Reactions of powdered silicon with some pyrotechnic oxidants

Thermogravimetry (TG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) have been used to examine the thermal behaviour, in N₂ and in air, of the Si/Sb₂O₃, Si/KNO₃, Si/Fe₂O₃ and Si/SnO₂ pyrotechnic systems, in relation to the behaviour of the individual constituents.TG curves for Si powder, heated alone in air, showed that limited oxidation of Si occurred above 700°. In N₂, Sb₂O₃ sublimed completely between 500 and 900° and, in air, sublimation was accompanied by oxidation to Sb₂O₄. The Sb₂O₄ decomposed at higher temperatures. DSC curves for KNO₃ heated in N₂ showed the usual crystalline transition and melting endotherms followed by endothermic decomposition between 400 and 950°. DSC and TG curves of SnO₂and Fe₂O₃ revealed no thermal events when samples were heated to 1000° in either N₂ or air.For the Si/Sb₂O₃ system, the oxidation of Si by Sb₂O₃ between 590 and 700°, was complicated by sublimation of Sb₂O₃ in N₂ and also by the oxidation of Sb₂O₃ in air. No thermal events were observed for the Si/SnO₂and Si/Fe₂O₃ systems when heated under a variety of conditions in either N2 or in air, although these systems do sustain combustion on suitable ignition. In the Si/KNO₃ system, oxidation of Si occurs in a KNO₃ melt at temperatures above 560° in nitrogen and in air.

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Zusammenfassung Mittels TG und DSC wurde das thermische Verhalten der pyrotechnischen Systeme Si/Sb₂O₃, Si/KNO₃, Si/Fe₂O₃ und Si/SnO₂in N₂ und in Luft im Vergleich zum Verhalten der einzelnen Komponenten untersucht.TG-Aufnahmen über das Erhitzen von Si-Pulver in Luft zeigten eine begrenzte Oxidation von Silizium oberhalb 700°C. Sb₂O₃ sublimiert in Stickstoff vollständig zwischen 500 und 900°C, in Luft wird die Sublimation durch Oxidation zu Sb₂O₄ begleitet. Sb₂O₄ zersetzt sich bei höheren Temperaturen. DSC-Aufnahmen für KNO₃ in N₂ zeigen die gewohnten Umwandlungs- und Schmelzendothermen, gefolgt von einer endothermen Zersetzung zwischen 400 und 950°C. Die DSC- und TG-Kurven für SnO₂und Fe₂O₃ zeigen bei Erhitzen bis 1000°C weder in N₂ noch in Luft den Verlauf thermische Prozesse an.Bei dem System Si/Sb₂O₃ spielt sich neben der Oxidation von Si durch Sb₂O₃ zwischen 590 und 700°C auch eine Sublimation von Sb₂O₃ in N₂ sowie eine Oxidation von Sb₂O₃ in Luft ab. Für die Systeme Si/SnO₂und Si/Fe₂O₃ konnten durch Erhitzen unter einer Reihe von Bedingungen weder in Luft noch in N₂ Thermoprozesse nachgewiesen werden, obwohl diese Systeme nach geeigneter Zündung den Brennvorgang aufrechterhalten. Im System Si/KNO₃ erfolgt sowohl in N₂ als auch in Luft oberhalb 560°C die Oxidation von Si in der KNO₃-Schmelze.

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Dedicated to Professor Dr. H. J. Seifert on the occasion of his 60^th birthday     

Differential thermal and thermogravimetric analyses of bound water content in cellulosic substrates and its significance during cellulose hydrolysis by alkaline active fungal cellulases

Various cellulosic substrates were examined for bound water content by differential thermal analysis (DTA) and thermogravimetry (TG). Samples were heated in the range of 30-100 degrees C at a rate of 3 degrees C/min. DTA vaporization curves for different cellulose samples indicated that the bound water (Wf) was vaporized at higher temperature than free water (Wf) at the surface. Weight loss was observed in two stages, corresponding to Wf and Wb in TG curves. The bound water content was dependent on the degree of crystallinity of cellulose. Among different cellulosic substrates, Walseth cellulose showed the highest bound water content, and it also was found to be the least crystalline. The alkaline-active, alkali-stable cellulase was obtained from the alkalotolerant Fusarium sp. The substrate specificity and viscometric characteristics confirmed the enzyme to be an endoglucanase. The Wb content of Walseth cellulose was lowered during the enzymatic hydrolysis. The possible application of bound water analysis in understanding the hydrolysis of cellulosic substrates of different crystallinity is discussed.     

Electron transfer in the reduction of primary halides by metal hydrides

The reactions of various main-group metal hydrides with 1-halo-5-hexenes and with 1-halo-2,2-dlmethyl-5-hexenes produce both straight chain and cyclized reduction products. The formation of cyclic hydrocarbons clearly indicates the presence of radical intermediates during the course of these reactions.     

Ptolemaic and Chordal Cover-Incomparability Graphs

Order - Cover-incomparability graphs (C-I graphs) are graphs whose edge-set is the union of edge-sets of the incomparability graph and the cover graph of some poset. C-I graphs captured attention...     

