Phase behavior of the quasiternary system N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide,water, and cellulose

The crystallization and melting behavior of the system N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide (MMNO)–H₂O–cellulose has been studied by differential scanning calorimetry, optical and electron microscopy, and x-ray scattering. The phase diagram of the MMNO–H₂O solvent system is reported up to a water content of 28% w/w. MMNO forms two crystalline hydrates, namely a monohydrate (13,3% w/w H₂O) and a hydrate comprising five molecules of crystal water per two MMNO molecules (28% w/w H₂O), which melts at 78°C and 39°C, respectively. The melting points of the various diluent crystals are strongly depressed in the presence of cellulose. For example, the solvent liquidus curve in the quasibinary system MMNO.1H₂O–cellulose can be described very well using the simple Flory–Huggins expression with an interaction parameter χ = ?3. Finally, the MMNO-rich part of the melting point/composition diagram of the quasiternary MMNO–H₂O–cellulose system is constructed and discussed.     

Homogeneous alkalization of cellulose in <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-methylmorpholine-<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-oxide/water solution

Alkali cellulose is an important intermediate in the production of cellulose derivatives. N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide (NMMO)/H₂O was used as a homogeneous reaction medium for the cellulose alkalization process to intensify the alkalization degree and improve the substitution uniformity. The morphology, specific surface area and crystalline structure of pristine cellulose, the as-synthesized alkali cellulose and dissolved-regenerated cellulose were characterized by SEM, BET, XRD and FT-IR, respectively. The results showed that the homogeneous reaction medium not only offered a low mass transfer resistance, but also facilitated a disruption of the hydrogen bond in cellulose, thus resulting in the transformation of the cellulose structure from complicated stacking chains to simple glucose chains. The interior hydroxyl groups in the cellulose became accessible to the alkaline reagent NaOH to enhance the alkalization process for the increase in bonding alkali content and the improvement in substitution uniformity. The bonding alkali content was calculated by the difference between total added alkali and free alkali and was achieved as 0.61 g/g cellulose at the optimized operation conditions: reaction temperature of 95 °C, reaction time of 90 min, NMMO dosage of 90.00 g, cellulose 1.0 g and NaOH concentration of 1.40 wt%. Meanwhile, in the conventional alkalization process, the bonding alkali content was just 0.41 g/g cellulose. The alkali cellulose prepared in NMMO/H₂O medium has a large specific surface area of 125 m² g^?1 and an extremely low crystallinity degree. The NMMO/H₂O system represents a potential homogeneous solvent for the cellulose alkalization process.     

Degradation processes in the cellulose/<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-methylmorpholine-<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-oxide system studied by HPLC and ESR. Radical formation/recombination kinetics under UV photolysis at 77 K

Degradation processes of N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide monohydrate (NMMO), cellulose and cellulose/NMMO solutions were studied by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy. Kinetics of radical accumulation processes under UV (λ = 248 nm) excimer laser flash photolysis was investigated by ESR at 77 K. Beside radical products of cellulose generated and stabilized at low temperature, radicals in NMMO and cellulose/NMMO solutions were studied for the first time in those systems and attributed to nitroxide type radicals ∼CH₂–NO^•–CH₂∼ and/or ∼CH₂–NO^•–CH₃∼ at the first and methyl ^•CH₃ and formyl ^•CHO radicals at the second step of the photo-induced reaction. Kinetic study of radicals revealed that formation and recombination rates of radical reaction depend on cellulose concentration in cellulose/NMMO solutions and additional ingredients, e.g., Fe(II) and propyl gallate. HPLC measurements showed that the concentrations of ring degradation products, e.g., aminoethanol and acetaldehyde, are determined by the composition of the cellulose/NMMO solution. Results based on HPLC are mainly maintained by ESR that supports the assumption concerning a radical initiated ring-opening of NMMO.     

The dissolution of microcrystalline cellulose in sodium hydroxide-urea aqueous solutions

It has been reported that cellulose is better dissolved in NaOH-water when a certain amount of urea is added. In order to understand the mechanisms of this dissolution and the interactions between the components, the binary phase diagram of urea/water, the ternary urea/NaOH/water phase diagram and the influence of the addition of microcrystalline cellulose in urea/NaOH/water solutions were studied by DSC. Urea/water solutions have a simple eutectic behaviour with a eutectic compound formed by pure urea and ice (one urea per eight water moles), melting at −12.5 °C. In the urea/NaOH/water solutions, urea and NaOH do not interact, each forming their own eutectic mixtures, (NaOH + 5H₂O, 4H₂O) and (urea, 8H₂O), as found in their binary mixtures. When the amount of water is too low to form the two eutectic mixtures, NaOH is attracting water at the expense of urea. In the presence of microcrystalline cellulose, the interactions between cellulose and NaOH/water are exactly the same as without urea, and urea is not interacting with cellulose. A tentative explanation of the role of urea is to bind water, making cellulose-NaOH links more stable. Member of the European Polysaccharide Network of Excellence (EPNOE),     

