Mathematical modeling of crystallization analysis fractionation (Crystaf) of polyethylene

Four polyethylene samples (PE) with different molecular weight distributions (MWD) were analyzed by crystallization analysis fractionation (Crystaf) at several cooling rates to investigate the effect of MWD and cooling rate on their Crystaf profiles. Using these results, we developed a mathematical model for Crystaf that considers crystallization kinetic effects, which are ignored in all previous Crystaf models. The Crystaf model we proposed can fit the experimental Crystaf profiles of the 4 polyethylene resins very well. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 2749–2759, 2006     

Probing the use of small‐angle light scattering for characterizing structure of titanium dioxide/low‐density polyethylene nanocomposites

Small‐angle light scattering (SALS) measurements were used to study the structure of titanium dioxide (TiO₂)/low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) nanocomposites. The results showed that the scattering from LDPE crystalline structures and the scattering from TiO₂ nanoparticles can be resolved and separated. It is shown that the independent effects of crystallization conditions and the presence of nanoparticle aggregates on the spherulitic structure of the LDPE matrix can be determined by analyzing the scattering patterns using the methods proposed. From the SALS results, we conclude that the nanoparticle surface chemistry affects both nucleation of spherulites and their structure particularly under rapid cooling conditions. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 1084–1095, 2006     

Acrylic acid level and adhesive performance and peel master‐curves of acrylic pressure‐sensitive adhesives

Three series of pressure‐sensitive adhesives were prepared with constant glass‐transition temperature, using emulsion polymerization. The monomers chosen were butyl acrylate, 2‐ethylhexyl acrylate (EHA), methyl methacrylate (MMA), and acrylic acid (AA). Within each polymer series, the proportion of AA monomer was held constant for each polymer preparation but acrylic ester monomer levels were varied. Adhesion performance was assessed by measurement of loop tack, static shear resistance, and through the construction of peel master‐curves. Peel master‐curves were generated through peel tests conducted over a range of temperatures and peel rates and through application of the time–temperature superposition principle. Bulk effects dominated by polymer zero shear viscosity change as AA and EHA levels were varied were attributed to the observed effect on static shear resistance and the horizontal displacements of peel master‐curves. Static shear resistance was found to strongly correlate with log(a_C), a parameter introduced to horizontally shift peel master‐curves to form a superposed, “super master‐curve”. An interfacial interaction was proposed to account for deviations observed when loop tack was correlated with log(a_C). Surface rearrangements via hydrogen bonding with the test substrate were suggested as responsible for the interfacial interaction. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 1237–1252, 2006     

Rheology,morphology, and estimation of the interfacial tension of binary blends based on low‐density polyethylene/poly(trimethylene terephthalate) and high‐density polyethylene/poly(trimethylene terephthalate) [retracted article]

It has come to our attention that this article, “Rheology, Morphology, and Estimation of the Interfacial Tension of Binary Blends Based on Low‐Density Polyethylene/Poly(trimethylene terephthalate) and High‐Density Polyethylene/Poly(trimethylene terephthalate)” by A. A. Shokri and S. E. Zamani was previously published under the title, “Rheology, Morphology and Estimation of Interfacial Tension of LDPE/EVA and HDPE/EVA Blends” by H. A. Khonakdar, S. H. Jafari, A. Yavari, A. Asadinezhad, U. Wagenknecht, in Polymer Bulletin 54, 75–84 (2005), . We have retracted the article, and offer our apologies to the authors of the original paper.     

Indirect fluorometric determination of diclofenac sodium.

A simple and easy method of analysis for diclofenac sodium is reported. A spectrofluorometric method for the microdetermination of diclofenac sodium has been developed through its reaction with cerium(IV) in an acidic solution and measurement of the fluorescence of the Ce(III) ions produced. Under the optimum experimental conditions for the oxidation reaction, 1.0 M H2SO4 with 90 min of heating time (100 degrees C), the range of application is 124.3-600 ng mL(-1) and the limit of detection is 72.7 ng mL(-1). The proposed method was applied to the determination of diclofenac sodium in pharmaceutical tablets. The results of the analysis show a good agreement with those obtained by the official USP 27 HPLC method.     

