Thermal stability of poly(mono-n-alkylitaconates) and mono-n-alkylitaconate-co-vinylpyrrolidone copolymers I

Poly(monoitaconates) containing octyl, decyl and dodecyl groups and random monoalkylitaconate-co-vinylpyrrolidone copolymers were studied by thermogravimetric analysis. Copolymers of mono-n-octylitaconate (MOI), mono-n-decylitaconate (MDI), and mono-n-dodecylitaconate (MDoI), respectively, with N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone (VP) of different compositions were studied by dynamic thermogravimetric analysis. The thermal stability of the copolymers depends on the structure of the monoitaconate comonomer and on the composition of the copolymer The kinetic analysis of the degradation data shows that the thermal decomposition of these copolymers can be described by several kinetic orders depending on the copolymer and on the composition. The relative thermal stability of the copolymers increases as the VP content increases and as the length of the side chain of the itaconate increases, following the same trend as the flexibility of the copolymers in solution.     

The ternary system CsCl−NaCl−LaCl3

The ternary system CsCl?NaCl?LaCl₃ was investigated by means of differential thermal analysis and X-ray powder diffraction analysis. There exists one congruently melting compound, Cs₂NaLaCl₆, crystallizing with the cubic elpasolite structure. No quasi-binary section exists for the whole system, however three binaries range from the ternary compound Cs₂NaLaCl₆ to NaCl, CsLa₂Cl₇ and Cs₃LaCl₆ resp., dividing the system in three areas of composition: one triangle, Cs₃LaCl₆?Cs₂NaLaCl₆?CsLa₂Cl₇, containing additionally a compound Cs₂LaCl₅ below 510°C, and the two areas CsCl?NaCl?Cs₂NaLaCl₆?Cs₃LaCl₆ and Cs₂NaLaCl₆?NaCl?LaCl₃?CsLa₂Cl₇, containing a mixed crystal range between LaCl₃ and Na₃La₅Cl₁₈. These areas could be further divided in five triangles, so that the whole system contains six Alkemade triangles.     

Chromatographic characterization of thermally upgraded products from alternative fuels

An overview is presented of the analytical approaches developed by our research group over the last ten years for analysis of alternative fuel, both biomass and fossil. The alternative fuels are analyzed successively by PLC-8 (preparative liquid chromatography–group-type) fractionation and high resolution gas chromatography. Some of the possibilities for fractionation and characterization of alternative fuels are herein exemplified with sugar cane bagasse pyrolysis products.     

Effects of a controlled N2 and O2 addition to Ar on the analytical parameters of the GD-OES

The influence of the controlled addition of N₂ and of O₂ to Ar on the analytical parameters of a dc glow discharge has been investigated for bulk samples of the pure metals Al, Ti, Fe, Ni, Cu, and Ag. The constant voltage discharge mode at 1000 V was applied with a mean power of about 1 W/mm². The N₂ and O₂ concentrations in the discharge gas Ar were varied in the range 0–3 mass-%, corresponding to a partial pressure of about 4 · 10^?3 hPa. The general effect of the gaseous addition is the decrease of the sputtering rate with an increasing concentration of N₂ or O₂. Atomic processes, which might be responsible for the observed effects, are discussed.