LiNO_3-KNO_3-H_2O三元体系相平衡研究

本文采用等温法分别测定了KNO3-H2O体系的溶解度相图以及LiNO3-KNO3-H2O体系在273.15和298.15K的等温溶解度相图。结果表明在273.15K时LiNO3-KNO3-H2O体系的溶解度等温线有2条分支,对应的固相分别为KNO3和LiNO3·3H2O,共饱点组成为31.55wt%LiNO3和7.07wt%KNO3。该体系在298.15K的等温线有3条分支,对应的固相分别为KNO3,LiNO3和LiNO3·3H2O,2个共饱点组成分别为50.42wt%LiNO3,22.18wt%KNO3,和55.74wt%LiNO3,10.9wt%KNO3。     

Congruent melting of binary compounds with non-negligible vapour pressure

The sulfaguanidine—water (SG-H₂O) system is a binary system with non-negligible vapour pressure which presents a monohydrate. The phase diagram of this system is drawn from DTA experimental results, using the temperature-specific volume-molar fraction (T-v-x) model which was described in part I of this work. The melting of the monohydrate (SG, H₂O) is found to be congruent. Isochoric sections are drawn; they make it possible to determine the limits of the two eutectic invariant planes. The composition and specific volume of the vapour phase at the eutectic equilibrium of theSG-SG, H₂O subsystem are given. The triple line solid-liquid-vapour of the one-component phase diagram of the monohydrate is drawn. The experimental results are consistent with the congruent melting of the monohydrate. These results also show that the solid, liquid and vapour phase at the triple line have not the same composition.     

MnO x /ZrO2 gel-derived materials for hydrogen peroxide decomposition

Manganese-yttrium-zirconium mixed oxide nanocomposites with three different Mn loadings (5, 15 and 30 wt%) were prepared by sol–gel synthesis. Amorphous xerogels were obtained for each composition. Their structural evolution with the temperature and textural properties were examined by thermogravimetry/differential thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction, diffuse reflectance UV–vis spectroscopy and N₂ adsorption isotherms. Mesoporous materials with high surface area values (70–100 m² g⁻¹) were obtained by annealing in air at 550 °C. They are amorphous or contain nanocrystals of the tetragonal ZrO₂ phase (T-ZrO₂) depending on the Mn amount and exhibit Mn species with oxidation state higher than 2 as confirmed by temperature programmed reduction experiments. T-ZrO₂ is the only crystallizing phase at 700 °C while the monoclinic polymorph and Mn₃O₄ start to appear only after a prolonged annealing at 1,000 °C. The samples annealed at 550 °C were studied as catalysts for H₂O₂ decomposition in liquid phase. Their catalytic activity was higher than that of previously studied Mn/Zr oxide systems prepared by impregnation. Catalytic data were described by a rate equation of Langmuir type. The decrease of catalytic activity with time was related to dissolution of a limited fraction (up to 15%) of Mn into the H₂O₂/H₂O solution.     

Rubidium and lithium butanoates binary phase diagram

The temperature and enthalpy vs. composition diagrams of the binary system [xC₃H₇CO₂Li+(1–x)C₃H₇CO₂Rb], where x=mole fraction, were determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). This binary systems displays the formation of two mixed salts with a composition 1:1 and 1:2, which melt incongruently at T _fus=590.5 K, with Δ_fus H _m=11.6 kJ mol^–1, and congruently at T _fus=614.5 K, with Δ_fus H _m=20.2 kJ mol^–1, respectively. The phase diagram also presents an ionic liquid-crystalline phase in a wide temperature range: 95 K.     

