Near-infrared spectroscopy applications in pharmaceutical analysis

Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is a fast and non-destructive analytical technique that offers many advantages for a broad range of industrial applications. In this work, we reviewed recent developments in the pharmaceutical domain where it can be applied from raw material identification to final product release. The characteristics of NIR allow the technique to be implemented as a process analytical technology (PAT). Moreover, recent instrumental developments open the perspectives of numerous applications in the NIR imaging area. After “Introduction”, according to their subject, the applications are discussed in the parts “Identification”, “Water content”, “Assay” and “Other applications”.     

Optical and microscopy investigations of soot structure alterations by laser-induced incandescence

2 at 1064 nm, vaporization/fragmentation of soot primary particles and aggregates occurs. Optical measurements are performed using a second laser pulse to probe the effects of these changes upon the LII signal. With the exception of very low fluences, the structural changes induced in the soot lead to a decreased LII intensity produced by the second laser pulse. These two-pulse experiments also show that these changes do not alter the LII signal on timescales less than 1 μs for fluences below the vaporization threshold. Received: 20 October 1997/Revised version: 16 February 1998     

Carbon nanotube synthesis in a flame using laser ablation for in situ catalyst generation

Laser ablation of either Ni or Fe is used to create nanoparticles within a reactive flame environment for catalysis of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Ablation of Fe in a CO-enriched flame produces single-walled nanotubes, whereas, ablation of Ni in an acetylene-enriched flame produces carbon nanofibers. These results illustrate that the materials for catalyst particle formation and CNT, SWNT or nanofiber, inception and growth in the aerosol phase can be supplied from separate sources; a metal-carbon mixture produced by condensation is not necessary. Both particle formation and CNT inception can begin from molecular species in a laser-ablation approach within the complex chemical environment of a flame. Moreover, SWNTs and nanofibers can be synthesized within very short timescales, of the order of tens of milliseconds. Finally, high-intensity pulsed laser light can destroy CNTs through either vaporization or coalescence induced by melting. PACS 42.62 Fi; 81.05.Tp; 82.80.Ch; 81.15 Fg     

Carbon nanotube formation and growth via particle-particle interaction

Carbon nanotubes are observed to form under a wide range of temperatures, pressures, reactive agents, and catalyst metals. In this paper we attempt to rationalize this body of observations reported in the literature in terms of fundamental processes driving nanotube formation. Many of the observed effects can be attributed to the interaction of three key processes: surface catalysis and deposition of carbon, diffusive transport of carbon, and precipitation effects. A new nanotube formation mechanism is proposed that describes the nanotube structures observed experimentally in a premixed flame and can account for certain shortcomings of the prevailing mechanism that has been repeatedly applied to explain nanotube formation in nonflame environments. The interacting particle model (IPM) attributes the initiation of nanotube growth to the physical interaction between catalyst particles. Coalescence of two (or more) catalyst particles leads to partial blocking of the particle surface, causing a disparity in carbon deposition over the particle surface. The resulting concentration gradient generates a net diffusive flux toward the interparticle contact point. Dimers that separate in this condition can support continuous nanotube growth between the particles. The model can also be extended to multiple particles to account for more complex morphologies. The IPM is consistent with many of the structures observed in the flame-produced material. The validity of the model is evaluated through analysis of diffusion dynamics and a force analysis of particle binding and separation. The IPM is also discussed in relation to identifying the requirements and best conditions to support nanotube growth in the premixed flame. The formation of nanotubes between particles as described by the IPM indicates that a single mechanism cannot completely describe nanotube synthesis; more likely, multiple pathways exist with varying rates that depend on specific process conditions.     

Crazing in two polystyrene/polybutadiene block copolymers

Crazing was investigated in two commercial polystyrene/polybutadiene block copolymers made by the Phillips Petroleum Co. and marketed under the trade names of KRO-1 and KRO-3 resins. The two block copolymers each with 23% polybutadiene (PB), have radically different microstructure and radically different crazing behavior, leading to strains to fracture of 0.1 and 1.0, respectively. Of these, the KRO-1 Resin has a phase microstructure that consists of randomly wavy and often interconnected rods of PB of 20 nm diameter surrounded by polystyrene (PS). The microstructure of KRO-3 Resin consists of lamellae of PB with 20 nm thickness and large aspect ratio which range in packing from regular aligned lamellar domains with randomly varying misorientation in the annealed material, to randomly corrugated and wavy sheets in the as-received material. Crazes in KRO-1 Resin have well delineated planar shapes with a conventional, tufty craze matter structure which suggests growth by the now well-established meniscus instability mechanism proposed by one of us. In KRO-3 Resin, on the other hand, crazing involves profuse cavitation if the PB lamellae, giving rise to less well delineated zones of cavitational growth dispersed over the volume and suggests a mechanism of craze growth by stable, interfacial cavitational degradation in a process zone ahead of the craze tip. The measured stress and temperature dependences of craze velocities in these two polymers is in partial support of the suggested mechanisms which are also developed in outline.     

Positron production by muon neutrinos BEBC filled with a neon-hydrogen mixture

For e⁺ energy > 0.3 GeV and 10 GeV < visible energy < 100 GeV we find that: (i) $\text{? = (v}{}_{\mathrm{\mu }}\text{+}\text{Ne}\text{→ μ}{}^{\mathrm{?}}\text{e}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{)/(v}{}_{\mathrm{\mu }}\text{+}\text{Ne}\text{→ μ}{}^{\mathrm{?}}\text{) = (0.41 ± 0.15)\%}$; (ii) 1.2 ± 0.5 neutral strange particles are produced per μ^?e⁺ event; (iii) the lifetime of possible positron-parent particles is < 3 × 10^?10 s (90% C.L.); (iv) the cross section for direct e⁺ production via the neutral current is < 0.2 times that via the charged current (90% C.L.); (v) the cross section for producing heavy leptons, L⁺, decaying into e⁺ … is < 0.7 × 10^?3 times that for μ^?production, implying M(L⁺) > 10 GeV.     

Total cross section for neutrino charged current interactions at 3 GeV and 9 GeV

Average total cross sections are given for neutrino charged current interactions at neutrino energies of 2.87 GeV and 9.05 GeV. The ratios $\text{〈σ〉}\text{〈E〉}\text{are}\text{0.69 ± 0.05}\text{and}\text{0.61 ± 0.06}$ in units of 10^?38 cm²/GeV nucleon, respectively The errors include both statistical and systematic uncertainties.     

A facilities in series capacity constrained dynamic lot-size model

A facilities in series dynamic lot-size model is studied. The model differs from earlier studies involving concave cost functions in the introduction of capacity constraints for production at the last facility. The structure of the optimal solution is characterized. Two algorithms, one involving decomposition the other a one-stage algorithm are presented and compared with respect to their computational efficiency. Only the non backlogging case is considered.     

Critical reynolds number for a spherical particle in plane couette flow

Zusammenfassung Es wird die Bewegung eines kleinen sphärischen Teilchens in einer Couette-Strömung untersucht. Wenn die Reynolds-Zahl grösser ist als ein kritischer Wert, so wird die Teilchen-Bewegung in laminarer Strömung instabil und verursacht Turbulenz; unterhalb des kritischen Wertes bleibt die Strömung laminar. Die kritische Reynolds-Zahl (auf Teilchen-Durchmesser und Geschwindigkeitsgradient basierend) hängt nur vom Dichteverhältnis zwischen der Flüssigkeit und der Kugelab.