Dissolution of ionisable groups and lignocellulosic components during low-temperature kraft pulping of pinus radiata

A wide range of kraft pulps from radiata pine produced by low-temperature kraft pulping in flow-through reactors was assessed for carboxyl and hexenuronic acid (HexA) contents using the conductometric titrations and UV spectrophotometer, respectively. The Kappa number of pulps varied from 20.8 to 84.7 when using a cooking liquor of 1 M effective alkali as Na₂O, 25% sulfidity, and cooking time of 100–250 min. The experimental results showed that the carboxyl groups (including HexA) and HexA groups dissolved and their residual values in the pulp samples correlate linearly with Kappa number and pulp yield. The dissolving rate of all carboxyl groups is much faster than the loss of HexA. The HexA/lignin ratio decreased non-linearly with Kappa number.     

Measurement of the Compton profiles of CH4 and C2H4 by high energy electron impact spectroscopy

We present a new experimental determination of the Compton profiles of CH₄ and C₂H₄ molecules using high energy electron impact. The observable q range has been extended up to 10 au (6 au for C₂H₄). Good agreement is found with an earlier X-ray scattering experiment and with new theoretical calculations.     

Kinetics of the grignard reaction with silanes in diethyl ether and ether-toluene mixtures

Kinetics of the reactions of butylmagnesium chloride and phenylmagnesium bromide with tetraethoxysilane and methyltrichlorosilane was investigated in diethyl ether and diethyl ether-toluene mixtures. Replacement of ether by toluene significantly accelerates the reaction with alkoxysilanes, while no effect was found for the reaction with chlorosilanes. We established that the reaction with alkoxysilanes consists of replacement of a donor molecule at the magnesium center by the silane followed by subsequent rearrangement of the complex to products through a four-center transition state. Chlorosilanes react differently without solvent molecule replacement but also via a four-center transition state. Large negative activation entropies are consistent with formation of cyclic transition states. Small activation enthalpy values together with remarkable exothermicity point to early transition states of the reactions.     

Ruthenium Cluster Chemistry with Ph2PC6H4-4-C≡CH

The new phosphines Ph₂PC₆H₄-4-CCR [R=SiMe₃ (1), H (2)] have been used to prepare Ru₃(CO)₉(Ph₂PC₆H₄-4-CCSiMe₃)₃ (4) and Ru(CCC₆H₄-4-PPh₂)(PPh₃)₂(-C₅H₅) (3), respectively, the latter with a pendent phosphine. Reaction of 4 with carbonate or fluoride affords Ru₃(CO)₉(Ph₂PC₆H₄-4-CCH)₃ (5) with pendent terminal alkynyl groups, the identity of which was confirmed by a structural study. Reaction of 5 with [Ru(NCMe)(PPh₃)₂(-C₅H₅)]PF₆ or reaction of Ru₃(CO)₁₂ with 3 gives Ru₃(CO)₉{(Ph₂PC₆H₄-4-CC)Ru(PPh₃)₂(-C₅H₅)}₃ (6). Complexes 3–6 have been studied by cyclic voltammetry. Proceeding from Ru₃(CO)₁₂ to 4 or 5 shifts the cluster-centred reduction to more negative potential and affords facile cluster-centred oxidation. Proceeding from 4/5 and 3 to 6 results in similarly-located cluster-centred reduction and peripheral ruthenium-centred oxidation, but results in a lack of observable cluster-centred oxidation. Crystal data for 5·C₆H₁₄: space group P¯1, a=12.760(1) Å, b=17.077(1) Å, c=17.924(2) Å, =108.656(5)°, =96.344(5)°, =93.523(5)°, V=3658.4(6) ų, Z=2, R=0.078, R_w=0.105 for 5008 reflections [I>2.00(I)].     