Thermodynamic interactions of natural and of man-made cellulose fibers with water

The vapor pressure of water was measured for binary mixtures with cellulose containing fabrics at 37 °C by means of two complementary methods. Different types of fabrics were studied: One consisting exclusively of cellulose fibers, either of natural origin (cotton) or regenerated from solutions in the mixed solvent NMMO/water (Lyocell fibers, CLY) and another kind of fabric containing polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibers in addition to CLY fibers. The Flory-Huggins interaction parameters χ and their composition dependence calculated from these vapor pressure data are broadly similar for cotton and for CLY, apart from the fact that water interacts somewhat more favorably with CLY than with cotton. In both cases the χ values pass successively a maximum and a minimum as the concentration of water rises. The experiments performed with the fabrics containing two types of fibers demonstrate that the water uptake of PET is negligible as compared with that of cellulose. The results for the system water/cellulose fibers obtained at 37 °C differ fundamentally from corresponding data for 80 °C, reported for cellulose films prepared from solutions in dimethylacetamide + LiCl. The maximum water uptake of cellulose is determined by its degree of crystallinity. In all cases it is possible to model the Flory-Huggins interaction parameters as a function of composition quantitatively by means of an approach subdividing the dilution process conceptually into two separate steps: Contact formation between the dissimilar components (keeping their conformation constant) and subsequent relaxation of the system into the equilibrium state. Similarities and dissimilarities of the systems water/polysaccharide are being discussed in detail.     

Preparation of carboxymethyl cellulose‐g‐poly (acrylamide)/montmorillonite superabsorbent composite as a slow‐release urea fertilizer

A superabsorbent composite was synthesized through free‐radical graft copolymerization of carboxymethyl cellulose, acrylamide, and montmorillonite by means of a crosslinker such as N,N′‐methylenebisacrylamide and potassium persulfate as an initiator. The preparation mechanism was proposed, and the composite structures were confirmed by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, thermal gravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscope. The factors influencing the swelling capacity of the composite were determined to accomplish the highly swelling capacity. The composition (15 wt% carboxymethyl cellulose, 5.4 wt% montmorillonite, 82 wt% acrylamide, 0.07 wt% N,N′‐methylenebisacrylamide, and 1.1 wt% potassium persulfate) exhibited high swelling capacity; it was selected to be loaded with urea fertilizer, and the release was investigated by measuring the conductivity. The results showed that the new controlled release system has good slow release properties.     

3-D phase diagram of HPC/H2O/H3PO4 tertiary system

A 3-D phase diagram of the HPC/H₂O/H₃PO₄ tertiary system against various temperatures was established. Four distinct phases—the completely separated phase (S), the cloudy suspension phase (CS), the liquid crystalline miscible phase (LC), and the isotropically miscible phase (I)—were identified. The S phase shrank as the temperature increased, revealing that the HPC solubility increased with temperature, regardless of the LCST (lower critical solution temperature) characteristic. The addition of H₃PO₄ suppressed the formation of LC phase. However, as the temperature was raised sharply from 50 to 70?°C, the LC phase could only be maintained at high H₃PO₄ concentration region; it was a triangular shape, and the top apex of the triangle was the temperature-invariant L* point (HPC/H₂O/H₃PO₄ 38/9/53?wt%). The CS phase expanded considerably into the H₂O-rich but H₃PO₄-poor region when the temperature continued to increase over 48?°C. The LCST points of the CS phase that contained 0 and 15?wt% of H₃PO₄ were 34 and 38?°C, respectively. These CS results demonstrate that H₃PO₄ suppresses the occurrence of LCST behavior. Additionally, the binodal curve exhibits a weak or even zero dependence of binodal temperature on the HPC concentration at HPC concentrations of less than 30?wt% in a pure water system. A hypothesis concerning the sequential desorption of water molecules was proposed to explain such behavior.     

Glass transition behaviour of ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate–H2O mixed solutions

Here, we have measured the glass transition temperature (T_g) of the ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate–H₂O mixed solutions as a function of H₂O concentration (x mol% H₂O). The glass-forming composition region was also determined. Contrary to the results of the quaternary ammonium type of ionic liquid, N,N-diethyl-N-methyl-N-(2-methoxyethyl) ammonium tetrafluoroborate–H₂O mixed solutions, we did not observed the multiple glass transition behaviour. We also measured the glassy Raman spectra of the solutions at T = 77 K. We find that the “nearly free” hydrogen bonded Raman band of water molecules in the aqueous [bmim][BF₄] solution exists up to around x = 60 mol% H₂O, even at T = 77 K.     

Cellulose fibers modified by Eu3+-doped yttria-stabilized zirconia nanoparticles

This paper describes a method for manufacturing luminescent cellulose fibers. Good optical properties of cellulose fibers under UV-C illumination were achieved by incorporating ZrO₂ (0.5?mol% of Eu³⁺) stabilized by Y₂O₃ (7?mol%) into the fiber structure’s particles. Fibers were obtained from 8?wt% cellulose solution in N-methylmorpholine N-oxide (NMMO) with the addition of a luminescent modifier in the range between 0.5 and 10?wt%. The physico-chemical and mechanical parameters and the structure of these fibers were examined.     

