Temperature Effect on Drying and Swelling of Kappa Carrageenan Gels: A Steady State Fluorescence Study

Summary: A novel technique based on in situ steady state fluorescence (SSF) measurements is introduced for studying drying and swelling of κ- carrageenan (kappa carrageenan) gels at various temperatures. κ- carrageenan gels were completely dried and then swelled in water vapor. Pyranine was embedded in κ- carrageenan and used as a fluorescence probe. Scattered light intensities, I_sc and fluorescence intensities, I were monitored during the drying and swelling of κ- carrageenan gels. It was observed that the fluorescence intensity decreased linearly as drying time was increased. A simple model consisting of Case II diffusion was used to quantify the drying processes of the κ- carrageenan gels. This moving boundary model provided packing constant, k₀. During swelling, fluorescence intensity increased exponentially as time is increased. The increase in I, was modeled using Li-Tanaka equation from which swelling time constants, τ_c and cooperative diffusion coefficients, D_c were determined. It was observed that swelling time constants, τ_c decreased and diffusion coefficients, D_c increased as the swelling temperature was increased. Activation energies for drying and swelling were also obtained and found to be 53.9 and 47.2 kJ mol⁻¹, respectively.     

Interactions of glucose and polyacrylamide in solutions and gels

The swelling of polyacrylamide (PAAm) gels increased with rising glucose concentrations, and so did the osmotic pressure of the soluble polymer and its intrinsic viscosity. A Flory–Huggins‐based model for the osmotic pressure of a nonionic hydrophilic polymer in a ternary solution consisting of a main solvent, a polymer, and a nondissociating low‐molecular‐weight cosolute was developed and examined. The model‐calculated values were in reasonably good agreement with experimental results for the water–PAAm–glucose system studied when PAAm–water and glucose–water interaction coefficients from the binary systems were used, and only the PAAm–glucose interaction coefficient was adjusted. Its negative value suggested a favorable interaction of glucose and PAAm, supporting the notion of glucose being a good cosolvent for PAAm. Isothermal titration microcalorimetry results showed no evidence for the binding of glucose to PAAm, but an exothermic interaction was indicated between glucose and PAAm. Microcalorimetrically determined enthalpic contributions to the Flory–Huggins interaction coefficients showed enthalpically favorable binary interactions, particularly the enthalpic component of the PAAm–glucose interaction coefficient (χ_H23), which was slightly negative. The enthalpically favorable interaction between glucose and PAAm may explain the increased osmotic pressure of PAAm in glucose solutions. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 3053–3063, 2003     

Photon transmission technique for studying swelling and drying kinetics of heterogeneous gels formed with various cross-linker contents

Bifunctional polytetrahydrofuran (PTHF) macromonomer was synthesized by the termination of living polymerization of tetrahydrofuran (THF) initiated by triflic anhydride and subsequent termination by sodium methacrylate. PTHF macromonomer thus prepared was copolymerized with methyl methacrylate (MMA) by free radical polymerization to yield networks in various cross-linker densities. These PTHF-PMMA gels were used for swelling experiments in chloroform vapor. Drying processes were monitored after removing the gels from the solvent vapor. Photon transmission from PTHF-PMMA gels was monitored during swelling and drying processes using UV-visible spectrophotometer. Transmitted light intensities, I_tr from these gels decreased when they are subjected to chloroform vapor. Decrease in I_tr was attributed to the heterogeneous lattice structure of PTHF-PMMA gels which appeared during swelling. Decrease in I_tr was modeled using Li-Tanaka equation from which time constants, τ₁ and τ^′₁ and cooperative diffusion coefficients, D₀ and D^′₀ were determined. Increase in I_tr after removing of vapor from the cell was observed and attributed to the decrease in heterogenity of lattice structures during drying of the corresponding gels. Time constants, τ₂ for drying processes were also determined.     

Oxygen Sorption and Desorption Properties of Selected Lanthanum Manganites and Lanthanum Ferrite Manganites

Temperature‐programmed desorption (TPD) with a carrier gas was used to study the oxygen sorption and desorption properties of oxidation catalysts and solid‐oxide fuel cell (SOFC) cathode materials (La_0.85Sr_0.15)_0.95MnO_3+δ (LSM) and La_0.60Sr_0.40Fe_0.80Mn_0.20O_3‐δ (LSFM). The powders were characterized by X‐ray diffractometry, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and BET surface adsorption. Sorbed oxygen could be distinguished from oxygen originating from stoichiometry changes. The results indicated that there is one main site for oxygen sorption/desorption. The amount of sorbed oxygen was monitored over time at different temperatures. Furthermore, through data analysis it was shown that the desorption peak associated with oxygen sorption is described well by second‐order desorption kinetics. This indicates that oxygen molecules dissociate upon adsorption and that the rate‐determining step for the desorption reaction is a recombination of monatomic oxygen. Typical problems with re‐adsorption in this kind of TPD setup were revealed to be insignificant by using simulations. Finally, different key parameters of sorption and desorption were determined, such as desorption activation energies, density of sorption sites, and adsorption and desorption reaction order.     

