A Primer on the Analytical Aspects of Silicones at Trace Levels-Challenges and Artifacts – A Review

Silicones (polydimethylsiloxanes) find use in a wide variety of industrial and consumer product applications because of their outstanding properties. Potential human exposure to silicones occurs at the work place during manufacturing and product formulation, as well as through the normal use of consumer products containing them.The entry of silicones into various environmental compartments raised health and safety concerns from potential exposure and mandated numerous environmental and toxicological studies. Such studies require qualitative and quantitative determination of silicone species at trace levels. However, the ubiquitous presence of silicones coupled with their unique chemistry renders their analysis at trace levels challenging.This paper provides a consolidated account of various aspects silicones that must be borne in mind to obtain reliable data. The following are some of topics discussed: differences in the chemistry of silicones vs carbon; precautions in sample handling to avoid losses and inadvertent chemical transformation; potential sources for artifacts and interferences that could lead to systematic errors and data misinterpretation; sources for background and the need for matrix matched blank experiments; distinguishing silicones from silicates to avoid overestimation; potential for incorrect structural assignments; preventing inadvertent contamination; questionable claims on the presence of silicones in biological matrices including that of silicone implants.     

Living radical copolymerization of styrene/maleic anhydride

Styrene/maleic anhydride (MA) copolymerization was carried out using benzoyl peroxide (BPO) and 2,2,6,6‐tetramethyl‐1‐piperidinyloxy (TEMPO). Styrene/MA copolymerization proceeded faster and yielded higher molecular weight products compared to styrene homopolymerization. When styrene/MA copolymerization was approximated to follow the first‐order kinetics, the apparent activation energy appeared to be lower than that corresponding to styrene homopolymerization. Molecular weight of products from isothermal copolymerization of styrene/MA increased linearly with the conversion. However products from the copolymerization at different temperatures had molecular weight deviating from the linear relationship indicating that the copolymerization did not follow the perfect living polymerization characteristics. During the copolymerization, MA was preferentially consumed by styrene/MA random copolymerization and then polymerization of practically pure styrene continued to produce copolymers with styrene‐co‐MA block and styrene‐rich block. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 2239–2244, 2000     

A Simple Method for Synthesizing Ultra-high-molecular-weight Polystyrene through Emulsion Polymerization Using Alkyl-9-BBN as an Initiator

Styrene emulsion polymerization using an alkyl-9-BBN, synthesized by reacting 9-BBN(9-borabicyclo-[3.3.1]-nonane) and styrene, in an aqueous sodium dodecyl sulfate(SDS) solution was studied. Ultra-high-molecular-weight( 1.0 × 10~7) polystyrene was synthesized using a radical initiator formed through the aerobic oxidation of this alkyl-9-BBN in a high yield( 80%). The kinetics of this emulsion polymerization of styrene with the alkyl-9-BBN was investigated. We confirmed that in the initial stage of the polymerization, the initial reaction rate followed first-order kinetics. The activation energy for this emulsion polymerization of styrene was approximately 56.2 kJ/mol.     

Application of the voltammetry of microparticles for dating archaeological lead using polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy

The application of the voltammetry of microparticles methodology to date archaeological lead artifacts, based on the time-dependent formation of different layers of lead oxides, whose relative amount can be estimated from polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), is presented. This approach is complemented by additional data using square wave voltammetry data. Calibration of the method was performed with the help of a series of well-documented, lead pieces from the funds of different Spanish museums, covering since the 7th century BC to nowadays.     

Ultrahigh‐molecular‐weight‐polyethylene‐fiber surface treatment by electron‐beam‐irradiation‐induced graft polymerization and its effect on adhesion in a styrene–butadiene rubber matrix

Aiming to develop a high‐performance fiber‐reinforced rubber from styrene–butadiene rubber (SBR), we applied a special technique using electron‐beam (EB)‐irradiation‐induced graft polymerization to ultrahigh‐molecular‐weight‐polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers. The molecular interaction between the grafted UHMWPE fibers and an SBR matrix was studied through the evaluation of the adhesive behavior of the fibers in the SBR matrix. Although UHMWPE was chemically inert, two monomers, styrene and N‐vinyl formamide (NVF), were examined for graft polymerization onto the UHMWPE fiber surface. Styrene was not effective, but NVF was graft‐polymerized onto the UHMWPE fibers with this special method. A methanol/water mixture and dioxane were used as solvents for NVF, and the effects of the solvents on the grafting percentage of NVF were also examined. The methanol/water mixture was more effective. A grafting percentage of 16.4% was the highest obtained. This improved the adhesive force threefold with respect to that of untreated UHMWPE fibers. These results demonstrated that EB irradiation enabled graft polymerization to occur even on the inert surface of UHMWPE fibers. However, the mechanical properties of the fibers could be compromised according to the dose of EB irradiation. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 2595–2603, 2004     

