Influence of Phase Morphology on Molecular Mobility of Poly(propylene)-(ethylene-vinyl acetate) Copolymer Blends

The dynamic mechanical and dielectric behaviours of Polypropylene (PP) and (Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate) Copolymer (EVA) blends are reported as a function of the morphology. For EVA contents lower than 20%, blends show the two-phase morphology characteristic of immiscible blends, with spherical EVA droplets finely dispersed in the PP matrix. After stretching in the molten state, the morphology of EVA fibers is observed. Mechanical Relaxation Spectroscopy display three relaxation processes: the EVA and PP α-relaxations associated to the glass transitions and a β-transition corresponding to a PP crystalline phase relaxation. The PP α-relaxation shifts to higher temperatures when EVA presents a fiber morphology, corresponding to a decrease of PP chain mobility since it is hindered by the reinforcement effect of EVA fibers. Quite different results are obtained by DRS analysis. In blends containing EVA fibers, only one main relaxation associated to the EVA α-transition is observed whereas one additional relaxation can be noticed in the blends containing EVA droplets. This new relaxation might be assigned to interfacial polarization effects, phenomena that are sometimes observed in heterogeneous polymer blends when a low content of one polar component is embedded in a non conductive matrix. In this case, the occurrence of a characteristic interfacial polarization relaxation appears to be correlated to the accessible experimental frequency.     

Evaluation of the fractionated crystallization of isotactic polypropylene and high density polyethylenes in their blends with Cycloolefin copolymers

Crystallization of semi-crystalline polyolefins (i-polypropylenes and HD-polyethylenes) in their blends with amorphous cycloolefin copolymers (COC) were studied. The thermal behaviour of the blends was characterized by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) whereas blend morphologies were investigated by Scanning Electronic Microscopy (SEM). In iPP/COC blends, a phenomenon of fractionated crystallization is evidenced when i-PP is finely dispersed in the COC matrix. Such a behavior is generally observed when the number of droplets is much larger than the number of heterogeneities originally present in the bulk polymer. In HDPE/COC blends, complex morphologies are observed which do not fit good correlation with DSC results. The nucleation and crystallization modes seem to be largely influenced by the characteristics of the micro-dispersed phase, largely dependent on the PE molecular weights and polydispersity indices.     

Trace analysis of sulfonylurea herbicides and their metabolites in water using a combination of off-line or on-line solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

Two alternatives for the rapid simultaneous quantification of six sulfonylurea herbicides and five of their main degradation products in natural water are proposed. For concentration, the compounds were extracted on a polystyrene–divinylbenzene solid phase under pH and elution conditions that suppressed any hydrolysis. The eluates were analysed by liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray tandem mass spectrometry within 20 min. The whole method was validated and shown to give no hydrolysis artefacts. The application of off-line and on-line SPE of sulfonylureas enabled the 0.1 μg L⁻¹ and 1 ng L⁻¹ LOQ levels to be reached, respectively. The on-line SPE–LC–MS–MS method allowed the accurate quantitation of all sulfonylureas and three degradation products at 0.1 μg L⁻¹ or below in natural water, with an average repeatability of 8%.     

Protein/polysaccharide complexes and coacervates in food systems

Since the pioneering work of Bungenberg de Jong and co-workers on gelatin-acacia gum complex coacervation in the 1920-40s, protein/polysaccharide complexes and coacervates have received increasing research interest in order to broaden the possible food applications. This review focuses on the main research streams followed in this field during the last 12 years regarding: i) the parameters influencing the formation of complexes and coacervates in protein-polysaccharide systems; ii) the characterization of the kinetics of phase separation and multi-scale structure of the complexes and coacervates; and iii) the investigation of the functional properties of complexes and coacervates in food applications. This latter section encompasses various technological aspects, namely: the viscosifying and gelling ability, the foaming and emulsifying ability and finally, the stabilization and release of bioactives or sensitive compounds.     

Access to a new family of medium ring aromatic lactones

We report a new method for preparation of hydroxyacids as precursors of benzolactones using a simple and an efficient electrochemical step. This gives in only four steps six- to eleven-membered lactones with high isolated yields from conveniently substituted aryl bromides. The lactonisation was performed according to the Yamamoto's process.     

Reaction of functionalised thiols with oligoisobutenes via free-radical addition.: Some new routes to thermoplastic crosslinkable polymers

The functionalisation of vinylidene (isopropenyl) terminated oligoisobutenes (polyisobutenes; PIB) with several thiols has been realised in the presence of free-radical generators. Oxygen (air) is a significant accelerator for this reaction and in some cases, alone, is sufficient to cause the reaction to occur. Free-radicals were generated from peroxydicarbonates, AIBN or UV irradiation. The reaction is of an anti-Markovnikov type with the RS-function adding to the vinylidene CH₂ group selectively in the presence of more substituted olefin groups in commercial PIB. A variety of thiols has been investigated and the synthesis of elastomeric polymers resulting from the hydrolysis and condensation of a trialkoxysilane coupled to PIB via a sulphide link has been demonstrated. The synthesis of comb-like polymers made by the addition of PIB to poly(mercaptopropyl methylsiloxane) has been achieved in a way to leave some non-reacted thiol functions available for crosslinking. A perfluoroalkyl thiol modified PIB shows a significant reduction in surface tension compared to the starting PIB polymer.     

Integration of ε-Fenchel Subdifferentials and Maximal Cyclic Monotonicity

This paper concerns the integration of ε-Fenchel subdifferentials of proper lower semicontinuous convex functions defined on arbitrary topological vector spaces. We make use of integration tools to provide a representation formula of the approximate subdifferential of convex functions, and also to identify the class of maximal cyclically monotone families of operators.