EDITORIAL BOARD

Editor Sindhu Balu Editorial Team Chaparala Sree Vidya Purnima Naresh Mangnani Vikram Gowrishankar Maya.P.S Joint Editorial Team Hemalatha.J Nivethika Sundararajan N.Vinisha Mehdi Ali Mirza V.P.Venkateshwaran Rohit Chanchal Cover Design Prasanna Venkatesh.K

From
Dear Readers,

EDITOR

Thank you for your immense support and contribution for our first issue of pathways. We are happy to see your interest and enthusiasm in the magazine. With your constant motivation and support, we strive for the betterment with every issue. With the rise in catastrophic oil spills in oceans, weve got the cover story on it, unraveling the science behind oil spills and its preventive measures. And this is the time when most of the pre-final year students are geared up for CAT! Hence a special feature on the effective study for CAT has been included. Also, other articles presented are sure to intrigue your technical and creative mind. We wish it catalyses your technical quest. We welcome your feedback for the improvement of the magazine! Happy reading!!

-Sindhu Balu
Reach us at: pathways@chemfluence.com

Final Year ChemE

INSIDE
How bad is oil spill?!

Pg. 3

FEATURES
So you think you can get into IIM?! Pg.6

Curious mind!! Pg.7

Elements revealed! Pg.9

With Regards, ChemE Pg.12

COVER STORY

How Bad is oil spill?

Final yr, ChemE -KISHEN RAFIZ

What is an oil spill?

An oil spill is the accidental petroleum release into the environment. On land oil spills are usually localized and thus their impact can be eliminated relatively easily. In contrast, marine oil spills may result in oil pollution over large areas and present serious environmental hazards. The primary source of accidental oil input into seas is associated with oil transportation by tankers and pipelines (about 70%), whereas the contribution of offshore drilling and production activities is minimal (less than 1%). Large and catastrophic spills releasing more than 30,000 tons of oil are relatively rare events and their frequency in recent decades has decreased perceptibly. Yet, such episodes have the potential to cause the most serious ecological risk (primarily for sea birds and mammals) and result in long-term environmental disturbances (mainly in coastal zones) and economic impact on coastal activities (especially on fisheries and mariculture). Public concern over marine oil spills has been clearly augmented since the 1967 Torrey Canyon supertanker accident off the UK coast, when 100,000 tones of spilled oil caused heavy pollution of the French and British shores with serious ecological and fisheries consequences. More recently, the highly publicized 1989 spill of the Exxon Valdez in Prince William Sound, Alaska caused unprecedented damage to the fragile Arctic system. Since then, impressive technical, political, and legal experience in managing the problem has been gained in many countries and at the international level, mainly through a number of Conventions initiated by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

- The oil can PELICAN

As a result of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the U.S. passed legislation requiring all newly built tankers to have a double hull. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill (also known as the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill or the BP Oil Spill) is the largest marine oil spill in history, and was caused by an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon offshore oil platform about 50 miles southeast of the Mississippi River delta on April 20, 2010. The Deepwater Horizon sank in about 5,000 feet (1,500 m) of water on April 22, 2010. On April 23 the U.S. Coast Guard suspended the search for missing workers who are all presumed dead. BP was principal developer of the Macondo Prospect oil field where the accident occurred.

Whose the dunce??

At the time of the explosion, BP and Trans-ocean were in the process of closing the well in anticipation of later production. Halliburton had recently completed cementing of casings in the well. The U.S. Government named BP as the responsible party in the incident and will hold the company accountable for all cleanup costs resulting from the oil spill. BP has accepted responsibility for the oil spill and the cleanup costs. However, in a report issued on September 18, 2010, BP clearly indicated its view that Trans-ocean and Halliburton deserved considerable blame for the disaster, allegations vehemently denied by those companies. The sinking of the platform caused crude oil to gush out of the riser the 5,000-feet pipe that connects the well at the ocean floor to the drilling platform on the surface. The rate of oil release became the subject of intense debate. Throughout the first month of the spill, government responders officially adhered to what we now know was low and inaccurate estimates. Non-governmental scientists, on the other hand, used the small amount of publicly available flow data to generate estimates that have proven to be much more accurate. Live video feeds of the leak from the ocean floor fueled the controversy over the magnitude of the leak. The emerging consensus is that roughly five million barrels of oil were released by the Macondo well, with roughly 4.2 million barrels pouring into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

How do we prevent???

