Re-Evaluation of the Activity Coefficients of Aqueous Hydrochloric Acid Solutions up to a Molality of 2.0 Using Two-Parameter Hückel and Pitzer Equations. Part II. Results from 0 to 95°C

Simple two-parameter Hückel and Pitzer equations were used for the calculation of the activity coefficients of aqueous hydrochloric acid at temperatures 0–60°C up to a molality of 2.0 mol-kg^–1. The data obtained by Harned and Ehlers^(2,3) on galvanic cells without a liquid junction were used in the parameter estimations of these equations. These data consist of sets of measurements at the temperature intervals of 5°C. It was observed that all estimated parameters follow very simple equations with respect to temperature. They are either constant or depend linearly on the temperature. The values for the activity coefficient parameters calculated by these simple equations are recommended here. The recommended parameter values were tested by predicting the data of Gupta, Hills, and Ives,⁽⁵⁾ consisting of cell measurements from 5 to 45°C and molalities up to 1.0 mol-kg^–1, and the data of Bates and Bower,⁽⁴⁾ which extend to 95°C but measurements were only made on molalities less than about 0.1 mol-kg^–1. The activity coefficients obtained by the new equations were also compared to those calculated by the Pitzer equations with the parameter values determined by Saluja, Pitzer, and Phutela⁽⁶⁾ from calorimetric data. The agreement observed was excellent up to a molality of 1.5 mol-kg^–1 at temperatures from 0 to 60°C.     

The effect of calcination conditions on the superconducting properties of Y−Ba−Cu−O powders

Calcination conditions of the precursor powders, i.e. temperature, type of atmosphere and duration, were determined with a view to obtain superconducting powders with the most advantageous physico-chemical properties. Investigated were powders in the Y?Ba?Cu?O system prepared by the sol-gel method. Thermogravimetric examinations of the powders have revealed that the decomposition kinetics of BaCO₃ determines the formation rate of the superconducting YBa₂Cu₃O_7?x (‘123’) phase. It follows from the decomposition kinetics of BaCO₃ that the process is the most intensive in argon, whereas in static air and oxygen it is the slowest. The phase composition analysis (XRD) and low-temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements of the calcinated powders, confirm the above mentioned changes in the decomposition kinetics. The reaction of barium carbonate can be completed if the calcination process is conducted at the temperature of 850°C for 25 h, yielding easily sinterable powders for obtaining single-phase superconducting bulk samples with advantageous functional parameters.     

Effect of phosphorus flame retardants on thermo-oxidative decomposition of cotton

The effect of six organophosphorus compounds, including Pyrovatex CP (PCP), diammonium phosphate (DAP), phosphoric acid (PA), tributyl phosphate (TBP), triallyl phosphate (TAP) and triallyl phosphoric triamide (TPT) on the flame retardancy of cotton cellulose was studied. PCP, PA, and DAP are more efficient compared with the other three compounds in improving the limiting oxygen index (LOI) of cotton. The effectiveness of these compounds was investigated using scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of char formed after LOI tests, char content, activation energy of decomposition and heat of combustion data. SEM images showed that DAP, PCP and PA chars maintain the surface morphology during the burning process, which might be due to the formation of a protective layer or crosslinking effect. PA, PCP, and DAP treated fabrics have a higher activation energy of decomposition, higher char content and lower heat of combustion.     

An analytical solution of a newly proposed peak broadening equation and extension of polydispersities to higher molecular weight averages in size exclusion chromatography (SEC)

Summary Herein is reported an analytical solution to the peak broadening or peak dispersion/flattening equation based on the recently proposed Instrumental Spreading Shape Function and its application to correction for imperfect resolution (inadequate peak separation and/or excessive peak broadening) for higher molecular weight averages. The relationship of these higher MW averages with the familiar Weight Average and number average molecular weights is also discussed. Criteria for perfect resolution are specified and a true molecular weight calibration curve is accordingly defined.     