Novel ETFE based radiation grafted poly(styrene sulfonic acid-co-methacrylonitrile) proton conducting membranes with increased stability

Styrene radiation grafted ETFE based proton conducting membranes are subject to degradation under fuel cell operating conditions and show a poor stability. Lifetimes exceeding 250 h can only be achieved with crosslinked membranes. In this study, a novel approach based on the increase of the intrinsic oxidative stability of uncrosslinked membranes is reported. Hence, the co-grafting of styrene with methacrylonitrile (MAN), which possesses a protected α-position and strong dipolar pendant nitrile group, onto 25 μm ETFE base film was investigated. Styrene/MAN co-grafted membranes were compared to a styrene based membrane in durability tests in single H₂/O₂ fuel cells. It is shown that the incorporation of MAN considerably improves the chemical stability, yielding fuel cell lifetimes exceeding 1000 h. The membrane preparation based on the co-grafting of styrene and MAN offers the prospect of tuning the MAN content and introduction of a crosslinker to enhance the oxidative stability of the resulting fuel cell membranes.     

Selective hydrogenation of styrene/1-octene mixtures over a monolithic Pd catalyst

Mixtures of styrene and 1-octene in toluene were hydrogenated over a monolithic Pd catalyst in the three-phase regime. Styrene was preferably hydrogenated to ethylbenzene, while a major part of the initial quantity of 1-octene was isomerized to internal olefins. Formation of alkylcyclohexanes was negligible. Observed rates of styrene hydrogenation were high compared to the values listed in literature.     

Assessment of indoor radiation dose received by the residents of natural high background radiation areas of coastal villages of Kanyakumari district,Tamil Nadu,India

Radiation exposure and effective dose received through two routes of exposure, viz. external and internal, via inhalation, by residents of 10 villages belonging to Natural High Background Radiation Areas (NHBRA) of coastal regions of Kanyakumari District and Tamil Nadu in India were studied. While the indoor gamma radiation levels were monitored using Thermo Luminescent Dosimeters (TLDs), the indoor radon and thoron gas concentrations were measured using twin chamber dosimeters employing Solid State Nuclear Track Detectors (SSNTDs, LR-115-II). The average total annual effective dose was estimated and found to be varying from 2.59 to 8.76 mSv.     

Preparation of tritiated polystyrene coated radioluminescent phosphor

Soft beta-particles emitted by tritiated polystyrene are impinged upon a copper activated zinc sulphide phosphor to provide self-sustained light sources for nocturnal illumination of watch dials and timepieces, product advertisements, telephone numbers, exit signs etc. For this purpose phenylacetylene was partially reduced with tritium in di-isopropyl ether medium using 10% Pd/CaCO₃ poisoned with quinoline to give styrene. Styrene was polymerized to polystyrene by g-radiation (200 kGy dose). The copper activated zinc sulphide phosphor was then coated with that tritiated polystyrene to give self-sustained light sources.     

Residual Monomer Reduction in Polymer Latex Products by Extraction with Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

Summary: Extraction of residual monomer from a latex product with supercritical carbon dioxide ((sc)CO₂) in a column was studied. Operating conditions were chosen at 35 °C and 100 bar. For reducing the residual styrene level in a polystyrene latex from 10⁴ ppm to 100 ppm and from 10⁴ ppm to 10 ppm, a countercurrent bubble column with latex as continuous and (sc)CO₂ as dispersed phase is suggested. Monomer partitioning was demonstrated to be a key parameter in the equipment design. Monomer transport was found to be governed by the shuttle effect, caused by Brownian motion of the latex to and from the H₂O/CO₂ interface. The drift-flux approach was followed to determine the column flooding conditions. Small column volumes are obtained. (sc)CO₂ is a promising extraction medium for residual monomer reduction in latex products. Performance towards steam stripping is better as the final residual monomer level becomes lower.     

