On Mono- and Epimorphisms in Varieties of Ordered Algebras

We study morphisms in varieties of ordered universal algebras. We prove that (i) monomorphisms are precisely the injective homomorphisms and that (ii) every regular monomorphism is an order embedding, but the converse is not true in general. We also give a necessary and sufficient condition for a morphism to be a regular epimorphism. Finally, we discuss factorizations in such varieties.     

Application of the ultrasonic method for the control of thermosetting polymer materials

Based on the theory of solid matter deformation and taking into consideration the specificity of propagation of ultrasonic waves in polymers, the acoustic nondestructive method has been chosen for controlling radiation-cured thermosetting polymer materials, which allows us to obtain certain information about the structure and useful characteristics of these materials. The correlation relationships of propagation velocities for flexural ultrasonic waves initiated in the material at a frequency of 60 kHz by piezotransducers-concentrators with exponential waveguides and point contact have been established. This permits us to determine the dose of ionizing radiation absorbed by the material, the degree of molecular orientation or degree of stretching, the content of fillers in the material, as well as to evaluate the thermosetting forces determined by thermorelaxation stresses under isometric conditions.Chemistry Department, University of Latvia, LV-1001. Institute of Polymer Materials, Riga Technical University, Riga, Latvia, LV-1048. Published in Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 33, No. 3, pp. 394–407, May–June, 1997.     

Strength and deformation characteristics of poly(ethylene terephtalate)/elastomer blends

Changes in the toughness of crystalline poly(ethylene terephtalate) upon addition of two elastomers — ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer and ethylene-α-octene copolymer — are investigated. Blends with increasing elastomer content (up to 30 wt.%) were obtained and modified by γ-radiation up to a 300-kGy absorbed dose. The interrelation between the toughness and certain tensile characteristics (elastic modulus, yield stress, ultimate stress, elongation at break, and specific fracture energy) of the blends, with various structural features of components (crystallinity and the degree of cross-linking) and morphology of the blends, is discussed. __________ Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 44, No. 4, pp. 521–534, July–August, 2008.     

Erratum to “On homological classification of pomonoids by regular weak injectivity properties of S-posets”

The original version of the article was published in Central European Journal of Mathematics, 2007, 5(1), 181–200, DOI: 10.2478/s11533-006-0036-3. Unfortunately, the original version of this article contains a mistake: in Theorem 5.2 only conditions (i) and (ii) (and not (iii)) are equivalent. We correct the theorem and its proof.      

Core-level photoemission study of 2D ordered Bi/Si(100) interfaces

A high resolution core-level photoemission investigation of 2D ordered Bi layers grown on Si(100)-(2×1) is presented. We study the Si 2p and Bi 5d core-levels at room temperature as a function of coverage and in the reconstructed phases. The different Bi structural configurations around the monolayer coverage and in the (2×n)-reconstructed phase are derived from the core-level lineshape evolution. By following the Fermi level pinning, the presence of Bi-induced occupied electronic states close to the Si mid-gap is suggested.     

Prediction of the Stress-Relaxation Behavior of Thermoshrinkable Radiation-Modified Polymer Materials

The results of investigating nonirradiated and gamma-irradiated (to an absorbed dose of 150 kGy) specimens of an ethylene-octene copolymer are presented. The thermal properties (melting endotherm and crystallization exotherm) are determined by the method of differential scanning calorimetry. The behavior of the material in short-term tension is discussed. The primary attention is given to the temperature-time dependence of the mechanical properties of the materials under creep and stress relaxation. The long-term stress relaxation is predicted from short-term creep tests at elevated temperatures using the temperature-time correspondence principle. The results obtained indicate that the material investigated may be used for thermoshrinkable polymer products with long-term serviceability.     

The investigation of sensing mechanism of ethanol vapour in polymer-nanostructured carbon composite

Polymer-nanostructured carbon composites (PNCC) using three different polymers as composite matrix materials (polyvinylacetate (PVAc), polyethylene glycol (PEG) and ethylene-vinylacetate copolymer (EVA)) have been developed. High structure carbon black Printex XE2 (Degussa AG) was used as a composites filler. Ethanol vapour sensor-effect of composites was determined as a change of electrical resistance as the composite was held in ethanol vapour for 30 seconds. Reversibility of electrical resistance of PNCC, response stability and repeatability have been measured and compared. The electrical resistance response of EVA-nanostructured carbon composite (EVA-NCC) to ethanol vapour as a function of vinylacetate content in the copolymer has been evaluated. Promising ethanol vapour sensor-effect has been observed for PEG-NCC followed by PVAc-NCC and EVA-NCC.     

The Crystal and Molecular Structure of a Polymorph and a Pseudo-Polymorph of Droperidol

Abstract Crystals of two crystal modifications of droperidol: a hemihydrate (1) and the z polymorph (2), have been isolated and their structure determined using X-ray diffraction methods. Droperidol hemihydrate crystallized in the triclinic space group P − 1, with unit cell parameters a = 6.2842(15), b = 10.1473(8), c = 16.1850(2) ?; α = 102.554(9); β = 91.917(14); γ = 99.316(12)°; V = 991.6(3) ?³, and Z = 2. The droperidol z polymorph crystallized in the monoclinic space group P2₁/c, with unit cell parameters a = 20.0406(8), b = 7.4955(4), c = 12.9733(5) ?; β = 98.089(2)°; V = 1929.39(15) ?³, and Z = 4. In 1 and 2 two molecules of droperidol are joined by two N–H···O hydrogen bonds. The structure of 1 shows a possible additional hydrogen bond linking the two droperidol molecules via the water molecule. Graphical Abstract The crystal and molecular structure of a polymorph and a pseudo-polymorph of droperidol A. Actins, R. Arajs, S. Belakovs, L. Orola, and M. V. Veidis Crystals of two crystal modifications of droperidol: a hemihydrate and the z polymorph have been isolated and their structure determined using single crystal X-ray diffraction methods. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Properties of radiation‐modified blends of polyethylene with elastomers and liquid crystalline copolyester

The results are given on the effect of γ‐irradiation on properties of blends of high and low‐density polyethylene (HDPE, LDPE) with elastomers ‐ethylene/propylene/diene rubber (EPDM) and chlorinated polyethylene (CPE), and thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer (LCP). The morphological, thermal, mechanical properties (including thermosetting properties) and adhesion properties of blended composites were investigated. A special attention was paid to the applicability of the blends as thermosetting materials (TSM). The LCP used was a copolyester of poly(ethylene terephthalate) with p‐(hydroxybenzoic acid) in the ratio 40 : 60. It was found that addition of LCP essentially influenced the thermomechanical and adhesion properties of PE composites, irradiated up to the absorbed dose 150 kGy, as well as the dimensional stability of thermosetting products, made from polyethylene/elastomer mixtures. The results show that such ternary blends considerably improve the exploitation conditions of irradiated polyethylene and useful thermosetting materials can be obtained.