Rheology of a mixture of liquid-crystal polymers in solution

The rheological behavior of a mixture of two liquid-crystal polymers, hydroxypropyl cellulose and ethyl cellulose, in acetone solution is studied. The total polymer concentration in the solvent is held constant (40%) as the ratio of the two polymers is varied. The mixtures are anisotropic, isotropic, or biphasic (isotropic/anisotropic), depending on the concentration. Curves of viscosity vs shear rate for all the mixtures studied show three regions of viscosity, as described by Onogi and Asada for liquid-crystal polymers. The viscosity as a function of the weight ratio of the two polymers at constant shear rate exhibits deviations from additivity of viscosities of the two components at all concentrations. In mixtures of two polymers in the melt, deviations are also observed; the negative ones are attributed to phase separation and the positive ones to homogenous mixing (comparison with the phase diagram). All the mixtures studied (anisotropic, isotropic, or biphasic), show ranges of shear rates where the first normal-stress difference is negative, as is generally observed for anisotropic liquid-crystal polymers. It is concluded that the isotropic solutions become anisotropic under shear, as they are not far from the critical concentration. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Properties of polystyrene-poly(methylmethacrylate) random and diblock copolymers in dilute and semidilute solutions

Solution properties for random and diblock copolymers of polystyrene (PS) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) have been measured by dynamic and total intensity light scattering in solvents of differing quality. The results are compared with the corresponding properties for PS and PMMA homopolymers of similar molecular weight, in order to determine if interactions between unlike monomers are significant. The hydrodynamic radius (R_h) and diffusion second virial coefficient (k_d) for the random copolymer are found to be larger than the corresponding values for the homopolymers in a solvent which is near-theta for the two homopolymers, whereas no such effect is observed for the block copolymer. This suggests that most intrachain interactions occur a relatively short distance along the chain backbone. In a mutual good solvent R_h and k_d of the random copolymer are comparable to the average of the values for the homopolymers, indicating that in a good solvent monomer/solvent interactions dominate over monomer/monomer interactions. For an isolated diblock copolymer in a mutual good solvent, there is no evidence that interactions between unlike monomers lead to additional expansion of the entire molecule, as measured by R_h, nor expansion of the individual blocks as probed by light scattering with one block optically masked. However, at low but finite concentration there is evidence (the coefficients of the binary interaction terms in the viscosity and the mutual diffusion coefficient, and the second and third virial coefficients) that a weak ordering effect may exist in block copolymer solutions, far from the conditions where microphase separation occurs. Finally, measurements of ternary polymer-polymer-solvent solutions show no dependence on monomer composition or monomer distribution for the tracer diffusion of probe PS-PMMA copolymers in a PMMA/toluene matrix. This indicate that the frictional interaction is largely unaffected by interactions between unlike monomers. However, there is evidence that the thermodynamic interaction is more unfavorable between a random copolymer and the homopolymer matrix than between a diblock and the matrix. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Reduction of tympanic membrane displacement during vocalization of the arboreal frog, Eleutherodactylus coqui.

Tympanic membrane (TM) velocities of vocalizing male frogs, Eleutherodactylus coqui, were measured in the field using laser vibrometry. The animal's call produced levels of 114-120 dB SPL measured at distances of 12-20 mm from the eardrum and mean TM displacements in response to the two notes of the male's own advertisement call were 1.84 and 2.08 nm, respectively. These values are close to the TM displacements obtained in response to playback of the two-note call at much lower sound levels. Thus TM vibrations are attenuated during phonation in the frog, and several candidate mechanisms for auditory sensitivity reduction are discussed.     

The effect of crystallinity on chain mobility and free volume in the amorphous regions of a miscible polycarbonate/polyester blend

Homopolymers and blends of polycarbonate/ThermX have been investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis, density measurements, and positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy. The study focuses on the chain mobility and free volume in the amorphous miscible regions of the blends and how this mobility and free volume are affected by increasing crystallinity. It is proposed that judicious annealing, which results in increasing crystallinity (while avoiding ageing or transesterification), induces a constraint on the amorphous region leading to an increase in T_g and coalescence of free volume sites. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Spectrophotometric study of holmium complexation in KOH solutions at 25°C

The complexation of Ho³⁺ in HoCl₃ and KOH solutions at 25°C and saturated vapor pressure was studied by an indicator spectrophotometric technique, and the pH values of the investigated solutions were determined. The stability constants of the hydroxo complexes of Ho³⁺ were measured over a range of pH 9.25–10.10 and at μ≤ 4 × 10^?4 and extrapolated to zero ionic strength.     

Band structures in73Se

Excited states of⁷³Se have been investigated up to spin, 21/2 using techniques of in-beamγ-ray spectroscopy in connection with the⁷⁰Ge(α, n) reaction. Mean lifetimes of 12 levels have been determined applying Doppler-shift andγ-RF-methods. Five different bands have been identified that reflect a variety of different excitation modes. The decoupled 9/2⁺ band is likely to correspond to an oblate deformation while the 5/2⁺ band is interpreted as a strongly coupled prolate band built on the Nilsson configuration [422] 5/2⁺. The 3/2^? band is a strongly coupled band built on the [301] 3/2^} configuration.Nuclear reactions:⁷⁰Ge(α,n),E=14, 16, 18, 19, 20MeV; measuredE _γ,I _γ,σ(E _γ,θ),γγ-coin, linear polarization, DSA,γ(t).⁷⁵Se deduced levels,I, π, τ, δ(E2/M1), B(σλ). Enriched targets, Ge detectors.     

Serial magnetic resonance imaging in patients following acute myocardial infarction.

The detection of serial changes in magnetic resonance (MR) signal intensity of the heart following acute myocardial infarction may provide a useful method of characterizing tissue healing. Fourteen patients with acute Q-wave infarction underwent T2-weighted, spin-echo cardiac imaging during hospitalization, followed by one or more additional MR studies (total 31) over a 6- to 27-wk period (mean: 3 mo). Visual assessment of the images demonstrated a gradual reduction in signal intensity and localization of the bright signal to the subendocardium of the infarction region over the three-mo study period. A quantitative measurement of signal intensity (infarction/normal myocardium) fell from 1.81 +/- 0.42 on the initial study to 1.34 +/- 0.37 (p less than 0.05) at a mean of 14 wk. Two patients had an increase in signal intensity on the follow-up study and both patients had been readmitted with acute coronary syndromes. In summary, characterization of changes in signal intensity may provide a useful method of assessing myocardial healing following acute myocardial infarction. Further studies are indicated to determine the prognostic significance of these parameters.