Photocatalytic degradation of azo dyes in aqueous solutions under UV irradiation using nano-strontium titanate as the nanophotocatalyst

Research on photocatalytic degradation rate of azo dyes using nano-strontium titanate in photocatalysis process was the main goal of present study. In this regard, the influence of the main operating parameters such a photocatalyst concentration, dye concentration, temperature, pH and the presence of hydrogen peroxide upon dye removal rate under UV irradiation was studied. The absorbance of samples was measured by a UV–Vis spectrophotometer. The structure and morphology of nano-powder were investigated using scanning electron microscopy and crystalline structure by X-ray diffraction spectroscopy. The results reveal that nano-strontium titanate has high and significant photocatalytic activity and in comparison with nano-titanium dioxide was superior photocatalyst.     

Evaluation of radiation damage behavior in polyimide aerogel by infrared camera and photoacoustic spectroscopy

In this work, the optical absorption and thermal properties of polyimide aerogel have been investigated by Infrared Camera, ultraviolet–visible and photoacoustic spectroscopy under low energy proton irradiation. The characterization method of the infrared camera can obtain the optical absorption ratio, and meanwhile get the information of specific heat capacity. Moreover, it can acquire the nature information of damaged area rather than the overall performance. The results show an increase in optical absorption after proton irradiation, which is in good coincidence with Ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy analysis. And the specific heat capacity decreased linearly with proton fluences, which can be attributed to the irradiation damage and carbonization in polyimide aerogel. The Raman spectra suggested the cleavage of chemical bonds and carbonization in polyimide aerogel. This work provides the novel, non-destructive and sensitive methods to characterize irradiation damage of aerogel.     

STUDY ON THE PROPERTIES OF BLEND OF NATURAL RUBBER LATEX/METHYL METHACRYLATE GRAFTED RUBBER LATEX BY GAMMA RADIATION

Natural rubber latex(NRL)and methyl methacrylate(MMA)grafted rubber latex were blended in different ratios and irradiated at various absorbed doses by gamma rays from Co-60 source at room temperature.The tensile properties, swelling ratio and permanent set were measured.The maximum tensile strength and modulus at 500% elongation were obtained at an absorbed dose of 8 kGy.Modulus increases from 6.99 MPa to 9.87 MPa for an increase in proportion of MMA grafted rubber from 40% to 60% in the blend at similar absorbed dose.Elongation at break and swelling ratio decrease with increasing absorbed dose as well as the MMA grafted rubber content in the blends.The decreasing trend of permanent set is high up to 5 kGy absorbed dose,and beyond that dose,it becomes almost flat.     

Electron Spin Resonance study of gamma irradiated MA-AMPS copolymer

Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) spectra of gamma irradiated methylacrylamide-2-acrylamido-2-methyl-propanesulphonic acid (MA-AMPS) are recorded to identify the radical species formed during the irradiation of the copolymer. The ESR spectrum observed for irradiated MA-AMPS copolymer at liquid nitrogen temperature (LNT) (77 r K) is an asymmetric triplet; while the spectrum observed at room temperature (RT) is a quintet. The intensity distribution of both the spectra deviated appreciably from the expected theoretical values. Computer simulations are employed to analyze the ESR spectra observed at different temperatures. The triplet spectrum observed at LNT is simulated to be a superposition of component spectra arising from macroradicals of the type～CH 2 - \dot {\rm C} H-CH 2 ～ (I), radicals of the type \dot {\rm C} H 2 SO 3 H (II), and peroxy radicals (III). In contrast, the RT spectrum is simulated to be a superposition of component spectra arising due to radicals I, II, III together with the component quartet assigned to methyl radicals ( \dot {\rm C} H 3 ). The formation of such free radicals in irradiated copolymer is discussed.     

Proton induced modification in Poly(ethylene terephthalate)

A systematic investigation of 62 r MeV proton irradiated Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) has been carried out using Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy. The experiments revealed a restoration of the crystalline matrix and simultaneous decrease in thermal stability in the irradiated polymer as a function of dose, indicating that PET underwent both degradation and cross-linking by proton irradiation.     

