Study of Temperature and UV Wavelength Range Effects on Degradation of Photo-Irradiated Polyethylene Films Using DMA

Plastic bags mostly made of polyethylene (PE) cause pollution as solid waste due to their non-degradability nature. Initiation of a degradative process by enhanced photo-oxidation is a possible method for an accelerated degradation. This paper presents temperature treatment effects on PE films where photodegradation was initiated using ultraviolet (UV) irradiation in the ranges of 200–300 nm and 300–400 nm for 2 hr. Effects of temperature of 40°C and 55°C on non-UV-irradiated and UV-irradiated PE films processed by conventional methods were investigated and evaluated after 50 hr, 150 hr, and 350 hr of temperature exposure. The effects of UV wavelength range irradiation on the degradation were deduced. Measuring the dynamic moduli using a dynamic mechanical analyzer monitored the degradation. The decrease in average storage modulus was 62% with treatment at 55°C, higher than the 16% drop at 40°C for unirradiated samples after 350-hr exposure. Cross-linking in UV-exposed samples, characterized by an increase in dynamic modulus (stiffening), was observed followed by a reduction of storage modulus. Temperature treatment at 55°C together with 300–400-nm UV range irradiation resulted in the largest increase, i.e., 22% after 150 hr, followed by the largest reduction of storage modulus, i.e., 74.6% for a cumulative 350-hr exposure.     

Wrinkle morphologies with two distinct wavelengths

Wrinkles with two distinct wavelengths formed sequentially on the same surface are investigated. A series of aligned wrinkles are formed through local strain application on a partially crosslinked elastomer. After the formation of these primary wrinkles, the elastomer is fully crosslinked, and a mechanical compressive strain is applied to the sample orthogonal to the primary wrinkles. This mechanical strain results in smaller secondary wrinkles superimposed on the larger primary aligned wrinkles. Resulting biaxial morphologies suggest that the primary pattern directs the formation of the smaller wrinkles. The modulus mismatch of the substrate on primary and secondary wrinkle formation dictates the ratio between the two resulting wavelengths, as well as the specific biaxial morphologies, ranging from zigzag ridges to ellipsoidal bumps or corn‐on‐the‐cob structures to the classic herringbone. The sequential strain wrinkling process has the potential to be used on an industrial scale for the facile formation of surface topography with two discrete, tunable lateral dimensions over large surface areas. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2012     

Preparation and Characterization of Isotactic Polypropylene Reinforced with Hydroxyapatite Nanorods

Isotactic polypropylene (PP) composites filled with hydroxyapatite nanorods (nHAs) were fabricated using a melt compounding process. The effects of nHA additions on the structure, thermal, and mechanical properties as well as bioactivity of PP were investigated. Wide-angle X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry results showed that PP crystallized exclusively in the α-form when adding nHAs. Dynamic mechanical analysis showed that nHAs enhanced the storage modulus of PP. Mechanical measurements showed that nHAs stiffened and reinforced PP but reduced its tensile ductility and impact strength considerably. Furthermore, the PP/nHA nanocomposites were found to exhibit excellent bioactivity upon immersion in a simulated body fluid solution. This was attributed to the formation of apatite mineral crystals on the nanocomposite surfaces as revealed by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis.     

Electrical Impedance Spectroscopic Study of CNT/Ethylene-alt-CO/Propylene-alt-CO Polyketones Nanocomposite

Impedance spectroscopy was utilized to investigate the dielectric properties, ac conductivity and charge transport mechanisms in propylene-alt-CO/ethylene-alt-CO (EPEC) random terpolymer filled with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) as a function of nanofiller content, frequency, and temperature. Equivalent resistor-capacitor (RC) circuit models were proposed to describe the impedance characteristics of the unfilled terpolymer and the nanocomposite at different temperatures. For the nanocomposites, the ac conductivity tended to be frequency independent at low frequencies. At high frequencies, the ac conductivity increased with frequency. The dc conductivity (i.e., plateau of the ac conductivity at low frequencies) at room temperature increased from 10^?9 (Ω·m)^?1 for the unfilled polymer to l0^?3 (Ω·m)^?1 for the 6 wt% MWCNT/EPEC nanocomposite. At low temperatures, the equivalent RC model for EPEC-0 and EPEC-2 was found to consist of a parallel RC circuit. However, for 6 wt% MWCNT/EPEC nanocomposite, an RC model consisting of an R/constant phase element (CPE) circuit and a resistor in series was required to describe the impedance behavior of the nanocomposite.     

The formation of dead zones in nonisothermal porous catalyst with temperature-dependent diffusion coefficient

This paper considers the formation of dead zones in the porous catalyst pellets due to the chemical reaction and diffusion. We established and investigated the model with nonisothermal reaction of fractional order and activated temperature-dependent diffusivity. The effects of process parameters, catalyst shape, and reaction and diffusion parameters on the formation of the dead zone are studied numerically and characterized by the critical Thiele modulus. The lower bounds for the critical Thiele modulus are derived analytically in terms of process parameters for exothermic and endothermic reactions and verified numerically. The critical Thiele modulus increases with increasing Arrhenius number for diffusion and decreasing Arrhenius number for reaction in the case of exothermic reactions, whereas the opposite trends hold for the endothermic reactions. The critical Thiele modulus also increases with increasing fractional reaction order as well as with decreasing energy generation function, and increasing Biot numbers for heat and mass transfer. Moreover, the critical Thiele modulus is the highest for spherical pellets and the lowest for pellets with planar shape.     

