Selective Water Sorbents for Multiple Applications. 11. CaCl2 Confined to Expanded Vermiculite

This paper presents the water sorption properties of a new selective water sorbent based on expanded vermiculite as a host matrix and calcium chloride as a hygroscopic salt. Sorption isobars, isosters and isotherms at T = 30–150°C and vapor partial pressure 8.2–42.0 mbar clearly show that at low water contents crystalline hydrates with 0.33, 1 and 2 molecules of water per 1 molecule of CaCl₂ are formed in the pores. These hydrates are stable over a temperature change of 20–30°C and exhibit kinetically slow transformations. At higher water uptake, the vapor absorption leads to the formation of a CaCl₂ aqueous solution inside the pores, which properties are close to those in the bulk. Isosteric sorption heat was found to depend on water sorption and change from 76.3 kJ/mol for solid hydrates to 39.1–46.6 kJ/mol.     

Selective water sorbents for multiple applications, 1. CaCl2 confined in mesopores of silica gel: Sorption properties

This paper presents sorption properties of a selective water sorbent based on mesoporous KSKG silica gel as a host matrix and calcium chloride as a hygroscopic salt. Sorption isobars, isochores and isotherms at T=20–150°C and vapor partial pressures of 8–133 mbar clearly showed two types of water sorption: 1) the formation of solid crystal hydrates at low amounts N of sorbed water, and 2) vapor absorption mainly by the salt solution at higher N. Sorption properties of CaCl₂ crystal hydrates were found to change strongly due to their impregnation into mesoporous silica gel, whereas the solution confinement to the mesopores did not change its water sorption properties with respect to the bulk solution. Isosteric sorption heat was measured to depend on water sorption and to change from 62.5 kJ/mol for solid hydrates to 42.2–45.6 kJ/mol for solution.     

The effect of chloride concentration and pH on pitting corrosion of AA7075 aluminum alloy coated with phenyltrimethoxysilane

The effect of chloride ion concentration and pH of solution on the corrosion behavior of aluminum alloy AA7075 coated with phenyltrimethoxysilane (PTMS) immersed in aqueous solutions of NaCl is reported. Potentiodynamic polarization, linear polarization, open circuit potential, and weight loss measurements were performed. The surface of samples was examined using SEM and optical microscopy. Elemental characterization of the coating by secondary ion mass spectrometry indicates an intermediate layer between coating and aluminum alloy surface. The corrosion behavior of the aluminum alloy AA7075 depends on chloride concentration and pH of solution. In acidic or neutral solutions, general and pitting corrosion occur simultaneously. On the contrary, exposure to alkaline solutions results in general corrosion only. Results further reveal that aluminum alloy AA7075 is susceptible to pitting corrosion in all chloride solutions with concentrations between 0.05 M and 2 M NaCl; an increase in the chloride concentration slightly shifted both the pitting and corrosion potentials to more active values. Linear polarization resistance measurements show a substantially improved corrosion resistance value in case of samples coated with PTMS as compared to uncoated samples in both neutral (pH = 7), acidic (pH = 0.85 and 3), and alkaline chloride solutions (pH = 10 and 12.85). The higher corrosion resistance of the aluminum alloy coated with PTMS can be attributed to the hydrophobic coating which acts as a barrier and prevents chloride ion penetration and subsequent reaction with the aluminum alloy.     

Ferroelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride) PVDF films derived from the solutions with retainable water and controlled water loss

To obtain β‐phase dominant ferroelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) homopolymer thin films on aluminum‐coated silicon substrates, the retaining and loss of water were manipulated by introducing several hydrated and hygroscopic chemicals in the precursor solutions, including aluminum nitrate nonahydrate, aluminum chloride hexahydrate, chromium nitrate nonahydrate, tetra‐n‐butylammonium chloride, and one hygroscopic but nonhydrated chemical, ammonium acetate. Their ability of retaining water during the thermal annealing of the films and the relationship between water retaining and the effects on promoting the β phase were investigated. The results showed an ideal scenario was that the added hydrated salts should be able to retain substantial amount of water during the PVDF crystallization to effectively promote the β phase but completely dehydrate or decompose at the further elevated annealing temperature in order to obtain β‐phase dominant PVDF film without substantially incorporating water and deteriorating the electrical properties. As one of the hydrated chemicals well satisfying the above requirements, Al(NO₃)₃·9H₂O, of different amounts was introduced to the PVDF precursor solutions and the optimal resulting β‐phase dominant ferroelectric PVDF thin films exhibited smooth morphology, low dielectric loss, high remnant polarization of 89 mC/m², and large effective piezoelectric coefficient d₃₃ of ?14.5 pm/V (under the clamping of the substrate). © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 47: 2410–2418, 2009     