Swelling equilibrium and sorption kinetics of urethane-modified bismaleimides elastomer

The swelling equilibrium and diffusion kinetics in various solvents of the maleimide-terminated polyurethanes (UBMIs) and of the triol and tetraol-crosslinked polyurethanes (PU) were studied. The polymer volume fraction of the UBMIs at swelling equilibrium is much higher than that of the tetraol-crosslinked PU networks for the same type of polyol used in the PU. It was explained by the high functionality of the UBMIs produced in the network structure. Furthermore, the molecular weight between crosslinks (M_c) has been calculated from the swelling model and the results exhibit good agreement with the proposed network structure. The early time sorption kinetic data were obtained to investigate the diffusion mechanism of the solvent in the networks. The solubility, diffusion coefficients, and permeability of the solvent in UBMI networks were found to be lower than in the multiol-crosslinked PU networks. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 35: 1747–1755, 1997     

Effect of grain size on the sorption and desorption of 137Cs in crushed granite columns and groundwater system under dynamic conditions

In this work, the sorption of ¹³⁷Cs⁺ dissolved as ¹³⁷CsNO₃ in the solution of 10^?6?M CsNO₃ in SWG, and its desorption by solution mentioned, were investigated under dynamic conditions in columns with crushed granitic materials of various grain sizes, namely, of pure granite and, of corresponding filling materials. It aims at the quantification of the influence of grain size on the retardation and distribution coefficients of ¹³⁷Cs, as well as on the other transport parameters (Peclet numbers and dispersion coefficients). For their determination, model based on erfc-function was used, assuming reversible equilibrium linear or non-linear sorption/desorption isotherms. By means of both model approaches, the experimental BTC _S were fitted using non-linear regression procedure, in the course of which the parameters mentioned were sought. The obtained results also validated the applicability of the linear equilibrium isotherms of the ¹³⁷Cs⁺ sorption/desorption in the studied transport processes and systems. Depending on the grain size, the retardation coefficients were between 40?C93 in pure granite and 140?C200 in filling materials. These values correspond to distribution coefficients of 11?C34?cm³/g and 40?C69?cm³/g, respectively. It was found that both retardation and distribution coefficients increase with decreasing grain size.     

Sorption, desorption and extraction of cadmium from some arable and forest soils

Summary The behavior of cadmium labeled with ¹⁰⁹Cd in different depth horizons of arable and forest soils were studied under static (batch) conditions in three interconnected processes, which consist of sorption, desorption and extraction. In the sorption, Cd²⁺ was applied in the aqueous calcium nitrate solution. Both untreated soils and peroxide treated soils were used in order to remove organic matter from some of the soil samples used in parallel. The influence of the V/m ratio on the sorption coefficients was investigated in preliminary experiments with untreated soils. Contrary to the usually short-term sorption, a long-term sorption of cadmium was investigated in untreated and treated soil horizons, which lasted more than fortnight. Kinetic studies of sorption were carried out and cadmium concentration dependence in aqueous phase of the second order kinetic constants was observed. For evaluation of sorption and desorption processes Freundlich isotherms were used. It was found that the Freundlich adsorption intensity coefficient is more time dependent than the absorption capacity coefficient, and the sorption itself consists of rapid and slow processes according to the soil constituents. Desorption and extraction processes revealed the possibility of cadmium recovery from various soil horizons. Based on the obtained results two- or three-stage theory of cadmium retention in soils was proposed. Some new insight into the role of organic matter in the sorption/desorption process of cadmium is also presented.     

