Study of batch maltitol (4-O-α-d-glucopyranosyl-d-glucitol) crystallization by cooling and water evaporation

It is obvious that maltitol, like other disaccharides, owes some of its functional properties to structural features such as the flexibility of the glycosidic bond and hydrogen bonding and to its aqueous solution physicochemical properties, especially solubility and metastable zone width. This is particularly the case for molecular arrangements, which take place before and during crystallization process. We have previously used FTIR spectra to study structural properties of the maltitol molecule in concentrated solution like molecular associations or changes in conformation [1]. To complement these molecular properties, the different maltitol solution physicochemical properties having a relationship with maltitol–water or maltitol–maltitol interactions like solubility, metastable zone width, viscosity, and density were determined [2]. In this work we used these physicochemical results to optimize maltitol crystallization both by reducing the process duration and by improving the obtained crystal quality. Two strategies have been tested: the optimization of the time/temperature profile during the classical cooling crystallization and the application to maltitol of evaporative crystallization, a process usually used for sucrose preparation. The obtained results mainly showed remarkable difference in crystal mean size and crystal size distribution when the cooling profile was modified. On the other hand, evaporative crystallization was shown to make it possible to lower considerably the crystallization time compared to the cooling process but crystal morphological properties seem to be considerably modified by evaporation.     

Comparison of irradiation effects of electrons and gamma rays on PVC samples

Samples of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) were irradiated at a dose of 15 MGy using both electrons and gamma rays. The resultant material shows differences attributed to the very different dose rates in each type of radiation. In addition, a method useful in separating the highly cross-linked portion of the sample has been tested. Transmission electron microscopy, electron stimulated desorption and energy dispersive spectroscopy have been applied in the characterization of the irradiated material. We show that this resultant material, after irradiation, consists mainly of carbon-like material with distinct crystallographic phases which, in some cases, resemble graphitic structures.     

Aryl C-N bond formation by electrophilic amination of diarylcadmium reagents with O-substituted ketoximes

Diorganocadmium reagents cannot react with ketoxime at room temperature. CuCN catalysis allows diarylcadmium reagents to react with ketoxime and to give corresponding arylamines in good to high yields at room temperature. According to the electronic effects of the substituent attached to the aromatic ring, functionalized diarylcadmium reagents show meta-para selectivity in their amination reactions. Also compared to diarylzinc reagents, diarylcadmium reagents react with O-substituted ketoxime under milder reaction conditions and they form corresponding arylamines in higher yields. CuCN cannot help dialkyl-, dicycloalky-, and dibenzylcadmium reagents to react with ketoxime. Our Aryl C-N bond formation method does not include cadmium excretion into the environment.     

Electron beam irradiation effects on poly(ethylene terephthalate)

Changes in poly(ethylene terephthalate) subjected to electron beam irradiation at doses up to 15 MGy and dose rate of 1.65 MGy/h, were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, molecular weight measurement, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. Irradiated samples showed a decrease of molecular weight with a minimum at 5 MGy, which is attributed to chain scission of the macromolecules and then an increase at further doses due to branching and some degradation effect. Irradiation in air is not an important factor because the high dose rate of irradiation inhibits oxygen diffusion in the samples.     

Compatibilization of recycled and virgin PET with radiation-oxidized HDPE

Blends of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), which cross-links on radiation, and both, recycled and pristine polyethylene terephtalate (PET), one of the most radiation-stable polymers, that contain aromatic groups, which are effective at dissipation of the energy of the ionizing radiation, were irradiated with gamma rays, in order to form a copolymer capable of improving the compatibility of the blend HDPE/PET. Due to the low content of the PET in the resulting copolymer, blends PET and radiation-oxidized HDPE, were also studied. The tensile and flexural properties were improved when the PET content was increased and when the HDPE was pre-irradiated; the largest increase in the mechanical properties was observed for PET contents between 10% and 20% (w/w). The improvement in the properties is believed to occur because of a percolation effect of the PET in the HDPE matrix and the radiation-improved compatibility by means of polar groups formed in the polyethylene. However, impact properties were observed to decrease when the PET content increased in spite of the irradiation.     

