Effects of processing parameters on the mechanical properties of polypropylene random copolymer

The mechanical properties of polypropylene random copolymer (PP-R) with different processing parameters were studied. Special attention is devoted to the investigation of the influence of masterbatch addition on the variation in the mechanical properties of injection moulded PP-R. Tensile, instrumented Charpy impact, Shore D hardness, differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and Vicat softening temperature (VST) tests were conducted on the test samples containing different colour masterbatches varying from 0.5 to 10 wt%. The observed changes in the mechanical behaviour are explained by the type and level of masterbatch content. The natural UV weathering performance of the PP-R material was studied from the masterbatch type point of view. The effect of processing parameters on material performance was studied on samples which were directly obtained from extruded pipes and on injection moulded samples.

Finally, the effects of storage time on the polymer properties were investigated.     

Degradation thermique et etude vibrationnelle de MII(NH4)4(P3O9)2x4H2O(M II=Cu2+, Ni2+, Co2+)

We have studied the thermal behaviour under atmospheric pressure of isotypic tetrahydrate cyclotriphosphates M^II(NH₄)₄(P₃O₉)₂x4H₂O (M ^II=Cu, Ni and Co), between 25 and 1400°C, by X-ray diffraction, thermal analyses (TG and DTA) and infrared spectrometry. This study shows that the series of the compounds M^II(NH₄)₄(P₃O₉)₂x4H₂O (M ^II=Cu, Ni and Co) after elimination of water, in two different stages, and ammonia leads, at 400°C to cyclotetraphosphate M₂ ^IIP₄O₁₂ crystallized and to a thermal residue with a formula H₄P₄O₁₂ which undergoes under a thermal degradation by evolving water and pentoxide phosphorus. The kinetic characteristics of the dehydration and elimination of ammonia have been determinated. The vibrational spectra of Cu(NH₄)₄(P₃O₉)₂x4H₂O were examined and interpreted, in the domain of the valency frequencies, on the basis of the crystalline structure of its isotypic compound Co(NH₄)₄(P₃O₉)₂x4H₂O whose cycle has the site symmetry C₁, of our results of the calculation of the IR frequencies and the successive isotopic substitutions of the equivalent atoms (3P, 3Oi and 6Oe belonging to the P₃Oi₃Oe₆ ring) of the P₃O₉ ³⁻ cycle with high symmetry D_3h. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Photocatalytic degradation of sulfadiazine in suspensions of TiO2 nanosheets with exposed (001) facets

Antibiotics such as sulfonamides are widely used in agriculture as growth promoters and medicine in treatment of infectious diseases. However, the release of these antibiotics has caused serious environmental problems. In this paper, photocatalytic oxidation technology was used to degrade sulfadiazine (SDZ), one of the typical sulfonamides antibiotics, in UV illuminated TiO₂ suspensions. It was found that TiO₂ nanosheets (TiO₂-NSs) with exposed (001) facets exhibit much higher photoreactivity towards SDZ degradation compared to TiO₂ nanoparticles (TiO₂-NPs) with a rate constant increases from 0.017 min⁻¹ to 0.035 min⁻¹, improving by a factor of 2.1. Under the attacking of reactive oxygen species (ROSs) such as superoxide radicals (O₂^–) and hydroxyl radicals (OH), SDZ was steady degraded on the surface of TiO₂-NSs. Based on the identification of the produced intermediates by LC–MS/MS, possible degradation pathways of SDZ, which include desulfonation, oxidation and cleavage, were put forwards. After UV irradiation for 4 h, nearly 90% of the total organic carbon (TOC) can be removed in suspensions of TiO₂-NSs, indicating the mineralization of SDZ. TiO₂-NSs also exhibits excellent stability in photocatalytic degradation of SDZ in wide range of pH. Even after recycling used for 7 times, more than 91.3% of the SDZ can be efficiently removed, indicating that they are promising to be practically used in treatment of wastewater containing antibiotics.     

