Surface properties of the binary mixed systems of alkylpyridinium halides and sodium alkylsulfonates

Surface properties of the binary mixed systems of decyl- and dodecylpyridinium chloride or bromide and sodium pentyl- and heptylsulfonate have been investigated. The surface tension of solutions of equimolar mixtures of surfactants and individual surfactants was measured, and the composition of mixed monolayers and surface interaction parameter β were calculated with the regular solution theory. Our results indicate that the properties of mixed films depend on both ionic strength and the kind of added inorganic electrolyte. With the increase of inorganic electrolyte concentration, the content of more surface active ions in the adsorption films enhances and is the highest in the presence of NaI and the smallest when solutions contain NaCl. Mutual interactions in mixed adsorbed films were found to be attractive. However, the strength of interaction weakens with the increase of ionic strength and depends on the kind of inorganic ions in the order: Cl⁻>Br⁻>I⁻.     

Behaviors and mechanisms of copper adsorption on hydrolyzed polyacrylonitrile fibers

Polyacrylonitrile fiber (PANF) was hydrolyzed in a solution of sodium hydroxide and the hydrolyzed polyacrylonitrile fiber (HPANF) was used as an adsorbent to remove copper ions from aqueous solution. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the hydrolysis process made the surface of HPANF rougher than that of PANF. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy revealed that the HPANF contained conjugated imine (-Cz=Nz-) sequences. Batch adsorption results indicated that the HPANF was very effective in adsorbing copper, and the adsorption equilibrium could be reached within 10-20 min. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) showed that some aggregates formed on the surface of the HPANF after copper ion adsorption and the average surface roughness (R(a)) value of the HPANF changed from 0.363 to 3.763 nm due to copper adsorption. FTIR analysis indicated that copper adsorption caused a decrease of the light adsorption intensity of the imine (-Cz=Nz-) groups at 1573 and 1406 cm(-1) wavenumbers, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) showed that the binding energy (BE) of some of the nitrogen atoms in the HPANF increased to a greater value due to copper adsorption. The FTIR and XPS results suggest that the adsorption of copper ions to the HPANF is attributed to the imine groups on the surface of the HPANF.     

Application of ultrasound-assisted acid leaching procedures for major and trace elements determination in edible seaweed by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry

A new method using diluted reagents (nitric and hydrochloric acids and oxygen peroxide) and ultrasound energy to assist metals acid leaching with from edible seaweed was optimized. The method uses a first sonication at high temperature with hydrochloric acid as a previous stage to an ultrasound-assisted acid leaching with 7 ml of an acid solution containing nitric acid, hydrochloric acid and hydrogen peroxide at concentrations of 3.7, 3.0 and 3.0 M, respectively. Optimum conditions for the first sonication step were ultrasound energy at 17 kHz, sonication temperature at 65 °C, an acid volume of 2 ml, an hydrochloric acid concentration of 6.0 M and a sonication time of 10 min. It has been found that the first sonication stage at high temperature with hydrochloric acid is necessary to obtain quantitative recoveries for As, Ba, Fe and V. Otherwise quantitative recoveries were reached for the other elements investigated (Ca, K, Na, Mg, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn). The repeatability of the ultrasound-assisted acid leaching method was around 10% for all elements. Adequate limit of detection and limit of quantification were reached by using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) for measurements. The method resulted accurate after analysing several seaweed certified reference materials (IAEA-140/TM, NIES-03 and NIES-09). The method was finally applied to the multi-element determination in edible seaweed samples.     

KINETICS OF SUSPENDED EMULSION POLYMERIZATION OF METHYL METHACRYLATE

The kinetics of suspended emulsion polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA), in which water acted as the dispersed phase and the mixture of MMA and cyclohexane as the continuous phase, was investigated. It showed that the initial polymerization rate (Rp0) and steady-state polymerization rate (Rp) were proportional to the mass ratio between water and oil phase, and increased as the polymerization temperature, the potassium persulphate concentration ([I]) and the Tween20 emulsifier concentration ([S]) increased. The relationships between the polymerization rate and [I] and [S] were obtained as follows: Rp0 ∝ [I]0.73[S]0.32 and Rp ∝ [I]0.71[S]0.23. The above exponents were close to those obtained from normal MMA emulsion polymerization. It also showed that the average molecular weight of the resulting poly(methyl methacrylate) decreased as the polymerization temperature, [I] and [S] increased. Thus, MMA suspended emulsion polymerization could be considered as a combination of many miniature emulsion polymerizations proceeding in water drops and obeyed the classical kinetics of MMA emulsion polymerization.     

