Worldwide there is increasing focus on use of chemicals in construction industry. These are defined as chemical compounds that are added as such or in formulations to or on construction materials at the construction site in order to improve workability, enhance performance, add functionality or protect the construction material or the finished structure made out of it. They undergo chemical reactions (e.g., solidification from melt) during their application. The important groups of construction chemicals are: concrete admixtures; asphalt additives; adhesives and sealants; and protective coatings.

It is found that strength of concrete rises dramatically due to the use of construction chemicals. For example, the diameter of a pillar needed to carry 100-tons has been reduced from 100-cm to 10-cm between 1920 and 2004. The cross-section of such a pillar is one-hundredth of what was needed in 1920.

Bureau of Energy Efficiency is reportedly extending the star rating scheme to buildings as well. The ratings, meant only for offices at present, will award certificates to buildings based on their energy consumption over a period of at least one year. Organizations that apply to BEE will be assessed on their power consumption and awarded star ratings from one to five, with five signifying a highly efficient building. It takes off from the energy conservation building code that had been enforced in May 2007. So far around 500 buildings have been designed according to it.

Benefits are likely to motivate builders to adopt better construction practices. However, only existing buildings will benefit from the programme since a building has to be in existence for at least one year to qualify for the audit. New buildings can probably take tips from LEED or GRIHA codes developed by separate organizations for energy efficient buildings so that when they are finally assessed, they can get a good rating.

Techtextil North America represents all vertical aspects of the technical textile industry from research and development, through raw materials and production processes, to conversion, further treatment and recycling, and showcases the latest products and advanced technologies in textiles and materials.

Some of the latest developments in this area are: (i) application driven fabric solutions; (ii) high quality economical machinery for the recycling of nonwovens, waste yarn and materials; (iii) highly functional fabrics for waterproof breathable applications; (iv) x-odor fabric having anti-odor, antibacterial, antifungal, UV protection and static-less functions; (v) high quality woven 4-way stretch fabrics; and (vi) fire-resistant brattice cloth used for underground applications.

The Institute of Environmental and Human Health (TIEHH) at Texas Tech University is joining hands with Enercon Industries Corp to develop technology to advance the functionality of nonwovens and technical textile.

The partnership seeks to explore the opportunities of commercializing atmospheric plasma technology in the nonwovens and specialty fabrics industry to make apparel-grade nonwovens and other value-added fabrics, such as liquid-repellant fabrics and breathable protective fabrics.

Plasma technology is a surface modification treatment technique using gases for the nonwoven and technical textile industry to modify the surface of the materials. This makes it suitable for various desired applications, such as making a fabric more or less absorbent. Use of atmospheric plasma also enhances the wettability and dyeability of textiles.

Envisaging a significant role for French companies in India’s energy strategy, both countries are all set to join hands in the area of clean coal technologies. World renowned French companies like Areva and Alstom are set to play an increasing and a significant role in this direction. Such collaborations are vital, as India has to wake up to the challenge of climate change and embrace technologies that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

There seems to be real need to make the transition to efficient coal technologies as coal based plants are expected to meet over 50% of India’s electricity needs up 2015.

Microbes may well be the answer to our global energy crisis. By fermenting biomass to produce biofuels, they offer a possible climate-friendly solution to the anticipated shortfall in fossil fuel supply. Global oil reserves and new petroleum discoveries will not be enough to meet the annual demand worldwide. It is, therefore, essential to anticipate and avoid any shortfall in future supply and to provide access to new bioenergy alternatives for the marketplace. In the context of a strong global political and economical debate on the gradual substitution of petroleum by renewable alternatives, such as biofuels, microbes can help solve the energy problem, and focuses on the organisms that ferment lignocellulosic biomass to produce bioethanol, biobutanol, biodiesel and biohydrocarbons in particular.

Use of these biofuels would help reduce green- house gas emissions. Also there have been a number of US government initiatives pushing for and backing the development of biofuels. Finally, what remains is a major effort and challenge to biochemical engineering at the many new plants being built for biofuel production. Processes have to be scaled up and carried out in cost-effective way.

Kithul or Caryota urens sap is widely known among the Asians from historic times for its products such as treacle, jaggery and toddy which are made from it. Kithul sap contains 5-18% natural sugar or sucrose, glucose, fructose etc. and is highly perishable. It starts deteriorating from the moment it flows out from the flower due to fermentation by the yeast in the environment.

