Electrokinetic properties of sepiolite suspensions in different electrolyte media

The present paper deals with the electrokinetic characterization of sepiolite. A series of systematic zeta potential measurements have been carried out to determine the isoelectric point (iep) and potential-determining ions (pdi), and the effect of mono-, di-, and trivalent electrolytes such as NaCl, KCl, LiCl, NaNO(3), NaCH(3)COO, MgCl(2), CaCl(2), BaCl(2), CoCl(2), CuCl(2), Pb(NO(3))(2), Na(2)CO(3), Na(2)SO(4), AlCl(3), FeCl(3), and Na(3)PO(4) on the zeta potential of sepiolite. Zeta potential has been calculated with the aid of Smoluchowski's equation. Sepiolite yields an isoelectric point at pH 6.6. The zeta potential for the sepiolite has ranged from +23.3 mV at pH approximately 2 to -22.4 mV at pH approximately 8 at 20 +/- 2 degrees C in water. The valency of the ions have proven to have a great influence on the electrokinetic behavior of the suspension. Monovalent cations were found to have a weak effect, while di- and trivalent cations made the zeta potential positive. Charge reversal was observed for divalent cations at 1 x 10(-2) M and for trivalent cations at 3 x 10(-4) M. As a result, it can be said that monovalent cations are indifferent ions when di- and trivalent cations are potential-determining ions.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Mononuclear Cobalt(II), Nickel(II), Copper(II), Zinc(II), Cadmium(II) and Dinuclear Uranyl(VI) Complexes with N,N-bis(2-{[(2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxolan-4-yl)methyl]amino}butyl) N′,N′-dihydroxyethanediimidamide

In this study, the new vic-dioxime ligand (LH₂) and its complexes with Co^II, Ni^II, Cu^II, Zn^II, Cd^II and UO₂^VI are described. The structures of these complexes were characterized by elemental analyses, i.r., ¹H- and ¹³C-n.m.r. spectra, u.v.–vis. spectroscopy, magnetic susceptibility measurements, conductivity measurements and thermogravimetric analyses (t.g.a.).     

Chemoenzymatic synthesis of highly enantiomerically enriched secondary alcohols with a thiazolic core

Stereoselective preparative enzymatic acylation and hydrolysis/methanolysis of various C-substituted rac-thiazol-2-yl-methanols were achieved for the preparation of enantiopure or enantiomerically enriched, naturally occurring 2-hydroxymethylthiazoles. The absolute configurations of the resulting secondary alcohols were determined by a detailed ¹H NMR study of Mosher’s derivatives.     

Semicontinuous Emulsion Polymerization of Vinyl Acetate. Part I. Homopolymerization with Poly-(Vinyl Alcohol) and Nonionic Coemulsifier

The semicontinuous emulsion polymerization of vinyl acetate has been studied. Poly(vinyl alcohol) as a protective colloid and ethoxylated cetyl alcohol as a coemulsifier were used. The conversion and particle diameter were affected by the stirring speed and the coemulsifier distribution between initial reactor charge and continuously introduced monomer. The amount of unreacted monomer oscillates with time.     

Physical properties (thermal,thermomechanical, magnetic,and adhesive) of some smart orthodontic wires

Thermal, thermomechanical, and caloric properties of commercial orthodontic wires (produced by Natural Orthodontics Corp., USA) with cylindrical and rectangular geometry were studied. Depending on the applied forces, there were identified the range of elasticity, the elasticity–viscoelasticity coexistence domain and the domain in which a maximum force of 18 N is applied, for the orthodontic wires. When increasing the thickness of orthodontic wires, deformation decreases. The Controlled Force Module, in the tension mode, was used for the determination of the orthodontic wires elongation at application of the stretching forces from 0 to 13 N, at 35 °C, maintaining each static force value for 3 min. The increase in the cross-sectional area of the orthodontic wires disfavors the process of elongation of the sample, at the same applied static force. Using the Multi-Frequency–Strain–Stress modulus, in the tension mode, DMA cyclic heating–cooling measurements were performed. The measured physical quantities for orthodontic wires were Storage Modulus, Loss Modulus, Tanδ and Stiffness, at heating and cooling. Thus, the characteristic temperatures of the phase transitions (A_s, A_f, M_s, M_f), of all the studied orthodontic wires were identified. Also, the values of the elasticity modulus (Young’s Modulus) of the orthodontic wires were calculated at 35 °C. With the DSC Q200 device, using temperature-modulated differential scanning calorimetry method, a multi-step temperature variation program, was applied to a rectangular wire, in three stages (cooling–heating–cooling). Through the interpretation of heat fluxes (reversible, irreversible and total), the phase transitions in the formation of martensite, austenite, but also of the rombohedral phase (R-phase), were identified. Formations of austenite and martensite were also evidenced by the classical DSC method, but the classical DSC method also enabled the R-phase identification. The adherence of some food dyes on the orthodontic wires, as well as the modification of the surface roughness of the orthodontic wire after the deposition of the food dye, was also studied. By magnetic measurements, it was established that the orthodontic wires had paramagnetic properties at room temperature, and nitinol was a mixture of 49.2% austenite and 50.8% martensite.

     

Ffast Transient Fluorescence Technique to Study Critical Exponents at the Glass Transition

The fast transient fluorescence (FTRF) technique was used to study critical exponents at the glass transition in free-radical crosslinking copolymerization (FCC) for two different monomeric systems, methyl methacrylate (MMA) and styrene (S). Pyrene (P_y ) was used as a fluorescence probe. The fluorescence lifetimes of P_y from its decay traces were measured and used to monitor the gelation process. Changes in the viscosity of the pregel solutions due to glass formation dramatically enhance the fluorescent yield of aromatic molecules. This effect is used to study the glass transition upon gelation of MMA and S monomeric systems as a function of time, at various temperatures and crosslinker concentrations. The results are interpreted in the view of percolation theory. The gel fraction and weight average degree of polymerization exponents β and γ are found to be 0.37 ± 0.02 and 1.66 ± 0.07 in agreement with percolation results.     

Phase transitions and metastable states in TlGaSe2

The results of measurements of the dielectric constant of TlGaSe₂ in temperature range of successive phase transitions are presented. An anomaly in the temperature dependence of the real part of dielectric constant in TlGaSe₂ has been observed at about 242?K in addition to anomalies at 115, 108, and also near 65?K as reported in previous publications. The presence of temperature hysteresis effects in temperature interval between 115 and 242?K allowed making a conclusion about possible existence of an incommensurate phase in the mentioned temperature range. A model of succession of the structural phase transitions in TlGaSe₂ has been suggested.