Comparison of the thermal behavior of three cellulose fibers mercerized or submitted to solar degradation

Comparison of Lyocell, modal and viscose fibers was performed by means of differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetry and scanning electron microscopy. Thermal analysis was performed in air atmosphere. Samples were mercerized (21.3 g 100 mL-1) or submitted to solar radiation (seven months). Solar degraded samples presents a higher thermal stability and are initially less degraded. Furthermore, Lyocell fiber is the most stable under thermal degradation conditions. Heating produces a reduction of the fiber diameter (about 50%). This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Synthesis and characterization of liquid‐crystalline polyphosphonates containing disubstituted ferrocene esters as mesogens

A series of ferrocene‐containing liquid‐crystalline polyphosphonates with an even number of methylene groups are reported. All the polymers gave birefringent melts. The mesophase was identified as transparent with an increase in the spacer. The effects of pendant substitution and the spacer were studied with thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. The effects of the phosphonate group in the spacer and the ferrocene ester group in the mesogen were examined. The presence of a steplike mesogenic structure and a pendant phenyl group in the spacer led to reductions in the glass‐transition and melting temperatures. The ferrocene moiety in the mesogen might be one of the reasons for the increased thermal stability and decreased liquid crystallinity. An energy‐minimized structure for the mesogenic and spacer segments was created with computer‐modeling programs, and it suggested the reason for the reductions in the glass‐transition and melting temperatures. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 2256–2263, 2002     

Identification of a chemical indicator of the rupture of 1,4-β-glycosidic bonds of cellulose in an oil-impregnated insulating paper system

In this study, headspace gas chromatography/mass spectrometry has been used to assess the volatile by-products generated by the ageing of oil-impregnated paper insulation of power transformers. Sealed-glass ampoules were used to age under oxidative conditions 0.5-g specimens of insulating paper in 9 mL of inhibited mineral oil in a temperature range of 60–120 °C and moisture of 0.5, 1 and 2% (w/w). A linear relationship between one of the oil-soluble degradation by-products, i.e. methanol, and the number of ruptured 1,4-β-glycosidic bonds of cellulose, regardless of the type of paper (ordinary Kraft or thermally-upgraded (TU) Kraft paper), was established for the first time in this field. Ageing at 130 °C of model compounds of the Kraft paper constituents (α-cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin) and two cellulosic breakdown by-products (D-(+)-glucose and 1,6-anhydro-β-d-glucopyranose) confirmed that the α-cellulose degradation was mostly responsible for the presence of this molecule in the system. Furthermore, additional 130 °C-tests with six different papers and pressboard samples under a tight control of initial moisture indicated that at least one molecule of methanol is formed for each rupture of 1,4-β-glucosidic bond of the molecular chains. Stability tests showed that the ageing indicator is stable under the oxygen and temperature conditions of open-breathing transformers. The presence of methanol was detected in 94% of oil samples collected from over than 900 in-service pieces of equipment, confirming the potential for this application. Lastly, the tests have shown that oil-oxidation by-products and TU-nitrogenous agents modify the methanol partitioning coefficients in the paper/oil/air system, which makes their study essential over a range of field conditions encountered by power transformers. Results are presented and discussed in comparison with 2-furfuraldehyde, which is the current reference in the domain.     

Composition and spectral studies of polyaniline salts

Five different polyaniline salts have been prepared by chemical polymerization of aniline in aqueous solution of different acids. The polyaniline base was obtained from the corresponding polyaniline salt by dedoping using aqueous ammonium hydroxide solution. Electron paramagnetic, electronic absorption, infrared spectral and conductivity measurements have been performed on the polyaniline salts and polyaniline bases. This composition and the extent of dopant in polyaniline salt systems have been determined. There is no definite correlation between the conductivity and the stoichiometric ratio between the polyaniline base and the acid, and also the spin concentration.     

Structure and properties of the Nafion—polyaniline—palladium composite electrodes

Effect of conditions of deposition of palladium onto a composite polymeric film Nafion—polyaniline on the properties of the system thus obtained is studied. It is shown that the effect of the said conditions on the character of distribution of palladium in a polymer may be used when estimating electrocatalytic potentialities of such composites.Translated from Elektrokhimiya, Vol. 41, No. 2, 2005, pp. 213–218.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Andreev, Zolotarevskii.This revised version was published online in April 2005 with corrections to the article note and article title and cover date.     

