Biodegradable polymers; Part II. Thermal degradation of biodegradable plastics cross-linked from formaldehyde-soy protein concentrate

Soy protein concentrate, a biodegradable renewable resource agricultural biopolymer, has been cross-linked with formaldehyde for better processing material. Thermogravimetric analysis of the biopolymer has been followed using a computer analysis method, Lotus package, developed by us for assigning the degradation mechanism. A number of equations have been used to evaluate the kinetic parameters. The mechanism of degradation of the biopolymer is explained on the basis of the kinetic parameters.     

Thiourea-enhanced flavin photooxidation of benzyl alcohol

Upon irradiation, flavin oxidises 4-methoxybenzyl alcohol to the corresponding aldehyde using aerial O(2) as the terminal oxidant. We have observed that this reaction is significantly accelerated by the presence of thiourea. A series of thiourea-functionalised flavins has been prepared from flavin isothiocyanates and their photocatalytic efficiencies have been monitored by NMR. The alcohol photooxidation proceeds rapidly and cleanly with high turnover numbers of up to 580, exceeding previously reported performances. A likely mechanistic rationale for the more than 30-fold acceleration of the photo-redox reaction by thiourea has been derived from spectroscopic, electrochemical, and kinetic studies. Thus, thiourea acts as an electron-transfer mediator for the initial photooxidation of 4-methoxybenzyl alcohol by the excited flavins. This mechanism has similarities to electron-relay mechanisms in flavoenzymes, for which cysteine sulfenic acid intermediates are proposed. The observation that thiourea mediates flavin photo-redox processes is valuable for the design of more sophisticated photocatalysts based on Nature's best redox chromophore.     

硫脲基纳米螯合纤维对水溶液中Cd(Ⅱ)的吸附和密度泛函理论计算

以聚丙烯腈为原料, 利用静电纺丝技术和化学接枝制备得到硫脲基纳米螯合纤维, 并用于水溶液中 Cd(Ⅱ)的去除. 结合样品的表征和密度泛函(DFT)理论计算结果, 揭示了所制备纳米纤维材料对Cd(Ⅱ)的吸附机理. 借助静态吸附和动态吸附实验, 考察了硫脲基纳米螯合纤维对Cd(Ⅱ)的吸附性能. 结果表明, 纳米纤维吸附材料对Cd(Ⅱ)的最大吸附容量可达349.46 mg/g, 吸附过程在90 min以内即可达到基本平衡. 整个吸附过程符合准二级动力学模型和Langmuir等温吸附模型. 硫脲基纳米螯合纤维吸附Cd(Ⅱ)的吸附机理为表面配位络合, 增加纳米纤维表面硫脲基团的含量是提高吸附容量的重要途径. 该吸附材料经6次循环使用后, 最大动态吸附容量并未发生明显改变.     

Thermal degradation studies of substituted conducting polyanilines

The synthesis of conducting polymers based on m-nitroaniline, m-chloroaniline and m-aminophenol by aniline initiated ammonium peroxydisulfate oxidation, has been attempted. The IR spectra of the polymers have been studied. Thermogravimetric analysis of the conducting polymers has been followed using a computer analysis method LOTUS PACKAGE, developed by us for assigning the degradation mechanism. A number of equations have been used to evaluate the kinetic parameters. The mechanism of degradation of the conducting polymers has been explained on the basis of their kinetic parameters.     

Thermal degradation and combustion behavior of the polyethylene/clay nanocomposite prepared by melt intercalation

Studies of thermal and fire-resistant properties of the polyethylene/organically modified montmorillonite (PE/MMT) nanocomposites prepared by means of melt intercalation are discussed. The sets of the data acquired with the aid of non-isothermal TG experiments have been treated by the model kinetic analysis. The extra acceleration of thermal-oxidative degradation of the nanocomposite which has been observed at the first stage of the overall process has been analyzed and is explained by the catalytic effect of the clay nanoparticles. The results of cone calorimetric tests lead to the conclusion that char formation plays a key role in the mechanism of flame retardation for nanocomposites.     

