Synthesis and physicochemical properties of silver nanoparticles stabilized by acid gelatin

Silver nanoparticles were synthesized by the reduction of silver nitrate with sodium borohydride at widely varied concentrations of the starting reagents. A physicochemical study of the synthesized nanosystems was carried out. The stabilizing ability of acid gelatin in the systems under study was considered. The stability diagram in the coordinates initial concentration of silver nitrate-concentration of gelatin was constructed.     

Cold water fish gelatin films: Effects of cross-linking on thermal, mechanical, barrier, and biodegradation properties

Gelatin was extracted from Alaska pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) and Alaska pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) skins and cast into films. The fish gelatin films’ tensile, thermal, water vapor permeability, oxygen permeability, and biodegradation properties were compared to those of bovine and porcine gelatin films. In addition, fish gelatin films were cross-linked with glutaraldehyde. Pollock and salmon gelatin films had comparable tensile properties, but had lower tensile strength and percent elongation than mammalian gelatin films. The lower strength and elongation might have been due to lower structural gelatin levels present in fish gelatin films. The addition of cross-linkers had little effect on tensile properties and melting temperatures of fish gelatin films. Pollock gelatin films had the lowest water vapor and oxygen permeability values, whereas mammalian gelatin films had the highest permeability values. Cross-linking resulted in lower water vapor permeability for salmon gelatin films and higher oxygen permeability for pollock gelatin films. However, all fish gelatin films had better water vapor and oxygen barrier properties than mammalian gelatin films. Also, fish gelatin films degraded faster than mammalian gelatin films.     

Water effect on the physicochemical properties of oligomeric polysaccharide inulin

For oligomeric polysaccharide inulin from chicory roots, the heat capacity in the range of 80–330 K is measured, and values of standard enthalpy of combustion and formation were determined. Water concentration in inulin in the solution saturated at water melting temperature was determined by means of a calorimetric method from the melting enthalpy of water excess over its solubility in the oligosaccharide. Using the technique of differential thermal analysis, a temperature of relaxation transitions in inulin and an effect of water on these transitions are determined.     

The cellulose solvent system N,N-dimethylacetamide/lithium chloride revisited: the effect of water on physicochemical properties and chemical stability

The water content in the binary systemN,N-dimethylacetamide/lithium chloride (DMAc/LiCl), acommon cellulose solvent, has been proven to be a crucial parameter. A quickdetermination of water content in DMAc based on the solvatochromism of aUV-active betain probe dye has been developed and validated. An analogousmethod, based on the solvatochromic fluorescence shift ofZelinskij's dye, which strongly depends on thesolventpolarity, was established for water determination in DMAc containing LiCl.Precise physicochemical data of the system DMAc/LiCl, such as density,viscosity, and conductivity, have been obtained. The limiting solubility forLiCl in absolute DMAc is 8.46 wt%. As shown by lightscattering experiments, water in DMAc/LiCl induces aggregation upon standingforlonger periods of time, which is even more prominent for diluted solutions andthose having a poor state of dissolution.     

The effect of sugars on the mechanical properties of processed cereals

Breakfast wheat-flake materials of different composition have been reconstituted as barshaped test pieces to reduce geometry and structure effects and allow better comparison of the matrix mechanical properties. The ground flakes comprised a control formulation and others in which components had been subtracted or substituted. The aim was to compare the mechanical properties of pressed specimens of multiple-component systems with those published for simpler one- and two-component materials. Sucrose or fructose, present in the ratio sugarwheat 15.9–6.1, lowered the modulus of wheat-flake material, but by progressively lesser extent with decreasing water content below 22% (wet-weight basis, w.w.b), the difference becoming negligible at water contents of 7 to 10% (w.w.b). However, the energy to break wheat-flake samples and their fracture toughness were reduced more by fructose than sucrose addition to a control formulation sample at these water contents. The energy to break and fracture toughness increased markedly with increasing water content for all formulations.This work was supported by a MAFF-DTI LINK grant under the Food Processing Sciences Programme involving Weetabix Ltd, APV Baker, Campden Food and Drink Research Association, University of Nottingham and Novo Nordisk (UK) Ltd. The authors acknowledge the scientific and financial support of the MAFF and LINK participants. They would also like to thank Dr. Simon Livings (University of Cambridge, Cavendish Laboratory) for his advice on preparation of hot pressed-samples and Mr. David Steer for the design of the hot press.     

Preparation and physicochemical and mechanical properties of low-substituted cellulose phosphate fibers

Mechanical and physicochemical properties of cotton and viscose fibers esterified with aqueous solutions containing orthophosphoric acid and urea in different ratios were studied.     