Chain transfer agents in cationic photopolymerization of a bis‐cycloaliphatic epoxide monomer: Kinetic and physical property effects

The effects of chain transfer agents (CTA) on cationic ring‐opening polymerization of 3,4‐epoxycyclohexylmethyl‐3′,4′‐epoxycyclohexane carboxylate (EEC) were explored. EEC was polymerized in the presence of various CTAs, and epoxide conversions monitored via Raman spectroscopy. Polymer films were prepared and analyzed by dynamic mechanical analysis. Many of the organic alcohols studied greatly enhanced epoxide polymerization rates and conversion levels. The gel fraction of polymer specimens decreased rapidly with increasing amounts of octanol (gel fraction >90% up to 0.3 equiv OH) but remained high with increasing amounts of 1,2‐propanediol (gel fraction >90% up to 0.6 equiv OH). Increasing the size of primary alcohols had little effect on the polymerization rates and conversions. The polymerization rate decreased with increasing alcohol substitution (1°>2°>3°). Acidic alcohols had very low impact on conversion and polymerization rates relative to the neat epoxy resin. The glass transition temperature was inversely related to the size and amount of CTA. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2013     

Elastic Organic Crystals Based on Barbituric Derivative: Multi-faceted Bending and Flexible Optical Waveguide

Elastic organic single crystals with light-emitting and multi-faceted bending properties are extremely rare. They have potential application in optical materials and have attracted the extensive attention of researchers. In this paper, we reported a structurally simple barbituric derivative DBDT , which was easily crystallized and gained long needle-like crystals (centimeter-scale) in DCM/CH₃OH (v/v=2/8). Upon applying or removing the mechanical force, both the (100) and (040) faces of the needle-like crystal showed reversible bending behaviour, showing the nature of multi-faceted bending. The average hardness (H) and elastic modulus (E) were 0.28±0.01 GPa and 4.56±0.03 GPa for the (040) plane, respectively. Through the analysis of the single crystal data, it could be seen that the van der waals (C−H⋅⋅⋅π and C−H⋅⋅⋅C), H-bond (C−H⋅⋅⋅O) and π⋅⋅⋅π interactions between molecules were responsible for the generation of the crystal elasticity. Interestingly, elastic crystals exhibited optical waveguide characteristics in straight or bent state. The optical loss coefficients measured at 627 nm were 0.7 dBmm⁻¹ (straight state) and 0.9 dBmm⁻¹ (bent state), while the optical loss coefficient (α) were 1.5 dBmm⁻¹ (straight state) and 1.8 dBmm⁻¹ (bent state) at 567 nm. Notably, the elastic organic molecular crystal based on barbituric derivative could be used as the candidate for flexible optical devices.     

Treatment by serum up-conversion nanoparticles in the fluoride matrix changes the mechanism of cell death and the elasticity of the membrane

Nanoparticles are increasingly being used for treatment and diagnostic purposes, but their effects on cells is not fully understood. Here, the interaction of fluorescent up-conversion nanoparticles (UpC-NPs) with neutrophils was investigated by imaging and measurement of membrane-cytosceletal elasticity by atomic force microscopy. It was found that UpC-NPs induce the death of neutrophils mainly by necrosis, and to a smaller extent by a novel process called ‘mummification'. Necrosis occurs by gradual loss of intracellular contents and nuclei, 45–110 min after exposure to UpC-NPs. Mummification is apparent as an increase in the rigidity of the neutrophils' membrane and acquisition of a characteristic bumpy shape with numerous protrusions; this structure does not change during atomic force microscopy scanning. Coating UpC-NPs with protein by incubation with serum leads to (1) formation of nanoparticle aggregates in the nm and μm size range, (2) a reduction in toxicity, (3) reduced mummification of neutrophils, and (4) no significant reduction of the elasticity of the membrane-cytoskeletal complex of neutrophils 30 min after exposure to coated UpC-NPs. The study shows that serum proteins greatly curb the toxicity of nanoparticles and reveals mummification as a novel mechanism of UpC-NP-induced cell death.     

Approximation by walsh-kaczmarz-fejér means on the hardy space

The main aim of this paper is to find necessary and sufficient conditions for the convergence of Walsh-Kaczmarz-Fejér means in the terms of the modulus of continuity on the Hardy spaces H_p, when 0<p≤ 1/2.     

On an Inequality of Pual Turan Concerning Polynomials-Ⅱ

Let P(z) be a polynomial of degree n and for any complex number α, let D_αP(z) = nP(z)+(α- z) P′(z) denote the polar derivative of the polynomial P(z) with respect to α. In this paper, we obtain inequalities for the polar derivative of a polynomial having all zeros inside a circle. Our results shall generalize and sharpen some well-known results of Turan, Govil, Dewan et al. and others.