregate, Ductility Test, Flash and Fire Point test, Plastic Waste

PROCESSING AND CHARACTERIZATION OF ECO-FRIENDLY CUTTING FLUID WITH NANO ADDITIVES FOR TURNING OPERATION

Machining quality depends on numerous factors such as speed, feed rate, quality of the materials, the cutting fluids used and so on. The quality of machining components can also be improved by using appropriate cutting fluids. In this study, the three different types of eco-friendly cutting fluids based on coconut oil with nano boric acid particles were synthesized with nanoadditives and characterized during the lathe-turning operation of mild steel. The obtained results were compared between the dry/plain turning (without the cutting fluid) and the turning with the cutting fluids like coconut oil and mineral oil with nanoparticles. In industries, a wide variety of cutting fluids are used; however, most of these cutting fluids are made up of synthetic materials which may affect the environment significantly. Hence, it is essential to develop eco-friendly cutting fluids for environmental sustainability. Here, the cutting fluids were characterized by the morphological study on nanoparticles (400[Formula: see text]nm) and the machined surface using scanning electron microscope (SEM), viscosity test, flash and fire point, surface roughness on machined part, tool tip-workpiece interface temperature, cutting force and flank wear measurement. The results showed that cutting fluids with 0.5% of boric acid had better performance.

An Evaluation of Relationships between Radar-Inferred Kinematic and Microphysical Parameters and Lightning Flash Rates in Alabama Storms

Lightning flash rate parameterizations based on polarimetric and multi-Doppler radar inferred microphysical (e.g., graupel volume, graupel mass, 35 dBZ volume) and kinematic (e.g., updraft volume, maximum updraft velocity) parameters have important applications in atmospheric science. Although past studies have established relations between flash rate and storm parameters, their expected performance in a variety of storm and flash rate conditions is uncertain due to sample limitations. Radar network and lightning mapping array observations over Alabama of a large and diverse sample of 33 storms are input to hydrometeor identification, vertical velocity retrieval and flash rate algorithms to develop and test flash rate relations. When applied to this sample, prior flash rate linear relations result in larger errors overall, including often much larger bias (both over- and under-estimation) and root mean square errors compared to the new linear relations. At low flash rates, the new flash rate relations based on kinematic parameters have larger errors compared to those based on microphysical ones. Sensitivity of error to the functional form (e.g., zero or non-zero intercept) is also tested. When considering all factors (e.g., low errors including at low flash rate, consistency with past linear relations, and insensitivity to functional form), the flash rate parameterization based on graupel volume has the best overall performance.

Performance Evaluation of Bitumen with Waste Materials

This examination researches the appropriateness of waste materials i.e., sawdust and rice husk as a filler materials in bitumen. The waste materials (Rice husk and Saw dust) were tried to decide its appropriateness in the bitumen asphalt. The suggestions are surmised upon the Marshall and volumetric properties. Reuse of waste item is perfect to lessen contamination, since transfer is diminished or dispensed with. In this examination, Rice husk and saw residue waste was ground utilizing a pounding ball to shape a fine powder. It was then sieved in 300µm. At the research center, Rice husk and saw residue were blended in with bitumen to supplant 5%, 10%, and 15% of the all the weight ,while 0% addressed the control test. The Penetration test, Softening Point test, Flash and Fire Point test, Viscosity test, Ductility test and Marshall Stability test were looked into in this examination on the mix degree on bitumen in with rice husk and saw dust. Rice husk and Sawdust were incorporated into bitumen and perfect rate is gotten the chance to improve the presentation of bitumen.

The Effect of Adding Additives on the Mixture of 80% Methanol 96% 20% Ethanol 10% as a Renewable Fuel to Kerosene Substitute

This research aims to obtain the effect of adding additives on the mixture of 80% methanol (96%) 20% ethanol (10%) that is based on the combustion characteristics as shown by the spaces: specific gravity at 60/60oF, heating value, flash point, kinetic viscosity at 40°C and the specific heat Cp. The method used to determine the effect of adding additives on the mixture of 80% methanol (96%) 20% ethanol (10%) is water boiling test (WBT) start cold and laboratory testing which includes heating value test, specific gravity test, kinetic viscosity test, flash point test. The results showed that the mixture of 80% methanol (96%) 20% ethanol (10%) with the addition of 33.4 ml (500 ml/60 liters of fuel) of additives Top One Power Booster get the temperature of the flame burning at the base is 479°C, the temperature of the flame burning in the middle is 383°C, boiling time (97°C) 1 kg of water is 3 minutes 22 second, fuel consumption is 90 ml, found puddles on kaviti 0.25 ml. It can be concluded that the additives Top One Octane Booster OB-4.5 in the form of caplets/solid containing heavy metals Pb (lead) so it does not dissolve in a mixture of 80% methanol (96%) 20% ethanol (10%), the addition of 33.4 ml of additive Top One Power Booster in a mixture of 80% methanol (95%) 20% ethanol (10%) to increase the heating value, the kinetic viscosity, specific heat and degrade the specific gravity, density and flash point.