An improved model for the kinetic description of the thermal degradation of cellulose

In spite of the large amount of work performed by many investigators during last decade, the actual understanding of the kinetics of thermal degradation of cellulose is still largely unexplained. In this paper, recent findings suggesting a nucleation and growth of nuclei mechanism as the main step of cellulose degradation have been reassessed and a more appropriate model involving chain scission and volatilization of fragments has been proposed instead. The kinetics of cellulose pyrolysis have been revisited by making use of a novel kinetic method that, without any previous assumptions regarding the kinetic model, allows performing the kinetic analysis of a set of experimental curves recorded under different heating schedules. The kinetic parameters and kinetic model obtained allows for the reconstruction of the whole set of experimental TG curves.     

Behavior of intumescent epoxy resins in fireproofing applications

The thermal degradation process of a commercial intumescent epoxy resin for fireproofing applications was investigated. The changes in the morphology of the material during exposure to fire-like conditions were interpreted in the light of the degradation of single material components and of the overall swelling mechanism. An apparent kinetic model was developed to describe the thermally activated conversion and the weight loss of the material. The dramatic change in the key properties of the material (thermal conductivity, volume swelling, and apparent density) was investigated and linked with the thermal degradation phenomena governing the swelling process. Models were developed to describe material properties as a function of temperature and material conversion. The models provide the simulation of the fire-triggered degradation of the sample material at the heating rates of interest, allowing a detailed analysis of fireproofing performance.     

Constant rate thermal analysis for thermal stability studies of polymers

This paper explores the relationship between the shapes of temperature-time curves obtained from experimental data recorded by means of constant rate thermal analysis (CRTA) and the kinetic model followed by the thermal degradation reaction. A detailed shape analysis of CRTA curves has been performed as a function of the most common kinetic models. The analysis has been validated with simulated data, and with experimental data recorded from the thermal degradation of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), poly(1,4-butylene terephthalate) (PBT), polyethylene (PE) and poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC). The resulting temperature-time profiles indicate that the studied polymers decompose through phase boundary, random scission, diffusion and nucleation mechanisms respectively. The results here presented demonstrate that the strong dependence of the temperature-time profile on the reaction mechanism would allow the real kinetic model obeyed by a reaction to be discerned from a single CRTA curve.     

Origin of the Enantioselectivity in Organocatalytic Michael Additions of β‐Ketoamides to α,β‐Unsaturated Carbonyls: A Combined Experimental,Spectroscopic and Theoretical Study

The organocatalytic enantioselective conjugate addition of secondary β‐ketoamides to α,β‐unsaturated carbonyl compounds is reported. Use of bifunctional Takemoto’s thiourea catalyst allows enantiocontrol of the reaction leading either to simple Michael adducts or spirocyclic aminals in up to 99 % ee. The origin of the enantioselectivity has been rationalised based on combined DFT calculations and kinetic analysis. This study provides a deeper understanding of the reaction mechanism, which involves a predominant role of the secondary amide proton, and clarifies the complex interactions occurring between substrates and the catalyst.     

Front Cover: Creating Hydrophobic Foils From Biopolymer Blends Using Mechanical Microimprinting (ChemPhysChem 20/2023)

The surface topography of biodegradable polymer foils is modified by mechanical imprinting on a submillimeter length scale. The created patterns strongly influence the wetting behavior and allow the preparation of hydrophobic surfaces with controlled solid-liquid interaction. A detailed analysis of anisotropic surface patterns reveals that the observed effect arises from a combination of topographical and compositional changes that are introduced to the surface. As a main result it is found that an individual combination of material and structure is required for the production of water-repellent biopolymer foils that are highly attractive for packaging applications.     

Combined kinetic analysis of thermal degradation of polymeric materials under any thermal pathway

Combined kinetic analysis has been applied for the first time to the thermal degradation of polymeric materials. The combined kinetic analysis allows the determination of the kinetic parameters from the simultaneous analysis of a set of experimental curves recorded under any thermal schedule. The method does not make any assumptions about the kinetic model or activation energy and allows analysis even when the process does not follow one of the ideal kinetic models already proposed in the literature. In the present paper the kinetics of the thermal degradation of both polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and polyethylene (PE) have been analysed. It has been concluded, without previous assumptions on the kinetic model, that the thermal degradation of PTFE obeys a first order kinetic law, while the thermal degradation of PE follows a diffusion-controlled kinetic model.     

