DSC spectra as thermal fingerprints of percolative microemulsions

Three component percolative W/O microemulsions were studied by differential scanning calorimetry. Water-AOT-Decane, D₂O-AOT-Decane, Water-AOT-Isooctane and Water-Ca(AOT)₂-Decane systems were analyzed. Thus by changing, in the order, the dispersed phase, the dispersing medium, and by modifying the interphase region. The thermal history of the samples was monitored by a suitable thermal program. Following the latter, first order phase transitions associated with the freezing and/or melting of the two massive phases were obtained, as well as the higher order phase transition associated with the percolation process. From the melting spectra an estimate of the amount of water bound to the hydrophilic groups of the AOT as well as of that of oil bound to the hydrophobic surfactant tails was obtained. The latter result shows a difference in the behaviour of the continuous oily phase at the O/W interphase. From the freezing spectra, the percolative character of the microemulsion was evidenced by the exotherms associated with the freezing of the water phase. This work was supported by M.U.R.S. T. and I.N.F.M.     

Melting and thermodestruction processes in the poly(ethylene)-nanocrystalline nickel system

Composite materials (CM) based on poly(ethylene) (PE) and nanocrystalline nickel (Ni) have been produced. The effect of the content of nanocrystalline Ni and processes of structure formation of its particles on a melting temperature (T _m), interval of melting, true melting heat (ΔH _m), degree of crystallinity (χ) as well as characteristics of CM thermodestruction have been determined by DTA and thermogravimetry techniques. It was found that these characteristics are changed non-linearly when the content of nanocrystalline Ni increases. The most efficient influence of Ni on the above mentioned characteristics was observed for its low content (0.01 volume part of Ni). It was shown that a formation of a branched multifractal cluster of nickel above a percolation threshold favored a decrease in T _m, ΔH _m, χ of filled PE and a majority of thermal characteristics of CM thermodestruction as well. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Crystallization and melting behaviour of poly(m-xylene adipamide)

The melting and crystallisation behaviour of poly(m-xylene adipamide) (MXD6) are investigated by using the conventional DSC, X-ray diffraction and polarised light microscopy. Triple, double or single melting endotherms are obtained in subsequent heating scan for the samples after isothermal crystallisation from the melt state at different temperatures. The lowest melting peak can be ascribed to the melting of secondary crystals. The melting of primary crystals causes the medium melting peak and the highest melting peak is attributed to the melting of recrystallised species formed during heating. Following the Hoffman–Weeks theory, the equilibrium melting temperature is equal to 250°C and the equilibrium melting enthalpy ΔH _m ⁰ to 175 J g^–1. Then, using the Lauritzen–Hoffmann theory of secondary crystallisation, the analyse of the spherulitic growth shows that the temperature of transition between the growing regimes II and III is equal to 176°C. Finally the Gibbs-Thomson relationship allows the determination of the distribution function of crystalline lamellae.     

Thermal Behaviour of Perfluoropolyether w/o Percolative Microemulsions

The thermal properties of a perfluoropolyether (PFPE) W/O microemulsion were investigated by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) both on freezing the liquid samples and upon their melting. PFPE systems as a function of increasing volume fraction (Φ=water+surfactant/total), were studied along a dilution line with a water/surfactant molar ratio W/S=11. The percolative nature of these systems emerged directly from the spreading of the exothermic peaks associated with the freezing of the dispersed phase. This behaviour was found to depend on whether the starting temperature of the DSC measure was at, below or above the percolative threshold temperature of the given sample. A low temperature 'needle-like' peak was found around 143 K, immediately after the glass transition due to the oil continuous phase. The low temperature peak was also present in other percolative, three-component microemulsions. The higher order phase transition at the percolation temperature was also evidenced. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

A statistical model for the optimization of dsc performance in the evaluation of drugs for preformulation studies

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is a thermal analytical tool for preformulation studies. Extrapolated melting temperature (T_P) and heat of fusion (ΔH_f) can be used as parameters for optimizing the DSC performance. Two model pharmaceuticals acetaminophen and nicotinamide are used in this study. Using a factorial design for the experimental model and matrix analysis the results, the effect of sample mass, heating rate and the nitrogen flow rate were evaluated on the ΔH_f values and T_P values. Two levels for each of the procedural variables were used as a balanced experimental design with two sample sizes, two heating rates and two nitrogen flow rates. It was found that the change in the heating rate caused significant changes in the ΔH_f values but not the T_p values for acetaminophen. However, no significant effect was found for the T_p value but ΔH_f value was affected to a certain extent for nicotinamide.     

