Effect of MeV protons on the phase behaviour and thermal stability of polytetrafluoroethylene

Thermomechanical spectroscopy analysis was used to study the influence of accelerated protons on the molecular-topological properties of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). The study showed changes in a wide number of polymer parameters as a result of bombardment with 1, 2 and 4 MeV protons at fluences up to 2 × 10¹⁵ protons/cm². The basic topological process occurring under proton bombardment is amorphicity, as found for γ-irradiation of PTFE. The flow temperature of bombarded PTFE significantly decreases with increasing the fluxes and energy of the accelerated protons. The general process resulting from proton bombardment is cleavage of C-F bonds, leading to formation of “centered” radicals ～CF₂CF · CF₂～ and HF. The thermal stability of bombarded PTFE is below than that of virgin polymer. The rate of thermal destruction noticeably increases and the temperature of the initiation of effective thermal decomposition decreases after bombardment. The gaseous products generated during thermal destruction of the bombarded and virgin PTFE are similar.     

Effect of heat treatment on thermal and mechanical stability of NaOH-doped xanthan gum-based hydrogels

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - Xanthan gum (XG)-based hydrogels containing sodium hydroxide (NaOH) salt were synthesized with the use of distilled water (DW) at room temperature and...     

The effect of mechanical activation on the thermal decomposition of chalcopyrite

Experimental results on the influence of preliminary mechanical activation on the thermal decomposition of chalcopyrite are presented and discussed. The following experimental facts were found:

Oxidative thermal degradation of polytetrafluoroethylene

Oxidative thermal degradation studies were performed on polytetrafluoroethylene in air and oxygen by using a stagnation burner arrangement. The autoignition behavior as a function of temperature and oxidizing medium and the nature and relative proportion of the volatiles produced prior to ignition, on ignition, and during combustion were determined. In oxygen only COF₂, CO₂, and CF₄ were formed; in air C₂F₄ was observed, together with a spectrum of rearrangement derived fluorocarbons in addition to the expected oxidation products. The autoignition temperature in air was found to be considerably higher than in oxygen (575°C compared to 512°C).     

Effect of structure on the thermal stability of polyimides

Polyimides with different proportions of m-phenylene and p-phenylene (or p,p′-biphenylene) were prepared by polymerizing different molar ratios of m-phenylene diamine and p-phenylene diamine (or p,p′-diaminobiphenyl) with pyromellitic dianhydride in dimethylformamide at 0°C. Chemical cyclodehydration of polyamic acids resulted in the corresponding polyimides. Polymers were characterized by infrared (IR), viscosity, and density measurements. Viscosity and density of polymers decreased with an increase on m-phenylene groups in the backbone. The thermal and thermooxidative stabilities were investigated by dynamic thermogravimetry. Stability decreased when m-phenylene groups were introduced in the backbone.     

Effect of the soil uses on their thermal stability

Differential scanning calorimetry was applied to assess on seasonally soil organic matter changes. Soils were collected in two sites located in Viveiro (Galicia, Spain). One of them has been used as arable land and the other one was under pinewood. Soil samples were seasonally collected during a year. The heat of combustion and the ignition temperature of the soil organic matter were calculated by analyzing the thermograms obtained by differential scanning calorimetry. The shape and the maximum and end temperatures of the two exothermic peaks observed in the thermograms, yielded information about the relations between the labile and recalcitrant pools, and hence information about carbon stabilization degree in both soils.     

Features of the phase behavior of gamma-irradiated polytetrafluoroethylene powder

By using the technique of thermomechanical spectroscopy, an amorphous and three crystalline (high melting, intermediate, and low melting) blocks of the topological structures of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) powder were characterized and their behavior under γ-radiation up to 2420 kGy was explored. The powder has an anisotropic topological structure. Starting from a dose of 4 kGy, the structure is radically changed with the long-range orientation of chains in the intermediate and high melting crystalline blocks of PTFE being replaced by a short range orientation of cluster association structures. The temperatures of glass transition and melting point continuously decreased with an increased dose of irradiation. The influence of γ-radiation on the powder and sheet of PTFE are essentially the same, the formation of amorphous character.     

