Evaluation of bentonite and sand mixtures as liners

Compacted clay liners are widely used for waste contaminant facilities because of their low cost, large leachate attenuation capacity and resistance to damage and puncture. Commonly used bentonite possess many limitations such as high swelling and shrinkage potential, sensitivity to waste fluid characteristics etc. The paper proposes the use of bentonite-sand mixture containing optimal clay content as liner material. It has been brought out, based on detailed geotechnical investigations, that a mixture containing only about 20 to 39% of bentonite is more suited than the clay alone and they possess.

Geotechnical properties of some Indian fly ashes

To reduce the cost of disposal of large quantities of fly ash generated and environmental problems associated with it, efforts are made to utilize fly ash for geotechnical applications. Geotechnical properties of fly ash play a key role in enhancing their application. Physical properties and chemical composition control the index properties arid engineering behaviour. The paper brings out the rob of surface area, surface characteristics, reactive silica and lime content of fly ashes on index, compaction, consolidation and strength properties of fly ashes.

Synthesis, growth, and characterization of a new NLO material 3-(2,3-dimethoxyphenyl)-1-(pyridin-2-yl)prop-2-en-1-one

3-(2,3-Dimethoxyphenyl)-1-(pyridin-2-yl)prop-2-en-1-one (DMPP) a potential second harmonic generating (SHG) has been synthesized and grown as a single crystal by the slow evaporation technique at ambient temperature. The structure determination of the grown crystal was done by single crystal X-ray diffraction study. DMPP crystallizes with orthorhombic system with cell parameters a = 20.3106(8)angstrom, b = 4.9574(2)angstrom, c = 13.4863(5)angstrom, alpha = 90 degrees, beta = 90 degrees, gamma = 90 degrees and space group Pca2(1). The crystals were characterized by FT-IR, thermal analysis, UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy and SHG measurements. Various functional groups present in DMPP were ascertained by FTIR analysis. DMPP is thermally stable up to 80 degrees C and optically transparent in the visible region. The crystal exhibits SHG efficiency comparable to that of KDP. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Structural, vibrational and thermal studies of a new nonlinear optical material: L-Asparagine-L-tartaric acid

Crystals of a new nonlinear optical (NLO) material, viz., L-asparagine-L-tartaric acid (LALT)(1) were grown by slow evaporation of an aqueous solution containing equimolar concentrations of L-asparagine and t-tartaric acid. The structure of the title compound which crystallizes in the non-centrosymmetric monoclinic space group P2(1) consists of a molecule of L-asparagine and a molecule of free L-tartaric acid both of which are interlinked by three varieties of H-bonding interactions namely O-H center dot center dot center dot O, N-H center dot center dot center dot O and C-H center dot center dot center dot O. The UV-Vis-NIR spectrum of 1 reveals its transparent nature while the vibrational spectra confirm the presence of the functional groups in 1. The thermal stability and second harmonic generation (SHG) conversion efficiency of 1 were investigated. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Synthesis and Electrochemical Characterization of LiNi0.8Co0.2O2 as Cathode Material for Aqueous Rechargeable Lithium Batteries

LiNi0.8Co0.2O2 cathode material for lithium ion batteries is synthesized by reaction under autogenic pressure at elevated temperature (RAPET) method. The simple synthesis procedure is time and energy saving, and thus is promising for commercial application. The structure and stability of the material have been characterized by means of XRD and TG-DTA. The electrochemical properties of the LiNi0.8Co0.2O2 cathode are investigated in 2 M Li2SO4 aqueous electrolyte and they are compared to that in an organic electrolyte. A battery cell consisting of LiNi0.8Co0.2O2 as cathode in 2 M Li2SO4 solution is constructed in combination with LiTi2 (PO4)(3) as anode. The cell retained almost constant discharge capacity over hundred cycles. The electrochemical impedance spectral ( EIS) studies in aqueous and nonaqueous electrolytes revealed that the mechanism of lithium ion intercalation and deintercalation processes in LiNi0.8Co0.2O2 electrode follow almost similar mechanism in both aqueous and nonaqueous electrolytes. The chemical diffusion coefficient was calculated from slow scan rate cyclic voltammetry and EIS. (C) 2012 The Electrochemical Society. DOI: 10.1149/2.075205jes] All rights reserved.

