Sol-gel polyimide-silica composite membrane: gas transport properties

The effect of introduction of silica particles prepared by the sol-gel technique on the gas transport properties of a polyimide film was studied. The sorption and permeation of N₂, O₂, CO₂, H₂ and CH₄ were studied and correlated with morphological changes in the polymer structure. From sorption isotherms, we observed that the composite membrane presents higher solubility coefficients than the polyimide one. The solubility coefficient ratio between the composite and the polyimide is about 1.5–2.0. The isotherms were analyzed in terms of the dual mode sorption. The Henry's coefficient and the Langmuir's affinity and saturation constants were obtained allowing to calculate the Langmuir to Henry concentration ratios as function of the gas pressure. These ratios decrease until zero within a certain pressure range as long as the Langmuir's mode is acting and they are higher for the polyimide membrane when compared with the composite one. This study was completed with calorimetric measurements during the sorption. The gas interaction energy in kJ/mol decreases within the same pressure range as previously described. The measured energies are higher for the polyimide film when compared with the composite one because the polyimide membrane presents a stronger energetic effect caused by a higher Langmuir's contribution. From permeation studies at 3.15⁵ Pa, the composite membrane showed higher permeability coefficients and permselectivities than the polyimide one. All these results were explained, taking into account the difference on the imidization degree of both membranes and the morphological changes which may be induced by the silica nodules in the organic/inorganic interphases.     

Strange particle production by antineutrinos

Cross sections are presented for antineutrino production of Λ, Σ⁰ and K⁰ in strangeness changing reactions. Associated production reactions (ΔS = 0) have been observed in the charged and the neutral current channels. For the elastic reaction $\text{v}\text{p}\text{→ μ}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{Λ}$, estimates have been made of the axial transition form factor.     

Variations des proprietes d'adsorption d'eau de la montmorillonite-lithium en fonction du traitement thermique

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - L'adsorption de vapeur d'eau sur montmorillonite lithique en provenance de Marnia et Camp Berteaux a été analysée après...     

Polyaniline: evidence of oxygen–polarons interactions to explain the high selectivity values in oxygen/nitrogen gas permeation experiments

High selectivity between oxygen and nitrogen has been found by gas permeation with doped polyaniline. Because of the small difference in kinetic diameters, solubility rather than diffusion may explain the preferential oxygen permeation. Electron spin resonance (ESR) measurements have been performed to check whether interactions of oxygen with polarons in polyaniline exist. A tenfold decrease in the spin number was observed when the polymer was in the presence of oxygen rather than nitrogen. This result was interpreted as being due to interactions between oxygen triplet states and polarons of polyaniline.     

An upper limit to the cross section for the reaction νμe−→νμe− at SPS energies

Candidates for the purely leptonic process $\text{ν}{}_{\mathrm{\mu }}\text{e}{}^{\mathrm{?}}\text{→}\text{ν}{}_{\mathrm{\mu }}\text{e}{}^{\mathrm{?}}$ have been searched for in the bubble chamber Gargamelle exposed to the CERN-SPS antineutrino wide-band beam. No single e^?, of energy greater than 1 GeV, was found in a total of 230 000 pictures, corresponding to 7400 charged current events. This leads to an upper limit for the observed cross section of $\text{σ}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>obs</mtext>}}\text{< 1.6 × 10}{}^{\mathrm{?42}}\text{(}\text{E}{}_{\mathrm{\nu }}{}^{\mathrm{?}}\text{GeV}\text{)}$ cm² (90% C.L.). Interpretation of this value in terms of the standard W Weinberg-Salam model yields an upper limit to the mixing parameter sin²θ_W < 0.39 at 90% C.L.     

Adsorption d'eau sur la kaolinite: Influence de la nature des sites actifs

Water adsorption on kaolinite is a specific cooperative adsorption which does not satisfy the fundamental hypothesis of the BET theory.The adsorption isotherms on different homoionic samples show the effect of the hydration energy of the active sites (exchangeable cations) on quantitative adsorption data.The corresponding calorimetric curves present a maximum which characterizes interactions in the adsorbed phase. A relationship is apparent between these interactions and the electric field or the polarizability of the fixed cation, these factors determining the nature of the bond between the surface and cation.From the experimental data, we may propose an approximative value for the number of molecules which compose the primary hydration sheath of the active sites.     

Transport properties of thermoplastic/thermoset blends

Gas transport properties are reported for two series of films prepared from initially miscible thermoplastic/thermoset blends, respectively, polystyrene PS/thermoset and poly(2,6 dimethyl 1,4 phenylene oxide) PPE/thermoset blends. The thermoplastic contents are such that in both cases, after the phase separation, the continuous phase is the thermoplastic‐rich phase and scanning electron microscopic photomicrographs clearly evidenced the dispersion of thermoset‐rich nodules in the continuous thermoplastic‐rich phase with a more tortuous morphology in the case of PPE based films. Permeability measurements were made for O₂ and CO₂ at 20°C and a reduction in permeability coefficients was observed with increased thermoset content. Analysis using Maxwell law suggests that for all thermoplastic/thermoset blends, the thermoset particles can be considered as impermeable to gas and that the diffusion takes place in the continuous phase. In the case of PPE based films, the higher decrease of permeability than that predicted by the law has been related to the morphology of the blends and thus the tortuosity and to a partial miscibility of the thermoset in the thermoplastic. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37: 473–483, 1999     

Transport properties of chitosan membranes: Influence of crosslinking

A chitosan film with acetylation degree close to 2% was crosslinked with glutaraldehyde. The consequences of this chemical modification were studied on the polymer gas and water transport properties. The crystalline domains were not affected by the crosslinking reaction and the modification of the amorphous phase did not induce variation of the gas permeability at anhydrous state. A crosslinking of 5 h, leading to a theoretical amine conversion of 60% in the amorphous phase induced only small changes of the polymer water sorption capacity at relative pressures less than 0.5. The main modification of the transport properties induced by this treatment occurred at a relative pressure equal to one with a significant reduction of the water sorption and water permeation and with the impossibility to measure the gas permeability coefficient in these conditions due to the brittleness of the membrane. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 1521–1529, 2000     

Single-pion production in antineutrino-induced neutral-current interactions

Results are presented on antineutrino-induced processes in which a single π⁰or π^? is produced. The raw data come from analysis of film from Gargamelle filled with a propane-freon mixture. Comparison of the neutral-current production rates for π⁰and π^?, after correction for nuclear effects, indicates that pure isoscalar or pure isovector transitions are not favoured. The ratio of the neutral-to-charged-current single-π⁰ production rates is found to be compatible with the static model for Δ³³ resonance production in the framework of the Weinberg-Salam theory, yielding values for sin²θ_W in the range 0.15–0.52.     

Characterization of the coating layer on glass fibre used as reinforcement in polyepoxyde matrix

R glass fibre for the reinforcement of epoxy matrices has been coated with epoxy prepolymer (as film-former or sizing agent) or γAPS aminosilane (as coupling agent) or a mixture of these two products. The structure of the coating layer and its interaction capabilities with fibre and matrix have been studied by coupled calorimetry-gravimetry of sorption of different model reactants and by Fourier Transform infra-red analysis.