Kinetics of the thermal degradation of poly(lactic acid) obtained by reactive extrusion: Influence of the addition of montmorillonite nanoparticles

A reactive extrusion-calendering process was used in order to manufacture sheets with a nominal thickness of 1 mm of poly(lactic acid) and its nanocomposite with 2.5% of an organo-modified montmorillonite. During processing, the properties of the melt were stabilized and enhanced by the addition of 0.5% of a styrene-acrylic multi-functional-epoxide oligomeric reactive agent. The general analytical equation has been used in order to evaluate the kinetic parameters of the thermal degradation of poly(lactic acid) obtained by reactive extrusion and its nanocomposite. Various empirical and theoretical solid-state mechanisms have been tested to elucidate the best kinetic model. In order to reach this goal, master plots have been constructed by means of standardized conversion functions. Given that it is not always easy to visualize the best accordance between experimental and theoretical values of standardized conversion functions, a new index has been developed to quantitatively discern the best mechanism. By doing that, it has been possible to determine the right activation energy of the thermal degradation. It has been demonstrated that the best theoretical mechanism was the random scission of macromolecular chains within the polymer matrix. This was also in accordance with an empirical kinetic model based on an autocatalytic kinetic model. The presence of montmorillonite nanoparticles has been beneficial and has enhanced the thermal stability of poly(lactic acid).     

Thermal-oxidative degradation of high-amylose corn starch

Thermal oxidation degradation of high-amylose (80 %) cornstarch has been studied using thermogravimetry analyser coupled to Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (TG-FTIR). The linear structure of amylose provides a modal material to understand how the starch microstructure affects on the decomposition mechanisms. Kinetics of the thermal oxidation has been studied using different methods. It is found that the thermal oxidation degradation is more complex than thermal degradation, thermal oxidation degradation kinetics of the starch can be interpreted in terms of multi-step degradation mechanism, the activation energies obtain from Flynn–Wall–Ozawa (F–W–O) method and modified Coats–Redfern method are in good agreement. TG-FTIR and FTIR results confirm that the thermal oxidation mechanism of starch is a process containing long chain scission and glowing combustion.     

Thermal degradation of wood treated with flame retardants

Wood, one of the most flammable materials, was treated with various compounds containing nitrogen, phosphorus, halogens, and boron. For a study of flame retardance from the standpoint of thermal degradation, the samples were subjected to thermogravimetry (TG), differential thermal analysis (DTA) and differential thermogravimetry (DTG) in nitrogen to determine if there were any characteristic correlations between thermal degradation behaviors and the level of flame retardance. From the resulting data, kinetic parameters for different stages of thermal degradation are obtained using the method of Broido. The energies of activation for the decomposition of samples are found to be from 72 to 109 kJ mol^–1. For wood and modified wood, the char yields are found to increase from 10.2 to 30.2%, LOI from 18 to 36.5, which indicates that the flame retardance of wood treated with compounds is improved. The flame retardant mechanism of different compounds has also been proposed.     

Pyrolysis kinetics of ethylene–propylene (EPM) and ethylene–propylene–diene (EPDM)

The thermal degradation kinetics of several ethylene–propylene copolymers (EPM) and ethylene–propylene–diene terpolymers (EPDM), with different chemical compositions, have been studied by means of the combined kinetic analysis. Until now, attempts to establish the kinetic model for the process have been unsuccessful and previous reports suggest that a model other than a conventional nth order might be responsible. Here, a random scission kinetic model, based on the breakage and evaporation of cleavaged fragments, is found to describe the degradation of all compositions studied. The suitability of the kinetic parameters resulting from the analysis has been asserted by successfully reconstructing the experimental curves. Additionally, it has been shown that the activation energy for the pyrolysis of the EPM copolymers decreases by increasing the propylene content. An explanation for this behavior is given. A low dependence of the EPDM chemical composition on the activation energy for the pyrolysis has been reported, although the thermal stability is influenced by the composition of the diene used.     

