Investment analysis of chemical projects and development of standerdised mathematical co-relation for cost estimation of pressure vessels in chemical industry

The present study is intended to provide a new scientific approach to the solution of the worlds cost engineering problems encountered in the chemical industries in our nation. The problem is that of cost estimation of equipments especially of pressure vessels when setting up chemical industries .The present study attempts to develop a model for such cost estimation. This in turn is hoped would go a long way to solve this and related problems in forecasting the cost of setting up chemical plants.

Chemical and Biochemical Studies on Natural Antioxidants from sesamum Species

In the present study on natural antioxidants, the focus has been kept mainly on oil seeds, especially sesame and its by-products. Sesame, which has been under cultivation in India for centuries is called the 'Queen of oil seed crops' because of the high yield of oil obtained and the nutritional qualities of the seed, oil, and meal. Though India is the largest producer of sesame in the world, research on the various health benefits of sesame has been carried out by Japanese Sesame has an important place in the foods and tradit..ional medicine of India from time immemorial. Foreseeing the potential of sesame and its byproducts as an important antioxidant source and its availability in bulk, the present study was focussed on Sesamum species. There are not many reports on the wild species of Sesamum in India, especially of the Kerala region. Hence, in the present study we also included antioxidants of Sesamurnrnalabaricumdistributed throughout the coastal region.The important characteristics of sesame are attributed to the presence of the umquc compounds lignans. Lignans arc a group of natural products of phenyl propanoid ongm, whieh are widely distributed in nature. They display important physiological functions in plants, in human nutrition and medicine, given their extensive health promotive and curative properties. Much interest has been focussed on their effectiveness as antineoplastic agents and research in this area has revealed several modes of action by which they can regulate the growth of mammalian cells. Sesame is an important source of furofuran lignans, of which sesamin and the rare oxygenated derivative sesamoIin are the most abundant. Others include sesamol and glucosides of lignans. Sesarnin and episesamin are reported to have hypocholesterolemic effect, suppressive effect on chemically induced cancer, alleviation of allergy symptoms etc. Sesamol, sesamolin and the lignan glycosides are reported to inhibit lipid peroxidation. Present investigation on sesame and its byproducts have been carried out to explore the possibility of developing a natural antioxidant extract from available resources to be used as a substitute to synthetic ones in vegetable oils and foods. Preliminary analysis showed that sesame cake, a byproduct could still be utilized as a major source of lignans. Sesame cake, which is now used only as a cattlefeed, can be better utilized in the form of a valuable antioxidant source. The present study explains the development of a feasible process for the extraction of antioxidant compounds from sesame cake. The antioxidant extract so prepared from sesame cake has been tested for vegetable oil protection and is found to be effective at low concentration. In addition, studies also include the antioxidant, radical scavenging, anticancer, mosquitocidal and pesticidal activities of extract and individual compounds.

Studies on the isolation and characterization of flavones and triterpenoids from a few plants

In the present scenario, there is an increasing demand for natural products in food industry, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and agricultural sectors. In this context phytochemical study to identify newer chemicals has got great relevance. Phytochemical studies have become more reliable and encouraging with the development of modern analytical techniques.In the present work the leaves of Piper colubrinum (Piperaceae), aerial parts of Mussaenda fiondosa (Rubiaceae) and Humboldtia vahliana (Leguminosae) and the pericarp of fruits of Artocarpus heterophyllus (Moraceae) were investigated for their secondary metabolites. The major compounds isolated belong to the groups of flavonoids and triterpenoids.Naturally occurring flavonoids have been used widely in chemotaxonomic studies of plants. Flavones and flavonols constitute a group of biosynthetically related natural products. No universal function has been established for flavones and flavonols in plants. However, many functions in individual plants have been demonstrated. These include protection of plants from ultraviolet light, insects and pests; pollinator attractants; antioxidants; plant hormone controllers; enzyme inhibitors and allelopathic agents. Flavonoids are attracting the attention of medical scientists in recent years because of their anticarcinogenic, antiallergic and antiinflammatory properties. The recent discovery that flavonoids are involved in the process of nitrogen fixation in plants also opens the way for agricultural application of these constituents.Triterpenoids are another class of compounds that are ubiquitous in plants. Some triterpenoids present in the latex and resins of plants are believed to be involved in chemical defence against pathogens and herbivores. Triterpenoids possess various biological properties including anti-inflammatory, antifeedant, pesticidal, fungitoxic and antimicrobial activities. Triterpenoids with cytotoxic activity and inhibitory effect on seed germination are also known.

Environmentally compatible phyto-chemical larvicides for mosquito control

In the last decades considerable headway has been made in research and development of phyto-chemical pesticides. The most notable recent success is the commercial development of neem products for insect control. The present investigation on Environmentally Compatible Phyto-Chemical Larvicides for Mosquito Control was undertaken to identify plants of the locality with potential larvicidal activity on mosquito larvae. This has been achieved by screening 17 plant species against four mosquito species. The observation and data are compiled in six chapters .

Development of optical fiber sensors for selected chemical and physical sensing applications

The objective of the preset work is to develop optical fiber sensors for various physical and chemical parameters. As a part of this we initially investigated trace analysis of silica, ammonia, iron and phosphate in water. For this purpose the author has implemented a dual wavelength probing scheme which has many advantages over conventional evanescent wave sensors. Dual wavelength probing makes the design more reliable and repeatable and this design makes the sensor employable for concentration, chemical content, adulteration level, monitoring and control in industries or any such needy environments. Use of low cost components makes the system cost effective and simple. The Dual wavelength probing scheme is employed for the trace analysis of silica, iron, phosphate, and ammonia in water. Such sensors can be employed for the steam and water quality analysers in power plants. Few samples from a power plant are collected and checked the performance of developed system for practical applications.