Influence of silica fillers during the electron irradiation of DGEBA/TETA epoxy resins, part II: Study of the thermomechanical properties

This work describes the influence of silica fillers on the thermomechanical properties of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A/triethylenetetramine (DGEBA/TETA) epoxy resins during ageing under electron beam irradiation. Whatever be the silica filler (pure micrometric ground and spherical silicas, nanometric silicas and coupling agent treated silicas), the glass transition temperature of the epoxy resins decreases with increasing irradiation dose, meaning that the main effect of the irradiation is chain scission. No influence of the silica fillers has been detected from the changes in the glass transition temperature with the increase in the irradiation dose. The disappearance of the cooperativity of the γ relaxation, the decrease of the α relaxation and the decrease of the elastic modulus at the rubbery plateau observed by dynamic mechanical analyses involve a decrease in the crosslink density of the epoxy resins. The occurrence of chemical reactions between the epoxy resin and the silica surface at high irradiation doses has been shown. Moreover, we show evidence that chemical reactions between the epoxy resin and the silica surface occur at high irradiation dose.     

Thermal and thermoxidative degradations of starch and thermosensitive starch-g-BAM copolymers

Summary Thermal degradation under N₂atmosphere and thermoxidative degradation under air atmosphere of increasingly grafting efficiency values (i.e. GE%=0.0 to 35.5) for starch and starch grafted with N-tert-butylacrylamide thermosensitive copolymers (starch-g-BAM) by Ozawa and Kissinger methods using thermogravimetric analysis (TG) and differential scanning calorimetry techniques (DSC) at 10, 30 and 50% mass losses respectively have been studied. Influence of physical inter and intra molecular interactions on grafting and consequently on activation energy of degradation (E_a,d) was investigated using Ozawa's method, whereas linear dependence of E_a,don GE% by scaling relations using Kissinger's method was determined. Furthermore, the thermoxidative degradation induces the possibility of molecular rearrangement, cyclization and partial crosslinking that is deduced from the activation energy of degradation (E_a,d) and residual mass of TG profile. Thermal stability of starch does not alter as a result of different grafting efficiency percentages.     

Flux decline behaviors in dead-end microfiltration of activated sludge and its supernatant

The properties of dead-end microfiltration were explored under constant pressure using two types of activated sludge controlled under the condition of different air flow rates. The activated sludge cultured at the air flow rate of 0.15 L min⁻¹ (the anaerobic condition) exhibited a significant flux decline compared with the case of the air flow rate of 2.33 L min⁻¹ (the aerobic condition). It was found from the results of microfiltration of the supernatant separated by centrifugation that the constituents in the supernatant caused a major cake resistance in microfiltration of the activated sludge. The average specific filtration resistance for filtration of the activated sludge was closely consistent with that for filtration of the supernatant at low pressure (49 kPa). However, the cake resistance of the microbial floc in microfiltration of the activated sludge became substantial with increasing filtration pressure because of high compressibility of the microbial floc. Moreover, the foulant and the fouling mechanism in microfiltration of the supernatant were evaluated from both microfiltration test of the supernatant and microfiltration test of the filtrate collected thereby. As a result, the effects of the pore size and material of the microfiltration membrane on the flux decline behaviors in dead-end microfiltration were reasonably elucidated.     

Profiling and comprehensive expression analysis of ABC transporter solute-binding proteins of Bacillus subtilis membrane based on a proteomic approach

