Fluoroapatite - material for medicine,Growth, morphology and thermoanalytical properties

Fluoroapatite containing glass-ceramics were prepared from Li₂O-CaO-CaF₂-P₂O₅-SiO₂ system. The glass was melted at 1480°C for 1 h. The object of observation was the preparing crystal phase of fluoroapatite in amorphous glass matrix. The morphology of lithium disilicate glass-ceramics was studied by SEM. The crystal growth and thermal properties of fluoroapatite were studied by X-ray diffraction and DTA. The more the content of P₂O₅, the more the presence of fluoroapatite particles. SEM investigation clearly indicated the phase separation and formation of a primary crystalline phase of fluoroapatite in the studied glass-ceramics. DTA curves of the fluoroapatite samples exhibit exothermic effects in the temperature range 337-694°C depending on the composition of the materials. The position of exothermic peak for lithium disilicate on DTA curves moves with increasing specific surfacetowards lower temperatures which points on its preferential surface crystallization. As far as physical qualities are concerned, mainly color and gloss, the best qualities of all observed materials belong to glass-ceramics with 10% P₂O₅. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Cure kinetics of epoxy resin and thermoplastic polymer

The cure kinetics and morphology of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) modified with polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) using diaminodiphenylmethane (DDM) as hardener were investigated through differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM). Isothermal curing measurements were carried out at 150, 120 and 80°C. The kinetic parameters were obtained using the general autocatalytic chemically controlled model. The comparison of the kinetic data indicates that the presence of PVAc does not change the autocatalytic nature of the cure reaction. Two T _g’s were observed in the fully cured samples of the modified systems. ESEM micrographies confirm the biphasic morphology.     

PVC DISULFIDE AS CATHODE MATERIALS FOR SECONDARY LITHIUM BATTERIES

PVC disulfide (2SPVC) was synthesized by solution crosslink and its molecular structure was confirmed by infrared spectrum. 2SPVC's specific area is 36.1 m2·g-1 tested by stand BET method, and granularity experiment gives out the particle size of d0.5= 11.3μm. With SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) experiment the surface morphology and particle shape of 2SPVC were observed. Cyclic voltammetry (scan rate: 0.5 mV·s-1) shows that 2SPVC experience an obvious S-S redox reaction in charge-discharge process. When 2SPVC was used as cathode material for secondary lithium battery in a 1 mol·L-1 solution of lithium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide (Li(CF3SO2)2N) in a 5:45:50 volume ratio mixture of o-xylene (oxy), diglyme (DG) and dimethoxymethane (DME) at 30℃, the first discharge capacity of 2SPVC is about 400.3 mAh·g-1 which is very close to its theoretical value (410.5 mAh·g-1) at a constant discharge current of 15 mA·g-1. It can retain at about 346.1 mAh·g-1 of discharge capacity after 30 charge-discharge cycles. So 2SPVC is a very promising cathode candidate for rechargeable lithium batteries.     

Thermal decomposition of transition metal carboxylates

Thermal solid-phase decomposition of anhydrous copper(ii) formate has been studied at 120–180 ° The rate of gas evolution during the decomposition depends on the depth of conversion and can be presented as the sum of first-order reaction rates and the rate of the autocatalytic process (a second-order reaction). The evolution of the solid phase during thermolysis has been observed by optical microscopy. The decomposition of copper formate is a complex topochemical process, a combination of homogeneous and heterogeneous transformations and dispersion of large crystals.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. l, pp. 72–76, January, 1996.     

Formation and morphology of latex monolayers. Computer simulation studies

The results of computer simulations of monolayers created from monodisperse latex particles are presented and discussed. Layers are characterized by the normalized coverage,NC (the actual coverage of the surface related to its maximum possible coverage with particles), and by the average number of neighbors,ANN, calculated as the number of particles being in contact with a given one and averaged over all the particles on the surface. Variable parameters used in simulations include: the rate of particles deposition, the probability of lateral movements, the probability of desorption of particles adsorbed on the surface, the probability of covalent immobilization of adsorbed particles, and the on-sphere slip parameter, OSS (characterizing the scattering of a falling particle on the particles being already attached to the surface). Morphology of monolayers is qualitatively characterized by relations betweenANN andNC. It is shown that for all monolayers formed without adhesion (and without repulsion) between the particles adsorbed on the surface the dependence ofANN vs.NC is described by a characteristic master curve (regardless of the values of probabilities of desorption and lateral movements of particles). For the monolayers created including adhesive forces between the adsorbed particles the plots ofANN vs.NC lie above the master curve, while similar plots obtained for the layers made of particles showing various types of repulsive interactions are always placed below it. Thus, the dependencies ofANN vs.NC, derived from computer simulations, can be used for the determination of the character of the interparticle interactions in the real systems.     