天然钻石与合成钻石的特异性光谱初步研究

通过紫外-可见-近红外(UV-Vis-NIR) 吸收光谱、傅里叶变换红外(FTIR)光谱及钻石观测仪( DiamondViewTM)对天然钻石、经辐照或热处理的天然钻石、高温高压(HTHP)合成钻石及化学气相沉积(CVD)合成钻石进行了较系统的谱图及微区生长结构的对比研究。结果表明：天然钻石、经辐照或高温退火处理后的天然钻石、高温高压(HTHP)合成钻石的UV-Vis-NIR吸收谱图在200～1 100 nm区间谱图的反射率变化明显。相比之下,CVD合成钻石的反射率的变化相对较小。基于钻石样品的红外光谱分析,在其图谱中的800～1 600 cm-1区间,合成钻石样品、特别是CVD合成钻石在上述区间无明显的特征吸收峰位。此外,DiamondViewTM检测表明：一般而言,经HTHP处理后的CVD合成钻石出现平行的位错线,并呈现淡蓝色荧光。部分天然钻石可见典型的八面体生长线或称为树的年轮状图像,且因样品经辐照与高温高压处理后其荧光图像的颜色发生改变。高温高压合成钻石呈现出块状几何生长图像。限于钻石样品类别的多样性及合成钻石工艺的复杂且不断更新特征,天然钻石与合成钻石 的UV-Vis-NIR或FTIR光谱特征存在一定的相似性,因此不具有典型天然钻石图谱特征的样品需进一步辅以DiamondViewTM、光致发光光谱等其他检测仪器予以综合分析。     

PMMA光纤辐照特性研究

分析了聚合物光纤在辐照环境下的物理化学变化,实验研究了聚甲基丙烯酸甲脂（PMMA）光纤在不同剂量的γ射线辐照下的辐照损伤和恢复特性,测量了PMMA光纤在可见光波段的辐照光谱和恢复光谱以及在638 nm的辐照前后透过率及辐照损伤.测量结果表明,光纤的辐照损伤和恢复都有波长相关性,辐照剂量低于5 kGy,PMMA光纤在整个可见光波段的辐照损伤情况差别不大,辐照剂量超过5 kGy,PMMA光纤在400 nm~550 nm波段的辐照损伤比600 nm~800 nm的辐照损伤要严重.     

Irradiation effects on hydrases for biomedical applications

To apply an irradiation technique to sterilize “Hybrid” biomedical materials including enzymes, we selected papain, a well-characterized plant endopeptidase as a model to examine durability of enzyme activity under the practical irradiation condition in which limited data were available for irradiation inactivation of enzymes. Dry powder and frozen aqueous solution of papain showed significant durability against ⁶⁰Co-gamma irradiation suggesting that, the commercial irradiation sterilizing method is applicable without modification. Although irradiation of unfrozen aqueous papain solution showed an unusual change of the enzymatic activity with the increasing doses, and was totally inactivated at 15 kGy, we managed to keep the residual activity more than 50% of initial activity after 30-kGy irradiation, taking such optimum conditions as increasing enzyme concentration from 10 to 100 mg/ml and purging with N₂ gas to suppress the formation of free radicals.     

Why does poly(acrylic acid) addition improve the quality of holograms recorded in dichromated poly(vinyl alcohol)?

Holographic measurements have shown that the addition of 0.5% of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) can improve the quality of holograms recorded in poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) doped with ammonium dichromate (ADC). The purpose of this paper is to explain this improvement. First, an analytical approach investigated the structural and architectural modification of the polymeric matrix and the fate of the various chromium species within PVA/PAA/ADC films. The addition of PAA in dichromated PVA led to a pre-reticulation of the polymeric matrix. This process increased with the amount of PAA.Second, an analytical approach focused on the evolution of PVA/PAA/ADC films upon irradiation at 365 nm, which is representative of hologram formation. The improvement brought by the presence of 0.5% of PAA in PVA/ADC was assigned to an additional source of crosslinking through the formation of covalent bonds. This process paralleled the crosslinking through coordination bonds involving Cr(V) and PVA units. At 0.5% of PAA, the mobility of the medium before exposure was sufficient to allow the migration of the species involved in the reticulation process during hologram formation, whereas higher concentrations of PAA inhibited this migration.     

Gamma irradiation of sorghum flour: Effects on microbial inactivation, amylase activity, fermentability, viscosity and starch granule structure

Malted and un-malted sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) flour was gamma irradiated with a dose of 10 kGy and then re-irradiated with 25 kGy. The effects of irradiation on microbial decontamination, amylase activity, fermentability (using an amylolytic L. plantarum MNC 21 strain), starch granule structure and viscosity were determined. Standard methods were used during determinations. The 10 kGy dose had no effect on microbial load of un-malted flour but reduced that of malted flour by 3 log cycles. Re-irradiation resulted in complete decontamination. Irradiation of malt caused a significant (p<0.05) reduction in alpha and beta amylase activity (22% and 32%, respectively). Irradiation of un-malted flour increased the rates of utilization of glucose and maltose by 53% and 100%, respectively, during fermentation. However, microbial growth, rate of lactic acid production, final lactic acid concentration and pH were not affected. Starch granules appeared normal externally even after re-irradiation, however, granules ruptured and dissolved easily after hydration and gelatinization. Production of high dry matter density porridge (200 g dry matter/L) with a viscosity of 3500 cP was achieved by irradiation of un-malted flout at 10 kGy. Gamma irradiation can be used to decontaminate flours and could be utilized to produce weaning porridge from sorghum.