Page-4 of Physical sciences Current Affairs, GK & News

Union Government sets up KABIL to ensure supply of critical Minerals

The joint venture company namely Khanij Bidesh India Ltd. (KABIL) has been set up with the participation of three Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) to ensure a consistent supply of critical and strategic minerals to Indian domestic market. These CPSEs are National Aluminium Company Ltd. (NALCO), Hindustan Copper Ltd. (HCL) and Mineral Exploration Company Ltd. ..

Topics: Chemical elements • Chemistry • Cobalt • Hindustan Copper • Lithium • NALCO • Nalco Holding Company • National Aluminium Company • Natural sciences • Physical sciences

Urea: Make or Buy

The policymakers are pondering over a question whether it is worth “making” urea at $ 400 per tonne or more when you can import (“buy”) at under $300?. Other sections advocate for achieving self-sufficiency in this critical nitrogenous fertilizer. Why India must augment the capacity of local production? The domestic production cost also involves customs ..

Topics: Excretion • Fertilizers • Local Production • Lymph fluid • Natural sciences • Nitrogen cycle • Peninsular India • Physical sciences • Self Sufficiency • Ton • Units of measurement • Urea

Union Government imposes definitive anti-dumping duty on PTA imports from South Korea & Thailand

The Ministry of Finance has imposed definitive anti-dumping duty on all imports of Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA) from South Korea and Thailand. PTA is primary raw material in the manufacture of polyester chips, which in turn are used in a number of applications in textile, packaging, furnishings, consumer goods, resins and coatings. The latest action ..

Topics: Chemistry • Commodity chemicals • Dumping • Indorama Ventures • Physical sciences • Plastics • Polyester • PTA • Synthetic resins • Terephthalic acid • Thermoplastics • Thermosetting plastics

The researchers at IIT Hyderabad develop eco-friendly solar cells using kumkum dye

The scientists at IIT Hyderabad have developed low-cost, environment-friendly solar cells by employing an off-the-shelf dye used to make kumkum or vermilion in India. The Dye-Sensitised Solar Cell (DSSC) is based on New Fuchsin (NF) dye with aqueous electrolyte and platinum-free counter electrodes. The research is published in the Solar Energy journal. The most familiar ..

Topics: Chemistry • Crystalline silicon • Dye-sensitized solar cells • Electrolyte • Energy • Energy conversion • Energy harvesting • Indium tin oxide • Lithium-ion battery • Physical chemistry • Physical sciences • Solar cells

Deep Ocean Mission (DOM) to be launch by Ministry of Earth Sciences

The Deep Ocean Mission (DOM) has finally got the green signal from the Government of India (GoI). It is five-year, Rs 8000-crore plan to explore the deepest recesses of the ocean & will be launched by the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences. The mission proposes to explore the deep ocean similar to the space exploration ..

Topics: Chemistry • Deep Ocean mission • Government of India • Indian Space Research Organisation • Manganese • Natural sciences • Nodule • Ocean exploration • Oceanography • Physical sciences • Sea • Seabed

Tezpur University‘s researchers develops a low-cost filter to remove arsenic from water

Researchers at Assam’s Tezpur University have developed a simple and cost-effective filtration system – Arsiron Nilogon – that may help reduce the health burden caused by arsenic and iron contaminated groundwater. The system filters out 99.9% of the arsenic contamination from the groundwater to make it suitable for drinking. The chemicals used in the filtration ..

Topics: Aquifers • Arsenic • Arsenic contamination of groundwater • Chemical elements • Chemistry • Groundwater pollution • Hepatotoxins • Hexavalent chromium • Metal toxicity • Physical sciences • sanitation • Water pollution