Supplement on applicability of the Kissinger equation in thermal analysis

The relative errors (e%) in the determination of the activation energy from the slope of the Kissinger straight line ln(β/βT _p²) vs. 1/T _p (β is the heating rate) are in-depth discussion. Our work shows that the relative errors is a function containing the factors of x _p and Δx _p, not only x _p (x _p = E/RT _p, E is the activation energy, T _p is the temperature corresponding to maximum process rate, R is the gas constant). The relative error between E _k and E _p will be smaller with the increase of the value of x and/or with the decrease of the value of Δx. For a set of different heating rates in thermal analysis experiments, the low and close heating rates are proposed from the kinetic theory.     

Improvement of HS-SPME for analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOC) in water samples by simultaneous direct fiber cooling and freezing of analyte solution

The sensitivity and precision of headspace solid-phase micro extraction (HS-SPME) at an analyte solution temperature (T _as) of +35 °C and a fiber temperature (T _fiber) of +5 °C were compared with those for HS-SPME at T _as and T _fiber of −20 °C for analysis of the volatile organic compounds benzene, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, trichloroethylene, toluene, o-xylene, ethylbenzene, m/p-xylene, and tetrachloroethylene in water samples. The effect of simultaneous fiber cooling and analyte solution freezing during extraction was studied. The compounds are of different hydrophobicity, with octanol/water partition coefficients (Kow) ranging from 126 and 2511. During a first set of experiments the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) SPME fiber was cooled to +5 °C with simultaneous heating of the aqueous analyte solution to +35 °C. During a second set of experiments, both SPME fiber holder and samples were placed in a deep freezer maintained at −20 °C for a total extraction time of 30 min. After approximately 2 min the analyte solution in the vial began to freeze from the side inwards and from the bottom upwards. After approximately 30 min the solution was completely frozen. Analysis of VOC was performed by coupling HS-SPME to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In general, i.e. except for tetrachloroethylene, the sensitivity of HS-SPME increased with increasing compound hydrophobicity at both analyte solution and fiber temperatures. At T _as of +35 °C and T _fiber of +5 °C detection limits of HS-SPME were 0.5 μg L⁻¹ for benzene, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, trichloroethylene, and tetrachloroethylene, 0.125 μg L⁻¹ for toluene, and 0.025 μg L⁻¹ for ethylbenzene, m/p-xylene, and o-xylene. In the experiments with T _as and T _fiber of −20 °C, detection limits were reduced for compounds of low hydrophobicity (Kow<501), for example benzene, toluene, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, and trichloroethylene. In the concentration range 0.5–62.5 μg L⁻¹, the sensitivity of HS-SPME was enhanced by a factor of approximately two for all compounds by performing the extraction at −20 °C. A possible explanation is that freezing of the water sample results in higher concentration of the target compounds in the residual liquid phase and gas phase (freezing-out), combined with enhanced adsorption of the compounds by the cooled fiber. The precision of HS-SPME, expressed as the relative standard deviation and the linearity of the regression lines, is increased for more hydrophobic compounds (Kow>501) by simultaneous direct fiber cooling and freezing of analyte solution. Background contamination during analysis is reduced significantly by avoiding the use of organic solvents.     

Heat capacity and characteristic thermodynamic functions of dysprosium boride DyB62 in the temperature range of 2 to 300 K

Heat capacity at constant pressure C _p (T) of a dysprosium boride DyB₆₂ single crystal obtained by zone melting was studied experimentally in the temperature range of 2 to 300 K. Abnormally high values of dysprosium boride heat capacity were revealed in the range of 2–20 K, due to the magnetic contribution and the effect of disorder in the boride lattice. Temperature changes in DyB₆₂ enthalpy, entropy, Gibbs energy, and standard values of these thermodynamic functions were calculated.     

