Abstract: Mild steel is used as main raw material in fabrication of equipment, chief material of construction and fabrication of weapons. During the storage and transportation conditions, it comes in contact with aggressive environment which leads to decrease in mechanical strength. Four different vapor phase corrosion inhibitors (VPCIs) i.e. N-N-Dimethyl aniline (DMA), Morpholine, Cyclohexyl amine and Hexamethylene imine were tested for mild steel under different corrosive atmospheric conditions at 40°C by Weight Loss, Eschke test, Salt Spray and SEM techniques. All the four VPCIs show very high corrosion inhibition efficiency i.e. 96-98%. The results obtained from corrosion experiments were supported by surface study carried out by SEM technique.

Abstract: Poly (lactic acid) (PLA) is an aliphatic polyester and ecofriendly material of a natural origin with biodegradable properties. The monomer for PLA is lactic acid obtained from the fermentation of sugar and vegetables like corn and cassava. This study investigated the effect of heatsetting and wet processes on the tensile properties of treated and untreated Ingeo™ Poly (Lactic acid) PLA knitted fabrics. PLA samples of dimension 200mm x 200mm were subjected to heatsetting at a temperature of 130^oC and increasing times of 15s, 30s, 45s, 60s, 90s, 120s and 240s respectively using the Werner Mathis infra-red heatsetting equipment and subsequently treated to wet processes including scouring, alkaline reduction clearing, dyeing and softening. Four tensile parameters were determined in warp and weft direction using the KES-FB system of fabric evaluation. These tensile parameters were tensile extension EM [%], linearity of load extension LT [-], tensile energy WT [g.cm/cm²] and tensile resilience RT [%]. The results showed (i) a consistent increase in tensile extension of treated PLA (unlike untreated PLA knitted fabric) with increasing time of heatsetting and wet finishing applications suggesting that treated PLA may tend to exhibit enhanced fabric hand or softness and increased formability (ii) Treated PLA to exhibit lower LT with increasing time of heatsetting and wet treatments implying a better formability and in-plane compressibility of treated PLA when compared to untreated PLA (iii) Treated PLA to display a greater tensile energy than untreated PLA, implying that treated PLA has greater flexibility, softness, gentleness and smoothness than the untreated PLA (iv) both PLAs exhibited low RT suggesting the general softness of PLA.

Abstract: Thin films of Se_75-xTe₂₅Sb_x (x = 0, 3, 6, & 9) glassy alloys have been deposited onto a chemically cleaned glass substrate by thermal evaporation technique under vacuum. Glassy nature of the films has been ascertained by X-ray diffraction pattern. The analysis by absorption spectra, measured at normal incidence, in the spectral range 400-1100 nm has been used for the optical characterization of thin films under investigation. The optical constants (absorption coefficient (α), extinction coefficient (k)) and optical band gap (E_g) have been studied. It has been found that extinction coefficient (k) decreases with increase in wavelength (λ). The absorption coefficient (α) is found to increase with incident photon energy. Optical band gap (E_g) has also been calculated and found to decrease with Sb content in Se_75-xTe₂₅Sb_x (x = 0, 3, 6, & 9) glassy system. The decrease of optical band gap (E_g) with Sb concentration has been explained on the basis of Mott and Davis model.

Abstract: MgO hydration is an expansive process. It is used in cement to compensate for shrinkage, but it can be harmful at higher concentrations. First-principles calculations have been used to investigate the electronic properties of the steps of the hydration of MgO using the general gradient approximation GGA functional method within density functional method (DFT). The energy bands along high symmetry directions, energy of hydration and energy of dissociation cut through various planes are presented. The first principles band structure calculations reported here were carried out using Perdew, Burke and Ernzerhof (PBE) method. The calculations have been applied to investigate water adsorption on the (001, 110, 111 and 210) surfaces of MgO crystal. The hydrated MgO surfaces show a similar band structure that of brucite material. Both molecular adsorption and dissociative adsorption have been found to occur. The MgO surfaces have different tendency to interact with water molecules, and they differ in susceptibility disintegration of expansion. The results show that the safest surface is (001) group, while the harmful surfaces are (210) and (111) groups.

Abstract: The perovskite niobates (ANbO₃) constitutes an interesting structural family. Silver lithium niobate Ag_1-xLi_xNbO₃ (x = 0, 0.3, 0.5 and 0.7) mixed ceramic pellets were synthesized by the by solid-state reaction and sintering method. The lattice parameters of ceramic pellets were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The prepared samples show a perovskite structure and exhibit the orthorhombic symmetry at room temperature. Frequency dependent dielectric investigations, i.e., dielectric constant, loss tangent and electrical conductivity were carried out in the frequency range 10Hz-10MHz at room temperature.