Thermokinetics evaluation and simulations for the polymerization of styrene in the presence of various inhibitor concentrations

Styrene is an important commodity chemical that is globally applied in various polymerization processes. The aim of this study was to obtain integrated thermokinetics and safety parameters for polymerization of styrene. We mainly used differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermal activity monitor (TAM), and simulative methods to investigate thermal polymerization of styrene and styrene containing various levels of 4-tertiary-butylcatechol (TBC). The results obtained included the rate constant (k), reaction order (n), apparent activation energy (E _a), frequency factor (A), and so on, from various DSC curves and simulative methods. From DSC curves, the exothermic onset temperature (T ₀) was about 105 and 132°C for styrene and styrene containing 10 ppm TBC. On the other hand, the test results from TAM indicated that styrene polymerization displays an autocatalytic phenomenon from 50–85°C. By means of this study, the intrinsic safety of a system for styrene during transportation and storage could be established.     

Styrene/(Styrene Derivative) and Styrene/(1-Alkene) Copolymerization using Ph2Zn-Additive Initiator Systems

Diphenylzinc-metallocene-MAO initiator systems have proven to be effective initiator systems for styrene and for substituted styrenes as well as for their styrene/(styrene-derivative) copolymerization. Titanocene produced almost pure syndiotactic polymers while zirconocenes gave atactic polystyrene together with a low content, less than 20%, of syndiotactic polystyrene. Systems including a zirconocene, particularly ethenyl(bisindenyl)zirconium dichloride were effective initiators of 1-alkene polymerization and of styrene/1-alkene copolymerization. Conversion to polymer increases with the molecular size of 1-alkene. Styrene derivative and styrene/(styrene derivative) polymerization was greatly influenced by the inductive effect of substituent and by steric hindrance due to the monomer.     

Macrothiuram disulfide for the free radical synthesis of PDMS-vinyl triblock copolymers. II. Studies of chain transfer

Chain transfer constants (C_tr) for thiuram disulfide (TD) groups, included in the backbone of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) of different chain lengths, in methyl methacrylate (MMA) and styrene (St) were determined from measurements of the degree of polymerization. Two methods were used. The first consisted of using the initiation and transfer properties of the thiuram disulfides groups, and the second, of using a more efficient free radical initiator than TD groups, in which case the former behaves only as a transfer agent. In both the methods, the C_tr of TD was evaluated in bulk polymerization of MMA at 60, 70, 80, and 90°C. Using the first method, the C_tr of TD was measured also in solution polymerization of MMA in toluene at 100°C and, with the second one, in bulk polymerization of styrene at 60, 80, and 90°C. PDMS-based macrothiuram disulfide (macroiniferter) behaves as an “azeotropic” transfer agent for MMA and styrene at 125°C and 110°C, respectively. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Effect of styrene oligomers on syndiospecific polymerization of styrene

Styrene oligomers, preferentially consisting of styrene dimers and trimers, are formed by a free radical mechanism at the thermal polymerization of stabilizer-free styrene during storage and at higher polymerization temperatures. The identity of several dimer and trimer fractions formed in such a free radical polymerization, their influence on a coordinative polymerization reaction, the syndiospecific polymerization of styrene, as well as their effect on the properties of the resulting polymers has been investigated.Styrene dimers and styrene trimers reduce the polymerization activity of the transition metal catalyst significantly, especially at low amounts of oligomers added to the styrene. This behavior is discussed with respect to a proposed mechanism involving complexation of the active transition metal species with the specific oligomer instead of the styrene monomer, resulting in increased steric hindrance towards insertion of a styrene molecule to the active site.Both oligomers reduce the molecular weight of the syndiotactic polystyrene, by acting as chain-transfer agents. The constancy of the polydispersity over the whole concentration range of added dimer or trimer indicates that the uniformity of the active sites of the coordinative polymerization is not significantly influenced by the presence of the oligomers.The thermal properties of the polymers demonstrate that the oligomers do not affect the high syndiospecificity of the active catalytic sites, whereas the increase in crystallization temperature with increasing amounts of styrene dimer or trimer is comparable to effects observed by the addition of crystallization nucleators to semicrystalline polymers.     