The following points must be kept in mind by oil companies to prevent oil spills, and thus make their operations safer at every level .

Inspect for deterioration and leaks in equipment each year. On a boat, make sure all fuel lines and hoses are in good condition and that seals and connections are tight. At home, examine the oil tank, pipes and supply lines for corrosion or overpressurization. Replace all the damaged parts with new fittings. Install an oil safety valve on the supply line of your heating system if you do not already have one. This will automatically shut off the oil supply if the line breaks. Have your oil tank cleaned out every 10 years. Water and sludge can build up, causing corrosion and rusting the tank from the inside out. Replace underground tanks that are more than 12 to 15 years old with an above-ground tank. Underground tanks tend to corrode more quickly than those that are sheltered above ground. Also, replace your above-ground tank if it has been uncovered for more than 10 years. Make sure your new tank has a covering to protect it.

Visual Puzzles!!!
First one is done for you. BREAKFAST!! Now try the rest ! For those who are visually puzzled, reach pg.no. 7

So you think you can get into

Aiming an IIM?!
Most of the CAT aspirants might have joined some ace coaching institutions by now and some would have even kick started their preparation. Last year right the same time, I underwent the same process, the rush of joining CAT classes, scouring around any cat material with full zest. With aspirations in mind and spirits soaring high I presented myself for my first class. But the first session thyself startled me. It was not a easy journey. There were not hundreds, but thousands of students sprawling all over the area. If seen from the bird's view, am sure the inauguration ceremony would have resembled a swarm of bees, with backpacks. My class comprised of 70 people. There were 10 such classes in one batch and in one single centre of ONE institute. A simple calculation spotlighted on the enormity of the competition and strenuousness of the journey ahead. Why is such a strenuous process glorified?!

IIM?!
-Sindhu Balu

Final yr, ChemE

Bell the cat!!

'There's no shortcut to CAT' Either you work HARD or SMART. Vast majority of us are not blessed with the acumen or genius to take CAT and get an call from IIM!! So it's better to prepare. There are many online forums and websites ( e.g.www.testfunda.com) to take mock CAT and assess your present status. Analyze using an academic SWOT. This would enable you to devote your energy on weak areas , enabling smarter work. Pace 3: Here comes the million dollar question!! Should I need to join a coaching institute? Or Collect the reading material and study by myself? The only solution is " YOU DECIDE" Coaching institutions play a vital role in honing your skills and organizing your study habits. Innumerous practice tests and ace coaching are sure to escalate your percentile. But please do not mistake them to be alchemists having some supernatural powers to turn your weaknesses into golden strengths. They provide you the best possible steps to get yourself into IIM, provided you follow them.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

You get an highly successful career. Could DEMAND a pay in 10 digits Could RECTIFY any mistake IF done in UG!! An MBA degree which adorns your living room wall. * Specific for boys: a FIVE fold increase in your dowry

So if you think MBA is your way, you're reading the right article. Pace 1: IIM'S are your sole dream destination. So take time to get to know about them. Only then you would know the amazingly wonderful world which awaits you at the end of the hard toil. Learn about other colleges too. XLRI, FMS, IIFT, NMIMS, TISS, MUDRA are some of the important institutions which you can't afford to miss! Pace 2: Analyze yourself! The well said quote about CAT is,

