A kinetic model for polystyrene (PS) pyrolysis reaction

A mathematical model for the pyrolysis reaction of polystyrene (PS) in a semi-batch reactor has been presented. The thermal degradation of PS was flexibly modeled by a combination of random and specific chain-end scissions. Numerical simulation was used to investigate the effect of operating conditions on the PS products spectrum, the results of which were validated by the experimental data. It was found that as the reaction temperature increased (decreased), the monomer fraction in the products became lower (higher) while the trimer higher (lower). No significant variation in the product composition was, however, observed while constant temperature was maintained. These results indicate the reaction temperature is an effective manipulated variable for the control of products composition of PS pyrolysis. The calculation of the optimum temperature trajectories through the optimization study can thus be of interest for achieving productivity enhancement in plastics pyrolysis processes. This paper is dedicated to Professor Dong Sup Doh on the occasion of his retirement from Korea University.     

Production of FAME from acid oil,a by-product of vegetable oil refining

Simple alkyl FA esters have numerous uses, including serving as biodiesel, a fuel for compression ignition (diesel) engines. The use of acid-catalyzed esterification for the synthesis of FAME from acid oil, a by-product of edible vegetable oil refining that is produced from soapstock, was investigated. Soybean acid oil contained 59.3 wt% FFA, 28.0 wt% TAG, 4.4 wt% DAG, and less than 1% MAG. Maximum esterification occurred at 65°C and 26 h reaction at a molar ratio of total FA/methanol/sulfuric acid of 1∶15∶1.5. Residual unreacted species under these conditions, as a fraction of their content in unesterified acid oil, were FFA, 6.6%; TAG, 5.8%; and DAG, 2.6%. This corresponds to estimated concentrations of FFA, 3.2%; TAG, 1.3%; and DAG, 0.2%, on a mass basis, in the ester product. In an alternative approach, the acylglycerol species in soapstock were saponified prior to acidulation. High-acid (HA) acid oil made from this saponified soapstock had an FFA content of 96.2 wt% and no detectable TAG, DAG, or MAG. Optimal esterification conditions for HA acid oil at 65°C were a mole ratio of FFA/methanol/acid of 1∶1.8∶0.17, and 14 h incubation. FAME recovery under these conditions was 89% of theoretical, and the residual unesterified FFA content was approximately 20 mg/g. This was reduced to 3.5 mg/g, below the maximum FFA level allowed for biodiesel, by washing with NaCl, NaHCO₃, and Ca(OH)₂ solutions. Alternatively, by subjecting the unwashed ester layer to a second esterification, the FFA level was reduced to less than 2 mg/g. The acid value of this material exceeded the maximum allowed for biodiesel, but was reduced to an acceptable value by a brief wash with 0.5 N NaOH.     

Study of the amination of fatty alcohols catalyzed by Cu−Ni catalysts

Amination of fatty alcohols by hydrogenation and dehydrogenation catalysis is one of the main commercial processes for the production of dimethylalkylamines. The key factor in this process is the preparation of catalysts with high selectivity. A study of amination catalyzed by Cu−Ni catalysts supported on CaCO₃ is reported in this paper. Selectivity of the catalysts was adjustable by varying the ratio of Cu to Ni or by adding a third element (Zn or Mg). The promotion of catalyst selectivity was mainly attributable to the effect of the components on the reducibility of Ni²⁺ in the catalysts. Lower reducibility of Ni²⁻ led to higher catalyst selectivity.     

Sintering Behavior of Cadmium-Doped Pb(Ni1/3Nb2/3)O3–PbZrO3–PbTiO3 Ceramics

Substituting Cd²⁺ ions into the A and B sites in a Pb(Ni_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃PbZrO₃PbTiO₃ (PNNPZPT) ternary perovskite material made it possible to determine the effects of the Cd²⁺ ion substitution site on sintering behavior. The substitution site of the Cd²⁺ ion was identified by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy spectra. Although Cd²⁺ ions were substituted into the A and B sites in PNNPZPT, the Cd²⁺ ions preferred the A site over the B site. When Cd²⁺ ions replaced Pb²⁺ ions, a weight gain was observed during sintering. On the other hand, replacing Ni2 ions with Cd²⁺ ions promoted weight loss. Those weight changes indicated that Cd²⁺ ions change the bonding strength between the B-site cations and the oxygen of the octahedron in a perovskite structure. Density was influenced by the Cd²⁺ ion substitution site, and the A-site-doped compositions had higher densities than the B-site-doped compositions.     

Gender,culture and determinants of behavioural intents to adopt mobile commerce among the Y Generation in transition economies: evidence from Kazakhstan

This study investigates perceived risk and trust in relationship to the Diffusion of Innovation Theory [Rogers, E.M., 1962. Diffusion of innovations. Glencoe, IL: The Free Press; 1983. Diffusion of innovations. 3rd ed. New York: The Free Press] from a cultural perspective to understand the determinants of behavioural intent to adopt mobile commerce among the Y Generation in Kazakhstan. Surveys from 345 university-level students and subsequent structural equation modelling revealed perceived risk, trustworthiness and Rogers’ five innovation characteristics are important determinants. Perceived risk and trustworthiness are important determinants because of the high uncertainty avoidance characteristics of the Kazakh society. This study advances theory regarding culture- and generation-based characteristics to transition economies by verifying theoretical proposition regarding the behavioural intent towards mobile commerce adoption, resulting in a greater understanding of mobile commerce adoption among the Y Generation in transition economies. Marketing implications are discussed.     

