The phase behaviour of poly(styrene-co-methacrylic acid)/poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) by inverse gas chromatography

The miscibility behaviour of blends of poly(styrene-co-methacrylic acide) (PSMA-12) containing 12% of methacrylic acid with poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) (PPO) at five different compositions has been studied by inverse gas chromatography (IGC). The adequacy of two types of solvents (solvents and precipitants) has been tested in order to detect the glass transition temperature, T(g). A single T(g) has been observed in PSMA-12/PPO blends containing less than 67wt% of PPO. Two glass transition temperatures appeared, however, in blends containing higher PPO content. The polymer-polymer interaction parameters have been calculated in the molten state (260-280 degrees C), their values being in good agreement with the observed phase behaviour. Moreover, the methods proposed by Farooque-Deshpande and Huang for obtaining the true polymer-polymer interaction parameters have been compared. Finally, the ability of IGC in order to determine T(g)s has been extended to a ternary system, PSMA-12/PPO/EMV4P-8 poly(ethylmethacrylate-co-4-vinylpyridine) which, depending on the composition, gives a single, two and even three T(g)s.     

TL dating and XRF clay provenance analysis of ancient brick at Cuicul Roman city,Algeria

In this work, a terra-cotta brick collected from the famous archaeological Roman city Cuicul, Algeria, was successfully dated by thermoluminescence. The provenance of the fabrication material was also identified by X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF). The results obtained show that the brick was probably made in 198 A.D. This date is in good agreement with the history of the dated site and the neighborhood Caracalla arch edified in honour to Caracalla emperor (211–217 A.D.). The XRF study demonstrates that the raw clay used for the fabrication of the brick is local and well selected by the Roman builders.