Assessment of nanoscopic dynamic mechanical properties and B-C-N triad effect on MWCNT/h-BNNP nanofillers reinforced HDPE hybrid composite using oscillatory nanoindentation: An insight into medical applications.

A thrust on improvement of different properties of polymer has taken a contemporary route with advent of nanofillers. Although several nanofillers are existent; MultiWalled Carbon Nanotubes- (MWCNTs) and h-Boron Nitride nanoplatelets-(h-BNNPs) unique combination of 1D and 2D dimensional geometry aids an advantage of B-C-N triad elemental effects on properties of tested samples. The current study aims to investigate the effects of MWCNT and h-BNNP reinforcement in High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) for high load bearing areas of medical applications requiring both elastic and viscous behavior. The results were analyzed keeping a view of its application in areas like HDPE based fracture fixation plates, acetabular cups and others. The composite and hybrid samples with different loadings were prepared after surface modification of nanofillers by mechanical mixing and molding technique. The dynamic nano-mechanical properties like storage modulus, loss modulus and tan delta were assessed for each sample during frequency swept from 10 to 220 Hz. The viscoelastic properties like hc/hm, H/E, elastic-plastic deformation were investigated and evaluated. At a frequency of 10 Hz, the storage and loss modulus of 0.1 CNT increased by 37.56% and decreased by 23.52% respectively on comparison with pure HDPE. This infers a good elastic as well as viscous behavior. Overall elastic behavior of 0.1 CNT was confirmed from tan delta evaluation. The interaction between B-C-N elemental triad had significant effect on creep strength, visco-damping property (hc/hm and H/E), elastic plastic displacement and pile-up and sink-in behavior. Highest creep strength and visco-damping property was exhibited by 0.25 CNT/0.15 BNNP hybrid. The elastic-plastic displacement of hybrid composite was noted as least, which decreased by 30% on comparison with pure HDPE. It can be inferred that presence of 1D-MWCNT and 2D-h-BNNP had significant effect on important dynamic viscoelastic and creep properties of HDPE based hybrid composites.

Characterization of Trichoderma reesei endoglucanase II expressed heterologously in Pichia pastoris for better biofinishing and biostoning.

The endoglucanase II of Trichoderma reesei is considered the most effective enzyme for biofinishing cotton fabrics and biostoning denim garments. However, the commercially available preparation of endoglucanase II is usually mixed with other cellulase components, especially endoglucanase I, resulting in hydrolysis and weight loss of garments during biofinishing and biostoning. We thus isolated the endoglucanase II gene from T. reesei to express this in Pichia pastoris, under the control of a methanol-inducible AOX1 promoter, to avoid the presence of other cellulase components. A highly expressible Mut(+) transformant was selected and its expression in BMMH medium was found most suitable for the production of large amounts of the recombinant protein. Recombinant endoglucanase II was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity, and functionally characterized by activity staining. The specific activity of recombinant endoglucanase II was found to be 220.57 EU/mg of protein. Purified recombinant endoglucanase II was estimated to have a molecular mass of 52.8 kDa. The increase in molecular mass was likely due to hyperglycosylation. Hyperglycosylation of recombinant endoglucanase II secreted by P. pastoris did not change the temperature or pH optima as compared to the native protein, but did result in increased thermostability. Kinetic analysis showed that recombinant endoglucanase was most active against amorphous cellulose, such as carboxymethyl cellulose, for which it also had a high affinity.