Identification of a chemical indicator of the rupture of 1,4-β-glycosidic bonds of cellulose in an oil-impregnated insulating paper system

In this study, headspace gas chromatography/mass spectrometry has been used to assess the volatile by-products generated by the ageing of oil-impregnated paper insulation of power transformers. Sealed-glass ampoules were used to age under oxidative conditions 0.5-g specimens of insulating paper in 9 mL of inhibited mineral oil in a temperature range of 60–120 °C and moisture of 0.5, 1 and 2% (w/w). A linear relationship between one of the oil-soluble degradation by-products, i.e. methanol, and the number of ruptured 1,4-β-glycosidic bonds of cellulose, regardless of the type of paper (ordinary Kraft or thermally-upgraded (TU) Kraft paper), was established for the first time in this field. Ageing at 130 °C of model compounds of the Kraft paper constituents (α-cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin) and two cellulosic breakdown by-products (D-(+)-glucose and 1,6-anhydro-β-d-glucopyranose) confirmed that the α-cellulose degradation was mostly responsible for the presence of this molecule in the system. Furthermore, additional 130 °C-tests with six different papers and pressboard samples under a tight control of initial moisture indicated that at least one molecule of methanol is formed for each rupture of 1,4-β-glucosidic bond of the molecular chains. Stability tests showed that the ageing indicator is stable under the oxygen and temperature conditions of open-breathing transformers. The presence of methanol was detected in 94% of oil samples collected from over than 900 in-service pieces of equipment, confirming the potential for this application. Lastly, the tests have shown that oil-oxidation by-products and TU-nitrogenous agents modify the methanol partitioning coefficients in the paper/oil/air system, which makes their study essential over a range of field conditions encountered by power transformers. Results are presented and discussed in comparison with 2-furfuraldehyde, which is the current reference in the domain.     

Synthesis and crystal structures of heterobimetallic Fe-Cd,Fe-Zn,and Fe-In complexes containing hemilabile phosphorus/oxygen and silicon/oxygen bridging ligands

The reactions of K[Fe{Si(OMe)₃}(CO)₃(PY)][PY=Ph₂PCH₂C(O)Ph, Ph₂PCH₂C(O)[(-C₅H₄)FeCp] (Cp=⁵-C₅H₅), Ph₂P(CH₂)₂CN] with CdCl₂·2.5H₂O, ZnX ₂ (X=Cl, I) or InCl₃ afforded Fe-Cd-Fe or Fe-M(-X)₂ M-Fe (M=Cd, Zn, In;X=Cl, I) and Fe-InCl₂ complexes. Some of them contain an unusual and labile -²-SiO alkoxysilyl bridge which may be associated with a bridging mode for the ketophosphine ligand (first such example structurally established), thus providing original results in bimetallic chemistry on the intramolecular coordination of oxygendonor functions ofchemically different hemilabile ligands firmly attached to a neighboring metal center. The structures of the trinuclear complex (3), of the chlorobenzene solvate of the tetranuclear complex (4a·C₆H₅Cl) and of [mer-(OC)₃{(EtO)₃Si} (4e) have been determined by X-ray diffraction. Crystals of 3 are orthorhombic, space groupPbcn, witha=19.010(4),b=11.766(5),c=26.998(7)Å, andZ=4. Crystals of4a·C₆H₅Cl are monoclinic, space groupC2/c witha=22.455(3),b=17.680(2),c=16.627(4)Å, =90.80(4)°, andZ=4. Crystals of4e are monoclinic, space groupC2/c witha=25.392(5),b=18.554(6),c=16.28(1)Å, =120.73(3)°, andZ=4. The structures were solved using direct methods and Fourier difference techniques and refined by blocked full-matrix least squares toR=0.035 (R _w =0.049) for 2719 observed reflections, toR=0.042 (R _w =0.056) for 3082 observed reflections, and toR=0.057 (R _w =0.075) for 1850 observed reflections for3, 4a·C₆H₅Cl and4e, respectively. The Fe-Zn complexes (9a), (9b) and (9c) were prepared and characterized by spectroscopic methods.Part 21 in the Series: Complexes with Functional Phosphines. Part 20: P. Braunstein, S. Coco Cea, A. DeCian, and J. Fischer (1992).Inorg. Chem. 31, 4203.     

A systematic formula for the asymptotic expansion of singular integrals

Asymptotic theories like the lifting-line, the slender body or the slender ship lead to lineintegrals with singular kernels. Sometimes these integrals are improper, that is to say that they are defined only by their Finite Part. To find asymptotic expansions of these integrals, the Matched Asymptotic Expansion Method is widely used along with other more specific methods depending on the kernel type. The first method is laborious and not systematic, and the other methods are sometimes too much specific to treat general cases. Moreover, all of them are not well adapted to deal with Finite Part integrals.Here, a new method is proposed to avoid the previous difficulties. This method is systematic for homogeneous kernels and gives approximations up to any order, as long as the derivative of the weight function exists at this given order. Moreover the occurrence of logarithmic terms in the expansion is explained and easily predictable. An elliptic integral and the classical lifting-line theory are treated to illustrate the ease of this method.