6 And in best case, you find yourself capable enough of organizing your studies all by yourself, there can be nothing better than that. Ultimately, you are aiming at becoming a globally competent manager. Self management and organization are a must here. Pace 4: 'Plan your work and work your plan' Simple. Yet it is the mantra for CAT. Make an exclusive time table that is quite specific for your IQ. Better to start from your high school math and study from the day you keep your eye on IIM. The more you practice, nearer comes perfection. IIM,Ahmedabad Pace 5: Add food to your thought. Read, read, read and READ!! Keep participating in GD's at the coaching classes. Also participate in online MBA forums ( e.g. www.pagalguy.com) and get to know your competitors! Here are our seniors who have realized their dream of IIM and share the spirit of life over there!! I hope this would help you all MBA aspirants in unravelling the mysteries surrounding the prestigious IIM. A year ago I was in your shoes, when the idea of a B School was bizarre, but interesting. Life here is amplified and time seems to fly by. MBA is all about networking. You learn to enjoy yourself, make new contacts and at the end of the day you might learn few things that come handy in life. The biggest USP is that you meet different kinds of people and take in their ideas. You learn how to stretch your limits and realize that, your potential is much more than what you had ever conceived it. I can speak forever on IIM but the truth is that you can truly understand and love this life only when you become a part of it. Wish you very best to join this fantastic fraternity.

IIM Bangalore is a unique place where you get the chance to discuss real corporate problems with 78 state toppers across boards from different years, play any sport you like with 45 gold medalists across IITs, NITs and Indias Best Universities, get your doubts on statistics clarified by a Harvard or AFMC doctor and flirt with St.Stephens or SRCC topper. Typically the student studies for 4 hrs for each class, the professors prepares for 6 hours to handle the 1.5 hr session. Eating 5 times a day, bathing once a week, drinking 7 cups of chai a day, celebrating birthdays every night and countless number of times you wish 24 hours a day is not sufficient makes IIM B definitely the place to be. Wishing you all the very best for CAT.

Janesh Rajagopal PGPM, Class of 2013 IIM,Bangalore

Aishwarya Venkataramani PGPM,

Class of 2013 IIM, Kozhikode

So now its your turn to burn the midnight oil! Don't flaunt it, just because its in trend! Keep in mind, you need to burn smart oil with hard toil to get there!!

Answers for Visual Puzzles! Answers (Left to Right): Breakfast Half-hearted Moral support A friend in need For instance Ready for anything Once in a blue moon Back door Quite right Your time is up Crossroads Crossbreed Painless operation Summary Forgive and forget Language Snack! 1.c ; 2.a ; 3.c ; 4.a ; 5.c ; 6.b

Curious Mind!!
-Karthik Srinivas

1. Why do onions make you cry?

Final Yr, ChemE

Answer: Unless you've avoided cooking, you've probably cut up an onion and experienced the burning and tearing you get from the vapors. When you cut an onion, you break cells, releasing their contents. Amino acid sulfoxides form sulfenic acids. Enzymes that were kept separate now are free to mix with the sulfenic acids to produce propanethiol S-oxide, a volatile sulfur compound that wafts upward toward your eyes. This gas reacts with the water in your tears to form sulfuric acid. The sulfuric acid burns, stimulating your eyes to release more tears to wash the irritant away. Cooking the onion inactivates the enzyme, so while the smell of cooked onions may be strong, it doesn't burn your eyes. Aside from wearing safety goggles or running a fan, you can keep from crying by refrigerating your onion before cutting it (slows reactions and changes the chemistry inside the onion) or by cutting the onion under water. The sulfur-containing compounds also leave a characteristic odor on your fingers. You may be able to remove or reduce some of the smell by wiping your fingers on a stainless steel odor eater.

Is this possible?!

2. Why does ice float?

There are two parts to the answer for this question. First, let's take a look at why anything floats. Then, let's examine why ice floats on top of liquid water, instead of sinking to the bottom. Answer: A substance floats if it is less dense, or has less mass per unit volume, than other components in a mixture. For example, if you toss a handful of rocks into a bucket of water, the rocks, which are dense compared to the water, will sink. The water, which is less dense than the rocks, will float. Basically, the rocks push the water out of the way, or displace it. For an object to be able to float, it has to displace a weight of fluid equal to its own weight. Water reaches its maximum density at 4C (40F). As it cools further and freezes into ice, it actually becomes less dense. On the other hand, most substances are most dense in their solid (frozen) state than in their liquid state. Water is different because of hydrogen bonding. A water molecule is made from one oxygen atom and two hydrogen atoms, strongly joined to each other with covalent bonds. Water molecules are also attracted to each other by weaker chemical bonds (hydrogen bonds) between the positivelycharged hydrogen atoms and the negatively-charged oxygen atoms of neighboring water molecules. As water cools below 4C, the hydrogen bonds adjust to hold the negatively charged oxygen atoms apart. This produces a crystal lattice, which is commonly known as 'ice'. Ice floats because it is about 9% less dense than liquid water. In other words, ice takes up about 9% more space than water, so a liter of ice weighs less than a liter water. The heavier water displaces the lighter ice, so ice floats to the top. One consequence of this is that lakes and rivers freeze from top to bottom, allowing fish to survive even when the surface of a lake has frozen over. If ice sank, the water would be displaced to the top and exposed to the colder temperature, forcing rivers and lakes to fill with ice and freeze solid.