Direct Synthesis, Crystal Structure and Thermal Kinetics of Supramolecular Complex [Co（H2O）6]·（Hnip）2·（H2nip）2·（DMA）2·（H2O）8 （nip=5-nitroisophthalate, DMA=CH3NHCH3）

The crystal of [Co（H2O）6]·（Hnip）2·（H2nip）2·（OMA）2·（H2O）8 has been cultured using direct method and characterized by X-ray single crystal diffractometry, elemental analysis and FTIR spectroscopy. It crystallizes in triclinic system, P-1 space group with the cell parameters of a=0.7012（1） nm, b=1.1378（2） nm, c=1.6612（3） nm, α= 84.92（3）°, β=85.19（3）°, γ=85.91（3）°, V= 1.3128（5） nm^3, Z=1, Dc= 1.573 g·cm^-3. Final R indices [1〉2σ（I）] are： R1 =0.0279, wR2=0.0765 while R indices for all data are： R1 =0.0327, wR2=0.0806. The Co coordination octahadra are each surrounded by two Hnip, two H2nip, two DMA and eight water molecules that are linked by hydrogen bonds and π-π stacking interactions. Thermal analyses of DSC and TG-DTG have been performed on the complex to predict its thermal decomposition mechanism and determine the most probable kinetic model function using Kissinger, Ozawa, integral and differential methods.     

Attractive halogen–halogen interactions: F3CCl⋯FH and F3CCl⋯FCH3 dimers

The F₃CCl?FH and F₃CCl?FCH₃ dimers, which feature the halogen–halogen contacts, are investigated at MP2/6–311++G(d,p) and MP2/aug–cc–pVDZ levels of approximation. The binding energies of these complexes are found to be comparable to those of the weak hydrogen bonds. In both complexes the Cl?F are found to be significantly shorter than the sum of the corresponding van der Waals radii. The C–Cl?F contacts are also found to exhibit certain deviation from linearity. However, the energy differences between linear and bent structures are very small and primarily accounted for by electrostatic interactions between remote parts of the dimer. This indicates a high conformational flexibility of the halogen–halogen contacts and may help to explain the diversity of structural features in crystals formed by halogen-containing molecules. In both dimers the halogen–halogen interaction leads to certain shortening of the C–Cl electron accepting bond. This is accompanied by a small increase of the C–Cl stretching frequency. Hence, the two investigated dimers can possibly be classified as the blue-shifting halogen–halogen contacts.     

Influence of the heating rate on the temperature profiles and on the conversion rate of powdery cellulose and pine sawdust

An experimental study of the thermal decomposition of powdered cellulose and pine sawdust has been performed. The influence of the heating rate on the temperature profiles in the sample and on the solid conversion rate has been studied. A mathematical model without adjustable parameters has been used to calculate the temperature at different points in the solid bed and the average total solid conversion. The experimental results have been compared with those calculated by the model. A good agreement has been obtained for sawdust. Some differences are observed for cellulose at high heating rates, and the influence of the thermal conductivity and the reaction heat on the results has been analysed.     

Experimental evidence of structural transition from fcc to bulk bcc in nanophase metal clusters of (Fe)n, (Cr)n, (Mo)n and (W)n produced by CO2 laser multiphoton decomposition of metal carbonyls

We have produced nanophase metal clusters, (Fe)_n, (Cr)_n, (Mo)_n and (W)_n, by multiphoton decomposition of the corresponding metal carbonyls with a 10.6 μm CO₂ laser in the presence of Ar and SF₆. The size distribution was narrow and the average diameter was 6, 3.5, 2 and 1 nm for Fe, Cr, Mo and W clusters, respectively. The structure was found to be bcc for both Fe and Cr clusters, fcc for Mo clusters, and amorphous for W clusters (note that all the bulk metals have bcc structure). Considering the cluster sizes (9630, 1870, 230 and 30 for Fe, Cr, Mo and W clusters, respectively) estimated from their average diameters, it is likely that there exists a structural transition from fcc to bulk bcc with increasing cluster size in these metal clusters.     

Thermal Behaviour of the N-donor Adducts of Metal Saccharinates III. Imidazole saccharinates of Co(II), Ni(II) and Cd(II)

The complexes [M(HIm)₄(H₂O)₂](sac)₂ (M=Co, Ni) and [Cd(HIm)₂(sac)₂]₂ with saccharin (sac) and imidazole (HIm) were synthesized and their thermal (TG, DTG and DTA) behaviour in the interval from room temperature up to 1000°C in a static air atmosphere was investigated. Irrespectively of whether the deprotonated saccharinato residues are present as ligands or ions or both as ligands and ions, the anhydrous complexes regularly decompose in two stages. The thermal data of 16 saccharinato complexes (including the title compounds) were correlated with the respective structural data. The general thermal stability order of the saccharinato complexes can be represented as: Pb(II)<Zn(II)<Co(II)Ni(II)<Cd(II) (the stability of the Cu saccharinates depends on the particular compound) and is dictated by several structural factors, e.g. metal ionic radii, participation of the water in the coordination sphere of the metal and other structural characteristics. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.