Development of a composite material with high magnetic permeability and low loss factor for high frequency application

A flexible composite suitable for MHz frequency application has been developed by combining Fe3O4 and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The loss factor and the permeability have been evaluated. At an optimum weight percentage of Fe3O4 in the PVA matrix, the frequency at which the loss factor gives a minimum shifts to the MHz region. The loss factor has been found to be lower by one order of magnitude at 70 MHz compared to the presently used nickel zinc ferrite. The Henkel plot and the Cole-Cole plot have been obtained for the understanding of the high magnetic permeability and the low loss factor. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. doi:10.1063/1.3672867]

Influence of ethanol/water mixture on the undrained shear strength of pure clays

The mechanical properties of clays are highly dependent not only on the stress/strain ratio to which the material is subjected but also on the chemistry of the pore fluids which in turn affects the intergranular or the effective stresses. Atterberg limits and vane shear tests were performed with different pore fluids in order to observe how the fine-grained material mechanically responded. The diffuse double layer theory has been used to interpret the data of vane shear tests in order to explain the variation of geotechnical responses with the different clays. Van der Waals forces and double layer forces were obtained and capillary forces calculated. The results show that while for kaolinite and illite the chemistry of the pore fluids has no influence on the water content and hence on the mechanical behaviour of the material, Na-smectite shows a strong correlation between the dielectric constant of the pore fluids and an increase in undrained shear strength. The data obtained extends an understanding of the influence of the dielectric constant (epsilon) of the pore fluids on the geotechnical properties of fine-grained materials.

Sonochemical Synthesis of Pt Ion Substituted TiO2 (Ti0.9Pt0.1O2): A High Capacity Anode Material for Lithium Battery

Doping of TiO2 with a suitable metal ion where dopant redox potential couples with that of titanium (Ti4+) and act as catalyst for additional reduction of Ti4+ to Ti2+ (Ti4+ -> Ti3+ -> Ti2+) is envisaged here to enhance lithium storage even higher than one Li/TiO2. Accordingly, 10 atom% Pt ion substituted TiO2, Ti0.9Pt0.1O2 nanocrystallites was synthesized by sonochemical method using diethylenetriamine (DETA) as complexing agent. Powder X-ray diffraction pattern (XRD), Rietveld refinement and TEM study reveals that Ti0.9Pt0.1O2 nanocrystallites of similar to 4 nm size crystallize in anatase structure. X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy (XPS) study confirms that and both Ti and Pt are in 4+ oxidation state. Due to Pt4+ ion substitution in TiO2, reducibility of TiO2 was enhanced and Ti4+ was reduced up to Ti2+ state via coupling of Pt states (Pt4+/Pt2+/Pt-0) with Ti states (Ti4+/Ti3+/Ti2+). Galvanostatic cycling of Ti0.9Pt0.1O2 against lithium showed very high capacity of 430 mAhg(-1) or exchange of similar to 1.5Li/Ti0.9Pt0.1O2. (C) 2012 The Electrochemical Society. DOI: 10.1149/2.029208jes] All rights reserved.

Hydrothermal synthesis of a monoclinic VO2 nanotube-graphene hybrid for use as cathode material in lithium ion batteries

The hydrothermal reaction of a mixture of a colloidal dispersion of graphite oxide and ammonium vanadate yielded a hybrid made of graphene and a nanotubular metastable monoclinic polymorph of VO2, known as VO2(B). The formation of VO2(B) nanotubes is accompanied by the reduction of graphite oxide. Initially the partially scrolled graphite oxide layers act as templates for the crystallization of VO2(B) in the tubular morphology. This is followed by the reduction of graphite oxide to graphene resulting in a hybrid in which VO2(B) nanotubes are dispersed in graphene. Electron microscopic studies of the hybrid reveal that the VO2(B) nanotubes are wrapped by and trapped between graphene sheets. The hybrid shows potential to be a high capacity cathode material for lithium ion batteries. It exhibits a high capacity (similar to 450 mAh/g) and cycling stability. The high capacity of the hybrid is attributed to the interaction between the graphene sheets and the VO2(B) tubes which improves the charge-transfer. The graphene matrix prevents the aggregation of the VO2(B) nanotubes leading to high cycling stability. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Polymer microfabrication by scanning based microstereolithography: Optical design and material functionality

Several research groups have attempted to optimize photopolymerization parameters to increase the throughput of scanning based microstereolithography (MSL) systems through modified beam scanning techniques. Efforts in reducing the curing line width have been implemented through high numerical aperture (NA) optical setups. However, the intensity contour symmetry and the depth of field of focus have led to grossly non-vertical and non-uniform curing profiles. This work tries to review the photopolymerization process in a scanning based MSL system from the aspect of material functionality and optical design. The focus has been to exploit the rich potential of photoreactor scanning system in achieving desired fabrication modalities (minimum curing width, uniform depth profile, and vertical curing profile) even with a reduced NA optical setup and a single movable stage. The present study tries to manipulate to its advantage the effect of optimized lower c] (photoinitiator (PI) concentration) in reducing the minimum curing width to similar to 10-20 mu m even with a higher spot size (similar to 21.36 mu m) through a judiciously chosen ``monomer-PI'' system. Optimization on grounds of increasing E-max (maximum laser exposure energy at surface) by optimizing the scan rate provides enough time for the monomer or resin to get cured across the entire resist thickness (surface to substrate similar to 10-100 mu m), leading to uniform depth profiles along the entire scan lengths. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4750975]