3. What common chemicals shouldn't be mixed?

Some of the common chemicals found in your home shouldn't be mixed together. It's one thing to say "don't mix bleach with ammonia", but it's not always easy to know what products contain these two chemicals. Here are some products you may have around the home that shouldn't be combined. I also have a list of dangerous household chemicals that may be helpful. Bleach with Acid Toilet Bowl Cleaners This mixture can result in toxic, potentially deadly fumes. Bleach with Vinegar Vinegar is a type of acid. Toxic chlorine vapor is produced. Don't mix chlorine bleach with any acid. Bleach with Ammonia Toxic, potentially lethal vapors are produced. The main danger comes from chloramine vapors. Different Brands of One Type of Product Don't mix different cleaners together. They may react violently, produce toxins, or become ineffective. Highly Alkaline Products with Highly Acidic Products Acids and bases (alkalis) can react violently, presenting a splash hazard. Acids and bases are caustic and may cause chemical burns. Certain Disinfectants with Detergents Don't mix disinfectants with 'quaternary ammonia' listed as an ingredient with a detergent. The effectiveness of the disinfectant may be neutralized. Chlorine bleach is sometimes called sodium hypochlorite or hypochlorite. You will encounter it in chlorine bleach, automatic dish -washing detergents, chlorinated disinfectants and cleaners, chlorinated scouring powder, mildew removers, and toilet bowl cleaners. Do not mix products together. Do not mix them with ammonia or vinegar.

Elements revealed!!!
So here is a set of 10 elements revealed. Given their characteristics, guess the element!! For all those who could not reveal it, move to pg.no. 12

Whether gas, liquid or solid; radioactive or stable, reactive or inert; toxic or in your vitamin pill, the 118 building blocks each have its own chemically idiosyncratic characteristics, along with certain commonalities.

1.Solid-alkali One of only three elements to be created in the big bang, though in much smaller amounts than hydrogen or helium. It has no known role in normal physiology, but as a drug it has long been appreciated as a mood stabilizer. 2.Solid-alkali Together with nitrogen and phosphorus it is one of the three crucial elements in artificial fertilizers. It is part of the alkali column, whose name comes from qali, the Arabic word for the salt-loving plant saltwort. 3.Liquid-halogen This element is a favorite of hot-tubbers because it has sanitizing properties similar to those of chlorine but it is not as smelly. 4.Solid-Metalloids Its compound with fluoride is one of the most acidic known, with a pH of -31. In alchemy it was seen as a feminine element; its symbol later became the symbol for female (a cross with a circle on top). 5.Solid-non metals Before photosynthesis appeared, it's compound with hydrogen may have been lifes first source of energy. It is one of the most important elements in the living cell, appearing in two types of amino acids and in countless other compounds. 6.Solid-transition metals It is one of the most inert metals when in bulk. But its nano particles have surprising catalytic powers. They also assume different colors depending on their size: its nano particles are responsible for the reds of stained glasses. 7.Solid-non metals One of the crucial building blocks of DNA as well as of ATP, the living cells main form of energy currency. Together with nitrogen compounds, they are a major pollutant in the runoff from fertilizers, causing dead zones in seas and lakes. 8. Solid-actinides Although he was neither a chemist nor a nuclear physicist, he was the author of a seminal 1905 paper on Brownian motion that helped convince scientists of the existence of atoms and molecules. In the same year he also laid the foundations for quantum theory, which eventually led scientists to explain the structure of the periodic table. it was first discovered in materials from the fallout of a thermonuclear bomb. 9.Solid-metalloids This element is fairly rare and has no known role in biology. Mixed in with glass, it reduces thermal expansion and thus it makes for oven-proof pots and pans. 10.Solid- post transition metals It is the most abundant metal in Earths crust but it is rare in its pure form. Until the 1800s, when the technology was developed to separate it from rock, it was more expensive than gold; Napoleon III allegedly hosted a banquet in which the guests of honor ate on its plates.