Modifying polymer flocculants for the removal of inorganic phosphate from water

Due to strong hydrogen bonding interactions, thiourea has been shown to have a high affinity for anions such as inorganic phosphate. The interaction between phosphate and thiourea has been used to develop technologies that can detect and even remove phosphate from water. This research investigates the use of thiourea derivatized polymer flocculants for the sequestering of inorganic phosphate from water. The study presented herein describes the development of a thiourea based monomer that was used to create a bi-functional polymer that flocculates suspended solid material as well as sorbs phosphate, removing both from water. The new polymer removed more than 60% of the phosphate from a simulated wastewater sample. The addition of a thiourea trapping group to the polymer more than doubled the amount of phosphate removed from solution compared to control polymers.     

非缓冲介质中硫脲氧化的非线性动力学

研究了在非缓冲介质中高碘酸盐氧化硫脲的复杂反应动力学。实验结果表明：高碘酸盐氧化硫脲的非线性反应不但呈现多种不同的化学计量方程式,而且体系的pH、[I-]、[I2]及Pt电极电位呈现封闭条件下的准振荡和单峰振荡以及开放条件下的双稳态和衰减振荡行为。综合考虑硫价态与碘价态变化的各自非线性过程及相互耦合,提出了包含质子快速预平衡反应、碘化合物自身反应、碘化合物-硫化合物反应以及硫－硫反应的12步反应机理,模拟出了封闭体系中pH、[I-]以及[I2]的准振荡和单峰振荡以及开放体系中的双稳态行为。     

Relative elemental sensitivity factors in non-resonant laser-SNMS

Using a reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometer, the ionization process in non-resonant Laser postionization Secondary Neutral Mass Spectrometry (SNMS) has been investigated. In particular, the postionization efficiencies (PIE) achieved by multi photon and single photon absorption have been compared by ionizing ten elements sputtered from a NIST standard reference material by excimer laser radiation of 248 nm, 193 nm and 157 nm. Only in the case of single photon ionization (SPI) the measured laser intensity dependence of the PIE can be understood quantitatively in terms of corresponding theory. From the results, absolute values of the SPI cross sections have been evaluated for atoms of nine elements, which show a total variation over about two orders of magnitude. Furthermore, even in the regime of high laser intensity, where the ionization of all atoms is completely saturated, different elements have been detected with relative sensitivity factors which scatter over about one order of magnitude. This has been attributed to element dependent variations of the effective ionization volume which are caused by the different kinetic energy and angular distributions of different sputtered atoms.     

Relative elemental sensitivity factors in non-resonant laser-SNMS

Using a reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometer, the ionization process in non-resonant Laser postionization Secondary Neutral Mass Spectrometry (SNMS) has been investigated. In particular, the postionization efficiencies (PIE) achieved by multi photon and single photon absorption have been compared by ionizing ten elements sputtered from a NIST standard reference material by excimer laser radiation of 248 nm, 193 nm and 157 nm. Only in the case of single photon ionization (SPI) the measured laser intensity dependence of the PIE can be understood quantitatively in terms of corresponding theory. From the results, absolute values of the SPI cross sections have been evaluated for atoms of nine elements, which show a total variation over about two orders of magnitude. Furthermore, even in the regime of high laser intensity, where the ionization of all atoms is completely saturated, different elements have been detected with relative sensitivity factors which scatter over about one order of magnitude. This has been attributed to element dependent variations of the effective ionization volume which are caused by the different kinetic energy and angular distributions of different sputtered atoms.     

Polymers from Renewable Resources. Xiv. Interpenetrating Polymer Networks Derived from Castor Oil—Isophorone Diisocyanate-Polyacrylamide: Thermal,Scanning Electron Microscopy,and Xrd Studies

Abstract

A large number of castor oil based polyurethanes were prepared using various diisocyanates such as isophorone diisocyanate varying the NCO/OH ratio. All the polyurethanes were reacted with acrylamide and methacrylamide using ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as crosslinker and benzoyl peroxide as initiator. Thermogravimetric analysis of the polymers were followed using computer analysis method for assigning the kinetic mechanism. The degradation steps have been discussed in the light of kinetic parameters. The SEM of some of the IPNs has been studied and the morphology has been examined. The samples were subjected to wide angle X-ray diffraction analysis. Ruland and Vonk method was used to calculate the degree of crystallinity (X_cr).