Seismic Stability and Liquefaction Analysis of Tailings Dam

Proper analysis for safe design of tailings earthen dam is necessary under static loading and more so under earthquake conditions to reduce damages of important geotechnical structure. This paper presents both static and seismic analyses of a typical section of tailings earthen dam constructed by downstream method and located at a site in eastern part India to store non-radioactive nuclear waste material. The entire analysis is performed using geotechnical softwares FLAC(3D) and TALREN 4. Results are obtained for various possible conditions of the reservoir to investigate the stability under both static and seismic loading condition using 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake acceleration-time history. FLAC(3D) analyses indicate the critical maximum displacement at crest of the proposed tailings dam section is 5.5 cm under the static loading but it increases to about 16.24 cm under seismic loading. The slope stability analyses provide the minimum value of factor of safety for seismic loading as 1.5 as compared to 2.31 for static loading. Amplification of base seismic acceleration is also observed. The liquefaction potential analysis in FLAC(3D) indicates considerable loss of shear strength in the tailings portion of the proposed earthen dam section with significantly high values of pore pressure ratio.

Lithium D-Isoascorbate Monohydrate, a New Nonlinear Optical Material

Single crystals of lithium D-isoascorbate monohydrate (LDAM), (C6H7O6Li center dot H2O), are grown by a solution growth method. The crystal structure of LDAM is solved using single crystal X-ray diffraction. The space group is orthorhombic P2(1)2(1)2(1) with four formula units per unit cell and lattice parameters a = 7.7836(3) angstrom, b = 8.7456(3) angstrom, and c = 11.0368(4) angstrom. Solubility of the material in water is determined thermogravimetrically and found to have a positive temperature coefficient of solubility. Large optical quality single crystals are subsequently grown from aqueous solution by a slow cooling method. The crystal has a bulky prismatic habit and among the prominent faces the c face appears as the only principal morphological face. The crystal exhibits a (010) cleavage. Dielectric spectroscopy reveals a nearly Debye type Cole-Cole behavior with anisotropy in relaxation. Optical transmission range is found to be from 300 to 1400 nm. The principal refractive indices of this biaxial crystal, measured using Brewster's angle method, at wavelengths 405, 543, and 632.8 nm, show high dispersion. The crystal is negative biaxial with 2V(z) = 107.8 degrees (405 nm) and belongs to the Hobden class 3. Theoretically generated type 1 and type 2 second order phase matching curves match very well with the experimental results. The second-order nonlinear coefficient d(14) was determined to be 7 x 10(-13) m/V. For the optimum phase matching direction (type 2), the second-order effective nonlinear coefficient and the walk off angle are determined to be 0.84 times d(14) and 3.5 degrees respectively. The crystal possesses high multiple surface damage thresholds of 18 GW/cm(2) and 8 GW/cm(2) at laser wavelengths 1064 and 532 nm, respectively.

Material uncertainty effect on vibration control of smart composite plate using polynomial chaos expansion

Polynomial Chaos Expansion with Latin Hypercube sampling is used to study the effect of material uncertainty on vibration control of a smart composite plate with piezoelectric sensors/actuators. Composite material properties and piezoelectric coefficients are considered as independent and normally distributed random variables. Numerical results show substantial variation in structural dynamic response due to material uncertainty of active vibration control system. This change in response due to material uncertainty can be compensated by actively tuning the feedback control system. Numerical results also show variation in dispersion of dynamic characteristics and control parameters with respect to ply angle and stacking sequence.

Effect of leachate recirculation and extent of degradation on the stability of bioreactor landfill slopes

The stability of a bioreactor landfill slope is influenced by the quantity and method of leachate recirculation as well as on the degree of decomposition. Other factors include properties variation of waste material and geometrical configurations, i.e., height and slope of landfills. Conventionally, the stability of slopes is evaluated using factor of safety approach, in which the variability in the engineering properties of MSW is not considered directly and stability issues are resolved from past experiences and good engineering judgments. On the other hand, probabilistic approach considers variability in mathematical framework and provides stability in a rational manner that helps in decision making. The objective of the present study is to perform a parametric study on the stability of a bioreactor landfill slope in probabilistic framework considering important influencing factors, such as, variation in MSW properties, amount of leachate recirculation, and age of degradation, in a systematic manner. The results are discussed in the light of existing relevant regulations, design and operation issues.

Conditions for the onset of elastic and material instabilities in hyperelastic materials

Several constitutive inequalities have been proposed in the literature to quantify the notion that ‘stress increases with strain’ in an elastic material. Due to some inherent shortcomings in them, which we discuss, we propose a new tensorial criterion for isotropic materials. We also present necessary conditions in terms of elasticity tensors for the onset of elastic instabilities.