Change in the state of aluminum in heat-and-water vapor dealumination of Y zeolite based on the IR spectrum of framework vibrations

The effect of heat treatment of dealuminated samples of Y zeolite in water vapors and in air on the state of the aluminum in the composition of six-coordinated compounds, Al^VI, O, was investigated by IR Fourier spectroscopy. The existence of at least two crystal chemically different Al^VI, O compounds which act differently to the effect of acids: weakly bound with the framework — out-of-framework, and covalently bound with the framework oxygen — in-framework, and the ratio between them changes with an increase in the temperature of treatment in water vapors toward an increase in the concentration of out-of-framework aluminum compounds, and in heat treatment in air, toward in-framework aluminum compounds.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 6, pp. 1299–1303, June, 1991.     

Thermal Aggregation of Methyl Cellulose in Aqueous Solution: A Thermodynamic Study and Protein Partitioning Behaviour

The formation of a biphasic system from aqueous solutions of methyl cellulose induced by temperature was studied through heating curves of the polymer solution measured by absorbance spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and solution viscosimetry. The treatment of the heating curve data according to a reversible two-state transition model allows us to calculate the middle point temperature (T_m) of the formation of the two phases and the thermodynamic functions associated to the polymer aggregation. The middle point temperature was found within the range 50–70 °C. It decreased significantly in a Na₂SO₄ 0.3 M medium when the polymer concentration increased. The heat associated to the two-phase formation was positive and it increased with increases in temperature. Cosolutes that affect the water structure induced changes in the T_m values, which suggests the presence of a hydrophobic effect in the two-phase formation from the polymer solution. Hydrophilic proteins were partitioned in favour of the methyl cellulose rich phase according to their surface hydrophobicity. The partition was also influenced by the presence of salts that modify the protein hydrophobicity such as sodium sulphate.     

Selective water sorbents for multiple applications, 5. LiBr confined in mesopores of silica gel: Sorption properties

This paper presents sorption properties of a selective water sorbent based on mesoporous KSKG silica gel as a host matrix and lithium bromide as a hygroscopic salt. Sorption isobars, isochores and isotherms measured at T=40–120°C and partial vapor pressures of 7.5–81.0 mbar indicated two types of water sorption: 1) formation of a solid crystalline LiBr monohydrate at low amounts of sorbed water, and 2) vapor absorption by the salt solution at higher sorptions. Sorption properties of the LiBr monohydrate are found to change significantly due to salt impregnation into the mesoporous silica gel, whereas the solution confinement to the mesopores did not change its water sorption properties as compared to the bulk solution. Desorption curves follow a first order kinetics in the temperature range of 60–130°C at different vapor pressures.     

Photon correlation spectroscopic study of the aggregative stability of colloidal particles of aluminum pentahydroxide chloride

The effects of concentration, temperature, pH, and ionic strength of a solution on the particle size of aluminum pentahydroxide chloride is studied with photon correlation spectroscopy. It is shown that temperature and aluminum pentahydroxide chloride concentration insignificantly affect the particle size. The addition of hydrochloric acid to the system causes the dissolution of aluminum pentahydroxide chloride. The presence of sodium chloride leads to the compression of the diffuse layer.     

On a mathematical description of the isotherm of water vapor sorption on grains of various cereals

A model describing the hygroscopic properties of hydrophilic biological polymers is suggested. The quasi-chemical approach was used to obtain an equation for the sorption of water vapor in them. An analysis of experimental data showed that this equation correctly described the hygroscopic properties of the main biopolymers of cereal grains, starch and protein, over a wide range of humidity values. The equation also well described the hygroscopic properties of many cereal grains. The nonlinear regression method was applied to obtain the main parameters of absorption isotherms for grains of certain crops.     

Effect of dose, pH, and osmolarity on nasal absorption of secretin in rats. III. In vitro membrane permeation test and determination of apparent partition coefficient of secretion

