Deformation of styrene—divinylbenzene copolymers and hypercrosslinked polystyrenes during solvent adsorption and desorption

An automated procedure was developed for monitoring fast changes in the size of spherical samples of polymers during their contact with a solvent or drying. The kinetics of bulk deformation in these processes was studied for a series of cross-linked polymers, viz., gel-type and porous styrene—divinylbenzene copolymers and poly(divinylbenzenes), and hypercrosslinked polystyrenes. Gel, macroporous, and hypercrosslinked polystyrenes are substantially different in the rate, mechanism, and degree of swelling, which is associated with the principal differences in their physical structures. An unusual effect of a sharp decrease followed by a temporary increase in the volume of porous polystyrene and poly(divinylbenzene) materials were observed during desorption (evaporation) of organic solvents. Water desorption is accompanied by an excessive bulk compression of porous granules giving rise to negative deformations, which gradually relax to the state equilibrium for the dry polymer. The results of dynamic desorption porometry (for water desorption) are indicative of a bimodal size distribution of micropores in hypercrosslinked polystyrene. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 3, pp. 467–476, March, 2007.     

Relations for extrema of the work of aggregation in micellar solutions

Exact relations for the dependence of the positions of extrema of the aggregation work on the aggregation number axis on the surfactant monomer concentration are found for a dilute micellar solution. Relations for the half-widths of the vicinities of the extrema of the aggregation work are determined also. These half-widths are determined by the condition that, within the boundaries of their values, the aggregation work deviates from its extreme values by a thermal unit. The relations derived are illustrated by calculations based on the droplet and quasi-droplet models of spherical aggregates of nonionic surfactant. Some important applications of the obtained results to the theory of relaxation in micellar solutions are considered.     

Study of the Structure and Sorption Properties of Some Types of Cellulose

The pulsed NMR, isopiestic and pycnometric methods are applied to investigate the physicochemical properties of softwood [GOST (State Standard) 9571-89] and hardwood [GOST 28172-89] celluloses, as well as flax cellulose [GOST 10330-76, 9394-76], both in the initial state and subjected to chemical treatment. Possible changes occurring in the supramolecular structure of a polymer are analyzed. The structural and sorption characteristics of the investigated samples are calculated. Their water absorption capacities are determined.     

An Automatic Procedure for Updating the Block Size in the Block Conjugate Gradient Method for Solving Linear Systems

The paper considers the problem of constructing an efficient automatic procedure for reducing the block size in the block conjugate gradient method insuring that the resulting rate of convergence is comparable with that of the block conjugate gradient method with constant block size. The numerical results provided show that, independently of the type of distribution of the smallest eigenvalues of the preconditioned matrix, the procedure suggested always leads to a decrease of the arithmetic costs with respect to those of the block method with constant block size. Bibliography: 8 titles.     

Formation of coherent spatial structures in the reaction-diffusion atmospheric system under the action of a planetary wave

On the example of the effect of an atmospheric wave with given amplitude on the density oscillations of minor gas constituents near the mesopause (at heights 80–90 km, we consider the influence of the quasi-resonant periodic spatial transport on a distributed system responding subharmonically to a periodic external action (diurnal sunlight variations). Numerical modeling revealed the formation of a coherent horizontal distribution of the dynamical variables (i.e., the concentrations of small constituents). Application of this effect to the mesopause conditions is discussed.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Radiofizika, Vol. 47, No. 9, pp. 739–752, September, 2004.     

Practical OR for Undergraduates in the Swinburne Course

Much of the debate over OR education over the last ten years has been confined to the relevance of the content and style of programmes at the postgraduate level. This paper focuses on the undergraduate level and discusses the way in which practical elements have been successfully incorporated at this level in Australia. These elements include the use of case study material from the literature, case problem solving groups, industrial projects and 12 months paid employment through a co-operative education programme. The use of each of the above and the context with which they fit into the programme is covered as are the benefits and problems associated with the programme.     

Diffraction of normal shock wave by yawed wedges

The diffraction of normal shock with yawed wedges of small angles have been considered in this paper. Vorticity distribution of the fluid particle over the diffracted shock has been determined for several Mach numbers of the shock wave. The Mach reflection effects have also been investigated when the bend is concave to the flow.     

Attractors of the sine-Gordon equation in the field of a quasiperiodic external force

The well-known sine-Gordon equation, supplemented with small damping and small quasiperiodic external force, is studied under the zero Dirichlet boundary conditions at the endpoints of a finite interval. The main assumption is that all frequencies of the external force are in 1:1 resonance with certain eigenfrequencies of the unperturbed equation; i.e., the socalled fundamental multifrequency resonance is observed. It is shown that in this case, by an appropriate choice of the parameters of the external force, one can make it so that the boundary value problem has a stable invariant torus of any finite dimension that bifurcates from zero on any preassigned finite set of spatial modes. It is also shown (by numerical analysis) that in a number of cases the above-mentioned torus coexists with a chaotic attractor.