Synthesis of 5-alkylidene-2,5-dihydropyrrol-2-ones and their ring-transformation into 5,6-dihydrobenzo[h]chromones, 5,6,7,8-tetrahydrochromones and pyran-4-ones

Acid-mediated ring-transformations of 5-alkylidene-2,5-dihydropyrrol-2-ones, available by cyclization of 1,3-diketone dianions with bis(imidoyl) dichlorides of oxalic acid, resulted in formation of functionalized pyran-4-ones, such as 5,6-dihydrobenzo[h]chromones and 5,6,7,8-tetrahydrochromones.     

Distribution of integral points on some hyperboloids of one sheet

Results of B. F. Skubenko (Izv. Akad. Nauk SSSR, Ser. Mat.,26, 721–752 (1962)) are generalized to indefinite ternary quadratic formsf(x)=f ₀(Cx), which are contained in the simplest formf ₀(x)=x ₁ x ₃–x _r ^e We prove that the integral points on the hyperboloid of one sheetf(x)=m,m<0, are uniformly distributed over area (in the sense of hyperbolic metric) and over residue classes for given modulus.Translated from Zapiski Nauchnykh Seminarov Leningradskogo Otdeleniya Matematicheskogo Instituta im. V. A. Steklova AN SSSR, Vol. 121, pp. 83–93, 1983.     

Note sur le mécanisme réactionnel de la transposition de Dimroth. Une étude ab initio

An ab initio study of the Dimorth rerarrangement of the -amino-1,2,3,4-tetrazole leads to the conclusion teht in vapour phase the rate determining step is not the ring-chain isomerism, but is either the Z-E iomerism around the C?N double bond or the 1,3-sigmatropic shift of the proton.     

Modification of a Dionex System 12 ion chromatograph for sequential determination of the main components in atmospheric precipitation

A modification of a Dionex System 12 ion chromatograph is described which enables organic anions (acetate and formate), inorganic cations (ammonium, sodium and potassium) and inorganic anions (chloride, nitrate and sulphate) to be determined sequentially in one measuring procedure. The modified instrument consists of a programmable controller unit, a conductimetric meter, two conductimetric detectors of the Dionex System 12 ion chromatograph, the HPIC-AS4A and HPIC-CS3 modern separation units, AMMS-1 and CMMS-1 micro-membrane suppressor columns, a unique system of valves from Dionex and two dual pumps from Biotronik. The limits of detection are between about 1 and 3 micrograms/l for chloride, nitrate and sulphate and between about 2 and 10 micrograms/l for acetate, formate, ammonium, sodium and potassium. The reliability of the method was demonstrated by analysing two NBS simulated rain water Standard Reference Materials. Some examples are given of the application of the method to the sequential determination of the main precipitation components in typical samples from urban and rural regions of the F.R.G. The ion concentrations varied between about 0.02 and 300 mg/l.     

Liquid chromatography of polymer mixtures by a combination of exclusion and full adsorption mechanisms. Three- and four-component polymer blends

Summary Coupling of full adsorption-desorption and size-exclusion chromatography (FAD-SEC) has been applied to the separation and molecular characterization of three- and four-component polymer blends. The method is based on the full adsorption of alln orn−1 components of the polymer blend in a specially designed FAD minicolumn. By appropriate eluent switching the adsorbed polymers are desorbed stepwise from the FAD minicolumn into an on-line SEC column for molecular characterization. It is shown that the desorption isotherms of particular blend components give valuable information about the appropriate displacer composition. The exact position of the desorption isotherms depends, however, both on the amount of polymer adsorbed and in the presence of other, chemically different, polymers within FAD column. The nature and composition of the displacer must, therfore, be adjusted if the intervals between the desorption of particular blend components are to be large enough to prevent displacement overlap. Presented at: Balaton Symposium on High-Performance Separation Methods, Siófok, Hungary, September 3–5, 1997.     

Evaluation of a retention model in comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography

Modeling the retention in comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC x GC) was achieved using retention indices obtained in conventional GC. Predicted results were compared with experimental data obtained in the two-dimensional separation of a synthetic hydrocarbon mixture. This proved to be helpful in optimizing the operating conditions of GC x GC separation of a complex petroleum sample and in identifying chemical families.