Effect oftrans-polyoctenamer on thermal stability of rubbers determined by thermal analysis

An effect of a cyclic low molecular-weight polymertrans-polyoctenamer rubber (TOR) on the thermal stability of diene rubbers and their vulcanizates was investigated. The investigation was carried out in the air and nitrogen atmospheres using thermogravimetry, DSC and simultaneous thermoanalytical methods. The thermal stability indexes:T ₅,T _max and activation energy of degradation (E), as well asT _g andT _m values, have been determined.It was found thattrans-polyoctenamer (TOR) increases of the thermal stability indices of raw diene rubbers and their vulcanizates. The results show that the thermal degradation of diene rubbers occurred at higher temperature if they were blended with TOR. In our opinion, intermolecular structures formed between the cyclic low-molecular weight polymer and some linear rubber molecules may be the reason for the higher thermal stability of these rubber blends.The work was supported by State Committee for Research, Poland. Grant No. 7.T08 E 032-08.     

Superdrawing of polytetrafluoroethylene virgin powder above the static melting temperature

A new two‐stage draw technique was successfully applied to the superdrawing of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) virgin powder. A film, compression‐molded from powder below the melting temperature (T_m = 335 °C), was initially solid‐state coextruded to an extrusion draw ratio (EDR) of 6–20 at 325 °C, about 10 °C below the T_m. These extrudates from the first‐stage draw were further drawn by a second‐stage pin draw in the temperature (T_d) range of 300–370 °C that covers the static T_m. The maximum achievable total draw ratio was ～60 at a T_d = 300 °C and increased rapidly with increasing T_d, reaching a maximum of 100–160 at a temperature window between 340 and 360 °C, depending on the initial EDRs. At yet higher T_d's, the ductility was lost as a result of melting. The high ductility of the PTFE extrudates at such high temperatures was ascribed to the improvement of interfacial adhesion and bonding between the deformed powder particles upon the first‐stage extrusion combined with the rapid heating of only a portion of the extrudate followed by the elongation at a high rate. The highly drawn fibers were highly crystalline (χ_c ≤ 87%) and showed high chain orientation (f_c ≤ 0.997) and a large crystallite size along the chain axis (D₀₀₁₅ ≤ 160 nm). The molecular draw ratio, estimated from the entropic shrinkage above the T_m, was close to the macroscopic deformation ratio independently of the initial EDRs. These results indicate that the draw was highly efficient in terms of chain extension, orientation, and crystallization. Thus, the maximum tensile modulus and strength achieved in this work were 102 ± 5 and 1.4 ± 0.2 GPa, respectively, at 24 °C. These tensile properties are among the highest ever reported on oriented PTFE. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 39: 1995–2004, 2001     

Effect of hydration andpH on the thermal stability of proteinase K

The effect of hydration andpH on the thermal stability of proteinase K was studied in the temperature range 310–450 K by differential scanning calorimetry. The dependences of the denaturation temperatureT _d, the specific enthalpy of denaturation H _d and the maximum of excess apparent specific heat capacityC _ex ^max upon the degree of hydrationh and thepH of the buffers used are presented. The relation betweenT _d andh is of the Flory-Garrett's type. By means of Ooi's model, the two components of the denaturation enthalpy arising from hydration and conformational change, respectively, were estimated. The fact that the specific denaturation enthalpy of proteinase K is very low may be attributed to its very low enthalpy of conformational change per heavy atom.Dedicated to Prof. Menachem Steinberg on the occasion of his 65th birthdayThis major project was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.     

Effect of ethanol on the thermal stability of human serum albumin

The effect of ethanol on human serum albumin stability in aqueous solution was studied by use of differential scanning calorimetry. A deconvolution of DSC traces in 2-state model with ΔC _p=0 and ΔC _p≠0 was performed and analysed to obtain information on the interaction of ethanol with different parts of albumin molecule both fatty acid containing and fatty acid free. The differences in ethanol binding affinity for both kinds of albumin were found. At very low concentrations ethanol was observed to be a stabilizer of the folded state of albumin contrary to the higher concentration where its binding to the unfolded protein predominates.     

Effect of heat treatment on thermal stability of limestone

The nature of the anomalous effect exerted by the heat treatment of limestone at 500 and 600°C on its thermal stability at 825°C was studied.Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Khimii, Vol. 77, No. 9, 2004, pp. 1435–1437.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2004 by Kabanov.     

