An efficiently halogen-free flame-retardant long-glass-fiber-reinforced polypropylene system

In order to solve the “candlewick effect” caused by glass fibers, which results in the decrease of flame retardancy of flame-retardant long-glass-fiber-reinforced polypropylene (LGFPP) systems, and the deterioration of mechanical properties caused by adding an additional amount of flame retardants compared with flame-retardant non-glass-fiber-reinforced polypropylene systems so as to keep a same flame retardancy, a novel intumescent flame retardant (IFR) system, which is composed of a charring agent (CA), ammonium polyphosphate (APP) and organically-modified montmorillonite (OMMT), was used to flame retard LGFPP. The thermal stability, combustion behavior, char formation, flame retardant mechanism and mechanical properties of the IFR-LGFPP samples were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), limiting oxygen index (LOI), UL-94 test, cone calorimeter test, scanning electronic microscopy, and mechanical property tests. When the content of IFR is 20 wt%, the LOI value of IFR-LGFPP reaches 31.3, and the vertical burning test reaches UL-94 V-0 rating, solving the “candlewick effect” caused by long glass fiber without additional amount of the IFR. All the relevant cone calorimeter parameters also show that IFR-LGFPP has much better flame-retardant behaviors than LGFPP. Furthermore, the mechanical properties of IFR-LGFPP almost remain unchanged in comparison with those of LGFPP containing no IFR. The flame retardant mechanism was also discussed.     

Study of binding constant of toll-like receptor 4 and lipopolysaccharide using capillary zone electrophoresis

This short communication describes the interaction between toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS, its specific ligand) using analytical methods. Their interaction has been evidenced in many reports. Nevertheless, there are few reports focused on their binding constant. In this research, the interaction between TLR4 and LPS is investigated using mobility shift method by CZE. To optimize the electrophoresis conditions, the effecting factors, running buffer, sample concentration, injection duration, and operation voltage of electrophoretic on the mobility shift are studied in detail. Electrophoresis conditions were described as follows: borate buffer (pH 7.4, 20 mM), 5 s for 50 mbar pressure injection duration, and 13 kV of separation voltage in 41.5 cm fused silica capillary with 75 μm id and 375?μm od. The combination constant of TLR4 and LPS is calculated using Scatchard methods. The Scatchard liner correlation is y=-0.0165x+0.1456, binding constant is K=1.65 x 10? (g/mL)?1.     

Quantitative gel electrophoresis: new records in precision by elaborated staining and detection protocols

Gel electrophoresis (GE) is a very common analytical technique for proteome research and protein analysis. Despite being developed decades ago, there is still a considerable need to improve its precision. Using the fluorescence of Colloidal Coomassie Blue -stained proteins in near-infrared (NIR), the major error source caused by the unpredictable background staining is strongly reduced. This result was generalized for various types of detectors. Since GE is a multi-step procedure, standardization of every single step is required. After detailed analysis of all steps, the staining and destaining were identified as the major source of the remaining variation. By employing standardized protocols, pooled percent relative standard deviations of 1.2-3.1% for band intensities were achieved for one-dimensional separations in repetitive experiments. The analysis of variance suggests that the same batch of staining solution should be used for gels of one experimental series to minimize day-to-day variation and to obtain high precision.     

Formation of titanate nanostructures under different NaOH concentration and their application in wastewater treatment

The effects of the concentration of NaOH on the formation and transformation of various titanate nanostructures were studied. With increasing NaOH concentration, three different formation mechanisms were proposed. Nanotubes can only be obtained under moderate NaOH conditions, and should transform into nanowires with prolonged hydrothermal treatment, and their formation rate is accelerated by increasing NaOH concentration. Low concentration of NaOH results in the direct formation of nanowires, while extra high concentration of NaOH leads to the formation of amorphous nanoparticles. Adsorption and photocatalysis studies show that titanate nanowires and nanotubes might be potential adsorbents for the removal of both heavy metal ions and dyes and photocatalysts for the removal of dyes from wastewater.     

Differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetric determination of Cd and Pb at a bismuth glassy carbon electrode modified with Nafion, poly(2,5-dimercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazole) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes

A simple, cheap, and nonpolluting method was developed for the cloud point extraction of gold (Au) and palladium (Pd). It is based on the complexation reaction of Au and Pd with 1-phenyl-3-methyl-4-benzoyl-5-pyrazolone (PMBP) and micelle mediated extraction of the complex using the non-ionic surfactant poly(ethylene glycol) mono-p-nonylphenyl ether (PONPE 7.5). Under the optimized experimental conditions, the enrichment factors are 16 and 17 for Au and Pd, respectively, for 15?mL of preconcentrated solution. The limits of detection are 3.8???g?L^?1 and 1.8???g?L^?1 for Au and Pd, respectively. The relative standard deviations are 1.4% for Au and 0.6% for Pd (n?=?11). The method was successfully applied to the determination of Au and Pd in certified reference materials and mine samples.

Preparation and characterization of attapulgite-silver nanocomposites,and their application to the electrochemical determination of nitrobenzene

Microchimica Acta - The surface of attapulgite was cleaned, modified with 3-aminpropyltriethoxysilane, and then covered with silver nanoparticles. The structure and morphology of the modified...     

Native biofilm cultured under controllable condition and used in mediated method for BOD measurement

In this article, we developed a native biofilm (NBF) bioreactor used for biochemical oxygen demand mediated method (BOD_Med). There were two innovations differed from previous BOD_Med assay. Firstly, the immobilization of microorganisms was adopted in BOD_Med. Secondly, the NBF was introduced for BOD measurement. The NBF bioreactor has been characterized by optical microscopy. A culture condition of NBF with 24 h, 35 °C and pH 7 was optimized. Furthermore, a measuring condition with 35 °C, pH 7 and 55 mM ferricyanide in 1 h incubation were optimized. Based on the optimized condition, the real wastewater samples from local sewage treatment plant had been measured. Performances of the NBFs proposed at different culture conditions were recorded for 110 d, and the results indicated that long-term storage stability was obtained. With the proposed method, an uncontaminated native microbial source solution can be obtained from a wastewater treatment plant. In this way, we can ensure that the microbial species of all in the NBF are same as that in the target to be measured.     

N-{4-{N-甲基-N-[2-羟基-3-(2,4-二氧代-1,2,3,4-四氢嘧啶-5-基)氨基]丙基}氨基-3-溴}苯甲酰基-L-谷氨酸二乙酯及其衍生物的合成

报道了N-{4-{N-甲基-N-[2-羟基-3-(2,4-二氧代-1,2,3,4-四氢嘧啶-5-基)氨基]丙基}氨基-3-溴}苯甲酰基-L-谷氨酸二乙酯及其衍生物的简便合成方法. 分别以4-氨基苯甲酸乙酯和4-氨基苯甲酰基-L-谷氨酸二乙酯为起始物, 经甲基化、烯丙基化、溴羟基化、环氧化、开环、脱保护等反应首次合成了6个新型5-取代氨基嘧啶类化合物, 并通过¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR 和MS对其化学结构进行了表征. 初步生物活性结果表明, 苯环侧链的L-谷氨酸酯部分是此类化合物抑制人重组二氢叶酸还原酶的必需结构.     

High speed injection molding of high density polyethylene �� Effects of injection speed on structure and properties

Thin wall samples of high density polyethylene (HDPE) were prepared via injection molding with different injection speeds ranging from 100 mm/s to 1200 mm/s. A significant decrease in the tensile strength and Young??s modulus was observed with increasing injection speed. In order to investigate the mechanism behind this decrease, the orientation, molecular weight, molecular weight distribution, melt flow rate, crystallinity and crystal morphology of HDPE were characterized using two-dimensional wide-angle X-ray diffraction (2D-WAXD), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), capillary rheometry and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), respectively. It is demonstrated that the orientation, molecular weight, molecular weight distribution, melt flow rate and crystallinity have no obvious change with increasing injection speed. Nevertheless, the content of extended chain crystals or large folded chain crystals was found to decrease with increasing injection speed. Therefore, it is concluded that the decrease in tensile properties is mainly contributed by the reduced content of extended chain crystals or large folded chain crystals. This study provides industry with valuable information for the application of high speed injection molding.