Crystallization of poly(aryl ether ketone ketone) copolymers containing terephthalate/isophthalate moieties

In a previous study, we have investigated the structure, crystallization, and morphology of poly(aryl ether ketone ketone), PEKK, copolymers prepared from diphenyl ether (DPE), terephthalic acid (T), and isophthalic acid (I) with T/I ratios from 100/0 to 50/50. These materials were considered as having -DPE-T-DPE-T- (TT) and/or -DPE-T-DPE-I- (TI) “phthalate diads.” In this work, we continue the study of this copolymer series with six different T/I ratios (40/60, 30/70, 20/80, 15/85, 10/90, and 0/100), which are viewed as having TI and/or -DPE-I-DPE-I- (II) “diads.” The I moieties (1,3-linked isomers) were always found to be incorporated in the crystals and acted as “entropy or symmetry” defects that effectively decreased the equilibrium melting temperature T_m^o and the rate of crystallization. However, the retardation of crystallization in PEKK 0/100 (the homopolymer with pure II diads) was significantly less than expected, which was attributed to the segregation of I moieties between the chains leading to a reduction of total entropy in the unit cells. The evidence of segmental segregation in PEKK 0/100 was seen in x-ray diffraction patterns, where several extra reflections were seen that could only be indexed by the published unit cell modified with a larger c-axis dimension (3.048 nm, corresponding to the length of six phenyl residues or 1.524 nm, the length of three phenyl residues). The composition of 15/85 was found to have the lowest value of T_m^o and the slowest crystallization rate. Upon heating, the “II” crystals (T/I from 30/70 to 0/100) exhibited the conventional double-melting behavior rather than the triple-melting behavior as in the “TI” crystals (50/50 to 40/60). No indication of the second polymorph form 2 was found in “II” crystals. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

A versatile approach to analogues of the cannabinoid-like anti-emetic nonabine (BRL 4664)

Analogues of the cannabinoid-like anti-emetic nonabine (BRL 4664), in which the 4-pyridinyl and 1,2-dimethylheptyl groups have been replaced by other aryl and alky groups respectively, have been synthesised from the appropriate resorcinol by a novel procedure. The route has been shown to be of general applicability, although in the case of nonabine itself the procedure does not represent a viable alternative to that previously published.     

Determination of chromium(III) and total chromium in marine waters

The development of an analytical technique is described which may be used to determine chromium, chromium(III) and chromium(VI) in estuarine and coastal waters. The method is based on selective micro-solvent extraction with subsequent GFAAS. The technique has been applied in a major North Sea estuary. The results obtained confirm that thermodynamic factors alone cannot be relied upon to describe the form of chromium in estuaries. Kinetic factors appear to have a strong influence over speciation and lead to the persistence of Cr(III) species in environments where Cr(VI) would be expected to be present.     

Structural evidence for fast-ion conduction in the silver and copper halides at high temperatures and pressures

The results of recent powder neutron diffraction investigations of the high pressure and high temperature phases within the binary Cu and Ag halides are summarised, with emphasis on the relationship between the observed structural disorder and evidence for fast-ion behaviour provided by other techniques such as ionic conductivity measurements, differential thermal analysis and molecular dynamics simulations. Paper presented at the 4th Euroconference on Solid State Ionics, Renvyle, Galway, Ireland, Sept. 13–19, 1997     

Accuracy of determination of trace metals in soil and sewage sludge

Errors in the analysis of liquid samples are often large enough to be important. For solid materials, additional potential complications arise in separating the determinand from the sample matrix and in controlling possible interferences from co-extracted species. These considerations have led to the development of a stepwise, co-ordinated approach by which a group of laboratories have achieved predefined standards of accuracy. Sample digestion has been examined. The analysis of digests has then been addressed; the control of analytical precision has been emphasised. Finally, a demonstration of overall comparability has been undertaken. The results are presented.     

Selection of mandrel wrap mode filters for optical fiber loss measurements

A selection criterion for mode filters based on far-field patterns is developed. The criterion is used to select a mandrel wrap filter for 50 μm core diameter, 125 μm outside diameter fibers with δ=1.1%. When cut-back loss measurements were made using the mandrel wrap chosen in this way, loss scaled with length to within ± 0.05 dB/km in three 2-km fibers.