Dynamics and mechanism of iodine sorption by polyacetylene

Sorption of iodine by bulk polyacetylene was studied under various I₂ gas pressures at 25°C. The sorption dynamics show that the penetration of iodine into PA is not Fickian and the diffusion coefficient increases with time of sorption. A discontinuous increase in the sorption isotherm is observed at P/P₀ = 0.25 (P is the pressure of the I₂ gas and P₀ is the saturation value at 25°C). It is due to iodine penetration into PA crystals, as evidenced by x-ray analysis. The distribution of iodine within crystals is apparently inhomogeneous: some unit cells are changed into “iodine-PA” cells, while others remain unchanged. The electrical conductivity depends not only on the amount of iodine but also on the I₂ gas pressure under which sorption is carried out. At given iodine content, the conductivity of a sample doped under higher I₂ pressure is greater than that of a sample doped under lower pressure.     

Sorption and diffusion of gases in a polyimide

Sorption and diffusion of gases (CO₂, N₂, and He) in a polyimide (PI2080) film were measured by using an apparatus which gives the sorption rate curves from the initial state to the equilibrium state. Nonlinear isotherms observed for CO₂ sorption were interpreted successfully in terms of the dual-mode model for sorption in glassy polymers. Linear isotherms observed for N₂ and He seemed to obey Henry's law. Two diffusion coefficients (D_I and D_E) were obtained using the short-time method and the long-time method for a Fickian diffusion model, together with the equilibrium solubility (C_e) from each experiment. The initial sorption rate curves agreed with the calculated curves using D_I, however near sorption equilibrium the curves are in accord with the calculated curves using D_E. These observations suggest that some relaxation process is superimposed on the diffusion process. The non-Fickian transport data were correlated successfully with a model that combines time-dependent diffusion and the Fickian model.     

CONDUCTIVITY BEHAVIOR OF IONIC AI（OH）3-POLYACRYLAMIDE HYBRIDS IN AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS

The conductivity behavior of Al(OH)3-acrylamide hybrid polyacrylamide (hybrid PAAm) in distilled water was studied. A discontinuity phenomenon of the conductivity (k) versus concentration (c) curve of the hybrid PAAm in a certain concentration regime is found. This phenomenon is dependent on the molecular weight of the hybrid PAAm and on the particle size and content of the AI(OH)3 colloid in the hybrid PAAm. This phenomenon was accounted for assuming ionization of the hybrid PAAm.     

Swelling of polyacrylamide gels in polyacrylamide solutions

Swelling behavior of polyacrylamide (PAAm) and polyacrylamide-co-polyacrylic acid (PAAm-co-PAAc) gels was investigated in aqueous solutions of monodisperse PAAms with molecular weights (M_w) ranging from 1.5 × 10³ to 5 × 10⁶ g/mol. The volume of the gels decreases as the PAAm concentration in the external solution increases. This decrease becomes more pronounced as the molecular weight of PAAm increases. The classical Flory–Huggins (FH) theory correctly predicts the swelling behavior of nonionic PAAm gels in PAAm solutions. The polymer–polymer interaction parameter χ₂₃ was found to decrease as the molecular weight of PAAm increases. The swelling behavior of PAAm-co-PAAc gels in PAAm solutions deviates from the predictions of the FH theory. This is probably due to the change of the ionization degree of AAc units depending on the polymer concentration in the external solution. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 36: 1313–1320, 1998     

Effect of grain size on the sorption and desorption of SeO4 2− and SeO3 2− in columns of crushed granite and fracture infill from granitic water under dynamic conditions

The sorption of 2 × 10^?5 mol/dm³ Na₂SeO₄ and Na₂SeO₃ dissolved in synthetic granitic water (SGW) were investigated in columns of crushed granite and fracture infill (clay minerals) of various grain sizes. Desorption was studied using pure SGW. The goal of study was the quantification of the effect of grain size on the retardation and distribution coefficients of SeO₄ ^2? and SeO₃ ^2?, as well as on the other transport parameters (Peclet number and hydrodynamic dispersion coefficient). A model based on the erfc-function, assuming a non-linear reversible equilibrium sorption/desorption isotherm, was used for evaluation of sorption/desorption and transport parameters. The determination of selenium was performed using an ICP-MS technique. The experimental breakthrough curves were fitted using non-linear regression procedure, in the course of which the parameters mentioned were sought. Summing up, no sorption was recorded in the case of SeO₄ ^2? under these conditions. The values of retardation coefficients were practically one for all studied grain sizes. On the other hand, significant sorption was found for SeO₃ ^2?: depending on the grain size, the retardation coefficients varied between 1.6–8.7 in pure granite and 1.8–37.2 in infill materials. These values correspond to distribution coefficients of 0.2–2.5 and 0.2–12.7 cm³/g, respectively. The both parameters have similar values in a case of desorption which reflects the reversible character of sorption process. It was found that retardation and distribution coefficients and sorption capacity for SeO₃ ^2? also increase with decreasing grain size.     

