Kinetic modelling of laccase mediated delignification of Lantana camara.

Enzymatic delignification is seen as a green step in biofuels production owing to its specificity towards lignin and its proper understanding requires a kinetic study to decipher intricate details of the process such as thermodynamic parameters viz., activation energy, entropy change and enthalpy change. A system of two coupled kinetic models has been constructed to model laccase mediated delignification of Lantana camara. From the simulated output, activation energy was predicted to be 45.56 and 56.06 kJ/mol, entropy change was observed to be 1.08 × 10(2) and 1.05 × 10(2)cal/mol-K and enthalpy change was determined to be 3.33 × 10(4) and 3.20 × 10(4)cal/mol, respectively from Tessier's and Michaelis Menten model. While comparing the prediction efficiency, it was noticed that Tessier's model gave better performance. Sensitivity analysis was also conducted and it was observed that the model was most sensitive towards temperature dependent kinetic constants.

Nanotechnology patents in the automotive industry (a quantitative & qualitative analysis).

The aim of the article is to present a trend in patent filings for application of nanotechnology to the automobile sector across the world, using the keyword-based patent search. Overviews of the patents related to nano technology in the automobile industry have been provided. The current work has started from the worldwide patent search to find the patents on nanotechnology in the automobile industry and classify the patents according to the various parts of an automobile to which they are related and the solutions which they are providing. In the next step various graphs have been produced to get an insight into various trends. In next step, analysis of patents in various classifications, have been performed. The trends shown in graphs provide the quantitative analysis whereas; the qualitative analysis has been done in another section. The classifications of patents based on the solution they provide have been performed by reading the claims, titles, abstract and full texts separately. Patentability of nano technology inventions have been discussed in a view to give an idea of requirements and statutory bars to the patentability of nanotechnology inventions. Another objective of the current work is to suggest appropriate framework for the companies regarding use of nano technology in the automobile industry and a suggestive strategy for patenting of the inventions related to the same. For example, US Patent, with patent number US2008-019426A1 discusses the invention related to Lubricant composition. This patent has been studied and classified to fall under classification of automobile parts. After studying this patent, it is deduced that, the problem of friction in engine is being solved by this patent. One classification is the "automobile part" based while other is the basis of "problem being solved". Hence, two classifications, namely reduction in friction and engine were created. Similarly, after studying all the patents, a similar matrix has been created.