Ms Damitha Rajapakse and Ms Agnes Fernando of the Food Technology Section of the ITI , Colombo, have formulated a method to process kithul sap into a refreshing, natural, non-fermented drink and obtained the patent rights for the process. This novel drink could be stored in sealed bottles at room temperature for more than six months. In this process they have been able to arrest the fermentation soon after tapping, and this helps the processing of the sap to make the non-alcoholic beverage.

A microscopic biological sensor that detects Salmonella bacteria in lab tests has been developed by an Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientist in Athens, Ga., and cooperators at the University of Georgia. The sensor could be adapted to detect other foodborne pathogens as well. There are examples of biosensors in nature. Insects detect tiny amounts of sex pheromones in the environment and use them as a beacon to find mates. And fish use natural biosensors to detect barely perceptible vibrations in the surrounding water.

ARS research units and his collaborators used nanotechnology to develop the biosensor. The detection method may have great potential for food safety and security. The biosensors that ARS and university scientists developed include fluorescent organic dye particles attached to Salmonella antibodies. The antibodies hook onto Salmonella bacteria and the dye lights up like a beacon, making the bacteria easier to see.

Cervical Cancer

Doctors from Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, along with international experts, have hit upon the best way to reduce the killer impact of cervical cancer, the giant slayer of Indian women. They have concluded a 10-year-long research, supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and involving 1.3 lakh women in Osmanabad district to zero down on an one-time mass screening test that could cut down the high toll of cervical cancer in the country, said the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). It hailed the research as “from India to the world – a better way to prevent cancer.”

It concluded that genetic testing for HPV (by taking DNA cell from the cervix) was better than the world’s popular method called pap smear (cells collected from the surface of the cervix). Even the made-in-India method – visual inspection in which health workers put a drop of acetic acid (vinegar) on the cervix – was found to be less effective. If the research reaches its logical conclusion, millions of Indian women could in the next couple of year undergo a mass HPV screening test at $2 (as against $10-20 at present). India contributes 20% of the global burden of cervical cancer. Moreover, 70% of patients come in the last stage,” said Dr Surendra Shastri of Tata Memorial Hospital.

According to Iranian researchers who published their study in the British Medical Journal, there appears to be a significant link between hot tea, consumers of hot tea, and throat cancer. Piping hot a cup of tea can do just the opposite for one’s vocal pipes. The intensity of its hotness increases the risk of throat cancer. For instance, among the nearly 900 men and women they followed – a third of whom had some form of esophageal cancer already – there was an eight-fold increase in cancer among those who drank their tea when the temperature of their tea was 158 degrees Fahrenheit, as opposed to others who drank their tea when it was much cooler, around 149 degrees Fahrenheit.

The research was performed by doctors from Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Researchers, however, are not sure about the link between excessive heat and cancer. 

A new shock absorber developed by a team of researchers from the Massachusetts University of Technology, USA, can generate electricity to fuel your vehicle when it hits a bump. The group used different car models, fitted the suspension with sensors and drove around. The tests showed a significant amount of energy wasted, specially in heavy vehicles.

To find methods to harness wasted energy, scientists replaced the suspension system with a contraption consisting of a hydraulic system that forced the fluid through a turbine when the vehicle hit a bump. The turbine was connected to a generator that converted mechanical energy to electrical energy. The electrical energy was used by the vehicle, thus saving energy. The system can operate in vehicles which are completely battery-driven or run on a combination of fuel and battery (hybrids).

Calculations indicate that heavy vehicles could increase their fuel efficiency by 10 percent with this new shock absorber. The group filed for a patent last year and formed a company called the Levant Power Corporation to develop and commercialize the product.

Oscillation Monitoring System (OMS) is an advanced portable instrument to monitor, detect and record the horizontal and nautical accelerations of railway coaches, wagons and locomotives etc and also railway tracks. Project was funded by Research Design and Standards Organization (RDSO), Lucknow. Field testing of the engineering model of OMS has been done in association with RDSO, Lucknow by installing it in Track Recording Coach (TRC) on few routes. Potential users of the system are RDSO, Lucknow, Indian Railways, different universities and educational institutions.