Thermal stability and degradation of starch derivatives

Thermal behaviour of different starch derivatives, i.e. starch esters and ethers having degree of substitution (DS) in the range of 0.02–0.18 were studied. Potato, maize and wheat starches were used. Measurements were carried out by coupled thermal analysis/ mass spectrometry method (STA-MS) in air atmosphere. The major DTG peak during the investigation for starch derivatives is observed below 300°C. The mass loss up to a temperature of 300°C is about 50%. The most abundant ions found areH₂O⁺ and CO₂ ⁺. For the studied starch derivatives with a low degree of substitution (DS<0.18) no correlation was found between thermal stability and the level of substitution regardless of the nature of substitution.     

Thermal techniques to study complex elastomer/filler systems

The transfer of heat through an elastomeric matrix is important for both the processing of the material and its subsequent lifetime. Thermal conductivity can be used to evaluate the influence of different polymers and fillers on heat transfer. Additionally, the dispersion of the filler has an effect on heat transfer and thermal conductivity measurements can be used to provide semi-quantitative estimations of filler dispersion. The degradation of sulfur-crosslinked elastomer systems has been studied for many years. The degradation of the crosslinks (changes in sulfur rank) and degradation of the polymer backbone by thermal and/or oxidative processes have been studied extensively using many techniques including thermal analysis (references). However, the degradation of the crosslinked-polymer 'network' is less well understood. The relationship of the crosslink network to this degradation process is a key to both the long term and higher temperature performance of the sulfur-crosslinked elastomer. The changes in physical properties observed upon exposure of sulfur-crosslinked elastomers can be monitored using dynamic mechanical analysis. Subsequently, other thermal techniques can be used to monitor the chemistry that is occurring during these degradations. Thermal desorption/mass spectroscopy and dynamic scanning calorimetry are used to complete the picture of the degradation processes taking place. Examples of these techniques will be provided to illustrate the utility of the analytical approach, the chemistry involved in these degradation processes and the effect of changes in the polymer, cure package and other ingredients. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

TiO2-SiO2光催化纸业废水有色有机物的降解

研究了TiO2-SiO2混合氧化物对纸业废水中有色有机物的吸附与光催化降解效率．常温下．TiO2对纸业废水中有色有机物的吸附符合Freundlich模型，Qe=0．239Ce^0.791。TiO2-SiO2混合氧化物对纸业废水中有色有机物的吸附与光催化降解效率与催化剂样品的组成有关，光催化降解效率也与TiO2-SiO2表面总酸量有关．     

Thermal degradation behavior of multi-walled carbon nanotubes/polyamide 6 composites

This paper focuses on the thermal degradation behavior of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs)/polyamide 6 (PA6) composites under air and nitrogen atmosphere using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The results show that the dispersion of amino-functionalized MWNTs (f-MWNTs) in PA6 is more homogeneous than purified MWNTs (p-MWNTs). The presence of MWNTs improves the thermal stability of PA6 under air obviously, but has little effect on the thermal degradation behavior of PA6 under nitrogen atmosphere. The activation energies for degradation under air, E_a, estimated by Kissinger method, are 153, 165 and 169 kJ/mol for neat PA6, p-MWNTs/PA6 and f-MWNTs/PA6 composites, respectively. The p-MWNTs/PA6 composites show two-step degradation not only under air but also under nitrogen atmosphere, however, neat PA6 and the f-MWNTs/PA6 composites exhibit two-step degradation only under air.     

4-氯酚在TiO2纳米膜上光催化降解及反应动力学特征

氯酚(ＣＰ)化合物被广泛应用于木材防腐、金属防锈及杀虫剂等,因其毒性大、难降解,对环境造成严重污染[1,2]。目前用于ＣＰ的光催化降解的ＴｉＯ2粉体悬浮体系,催化剂不易回收利用。本文采用Ｓｏｌ Ｇｅｌ法制备的负载型ＴｉＯ2纳米粒子膜作为光催化剂,对4 ＣＰ进行了降解实验研究。同时应用ＸＲＤ法表征了不同实验条件下薄膜中ＴｉＯ2的晶相结构和粒度,考察了不同层数ＴｉＯ2膜的光催化活性,并对4 ＣＰ的降解条件及反应动力学特征进行了探讨。1　实验部分1.1　玻璃负载ＴｉＯ2膜的制备与表征[3-5]按照钛酸四丁酯∶无水乙醇∶水=3∶12∶…     