Lipase from a Brazilian StrainPenicillium citrinum Cultured in a Simple and Inexpensive Medium st]Heat-Denaturation, Kinetics, and pH Stability

This work is a study of lipase production by a Brazilian strain ofPenicillium citrinum using an inexpensive and simple medium without organic nitrogen sources and of some important industrial properties, including thermostability in relation to ionic strength. The maximal lipase activity (1585 U/L) was obtained whenPenicillium citrinum was cultured on 0.75% ammonium sulfate complemented with minerals salts instead of yeast extract. Although this activity was about 55% lower than that produced in medium with yeast extract (2850 U/L), the specific activity (7.8 U/mg proteins) was higher than that obtained with the yeast extract (4.9 U/mg proteins). The morphology of fungus changed totally, with yeast extract there are smooth, solid, and spherical pellets whereas on ammonium sulfate there are small “hairy” pellets uniformly suspended in the medium. The effect of ferrous (Fe⁺⁺) ions was carried out using medium MA with and without Fe⁺⁺ ions. Lipase production byPenicillium citrinum in medium MA requires Fe⁺⁺ ions, the absence of which caused a decreased of about 50% in the specific activity (3.5 U/mg proteins). The utilization of commercial, locally available oils as carbon sources, such as soybean oil (236 U/L) and corn oil (74 U/L) resulted in lower activity compared to olive oil, showing that lipase production byPenicillium citrinum is specifically induced by olive oil. Potassium concentration in the medium can effects the production of lipase (1 mM (1585 U/L), 10 mM (1290 U/L), and 30 mM (1238 U/L), 50 mM (195 U/L), and 100 mM (2 U/L). The crude culture filtered was susceptable to thermal deactivation. It was stable at pH 6.0, but was not stable at the optimum pH (8.0-8.5) at 50 mM. At the low ionic concentration (1-25 mM) this lipase was stable at low pH (3.5-4.0). The activation energy was 22.4 ±2.2 Kcal. mol 1.     

Enzymatic degradation of highly phenolic lignin-based polymers (lignophenols)

Enzymatic degradation of two lignin-based polymers (lignophenols), lignocatechol and lignocresol, prepared by selectively grafting catechol and p-cresol to C_α positions of lignin, respectively, were carried out in aqueous organic solvents. Both lignophenols showed high reactivity in the peroxidase-catalyzed oxidation. Structural analyses by NMR spectroscopies revealed that the degraded lignophenols contained aliphatic chain content, which might be mainly formed in the reduction of the intermediate initially generated by the aromatic ring cleavage. Lower amount of aromatic units in the lignophenols after degraded by peroxidase also indicted the cleavage of aromatic rings. Due to the substitution of phenols at C_α positions of lignin, the degraded lignophenols did not have carbonyl structure, which was abundant in the biodegradation products of native lignin. The two lignophenols were also degraded by Rhus vernicifera laccase. But the degree of degradation was lower than that of the degradation by peroxidase, which might be due to the low activity of laccase on the lignin moieties in lignophenols.     

Gel permeation chromatographic characterization of sodium hyaluronate and its fractions prepared by ultrasonic degradation

Summary High-molecular-weight sodium hyaluronate isolated from rooster combs was degraded by ultrasonication. The molecular weight of hyaluronate and its polydispersity was determined by gel-permeation chromatography. During 75-min treatment the molecular weight value decreased from 1.39×10⁶ Da to 2.25×10⁵ Da while the polydispersity of the molecular weight increased from 1.29 to 2.36. The reciprocal value of the square of the hyaluronate's molecular weight was linearly proportional to the time of ultrasonication.     

Size exclusion chromatographic characterization of sodium hyaluronate fractions prepared by high energetic sonication

Summary A high molecular weight sodium hyaluronate isolated from rooster combs was degraded by ultrasonication. High-performance size exclusion chromatography allowed rapid and accurate determination of molecular weight parameters (M_z, M_w, M_n) and distributions. The time dependence of hyaluronan ultrasonication to the molecular characteristics of the polymer was investigated. A non-random nature of the degradation process was demonstrated and the reciprocal M_n value was found to be linearly proportional to the time of ultrasonication.     

芥子气模拟剂2-氯乙基乙基硫醚的光催化降解

利用连续流动微反、原位红外和GC/MS等手段考察了芥子气模拟剂2-氯乙基乙基硫醚（2-CEES）在P25 TiO2上的光催化降解反应,证实CO2和H2O是这个反应的最终产物.详细的跟踪分析表明,除了CO2和H2O外,在反应的气相混合物中可检测到C2H4、CH3CHO、CH4、CO、HCl和H2S；少量小分子的羧酸、醚和砜；微量C2H5SC2H5、C2H5S2C2H5、C2H5SC2H4Cl和CH2ClCH2Cl等中间产物;在反应后的催化剂表面可检测到C2H5S2C2H5、C2H5SC2H4OH、C4H9S2C2H5和C2H5S2C2H4OH、等物.根据这些结果提出了2-CEES光催化降解的反应机理,推断2-CEES的光催化降解涉及脱氯、C－S键断裂、有机硫化物光聚合和裂解等复杂过程最终转化为CO2和H2O.认为各种硫物种在表面的积聚引起了催化剂的缓慢失活.