Spectrophotometric flow-injection analysis of mercury(II) in pharmaceuticals with p-nitrobenzoxosulfamate

A new, simple and rapid spectrophotometric FI method for the accurate and precise determination of Hg(II) in pharmaceutical preparations has been developed. The method is based on the measuring the decrease of absorbance intensity of p-nitrobenzoxosulfamate (NBS) due to the complexation with Hg(II). The absorption peak of the NBS, which is decreased linearly by addition of Hg(II), occurs at 430 nm in 2×10⁻⁴ mol l⁻¹ HNO₃ as a carrier solution. Optimization of chemical and FI variables has been made. A micro column consisting of several packing materials applied instead of reaction coil was also investigated. A background level of Fe(III) maintained in reagent carrier solution with NBS was found useful for sensitivity and selectivity. Under the optimized conditions, the sampling rate was over 100 h⁻¹, the calibration curve obtained were linear over the range 1-10 μg ml⁻¹, the detection limit was lower than 0.2 μg ml⁻¹ for a 20 μl injection volume, and the precision [S_r=1% at 2 μg ml⁻¹ Hg(II) (n=10)] was found quite satisfactory. Application of the method to the analysis of Hg(II) in pharmaceutical preparations resulted a good agreement between the expected and found values.     

On the non-commutative neutrix product (x + r lnx +) ox − −s

The non-commutative neutrix product of the distributionsx ₊ ^r lnx ₊ andx _– ^–s is evaluated forr=0, 1, 2, ands=1, 2, . Further neutrix products are then deduced.     

Electrochemical Detection of Epinephrine Based on a Screen-printed Electrode Modified with NiO−ERGO Nanocomposite Film

This study presents a new electrochemical sensor (NiO−ERGO/SPE) for sensitive and selective detection of epinephrine (EPI) on the screen-printed electrode (SPE) which is modified with a nanocomposite film consisting of electrochemically reduced graphene oxide and NiO nanoparticles. After surface functionalization, structural and electrochemical characterization of NiO−ERGO film, DPV signals of NiO−ERGO/SPE towards the oxidation of EPI exhibited a linear correlation in the concentration range of 0.025 μM to 175 μM with a detection limit of 0.015 μM, which reveals NiO−ERGO film is manifested a good electrocatalytic activity for EPI detection compared with the previous reports. The selectivity of NiO−ERGO film was also tested on a very wide scale of possible interferents (ascorbic acid, uric acid, dopamine, lactic acid, phenylalanine, tyrosine, tryptophan, Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, and Zn²⁺). Moreover, to evaluate the applicability of the proposed sensor for real sample analysis, NiO−ERGO/SPE was successfully utilized for the determination of EPI in pharmaceutical samples.     

Application of Adapted-Bubbles to the Helmholtz Equation with Large Wavenumbers in 2D

An adapted-bubbles approach which is a modification of the residual-free bubbles (RFB) method, is proposed for the Helmholtz problem in 2D. A new two-level finite element method is introduced for the approximations of the bubble functions. Unlike the other equations such as the advection-diffusion equation, RFB method when applied to the Helmholtz equation, does not depend on another stabilized method to obtain approximations to the solutions of the sub-problems. Adapted-bubbles (AB) are obtained by a simple modification of the sub-problems. This modification increases the accuracy of the numerical solution impressively. We provide numerical experiments with the AB method up to $ch = 5$ where $c$ is the wavenumber and $h$ is the mesh size. Numerical tests show that the AB method is better by far than higher order methods available in the literature.     

Determination of the Rheological Properties of Polypropylene Filled with Colemanite

Colemanite (Ca₂B₆O₁₁.H₂O) in powder form was filled to polypropylene (PP) at concentrations of 5, 7.5, 11.25, 16.875, and 25.312 wt%, and filled PP granules were obtained. To prevent oxidation, an antioxidant (Songnox 1010) was added to the colemanite‐filled polypropylene mixture at a ratio of 0.2 wt%. The rheological properties of the resulting composite material were determined using a Melt Flow Index testing device, at four separate pressure settings (298.2, 524, 689.5, and 987.4 kPa) and four separate temperature settings (190°C, 200°C, 210°C, and 220°C). The viscosity, shear rate, shear stress, and power law index (n) values of the colemanite‐filled PP were measured as part of the testing conducted. The study determined that viscosity values increased by approximately 60% in response to increasing colemanite content in the resulting filled material, while shear rate values decreased by 62%. The viscosity values were found to decrease with increasing temperature and pressure values, while shear rate values were found to increase. Additionally, Power Law Index value was found to vary between 0.561 and 0.687, with an average value of 0.608 based on the colemanite content used. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.