Elastic and Thermophysical Properties of Poly(Vinyl Chloride) and Chlorinated Polyethylene Blends

The results of experimental and theoretical investigations of elastic and thermophysical properties of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) and chlorinated polyethylene (CPE) blends are presented. Eight types of specimens with different ratios of weight contents of PVC and CPE (PVC/CPE = 100/0, 90/10, 80/20, 60/40, 40/60, 20/80, 10/90, and 0/100) were tested. The effect of blend composition on the elastic constants (tensile and shear modulus) is discussed. The data on the thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, and heat capacity of the blends investigated are also presented.     

Assessment of thermal expansion coefficient of methylsilsesquioxane thin film

For the methylsilsesquioxane film whose optical birefringence is almost zero, it was recently reported that its vertical thermal expansion coefficient (CTE) was approximately one order of magnitude larger than the lateral CTE. Though the birefringence is not an absolute predictor of anisotropic behavior, the discrepancy in both the CTEs was so remarkable that it was essential to investigate whether the anisotropy was intrinsic property or not. If the effect of Poisson's ratio is considered in the calculation of the vertical CTE and when elastic modulus measured by surface acoustic wave spectroscopy is used in the assessment of the lateral CTE, both the CTEs are coincident with each other. Therefore, it can be concluded that the discrepancy in the CTEs can be attributed to a higher in‐plane polymer chain orientation but it can also arise from the misleadingly assumed modulus and Poisson's ratio. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 3109–3120, 2006     

The transition of spontaneous polymerization of acrylamide to “explosive” regime

Experimental results related to the transition of spontaneous polymerization of acrylamide complexes with metal nitrates to the “explosive” regime at room temperature are presented. It is suggested that the “explosion” has a thermal nature. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 4, pp. 859–861, April, 1997.     

Alloy formation in mechanically activated mixtures

The physical mixtures of hydroxocarbonates of Cu and Ni with aluminium were activated using a laboratory planetary mill. The chemical reactions and alloy formations as the effects of grinding were followed by the phase analysis of solid products based on the thermogravimetry and X-ray diffractometry. Experimental evidence indicates that the nature of reactions and products of mechanical activation was dependent on the amount of aluminium and time of grinding. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Fluorescence anisotropy decay study of self-association of bacterial luciferase intermediates

The fluorescence dynamics parameters of the fluorescent transient flavin-luciferase species from the typesVibrio fischeri andPhotobacterium leiognathi are presented. The fluorescence anisotropy decay is a single exponential function for both types. The correlation time is 70 ns for theP. leiognathi fluorescent transient intermediate (2°C, aqueous buffer, pH 7.0), consistent with the rotational correlation time of the luciferase macromolecule (77 kD) to which the flavin fluorophore is rigidly attached. In contrast, for theV. fischeri species the observed correlation time for the anisotropy decay function is 133 ns. This suggests that protein self-association occurs in theV. fischeri case and this is confirmed by filtration, where the fluorescent transient fromV. fischeri does not pass through a 100,000 molecular weight cutoff membrane, whereas theP. leiognathi species does. The filtration method also demonstrates self-association in the luciferase peroxyflavin and photoflavin fromV. fischeri. A monomer-dimer equilibrium also explains the previously reported high correlation times for theV. harveyi luciferase-flavin species. It is proposed that the self-association competes with the lumazine protein interaction in the bioluminescence reaction.     

Dehydration and dehydroxylation of reduced charge montmorillonite

Reduced charge montmorillonites (RCM) were prepared by the thermal treatment of lithiumsaturated montmorillonite. Samples prepared by mild thermal treatment with lithium contained more water sorbed than the original montmorrilonite. When RCMs were prepared, part of the lithium cations reacted with hydroxyl groups in the octahedral sheet and released protons, which reacted with the structure. Acid treatment probably enhanced the surface area. which was reflected in the amount of water sorbed. Deprotonation of hydroxyl groups was proved by the measurements of the ignition loss. The heating of lithium saturated montmorillonite at higher temperatures brough about the collapse of the interlayers and a decrease in the amount of water sorbed.     

Parameter determination of a thermal desorption model

A new method for the analysis of thermal desorption spectra is presented, based on the experimental peak maximum functions for temperatureT _m(β) and pressureP _m(β) and a rigorous mathematical treatment. The resonant heating rate β_r is determined, satisfyingT _m(β_r)=T _r, whereT _r is the resonant temperature defined byA exp(−E _d/(RT _r))=1. Desorption energyE _d and frequency factorA can be determined simultaneously with relatively high robustness towards statistical experimental errors as demonstrated by computer-simulated thermal desorption spectra.     

Thermal reaction of clCH2CONH2 in molten acetamide

Mixtures composed of amides and electrolytes exhibit interesting properties such as viscoelastic behaviour and a megavalue of the dielectric constant. In order to improve the dielectric properties, the authors are investigating a large number of molten mixtures of CF₃COONa with different types of amides, including the ternary system sodium trifluoroacetate-chloroacetamide-acetamide. The experimental measurements showed that the ternary mixtures are thermally unstable. A yellow oily product is formed; this was purified and tested by means of IR and NMR techniques. The formula and the kinetic mechanism are proposed.     

Modification of magnetic anisotropy in metallic glasses using high-energy ion beam irradiation

Heavy ion irradiation in the electronic stopping power region induces macroscopic dimensional change in metallic glasses and introduces magnetic anisotropy in some magnetic materials. The present work is on the irradiation study of ferromagnetic metallic glasses, where both dimensional change and modification of magnetic anisotropy are expected. Magnetic anisotropy was measured using Mössbauer spectroscopy of virgin and irradiated Fe₄₀Ni₄₀B₂₀ and Fe₄₀Ni₃₈Mo₄B₁₈ metallic glass ribbons. 90 MeV ¹²⁷I beam was used for the irradiations. Irradiation doses were 5×10¹³ and 7.5×10¹³ ions/cm². The relative intensity ratios D ₂₃ of the second and third lines of the Mössbauer spectra were measured to determine the magnetic anisotropy. The virgin samples of both the materials display in-plane magnetic anisotropy, i.e., the spins are oriented parallel to the ribbon plane. Irradiation is found to cause reduction in magnetic anisotropy. Near-complete randomization of magnetic moments is observed at high irradiation doses. Correlation is found between the residual stresses introduced by ion irradiation and the change in magnetic anisotropy.     

Thermal stability of poly(mono-n-alkylitaconates) and mono-n-alkylitaconate-co-vinylpyrrolidone copolymers I

Poly(monoitaconates) containing octyl, decyl and dodecyl groups and random monoalkylitaconate-co-vinylpyrrolidone copolymers were studied by thermogravimetric analysis. Copolymers of mono-n-octylitaconate (MOI), mono-n-decylitaconate (MDI), and mono-n-dodecylitaconate (MDoI), respectively, with N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone (VP) of different compositions were studied by dynamic thermogravimetric analysis. The thermal stability of the copolymers depends on the structure of the monoitaconate comonomer and on the composition of the copolymer The kinetic analysis of the degradation data shows that the thermal decomposition of these copolymers can be described by several kinetic orders depending on the copolymer and on the composition. The relative thermal stability of the copolymers increases as the VP content increases and as the length of the side chain of the itaconate increases, following the same trend as the flexibility of the copolymers in solution.