Influence of particle diameter distribution on protein recovery in the expanded bed adsorption process

The General Rate model has been developed and solved to describe protein adsorption in an expanded bed. The model takes into account axial and local variation of particle size distribution (PSD), external and intra-particle mass transfer resistances, and dispersion in liquid phase. The influence of PSD on breakthrough profiles has been analysed. The simulation results show that for a significantly high expanded bed the lower part of the breakthrough curve profiles, calculated for local particle size distribution (LPSD) and for axial average particle size distribution (APSD) are very similar. However, the upper part of breakthrough profiles calculated for LPSD approaches inlet concentration much more slowly than those calculated for APSD. The retention times of the lower part of uptake curves calculated with average particle diameter are constantly shorter than those obtained from LPSD. For the calculation of the dynamic capacity (DC), the LPSD can be replaced by APSD for large expanded bed heights. Using breakthrough profiles calculated for average particle size, DC values are constantly underestimated.     

RuO2 electrode surface effects in electrocatalytic oxidation of glucose

We have studied the electrocatalytic activity of RuO₂-PVC film electrodes, fabricated using RuO₂ powders prepared at five different temperatures, viz., 300, 400, 500, 600 and 700°C, for the oxidation of glucose in high alkaline media, 1 to 3 M NaOH. The RuO₂-PVC film electrodes have been first characterized in 1 to 3 M NaOH solution by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and rotating disc electrode (RDE) techniques in a wide potential range −1,100 to 450 mV (SCE), and three redox pairs representing Ru(IV)/Ru(III), Ru(VI)/Ru(IV) and Ru(VII)/Ru(VI) transitions have been identified. The voltammetric peaks at low sweep rates have been analyzed using surface activity theory formulated for interacting electroactive adsorption sites, and interaction terms have been evaluated. The total voltammetric surface charges have been analyzed as per Trassatti’s formalism with respect to their dependence on potential sweep rate, and charges associated with less accessible and more accessible surface sites have been calculated. For glucose oxidation, the results have indicated that RuO₂ (700°C)-PVC electrode shows two oxidation peaks in contrast to RuO₂ (300°C)-PVC electrode. Also, RuO₂ (700°C)-PVC electrode exhibits higher intrinsic electrocatalytic activity than the 300°C electrode, although the former possesses lower electrochemically active surface area. Additionally, kinetic analyses made from RDE results with reference to Michealis–Menten (MM) enzyme catalysis has shown that RuO₂ (700°C) electrode possesses extended glucose-sensing range in terms of MM kinetic constant, K _M , compared to other electrodes. Possible reasons for such differences in the behavior of the electrodes of different temperatures towards glucose oxidation are identified from studies on oxidation of glucose in solutions of different pH, oxidation of different glucose derivatives, and also from physicochemical results from BET, XRD, SEM, DTGA, XPS analysis of RuO₂ powder samples.     

Acoustic absorption in aqueous potassium phosphate

Measurements of acoustic absorption and velocity as a function of frequency and concentration in KH₂PO₄–K₂HPO₄ buffers at 4°C and pH 5-7 are reported. The dependence of the observed acoustic relaxation parameters on concentration is consistent with that to be expected from perturbation of a monomer-dimer equilibrium with an equilibrium constant [for 2H₂PO ₄ ^– (H₂PO₄)₂ ^2–] of 0.21 M^–1, a bimolecular rate constant of 5×10⁸ M^–1-sec^–1 and a standard volume change of –5 cm³ mole. The equilibrium constant for H₂PO ₄ ^– + HPO₄ ^2–H₃(PO₄)₂ ^3– is estimated to be 0.7 M^–1.     

Oxidation kinetics of timahdit and tarfaya moroccan oil shales

Organic matter evolution and kinetics of combustion of Tarfaya and Timahdit oil shales have been examined by thermogravimetry (TG) and by differential thermal analysis (DTA). An agreement is observed between both techniques where it was found that combustion of organic matter occurs in two steps. Kissinger's method applied on experimental results gives an activation energy of the same magnitude for the first step of both oil shales (103 kJ mol^–1) whereas the second is 148 kJ mol^–1 for Timahdit and 118 kJ mol^–1 for Tarfaya.The changes in specific surface area during thermal combustion of Timahdit and Tarfaya oil shales have been studied by thermogravimetric gas sorption balance and correlated with experimental results obtained on TG/DTA in air. For Timahdit oil shale oxidation products, specific surface areas calculated from nitrogen adsorption data shows a slight increase during the temperature domain of 280 to 430°C and after this temperature, they increase sharply. However, data obtained with Tarfaya oil shales shows a significant increase at the temperature of maximum oxidation of the first stage of combustion of organic matter.This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

DSC study on the effect of isocyanates and catalysts on the HTPB cure reaction

The urethane forming cure reactions of hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) binder with three different isocyanate curatives, viz., toluene diisocyanate (TDI), isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) and 4,4-methylene bis(cyclohexyl isocyanate) (MCHI), were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The effect of two cure catalysts, viz., dibutyl tin dilaurate (DBTDL) and ferrric tris-acetylacetonate (FeAA) on the cure reactions was also studied. Cure kinetics was evaluated using the multiple heating rate Ozawa method. The reactivities of the three isocyanates and catalytic efficiencies were compared based on the DSC reaction temperatures, activation energies and rate constants. Viscosity build-up in these systems at isothermal temperature was also studied and compared with the results from DSC.     