Surfactants as replacements for natural lipids in bread baked from defatted wheat flour

Petroleum ether (PE) extracted 1.00% total free lipids (0.70% nonpolar and 0.30% polar) and 2-propanol (PrOH) extracted 1.36% total free and bound lipids (0.73% nonpolar and 0.63% polar) from wheat flour; the lipid fractions were characterized by thin layer chromatography. PE- or PrOH-defatted flours were baked after reconstitution with total, nonpolar, or polar wheat flour lipids; or with equivalent amounts of nonionic sucrose monopalmitate (SMP), ethoxylated monoglycerides (EMG) — each with a hydrophile-lipophile balance (HLB) of 14.0 or anionic sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate (SSL) — with an HLB value of 9.0. Defatted flours supplemented with surfactants alone or in combination with wheat flour lipids were used in bread with no-shortening and with 3%-shortening. The importance of the polar flour lipids in breadmaking was verified. The lipids in wheat flour were essential for maximizing the beneficial effects of shortening on breadmaking quality. Nonionic SMP or EMG completely replaced both PE-extractable wheat flour free total lipids ( or their non-polar or polar fractions) and 3% shortening; nonionic surfactants with high HLB were better than the anionic SSL for replacing free flour lipids. No surfactant completely replaced unfractionated PrOH-extracted lipids (free + bound) and shortening or total polar flour lipids (free + bound). All surfactants, especially anionic SSL, added with PrOH-extracted polar lipids improved the overall bread-making properties of the PrOH-defatted flour both in the absence and in the presence of shortening. Presented at the AOCS Meeting, New York, May 1977     

Process development for the removal of copper from wastewater using ferric/limestone treatment

The removal of copper from wastewater by ferric/limestone coagulation followed by screen filtration was carried out at a laboratory scale. The optimum coagulant (FeCl₃) dose and working pH were 50 mg// of Fe(m) and pH 7.5, respectively, through jar tests. For the efficient removal of copper from wastewater, we developed a novel process including the co-precipitation of copper with FeCl₃, alkalization in a limestone aeration bed, and separation of precipitates in a sedimentation tank coupled with internal stainless steel screen filter. The performance results showed that removal of copper from the solution was over 99.5%. The pH was effectively maintained over 7.5 in limestone bed during the whole process. Ferric hydroxide/copper aggregates were removed over 99% by stainless steel screen filter of 1,450 mesh. Periodic air backwashing alleviated fouling of the filter surface.     

Ionic liquids as electrolytes

Salts having a low melting point are liquid at room temperature, or even below, and form a new class of liquids usually called room temperature ionic liquids (RTIL). Information about RTILs can be found in the literature with such key words as: room temperature molten salt, low-temperature molten salt, ambient-temperature molten salt, liquid organic salt or simply ionic liquid. Their physicochemical properties are the same as high temperature ionic liquids, but the practical aspects of their maintenance or handling are different enough to merit a distinction. The class of ionic liquids, based on tetraalkylammonium cation and chloroaluminate anion, has been extensively studied since late 1970s of the XX century, following the works of Osteryoung. Systematic research on the application of chloroaluminate ionic liquids as solvents was performed in 1980s. However, ionic liquids based on aluminium halides are moisture sensitive. During the last decade an increasing number of new ionic liquids have been prepared and used as solvents. The general aim of this paper was to review the physical and chemical properties of RTILs from the point of view of their possible application as electrolytes in electrochemical processes and devices. The following points are discussed: melting and freezing, conductivity, viscosity, temperature dependence of conductivity, transport and transference numbers, electrochemical stability, possible application in aluminium electroplating, lithium batteries and in electrochemical capacitors.     

Allelopathic Effects of Volatile Monoterpenoids Produced by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Salvia leucophylla</Emphasis>: Inhibition of Cell Proliferation and DNA Synthesis in the Root Apical Meristem of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brassica campestris</Emphasis> Seedlings

Salvia leucophylla, a shrub observed in coastal south California, produces several volatile monoterpenoids (camphor, 1,8-cineole, -pinene, -pinene, and camphene) that potentially act as allelochemicals. The effects of these were examined using Brassica campestris as the test plant. Camphor, 1,8-cineole, and -pinene inhibited germination of B. campestris seeds at high concentrations, whereas -pinene and camphene did not. Root growth was inhibited by all five monoterpenoids in a dose-dependent manner, but hypocotyl growth was largely unaffected. The monoterpenoids did not alter the sizes of matured cells in either hypocotyls or roots, indicating that cell expansion is relatively insensitive to these compounds. They did not decrease the mitotic index in the shoot apical region, but specifically lowered mitotic index in the root apical meristem. Moreover, morphological and biochemical analyses on the incorporation of 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine into DNA demonstrated that the monoterpenoids inhibit both cell-nuclear and organelle DNA synthesis in the root apical meristem. These results suggest that the monoterpenoids produced by S. leucophylla could interfere with the growth of other plants in its vicinity through inhibition of cell proliferation in the root apical meristem.     

Microstructure and Phase Stability of Yttria-Doped Tetragonal Zirconia Polycrystals Heat Treated in Nitrogen Atmosphere

The low-temperature degradation of zirconia (ZrO₂) that was doped with 3 mol% yttria (Y₂O₃) (3Y-TZP) was prevented by the heat treatment of sintered specimens in nitrogen. The heat treatment of sintered specimens resulted in a surface layer that was stabilized by nitrogen ions, whereas the interior was only slightly affected by the heat treatment. X-ray diffractometry and transmission electron microscopy analyses revealed that the stabilized surface layer consisted of cubic grains with tetragonal precipitates. Although the presence of the surface layer decreased the strength of the sintered 3Y-TZP, the strength of nitrified specimens was maintained when low-temperature annealing was applied.