Melting behavior of a poly(ether‐block‐amide) copolymer melt‐crystallized under quiescent,isothermal conditions

Segmented poly(ether‐block‐amide) copolymers are typically known as polyamide‐based thermoplastic elastomers consisting of hard, crystallizable polyamide block and flexible, amorphous polyether block. The melting characteristics of a poly(ether‐block‐amide) copolymer melt‐crystallized under various quiescent, isothermal conditions were calorimetrically investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). For such crystallized copolymer samples, their crystalline structures under ambient condition and the structural evolutions upon heating from ambient to complete melting were characterized using ambient and variable‐temperature wide‐angle X‐ray diffractometry (WAXD), respectively. It was observed that dependent of specific crystallization conditions, the copolymer samples exhibited one, two, or three melting endotherms. The ambient WAXD results indicated that all melt‐crystallized copolymer samples only exhibited γ‐form crystals associated with the hexagonal habits of the polyamide homopolymer, whereas variable‐temperature WAXD data suggested that upon heating from ambient, a melt‐crystallized copolymer might exhibit so‐called Brill transition before complete melting. Based on various DSC and variable‐temperature WAXD experimental results obtained in this study, the applicability of different melting mechanisms that might be responsible for multiple melting characteristics of various crystallized PEBA copolymer samples were discussed. It was postulated that the low (T _m1) endotherm was primarily because of the disruption of less thermally stable, short‐range ordered structure of amorphous polyamide segments of the copolymer, which was only formed after the completion of primary crystallization via so‐called annealing effects. The intermediate (T_m2) and high (T_m3) endotherms were attributed to the melting of primary crystals within polyamide crystalline microdomains of the copolymer. The appearance of these two melting endotherms might be somehow complicated by thermally induced Brill transition. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 46: 2035–2046, 2008     

Crystallization of poly(ethylene terephthalate–co–isophthalate)

Melt crystallization behaviors of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and poly(ethylene terephthalate‐co‐isophthalate) (PETI) containing 2 and 12 mol % of noncrystallizable isophthalate components were investigated. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) isothermal results revealed that the introduction of 2 mol % isophthalate into PET caused a change of the crystal growth process from a two‐dimensional to a three‐dimensional spherulitic growth. The addition of more isophthalate up to 12 mol % into the PET structure induced a change in the crystal growth from a three‐dimensional to a two‐dimensional crystal growth. DSC heating scans after completion of isothermal crystallization at various T_c's showed three melting endotherms for PET and four melting endotherms for PETI‐2 and PETI‐12. The presence of an additional melting endotherm is attributed to the melting of copolyester crystallite composed of ethylene glycol, tere‐phthalate, and isophthalate (IPA) or the melting of molecular chains near IPA formed by melting the secondary crystallite T_m (I) and then recrystallizing during heating. Analyses of both Avrami and Lauritzen‐Hoffman equations revealed that PETI containing 2 mol % of isophthalate had the highest Avrami exponent n, growth rate constant G_o, and product of lateral and end surface free energies σσ_e. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 2515–2524, 2000     

The correctional kinetic equation for the peak temperature in the differential thermal analysis

The peak temperature (T _p) and different temperature (ΔT) are the basic information in the differential thermal analysis (DTA). Considering the kinetic relation and the heat equilibrium in DTA, a correctional differential kinetic equation (containing T _p and ΔT parameter) is proposed. In the dehydration reaction of CaC₂O₄·H₂O, the activation energy calculated from the new equation showed some smaller than that from Kissinger equation, but some bigger than that from Piloyan equation.     

Synthesis and characterization of thermotropic liquid crystalline poly(ester imide)s

Two closely series of poly(ester imide)s had been synthesized by solution polycondensation of p‐phenylenebis(trimellitate) dianhydride with aliphatic diamines. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) traces of the most poly(ester imide)s exhibited two endotherms representing the solid state to anisotropic phase transition (T_m1) and the anisotropic to isotropic melt transition (T_m2), respectively. Observation under polarizing microscope and wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD) measurements suggested that the anisotropic phase formed above the melting points (T_m1) had a smectic character. The thermogravimetric analyses (TGA) revealed that the thermal stabilities of the poly(ester imide)s were up to 350°C. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 211–218, 1999     

