Role of IUC-DAEF in promoting neutron beam research in India

Inter University Consortium for Department of Atomic Energy Facilities (IUC-DAEF) is an autonomous institute of the University Grants Commission and provides an interface between the university fraternity and the institutions of Department of Atomic Energy. Mumbai Centre of IUC-DAEF promotes and supports the use of neutron facilities at Dhruva reactor by the university scientists. To augment the existing neutron scattering facilities, IUC-DAEF has developed a neutron beam line at Dhruva reactor. The present paper gives a brief survey of the activities and achievements of Mumbai Centre of IUC-DAEF.     

Electrochemical oxidation of ethyl 3-oxo-3-phenyl-2-phenylhydrazonopropionate

The electrochemical oxidation of ethyl 3-oxo-3-phenyl-2-phenylhydrazonopropionate has been studied in the pH range 3.0–11.0 at a pyrolytic graphite electrode by linear and cyclic sweep voltammetry, coulometry and spectral studies. The results indicate that the 2 e⁻, 2 H⁺ oxidation of this compound gives phenol and ethyl 3-phenyl-2,3-dioxopropionate as the major products of electrooxidation.     

A Sensitive HPTLC method for Estimation of Swertiamarin in Enicostemma littorale Blume,Swertia chirata (Wall) Clarke,and in formulations containing E. littorale

JPC – Journal of Planar Chromatography – Modern TLC - Swertiamarin is a secoiridoid glucoside present in members of the Gentianaceae family, including Swertia chirata (Wall) Clarke, S....     

Polarographic reduction of some guanylpyrazoline nitrates and the effect of double layer structure on E1/2 values

Polarographic reduction of 4-arylhydrazono-1-guanylnitrate-3-methyl-2-pyrazoline-5-ones takes place in a single 4-electron transfer, giving a diffusion controlled irreversible wave in B.R. buffers of pH range 2.0–10.0. The reduction in these compounds takes place at the ?NH?N=C-bond. Effect of various cations, anions and solvent percentage on the reduction has been discussed. The effect of substituents and its correlation with the Hammett substituent constant (δ) have also been studied.     

Studies on vanadium(IV) complexes of azoxine s dyes

Comparative studies of the reaction of 7-arylazo-8-hydroxyquinoline-5-sulphonic acid (Azoxine S) dyes with vanadium(IV), show that 2:1 yellow, water-soluble complexes are formed over the pH range 2.5–6, and that the phenyl derivative is the most suitable for spectrophotometric determination of 0.2–1.4 ppm of vanadium(IV). The colour is formed instantaneously and is stable for about 8 hr. The molar absorptivity at λ_max, 400 mμ;, is 1.15 × 10⁴, and the equilibrium constant for complex formation is of the order of 10². These dyes can also be used as indicators in the direct complexometric determination of vanadium(IV). The interference of a number of anions and cations is reported.     

A predictive model for impact response of viscoelastic polymers in drop tests

We show for the first time that a classical Hookean viscoelastic constitutive law for rubbery materials can predict the impact forces and deflections measured with a commercial drop tester when a mass, or tup with a flat impacting surface is dropped onto a flat pad of commercial impact-absorbing rubber. The viscoelastic properties of the rubber, namely the relaxation times and strengths, are obtained by a standard rheological linear-oscillatory test, and the equation of momentum transfer is then solved, using these measured parameters, assuming a uniaxial deflection of the pad during the impact. Good agreement between measured and predicted forces and deflections is obtained for a series of various drop heights, tup masses, impact areas, and pad thicknesses, as long as the deflection of the pad relative to its thickness is small or modest (<50% or so), and as long as the area of the pad is less than or equal to that of the tup. When the pad area is greater than the tup, forces are higher than predicted, unless an empirical factor is introduced to account for the nonuniaxial stretching of the ring of material that extends outside of the impact area. These results imply that the impact-absorbing properties of a rubbery polymeric material can be assessed by simply examining the material's linear viscoelastic spectrum.