Preparation and Characteristics of a Cation Exchanger Based on Oxidized Anthracite

The features of anthracite oxidation as influenced by temperature and time were determined. Physicochemical and sorption characteristics of the resulting cation exchanger were studied.     

Thermal analysis as a tool in the study of GMM in Angra Dos Reis region,Rio de Janeiro,Brazil

Angra dos Reis/Itaguai region of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is a very problematic area due to the instability of slope and landslides, due to geological and geomorphological conditions and to the significant and continuous human occupation over favorable areas is prone to the triggering of landslides. The samples were analyzed by thermogravimetry (TG), derivative thermogravimetry (DTG) and differential thermal analysis (DTA). This paper analyzes and characterizes the clay minerals and presence of water, gravitational mass movements’ sites and compares it with sites where gravitational mass movements do not occur. Indeed, this analysis also attempts to verify the presence of minerals.     

Conversion of acids to benzimidazoles with transition metal/zeolites

Transition metal/Y zeolites were prepared using microwave solid state and aqueous solution ion exchange methods. The activity of these zeolites was investigated in a conversion of acids to benzimidazoles reaction between 4-methyl-1, 2-phenylenediamine and 3-nitrobenzoic acid. The yield of these reactions increased in order of CuY < Fe²⁺Y < NiY < CoY < NaY < CrY < MnY < ZnY for both methods. The solid state ion-exchanged zeolites showed higher activity in comparison to the aqueous solution exchange. Yields of products in the presence of the ZnY zeolite were of the order of 69–83%. It seems that the Lewis sites are better sites compared to the Bronsted sites for this reaction.     

Low energy properties of identical and strongly correlated particles

Interesting qualitative consequences can arise from the quantum mechanical identity among strongly correlated particles that carry spin. This is demonstrated for properties connected with the low energy excitations in molecular and electronic systems. Spatial permutations among the identical particles are used as the key features. The particular behaviour of rotational tunneling molecules or molecular parts under the influence of dissipation are discussed together with the consequences arising for conversion transitions. The relationship between the thermal shifting of the tunneling line and the conversion rate at low and at elevated temperatures is explicated. The valuable information, that can be extracted from the conversion behaviour after isotopical substitution, is explained in detail. At low temperatures qualitative changes are predicted for the conversion rate by deuteration. Weakly hindered rotors show, also experimentally, drastic isotopic effects. The second part is devoted to finite systems of strongly interacting electrons that appear in semi-conductor nano-structures. The lowest excitation energies are strongly influenced by the interaction. They can be understood and determined starting from the limit of crystallized electrons by introducing localized many particle ‘pocket states’. The energy levels show multiplet structure, in agreement with numerical results. The total electron spin, associated with the low energy excitations, is crucially important for the nonlinear transport properties through quantum dots. It allows for instance to explain the appearance of negative differential conductances.     

Method to evaluate the strength of interfaces in polymeric systems

It is shown that CT (compact tension) specimens known from fracture mechanics are adequate to study the strength of interfaces between polymers. The interface is coplanar with the initial notch. The capability of this method is demonstrated by quantifying: (a) the healing procedure of cracks in polystyrene; (b) by elaborating the influence of powders on the welding process in polystyrene; (c) by measuring the strength of interfaces between the different polymers SAN, PMMA, HIPS, PS, PC, and (d) by characterising the influence of a compatibilizer in the interface between PE and HIPS.     

Fluid-fluid phase separation in colloid-polymer mixtures studied with small angle light scattering and light microscopy

Mixtures of colloidal silica spheres and polydimethylsiloxane in cyclohexane with a colloid-polymer size ratio of about one were found to phase separate into two fluid phases, one which is colloid-rich and one which is colloid-poor. In this work the phase separation kinetics of this fluid-fluid phase separation is studied for different compositions of the colloid-polymer mixtures, and at several degrees of supersaturation, with small angle light scattering and with light microscopy. The small angle light scattering curve exhibits a peak that grows in intensity and that shifts to smaller wave vector with time. The characteristic length scale that is obtained from the scattering peak is of the order of a few μm, in agreement with observations by light microscopy. The domain size increases with time as , which might be an indication of coarsening by diffusion and coalescence, like in the case of binary liquid mixtures and polymer blends. For sufficiently low degrees of supersaturation the angular scattering intensity curves satisfy dynamical scaling behavior.     

Properties of levels in22Ne

Levels up to 9.3 MeV excitation in²²Ne were studied with the¹⁹ F(α, pγ) ²²Ne reaction atE _α = 12 MeV. Level energies, branching ratios, mean lifetimes, spins and mixing ratios were obtained for a number of levels. Relevant results are compared with many-particle shell-model calculations.