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Students
Crack a Hard Nut, Turn Plastic into
Fuel
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A
team of students at Velammal Engineering
College has discovered a method of
producing quality petrol from one
of the most problematic pollutants
of modern times - non-biodegradable
plastic. A final year project led
mechanical engineering students Sridhar,
Jaikar Sathish, V. Lakshmanan and
Guru Prasad through several experiments
with a `secret catalyst' that prevented
plastic from melting into a mass when
heated, and instead generated petroleum
products - petrol, diesel and kerosene.
Waste polythene and polypropylene
- consisting mainly of discarded bags
and biomedical waste - are subjected
to `catalytic cracking' or breaking
down the carbon chain. The correct
ratio of the catalyst and the plastic
materials are taken in the reaction
flask to get greater yield. When heated
at 400 degrees Celsius, the plastic
yields a distillate crude. Fractional
re-distillation yields a type of petrol
at between 100 to 120 degrees C and
kerosene at between 150 to 180 degree
C. Finally, the process leaves diesel
as residue. In about two hours, the
students were able to generate around
2 litres of crude from 2.5 kg of plastic
waste and through distillation one
litre of petrol and half a litre each
of kerosene and diesel. The cost works
out to roughly Rs. 22 for petrol and
Rs. 26 each for diesel and kerosene.
Sridhar says by heating plastic in
the absence of oxygen, toxic dioxin
emissions are also avoided, making
the fuel eco-friendly. Even the left
over paraffin mass (approximately
500 gm) can be made into candles.
The fuel, developed by the team, has
been certified by the Indian Oil Corporation's
Regional Laboratory at Korukkupet.
Compared to regular petrol, this plastic-derived
fuel has a marginally higher octane
level; pollution emission was within
stipulated limits. Sridhar says the
fuel's mileage could be higher than
the 40 km per litre he got on his
20-year-old scooter. The students
have already obtained a patent for
the process and have applied for a
full patent. The Indian Institute
of Technology (IIT) has agreed to
quality test the products. The students
were guided in their project by the
College Principal C. Rathnasabapathy,
and professors, D. Sivaraj and K.
R. Senthil Kumar.
Courtesy:
The Hindu, March 19, 2005
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India
to be World's IT Hub: Nasscom
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India
is becoming a major information technology
research hub of the world, according
to Kiran Karnik, president of Nasscom.
Delivering a lecture on "Importance
of research for competitiveness in
IT" organised by the International
Institute of Information Technology
(IIIT) as part of "R&D Showcase-05"
in Hyderabad on Friday, Karnik said
India had an advantage at present,
which could be leveraged to become
a leader in providing solutions. Tracing
the historical growth of the industry
from land, labour intensive days to
wealth and capital era, he said, "Now
the world is moving towards knowledge
based industry based on intellectual
property" and highlighted the need
of automation in software development
processes, "which is the need of the
hour". Referring to the changing world
scenario relevant to India he said
the country should be competitive
in quality and price to be a global
leader. The challenges thrown open
in goods and services sector opening
up due to WTO initiatives, were tremendous
opportunities for India, especially
in the field of information technology,
he added.
Courtesy:
The Economic Times, March 12, 2005
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Indian
Scientist Chosen for International
Biographical Centre
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An
Indian scientist has been nominated
as the inaugural member of United
Kingdom's (UK) prestigious International
Biographical Centre (IBC). Being chosen
as the founding listee from the top
100 scientists of the current year,
Dr Radhey Shyam Srivastava, another
feather has been added to his cap.
Dr Srivastava, last year received
the Einsteinian Chair of Science by
World Academy of Letters, USA. IBC,
which recognises eminent professionals
from the whole world in the field
of science, has called his work as
"outstanding". Dr Srivastava will
be leading people whose daily work
in science "makes a difference." As
a recipient of this recognition, Dr
Srivastava will be awarded with a
medal and a distinguished certificate
printed in full colour on finest parchment
and laminated into solid wood.