The effect of mineral matter on the physicochemical and sorption properties of brown coal-based activated carbons

A series of new carbonaceous adsorbents has been obtained by means of direct and physical activation of Polish brown coal, characterised by high mineral matter content. The influence of activation procedure on the porous structure development, acidic and basic surface groups generation as well as the sorptive properties of the adsorbents prepared toward liquid and gas pollutants was tested. Additionally the effect of mineral matter presence on the physicochemical and sorption properties of materials prepared was studied. The final products were micro/mesoporous activated carbons of medium developed surface area ranging from 407 to 674 m²/g, showing strongly basic or intermediate acidic-basic character of the surface. The results obtained during this study showed that direct and physical activation of low quality brown coal led to activated carbons with very good sorption capacity both toward gas contamination of acidic character (especially nitrogen dioxide) as well as toward methylene blue and inorganic pollutants of molecules of size similar to that of iodine molecules. It was also proved that demineralization of prepared activated carbons by hydrochloric acid significantly reduced their ability to toxic gases sorption, but simultaneously increased the efficiency of removing impurities from the liquid phase.     

The effect of thiolation on the mechanical and protein adsorption properties of polyurethanes

Segmented polyurethanes are important polymers for a number of industrial and technological applications. The purpose of this work was to synthesize polybutadiene-based polyurethanes and subsequently graft carboxylate and sulfonate side chains via thiol-ene reaction. Spectroscopic investigations showed that grafting yielded good conversion for the vinyl unsaturation of the polybutadiene soft segment. DSC and tensile testing revealed that grafted polyurethanes had a better segmental compatibility and superior mechanical properties than the control polyurethane without grafting. The carboxylic side chains of the soft segment were responsible for the observed improved mechanical properties. Initial protein adsorption tests on these polymers were found to be higher than the control surface. The polyurethanes of the current study could be used for biomedical applications where protein attachment to the surface is needed for specific cell adhesion and tissue repair.     

The effect of mechanical activation on the hydration properties of nanodispersed silica

The hydration of highly dispersed nanosize silica was studied by low-temperature ¹H NMR spectroscopy before and after the mechanical activation in a ball mill.     

The effect of densification on the mechanical properties of amorphous glassy polymers

Four polymers, viz. polystyrene, polycarbonate, poly(methyl methacrylate), and poly-(vinyl chloride), were cooled from the melt to room temperature under hydrostatic pressures of 30 and 1000 atm. Cooling under high pressure increased the density by 0.4–0.6%, and the effect of this has been examined for the torsional creep properties, the dynamic properties at 1 Hz, the Charpy impact strength, the thermal expansivity, and the torsional yield stress. It turned out that, in general, densification affects the thermomechanical properties only slightly.     

Effect of water on the mechanical properties of collagen films

The effect on water on mechanical properties of collagen films has been studied. The S-shaped sorption isotherm is separated into an adsorption curve C₁ and a solution curve C₂. From the C₂ curve, a value of 0.8 is calculated for the Flory-Huggins interaction parameter χ₁. The dynamic shear modulus G′, loss modulus G″, and loss tangent tan δ determined as functions of water content indicate two dispersions at low and at high water content. The region of water content from about 0.05 to 0.1 g/g, G′ decreases suddenly, G″ has a peak, and tan δ increases, corresponds to the region where the C₂ component of sorption becomes detectable. Another dispersion occurs at water contents above 0.2 g/g. A composite curve can be obtained by shifting stress-relaxation curves obtained at different humidities along the log time axis. When only the C₂ component of sorbed water is taken into account, the shift factor a_c is explained by a relation of Fujita and Kishimotos' based on free-volume theory. Shift factor for the relaxation curves of wool fibers, except for an initial part at times of less than 1 sec, are described by the same equation. The parameter β in the equation has the same value of 0.16 for both collagen and wool.     

The effect of curing conditions on the physical and mechanical properties of styrenated polyester

The curing behavior of unsaturated polyester resin was investigated. In the present study, styrene, methyl ethyl keton peroxide (MEKP) and cobalt octoate (CO) have been selected as solvent (monomer), catalyst and accelerator, respectively. The effect of the concentration of both MEKP and CO on the curing exotherm, curing time, hardness and compressive strength of the prepared copolymers was investigated.     

