Influence of the molecular weight on the elongational behaviour of polypropylene and on the fibre orientation factors

This study shows that the elongational behaviour depends upon molecular weight and upon elongational rate. If the molecular weight is low, elongational viscosity reaches rapidly a steady value but, if the molecular weight is high, the viscosity (or the elongational stress) increases continuously with the time. These behaviours may be explained in comparison of the relaxation rate determined by shear rheology as the reciprocal relaxation time with the elongation rate ϵ. If the elongation rate is lower than the relaxation rate the polypropylene chains may relax and the elongational viscosity reaches a steady value with the time. For high fluidity polypropylene the range of elongation rates within of which the elongational viscosity is constant with time is very large. On the contrary, if the elongational rate is higher than relaxation rate the polypropylene chains undergo a continuous deformation and then the elongational viscosity increases with time. The range of elongational rates within of which the stress is constant is narrow for high-molecular-weight polypropylene. Furthermore, the elongational behaviour influences the chain orientation in the crystalline and amorphous phases of the fibres. If the polymer chains are quenched in a relaxed state the orientation is lowered as shown with high fluidity polypropylenes. On the contrary, if the chains are cooled in extended state their orientation may subsist during crystallisation and the orientation factors may reach high values as shown with high-molecular-weight polypropylene.     

Minimization of grid orientation effects in simulation of oil recovery processes through use of an unsplit higher order scheme

We present an unsplit second-order finite difference algorithm for hyperbolic conservation laws in several variables. Although the method can be directly implemented for general hyperbolic systems, we focus in this article on reducing grid orientation effects in porous media flow. In particular, we consider miscible and immiscible displacement processes. Our main concern is to develop a scheme that can easily be implemented into existing standard finite-difference-based reservoir simulators as an option to be used if grid orientation effects occur. The principle of the scheme is to build a higher order scheme to reduce numerical dispersion and that does not split the spatial operator to reduce the effect of the grid orientation. Numerical results are presented, which show that the method presented here reduces the effect of the numerical dispersion to a level that minimizes the grid orientation effects in a computationally efficient manner. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Towards the selective synthesis of macrocyclic vinyl polymers of controlled size

A new strategy for the synthesis of vinyl type macrocyclic polymers of controlled molecular weight and molecular weight distribution has been investigated. It involves the direct coupling of an α-ω-heterodifunctional linear polymer precursor previously prepared by living polymerization. The cyclization is achieved under high dilution, by an appropriate activation of one of the polymer-ends in order to allow its reaction with the other end function. Its application to the preparation of polystyrenes and poly(vinyl ether)s with a macrocyclic structure, as well as ring closure mechanisms in the presence of different cyclization agents are reported.     

Three of a Kind: Control of the Expression of Liver-Expressed Antimicrobial Peptide 2 (LEAP2) by the Endocannabinoidome and the Gut Microbiome

The endocannabinoidome (expanded endocannabinoid system, eCBome)-gut microbiome (mBIome) axis plays a fundamental role in the control of energy intake and processing. The liver-expressed antimicrobial peptide 2 (LEAP2) is a recently identified molecule acting as an antagonist of the ghrelin receptor and hence a potential effector of energy metabolism, also at the level of the gastrointestinal system. Here we investigated the role of the eCBome-gut mBIome axis in the control of the expression of LEAP2 in the liver and, particularly, the intestine. We confirm that the small intestine is a strong contributor to the circulating levels of LEAP2 in mice, and show that: (1) intestinal Leap2 expression is profoundly altered in the liver and small intestine of 13 week-old germ-free (GF) male mice, which also exhibit strong alterations in eCBome signaling; fecal microbiota transfer (FMT) from conventionally raised to GF mice completely restored normal Leap2 expression after 7 days from this procedure; in 13 week-old female GF mice no significant change was observed; (2) Leap2 expression in organoids prepared from the mouse duodenum is elevated by the endocannabinoid noladin ether, whereas in human Caco-2/15 epithelial intestinal cells it is elevated by PPARγ activation by rosiglitazone; (3) Leap2 expression is elevated in the ileum of mice with either high-fat diet—or genetic leptin signaling deficiency—(i.e., ob/ob and db/db mice) induced obesity. Based on these results, we propose that LEAP2 originating from the small intestine may represent a player in eCBome- and/or gut mBIome-mediated effects on food intake and energy metabolism.     

Effect of Silica Particle Size on Polymer Adsorption. Morphological,Energetic and Conformational Relationships

A series of six chemically treated and untreated fumed silicas with increasing particle size (ranging from the nano- to the micrometer size) was prepared. Surface areas (and morphologies) and surface energies were determined by nitrogen adsorption and inverse gas chromatography, respectively. The adsorption of a series of PDMS with different and well-defined molecular weights was studied at different polymer concentrations. Amounts of adsorbed polymer were determined by gravimetry and the energies of adsorption were assessed by flow-microcalorimetry. Results are discussed in terms of particle surface energy and morphology effects on the conformation and the inter-connectivity of adsorbed polymer molecules.