Nasal absorption of secretin in rats was enhanced in an acid solution and the maximum absorption was observed at a sodium chloride solution molarity of 0.462. In order to predict how changes in the secretin molecule would affect its absorption through the nasal mucosa independently of structural changes in the epithelial membrane, an artificial membrane permeation test was conducted, and the apparent partition coefficient between octanol and a test solution was determined. The concentration of secretin was measured using high performance liquid chromatography. The amount of secretin that permeated through an artificial membrane was hardly affected by changes in pH, which suggest that the size of the secretin molecule was not changed. The apparent partition coefficient, however, increased as the pH of the test solution rose from 3.81 to 7.0, which suggested that the hydrophobicity of secretin was enhanced. In relation to the osmolarity of the test solution, the amount of permeation was hardly affected by the concentration of sodium chloride, but the partition coefficient increased with the concentration of the sodium chloride solution. It was supposed that the size of the secretin molecule was not changed in spite of the increasing hydrophobicity, and the nasal absorption of secretin at a sodium chloride molarity of 0.462 was dependent on a change in the epithelial cells. When sorbitol was used as an osmoregulatory agent, the apparent partition coefficient hardly varied as the osmolarity of the solution was increased, whereas the amount of permeation decreased, and these findings reflected the nasal absorption in rats.     

Alkylpolyglycoside: Carbohydrate Based Surfactant

Carbohydrates are growing important renewable raw material for surfactant industry. The development of surfactants based on carbohydrate and vegetable oils is the result of the product concept based on the exclusive use of natural resources. Sugar based surfactants are gaining increased attention due to advantage with regard to performance, health of consumer and environmental compatibility compared to some standard product.

Alkylpolyglycoside (APG) is nonionic surfactant prepared from renewable raw materials namely glucose and fatty alcohol. Such products are expected to exhibit surface‐active properties due to the presence of the hydrophilic sugar moiety and the hydrophobic fatty alcohol residues. This article deals with the synthesis of alkylpolyglycoside and the study their surface active properties.

APG was prepared by using fatty alcohol varying in chain length from C8‐C18.

Effect of alkyl chain length of APG on the basic characteristics such as surface tension, interfacial tension, lime soap dispersing power, detergency, foaming, and wetting were studied.

Alkylpolyglycoside prepared from octanol, decanol, and dodecanol are water soluble and shows good surface active properties where as those prepared from long chain fatty alcohols were water insoluble and, therefore, not evaluated for their surface active properties. Incorporation of APG in toilet soap was studied.     

Effect of Heat Treatment Temperature on Surface Topography and Hydrophobicity of Polydimethylsiloxane/Titanium Oxide Hybrid Films

Hydrophobic thin films of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) - titamium (hydrous) oxide hybrid material were deposited on glass substrate by dip coating from the precursor containing hydroxyl-terminated PDMS and titanium tetraisopropoxide (TIP), as well as small amounts of water and ethyl acetoacetate. Film's hydrophobicity was evaluated by performing contact angle measurement, while surface topography was analyzed by using an atomic force microscope (AFM). Effects of heat treatment temperature and TIP:PDMS ratio on film's hydrophobicity are described.     

Macromolecule-Metal Complexes for Gas Separation

Macromolecule-copper(I) chloride complexes have been prepared for the separation of carbon monoxide and ethylene from gas mixtures with hydrogen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, methane, and water. A toluene solution of a polystyrene-aluminum copper(I) chloride complex can separate carbon monoxide selectively and retains this function even on contact with gas containing water. Strong charge-transfer absorption bands have been found in the 380-500 nm region for the toluene solution of polystyrene-aluminum copper(I) chloride complex. A solution of 1, 3-diphenylpropane-aluminum copper(I) chloride complex also exhibits similar absorption bands. A continuous variation plot using the chemical shift change in ¹³C-NMR shows a 1:1 interaction between 1,3-diphenylpropane and aluminum copper(I) chloride. These results suggest a two-way interaction between the adjacent phenyl groups of polystyrene and aluminum copper(I) chloride. A resin bead of crosslinked polystyrene-aluminum copper(I) chloride complex has been prepared as a solid adsorbent. The water resistance of the solid macromolecular complex depends on the nature of the solvent used in the preparation of the solid adsorbent. Carbon disulfide is a suitable solvent. A selective adsorbent of ethylene has been prepared from a macroreticular polystyrene resin with primary and secondary amino groups and copper(I) chloride. The selectivity of ethylene against ethane and that of carbon monoxide against carbon dioxide increase with an increasing amount of supported copper(I) chloride.     

Studies on electroosmotic and electrophoretic behavior of cholesterol in aqueous solutions

Electrical properties of cholesterol interfaces have been investigated. For this purpose electroosmotic and hydrodynamic permeation of water, sodium chloride, barium chloride, aluminum chloride, and urea solutions across a cholesterol plug have been investigated. Dependence of electroosmotic permeability on concentration of electrolytes has also been studied. Electrophoretic mobility of cholesterol particles of known size distribution and dispersed in solutions of varying concentrations of electrolytes and urea has also been studied. The data have been used to estimate ζ potentials in order to have a plausible picture of the electrical double layer at the cholesterol/ solution interfaces.     