Morphology,surface roughness,electron inelastic and quasielastic scattering in elastic peak electron spectroscopy of polymers

In elastic peak electron spectroscopy (EPES), the nearest vicinity of elastic peak in the low kinetic energy region reflects electron inelastic and quasielastic processes. Incident electrons produce surface excitations, inducing surface plasmons, with the corresponding loss peaks separated by 1–20 eV energy from the elastic peak. In this work, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and helium pycnometry are applied for determining surface atomic composition and bulk density, whereas atomic force microscopy (AFM) is applied for determining surface morphology and roughness. The component due to electron recoil on hydrogen atoms can be observed in EPES spectra for selected primary electron energies. Simulations of EPES predict a larger contribution of the hydrogen component than observed experimentally, where hydrogen deficiency is observed. Elastic peak intensity is influenced more strongly by surface morphology (roughness and porosity) than by surface excitations and quasielastic scattering of electrons by hydrogen atoms. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Gas chromatographic determination of residual hydrazine and morpholine in boiler feed water and steam condensates

Summary Hydrazine, an oxygen scavenger in boiler water, was derivatised to the corresponding acetone azine and determined at the ng ml^–1 level by gas chromatography. Morpholine, a corrosion inhibitor used in steam boilers, was estimated either directly (if >2.0 g ml^–1) or by quantitative preconcentration (0.1 ng – 2.0 g ml^–1). To obtain symmetrical peaks for these amines, the column packing was coated with KOH. Use of a nitrogen-specific detector improved accuracy of estimation of hydrazine and morpholine, giving a RSD of 1.9–3.6%. Chromatographic analysis of these amines in boiler feed water and steam condensate samples collected from boilers servicing a petroleum refinery is described. Environmental safety regulations calls for monitoring of hydrazine and the methods developed can easily be adapted for this purpose.     

The dissociation quotients of formic acid in sodium chloride solutions to 200°C

The dissociation quotients of formic acid were measured potentiometrically from 25 to 200°C in NaCl solutions at ionic strengths of 0.1, 0.3 1.0, 3.0, and 5.0 mol-kg^–1. The experiments were carried out in a concentration cell with hydrogen electrodes. The resulting molal acid dissociation quotients for formic acid, as well as a set of infinite dilution literature values and a calorimetrically-determined enthalpy of reaction, were fitted by an empirical equation involving an extended Debye Hückel term and seven adjustable parameters involving functions of temperature and ionic strength. This regressional analysis yielded the following thermodynamic quantities for 25°C: logK=–3.755±0.002, H^o=–0.09±0.15 kJ-mol^–1, S^o=–72.2±0.5 J-K^–1-mol^–1, and C _p ^o =–147±4 J-K^–1-mol^–1. The isocoulombic form of the equilibrium constant is recommended for extrapolation to higher temperatures.     

Polymer blends based on the β-modification of polypropylene

iPP/sPP, iPP/rPP, iPP/PVDF and iPP/PA-6 blends, and their β-nucleated forms were prepared in the present study. The components of iPP/sPP and iPP/rPP blends are compatible in the molten state. The phase structure of the melt of iPP/PVDF and iPP/PA-6 blends is heterogeneous. The melting and crystallisation characteristics as well as the structure and polymorphic composition of these blends were studied by polarised light microscopy (PLM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). When semicrystalline polymers are added to iPP, the most important factor of the formation a blend with β-crystalline phase is the α-nucleation effect of the second polymer. In the case of polymers with an α-nucleating effect, the temperature range of their crystallisation should be lower than that of β-iPP. β-nucleated iPP/PVDF and iPP/PA-6 blends are extreme examples showing that completely β-iPP matrix can not form even in the presence of a highly effective β-nucleant, because of the strong α-nucleating ability and higher crystallisation temperature range of PVDF and PA-6. We found that the β-crystallisation tendency of random propylene copolymers can be enhanced by adding an iPP homopolymer.     

Synthesis and study of organic nitrates of heterofunctional series. 5. Synthesis of 3,3-bis(hydroxymethyl)oxetane mono- and dinitrates and 2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl)propane-1,3-diol (pentaerythritol) mono- and dinitrates

New procedures were developed for the synthesis of 3,3-bis(hydroxymethyl)oxetane dinitrate (1) by O-nitration of the corresponding glycol (3) or its mononitrate (6), which were prepared by the reactions of 2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl)propane-1,3-diol (pentaerythritol) (2) mono- (4) and dinitrates (5), respectively, with alkali. A new method was devised for the synthesis of compounds 4 and 5 by the reaction of tetraol 2 with concentrated HNO₃ in dichloroethane. The structures of compounds 1 and 6 were established by X-ray diffraction analysis.     

Synthesis and thermal transformations of polyphosphosiloxane based on trimethyl phosphate and (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane

A method for the synthesis of polyphosphosiloxane by the thermal condensation of an equimolar mixture of trimethyl phosphate and (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane at 200 °C was developed. The reaction affords ethanol and polyphosphosiloxane-{Si(OEt)[(CH₂)₃NR¹R²]-O-P(O)(OMe)-O}_n-(R¹ = H, Me; R² = Me), whose composition and structure were confirmed by ¹H, ¹³C, and ³¹P NMR spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. The scheme of polymerization involving the intermediate formation of methyl-and dimethylphosphoric acids and their condensation with ethoxysilanes was proposed. The calcination of the obtained polyphosphosiloxane in vacuo at 350 °C results in the elimination of the amino groups and alkoxide substituents, and a spatially cross-linked polymer is formed as an amorphous powder. Its further thermolysis at 600 and 1000 °C gives crystalline phosphosilicates Si₅O(PO₄)₆ or SiP₂O₇. Their amorphous and crystalline samples were characterized by IR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, and solid-state ¹³C and ³¹P spectroscopy. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 11, pp. 2138–2148, November, 2007.