Synthesis and morphology of polyethylene‐block‐poly(methyl methacrylate) through the combination of metallocene catalysis with living radical polymerization

Polyethylene‐block‐poly(methyl methacrylate) (PE‐b‐PMMA) was successfully synthesized through the combination of metallocene catalysis with living radical polymerization. Terminally hydroxylated polyethylene, prepared by ethylene/allyl alcohol copolymerization with a specific zirconium metallocene/methylaluminoxane/triethylaluminum catalyst system, was treated with 2‐bromoisobutyryl bromide to produce terminally esterified polyethylene (PE‐Br). With the resulting PE‐Br as an initiator for transition‐metal‐mediated living radical polymerization, methyl methacrylate polymerization was subsequently performed with CuBr or RuCl₂(PPh₃)₃ as a catalyst. Then, PE‐b‐PMMA block copolymers of different poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) contents were prepared. Transmission electron microscopy of the obtained block copolymers revealed unique morphological features that depended on the content of the PMMA segment. The block copolymer possessing 75 wt % PMMA contained 50–100‐nm spherical polyethylene lamellae uniformly dispersed in the PMMA matrix. Moreover, the PE‐b‐PMMA block copolymers effectively compatibilized homopolyethylene and homo‐PMMA at a nanometer level. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 3965–3973, 2003     

Effects of dry density and thickness of sandy soil on impact response due to rockfall

Sand cushions against impact force are widely used for rockfall prevention covers. The objective of this paper is to investigate the effects of the dry density and thickness of a sand cushion on an impact response due to a falling weight likened to a rockfall. A series of laboratory experiments for a decomposed granite soil was executed in the combination of the mass and drop height of the weight. As a result, the impact pressure applied to the soil surface increases with the dry density, but it does not depend on the thickness of the soil. The earth pressure at the bottom of the mold increases with the dry density, and it decreases with the thickness of the soil. Therefore, the transmissibility of the impact pressure decreases rapidly with the thickness of the soil.     

Multiple scale fourier transformation: An application to nonlinear dispersive waves

A Fourier transformation involving multiple scales is applied to describe the far-field asymptotic behaviour of nonlinear dispersive waves. It is shown that a nonlinear asymptotic perturbation can be carried out in terms of simple calculations with respect to Dirac delta functions involving a multiple scale wave number and frequency space. Fourier transformed versions of the nonlinear Schrödinger and Korteweg-de Vries equations are derived explicitly.     

Hydrogen Production from a Methanol–Water Solution Catalyzed by an Anionic Iridium Complex Bearing a Functional Bipyridonate Ligand under Weakly Basic Conditions

An efficient catalytic system for the production of hydrogen from a methanol–water solution has been developed using a new anionic iridium complex bearing a functional bipyridonate ligand as a catalyst. This system can be operated under mild conditions [weakly basic solution (0.046 mol L^?1 NaOH) below 100 °C] without the use of an additional organic solvent. Long‐term continuous hydrogen production from a methanol–water solution catalyzed by the anionic iridium complex was also achieved.     

Preparation of thermoplastic elastomer from natural rubber grafted with polystyrene

Thermoplastic elastomer was prepared from deproteinized natural rubber (DPNR) by graft-copolymerization of styrene, which was performed onto rubber particles of about 1 μm in diameter in latex stage with tert-butyl hydroperoxide/tetraethylenepentamine as an initiator. Suitable initiator concentrations were determined to be 3.3 × 10⁻² and 20 × 10⁻² mol/kg-rubber for the graft-coplymerization of styrene of 1.5 and 5.5 mol/kg-rubber, respectively, in which conversion and grafting efficiency of styrene were more than 90 mol% and 80 mol%, respectively. The resulting polystyrene, grafted onto the rubber particles, was characterized by size exclusion chromatography after ozonolysis. Morphology of the DPNR grafted with polystyrene (DPNR-graft-PS) was observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Change in morphology after processing the DPNR-graft-PS at 150 °C was associated with change in mechanical properties, i.e. stress at strain of 1 and stress at break. The outstanding mechanical properties, maintained even after processing, were assigned to the thermoplasticity of the DPNR-graft-PS, based on the high conversion and high grafting efficiency.     

Experimental study on vibrations of a nonwoven fabric cylindrical filter

Unexpected vibrations on a cylindrical filter made of nonwoven fabrics were clarified experimentally. Two types of filter with length L=1.8 m and 3.7 m, both 45 cm in diameter and 1.08 mm in thickness, were used. This is a new type of aeroelastic vibration phenomenon because the filter is a closed cylindrical vessel. In addition, the flow velocity of inner air was very slow and inner air flowed out slowly from the filter surface. The velocity distribution of air flow from a fan duct as well as the frequency and amplitude of the filter vibration were measured for two types of filter. By setting up a roll core panel at the outlet of the fan duct, we could rectify the outflow and suppressed the vibration of the shorter filter with L=1.8 m. However, this method was not adequate for the longer filter with L=3.7 m, and we could suppress the vibration by shielding the inner surface of the filter at the top region.     

Selective lumping finite element method for nearshore current

A finite element method for the analysis of nearshore current, which is one of the principal currents in coastal seas, is presented in this paper. Because the nearshore current is induced by the variable distribution of the surface waves, it is necessary to analyse two main characteristics of the wave, i.e. direction and height. The current can be computed using the resulting wave characteristics. The present method makes it possible to employ procedures for which the same methods of solution are applicable for all basic equations of wave direction, height and current flow. The linear interpolation function is used for the discretization of spatial variables and a selective lumping two step explicit scheme is employed for the numerical integration in time. The numerical solutions obtained are compared with analytical, experimental and observed ones. From these comparative studies, it is concluded that the present finite element method provide a useful tool for the analysis of nearshore current.