Micro construction of poly(epsilon-caprolactone)/poly(L-lactic acid) blend film by solution casting under microwave irradiation

The micro construction of poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) and poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) blend films fabricated by solution casting under microwave irradiation was investigated by selective enzymatic degradation and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results were totally different from the blends obtained by conventional methods. The blend was more homogeneous and the PCL continuous phase more compact as no spherulites and tiny zone separation were observed from the film surface and no PCL network was observed inside the film, and the degradation of a PCL plank by Pseudomonas lipase was significantly retarded. The distributed PLLA micro spheres were enlarged and amorphous. The thermal behavior of the blend by microwave heating revealed that PCL and PLLA underwent a melting process, which induced the variations of the PCL phase and PLLA spheres. The weight loss caused by degradation of the PCL/PLLA blend obtained by conventional methods (B50c) is greater than that of the blend obtained by microwave methods (B50m), which reflects the change in morphology from a loose PCL network (B50c) to a dense PCL plank (B50m).     

Characterization of humic substances: Implications for trihalomethane formation

Humic substances are precursors of carcinogenic trihalomethanes (THMs) formed during disinfection by chlorination in water treatment processes. In an effort to understand the relationship between trihalomethane formation potential (THMFP) and physicochemical properties of humic substances, UV-visible absorbance, fluorescence in emission and synchronous scan modes, and NMR spectra were measured for several aquatic fulvic and humic acids. For comparison, a soil fulvic acid was also examined using these methods. The feasibility of the gradient modified spin-echo (GOSE) NMR experiment to selectively measure singlet resonances arising from isolated protons was examined. In addition, diffusion coefficients were measured for DMSO solutions of the fulvic acids using BPPLED and GOSE-edited pulse sequences. Although none of the methods tested produced results that correlated with THMFP, the GOSE intensities determined for different regions of the NMR spectra did reflect the relative abundance of different types of functional groups produced by lignin oxidation. In addition, the GOSE-edited diffusion results suggest that the isolated protons, those most reactive to chlorination, are more likely contained in the larger molecular weight fractions of fulvic acids.     

Degradation Kinetics of an Epoxy/Cycloaliphatic Amine Resin Under Isothermal and Non-isothermal Conditions

A study of an epoxy-cycloaliphatic amine system has been realized using a thermogravimetric technique (TG). Isothermal and non-isothermal (dynamic) methods were employed to determine the kinetic data of this system. Five methods were used for determining the activation energies of this system in the dynamic heating experiments. In two of them (Flynn-Wall-Ozawa, and Kissinger) it is not necessary to have a prior knowledge of the reaction mechanism of the degradation behaviour for this system. In the other ones (Coats and Redfern, Horowitz and Metzger, and Van Krevelen et al.) it is necessary to know this reaction mechanism, besides Criado et al. method was used for determining it. The results have shown that good agreement between the activation energies obtained from all methods can be achieved if it is assumed that the degradation behaviour of this system is of sigmoidal-rate type. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Influence of operational parameters on retention of ultra-high molecular weight polystyrenes in thermal field-flow fractionation

Summary The influence of various parameters (concentration of the injected polymer solution, flow rate, temperature gradient, relaxation conditions) on the retention and shape of the fractogram of ultra-high molecular weight polystyrenes in thermal field-flow fractionation was investigated. Under the operating conditions adopted, reproducible oscillations in the peak shape are observed for molecular weights larger than a few millions, especially at relatively high polymer concentration. They are attributed to some hydrodynamic instabilities. The retention of ultra-high molecular weight polystyrenes at high flow rate is strongly dependent on the initial relaxation period. All of the investigated operational variables have a complex effect on the resulting shape of the fractogram. Consequently, the confirmation of the shear-induced focusing of macromolecules across the channel thickness requires further study. Experiments on reinjection of fractions collected after an initial high speed pass through the separation system leads to the conclusion that shear degradation of the ultra-high molecular weight polymers did not occur under the investigated experimental conditions even at the highest flow rates.