Muon/Muonium in an Isotopically Pure 13C Diamond

A preliminary study of the diamagnetic (μ_d) and the paramagnetic (Mu _T ) states in a synthetic ¹³C diamond has been performed using the Transverse Field Muon Spin Rotation method. This system could be used to verify the quantum diffusion behaviour observed before, however, with a more reliable extraction of the hopping rate. The results were obtained in an applied magnetic field of 7.5 mT and at sample temperatures of 10 K, 100 K and 200 K. The prompt fraction, f, of the μ_d state remains constant at 22(5)% in the range 10–200 K; that of the Mu _T state increases from 53(10)% at 10 K to 78(10)% at 200 K. The fractions of the two states add to 100% at 200 K, suggesting non-population of the bond-centred state, Mu_BC, which is often observed in other diamond samples. The μ_d state has a spin relaxation rate of 0.20(5) μs⁻¹, in contrast to the zero value obtained in type II diamond samples. This indicates appreciable interaction of the μ_d state with the ¹³C atoms. The Mu _T state has a large spin relaxation rate ranging from 3.0(5) μs⁻¹ at 10 K to 7.0(5) μs⁻¹ at 200 K, consistent with values obtained in diamond samples with defects. This work is part of ongoing studies of muon/muonium-defect interactions in diamonds. This revised version was published online in September 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Radiation-induced copolymerization of hexafluoroacetone with 2-methyl-1-pentene

Copolymerization of hexafluoroacetone (HFA) with 2-methyl-1-pentene (2MP) in trichlorotrifluoroethane (R-113) was carried out by γ-ray irradiation in a low-temperature region of ?100 to 0°C. Though HFA does not homopolymerize and 2MP scarcely does, the copolymerization took place at various monomer compositions. The copolymerization rate and the molecular weight in the low-temperature region were much higher than those at 0°C. Above room temperature the copolymerization did not take place and only the adduct of monomers was formed. The copolymerization was inhibited to some extent by cation scavengers, but not by radical or electron scavengers. Elemental analysis and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra show that the copolymer consists of almost equimolar monomer units and has two types of structure, head to tail and head to head or tail to tail. It has been concluded that copolymerization probably proceeds via a cationic mechanism to form an alternating copolymer.     

Radiation-induced grafting of styrene vapor to polyethylene

The radiation-induced grafting of styrene vapor to low-density polyethylene film of 0.063 mm thickness was studied at 23°C at a dose rate of 1.98 × 10⁴ rad/hr. The concentration C of monomer in the film was measured as a function of pre-irradiation exposure time to monomer vapor. The concentration-dependent diffusion coefficient of styrene in polyethylene was calculated to be 4.9 × 10^?9 exp {2.0C/C₀} cm²/sec, where C₀ is the saturation concentration of styrene in the film, and a linear boundary diffusion coefficient for styrene vapor into polyethylene film was found to be 2.0 × 10^?7 cm/sec. The rate of grafting was determined as a function of the concentration of styrene absorbed in the film. The maximum graft yield was obtained with an initial styrene concentration in the film of 4 wt-%. Under conditions of low initial monomer concentration, the grafting rate increases with irradiation time. The results are compared with previously published data on grafting of polyethylene from methanol–styrene solutions. They are explained in terms of the viscosity of the amorphous region as a function of styrene content and the resistance to the diffusion of monomer at the film–vapor interface.     

New DTPA-derived bis-naphthalenophanes: fluorescence,protonation, and complexation with aromatic amines

Two fluorescent, water-soluble bis-naphthalenophane isomers with six carboxylate arms, abbreviated as (bis-dtpa14nap)H₆ and (bis-dtpa15nap)H₆, were synthesized, which consist of two 1,4- or 1,5-substituted naphthalene rings interlinked by two diethylenetriaminepentaacetic (DTPA) chains through amide-linkages. Both DTPA-based macrocycles exhibit intense excimer and monomer emission bands, which sensitively respond to pH in three protonation steps; more sensitive is the 1,4-naphthyl isomer. The full pH-emission profiles have confirmed that the mono-protonated anion (bis-dtpanap)H₅ ^? is the major protonation species at the physiological pH. Fluorometric titrations at pH 7.2 have proven that the 1,4-naphthalenophane anion forms 1:1-complexes with cationic phenethylamine (formation constant, 5700 M^?1) and histamine (3000 M^?1), excluding tryptamine cation, whereas the 1,5-isomer does not react with any of the three amines. The primary binding forces are electrostatic interactions between the CH₂CO₂ ^? arms of 1,4-naphthalenophane and the CH₂CH₂NH₃ ⁺ chain of an aromatic amine. The resulting ion-pair is stabilized by encapsulation of the guest molecule in 1,4-napthalenophane cavity, while the 1,5-isomer cannot encapsulate. NMR studies have demonstrated that 1,4-napthalenophane has a higher freedom in reorientation of naphthalene rings. Such geometrical properties controlled by selection of naphthalene units are the feature of the new naphthalenophanes, and are responsible for the pH?emission profiles and the complexation.     