Ferromagnetic material CdGeP2:Mn for spintronics

Solid solutions Cd_1?x Mn_xGeP₂ (x=0?0.19) have been synthesized and identified. In these solutions, the unit cell parameters decrease with an increase in the manganese content. The solid solution Cd_0.81Mn_0.19GeP₂ is a ferromagnet with the Curie temperature T _C ≈ 311 K. The paramagnetic moment of Mn²⁺ ions equal to 5.8 μ_B, as well as the spontaneous magnetization constituting 76% of the total magnetization of a crystal, has been determined with the use of the Langevin function. The origin of ferromagnetism in CdGeP₂:Mn is exchange mediated by charge carriers (holes). These holes are caused by cationic defects in the structure of chalcopyrite.     

Structure–activity studies on the fungitoxicity of some triorganotin(IV) compounds

Seventeen triorganotin(IV) compounds, with the general formula R₃SnX, containing symmetrical and unsymmetrical combinations of alkyl and aryl groups on tin and with a wide variation in the non-carbon-bonded anionic (X) residues, were examined along with three formally pentacoordinated adducts of triaryltin chlorides with triphenylphosphine oxide for their antifungal activity against nine plant pathogenic and saprophytic fungi. The in vitro tests included inhibitory studies on radial growth, mycelial growth, spore germination, and germ tube elongation. A significant finding was the dependence of fungitoxicity on the nature of the X group in both the tributyltin and triaryltin series, in contrast to earlier published reports on the negligible influence of the X groups on overall toxicity relative to the R group. This suggests that the X group is significantly involved in transporting the biocide to the reactive sites, and that the X group which tends to confer increased solubility to the triorganotin compound gives rise to increased activity. In studies of R group variations, tri-iso-butyltin bromide was found to be much less fungitoxic than tri-n-butyltin compounds, a result which is reconcilable in terms of increased steric encumbrance at the tin site in the former case. The steric factor is also implicated in the reduced activities observed for tris(p-tolyl)tin and tris(p-chlorophenyl)tin compounds relative to (Ph₃SnX) towards most of the fungi screened in this study. In general, it was also noted that the triaryltins were more selective in their antifungal action than the trialkyltins, which exhibited broad spectral activity when applied at the concentration level of 10 μg cm^?3.     

Fluctuations of the energy absorption of electron-photon radiation in a model with collision-grouping elements

In the present work, the general method proposed earlier for calculating the distribution density and moments of the absorbed energy in isolated sensitive regions of absorbers irradiated by ionizing particles is developed and made specific for the electron-photon problem. Electron transfer is considered within the framework of a model using grouping of excitations and slipping ionization; the presence of electron equilibrium in the vicinity of sensitive regions is assumed. Two similar methods of calculating these characteristics are developed. Both reduce the initial problem to two independent problems: determining the electron spectrum in the sensitive region (in one of the methods, the spectrum of electron sources is also needed) and calculating the coefficients characterizing electron transfer in the sensitive region and its immediate vicinity.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 9, pp. 89–94, September.     

Kinetics of methylchlorosilane formation on Zn-promoted Cu3Si

The kinetics of the direct synthesis reaction (Si + 2CH₃Cl → (CH₃)₂SiCl₂) were measured on a Cu₃Si alloy containing 1.2 atom % Zn. Reaction was carried out in a differential reactor (520–595 K, 1 atm) attached to an ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) system. Auger spectroscopy was used to characterize the surface before and after reaction. Zinc does not significantly change the overall rate of reaction, but it changes selectivity to dimethyldichlorosilane (the desired product), surface composition, activation energies, and induction times. The rate of silicon diffusion to the surface is not limiting in the presence of zinc. Zinc is found to be a promoter for improved selectivity only in low concentrations, and only a fraction of the surface appears to be active for reaction. The kinetics appear relatively insensitive to the surface composition or the form of surface carbon. A Cu₃Si surface with Zn is shown to be a good model catalyst for the direct synthesis reaction.