Thermal transitions and fat droplet stability in ice-cream mixmodel systems

We studied thermal transitions and physical stability of oil-in-water emulsions containing different milk fat compositions, arising from anhydrous milk fat alone (AMF) or in mixture (2:1 mass ratio) with a high melting temperature (AMF–HMT) or a low melting temperature (AMF–LMT) fraction. Changes in thermal transitions in bulk fat and emulsion samples were monitored by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) under controlled cooling and reheating cycles performed between 50 and –45°C (5°C min^–1). Comparison between bulk fat samples and emulsions indicated similar values of melting completion temperature, whereas initial temperature of fat crystallization (T_onset) seemed to be differently affected by storage temperature depending on triacylglycerols (TAG) composition. After storage at 4°C, T_onset values were very similar for emulsified and non-emulsified AMF–HMT blend, whereas they were lower (by approx. 6°C) for emulsions containing AMF or mixture of AMF–LMT fraction. After storage at –30°C, T_onset values of re-crystallization were higher in emulsion samples than in bulk fat blends, whatever the TAG fat composition. Light scattering measurements and fluorescence microscopic observations indicated differences in fat droplet aggregation-coalescence under freeze-thaw procedure, depending on emulsion fat composition. It appeared that under quiescent freezing, emulsion containing AMF–LMT fraction was much less resistant to fat droplet aggregation-coalescence than emulsions containing AMF or AMF–HMT fraction. Our results indicated the role of fat droplet liquid-solid content on emulsion stability.     

Determination of thermodynamic stability of CdMoO4 by knudsen effusion vapor pressure measurement method

Thermodynamic stability of CdMoO₄ was determined by measuring the vapor pressures of Cd and MoO₃ bearing gaseous species. Th vaporization reaction could be described as CdMoO₄(s)+MoO₂(s) =Cd(g)+2/n(MoO₃)_n (n=3, 4 and 5). The vapor pressures of the cadmium (p _Cd) and trimer (p _(MoO3)3) measured in the temperature range 987≤T/K≤1111 could be expressed, respectively, as ln (p _Cd/Pa) = –32643.9/T+29.46±0.08 and ln(p _(MoO3)3/Pa) = –32289.6/T+29.28±0.08. The standard molar Gibbs free energy of formation of CdMoO₄(s), derived from the vaporization results could be expressed by the equations: °_f G _{CdMoO4 (s)} ⁰= –1002.0+0.267T±14.5 kJ mol^–1 (987≤T/K≤1033) and °_f G _{CdMoO4 (s)} ⁰ = –1101.9+0.363T±14.4 kJ mol^–1 (1044≤T/K≤1111). The standard enthalpy of formation of CdMoO₄(s) was found to be –1015.4±14.5 kJ mol^–1 .     

Thermal properties of freezing bound water restrained by sodium lignosulfonate-based polyurethane hydrogels

In order to develop a new functional product from lignin, sodium lignosulfonate (LS)-based polyurethane (LSPU) hydrogels were prepared from LS and hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) derivatives in water. Isocyanate/hydroxyl group ratio (NCO/OH ratio) was varied from 0.05 to 0.8 mol mol⁻¹, and water content (W_c = mass of water/mass of dry sample) of the obtained LSPU hydrogels was varied from 0 to 3.0 g g⁻¹. Phase transition behavior of hydrogels with various W_c’s was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetry (TG). In DSC heating curve of LSPU hydrogels, glass transition, cold crystallization, melting and liquid crystallization were observed. Cold crystallization, two melting peaks and variation of melting enthalpy indicate that three kinds of water, i.e., non-freezing water, freezing bound water and free water, exist in LSPU hydrogel. Glass transition temperature (T_g) decreased from 230 to 190 K in a W_c range where non-freezing water was formed in the hydrogel. T_g increased when freezing bound water was formed in the system. T_g leveled off in a W_c range where normal ice was formed. The effect of NCO/OH ratio on molecular motion of LSPU hydrogel is examined based on T_g and heat capacity difference at T_g (ΔC_p). Water vaporization curve measured by TG also indicates the presence of bound water which evaporates at a temperature higher than ca. 410 K. By atomic force microscopic observation, the size of molecular bundle of LSPU hydrogel is calculated and compared with that of LS-water system. By cross-linking, the height of molecular bundle decreased from ca. 3–1 nm and lignin molecules extend in a flat structure.