Effect of mechanical activation on structural-chemical properties of phosphorites

Effect of mechanochemical activation of mono-and mid-fraction of phosphorites from the Burenkhan deposit was studied by IR and ESR spectroscopies in vibration and planetary mills. Original Russian Text ? B.G. Sukhov, D. Enkhtuyaa, Zh. Amgalan, T.I. Vakul’skaya, L.N. Novikova, Zh.G. Bazarova, B.G. Bazarov, 2007, published in Zhurnal Prikladnoi Khimii, 2007, Vol. 80, No. 6, pp. 881–886.     

Effect of the pH value on the thermal stability of alkaline phosphatase

The thermal stability of bovine and chicken intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP) was studied at 60°C over a pH range from 6.7 to 9.0. It was shown that the peaks of stability (at pH 7.5) and activity (at pH 9.0) do not coincide. The pH dependence of the elementary rate constants of dissociative thermal inactivation of the IAP dimers was determined: k ₁ (the rate constant of dissociation of active dimer E₂) and k _d (the rate constant of denaturation of the inactive monomers). At pH 7.5, the stability IAP attains its highest level. As the pH increases, k ₁ increases drastically while k _d does so only slightly. A comparison of the rate constants of dissociation k ₁ and association k ₁ showed that the interrelation between these parameters explains why the stability of the active enzyme is lower at acidic and basic pH values. The pH produces a weaker effect on the stability of the inactive monomers. An analysis of the thermal stability of chicken IAP at an optimum pH value and 55–60°C showed that the thermal inactivation is a three-stage process (including dissociation and denaturation) with an induction period. Measuring the induction period makes it possible to determine the minimum number of latent stages preceding the dissociation of E₂: 6, 4, and 3 at 55, 58, and 60°C, respectively.     

Effect of acid treated multi-walled carbon nanotubes on the mechanical, permeability, thermal properties and thermo-oxidative stability of isotactic polypropylene

The effect of acid treatment of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on the mechanical, thermal and mainly thermo-oxidative stability of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) was evaluated. From the acid treatment surface carboxylic groups were mainly formed, while the nanotubes' length was gradually reduced by increasing the treatment time. Young's modulus, tensile strength and storage modulus of the iPP/MWCNT nanocomposites were increased by increasing the treatment time of the MWCNTs, due to finer dispersion inside the polymer matrix, as revealed by TEM and micro-Raman spectroscopy. Furthermore, the nanotubes acted as nucleating agents, an effect more pronounced with finer filler dispersion. Thermal stability in an inert atmosphere also increased. Thermo-oxidative stability tests in air and O₂ revealed that oxidative degradation took place in two stages. In the first stage, corresponding to temperatures up to 230 °C, the MWCNTs accelerated the oxidation of iPP, while at higher than 300 °C temperatures the trend was reversed. Incubation studies proved that, at the first stages, oxidation was due to random chain scission of iPP and oxygen uptake. This behaviour was accelerated by the MWCNTs' surface carboxylic groups and, as found by O₂ permeability studies, was mainly a surface process. In the second stage, due to the shielding effect of MWCNTs, the removal of the gases produced during decomposition was hindered. At this stage the presence of MWCNTs resulted in more thermo-oxidatively stable nanocomposites.     

Effect of thermal history on the mechanical properties of three polypropylene impact-copolymers

The effect of thermal history on static mechanical properties and impact fracture behavior of three reactor polypropylene impact-copolymers (ICPPs) was investigated for three ICPPs prepared using commercial Innovene^®, Unipol^® and Spheripol^® polymerization technologies. Multiple extrusion employing a co-rotating twin-screw extruder resulted in a significant reduction of the molecular weight of the PP homopolymer phase evidenced by the increasing melt flow index (MFI). Neither cross-linking of the ethylene-propylene rubber (EPR) phase nor EPR particle coarsening was detected for any of the ICPPs after 5 consecutive extrusions. Decreasing molecular weight of the PP homopolymer phase caused change in the crystalline morphology of injection molded specimens due to the change in crystallization kinetics and reduction of the number of tie molecules, however, the overall degree of crystallinity did not change, significantly. The static tensile mechanical properties (E, σ_y, ?_b), critical strain energy release rate, G_c, and the Charpy notched impact strength, a_k, decreased with increasing MFI in a monotonous manner for all the ICPPs investigated. Despite significant differences between the absolute values of the mechanical properties for the three ICPPs, the MFI dependence of the σ_y and G_c relative to that for the unaffected ICPP fell on a single master curve for all of them. High-speed digital camera, used to follow the fracture process during the instrumented impact test, revealed no significant change of the small scale yielding fracture process with increasing MFI. This was in an agreement with the negligible change in the size of the crack tip plastic zone, R_p, predicted using simple mixed mode fracture model. The plane strain value of the critical strain energy release rate, G_1c, calculated from the measured G_c for the INN (2.4 kJ/m²), UNI (2.8 kJ/m²) and SPH (3.5 kJ/m²) using a simple LEFM model did not exhibit significant dependence on the number of extruder passes. The observed differences between the three ICPPs were ascribed to the significantly larger EPR content in UNI compared to the other two ICPPs and significantly larger content of isotactic PP homopolymer in the INN compared to the remaining two ICPPs.     

