Quantitative determination of paraffin oil in blood by capillary gas chromatography

A capillary gas chromatographic method is described for the quantitative determination of liquid paraffin in blood. Paraffin is extracted from blood into n-heptane. After solvent evaporation and dissolution of the residue in 100–200 μl n-heptane one μl is injected into a gas chromatograph fitted with a fused silica capillary column (Permabond® OV-1-CB-0.1, 10 m × 0.32 mm i.d.) and flame ionization detector. Analysis is performed by using an oven program [50°C (3 min)?285°C (5 min), rise 10%min]. The sensitivity (1.5 ng hexadecane) and the reproducibility prove the applicability of the method for the determination of liquid paraffin in blood and for the study of the stability of the liquid paraffin hollow fiber membranes used in an extracorporeal liver support system.     

Influence of molecular weight on the thermal decomposition of hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene

Thermogravimetric analysis of hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) and its fractions of different molecular weights separated by preparative GPC shows two major stages of weight loss of different nature in a nitrogen atmosphere. The first stage is primarily depolymerisation, cyclisation and crosslinking of molecules and the second stage is mainly the decomposition of the residue from the first stage. The kinetic parameters, viz. activation energy E and pre-exponential factor A using four different non-isothermal integral equations show a systematic increase with increase in molecular weight for the first stage, whereas for the second stage, the effect of molecular weight on E and A values is not prominent. The increase in E and A values for the first stage is attributed to the formation of greater number of cyclised and crosslinked products from molecules of higher dimensions. Quantitative correlations between the kinetic constants and the molecular weight parameters were derived for the first stage as a quadratic curve following the equation: E or ln A = K₁ − K₂/M (where K₁ and K₂ are empirical constants whose values are different for the different molecular weight averages, viz. M_n, M_w and M_z and for the different equations).     

碱活化多孔碳用于分离甲苯及活化/吸附机理

采用生物质木质素磺酸钠(SLS)为碳源,先与硬模板Na Cl混合预碳化,再加入活化剂Na OH在氮气保护下升温至850℃碳化,得到SLS基碱活化的多孔碳吸附剂(SPCN)。将SPCN用于吸附液体石蜡中芳香烃甲苯,对比研究了不同活化剂加入量对SPCN结构、性质及吸附效果的影响。结果表明,SPCN表面具有丰富的官能团和发达的微/介孔结构,活化剂加入量对比表面积的影响为先增大后减小,碱/碳质量比为1∶1时比表面积达到最大值(710. 4 m²/g);吸附量与比表面积呈正相关,样品SPCN-1的最大吸附量为2875. 17mg/g,远高于商业吸附剂,经5次吸附-解吸循环后仍保持92. 5%的吸附效率。探究了活化机理,NaOH、碳质和气体发生氧化还原反应释放气体留下孔隙,经充分酸洗、水洗后得到永久孔道。最后,结合扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、透射电子显微镜(TEM)、拉曼光谱(Raman)、X射线衍射(XRD)、傅里叶变换红外光谱(FTIR)和比表面积分析等结果证明了吸附机理主要是孔隙填充效应、范德华力、π-π相互作用及电子供/受体作用的共同作用。首次报道了SPCN应用的新方向...     

Nanoparticle Halos Mechanism in Stabilizing of Colloidal Suspensions: Polymeric Binder and Dispersant Effects

Dispersion behavior of colloidal Al₂O₃ aqueous suspensions was investigated in the presence of highly charged CeO₂ nanoparticles and polymeric additives. It was found that among the investigated parameters, ceria nanoparticles concentration had the highest significant effect on the stability of Al₂O₃-CeO₂ suspensions. However, the low influence of dispersant concentration may be due to significant role of ceria nanoparticles stabilizing alumina microspheres by “nanoparticle halo” formation. The stabilization of the bidispersed suspensions was also evidenced by scanning electron microscopy and elemental analysis of the sediment layers after three weeks.     

用于荧光光谱测定的微量固体粉末样品制样优化*

为满足微量固体粉末荧光检测要求,采用薄层制样法,改变黏结剂种类、黏结剂的用量、涂层厚度以及后处理方法来进行其制样工艺优化。 结果表明:以聚乙烯醇做黏结剂、1∶5的固液比、在50 ℃烘干30 min、涂片次数3层的薄层制样优化工艺可满足荧光固体测样的要求。采用t检验比较固体样品池装样和薄层制样法的荧光检测结果发现两者无显著性差异,薄层制样优化工艺的需样量较样品池减少90%。     

Unlocking the Hidden Potential of Cosmetics Waste for Building Sustainable Green Pavements in the Future: A Case Study of Discarded Lipsticks