Radiation-induced heterogeneous polymerization of methyl methacrylate in precipitants

The radiation-induced heterogeneous polymerization of methyl methacrylate in various precipitants, mainly methyl alcohol, was carried out, and the effects of reaction conditions on the polymerization behavior and the molecular weight distribution of polymer were studied. Bimodal molecular weight distributions were found for the polymer produced by the heterogeneous polymerizations in methyl alcohol and in tert-butyl alcohol. The apparent activation energy is 1.0 and 4.5 kcal/mole, respectively, for the polymerization at a monomer concentration of 10 vol-% in methyl alcohol above and below 35°C. The polymerization at a monomer concentration lower than 40 vol-% in methyl alcohol proceeded with the precipitation of polymer. The dose rate exponent of the mean rate of heterogeneous polymerization decreased from 0.5 to a smaller value as the polymerization progressed. The ratio of the two peaks in the bimodal molecular weight distributions of polymer produced in methyl alcohol was affected by the reaction conditions. These results show the coexistence in the polymerizations of two different physical states of propagating chain, a loose state and a rigid one. The reaction scheme is discussed in connection with the physical factors which affect the solubility or the mobility of propagating chains, and the rate of elementary reactions, which influences the degree of propagating chains.     

Mechanical properties of radiation-induced graft copolymers of styrene to polyethylene

Measurements were made of the tensile properties polyethylene-styrene grafts prepared by irradiating polyethylene films in liquid styrene. The films contained true graft and occluded styrene homopolymer. It was shown that yield strength, tensile strength, and initial modulus of elasticity increase while elongation decreases with increasing polystyrene content. The tensile strength and elongation were reduced when the grafted film was soaked in benzene more than 15 hr. The film prepared by a post-irradiation graft gave higher tensile strength and elongation than those of grafts formed by simultaneous irradiation of the film and the monomer. These results indicate that radiation-induced grafting makes the system of polyethylene and polystyrene compatible and potentially useful, provided the samples are not subjected to drastic solvent extraction procedures for the removal of homopolymer.     

Radiation-induced emulsion copolymerization of tetrafluoroethylene with propylene. VI. Effects of pressure and temperature

In a radiation-induced emulsion copolymerization of tetrafluoroethylene with propylene, the effects of pressure and temperature were investigated in the range of 0–40 kg/cm² and 7–53°C at emulsifier concentration of 0.5 and 2.0%. Both the polymerization rate and the molecular weight of copolymer increase with increasing pressure and decreasing temperature. These facts are mainly due to an increase of the monomer concentration in the polymer particles. The rate of polymer chain formation was found to be independent of pressure and temperature. The initiation reaction is due mainly to the entry of radicals generated in the aqueous phase into the polymer particles. The apparent activation energy is ?2.0 to ?3.8 kcal/mole for the polymerization in the presence of 0.5% emulsifier, but is nearly zero at an emulsifier concentration of 2.0%. This difference in apparent activation energies at emulsifier concentrations of 0.5 and 2.0% is explained in terms of the termination mechanisms.     

Interfacial behavior of N-nitrosodiethylamine/bovine serum albumin complexes at the air-water and the chloroform-water interfaces by axisymmetric drop tensiometry

Interfacial properties of N-nitrosodiethylamine/bovine serum albumin (NDA/BSA) complexes were investigated at the air-water interface. The interfacial behavior at the chloroform-water interface of the interaction product of phospholipid 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC), dissolved in the chloroform phase, and NDA/BSA complex, in the aqueous phase, were also analyzed by using a drop tensiometer. The secondary structure changes of BSA with different NDA concentrations were monitored by circular dichroism spectroscopy at different pH and the NDA/BSA interaction was probed by fluorescence spectroscopy. Different NDA/BSA mixtures were prepared from 0, 7.5 x 10(-5), 2.2 x 10(-4), 3.7 x 10(-4), 5 x 10(-4), 1.6 x 10(-3), and 3.1 x 10(-3) M NDA solutions in order to afford 0, 300/1, 900/1, 1 500/1, 2 000/1, 6 000/1, and 12 500/1 NDA/BSA molar ratios, respectively, in the aqueous solutions. Increments of BSA alpha-helix contents were obtained up to the 2 000/1 NDA/BSA molar ratio, but at ratios beyond this value, the alpha-helix content practically disappeared. These BSA structure changes produced an increment of the surface pressure at the air-water interface, as the alpha-helix content increased with the concentration of NDA. On the contrary, when alpha-helix content decreased, the surface pressure also appeared lower than the one obtained with pure BSA solutions. The interaction of DPPC with NDA/BSA molecules at the chloroform-water interface produced also a small, but measurable, pressure increment with the addition of NDA molecules. Dynamic light scattering measurements of the molecular sizes of NDA/BSA complex at pH 4.6, 7.1, and 8.4 indicated that the size of extended BSA molecules at pH 4.6 increased in a greater proportion with the increment in NDA concentration than at the other studied pH values. Diffusion coefficients calculated from dynamic surface tension values, using a short-term solution of the general adsorption model of Ward and Tordai, also showed differences with pH and the NDA concentration. Both, the storage and loss dilatational elastic modulus were obtained at the air-water and at the chloroform-water interfaces. The interaction of NDA/BSA with DPPC at the chloroform-water produced a less rigid monolayer than the one obtained with pure DPPC (1 x 10(-5) M), indicating a significant penetration of NDA/BSA molecules at the interface. At short times and pH 4.6, the values of the storage elastic modulus were larger and more sensible to the NDA addition than the ones at pH 7.1 and 8.4, probably due to a gel-like network formation at the air-water interface.     

Influence of gas flow patterns on NOx removal efficiency

Dose distribution in flue gas irradiation vessel is not uniform due to limited electron penetration range. This phenomena influence overall NO_x removal efficiency is observed in the process. The remarkable increase in the efficiency can be achieved by multistage gas irradiation and gas mixing between stages. The results of modelling for longitudinal beam scanning as applied at EPS Kawêczyn pilot plant are presented in the paper. These are the basis for process vessel upscaling.