Effect of thermomechanical processing on the thermal stability of amorphous Fe-B alloys

Results from investigating the effect of thermomechanical processing on the thermal stability of amorphous Fe-B alloys are presented. It is shown that the combined thermomechanical processing of amorphous alloys raises the temperature of intense crystallization onset by 80 K for binary alloys; by 20–50 K, for multicomponent alloys. The greater expansion of the thermal stability interval of binary alloys relative to multicomponent alloys is explained by the presence of alloying dopants such as molybdenum, nickel, and silicon that inhibit the diffusion of boron and thus hinders nucleation and the growth of the crystalline phase. The enhanced thermal stability of amorphous alloys induced by thermomechanical processing is explained by the reduction in size of amorphous-phase frozen crystallization centers and by the formation of a nanostructured state.     

Effect of post-irradiation thermal treatments on the stability of gamma-irradiated glass dosimeter

A commercial window glass has been investigated as a routine high dose dosimeter for gamma irradiation. The irradiated samples showed rapid fading at room temperature immediately after irradiation. This short-term rapid fading was followed by a slow fading at long-term. This strong initial fading is a problem for dosimetry purposes. However, when the dosimeter is measured at the same time interval after irradiation, it maintains proportionality to dose. Calibration curves have to be used for different time intervals after irradiation. In order to improve post-irradiation stability dosimeters were submitted to different post-irradiation thermal treatments from (−20) up to 150 °C. After that, optical absorbance measurements were carried out up to 2 months at room temperature. The heating at 150 °C for 20 min was found to be the most suitable procedure for the removal of unstable entities responsible for the initial rapid fading. Due to these heat treatments, variation of response was found almost negligible 24 h after irradiation for several months. Calibration curves demonstrated the applicability of this glass as routine dosimeter in the dose range of 0.5–90 kGy.     

Effect of industrial water components on thermal stability of nitrocellulose

In order to prevent the spontaneous ignition of nitrocellulose (NC), NC is stabilized by washing with industrial water in its synthesis process. However, there is a possibility that the components in industrial water contribute to the thermal stability of NC. In this way, the purpose of this study is to clarify the effect of industrial water components on the thermal stability of NC. In experiments, a heat flux calorimeter was used to observe the thermal behavior of NC with the residue of vaporized industrial water. The induction period of heat release of NC with 2-mass% residues was approximately 2–5 h shorter than that of NC alone whose induction period was observed at 7 h. Those results indicate that the residue destabilized NC. On the other hand, when the additive amount of the residue was increased, the induction period gradually increased as well. Based upon these results, we assume that inorganic salts contributing to stabilization and destabilization competitively coexist in the industrial water components. The same thermal analysis was performed on NC with CaCO₃, CaSO₄, CaCl, ZnSO₄, NaCl, and CuCl. Those salts are predicted to exist in the industrial water. In the results, the induction period of NC with 2-mass% CaCO₃ was approximately 15-h longer than that of NC alone, while the induction period with the inorganic salts CaSO₄, CaCl, ZnSO₄, NaCl, and CuCl was 4–5-h shorter. Therefore, when the industrial water components accumulate in NC, the destabilization by inorganic salts such as CaSO₄, CaCl, ZnSO₄, NaCl, and CuCl and the stabilization by compounds such as CaCO₃ are thought to countervail against each other.