We analyzed ABC transporter solute-binding proteins (SBPs) of the Bacillus subtilis membrane using a proteomic approach. We prepared a washed cell membrane fraction that was insoluble in 134 mM nondetergent sulfobetaine and then extracted proteins using mixtures of detergents in a stepwise manner. The membrane proteins were resolved by three two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-D PAGE) or two one-dimensional (1-D) PAGE procedures, electroblotted, and digested in the presence of 5% or 80% acetonitrile. Thereafter, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) identified 637 proteins corresponding to 15.9% of the total cellular proteins. We predicted that among these, 256 were membrane proteins, 101 were lipoproteins or secretory proteins and 280 were soluble proteins containing peripheral proteins that function in both the cytoplasm and the cell membrane such as SecA and FtsY. Among the 637 proteins, we identified 30 SBPs among 38 importers predicted by a bioinformatic search of the genome. We confirmed expression of the genes for the 30 SBPs using DNA microarray analysis. We compared the 2-D gel separation profiles of submembrane fractions solubilized by 1% n-dodecyl-beta-D-maltoside from cells cultured on Luria Bertani (LB), S7, and S7 medium without glutamate as well as DNA microarray data on LB and S7. The results suggested that YcdH, YtmK and YurO are binding proteins for Mn(++), glutamate and glucose, respectively, and that YqiX and YxeM are binding proteins for amino acids (tryptophan in S7 medium).     

Thermal degradation of poly(vinyl chloride)

This paper presents an initial attempt at describing poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) thermal degradation through a semi-detailed and lumped kinetic model. A mechanism of 40 species and pseudocomponents (molecules and radicals) involved in about 250 reactions permits quite a good reproduction of the main characteristics of PVC degradation and volatilization. The presence of the two step mechanism—the first step of which corresponds to dehydrochlorination and the second to the tar release and residue char formation—are correctly predicted both in quantitative terms and in the temperature ranges. The model was validated by comparison with several thermo gravimetric analyses, both dynamic at different heating rates, and isothermal. When compared with the typical one step global apparent degradation models, the approach proposed here spans quite large operative ranges, especially when it comes to predicting product distributions. The initial results of these product predictions, even though quite preliminary, are encouraging and confirm the validity of the model.     

Novel Ytterbium(III) Selective Membrane Sensor Based on N‐(2‐Pyridyl)‐N′‐(2‐Methoxyphenyl)‐Thiourea as an Excellent Carrier and Its Application to Determination of Fluoride in Mouth Wash Preparation Samples

The construction, performance, and applications of a novel ytterbium(III) sensor based on N‐(2‐pyridyl)‐N′‐(2‐methoxyphenyl)‐thiourea (PMT), as an excellent carrier, in plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) PVC matrix, is described. The influences of membrane composition and pH on the potentiometric response of the sensor were investigated. The sensor exhibits a nice Nernstian response for Yb(III) ion over a wide concentration range of 4 decades of concentration (1.0×10^?6–1.0×10^?2 M), and a detection limit of 5.0×10^?7 M. The response time of the electrodes is between 8 and 10 s, depending on the concentration of ytterbium(III) ions. The proposed sensor can be used for about 8 weeks without any considerable divergence in potential. The sensor revealed very good selectivity for Yb(III) in the presence of several metal ions. The best performance was observed for the membrane containing; 30% PVC, 59% o‐nitrophenyloctyl ether (NPOE) as solvent mediator, 7% PMT, and 4% sodium tetraphenyl borate (NaTPB). It was successfully applied as indicator electrodes in the potentiometric titration of Yb(III) with EDTA and for the determination of fluoride ion in two mouth wash formulations. The proposed La(III) sensor was found to work well under laboratory conditions. It was also used as an indicator electrode in titration of a 1.0×10^?4 M of Yb(III) with a standard EDTA solution (1.0×10^?2 M). It was also used for determination of Yb(III) ion in Xenotime .     

Study of polymer treatment with tetrafluoromethane plasma: Reactivity of fluorinated species on model surfaces

Polyolefins and their model molecules, some n-alcanes, have been modified by a tetrafluoromethane microwave plasma. The chosen molecules are high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and hexatriacontane (HTC), low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and paraffin, and polycaprolactone (PCL) and octadecyl octadecanoate (ODO). It has been found, except for paraffin, that the model surfaces have the same behavior as the corresponding polymers. Plasma modification is described as the sum of two mechanisms: degradation and fluorination. These reactions seem to be competitive and parallel. Degradation and fluorination rates are dependent on treatment time and are practically independent on substrate position. A domain of fluorination exists near the edge of plasma, whatever the substrate in or outside plasma. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.