四苯基卟啉锌薄膜/K+交换玻璃光波导传感器检测挥发性有机化合物气体

利用Alder法合成了四苯基卟啉锌配合物并对它进行表征;用匀胶机将一定浓度的四苯基卟啉锌溶液做成薄膜固定在钾离子(K⁺)交换玻璃光波导表面研制了高灵敏的四苯基卟啉锌薄膜/K⁺交换玻璃光波导传感器,并对挥发性有机气体进行检测。 实验结果表明,在室温下该传感器对低浓度的苯乙烯、二甲苯、甲苯等蒸气具有一定的响应,其中对苯乙烯的响应最大;能够检测到1×10^-9(V(苯乙烯)/V(空气))的苯乙烯蒸气,其响应和恢复时间分别为2和7 s。 该传感器具有灵敏度高,回复-响应时间快,可逆性等特点。     

Determination of residual solvents in bulk pharmaceuticals by thermal desorption/gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

Thermal desorption (TD) techniques followed by capillary GC/MS were applied for the analysis of residual solvents in bulk pharmaceuticals. Solvents desorbed from samples by heating were cryofocused at the head of a capillary column prior to GC/MS analysis. This method requires a very small amount of sample and no sample pretreatment. Desorption temperature was set at the point about 20 degrees C higher than the melting point of each sample individually. The relative standard deviations of this method tested by performing six consecutive analyses of 8 different samples were 1.1 to 3.1%, and analytical results of residual solvents were in agreement with those obtained by direct injection of N,N-dimethylformamide solution of the samples into the GC. This novel TD/GC/MS method was demonstrated to be very useful for the identification and quantification of residual solvents in bulk pharmaceuticals.     

Formation of monomer residues in PS,PC, PA-6 and PVC upon γ-irradiation

Food packaging polymers, polystyrene (PS), polycarbonate (PC), polyamide-6 (PA-6), and polyvinylchloride (PVC), were irradiated with dose in the range 5–200 kGy. The quantities of corresponding monomer residues (styrene monomer, bisphenol-A, ε-caprolactam, vinyl chloride) released from target materials were analyzed using a SIM mode of GC/MSD. Styrene monomer in PS showed a slight increase from 740 to 777 ppm at 5–30 kGy and then decreased as the dose increased from 30 to 200 kGy. Bisphenol-A in PC was dose independent at the low doses, 5, 10 and 30 kGy, but its level increased from 173 to 473 ppm at 30 kGy and thereafter remained unchanged through 200 kGy. ε-Caprolactam in PA-6 was also dose independent, in the range of 5–200 kGy, but its level (122–164 ppm) was found to be higher than those (71 ppm) of non-irradiated sample. As for PVC, the quantity of vinyl chloride tended to increase from 8 to 18 ppm at 5–200 kGy.     

UV dose measurements of photosensitive dermatosis patients by polycrystalline GaN-based portable self-data-acquisition UV monitors

We have developed a UV monitor with polycrystalline (poly-) gallium nitride (GaN) UV sensors and evaluated its performance from the viewpoint of its effectiveness for use with photosensitive dermatosis patients. The poly-GaN UV sensor is sensitive to UV light from 280 to 410 nm even without optical filters. The UV monitor is a portable self-data-acquisition instrument with a minimum detection level (defined as average UV intensity over 290 to 400 nm) of 2 microW/cm2 and can store UV dose data for 128 days. It allows easy measurement of four orders of magnitude of ambient UV intensity and dose from indoor light to direct solar radiation in summer. Trial use of the UV monitor by five xeroderma pigmentosum patients started in June 2000 and was carried out for 1 year. It was demonstrated that the UV monitor was useful in improving their quality of life.     

Thermal polymerization of styrene in the presence of some ferrocene derivatives. I. Evidence of ferrocene–styrene interaction

Styrene has been polymerized thermally at 60.5°C, without added initiator, in the presence of ferrocene. An increase in the rate of polymerization was observed, but the degree of polymerization remained constant. Evidence of ferrocene–styrene interaction is presented, and a kinetic scheme involving propagation with styrene in such an interaction state is proposed to account for these findings. Various kinetic parameters defined by this scheme have been evaluated.     

Production of mutagenic artifacts by the action of residual chlorine on XAD-4 resin

XAD resins are commonly used to recover and concentrate organics from chlorinated water. It was found that the action of residual chlorine on XAD-4 resin produced mutagenic artifacts in a dose dependent manner. The production of mutagenic artifacts could be suppressed at least ten-fold by converting free chlorine to monochloramine. Kinetic studies of the reaction between free chlorine and XAD-4 resin showed a reaction rate dependence upon pH and chloride ion concentration that suggests participation of species besides hypochlorous acid.