Balaram Pani

Green synthesis and corrosion inhibition study of 2-amino-N′-((thiophen-2-yl)methylene)benzohydrazide

2-Amino-N′-((thiophen-2-yl)methylene)benzohydrazide (ATMBH) was synthesized by a conventional method, as well as by microwave (MW) irradiation. The MW assisted synthesis of ATMBH was found to have good yield and was more eco-friendly compared to the conventional method of synthesis. The synthesized compound ATMBH was characterized by FTIR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR and CHN analysis. The corrosion inhibition performance of ATMBH in 0.5 M H2SO4 was analyzed by gravimetric and electrochemical methods. The potentiodynamic polarization study revealed that ATMBH acted as a mixed type of inhibitor. The results obtained from these methods are in good agreement and are well supported by the contact angle measurements.

Eco-friendly synthesis of PET-based polymeric plasticiser and its application in nitrile-PVC rubber blends

ABSTRACT We report a robust synthesis of polymeric plasticiser from the post-consumer plastic waste, i.e. poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and its subsequent use as plasticiser for preparation of nitrile rubber (NBR) and nitrile-PVC rubber blends. PET waste was depolymerised by alcoholysis with the help of 1-decanol. The obtained oligomeric plasticiser was characterised for its chemical structure using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. The prepared polymeric plasticiser was then used for the preparation of nitrile and nitrile-PVC blend rubber sheets. NBR and nitrile-PVC blend rubber sheets were also prepared by using dioctyl phthalate as plasticiser. The fabricated sheets were compared for their mechanical properties such as tensile strength, elongation at break, hardness. The effect of ageing on mechanical properties was also analysed. It was observed that the use of polymeric plasticiser resulted in significant improvement in tensile properties and ageing resistance. This eco-friendly synthesis of plasticiser offers its use for high-performance applications.

Awareness and Sensitivity of Mobile Phone Consumers on Electronic Waste in Delhi-NCR Region

Information technology has become a part of everyday life for people from a vast cross section of the society in Indian and international perspective. This has also resulted into unimaginable accumulation of Waste from electrical and electronic equipment, also referred as WEEE. In India, there are approximately 952 million mobile subscribers. Electronic waste (e-waste) is becoming a very significant contributor to the municipal waste in the cities. It holds concern among researchers as e-waste has valuable recyclable resources and also risks as hazardous waste. These materials require not only special handling but also proper disposal and recycling methods to avoid their deleterious effects on human health and environment. Some of the hazardous materials are for example arsenic which is poisonous, beryllium which is carcinogenic and Brominated flame retardants which are potentially neurotoxins. Therefore, it is the need of the hour to educate people about e-waste and their proper disposal. The study is based upon certain assumptions that the rapid and low cost development of electronic device technology is taking place in India. People prefer to buy newer electronic gadgets rather than to repair the older one due to the higher cost of repair. Considering that mobiles are the fastest growing e-consumables, this paper attempts to study the consumption pattern, awareness in general and gender-based awareness about electronic waste among the users of Delhi-NCR region. Study has also been carried out to know about the age at which people start using mobile phones.

Consumption pattern, behaviour and awareness towards e-waste among mobile users in New Delhi

The race of technological advancements across the globe has made the life of electronic products shorter, resulting into Waste from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and posing a threat to sustainable development. With the stupendous increase in usage of e-goods especially in developing nations, study on the consumption pattern of electronic gadgets has become important to researchers and policy makers as there are limited resources of some rare earth and precious metals, which are used in making of e-equipment. In India, economic boom of the last two decades added with rapid development of newer technology, fuelled consumerism resulting into buying and disposing off of electronic products at a rapid pace. As mobile phones are the fastest growing electronic consumables in India, this paper attempts to study the consumption pattern, behaviour and awareness of the people about e-waste among mobile phone users in the capital city of New Delhi.