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Résumé Les théories asymptotiques telles que la ligne portante, le corps élancé ou le navire de grand allongement conduisent à des intégrales curvilignes à noyaux singuliers. Parfois, ces intégrales sont impropres c'est à dire qu'elles sont définies en Parties Finies. Différentes méthodes ont été mises au point pour trouver les développements asymptotiques de ces intégrales. Généralement elles dépendent fortement de la nature du noyau, et c'est finalement la méthode des développements raccordés qui est utilisées quand le noyau est trop compliqué. Cependant, cette méthode est laborieuse et comme les précèdentes non adaptée aux intégrales défines par leur Partie Finie.Une nouvelle méthode est proposée pour surmonter ces difficultés. Cette méthode est systématique pour les noyaux homogènes et donne les approximations à tout ordre pourvu que les dérivées de la fonction poids existent jusqu'à cet ordre. De plus la présence de termes logarithmiques dans le développement est expliquée et aisément prédictible.Une intégrale elliptique, ainsi que la fameuse théorie de la ligne portante sont traités pour illustrer les possibilités de la méthode.

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Nomenclature D domain of integration - f(x) weight function - FP Finite Part - h(x) weight function - I ,I _o bounded intervals - j, J integers - K(x, ) singular kernel - L, L integers - M integer defining the approximation order - P _k (x) Legendre polynomial - R set of real numbers - R(ß) equals 1 if is an integer and 0 if not - R _{f, J} ,R _{K, L} remainders of Taylor developments - S () equals either 1 or the sign function:sgn() - t, u, v, x variable of integration - , real numbers - homogeneity order of the kernel - F () Euler's integral (gamma function) - small parameter - [.] integer part of     

A propos de conjectures de Serre et Sullivan

Summary We first give a new proof of a conjecture of J.-P. Serre on the homotopy of finite complexes, which was recently proved by C. McGibbon and J. Neisendorfer. The emphasis is on a property of the mod. 2 homology of certain spaces: their quasi-boundedness as right modules over the Steenrod algebra. This property is preserved when one goes from a simply connected space to its loop space and also when one takes a covering of anH-space. Then we show that this notion of quasi-boundedness simplifies H. Miller's proof of D. Sullivan's conjecture on the contractibility of the space of pointed maps from the classifying space of the groupe /2 into a finite complex.     

The synthesis of imidazole-2-thione nucleosides

Ribosylation of the trimethylsilyl derivative ( 1b ) of imidazole-2-thione ( 1a ) using either stannic chloride or silver perchlorate as catalyst resulted in the formation of the acylated derivatives of 1-(β-D-ribofuranosyl)imidazole-2-thione ( 3c ) and 1,3-di-(β-D-ribofuranosyl)imidazole-2-thione ( 4c ) with the latter predominating ( 4c:3c , ca. 2:1 ). The diribosylated nucleoside 4c was shown to be the N,N-disubstituted product rather than the N,S-disubstituted product by ¹H nmr and ¹³C nmr spectroscopy. Employment of the iodine-catalyzed fusion procedure reversed the aforementioned product ratios and provided the monoriboside 3c in excellent yield. When the trimethylsilyl derivative ( 5b ) of 2-methylthioimidazole ( 5a ) was reacted with 2,3,5-tri-O-benzoyl-D-ribofuranosyl bromide ( 2d ) in acetonitrile, the major product was 1,3-di-(2,3,5-tri-O-benzoyl-β-D-ribofuranosyl)-imidazole-2-thione ( 4b ). The formation of 4b in this reaction is thought to arise via the Hilbert-Johnson mechanism.     

Efficient solid-phase synthesis of 4,5-dihydro-1,2,4-triazin-6(1H)-ones

A new and easy protocol for the formation of substituted 4,5-dihydro-1,2,4-triazin-6(1H)-ones was developed on solid support. The heterocyclic compounds were formed by nucleophilic reaction of hydrazine on thioamide esters. As cyclization was concomitant with cleavage from the support, substituted 4,5-dihydrotriazinones were obtained in high purity.     

Réductions chimique et électrochimique de 5H-benzopyranno[4,3-d]pyrimidines

The chemical reduction of 5H-[1]benzopyranno[4,3-d]pyrimidines with lithium aluminum hydrrde leads to 3,4-dihydro derivations. The electro-chemical reducation in acidic medium shows two monoelectronic cathodic waves. In netural or basic medium, substituted compounds in 2 position show a single bielectronic wave while two bielectronic waves are observed for unsubstituted compounds In all cases, preparative electrolysis lead to a hydrodimer in the 4,4′-positiom.