This investigation is dedicated to unlocking the hidden potential of discarded cosmetics towards building green sustainable road pavements in the future. It is particularly aiming at exploring waste lipstick (WLS) as a high-quality functional additive for advanced asphalt mix technologies. To fuel this novel innovation, the effect of various WLS doses (e.g., 5, 10, and 15 wt.%) on the performance of base AP-5 asphalt cement was studied in detail. A wide array of cutting-edge analytical lab techniques was employed to inspect in-depth the physicochemical, microstructural, thermo-morphological, and rheological properties of resultant admixtures including: elemental analysis, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thin-layer chromatography-flame ionization detection (TLC-FID), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), needle penetration, ring and ball softening point, Brookfield viscometer, ductility, and dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) tests. Unlike the unstable response of asphaltenes, the additive/artificial aging treatments increased the fraction of resins the most, and decreased that of aromatics; however, asphaltenes did not impair the saturates portion, according to Iatroscan research. FT-IR scan divulged that the WLS-asphalt interaction was physical rather than chemical. XRD diagnosis not only revealed an obvious correlation between the asphaltenes content and the fresh-binder crystallinity but also revealed the presence of fillers in the WLS, which may generate outstanding technical qualities to bituminous mixes. According to AFM/SEM analyses, the stepwise incorporation of WLS grew the magnitude of the “bee-shaped” microstructures and extended the roughness rate of unaged/aged binders. The prolonged consumption of the high thermal-stable additive caused a remarkable drop in the onset degradation and glass transition temperature of mixtures, thus enhancing their workability and low-temperature performance, according to TGA/DTGA/DSC data. The DSR and empirical rheological experiments demonstrated that the WLS could effectively lower the manufacturing and compaction temperatures of asphalt mixes and impart them with valuable anti-aging/fatigue-cracking assets. In a nutshell, the use of waste lipstick as an asphalt modifier is viable and cost-effective and could attenuate the pollution arisen from the beauty sector, while improving the performance of hot/warm asphalt mixes (HAM/WAM) and extending the service life of roadways.     

OMS-2/堇青石整体式催化剂的制备及其对二甲醚燃烧的催化性能

 以有机物为粘合剂, 采用涂覆法制备了氧化锰八面体分子筛 (OMS-2)/堇青石整体式催化剂, 采用热重-差热分析、扫描电镜、X 射线衍射、H2 程序升温还原和 O2 程序升温脱附等技术对催化剂进行了表征, 考察了有机粘合剂种类及其用量对二甲醚 (DME) 催化燃烧性能的影响. 结果表明, 在有机粘合剂聚乙烯醇 1799 (其质量含量为 3%) 的作用下, OMS-2 以相互交织的簇体均匀分布于堇青石表面, 且粘附力较强, 制备的整体式催化剂在 DME 催化燃烧中表现出最优的催化性能, 起燃温度 T10 = 169 oC, 完全转化温度 T90 = 243 oC; 催化剂使用后再经高温焙烧其活性仍能保持稳定, 表现出较高的重复使用性.     

Antigen retrieval on formaldehyde-fixed paraffin sections: its potential drawbacks and optimization for double immunostaining

It is well known that the major artifact induced by formaldehyde fixation is the masking of tissue antigens due to cross-linking of protein amino acid residues. Recently many antigen retrieval techniques have been devised to unmask the hidden antigen epitopes and recover immunoreactivity. In this study, some practical problems of two common unmasking techniques, i.e. heat-induced epitope retrieval and enzyme digestion have been reviewed in immunostaining of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) on formaldehyde-fixed paraffin-embedded sections. As the heating conditions became more severe, false-positive staining and/or nonspecific background staining occurred. Based on the principle of protein inactivation/denaturation and the possible mechanisms of antigen retrieval, it has been suggested that the antigen retrieval itself can also denature proteins in tissues, just as many other protein inactivation processes. Thus, the total magnitude of protein conformational change caused by the overall unmasking procedure is in practice crucial. To prove this hypothesis and to overcome such undesirable drawbacks after antigen retrieval, a new combination technique of a mild heating condition (microwaved at 80°C for 15–20 min) and pepsin digestion was devised. This technique led to a strong specific immunoreactivity of PCNA, without any undesirable false positive or background staining. The procedure was also adapted for double immunostaining of PCNA together with -actin, bromodeoxyuridine, keratin, type IV collagen and vimentin.     

Water stability of a cheap sol-gel-based adhesive

The humidity and water tolerance of a sol-gel derived binder prepared using a cheap, multicomponent precursor has been studied. The sol was prepared by dissolving the precursor in water under acidic conditions using either formic acid or a mixture of formic acid and citric acid for pH adjustments. It is shown that a post-treatment temperature of 400 °C or higher is needed in order to achieve full binder stability under excess water conditions, as thermal decomposition of metal carboxylates leads to a pronounced decrease in water solubility of the gels. The mesoporous gel can be made hydrophobic by post-treatments with either a silane or an organophosphonate, showing that both silica and metal oxides are exposed on the surface of the binder. Surface functionalization is especially effective for gels heat-treated at higher temperatures where the metal carboxylates have decomposed to the corresponding oxides or carbonates. The results are expected to be of great importance for the use of this cheap binder in large scale industrial applications. Electronic Supplementary Material  The online version of this article () contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.