Kinetic study of the crosslinking reaction of 1,2‐polybutadiene with dicumyl peroxide in the absence and presence of vinyl acetate

The crosslinking reaction of 1,2-polybutadiene (1,2-PB) with dicumyl peroxide (DCPO) in dioxane was kinetically studied by means of Fourier transform near-infrared spectroscopy (FTNIR). The crosslinking reaction was followed in situ by the monitoring of the disappearance of the pendant vinyl group of 1,2-PB with FTNIR. The initial disappearance rate (R₀) of the vinyl group was expressed by R₀ = k[DCPO]^0.8[vinyl group]^−0.2 (120 °C). The overall activation energy of the reaction was estimated to be 38.3 kcal/mol. The unusual rate equation was explained in terms of the polymerization of the pendant vinyl group as an allyl monomer involving degradative chain transfer to the monomer. The reaction mixture involved electron spin resonance (ESR)-observable polymer radicals, of which the concentration rapidly increased with time owing to a progress of crosslinking after an induction period of 200 min. The crosslinking reaction of 1,2-PB with DCPO was also examined in the presence of vinyl acetate (VAc), which was regarded as a copolymerization of the vinyl group with VAc. The vinyl group of 1,2-PB was found to show a reactivity much higher than 1-octene and 3-methyl-1-hexene as model compounds in the copolymerization with VAc. This unexpectedly high reactivity of the vinyl group suggested that an intramolecular polymerization process proceeds between the pendant vinyl groups located on the same polymer chain, possibly leading to the formation of block-like polymer. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 4437–4447, 2004     

Effect of annealing on structure and permeability of poly [(l-trimethylsilyl)-l-propyne]

The permeability of annealed poly (l-(trimethylsilyl)-l-propyne) was studied from the viewpoint of structural information obtained from x-ray diffraction and density. The sample cast from benzene solution had low density (0.82 g/cm³) and high permeability, whereas the annealed sample had a higher density (0.88 g/cm³) and permeability lower by two orders of magnitude. The smaller-angle x-ray diffraction peak for each sample, which was likely to reflect the distance between intermolecular chains, increased in intensity and shifted toward higher angle, corresponding to the change of the density with annealing. The logarithmic oxygen permeability was proportional to the density, namely the free volume fraction correlated with the diffusion coefficient and controlled by annealing and swelling by alcohols.     

Evaluation of fine structure of tubular zeolite NaA membrane by FTIR-ATR and FIB-TEM.

A zeolite NaA (LTA) membrane supported by an alumina porous support tube for pervaporation (PV) dehydration of ethanol was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) using a focused ion beam (FIB) thin-layer specimen preparation technique and by Fourier transform infrared attenuated total reflectance method (FTIR-ATR) using a diamond prism as the waveguide. FIB-TEM clearly presented cross-section images up to about 15 microm depth from the membrane surface. FTIR-ATR monitored the Si-O asymmetric stretching vibration spectrum. The Si-O spectrum was compared with the TEM image and their relationships were discussed. By combining the two methods, we could study the thickness of surface LTA crystals, the grain boundary, the LTA/alumina interface structure and the crystallinity and density of materials inside of the alumina porous support. Consequently, fine structure changes of the LTA membrane corresponding to the hydrothermal synthesis condition could be sensitively detected.     

Major-to-ultratrace elements in bone-marrow fluid as determined by ICP-AES and ICP-MS.

The major-to-ultratrace elements in human bone-marrow fluid were determined by ICP-AES (inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry), and ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry). The bone-marrow fluid sample was centrifuged prior to acid digestion to exclude the bone piece from bone marrow, and then digested with nitric acid. As a result, 20 elements could be determined over the concentration range from 1610 microg g(-1) for Na to 0.00043 microg g(-1) for W. It was found that Fe, Zn and Sb were enriched by ca. 264-, 7- and 15-fold, respectively, in bone-marrow fluid, compared to those in human blood serum. Alkali metals (K, Rb, Cs), except for Na, were also significantly enriched in bone-marrow fluid. Furthermore, the concentrations of various elements, such as Fe, P, Al, Zn, Cu, Se, Zr, Sn, Ag and W, were significantly higher than those in open seawater.     

Decomposition of Co2TiO4 spinel below 1000 K

Co₂TiO₄ spinel was found to decompose to the mixture of CoTiO₃ ilmenite and Co₃O₄ spinel below 1000 K. The decomposition rate was the larger for the sample ground for the longer period. It showed a maximum around 870–920 K which seemed to appear from the balance between the rate increase by diffusion and the decrease of nucleation probability with temperature. The thermodynamical consideration supported the experimental results.     

3-Aroylmethyl derivatives of 2(1H)quinoxalinone and 2H-l,4-benzoxazin-2-ones existing in the enamine form

Seventeen derivatives of 2(1H)quinoxalinone and 2H-l,4-benzoxazin-2-one have been synthesized for structural study. All of the compounds having a substituted phenacyl, isonicotinoylmethyl, or 2-furoylmethyl side chain are shown to exist in the enamine form with an internal chelation both in the crystalline and solution states as evidenced by the ir and pmr spectra, respectively. In the gas phase, however, o-hydroxyphenacyl derivatives can exist in another type of intramolecularly hydrogen-bonded form which is supported by their mass spectra.     

PI Mtoyoura: a new PI M subtype found by separator and hybrid isoelectric focusing

In the course of a population study of alpha 1-antitrypsin polymorphism by separator isoelectric focusing, a variant phenotype having a somewhat narrower spacing than PI M1M3 was observed in a Japanese blood donor. Family studies by hybrid isoelectric focusing in a carrier ampholyte-supplemented immobilized pH gradient from 4.35-4.65 revealed that the products of the responsible gene, PI*Mtoyoura, were extremely close but slightly cathodal to those of PI*M1. The difference in isoelectric point between them corresponded to the resolving limit of isoelectric focusing. For this reason, although the propositus' father was deduced to have the genotype PI*M1/PI*Mtoyoura, the products of these two genes failed to form a double band pattern. Thus, the gene frequency for PI*Mtoyoura was unknown. These findings, however, indicate that a further microheterogeneity in the PI M subtype exists at least in the Japanese.     

Synthesis of fluoride garnets {Na3}[M3+2](Li3)F12 (M = Al,Cr, and Fe) from aqueous solution and their properties

The garnet-type fluorides, Na₃M₂Li₃F₁₂ (M = Al, Cr, and Fe) were synthesized as the coprecipitates of ～1 to 10 μm powders from HF solutions. The garnet structures were always obtained under acidic conditions. The incorporation of water molecules into the structure of the Cr and Fe garnets was observed. After heat treatment at 300°C, very small unknown peaks were observed in the X-ray powder pattern in addition to the garnet phase which had a slightly smaller value of the lattice constant than that of hydrous garnets. From the measurement of magnetic properties and Mössbauer effects, the Fe and Cr garnets were found to be paramagnetic with both ions in the trivalent state. Presentation of infrared spectra of the garnets is also included.