Abstract: A simple, room-temperature method of producing CuO-doped zinc oxide nanoparticles was established by reacting zinc nitrate hexahydrate, copper nitrate trihydrate and cyclohexylamine (CHA) at room temperature. These nanoparticles may be used for photocatalytic degradation of cyanide in aqueous solutions. The degradation of cyanide is effective because electrons transfer from the p-type copper oxide to the n-type zinc oxide.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for preparing a Polyurethane-Carbon Nanotube (PU-CNT) based coating composition. More specifically, the invention provides a method for preparing a PU-CNT based anti-corrosive coating composition. The method comprises preparing a dispersion comprising one or more types of Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs). The dispersion is prepared by dispersing the one or more types of CNTs in a dispersant comprising at least one polar solvent and at least one surfactant. The method further comprises mechanically mixing a hardener with the dispersion comprising the one or more types of CNTs. In addition, the method comprises mechanically mixing polyurethane with the dispersion prepared by mechanically mixing the hardener with the dispersion comprising the one or more types of CNTs.

Abstract: A thin film composite membrane includes an active layer on a support membrane, wherein the active layer includes at least two chemically distinct first and second crosslinked polyamide film sub-layers. The first film sub-layer includes a polyamide unit; and the second film sub-layer includes a copolyamide with two chemically distinct polyamide units. The first film sub-layer is closer to the support than is the second film sub-layer.

Abstract: A bimetallic catalyst supported on a transition metal oxide is described. A method to make and use the bimetallic catalyst is also described. A method for preparing supported bimetallic catalysts of coinage group metal and a combination of a coinage group metal and a platinum metal group is described. A method for direct synthesis of adipic acid (AA) adopting green catalytic oxidation route of cyclohexane (CH) using the bimetallic catalysts is described. The reaction to convert CH into AA in the presence of bimetallic catalyst is carried in an autoclave in the temperature range of 25 to 300° C. The CH conversion was over 21% with AA selectivity of 34% and ca. 63% selectivity of cyclohexanone and cyclohexanol together over Au—Pd/TiO2 bimetallic catalyst.

Abstract: A method and system for managing heat energy in a fluid purification system is provided. Initially, air is compressed using one or more compressors to obtain a compressed hot air. Then one or more fluids are purified using the heat energy associated with the compressed hot air in one or more fluid purification units thereby releasing a compressed cooled air. One or more hot purified fluids are stored in one or more fluid storage tanks obtained in response to the purification of the one or more fluids. Thereafter, the compressed cooled air is heated using a heat energy associated with the one or more hot purified fluids to obtain a heated compressed air. Subsequently, one or more turbines are operated using heat energy associated with the heated compressed air to obtain an expanded cooled air. The expanded cooled air is utilized for cooling.

Abstract: A method and system for preprocessing an image, wherein the image includes a plurality of columns, or regions, of text is disclosed. A plurality of components associated with the text is determined. On determining the plurality of components, a line height and a column spacing is determined for the components. The components are then associated with a column based on the line height and the column spacing. A set of characteristic parameters are calculated for each column and the plurality of components of each column are merged based on the characteristic parameters to form sub-words and words. A first plurality of words and/or subwords is merged and processed as a first region and a second plurality of words and/or subwords is merged and processed as a second region wherein at least a portion of the second region vertically overlaps at least a portion of the first region.

Abstract: The invention provides a system for managing operations on a peripheral surface of a building. The system includes one or more cables wrapped around the peripheral surface of the building. Further, the system includes one or more wheeled devices capable of moving on the peripheral surface of the building. The one or more wheeled devices are operatively connected to the one or more cables. The one or more wheeled devices and the one or more cables are capable of moving on the peripheral surface of the building as an assembly. In addition, one or more instances of the assembly are operatively connected to each other.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system for diacritizing a text. The method includes analyzing the text to determine whether the text require one or more diacritical marks of a set of diacritical marks. The text includes a plurality of characters associated with an Arabic language. Thereafter, the text is processed for identifying diacritical marks for each character of the plurality of characters. Subsequently, the diacritical marks of the set of diacritical marks are applied on each character of the plurality of characters based on a context associated with the text to obtain a diacritized Arabic text.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system for monitoring external excitation on a surface using nanocomposite paint. The method comprises applying the nanocomposite paint on the surface, wherein the nanocomposite paint comprises a mixture of a plurality of carbon nanotubes and an epoxy resin along with a plurality of electrically conductive patterned electrodes. The electrical properties of the nanocomposite paint changes in response to the external excitation of the surface. The change in the electrical properties of the nanocomposite is measured by a measuring instrument, wherein the change in the electrical properties of the nanocomposite paint is directly proportional to the external excitation experienced by the surface.