Proton Relaxometry of Long-Lived Spin Order

A study of long-lived spin order in chlorothiophene carboxylates at both high and low magnetic fields is presented. Careful sample preparation (removal of dissolved oxygen in solution, chelating of paramagnetic impurities, reduction of convection) allows one to obtain very long-lived singlet order of the two coupled protons in chlorothiophene derivatives, having lifetimes of about 130 s in D₂O and 240 s in deuterated methanol, which are much longer than the T₁-relaxation times (18 and 30 s, respectively, at a field =9.4 T). In protonated solvents the relaxation times become shorter, but the lifetime is still substantially longer than . In addition, long-lived coherences are shown to have lifetimes as long as 30 s. Thiophene derivatives can be used as molecular tags to study slow transport, slow dynamics and slow chemical processes, as has been shown in recent years.     

Hydrolysis and polycondensation of ethyl silicates. 2. Hydrolysis and polycondensation of ETS40 (ethyl silicate 40)

The effects of catalysts, pH and reaction conditions on the course of the hydrolysis and condensation of ETS40 (ethyl silicate 40), and on the composition of the reaction products were studied with the aid of gas and gel chromatography, potentiometry and gelation tests. Strong acids (HCl, HClO₄, HNO₃, H₂SO₄, p-toluenesulphonic acid), weak acids (Cl₃, CCOOH, ClCH₂COOH, (COOH)₂, CH₃COOH and HCOOH) and bases (LiOH, NH₄,OH) were used as catalysts.

The hydrolysis rate increased with increasing temperature, catalyst concentration, initial water concentration and initial ethyl silicate concentration, whereas it decreased with increasing number of Si atoms in the ethyl silicate molecules. At pH 0–7 the hydrolysis was acid catalysed, but at pH above 7.0 it was base catalysed. Simultaneously with the hydrolysis, condensation occurred at a rate which increased with increasing temperature, catalyst concentration, ETS40 concentration and, above all, with increasing initial water concentration. The condensation rate depended on the pH. The condensation was at its slowest for pH around 2.0. For pH below 2.0, the condensation increased with increasing hydrogen ion concentration; for pH above 2.0 the condensation increased with decreasing hydrogen ion concentration. Phosphoric acid and hydrofluoric acid increased the rate of condensation considerably. The reaction of ETS40 with water at pH around 2.0 gave rise during the hydrolysis to solutions of ethoxyhydroxysiloxanes with an average of 14–20 Si atoms in a molecule, which displayed long-term stability.     

Kinetics and mechanism of the grafting of 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate onto hydrocarbon substrates

The kinetics of grafting a basic monomer, 2-(dimethylamino)-ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) to hydrocarbon substrates have been investigated. These systems were chosen as models for the grafting of a homopolymerizable monomer to polyolefins such as polyethylene. The reactions with squalane and n-eicosane were initiated by an organic peroxide, 2,5-dimethyl 2,5 dit-butylperoxy)-3-hexyne; grafting yields become significant at high reaction temperatures and low monomer concentrations. In squalane, the order of reaction with respect to monomer increased from about 1.1 for 0.22?0.44M DMAEMA to almost 2 at 0.69M DMAEMA; the order with respect to initiator was 0.56. The overall activation energy in the 130?160°C temperature range was, however, surprisingly low, 42±5 kJ mol^?1. When analytical data were used to separate the overall rate into those for grafting and homopolymerization, different kinetic paths were observed for the competing reactions. These results are interpreted in terms of two different mechanisms; intramolecular chain transfer plays an important role in grafting, while depropagation becomes a major factor in homopolymerization at temperatures above 150°C. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

沥青热解残炭的燃烧特性

与轻质油品(汽油、柴油等)燃烧特性不同,重质燃料油在燃烧时,首先发生燃料的热分解,分解的产物扩散到气相空间发生着火、燃烧,最后剩下固体残炭,然后残炭再着火、燃烧,由于残炭的燃烧属于异相反应,比燃料气与空气的同相反应慢,导致其燃尽时间明显变长,文献[1]给出了沥青和十二烷单滴的燃烧过程温度变化曲线,从曲线可以看出,残炭的燃烧阶段明显比气体的燃尽时间长,而残炭的质量只为沥青质量的10%～20%[2,3]。虽然残炭含量低,但它在整个燃烧过程中占有十分重要的地位;文献[4]利用热重系统研究了渣油热加工的副产物石油焦的燃烧特性,主要从…