     

Thermal stability and crystallization kinetics of Pb and Bi borate-based glasses

Glasses with compositions 60B₂O₃–40PbO, 60B₂O₃–40Bi₂O₃, and 60B₂O₃–30Bi₂O₃–10PbO have been prepared and studied by differential thermal analysis. The crystallization kinetics of the glasses was investigated under non-isothermal conditions. From dependence of the glass transition temperature (T _g) on the heating rate, the activation energy for the glass transition was derived. Similarly the activation energy of the crystallization process was determined. Thermal stability of these glasses were achieved in terms of the characteristic temperatures, such as the glass transition temperature, T _g, the onset temperature of crystallization, T _in , the temperature corresponding to the maximum crystallization rate, T _p, beside the kinetic parameters, K(T _g) and K(T _p). The results revealed that the 60B₂O₃–40PbO is more stable than the others. The crystallization mechanism is characterized for glasses. The phases at which the glass crystallizes after the thermal process have been identified by X-ray diffraction.     

Thermodynamics of tetraphenylantimony acetophenoneoxymate

In the present research for the first time, the heat capacity C_\textp ^° C_{\text{p}}^{ \circ } of crystalline tetraphenylantimony acetophenoneoxymate Ph₄SbONCPhMe has been measured using the methods of precision adiabatic vacuum calorimetry over the range from 6 to 350 K, the standard thermodynamic functions: heat capacity C_\textp ^° (T ) C_{\text{p}}^{ \circ } (T ) , enthalpy H°(T) − H°(0), entropy S°(T), and Gibbs function G°(T) − H°(0) have been calculated over the range from T → 0 K to 350 K. Low-temperature (20 K ≤ T ≤ 50 K) heat capacity data have shown a chain-layered structure topology of the compound under study. The energy of combustion of the compound has been determined in the isothermal combustion calorimeter with a stationary bomb. The standard thermodynamic functions of formation of crystalline Ph₄SbONCPhMe at 298.15 K have been calculated. The differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis studies have shown the compound melts with decomposition and its melting temperature has been estimated. Thermodynamic properties of Ph₄SbONCPhMe, Ph₅Sb and Ph₄SbONCPh₂ have been compared.     

Low-temperature thermodynamic properties of <Emphasis Type="Italic">L</Emphasis>-cysteine

Heat capacity C _p(T) of the orthorhombic polymorph of L-cysteine was measured in the temperature range 6–300 K by adiabatic calorimetry; thermodynamic functions were calculated based on these measurements. At 298.15 K the values of heat capacity, C _p; entropy, S _m⁰(T)-S _m⁰(0); difference in the enthalpy, H _m⁰(T)-H _m⁰(0), are equal, respectively, to 144.6±0.3 J K⁻¹ mol⁻¹, 169.0±0.4 J K⁻¹ mol⁻¹ and 24960±50 J mol⁻¹. An anomaly of heat capacity near 70 K was registered as a small, 3–5% height, diffuse ‘jump’ accompanied by the substantial increase in the thermal relaxation time. The shape of the anomaly is sensitive to thermal pre-history of the sample.     

Studying Cu2–xSe phase transformation through DSC examination

The thermal effect accompanying the transition of Cu_2–xSe into a superionic conduction state was studied by non-isothermal measurements, at different heating and cooling rates (β=1, 2.5, 5, 10 and 20°C min^–1). During heating the peak temperature (T_p) remains almost stable for all values of β, (136.8±0.4°C for Cu₂Se and 133.0±0.3°C for Cu_1.99Se). A gradual shift of the initiation of the transformation towards lower temperatures is observed, as the heating rate increases. During cooling there is a significant shift in the position of the peak maximum (T_p) towards lower temperatures with the increase of the cooling rate. A small hysteresis is observed, which increases with the increase of the cooling rate, β. The mean value of transformation enthalpy was found to be 30.3±0.8 J g^–1 for Cu₂Se and 28.9±0.9 J g^–1 for Cu_1.99Se. The transformation can be described kinetically by the model f(ǯ)=(1–ǯ)^n(1+kcatX), with activation energy E=175 kJ mol^–1, exponent value n equal to 0.2, logA=20 and log(k_cat)= 0.5.