Morphology and crystallization of blends of linear low density polyethylene with a semiflexible liquid crystalline polymer

The morphology and the crystallization behavior of blends of linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) with an experimental sample of a semiflexible liquid crystalline polymer (SBH 112 by Eniricerche, Italy) have been studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarized optical microscopy (POM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The blends possess a two-phase morphology, due to immiscibility of the two components. SEM observations show that dispersion of the minor SBH phase is favored at low (morphology and nucleation phenomena have been discussed.     

Poly(ethylene oxide) blends with crosslinking polyester resin

The miscibility of polyethylene oxide (PEO) with oligoester and polyester resin, the morphology of the blends and the kinetics of PEO crystallization in the blends were studied by optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. The blends were found to be miscible with uncured resin at 60°C. After isothermal crystallization of PEO from liquid oligoester or UV cured polyester about 20% of the PEO material is still dissolved in the resin and it is incorporated between lamellae or in the interspherulitic regions. It was observed that the growth rate of PEO spherulites and the degree of crystallinity of PEO in the blends decreases very fast together with a decrease of the PEO content and the progress of the resin crosslinking.     

Production of multi-hollow polymer particles by the stepwise acid/alkali method

 Recently, we reported that multi-hollow polymer particles can be prepared from carboxylated polymer particles by the stepwise alkali/acid method. In this article, an attempt was made to prepare similar particles from acid-swellable polymer particles by the stepwise treatment with acid and alkali, which was named the stepwise acid/alkali method. The acid-swellable particles were produced by emulsion terpolymerization of styrene, butyl acrylate, and dimethyl 2-amino ethyl methacrylate. The effects of initial pH value, temperature, and time in the acid and alkali treatment processes on the multi-hollow structure were examined. Received: 18 December 1996 Accepted: 11 March 1997     

Role of solvent in the compatibility of a vinylchloride–vinylacetate–maleic acid terpolymer and nitrocellulose blends

The compatibility of cast films of a vinylchloride–vinylacetate–maleic acid terpolymer (VMCH) and nitrocellulose (NC) blends is influenced by solvents. Transparent films of VMCH/NC blends are obtained when cast from solvents such as tetrahydrofuran or cyclohexanone, whereas hazy films are obtained when cast from solvents such as acetone or ethylacetate. Visible spectroscopy and phase morphology were used to analyse the compatibility–incompatibility of the blend. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) studies demonstrate that the transparent film is compatible, but the hazy film is incompatible. Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) studies establish that a greater interaction is observed between the polymer pair in case of the compatible blend than in the case of the incompatible blend. A solvent dependency of blend compatibility is reflected in this study. The conformational state of the polymers in solution, which is responsible for the compatibility phenomena, may depend on the donor number and/or Taft-β value of the solvent. The greater the donor number and/or the Taft-β value, the higher may be the level of interaction between the solvent and the polymer molecules, which in turn may give a compatible blend after removal of the solvent.     

New breathable and waterproof coatings for textiles: effect of an aliphatic polyurethane on the formation of PEEK-WC porous membranes

PEEK-WC is an amorphous polyetheretherketone with high chemical stability, excellent thermal resistance and significant solubility in various solvents. It has been used to prepare flat membranes by the phase inversion technique. The water vapour permeability through a porous PEEK-WC film was 1350 g/m² day at 26 °C and its liquid entry pressure (LEP) of water equivalent to a column of 2.0 m. These values were remarkably improved by addition of an aliphatic ether polyurethane (PU) into the PEEK-WC/DMF dopes: the water vapour flux was increased up to 2000 g/m² day and the LEP was equivalent to 12.5 m. This improvement is correlated to the different structure of the membranes: a spongy, porous and almost symmetric structure for the PEEK-WC/PU membranes, and an asymmetric structure with fingers for PEEK-WC membrane. The presence of PU influences also the mechanical properties of the blend membranes. The role of the PU on the resulting membrane morphology is rationalised on the basis of the mechanism of phase separation.