Non-contact method used to determine the swelling/shrinking coefficients under CO2 sorption/desorption on an HNBR O-ring - Study of coupling with temperature and pressure

To make use of an O-ring under different pressures and temperatures and to procedure predictive numerical simulations of its use, it becomes important to identify the O-ring behavior under coupled CO₂ sorption (i.e. swelling) and desorption (i.e. shrinking) together with the effect of temperature. Therefore, the presented study deals with an experimental non-contact measurement technique to identify the swelling and shrinking coefficients during pressurization and depressurization under carbone dioxide (CO₂) of an HNBR O-ring. In order to ensure the feasibility of CO₂ sorption (or desorption) measurement from the non-contact method, a purely thermal expansion test permits to identify the thermal expansion coefficient of HNBR, which is well known by other methods including a standard. Numerical simulations complete this section. The simulations ensure that the chosen analysis methodology allows direct identification of swelling and shrinking coefficients and thus determine the seal volume change. CO₂ pressurization and CO₂ depressurization tests at pressures (2, 4 and 6 MPa) under isothermal conditions (60 and 130 °C) and a coupled temperature-pressure CO₂ tests are conducted. The measurements made during these tests show that the CO₂ swelling and shrinking coefficients are independent of pressure but temperature dependent. Besides, a good measurements reproducibility was observed and the order of magnitude of these coefficients leads to a strain in the same order as the thermal strain.     

Sorption and desorption of technetium by humic substances under oxic and anoxic conditions

The distribution coefficients K_d for the sorption of^95mTc by peat as well as the corresponding rates of sorption and desorption were determined as a function of the concentration of the supporting electrolyte (CaCl₂), the amount of dissolved oxygen and the pH of the solution. The results show that the K_d-values of Tc (added as Tc(VII)-pertechnetate) increase, if the concentration of CaCl₂ or the amount of dissolved oxygen is decreased. The sorption was reversible with respect to the replacement of Tc by a CaCl₂ solution. The half-times for the rates of sorption and desorption depend on the concentration of CaCl₂ and dissolved oxygen and were in the range of 20–60 minutes and 500–900 minutes for the sorption and desorption processes, respectively.     

Interactions between inorganic salts and polyacrylamide in aqueous solutions and gels

The swelling of poly(acrylamide) (PAAm) gels and the osmotic pressure of linear PAAm in aqueous solutions were predominantly affected by anion type and increased according to the lyotropic series ranking of sodium halide anions: F^? < (H₂O) < Cl^? < Br^? < I^?. The osmotic pressure of PAAm in all examined salt solutions followed the scaling theory, with an exponent of 2.3 ± 0.1. In solutions of a sodium halide series, the value of the pre‐exponential factor seemed to depend on salt concentration, anion radius, and the apparent “anionic‐portion radius” of the water molecule. This radius, extracted from the literature data, marks a transition point of the anion radius effect. Larger anions increase the osmotic pressure of PAAm more significantly as their concentration increases and vice versa. The effects of the anions on the osmotic pressure of PAAm are related to their preferential interactions with the polymer. Iodide, which increased the osmotic pressure of PAAm with respect to its value in pure water, seemed to preferentially adsorb onto the polymer with a binding constant of K_b = 9.7 ± 2.0 M^?1 determined by isothermal titration microcalorimetry. However, fluoride, which decreased the osmotic pressure, was preferentially repulsed. The mechanisms of attraction and repulsion were attributed to ion‐water‐polymer interactions and the solvent quality of the hydrated ions. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 508–519, 2003     

Americium(III) sorption from multicomponent solutions by macrocyclic polyester-based sorbents

Americium sorption by crown-ether-impregnated polymeric sorbents from nitric acid solutions and multicomponent nitrate solutions that model process solutions was studied. Sorption of ballast elements by the unimpregnated Porolas-T support was studied. The sorption coefficients K _d of these elements on Porolas-T do not exceed 0.01. Sorption of the same elements by crown-ether-impregnated sorbents was also studied. Dicyclohexano-18-crown-6 (DCH18C6) and its alkyl derivatives were used. Sorption coefficients were determined for all ballast elements. At the final stage of the study, ²⁴¹Am sorption coefficients of from multi-component solutions were determined. The data obtained signify the utility of crown-ether-impregnated sorbents for recovering ²⁴¹Am from multicomponent technological solutions.     