The confinement and anion type effect on the physicochemical properties of ionic liquid/halloysite nanoclay ionogels

This work is the first attempt to study the physicochemical properties of ionogels - quasi-solid hybrid materials formed by ionic liquids (ILs) − 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium (BMIm⁺) salts with dicyanamide- (DCA⁻), bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide- (TFSI⁻), and trifluoromethanesulfonate- (Otf⁻) anions - and halloysite, a powdered clay filler with nanotube particles (at the IL:Hal molar ratio of 2:1) in order to find possible new applications of ionic liquids and industrial minerals. The electron microscopy, TG, and DSC analysis, FTIR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, conductometry and cyclic voltammetry methods are used to investigate the anion effect on the IL interaction with halloysite. It has, for the first time, been found that the distinguishing feature of halloysite interaction with an IL determining the structural changes in the clay mineral and electrochemical characteristics of the ionogels is partial dehydration of the clay and absorption of the released water by the ionic liquid. It is shown that the halloysite dehydration effect depends on the IL hydrophilicity determined by the anion type, corresponds to the series: BMImDCA > BMImOtf > BMImTFSI. The electrochemical and thermal behaviour of ILs confined within a halloysite matrix differs from that of bulk ILs and is controlled by the anion type. Temperature dependences of the structural resistance of the halloysite filler are radically different for the ILs with high and low hydrophilicity. The effects resulting from the formation of halloysite-based ionogels can be of interest to those who develop quasi-solid ionic conductors that can work within a wide temperature range.     

Aging effect on the mechanical properties of hybrid gels

Sol-gel derived unsupported films and thin rods have been obtained from co-hydrolysis of triethoxysilane and methyldiethoxysilane. The materials are flexible, dense and transparent. Films and rods have been aged for different periods of time in air at room temperature. The elastic modulus has been measured by means of tensile or flexural tests. Measurements showed an increase of elastic modulus with aging time and showed different values for films and rods. The observed evolution of mechanical properties has been related to a corresponding structural modification as highlighted mainly by MAS-NMR studies. Analyses pointed out the crucial role of condensation processes and showed that the stiffness increase arises from the formation of relatively few bonds which link and constrain pre-existing mobile network regions.     

The effect of the mechanical properties of the molecular network on the wool-water isotherm

Summary The present position of theoretical investigation of the water-content versus relative humidity isotherm is briefly indicated. Previous workers have anticipated an effect on equilibrium water-content arising from the mechanical properties of the keratin network. Such an effect is reported for supercontracted wool fibres and for reduced and S-methylated fibres, for which an increased saturation water-content is observed. In the case of S-methyl wool, saturation water-content shows little or no dependence on the number of disulphide cross-links, however it does depend on the number of S-methyl groups present. The results are considered in terms ofFlory-Huggins solution theory, and it is indicated that this theory can be usefully applied for relative humidities in excess of 85%. In normal wool solution absorption is permitted only in the noncrystalline component, but in supercontracted wool or S-methyl wool takes place in both components. Even when saturation water-content is greatly increased the isotherm is not appreciably changed below 85% R. H., indicating that no additional sites for strong binding of water become available; apparently all such sites are accessible in normal wool at approximately 85% relative humidity.

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Zusammenfassung Der gegenwärtige Stand theoretischer Untersuchungen für den isothermen Wassergehalt gegen relative Feuchtigkeit ist kurz kritisch dargelegt. Die bisherigen Bearbeiter haben einen Einfluß auf das Gleichgewicht des Wassergehaltes seitens der mechanischen Eigenschaften des Keratinnetzwerkes angenommen. Ein solcher Effekt wird für superkontrahierte Wollfasern und für solche, reduziert und mit Schwefelmethyl behandelt, mitgeteilt, für die eine erhöhte Wassersättigung zu beobachten ist. Im Fall der schwefelmethylierten Wolle zeigt die Sättigung geringe oder keine Abhängigkeit von der Zahl der Disulfidvernetzungen, sie hängt jedoch von der Zahl der Schwefel-Methylgruppen ab. Diese Resultate werden mit derFlory-Huggins-Lösungstheorie betrachtet, und es zeigt sich, daß diese Theorie gut für relative Feuchtigkeiten größer als 85% angewendet werden kann. In normaler Wolle ist Lösungsabsorption nur in den nichtkristallinen Anteilen möglich, aber in superkontrahierter oder schwefelmethylierter Wolle findet sie auch in den Kristalliten statt. Auch wenn der Sättigungswert der Isotherme gegen Ende stark beeinflußt wird, ändert sich der Verlauf der Isotherme unterhalb 85% r. F. nicht. Das zeigt, daß kerne zusätzlichen Plätze für starke Wasserbindungen entstehen. Offensichtlich sind alle diese Plätze in normaler Wolle bei etwa 85% r. F. zugänglich.