Molecular orbital calculations on the conformation of nucleic acids and their constituents

The conformational properties of the furanose ring of purine- and pyrimidine--nucleosides and-nucleotides are studied quantum-mechanically with the help of the PCILO method, using the pseudorotational concept. The computations point to the existence of two stable conformational zones centered around the C(3)-endo and C(2)-endo conformations which in the isolated furanose ring are separated by barriers of the order of 4 kcal/mole. In nucleosides one of the barriers (the one running through the O(1)-exo-C(2)-exo path) becomes very high. A detailed study is made of the relation between the phase angle of pseudorotation, P, and the torsion angle about the glycosyl bond, _CN. A very satisfactory agreement with the available experimental data is observed.

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Zusammenfassung Die Konformationseigenschaften des Furanoserings in -Nucleosiden und Nucleotiden von Purin und Pyrimidin werden nach der PCILO-Methode unter Berücksichtigung der pseudorotatorischen Betrachtungsweise studiert. Die Rechnung läßt auf die Existenz zweier stabiler Konformationszonen schließen, die in der Umgebung der C(2)-endo und der C(3)-endo Konformationen liegen, und die im isolierten Furanosering durch Energiebarrieren der Größenordnung von 4 kcal/mol voneinander getrennt sind. In Nucleosiden wird eine der Barrieren (die durch den Weg O(1)-exo-C(2)-exo gekennzeichnete) sehr hoch. Die Relation zwischen dem Phasenwinkel der Pseudorotation, P, und dem Drehwinkel um die Glycosylbindung, _CN, wird einer eingehenden Untersuchung unterworfen. Man beobachtet eine sehr zufriedenstellende Übereinstimmung mit den verfügbaren experimentellen Daten.

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Résumé Les propriétés conformationnelles du noyau furanose des -nucleosides et nucleotides des purines et pyrimidines sont étudiées par la méthode PCILO en faisant appel au concept de la pseudorotation. Les calculs indiquent l'existence de deux zones de conformations stables, centrées autour des conformations C(2)-endo et C(3)-endo, qui sont dans le sucre isolé séparées par des barrières de l'ordre de 4 kcal/mole. Dans les nucleosides, l'une de ces barrières (celle qui passe par le chemin O(1)-exo-C(2)-exo) devient très élevée. Une étude détaillée est effectuée sur la relation entre l'angle de phase de la pseudorotation P et l'angle de torsion autour de la liaison glycosylique, _CN. Un excellent accord avec les données expérimentales disponibles est observé.

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This research was supported by the R.C.P. 173 and the A.T.P. A 655-2303 of the C.N.R.S.     

Biomimetic reduction of nimesulide with NaBH4 catalyzed by metalloporphyrins

The biomimetic reduction of anti-inflammatory drug, nimesulide (1) with sodium borohydride catalyzed by 5,10,15,20-tetraarylporphyrinatoiron(III) chlorides [TAPFe(III)Cl] has been studied in organic solvents under anaerobic and aerobic conditions.     

Removal of actinides and fission products activity from intermediate alkaline waste using inorganic exchangers

Hydrated iron oxide or amorphous-Fe₂O₃·3.5 H₂O (HFeO), hydrated titanium oxide (HTiO) and hydrated thorium oxide (HThO) were synthesized and their applicability for the decontamination of intermediate level liquid wastes (ILLW) was tested. The sorption of a few actinides like plutonium and americium on HFeO, ¹³⁷Cs and ¹⁰⁶Ru on HTiO and ⁹⁰Sr on HThO was investigated as a function of pH, time and loading capacity of the hydrous oxide with metal ions. The influence of the total dissolved salt content was also monitored. Some of these parameters influenced the sorption behavior significantly. The radiation stability of these inorganic sorbents were studied by irradiating them up to 48 Mrad. Adsorbed actinides and fission products were successfully eluted from HFeO and from the mix-bed of HTiO and HThO by 0.5M nitric acid.The authors wish to thank Shri R. D. Changarani, Chief Superintendent NRG Facilities and Shri P. K. Dey, Head FRD for their valuable advice and constant support.     

PGSE diffusion, 1H-19F HOESY and NMR studies on several [Rh(1,5-COD)(Biphemp)]X complexes: detecting positional anion effects

Three new salts of Rh(I), [Rh(1,5-COD)(Biphemp)]X, Biphemp = (6,6'-dimethylbiphenyl-2,2'-diyl)bis(diphenylphosphine), X = BF4-, 2a, PF6-, 2b, and CF3SO3-, 2c, were prepared and studied using PGSE diffusion, 1H-19F HOESY and inverse 103Rh (amongst other) NMR methods. Although the immediate coordination sphere of the cation does not sense the change in the anion, the PGSE diffusion and 1H-19F HOESY data suggest that, in addition to some ion pairing, each of the anions in 2 demonstrates selectivity in its approach towards the cation.     

Pharmaceutical counterfeiting

Pharmaceutical counterfeiting is becoming a serious problem both in developed and developing countries. This paper considers the extent of the problem and provides several examples of drugs which have been counterfeited. Additionally, the effects of counterfeit products on consumers, health care providers, drug manufacturers and governments are discussed. Several of the currently used methods of detection are described and these include near-infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, isotopic characterization, tensiography, chromatographic and mass spectrometric approaches. Finally, anti-counterfeiting measures such as the use of holograms, tracers and taggants and electronic tracking are summarized.