Production of Long‐Chain Branched Polyolefins with Two Single‐Site Catalysts: Comparing CSTR and Semi‐Batch Performance

We developed a mathematical model to describe the solution polymerization of olefins with two single‐site catalysts in a series of two CSTRs. The model was used to simulate processes where semi‐crystalline macromonomers produced in the first reactor are incorporated as long chain branches onto amorphous (or lower crystallinity) chains in the second reactor (cross‐products). The simulation results show that CSTRs are more efficient to make chains with high LCB density and high weight percent of cross‐products. The model can also predict the polydispersity index, average chain lengths, and fractions of the different polymer populations, and help the polymer reactor engineer formulate new products with complex microstructures.

     

Simulation of Polymerization and Long Chain Branch Formation in a Semi‐Batch Reactor Using Two Single‐Site Catalysts

We developed a mathematical model for the solution polymerization of olefins in a semi‐batch reactor with two single‐site catalysts. In the propylene polymerization case, our objective is to study the production of a thermoplastic elastomer using two catalysts, one capable of forming isotactic chains containing terminal vinyl bonds (macromonomers) and the other producing atactic chains while also being able to copolymerize macromonomers to form long chain branches. A similar thermoplastic elastomer can be produced by polymerizing ethylene and α‐olefin comonomers when the α‐olefin reactivity ratios of the two catalysts are significantly different.

     

Fabrication and Properties of Polycaprolactone Composites Containing Calcium Phosphate-Based Ceramics and Bioactive Glasses in Bone Tissue Engineering: A Review

Polycaprolactone (PCL) is a bioresorbable and biocompatible polymer that has been widely used in long-term implants and controlled drug release applications. However, when it comes to tissue engineering, PCL suffers from some shortcomings such as slow degradation rate, poor mechanical properties, and low cell adhesion. The incorporation of calcium phosphate-based ceramics and bioactive glasses into PCL has yielded a class of hybrid biomaterials with remarkably improved mechanical properties, controllable degradation rates, and enhanced bioactivity that are suitable for bone tissue engineering. This review presents a comprehensive study on recent advances in the fabrication and properties of PCL-based composite scaffolds containing calcium phosphate-based ceramics and bioglasses in terms of porosity, degradation rate, mechanical properties, in vitro and in vivo biocompatibility and bioactivity for bone regeneration applications. The fabrication routes range from traditional methods such as solvent casting and particulate leaching to novel approaches including solid free-form techniques.     

On some low separation axioms via λ-open and λ-closure operator

In this paper, we introduce and study two new low separation axioms called λ-R ₀ and λ-R ₁ by using the notions of λ-open sets and λ-closure operator.     

New olefin block copolymers of ethylene/1-hexene synthesized by iron and zirconocene catalysts in the presence of ZnEt2

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - Development of olefin block copolymers (OBCs) based on new catalytic systems is challenging. We evaluate the performance of rac-ethylenebis(1-η...     

Some results in BL ‐algebras

We define the set of double complemented elements in BL‐algebras and state and prove some theorems which determines properties of these sets. We introduce the notion of an almost top element and study the properties of these elements (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Preparation and characterization of pure single-phase BiFeO3 nanoparticles through thermal decomposition of the heteronuclear Bi[Fe(CN)6]·5H2O complex

The heteronuclear Bi[Fe(CN)₆]·5H₂O complex was synthesized and single-phase perovskite-type BiFeO₃ nanoparticles with an average size of 30 nm were obtained by its decomposition at 600 °C. The complex and its decomposition products were analyzed using elemental analysis, thermal analysis (TGA/DTA/DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), UV–Vis spectroscopy, BET specific surface area measurement, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and magnetic measurements. The magnetic measurement confirms that the product shows a ferromagnetic order at room temperature, which may be ascribed to the size confinement effect. The DTA and DSC results confirm the multiferroic nature of the BiFeO₃ nanoparticles with Neel and Curie points at 372 and 825 °C, respectively. The BiFeO₃ prepared by this method could be an appropriate visible-light photocatalytic material due to its strong absorption band in the visible region. This method is simple, low-cost, safe and also suitable for industrial production of high purity perovskite-type BiFeO₃ nanoparticles for electromagnetic applications.     

Surface roughness and electrical conductivity of the SnO2 ultra‐thin layers investigated by X‐ray reflectivity

Spray pyrolysis technique was applied to deposit two sets of ultra‐thin layers of tin dioxide (SnO₂). For the first and second sets, 0.01 and 0.05 molar precursor solutions were prepared, respectively. In both sets, utilizing the X‐ray reflectivity (XRR) technique, the effect of precursor concentration (PC) and precursor volume (PV) on the layer structure are investigated. The layer thickness of the samples, in each set, is a PV‐dependent parameter. For the same PV, samples with higher PC have a larger thickness and higher density. The electron density profiles deduced from XRR data analyses establish a link between measured values of sheet resistance and electron densities. The samples with higher PV and PC show less sheet resistance. The quantum size effect was utilized to show that the surface roughness for layers of more than almost 200 Å of samples in set two plays no role in the layer conductivity. Meanwhile, the same effect explains, adequately, the role of the surface roughness in the resistivity of the ultra‐thin layers in Set 1.     

Polymerization of ethylene using a series of binuclear and a mononuclear Ni (II)‐based catalysts

A novel series of homo‐, bi‐, and mononuclear Ni(II)‐based catalysts (BNC_n n = 1–4, MNC₄) were used for ethylene polymerization. The optimum conditions for the catalyst BNC₄ (the highest catalytic activity) was obtained at [Al]/[Ni]=2000/1, T_p = 42 °C, and t_p = 20 min that was 1073 g PE/mmol Ni h. In theoretical study, steric and electronic effects of substituents and diimine backbone led to prominent influence on the catalyst behavior. The highest M_V was resulted from polymerization using BNC₄; however, the highest unsaturation content was obtained from BNC₁. GPC analysis showed a broad MWD (PDI = 17.8). BNC₁ and BNC₂ in similar structures showed broad peaks in DSC thermogram, while BNC₃ and BNC₄ with more electronic effects showed a peak along with a wide shoulder. Monomer pressure increasing showed enhancing in activity of the BNC₄, meanwhile a peak with shoulder to a single peak in DSC thermogram and uniformity in morphology of the resulted polymer were observed. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016 , 54, 3000–3011