Chemical Evaluation of Selected Organics and Trace Metals in the Mangrove Macroflora Of Cochin

Mangroves are considered to play a significant role in global carbon cycling. Themangrove forests would fix CO2 by photosynthesis into mangrove lumber and thus decrease the possibility of a catastrophic series of events - global warming by atmospheric CO2, melting of the polar ice caps, and inundation of the great coastal cities of the world. The leaf litter and roots are the main contributors to mangrove sediments, though algal production and allochthonous detritus can also be trapped (Kristensen et al, 2008) by mangroves due to their high organic matter content and reducing nature are excellent metal retainers. Environmental pollution due to metals is of major concern. This is due to the basic fact that metals are not biodegradable or perishable the way most organic pollutants are. While most organic toxicants can be destroyed by combustion and converted into compounds such as C0, C02, SOX, NOX, metals can't be destroyed. At the most the valance and physical form of metals may change. Concentration of metals present naturally in air, water and soil is very low. Metals released into the environment through anthropogenic activities such as burning of fossils fuels, discharge of industrial effluents, mining, dumping of sewage etc leads to the development of higher than tolerable or toxic levels of metals in the environment leading to metal pollution. Of course, a large number of heavy metals such as Fe, Mn, Cu, Ni, Zn, Co, Cr, Mo, and V are essential to plants and animals and deficiency of these metals may lead to diseases, but at higher levels, it would lead to metal toxicity. Almost all industrial processes and urban activities involve release of at least trace quantities of half a dozen metals in different forms. Heavy metal pollution in the environment can remain dormant for a long time and surface with a vengeance. Once an area gets toxified with metals, it is almost impossible to detoxify it. The symptoms of metal toxicity are often quite similar to the symptoms of other common diseases such as respiratory problems, digestive disorders, skin diseases, hypertension, diabetes, jaundice etc making it all the more difficult to diagnose metal poisoning. For example the Minamata disease caused by mercury pollution in addition to affecting the nervous system can disturb liver function and cause diabetes and hypertension. The damage caused by heavy metals does not end up with the affected person. The harmful effects can be transferred to the person's progenies. Ironically heavy metal pollution is a direct offshoot of our increasing ability to mass produce metals and use them in all spheres of existence. Along with conventional physico- chemical methods, biosystem approachment is also being constantly used for combating metal pollution

Studies On The Effect Of Laser Radiation And Other Mutagens On Plants

The effect of lasers of three wavelengths in the visible region - 476, 488 and 514 nm on mitotic and meiotic cell divisions, growth, yield and activity of specific enzymes were studied in two taxonomically diverse plant species — A/lium cepa L. and Vicia faba. The effect of laser exposures was compared with the effect of two physical mutagens (Gamma and Ultraviolet radiations) and two chemical mutagens (Ethyl Methane Sulphonate and Hydroxyl amine). The study indicated that lasers could be mutagenic causing aberration in the mitotic and meiotic cell divisions while also producing changes in the growth and yield of the plants. Lasers of higher wavelengths 488 and 514 nm caused aberrations in the early stages of mitotic cell division whereas lasers of lower wavelengths (476 nm) caused more aberrations in the later stages of mitotic cell division. Laser exposure of 488 nm wavelength at power density 400 mW induced higher mitotic and meiotic aberrations and also induced higher pollen sterility than lasers of 476 and 514 nm. The frequency of mitotic aberrations induced by lasers was lesser than that caused by y-irradiation but comparable to that induced by EMS and HA. Lasers cause mutations in higher frequencies than UV. Lasers had a stimulatory effect on growth and yield in both plant species. This stimulatory effect of lasers on germination could not however be correlated to the activity of amylase and protease, the key enzymes in seed gennination. Enzymes such as peroxidase and catalase, involved in scavenging of free oxygen radicals often produced by irradiation, did not show increased activity in laser irradiated samples. Further studies are required for elucidating the exact mechanisms by which lasers cause mutations

Sono, Photo and Sonophoto Catalytic Removal of Chemical and Bacterial Pollutants from Wastewater

The term ‘water pollution’ broadly refers to the contamination of water and water bodies (e.g. lakes, rivers, oceans, groundwater etc). Water pollution occurs when pollutants are discharged directly or indirectly into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove the harmful contaminants. This affects not only the plants and organisms living in these bodies of water but also the entire natural biological communities and the biodiversity.Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) have been tested as environment-friendly techniques for the treatment of contaminated water, in view of their ability to convert pollutants into harmless end products. These techniques refer to a set of treatment procedures designed to remove organic or inorganic contaminants in wastewater by oxidation. The contaminants are oxidized by different reagents such as air, oxygen, ozone, and hydrogen peroxide which are introduced in precise, preprogrammed dosages, sequences and combinations under appropriate conditions. The procedure when combined with light in presence of catalyst is known as photocatalysis. When ultrasound (US) is used as the energy source, the process is referred as sonication. Sonication in presence of catalyst is referred as sonocatalysis. Of late, combination of light and sound as energy sources has been tested for the decontamination of wastewater in the presence of suitable catalyst. In this case, the process is referred as sonophotocatalysis. These AOPs are specially advantageous in pollution control and waste water treatment because unlike many other technologies, they do not just transfer the pollutant from one phase to another but completely degrade them into innocuous substances such as CO2 and H2O.