In the present work, we used the steam explosion method for the isolation of cellulose nanofiber (CNF) from Cuscuta reflexa, a parasitic plant commonly seen in Kerala and we evaluated its reinforcing efficiency in natural rubber (NR). Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) techniques...

Design and manufacture of cellulosic nanocomposites with acceptable performance is in the period of a transition from fantasy to reality. Typically, cellulosic nanofillers reveal poor compatibility with polymer matrices. Thus, adjusting the balance between structure and properties of cellulosic bionanocomposites by careful selection of parent ingredients is the first priority. Herein, we incorporated Cuscuta reflexa derived cellulose...

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by plants are a valuable source of information on their growth, theirresponse to stress, and the condition of their habitat. The recent trend in the analysis of low-mass molecules ofplant origin is metabolomics, which in the context of volatiles is often referred to as volatolomics. It requires theuse of modern analytical instrumentation...

This article discusses the issues related to a power unit of a thermal power plant start-up with the use of a hydropower plant. Hydropower plant can supply and will enable start-up of auxiliary equipment in a power unit of a thermal power plant. Due to high capacity of auxiliary drives, start-up of auxiliaries in a thermal power plant after blackout (and boiler shutdown) is not possible from emergency energy sources in the power...

In this work, the effect of the improvement carried out at a large-scale wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) was evaluated, by means of modelling works, with the aim to determine the influence of the modernization over the process performance. After modernization, the energy consumption due to the aeration decreased about a 20% maintaining the effluent quality. In order to double-check the good effluent quality, modelling works were...