Specific heat of liquid hexane up to 500 MPa and from 243 to 473 k from the heat of compression

Abstract

The expansivity of n-hexane was measured through the heat of compression up to 500 MPa in the 243–473 K temperature range. Details about the experiment are given. From the fit to our data, the pressure variation of the specific heat C_p, in the same pressure-temperature domain, is computed; good agreement is obtained with available high pressure data.     

Pressure dependence electrical resistivity in DVT grown molybdenum dichalcogenides

Abstract

Single crystals of MoS _x Se_2?x (x=0, 1, 2) have been grown by direct vapour transport method. Pressure-dependent d.c. electrical resistivity measurements have been carried out on the grown crystals to check the possibility of phase transition up to 8 GPa. However, no such transition is observed in the present case but a decrease in resistivity is found with increase in pressure. The observed results have been analysed and discussed on the basis of band structure.     

Phase transitions in PbTe under quasi-hydrostatic pressure up to 50 GPa

PbTe has been investigated using synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD) in a diamond anvil cell under quasi-hydrostatic pressures up to 50 GPa. Upon compression to 6.6 GPa, the initial NaCl phase transforms to an intermediate phase, which is confirmed to be an orthorhombic structure with a space group Pnma. At 18.4 GPa, the intermediate Pnma phase undergoes a phase transition to the CsCl structure. The systemic analysis of the crystal structures between the NaCl and intermediate phases indicates that the structure of the Pnma phase could be derived from the distortion of the NaCl structure. The bulk modulus of the CsCl phase is B₀=52(2) GPa with V₀=60.8(4) ų and B′₀=4.0 (fixed), slightly larger than the NaCl phase (B₀=44(1) GPa) and the intermediate phase (B₀=49(3) GPa).     

Lattice dynamics and phase diagrams for hydrogen bonded systems

Abstract

A variational correlated ground state wave-function theory is applied to investigate the high-pressure deformation of hydrogen-bond potential described by a double Morse potential functions. The evolution of the hydrogen bond potential with increasing pressure and the effects of deuterium isotope substitution on the quantum-fluctuation-driven phenomena are discussed. The theory was employed for predicting and interpreting the pressure dependence of the phase transition temperatue for KDP-like ferroelectrics and NQR-frequency coefficients for several deuterated and undeuterated crystals.     

High pressure: a tool to improve the enzymatic production of glycosides

Naringinase, an enzyme complex that expresses α -l-rhamnosidase and β -d-glucosidase activities in native state, can be used to deglycosylate natural glycosides. The selective inactivation of one of these activities will allow the biosynthesis of different bioactive compounds in a simple, effective and cheap way. In this work, pressure and temperature were the tools used to selectively inactivate the activities expressed by naringinase. The main goal was the identification of pressure–temperature conditions to acquire conditions for the maximization of enzymatic hydrolysis of substrates with different numbers of glycosidic residues. α -l-Rhamnosidase was 32-fold more resistant against inactivation at 250 MPa than at atmospheric pressure. The best pressure condition to reduce β -d-glucosidase inactivation at 75°C was 173 MPa, while in the case of α -l-rhamnosidase inactivation at 85°C, it was above 250 MPa. Moreover, a selective inactivation of β -d-glucosidase activity of naringinase was attained, allowing an easy and cheap method with which to produce prunin and other expensive glycosides. The present work highlights the effect of high pressure on enzyme protection against thermal inactivation, demonstrating its potential as a powerful tool in biosynthesis.     

A new differential thermal analysis setup for measuring high pressure phase transitions

A new setup has been recently developed in the toroidal opposed-anvil device ‘Conac 40’ to perform differential thermal analysis in a high pressure range (0–6 GPa). To evaluate the precision and the reliability of the setup, the high pressure melting curve of germanium and the transition points of α-iron have been investigated up to 5.3 GPa and compared with previous results.     

High P–T Brillouin scattering study of H2O melting to 26 GPa

The properties of solid and liquid phases of H₂O at high pressure and temperature remain an active area of research. In this study, Brillouin spectroscopy has been used to determine the temperature dependence of sound velocities in H₂O as a function of pressure up to 26 GPa through the phase field of ice VII and into the liquid to a maximum temperature of 1200 K. The Brillouin shift of the quasi-longitudinal acoustic mode moves to lower frequencies upon melting at each pressure. As a test of the method, measurements of the melting of Ar by Brillouin scattering at several pressures show a similar behavior for the acoustic mode, and measured melting points are consistent with previous results. The results of H₂O melting are consistent with previously reported melting curves below 20 GPa. The data at higher pressure indicate that ice melts at a higher temperature than a number of previous studies have indicated.     

Laboratory set-up for X-ray diffraction at high pressures

We describe here a simple set-up for X-ray diffraction under high pressure using a diamond anvil cell employing a sealed tube. The set-up works in angular dispersive geometry and is built using rather common components that are available in a research laboratory. We show that using this set-up one can routinely acquire good-quality data for the determination of structural properties under pressure and the equations of state. Technical details are presented along with examples of experimental results for sodium chloride and LiV₂O₄.     

Acoustic emission from zinc under pressure

Abstract

The kinetics of some processes in materials under high hydrostatic pressure can be investigated with an acoustic emission method after a special adaptation of the high pressure equipment. The method has been applied for studying the effect of compression anisotropy in hcp polycrystalline material - zinc.     

Food safety issues of high pressure processed fruit/vegetable juices

The food safety issues of the high pressure pasteurized fruit/vegetable juices are the focus of this paper. The development of Hazard analysis and critical control points system for production of carrot, red beet and apple/broccoli/orange juice is given together with results of analysis of samples, challenge testing and storage tests. The anti-mutagenic activity in vitro tests are also presented. Procedures have been established for the start-up of experimental production of mentioned juices for the Czech food market. The development of other types of juices based on cruciferous vegetables is mentioned. The aim of this work is to provide the Czech population with information on functional foods that act against chemical mutagens, limiting carcinogenesis.