Gelled Na<Subscript>2</Subscript>HPO<Subscript>4</Subscript> · 12H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O with amylose-g-sodium acrylate: heat storage performance,heat capacity and heat of fusion

A novel gelling method was studied to stabilize phase change material Na₂HPO₄ · 12H₂O with amylose grafted sodium acrylate. Gelled Na₂HPO₄ · 12H₂O shows stable heat storage performance prepared at optimized conditions: 2.7mass/mass% sodium acrylate, 0.4 mass/mass% amylose, 0.05–0.09 mass/mass% N, N′-methylenebisacrylamide, 0.05–0.09 mass/mass% K₂S₂O₈ and Na₂SO₃ (mass ratio 1:1), at 50 °C. Na₂HPO₄ · 12H₂O was dispersed in gel network as tiny crystals less than 0.1 mm. Melting points were in the range 35.4 ± 2 °C. Short-term thermal cycling proves the effectiveness of the novel method for eliminating phase separation in the gelled salt. Adiabatic calorimetric measurement of heat capacities shows two phase transitions, which correspond to melting of Na₂HPO₄ · 12H₂O and freezable bond water in gel, respectively. Heat of fusion of pure Na₂HPO₄ · 12H₂O was determined as 260.9 J g⁻¹. Distribution of extra water is: free water:freezable water:nonfreezing water = 0:0.85:0.15.     

High performance of PES-GNs MMMs for gas separation and selectivity

In this study, graphene nanosheets (GNs) were incorporated into polyethersulfone (PES) by phase inversion approach for preparing PES-GNs mixed matrix membranes (MMMs). To investigate the impact of filler content on membrane surface morphology, thermal stability, chemical composition, porosity and mechanical properties, MMMs were constructed with various GNs loadings (0.01, 0.02, 0.03, and 0.04 wt%). ?The performance of prepared MMMs was tested for separation and selectivity of CO₂, N₂, H₂ and CH₄ gases at various pressures from 1 to 6 bar and temperature varying from 20 to 60 °C. It was observed that, compared to the pristine PES membrane, the prepared MMMs significantly improved the gas separation and selectivity performance with adequate mechanical stability. The permeability of CO₂, N₂, H₂ and CH₄ for the PES + 0.04 wt% GNs increases from 9 to 2246, 11 to 2235, 9 to 7151, and 3 to 4176 Barrer respectively, as compared with pure PES membrane at 1 bar and 20 °C due to improving the membrane absorption and porosity. In addition, by increasing the pressure, the permeability and selectivity of CO₂, N₂, H₂ and CH₄ are increased due to the increased driving force for the transport of gas via membranes. Furthermore, the permeability of CO₂, N₂, H₂ and CH₄ increased by increasing the temperature from 20 to 60 °C due to the plasticization in the membranes and the improvement in polymer chain movement. This result proved that the prepared membranes can be used for gas separation applications.     

A thermodynamic model for calculating nitrogen solubility,gas phase composition and density of the N2–H2O–NaCl system

A thermodynamic model is presented to calculate N₂ solubility in pure water (273–590 K and 1–600 bar) and aqueous NaCl solutions (273–400 K, 1–600 bar and 0–6 mol kg⁻¹) with or close to experimental accuracy. This model is based on a semi-empirical equation used to calculate gas phase composition of the H₂O–N₂ system and a specific particle interaction theory for liquid phase. With the parameters evaluated from N₂–H₂O–NaCl system and using a simple approach, the model is extended to predict the N₂ solubility in seawater accurately. Liquid phase density of N₂–H₂O–NaCl system at phase equilibrium and the homogenization pressure of fluid inclusions containing N₂–H₂O–NaCl can be calculated from this model. A computer code is developed for this model and can be downloaded from the website: www.geochem-model.org/programs.htm.     

Preparation and characterization of cellulose nanocomposite films with two different organo-micas

The mechanical properties, morphologies, and gas barriers of hybrid films of cellulose with two different organoclays are compared. Dodecyltriphenyl-phosphonium-mica (C₁₂PPh-mica) and hexadecyl-mica (C₁₆-mica) were used as reinforcing fillers in the fabrication of the cellulose hybrid films. The cellulose hybrid films were synthesized from N-methyl-morpholine-N-oxide (NMMO) solutions with the two organo-micas, and solvent-cast at room temperature under vacuum, yielding 15–20 μm thick films of cellulose hybrids with various clay contents. We found that the addition of only a small amount of organoclay is sufficient to improve the mechanical properties and gas barriers of the cellulose hybrid films. Even polymers with low organoclay contents (1–7 wt %) were found to exhibit much higher strength and modulus values than pure cellulose. The addition of C₁₂PPh-mica was more effective than that of C₁₆-mica with regards to the initial tensile modulus, whereas the addition of C₁₆-mica was more effective than that of C₁₂PPh-mica with regards to the gas barrier of the cellulose matrix. The intercalations of the polymer chains in the clays were examined with wide-angle X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electron microscopy (SEM and TEM).     