Kinetic study of swelling of rubbery poly(ethyl methacrylate) networks in 2-hexanone

The kinetics of the swelling of cross-linked poly(ethyl methacrylate) gels in 2-hexanone was studied at temperatures varying from 70.0 to 85.0 °C. The sorption curves exhibit the characteristic features of transport processes, apparently the Fickian diffusion of fast rates. The data were analyzed successfully by the contemporary model of Li and Tanaka, resulting in the cooperative diffusion coefficient, D_c, and the ratio of the shear modulus to the longitudinal osmotic modulus. It has been established empirically that the D_c is a composite function consisting of an Arrhenius expression and two simple power laws of the number-average molecular weight between cross-links and the equilibrium volume fraction of the gel. On the basis of the present findings, the quality of the swelling agent is discussed.     

Transport and sorption of <Superscript>85</Superscript>Sr and <Superscript>125</Superscript>I in crushed crystalline rocks under dynamic flow conditions

Transport and sorption of water-soluble ⁸⁵Sr²⁺ and ¹²⁵I⁻ in the columns with beds of crushed crystalline rocks from synthetic groundwater has been studied under dynamic flow conditions. Samples of crystalline rocks: diorite-I, diorite-II, gabbro, granite and tonalite, having the grain size between 0.25 and 0.80 mm, were used. Plastic syringes of 8.8 cm length and 2.1 cm in diameter were applied as columns. The synthetic groundwater was pumped downward through the columns with a seepage velocity of about 0.2 cm/min and the given radioactive nuclide was added into the water stream individually in a form of a short pulse. In case of ⁸⁵Sr, desorption from diorite-I was also studied using an artificial acid rainfall and then, the longitudinal distribution of the residual ⁸⁵Sr activity along the bed was measured. Retardation, distribution and hydrodynamic dispersion coefficients were determined by the evaluation of respective breakthrough curves. A corrected integral form of a simple advection–dispersion equation was derived and used for fitting the experimental data. The K _d-parameters resulting from dynamic experiments were also compared with the results of static sorption experiments.     

Isopiestic Investigation of the Osmotic and Activity Coefficients of {yMgCl2+(1−y)MgSO4}(aq) and the Osmotic Coefficients of Na2SO4⋅MgSO4(aq) at 298.15 K

Isopiestic vapor-pressure measurements were made for {yMgCl₂+(1−y)MgSO₄}(aq) solutions with MgCl₂ ionic strength fractions of y=(0,0.1997,0.3989,0.5992,0.8008, and 1) at the temperature 298.15 K, using KCl(aq) as the reference standard. These measurements for the mixtures cover the ionic strength range I=0.9794 to 9.4318 mol⋅kg⁻¹. In addition, isopiestic measurements were made with NaCl(aq) as reference standard for mixtures of {xNa₂SO₄+(1−x)MgSO₄}(aq) with the molality fraction x=0.5000 that correspond to solutions of the evaporite mineral bloedite (astrakanite), Na₂Mg(SO₄)₂⋅4H₂O(cr). The total molalities, m _T=m(Na₂SO₄)+m(MgSO₄), range from m _T=1.4479 to 4.4312 mol⋅kg⁻¹ (I=5.0677 to 15.509 mol⋅kg⁻¹), where the uppermost concentration is the highest oversaturation molality that could be achieved by isothermal evaporation of the solvent at 298.15 K. The parameters of an extended ion-interaction (Pitzer) model for MgCl₂(aq) at 298.15 K, which were required for an analysis of the {yMgCl₂+(1−y)MgSO₄}(aq) mixture results, were evaluated up to I=12.075 mol⋅kg⁻¹ from published isopiestic data together with the six new osmotic coefficients obtained in this study. Osmotic coefficients of {yMgCl₂+(1−y)MgSO₄}(aq) solutions from the present study, along with critically-assessed values from previous studies, were used to evaluate the mixing parameters of the extended ion-interaction model.     

Kinetics of Antibiotic Sorption by Monocarboxyl Cellulose

Kinetics of the sorption of lincomycin and gentamicin from aqueous solutions of their salts and bases, as well as a cephalosporin group antibiotic cephalexin having the zwitterionic nature, by monocarboxyl cellulose is studied. It is disclosed that the sorption of the studied antibiotics is characterized by a combined diffusion type of kinetics. Effective diffusion coefficients (D _eff) are determined, and it is shown that they correspond to the times (t _1/2) of half-equilibrium establishment and increase with passing from lincomycin to gentamicin and, further, to cephalexin. The D _eff and t _1/2 values are found to depend on solution pH and the degree of cellulose sorbent swelling.