Test of the paired-flash electroretinographic method in mice lacking b-waves

Previous studies of rod photoreceptors in vivo have employed a paired-flash electroretinographic (ERG) technique to determine rod response properties. To test whether absence versus presence of the ERG b-wave affects the photoreceptor response derived by the paired-flash method, we examined paired-flash-derived responses obtained from nob mice, a mutant strain with a defect in signal transduction between photoreceptors and ON bipolar cells that causes a lack of the b-wave. Normal littermates of the nob mice served as controls. The normalized amplitude-intensity relation of the derived response determined in nob mice at the near-peak time of 86 ms was similar to that determined for the controls. The full time course of the derived rod response was obtained for test flash strengths ranging from 0.11 to 17.38 scotopic cd s m−2 (sc cd s m−2). Time-course data obtained from nob and control mice exhibited significant but generally modest differences. With saturating test flash strengths, half-recovery times for the derived response of nobversus control mice differed by ∼60 ms or less about the combined (nob and control) average respective values. Time course data also were obtained before versus after intravitreal injection of l-2-amino-4-phosphonobutyrate (APB) (which blocks transmission from photoreceptors to depolarizing bipolar cells) and of cis 2,3-piperidine dicarboxylic acid (PDA) (which blocks transmission to OFF bipolar cells, and to horizontal, amacrine and ganglion cells). Neither APB nor PDA substantially affected derived responses obtained from nob or control mice. The results provide quantitative information on the effect of b-wave removal on the paired-flash-derived response in mouse. They argue against a substantial skewing effect of the b-wave on the paired-flash-derived response obtained in normal mice and are consistent with the notion that, to good approximation, this derived response represents the isolated flash response of the photoreceptors in both nob and normal mice.

Conditioning light differentially desensitizes rod phototransduction mediated by native and 9-demethyl analog visual pigment

Light adaptation in rod photoreceptors is thought to involve down-regulation of the signaling activity of photoactivated rhodopsin (R*). However, electrophysiological evidence in support of this notion has come largely from studies of truncated, perfused rod outer segments and of rods genetically engineered to perturb known steps in R* deactivation. To test this hypothesis within intact native rods, we examined the effect of a fixed conditioning flash on rods prepared to contain 9-demethyl rhodopsin (9dR) in addition to residual rhodopsin. 9dR, an opsin-based photopigment containing 11-cis 9-demethylretinal as its chromophore, exhibits a blue-shifted excitation spectrum and sluggish deactivation kinetics, properties that distinguish the signaling activities of photoactivated 9dR (9dR*) from those of R*. Saturating photocurrent responses mediated preferentially by R* and 9dR* were obtained with test flash stimulation at 640 and 440 nm, respectively, under dark-adapted conditions (unconditioned response) and at a fixed time after a 640-nm conditioning flash of fixed high intensity. At each test wavelength, the decrease in photocurrent saturation period induced by the conditioning flash was analyzed to determine ψ, the sensitivity of the conditioned response relative that of the unconditioned response; ψ640 /ψ440, the ratio of relative sensitivities, was then obtained. Data obtained from 12 rods yielded ψ640 /ψ440 = 0.60 ± 0.13 (mean ± SD). As common pools of transducin and other downstream components mediate transduction initiated by both R* and 9dR*, the finding that ψ640 < ψ440 provides direct evidence for the down-regulation specifically of R*'s signaling activity during rod light adaptation.

Absolute and relative sensitivity of the scotopic system of rat: Electroretinography and behavior

The goal of the present study was to relate the dark and light-adapted flash sensitivity of the scotopic threshold response (STR) and rod b-wave of the electroretinogram (ERG) to behaviorally measured rod increment threshold responses. Small amplitudes of the dark-adapted STR and b-wave, the latter after application of NMDA, were found to increase in proportion to flash intensity. The value obtained for the sensitivity of the b-wave would be expected if signals from rods were summed linearly by the rod bipolar cell. The sensitivity of the STR could not be accounted for in terms of rod signal convergence as the source of this ERG component is still unknown. Increment threshold responses of rats were measured behaviorally in an operant conditioning chamber. At absolute threshold, on average 1 in 2400 rods were activated by the test flash. Comparison of the adaptive effects of background lights on behaviorally measured scotopic sensitivity and rod ERG sensitivity suggest that the increment threshold sensitivity of rat is regulated at three different sites in the retina.

Light Adaptation in Pecten Hyperpolarizing Photoreceptors

The ability of scallop hyperpolarizing photoreceptors to respond without attenuation to repetitive flashes, together with their low light sensitivity, lack of resolvable quantum bumps and fast photoresponse kinetics, had prompted the suggestion that these cells may be constitutively in a state akin to light adaptation. We here demonstrate that their photocurrent displays all manifestations of sensory adaptation: (a) The response amplitude to a test flash is decreased in a graded way by background or conditioning lights. This attenuation of the response develops with a time constant of 200–800 ms, inversely related to background intensity. (b) Adapting stimuli shift the stimulus-response curve and reduce the size of the saturating photocurrent. (c) The fall kinetics of the photoresponse are accelerated by light adaptation, and the roll-off of the modulation transfer function is displaced to higher frequencies. This light-induced desensitization exhibits a rapid recovery, on the order of a few seconds. Based on the notion that Ca mediates light adaptation in other cells, we examined the consequences of manipulating this ion. Removal of external Ca reversibly increased the photocurrent amplitude, without affecting light sensitivity, photoresponse kinetics, or susceptibility to background adaptation; the effect, therefore, concerns ion permeation, rather than the regulation of the visual response. Intracellular dialysis with 10 mM BAPTA did not reduce the peak-to-plateau decay of the photocurrent elicited by prolonged light steps, not the background-induced compression of the response amplitude range and the acceleration of its kinetics. Conversely, high levels of buffered free [Ca]i (10 μM) only marginally shifted the sensitivity curve (Δσ = 0.3 log) and spared all manifestations of light adaptation. These results indicate that hyperpolarizing invertebrate photoreceptors adapt to light, but the underlying mechanisms must utilize pathways that are largely independent of changes in cytosolic Ca. The results are discussed in terms of aspects of commonalty to other ciliary sensory receptor cells.