Novel antifoam for fermentation processes: fluorocarbon-hydrocarbon hybrid unsymmetrical bolaform surfactant

As foaming appears as a problem in chemical and fermentation processes that inhibits reactor performance, the eminence of a novel fluorocarbon-hydrocarbon unsymmetrical bolaform (FHUB: OH(CH2)11N+(C2H4)2(CH2)2(CF2)5CF3 I-) surfactant as an antifoaming agent as well as a foam-reducing agent was investigated and compared with other surfactants and a commercial antifoaming agent. The surface elasticity of FHUB was determined as 4 mN/m, indicating its high potential on thinning of the foam film. The interactions between FHUB and the microoganism were investigated in a model fermentation process related with an enzyme production by recombinant Escherichia coli, in V = 3.0 dm3 bioreactor systems with V(R) = 1.65 dm3 working volume at air inlet rate of Q(o)/V(R) = 0.5 dm3 dm(-3) min(-1) and agitation rate of N = 500 min(-1) oxygen transfer conditions, at T = 37 degrees C, pH(o) = 7.2, and C(FHUB) = 0 and 0.1 mM, in a glucose-based defined medium. As FHUB did not influence the metabolism, specific enzyme activity values obtained with and without FHUB were close to each other; however, because of the slight decrease in oxygen transfer coefficient, slightly lower volumetric enzyme activity and cell concentrations were obtained. However, when FHUB is compared with widely used silicon oil based Antifoam A, with the use of the FHUB, higher physical oxygen transfer coefficient (K(L)a) values are obtained. Moreover, as the amount required for the foam control is very low, minute changes in the working volume of the bioreactor were obtained indicating the high potential of the use of FHUB as an antifoaming agent as well as a foam-reducing agent.     

Synthesis and characterization of mesoporous indium tin oxide possessing an electronically conductive framework

The new mesoporous transparent conducting oxide based on indium-tin-oxide, meso-ITO, has been synthesized by a modified sol-gel method, using CTAB as the surfactant. Critical was the employment of triethanolamine to control the rate of hydrolysis and inhibit deposition of the bulk oxides. Removal of the surfactant by calcination yielded a relatively well-ordered worm-hole motif arrangement of pores visible in the TEM and stable to 400 degrees C. BET measurements revealed no hysteresis in the absorption-desorption isotherm, consistent with a narrow pore-size distribution (between 20 and 40 A depending on the In:Sn ratio); surface areas ranged between 270 and 310 m2/g. This colorless material is the first mesoporous oxide exhibiting substantial framework conductivity, with a conductivity at 25 degrees C of 1.2 x 10-3 S/cm. This distinguishes it from mesoporous mixed-valence transition-metal oxides that exhibit weak hopping semiconductor behavior and much lower conductivity.     

Flow and heat transfer characteristics on a moving flat plate in a parallel stream with constant surface heat flux

This paper considers the extended classical Blasius and Sakiadis equations, by considering a uniform free stream parallel to a fixed or moving flat plate, which has more practical significance. It is assumed that the plate is subjected to a constant heat flux, and moves in the same or opposite direction to the free stream. The resulting system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations is solved numerically using a finite-difference method. Numerical results are obtained for the skin friction coefficient and the local Nusselt number as well as the velocity and temperature profiles for some values of the governing parameters, namely the velocity ratio parameter and the Prandtl number. The results indicate that dual solutions exist when the plate and the free stream move in the opposite directions.     

Unsteady three‐dimensional boundary layer flow due to a stretching surface in a micropolar fluid

In this paper, the unsteady three‐dimensional boundary layer flow due to a stretching surface in a viscous and incompressible micropolar fluid is considered. The partial differential equations governing the unsteady laminar boundary layer flow are solved numerically using an implicit finite‐difference scheme. The numerical solutions are obtained which are uniformly valid for all dimensionless time from initial unsteady‐state flow to final steady‐state flow in the whole spatial region. The equations for the initial unsteady‐state flow are also solved analytically. It is found that there is a smooth transition from the small‐time solution to the large‐time solution. The features of the flow for different values of the governing parameters are analyzed and discussed. The solutions of interest for the skin friction coefficient with various values of the stretching parameter c and material parameter K are presented. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Unsteady boundary layer flow due to a stretching surface in a rotating fluid

The induced unsteady flow due to a stretching surface in a rotating fluid, where the unsteadiness is caused by the suddenly stretched surface is studied in this paper. After a similarity transformation, the unsteady Navier–Stokes equations have been solved numerically using the Keller-box method. Also, the perturbation solution for small times as well as the asymptotic solution for large times, when the flow becomes steady, has been obtained. It is found that there is a smooth transition from the small time solution to the large time or steady state solution.     

Boundary-value problem for degenerate parabolic equation of high order with varying time direction

In the present paper we investigate a boundary-value problem for a forward-backward parabolic equation in a rectangular domain and prove the existence of unique regular solution to this problem. The proof of the uniqueness of the solution is based on the spectral method, and in the proof of existence of solution we use the method of separation of variables. In the introduction we give a survey of related works.     

Photophysical Investigations of Carmoisine Interacting with Conventional Cationic Surfactants Under Different pH Conditions

The present study describes the extent of interactions of an efficient food dye, Carmoisine (CAR), with conventional cationic surfactants, hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide, and ethylhexadecyldimethylammonium bromide (EHDAB). The study was carried out by quantifying the spectral changes of CAR as a function of premicellar to postmicellar surfactant concentrations at various pH conditions. The quantification of CAR molecules entrapped by cationic micellar systems has been estimated with the help of mathematical models. Binding parameters of each surfactant were calculated using differential spectroscopic method. The enhanced solubilization of dye by switching the pH was observed. In support of the electrostatic forces, the larger and more hydrophobic head group favors the promising solubilization of CAR in the outer region of the micellar interior. These findings extend the proficiency of dye molecule as a reporter for sensing electrostatic environment in lipidic membranes and related organized assemblies.