Comparison of the instantaneous and conversion chemical heterogeneity of random copolymers

The calculation of a general distribution function of chemical composition of random copolymers involving the instantaneous and conversion chemical heterogeneity is demonstrated. Typical examples offer a semiquantitative view about the effect of the two types of chemical heterogeneity on the shape and width of the distribution of chemical composition.     

Development of a computer-assisted thermoelectric Peltier cold test procedure with integrated photoplethysmography unit for noninvasive evaluation of acral skin circulation]

Local cold provocation tests are an important, non-invasive diagnostic tool for collecting information about skin perfusion during exposure to cold. In patients suffering from vasospastic circulatory disorders such as Raynaud's phenomenon, it is of particular importance to be able to collect data about acral circulation during the cooling test in the asymptomatic intervals between naturally occurring attacks. By carrying out a series of cold provocation tests, for example, patient response to a newly initiated therapy can be assessed. Here we present a recently developed, computer-aided thermoelectric Peltier device with an integrated finger holder for carrying out local cold provocation tests. The electronic control unit of the Peltier element make it possible to cool or heat to predefined temperatures. At the same time, the temperature of both the finger holder and the skin can be measured. A photoplethysmographic sensor is also integrated within the device, enabling the response of the pulse waves to the controlled temperature changes to be monitored accurately. It is also possible to measure simultaneously laser Doppler flux and capillary pressure in the nailfold and to perform nailfold capillaroscopy to determine red blood cell velocity. The new device provides us with the technical means to study the interrelationship between acral skin perfusion and the thermal regulation of the skin.     

Solution of counter-current separation processes—IV. Application of the GPM method to solution of distillation problems

A new non-iterative method for a parametric study of a particular distillation column is devised. The technique takes use of the similarity between difference and differential equations. For solution of nonlinear boundary value problems for difference equations the GPM technique is used. The method is illustrated by calculated examples.     

Photochromic polymers

Summary Two soluble photochromic polymers containing 1-(ß-hydroxyethyl)-3,3-dimethyl-6-nitrospiro[2H-1-benzopyran-2,2-indoline] bound on a variously long side chain were prepared. It was found that the discolouration process depends on the length of the side chain to which the photochromic centre is bound.     

Rationalized Load and Lifetime of Brittle Materials

The design and testing of structural parts from materials which exhibit subcritical crack growth can be improved by introducing auxiliary quantities into the classical concepts of fracture mechanics. The equivalent static stress, equivalent loading time, standardized loading time, and standardized lifetime, as well as the decrease in lifetime and residual lifetime, are defined, with examples of their application.     

Fast determination of fatty acids in oil-utilizing resins by NMR spectroscopy

This work describes the determination of oil either as such or in oil-utilizing resins such as alkyds and urethanes, by means of NMR techniques. Both the qualitative and quantitative analyses are demonstrated and the accuracy is assessed. Typically, the complete analysis of an alkyd resin takes less than 1 hr.     

Refractive index increments of polyethylene

The refractive index increments of linear and branched polyethylene were determined for several solvents and various wavelengths (403, 436, 546, and 633 nm), mainly at 135°C. Differences were observed between values for linear and branched samples. Data obtained in this investigation are compared with the reported ones.     

Reactive polymers,XXXVII. An investigation of the internal structure of polymeric sorbents based on poly(2,3-epoxypropyl methacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate)

The internal structure of polymeric sorbents based on 2,3-epoxypropyl methacrylateethylene dimethacrylate was investigated by means of mercury porosimetry and by employing the sorption method. The results were confronted with characteristic chromatographic data and helped to elucidate the relationships existing between the internal structure of copolymers and their chromatographic properties.     

Numerical study on the spectroscopic ellipsometry of lamellar gratings made of lossless dielectric materials

The spectroscopic ellipsometry of lamellar gratings made of lossless dielectric materials is studied numerically by using the rigorous coupled-wave method with the use of Li's Fourier factorization rules [J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 13, 1870 (1996)], which are known to improve the convergence on the analyses of metallic gratings. Numerical results show that the calculation method also provides fast convergence on lossless gratings, and accurate values of the ellipsometric angles are obtained in very short computation times. Moreover, estimation of grating parameters is investigated by using a cost function defined by the average distance on the Poincaré sphere, and it is shown that the computation required for accurate estimation is possible in reasonable computation time.     

Die polymerisation der lactame VI. Die copolymerisation von 6-caprolactam und 8-capryllactam

The process of incorporating 6-caprolactam and 8-capryllactam into polymer chains was studied during the hydrolytic, cationic, and anionic copolymerization in the case of equimolar ratio of the above mentioned monomers. At the beginning of the hydrolytic copolymerization at temperatures between 200 and 260°C, 6-caprolactam was more rapidly incorporated into the chains. Decreasing temperature led to a decrease in the total rate of polymerization with increasing difference between rates of incorporating the two components. Contrary to this, at the initial stage of the cationic copolymerization, the incorporation of 8-capryllactam was faster by orders of magnitude than that of 6-caprolactam, the changes of the copolymer composition being independent of temperature. Under the conditions of interest, in the course of the anionic copolymerization the two monomers were characterized with the same rates of incorporation into the polymer chains. Different melting points of products separated at various stages of the copolymerization process corresponded to the above mentioned differences in rates of incorporating individual monomers into polymer chains when different reaction mechanisms were employed.