Abstract: A simple, room-temperature method of producing CuO-doped zinc oxide nanoparticles was established by reacting zinc nitrate hexahydrate, copper nitrate trihydrate and cyclohexylamine (CHA) at room temperature. These nanoparticles may be used for photocatalytic degradation of cyanide in aqueous solutions. The degradation of cyanide is effective because electrons transfer from the p-type copper oxide to the n-type zinc oxide.

Abstract: A method and system for treatment of biological wastes for preparation of fertilizers is provided. The method and system involves mixing a biological waste with a dilute sulfuric acid in a predetermined ratio. The mixture of the biological waste and the dilute sulfuric acid is then filtered to obtain an organic slurry and an acidic liquid. Thereafter, the organic slurry is thermally cracked at an elevated temperature to obtain at least one of an ammonia gas, one or more flue gases, and char and ash. The method and system further involves utilizing the ammonia gas, the char and ash, and the acidic liquid for preparation of the fertilizers.

Abstract: A system for acquiring seismic data over sand dune surfaces is provided. The system includes a seismic wave generator for emitting a plurality of seismic signals into the Earth in an area covered by sand dunes. The system also includes a sand streamer for acquiring seismic data over the sand dune surfaces, such that the sand streamer includes a plurality of geophones. The plurality of geophones receive a plurality of wave signals transmitted from a subsurface corresponding to the sand dune surface, in response to emission of the plurality of seismic signals to the area of the sand dune surface by the seismic wave generator. Each geophone of the plurality of geophones is mounted on a panel wherein, one or more sides of the panel are coupled loosely to one or more rigid plates. The one or more rigid plates provide stability and mobility to assembly of panels and the plurality of geophones, thereby enabling the sand streamer to move efficiently over the surface of the sand dune.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for plugging leaking oil and leaking gas wells is disclosed. The apparatus includes a stepped structure capable of being mounted over the one of the leaking oil well and the leaking gas well. The stepped structure includes a plurality of structural modules arranged in a stacked form. A pipe arrangement capable of extracting one or effluents perpendicularly passes through the plurality of structural modules. One or more effluents are extracted from one of the leaking oil well and the leaking gas well. Additionally, one or more pressure relief pipes are provided to extract the one or more effluents. The one or more pressure relief pipes protrude outwardly through a peripheral surface of each of one or more structural modules. The pipe arrangement and the one or more pressure relief pipes enables extraction of the one or more effluents to reduce the pressure within the stepped structure.

Abstract: The invention provides a fire extinguishing apparatus. The fire extinguishing apparatus includes a holding unit for holding various components of the fire extinguishing apparatus. The fire extinguishing apparatus also includes one or more tubes which are operatively coupled to the holding unit. The one or more tubes are capable of rotating with respect to the holding unit, such that an axis of rotation of a tube is angled at a predetermined angle to the earth surface. Further, each tube of the one or more tubes includes one or more nozzles for dispersing a fire extinguishing fluid to a location of the fire. The fire extinguishing fluid is supplied to the one or more tubes through a fluid supplying unit. The fluid supplying unit and the one or more tubes are held together by the holding unit in a suspended manner above the location of the fire.

Abstract: A travelling wave thermoacoustic piezoelectric apparatus capable of generating electrical energy from heat energy is provided. The travelling wave thermoacoustic piezoelectric apparatus includes a hosing with two ends connected by an inertance component, a porous stack, a resonator, and a piezoelectric bimorph. The housing comprises a compressible fluid and has a first portion and a second portion. The first portion receives heat energy from a heat source for creating a temperature gradient between the first portion and the second portion. A cold heat exchanger within the second portion is positioned at one end of the porous stack. The compressible fluid traverses between the first portion and the second portion through the porous stack and the inertance component to generate travelling acoustic waves. The travelling acoustic waves resonate with the resonator for generating acoustic energy.