Water effect on the gelation behavior of polyacrylonitrile/dimethyl sulfoxide solution

The gelation behavior of polyacrylonitrile (PAN)/dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solution containing different amounts of water has been investigated using various methods. The ternary phase diagram of PAN/DMSO/water system indicated that water enhanced the temperature at which phase separation of PAN/DMSO solution occurred. Intrinsic viscosities [η] of dilute PAN/DMSO solution and PAN/DMSO/water solution at varied temperatures were measured to examine the influence of water on the phase behavior of PAN/DMSO solution. The presence of water in the solution gave rise to elevated critical temperature T_c. The gelation temperature T_g obtained by measuring the loss tangent tan δ at different oscillation frequencies in a cooling process was found to increase with increased water content in the solution. The critical relaxation exponent n value, however, changed little with varied concentration. During the aging process, the gelation rate of PAN/DMSO solution increases with the water level. The n values of the PAN/DMSO solutions with 2 wt% and 4 wt% water were a little larger than that of the solution without water, which may be explained by the turbid gel resulted from phase separation. The n values obtained in the aging process were larger than those obtained in the cooling process for the same three solutions, ascribed to the weaker gel with less cross-linking points formed in long time. Water led to the formation of denser gel structure. The coarser gel surface can also be attributed to the phase separation promoted by water.     

The origin of the radiobiological damage in cells stored in cryostatic conditions

The radiation induced free radical damage in Chinese hamster lung fibroblast V-79 cells stored in DMEM culture medium containing 10% DMSO has been investigated by matrix EPR spectroscopy in connection with the H₂O/DMSO binary phase diagram. A major part of the indirect effect is due to radicals from the DMSO·3H₂O phase in the freezing medium, which are released on warming in the temperature range between 130 K and 160 K, that is, far below the eutectic melting temperature (210 K). The radicals trapped in the DMSO·3H₂O phase react with oxygen above 160 K giving reactive oxygen species (ROS) of the type of peroxyl radicals. A lower limit yield of 10–15% was calculated for this conversion. Scavenging experiments with a stable nitroxyl radical (tempol) have demonstrated that part of the DMSO·3H₂O radicals escape by mutual recombination on melting and are therefore available for inducing indirect cell damage. The same experiments performed with pure frozen water have shown that OH radicals are not available for inducing cell damage. The EPR measurements performed on H₂O/DMSO frozen mixtures suggest that the radiation induced radical forming process does not change when passing to the low dose range below 1 Gy, in agreement with the linear model.     

Acetylation of cellulose in LiCl-<Emphasis Type="Italic">N,N</Emphasis>-dimethylacetamide: first report on the correlation between the reaction efficiency and the aggregation number of dissolved cellulose

The acylation of three cellulose samples by acetic anhydride, Ac₂O, in the solvent system LiCl/N,N-dimethylacetamide, DMAc (4 h, 110 °C), has been revisited in order to investigate the dependence of the reaction efficiency on the structural characteristics of cellulose, and its aggregation in solution. The cellulose samples employed included microcrystalline, MCC; mercerized cotton linters, M-cotton, and mercerized sisal, M-sisal. The reaction efficiency expresses the relationship between the degree of substitution, DS, of the ester obtained, and the molar ratio Ac₂O/AGU (anhydroglucose unit of the biopolymer); 100% efficiency means obtaining DS = 3 at Ac₂O/AGU = 3. For all celluloses, the dependence of DS on Ac₂O/AGU is described by an exponential decay equation: DS = DS_o − Ae^{−[(Ac2O/AGU)/B]}; (A) and (B) are regression coefficients, and DS_o is the calculated maximum degree of substitution, achieved under the conditions of each experiment. Values of (B) are clearly dependent on the cellulose employed: B_(M-cotton) > B_(M-sisal) > B_(MCC); they correlate qualitatively with the degree of polymerization of cellulose, and linearly with the aggregation number, N_agg, of the dissolved biopolymer, as calculated from static light scattering measurements: (B) = 1.709 + 0.034 N_agg. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the latter correlation; it shows the importance of the physical state of dissolved cellulose, and serves to explain, in part, the need to use distinct reaction conditions for MCC and fibrous celluloses, in particular Ac₂O/AGU, time, temperature.