Abstract: The ground heaving is a very complex phenomenon which utilizes a great number of intrinsic and surrounding parameters. It is the response of the ground to a gradient of potential of the water of this last. It appears initially by a water run-off within the meaning of Darcy, in the large pores of the ground, then by the hydration of the particles of clay. This phenomenon is related to two parameters of great importance: it water content initial of the ground which expresses the state of suction of the ground and which controls the rate of swelling that it is for the altered or intact grounds. it initial dry density or the index of the vacuums, which measures the quantity of material likely to inflate. Indeed, the curve which giving swelling according to time, reveals two quite distinct phases, one fast which starts with the flood of the sample, the other slow one which evolves/moves in time. According to Chen (1988), the first phase would be the result of a relaxation partial of the constraints in the partially saturated vacuums. This phase would correspond to a macroscopic swelling, compared to a water run-off within the meaning of Darcy, which is governed by the permeability of the medium and the gradient of suction, i.e. a water filling of the large pores separating the grains. The second phase would represent the process of progressive hydration of argillaceous minerals starting from water existing in the pores. Thus starting from this direction, our work, consists in plotting the curves of kinetics of swelling according to time for two natural clay soils of Algiers “Ouled Fayet and Cheraga” with the calculation of the pressures and rates of swelling of the latter in a first place, then by studying the behavior and the improvement of this swelling in this kind of the grounds by adding a hydraulic binder as being one stabilizing which is the lime of Saida.

Abstract: Mg-Al-LDHs with different Mg/Al mol ratio were studied. Adsorption of different organic substances on the layered double hydroxides (LDHs) of different composition was studied. Fatty alcohols, phenols and naphthalene derivatives were used as a sorbates. The structure changes, taking place because of this process, was explored by X-ray method. It has been found, that at the adsorption of such substances as alcohol and phenols the anion exchange take place. After the sorption the specific surface and inner distance of LDHs were measured. The mechanism of structure change was proposed.

Abstract: In this study, applied tensile plastic preload in 2024 and 7075 Al-alloys plates with central hole generate residual stress field. Around the central hole compressive residual stress was generated when finite element method was used and Von Mises criterion was applied for plastic preload. The level of compressive residual stress increase in increasing of applied plastic preload. Fatigue life and fatigue crack growth rate (FCGR) depend on the level of plastic preload. Consequently fatigue life increase and FCGR decrease. No high effect of level of applied plastic preload was shown for 7075 Al-alloy on fatigue behavior.

Abstract: Se₉₀Cd_10-xIn_x (x=2,4,6 &8) thin films have been deposited onto a chemically cleaned glass substrate by thermal evaporation technique under vacuum. The effects of different doping concentration of In have been investigated X-ray diffraction technique has been employed to investigate the structural characterization of the films. X-ray diffraction measurement indicates that the Se₉₀Cd_10-xIn_x films possess polycrystalline structure. Absorption spectra measured at normal incidence in the wavelength range 400-1100 nm have been analyzed for the optical characterization of the thin films under consideration. The optical constants (absorption coefficient (α), extinction coefficient (k)) and optical band gap E_g have been calculated. The absorption coefficient (α) is found to increase with photon energy. It has been found that extinction coefficient (K) decreases with increase in wavelength (λ). Optical band gap (E_g) has also been evaluated for the Se₉₀Cd_10-xIn_x thin films with different compositions. It has been found that optical band gap (E_g) increases with In incorporation in Se₉₀Cd_10-xIn_x alloys.

Abstract: In this review paper, a critical analysis was carried out to investigate the effect of cathodic potential, bath temperature, time and nature of substrates on the ZnO thin films synthesized by electrodeposition technique. XRD patterns of the various deposited films were studied to examine the structural characteristics of the Nanostructured ZnO thin films. From the XRD patterns of the different ZnO thin films, it is found that the nanostructured ZnO film had hexagonal wurtzite crystal structure and the crystals were preferably grown along the (002) or (101) planes. The optical properties: Band gaps, transmittance of films, deposited on ITO/FTO coated glass substrates, were also studied by the various optical transmittance spectra. The band gap energy of the deposited ZnO thin films found varying from 3.18 to 3.85eV. Annealing of electrodeposited films decreased the bandgap considerably. Depending on the crystal size, the transmittance of the nanostructured ZnO thin film was found to be about 70 to 90%.