10

With Regards, ChemE

-Purnima Manghnani

Final Yr, ChemE Wet Bulb Temperature

The wet bulb temperature is a good googly that you might have to face in an interview. Its the interviewers favorite question because its something that not many have a clear idea about. Condensation, evaporation, humidification, and distillation are transport phenomena in which vapors or vapor mixtures are in contact with the liquids, and a large amount of energy is released or absorbed with the phase change, which is known as the latent heat. A characteristic of mass transfer in these phenomena is that it is always accompanied by an energy transfer due to the phase change, and in this respect it is quite different from ordinary mass transfer, which is not accompanied by an energy transfer. Wet bulb temperature is important, owing to the fact that it helps in determining the humidity of the given gas stream. Well get to that in detail later. Say that a droplet of water is suspended in an unsaturated fast moving gas stream and its temperature is higher than the dew point of the gas (that means on the gas-liquid interface, instead of condensation there may be vaporization due to the higher temperature) which will facilitate a high vapor pressure at the surface of the droplet, whereas theres a low partial pressure in the bulk gas. The latent heat required for the liquid to pass into the vapor phase will be taken from the body of the droplet i.e. the sensible heat. Hence the vaporization will certainly cause a fall in the droplet temperature. As the temperature of the droplet keeps falling, once its less than the gas temperature, heat transfer from the gas to the liquid begins. This process assures that the liquid get enough latent heat for the vaporization. At some point a steady state will be attained where the heat received by the drop will be equal to the latent heat used for vaporization. The temperature of the drop or liquid at this point is called the wet bulb temperature. Hence the heat transfer occurs to facilitate the mass transfer. This is a very interesting phenomenon! If there is a driving force for mass transfer to occur, heat transfer will provide the helping hand (obviously in operations involving phase change). Now what exactly is the significance of the wet bulb temperature?? At steady state, qG= w NA where NA is the gas-phase mass flux, qG is the gas-phase sensible heat flux, and w is the latent heat of vaporization of the liquid at the wet-bulb temperature Tw. This links the mass and heat transfer operations. qG= hG (TG-Tw) NA= kH (Hw-H) where hG is the gas-phase heat transfer coefficient, kH is the gas-phase mass transfer coefficient defined by the driving force in terms of the absolute humidity, H is the absolute humidity of the bulk gas, Hw is the absolute humidity at the wet-bulb temperature, and Tw and TG are the wet-bulb and the bulk gas temperatures, respectively. Now lets do a little bit of mathematical manipulation and arrive at this equation, (Hw-H)/(TG-Tw) = hG/ (kH. W) hG/kH is the psychrometric ratio which is a physical parameter. The above equation clearly establishes a relationship between the humidity and the temperatures. Voila!!

11

Language Snack!
What does blow your top mean?:
a) to suddenly become excited b) to slowly become excited c) to suddenly become angry

What does fire away mean?: a) you can ask me anything you want b) it's safe to fire the gun c) I think I can smell something burning

If you get cold feet, this means that:

a) you feel very brave about doing something b) you feel too cold to do something c) you feel too nervous to do something

If you are in two minds, this means:

a) you can't decide b) you have made a decision c) you have a headache

If you are over the moon, how do you feel?

a) very angry b) very sad c) very happy

What are you going to do if you are going to play it by ear?

a) play a musical instrument b) decide what to do when the situation happens c) plan what to do before the situation happens.

Answers in pg.no. 7

12

Elements revealed!!! -Solutions

1
2 3

10

13

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