Courtesy:
The Pioneer, March 10, 2005
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'ISRO
Exploring Low-Cost Access to Space'
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The
Indian Space Research Organisation
(ISRO) is exploring methods of gaining
`low-cost access' to space, and improving
India's competitiveness in the area,
according to its Chairman, Mr G. Madhavan
Nair. To achieve this, ISRO has to
bring down the costs of putting a
kg of payload into space to something
in the range of $500-1,000. At present
the costs vary between $12,000-15,000
per kg using India's own satellite
launch vehicles, he said while delivering
the 13th Dr Y. Nayudamma Memorial
Lecture at a function organised by
the Dr Nayudamma Trust here. The Polar
Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), ISRO's
'workhorse' to launch satellites and
the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch
Vehicles (GSLV) which are under development,
have capabilities of putting into
space satellites (payloads), both
Indian and foreign. "We have embarked
on initiatives to develop newer ways
of reducing costs in space activity.
These include systems that are recoverable
and reusable. They should also adopt
advanced propulsion concepts like
air breathing," Mr Nair said. A satellite
recovery experiment has been planned
for next year. It would provide inputs
towards achieving re-entry/recovery
objectives that are required to realise
a reusable launch vehicle, the ISRO
Chairman said. As a step further,
a demonstrator for developing newer
technologies for the reusable launch
vehicle has been conceived. This is
in its initial phase of design.The
current PSLV and GSLV can launch one-tonne
class of remote sensing and two-tonne
class communication satellites respectively
to meet national needs. The GSLV-MKII,
the new heavier lift launch, which
is under development, will meet the
four-tonne class communication satellite
requirements. Another important mission
of ISRO is the planetary exploration
or Chandrayaan mission. It will be
a stepping stone towards launching
a probe into a 100-km polar orbit
around the moon in about four years
from now using the PSLV. It is expected
to explore the lunar surface and throw
light on some aspects related to the
origin of the earth, Mr Nair said.
Delving on the development of rocket
technology in India, Mr Nair said
the country has achieved self-reliance
in multi-stage rocket systems for
launching satellites for earth observation,
scientific mission and communication.
The futuristic need of low-cost access
to space required innovative technologies
and advanced materials. To meet these
ambitious programmes, ISRO looks forward
to seeing specific centres of excellence
to take space research in the universities
and academic institutions apart from
extended participation from the industries,
Mr Nair said.
Courtesy:
www.thehindubusinessline.com, March
10, 2005
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India
Wins Neem Patent Case
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The
European Patent Office in Munich today
dismissed an appeal against revoking
a patent granted by it for the preparation
of a fungicide derived from the seeds
of the neem tree. This will go a long
way in giving confidence to traditional
users, according to Vandana Shiva,
Director, Research Foundation for
Science, Technology and Ecology. Speaking
from Germany, Dr. Shiva - one of the
three parties to oppose the patent
- said: "It was pure and simple piracy.
The oil from neem has been used traditionally
by farmers to prevent fungus. It was
neither a novel idea nor was it invented.
It is a major victory that the appeal
has been finally dismissed." The patent
was granted by the European Patent
Office to the United States Department
of Agriculture and the chemical multinational,
W.R. Grace, in 1995. Since then, Dr.
Shiva, along with the International
Federation of Organic Agriculture
Movement and the Green Party in European
Parliament, had been opposing it.
In 2000, the European Patent Office
revoked the patent but the victory
was short-lived as the revocation
was followed by an appeal. At the
hearing today, this appeal was dismissed,
Dr. Shiva said. "We gave them evidence
of farmers using this knowledge for
a long time and also gave them information
about the two scientists who had conducted
research on neem before the patent
had been granted. During the hearing
today, they dismissed the appeal and
upheld the earlier revocation of the
patent." Calling it a historic moment,
she added: "Patenting is one of the
ways through which traditional users
can be threatened. But now, such patents
will no longer be a threat for traditional
users."
Courtesy:
The Hindu, March 09, 2005
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India's
First Umbilical Cord Blood Stem Cell
Bank set up in Chennai
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Asia
CRYOCELL has set up India's first
umbilical cord blood stem cell bank
in Chennai at a cost of Rs 12 crore.
This laboratory is to provide a seamless
service from the collection of the
cord blood to harvesting and final
storage of the stem cells at -190
degrees centigrade under liquid nitrogen.
These stored stems cells can then
be used to treat the person they were
obtained from (if the need arises).
Additionally, they also have a 25%
chance of matching family members
and siblings of the donor. This makes
stem cells the most powerful form
of bio-insurance. India's first umbilical
cord blood stem cell bank set up in
Chennai.
Courtesy:
The Economic Times, March 08, 2005
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