A New Spectrophotometry Method for the Determination of Aniline in Environmental Water Samples

ABSTRACT

A new spectrophotometric method has been established to determine trace aniline in water samples. A mixture solution of N-chlorosuccinimide and 8-hydroxyquinaldine in N, N-dimethylformamide (DMF) was used to react with the aniline in water at room temperature (20°C). When the solution was adjusted to pH 10-11 by adding 3 mol/L NaOH, a clear and blue-colored dye formed immediately with the maximum absorption wavelength at 615 nm. Molar absorptivity and detection limit were found to be 1.0×10⁴ L mol^?1 cm ^?1 and 30 μg/L, respectively. Linearity was excellent in the concentration range of 0.2 to 15 mg/L aniline in water sample. The proposed method has been used to analyze aniline in surface and sewage water samples with the recoveries 96-103% and relative standard deviation less than 3%. It's a promising method to be applied for routine analysis of aniline in water.     

Preparation and properties of composites made from rice straw and poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC)

Rice straw was employed for the preparation of lignocellulosic‐poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) composites. The effect of pretreatment of rice straw, concentration of PVC, pressure as well as pressing temperature on the mechanical properties and water absorption was studied. Also, the effect of lignin as coupling agent on the mechanical properties and water absorption of composite was studied. Composites of rice straw comprising both PVC and a coupling agent offer superior properties compared to those made from only rice straw and PVC. The extent of improvement in the mechanical properties and dimensional stability of composites depended not only on the pretreatment of rice straw, concentration of PVC and lignin but also on pressure and pressing temperature. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Influence of Polarization of Urea-Formaldehyde Glue in the Process of Manufacture of Plywood on Its Water and Moisture Absorption

A nonwaste technology for the production of urea-formaldehyde resin is described, and the effect of its treatment in a constant electric field in the manufacture of plywood on the hygroscopic and adhesion properties of plywood materials is investigated. It is shown that the processing of plywood in a constant electric field has practically no effect on the maximum values of water retention, water absorption, and moisture absorption of plywood materials, but the polarization of urea-formaldehyde resin reduces the swelling speed of plywood materials in water. It is found that the polarization of the plywood allows preserving the integrity of the samples in conditions of high humidity, which indicates an increased level of adhesion of the resin to the veneer.     

Role of surface proteins in the deposition kinetics of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts

A radial stagnation point flow system was used to investigate the influence of Cryptosporidium parvum surface properties on oocyst deposition kinetics onto solid surfaces. To determine the role of oocyst surface proteins in adhesion, the deposition kinetics of viable oocysts were compared with the deposition kinetics of oocysts treated (inactivated) with either heat or formalin. Results showed a significantly higher deposition rate with formalin and heat-treated oocysts compared to viable oocysts under identical solution ionic strengths. Low deposition rates and corresponding attachment efficiencies were observed with viable oocysts over the entire range of solution conditions investigated, even at high ionic strengths where DLVO theory predicts the absence of an electrostatic energy barrier. An "electrosteric" repulsion between the viable Cryptosporidium oocyst and the quartz substrate, attributed to proteins on the oocyst surface, is surmised to cause this low deposition rate. Inactivation of the oocysts with either formalin or heat resulted in increased attachment efficiencies over the entire range of ionic strengths examined. It is hypothesized that formalin and heat treatments alter the structure of surface proteins and thus reduce steric repulsion. Formalin treatment was also found to impart an increased hydrophobicity to the oocyst surface and thus greater enhancement in oocyst deposition kinetics compared to heat treatment.     

Durability of aluminum cooling system in electric power plants

The final step in gas turbine electric power production plants is the cooling of water after the turbine expansion. In some thermal plants, the temperature reduction of the recycling fluid is partially obtained by heat exchanging with the atmosphere by passing the fluid through huge aluminum heat exchangers. From the corrosion point of view, most critical is the starting step of the power plant, when the aluminum cooling system comes in contact with water for the first time and reaches a surface condition in dynamic equilibrium with the liquid. This paper describes a systematic study of aluminum surface evolution in the cooling system of an electric power plant during the first weeks of operation. Some aluminum samples were placed inside the cooling system in significant locations and removed after scheduled times. The surface conditions of the samples were characterized using surface analyses, electrochemical techniques and microscopic observations. At the same time, the chemical conditions of the recycling fluids were monitored. The obtained results describe the corrosion resistance of the aluminum surface as a function of the conditioning time, proving the growth of a partially protective layer able to produce corrosion decrease during the service time of the energy production plant. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.