Mechanical properties of Nafion and titania/Nafion composite membranes for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells

Measurements of the mechanical and electrical properties of Nafion and Nafion/titania composite membranes in constrained environments are reported. The elastic and plastic deformation of Nafion‐based materials decreases with both the temperature and water content. Nafion/titania composites have slightly higher elastic moduli. Thecomposite membranes exhibit less strain hardening than Nafion. Composite membranes also show a reduction in the long‐time creep of ～40% in comparison with Nafion. Water uptake is faster in Nafion membranes recast from solution in comparison with extruded Nafion. The addition of 3–20 wt % titania particles has minimal effect on the rate of water uptake. Water sorption by Nafion membranes generates a swelling pressure of ～0.55 MPa in 125‐μm membranes. The resistivity of Nafion increases when the membrane is placed under a load. At 23 °C and 100% relative humidity, the resistivity of Nafion increases by ～15% under an applied stress of 7.5 MPa. There is a substantial hysteresis in the membrane resistivity as a function of the applied stress depending on whether the pressure is increasing or decreasing. The results demonstrate how the dynamics of water uptake and loss from membranes are dependent on physical constraints, and these constraints can impact fuel cell performance. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 2327–2345, 2006     

The Effect of Polymer Substrate Surface Basicity on the Adsorption of a Cationic Polyacrylamide

The adsorption of a cationic polyacrylamide onto polytetrafluoroethylene, bisphenol-A based epoxy resins, and acrylate substrates was characterized with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and dynamic contact angle measurement in water. Surface acidity-basicity was quantified via dynamic contact angle measurement in water, ethylene glycol, and diiodomethane. The epoxy resins exhibited intermediate surface basicity and adsorbed the most polyelectrolyte, suggesting that specific substrate-adsorbate acid-base interactions govern adsorption of the cationic polyacrylamide onto surfaces of low to intermediate basicity. In general polar interactions appear to dominate the adsorption process. Advancing contact angle measurements have yielded quantitative fractional surface coverage information for polymer-on-polymer adsorption comparable to that obtained via XPS. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.     

Simple Zeros of the Riemann Zeta-Function

Assuming the Riemann Hypothesis, Montgomery showed by meansof his pair correlation method that at least two-thirds of thezeros of Riemann's zeta-function are simple. Later he and Taylorimproved this to 67.25 percent and, more recently, Cheer andGoldston increased the percentage to 67.2753. Here we proveby a new method that if the Riemann and Generalized LindelöofHypotheses hold, then at least 70.3704 percent of the zerosare simple and at least 84.5679 percent are distinct. Our methoduses mean value estimates for various functions defined by Dirichletseries sampled at the zeros of the Riemann zeta-function. 1991Mathematics Subject Classification: 11M26.     

Existence and Uniqueness of Fixed Points for Markov Operators and Markov Processes

This paper concerns a Markov operator T on a space L₁, and aMarkov process P which defines a Markov operator on a spaceM of finite signed measures. For T, the paper presents necessaryand sufficient conditions for:

a the existence of invariant probabilitydensities (IPDs)

b the existence of strictly positive IPDs,and

c the existence and uniqueness of IPDs.

Similar resultson invariant probability measures for P are presented. The basicapproach is to pose a fixed-point problem as the problem ofsolving a certain linear equation in a suitable Banach space,and then obtain necessary and sufficient conditions for thisequation to have a solution. 1991 Mathematics Subject Classification:60J05, 47B65, 47N30.     

Determination of a novel steroidal androgen receptor antagonist (Win 49596) in human plasma using solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection.

A rapid, sensitive and selective method was developed for the determination of a novel steroidal androgen receptor antagonist (Win 49596, I) in human plasma. The procedure involved extraction from plasma using a solid-phase phenyl support and elution directly onto a reversed-phase C8 column using a mobile phase consisting of 0.2 mol/l sodium acetate buffer at pH 7-acetonitrile (45:55, v/v). Drug was monitored by ultraviolet detection at a wavelength of 238 nm. Linear responses were observed for standards over the range 0.01-5.0 micrograms/ml. The minimum quantifiable level was 0.02 microgram/ml, using a 0.5-ml plasma sample. The precision was 5.5% and the accuracy ranged from -9.4% to 0.23%. The analytical method has been used to quantify I in plasma from dogs and rats and is projected for use with human plasma from clinical trials.     

Viscoelastic properties of Nafion at elevated temperature and humidity

Tensile stress–strain and stress relaxation properties of 1100 equivalent weight Nafion have been measured from 23 to 120 °C at 0–100% relative humidity. At room temperature, the elastic modulus of Nafion decreases with water activity. At 90 °C, the elastic modulus goes through a maximum at a water activity of ～ 0.3. At temperatures ≥90 °C, hydrated membranes are stiffer than dry membranes. Stress‐relaxation was found to have two very different rates depending on strain, temperature, and water content. At high temperature, low water activity, and small strain, the stress relaxation displays a maximum relaxation time with stress approaching zero after 10³–10⁴ s. Water absorption slows down stress‐relaxation rates. At high water activity, the maximum stress relaxation time was >10⁵ s at all temperatures. No maximum relaxation time was seen at T ≤ 50 °C. Increasing the applied strain also resulted in no observed upper limit to the stress relaxation time. The results suggest that temperature, absorbed water, and imposed strain alter the microstructure of Nafion inducing ordering transitions; ordered microstructure increases the elastic modulus and results in a stress relaxation time of >10⁵ s. Loss of microphase order reduces the elastic modulus and results in a maximum stress relaxation time of 10³–10⁴ s. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 47: 11–24, 2009.