Abstract: A standing wave thermoacoustic piezoelectric apparatus capable of generating electrical energy from heat energy is provided. The standing wave thermoacoustic piezoelectric apparatus includes a housing, a porous stack and a piezoelectric bimorph. The housing comprises a compressible fluid and has a first portion and a second portion. The second portion receives the heat energy from a heat source for creating a temperature gradient between the first portion and the second portion. A cold heat exchanger within the first portion is positioned at one end of the porous stack. The compressible fluid traverses between the first portion and the second portion through the porous stack to generate standing acoustic waves for generating acoustic energy. The piezoelectric bimorph positioned at an end of the first portion opposite to an end of the first portion having the cold heat exchanger, oscillates based on the acoustic energy for generating the electrical energy.

Abstract: A simple, room-temperature method of producing zinc oxide nanoparticles was established by reacting zinc nitrate hexahydrate and cyclohexylamine (CHA) in either aqueous or ethanolic medium. Particles of polyhedra morphology were obtained for zinc oxide, prepared in EtOH (ZnOE) and zinc oxide prepared in water (ZnOW). The results indicate that there are significant morphological differences between ZnOE and ZnOW. ZnOE showed a regular polyhedral shape, while spherical and chunky particles were observed for ZnOW. The morphology was crucial in enhancing the cyanide ion photocatalytic degradation efficiency of ZnOE by a factor of 1.5 in comparison to the efficiency of ZnOW at equivalent loading of 0.0166 ZnO nanoparticles wt %.

Abstract: A simple, room-temperature process of using zinc oxide nanoparticles was established by reacting zinc nitrate hexahydrate and cyclohexylamine (CHA) in either aqueous or ethanol medium. Particles of polyhedra morphology were obtained for zinc oxide, prepared in EtOH (ZnOE) and zinc oxide prepared in water (ZnOW). The results indicate that there are significant morphological differences between ZnOE and ZnOW. ZnOE showed a regular polyhedral shape, while spherical and chunky particles were observed for ZnOW. The morphology was crucial in enhancing the cyanide ion photocatalytic degradation efficiency of ZnOE by a factor of 1.5 in comparison to the efficiency of ZnOW at equivalent loading of 0.0166 ZnO nanoparticles wt %.

Abstract: Isopropyl alcohol is a very useful chemical that is widely used in the industry as a solvent. Economical and easy process to make ispopropyl alcohol using novel composite catalyst is described in the instant application. Production of isopropyl alcohol (IPA) from dimehtyl ketone (DMK) and hydrogen (H2) in gas-phase using a ruthenium nano-particle-supported on activated charcoal/nano-zinc oxide composite catalyst is described. Gas phase production of isopropyl alcohol using DMK and hydrogen is also described using optimal time on stream, temperature, catalyst ratio and DMK/H2 ratio. Ruthenium nano-zinc oxide composite catalyst is formulated using different ratios of ruthenium activated charcoal and n-ZnO is described. CAT-IV is shown to be the best performer for the efficient production of isopropyl alcohol.

Abstract: An eco friendly radiation cross-linked composition is described that demonstrates excellent resistance to fire and high temperature along with good mechanical properties. The composition which is based on a blend of EVA with a LLDPE, is free of monomer such as vinyl co-agent for radiation cross-linking. The halogen free flame retardant composition is a mixture of 20 to 90% by weight of magnesium hydroxide (powder A) and 90% to 20% of powder B. Preferably the powder B is a double salt of magnesium carbonate and calcium carbonate and the magnesium hydroxide has a specific surface treatment. In addition, 0.5 to 5 parts of flame retardancy agents are selected from talc, zinc borate or molybdate derivative. The chemicals used here reduce toxicity in the environment and do not release toxic chemicals to air and soil during fire. The flame retardant cross-linked polyolefin composition is particularly useful for insulating wires and cables.