Improvement of a commercial calcium phosphate bone cement by means of drug delivery and increased injectability

Calcium phosphate cements (CPCs) have been increasingly used as synthetic bone substitutes for repair and regeneration of bone defects given their biocompatibility, resemblance to bone and malleability. Moreover, their use as local antibiotic delivery systems is of main interest against bone infections, avoiding the adverse effects of high dosages of conventional therapy. The main goals of this work were to improve the properties of a commercial CPC (Neocement®), turning it injectable, and to provide it with a new functionality as a drug delivery system able to ensure a sustained release of an antibiotic commonly used in orthopaedics (gentamicin sulphate, GS). For this, the influence of the liquid phase amount (%LP) and type of polymer contained in the formulation (chitosan, Chi, or hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, HPMC) on the basic properties of the material was evaluated. It was found that the formulation containing 42%LP + HPMC+1.87% wt GS was the best one. It showed suitable setting and mechanical properties, and injectability around 87% (much superior to the original Neocement®, with 31%). It ensured a sustained release of GS for at least 14 days, at antibacterial levels. The antibiotic released is highly effective against S. epidermidis, but also presents some antibacterial activity against S. aureus. The CPC revealed to be non-cytotoxic. Moreover, it demonstrated good flowability and connectivity with human cadaveric trabecular bone.     

Electrical polarization and ionic conduction properties of β-tricalcium phosphate bioceramics with controlled vacancies by sodium ion substitution

With the aim to understand electric polarization mechanisms of β-tricalcium phosphate as an advanced biomaterial, Na ion-substituted β-Ca₃(PO₄)₂ (Na-β-TCPs) ceramics with controlled lattice vacancies were synthesized and structural refinement was performed by the Rietveld method. The Rietveld analysis revealed that Ca and vacancies at Ca(4) sites in the β-TCP structure decreased with an increase in Na substitution. Electrical measurements by the complex impedance method revealed that the conductivity and the activation energy calculated from Cole-Cole plots rapidly decreased to a constant value with an increase in Na substitution and decrease in vacancies. The thermally stimulated depolarization current (TSDC) curve of the electrically polarized Na-β-TCP showed one large peak at 530–610 °C. However, the accumulated charge decreased with an increase in Na ions and decrease in vacancies up to 2.37 mol%, after which it became constant. These results are consistent with the presumed formation of a dipole moment between aligned Ca²⁺ ions and their vacancies along the direction of the external polarization field applied at high temperature. We conclude that the large amount of stored charge in β-TCP caused by electrical polarization is due to the low site occupancy of calcium ions and vacancies at Ca(4) sites in the β-TCP structure, which is not the case for hydroxyapatite (HAp), as previously reported.     

Degradation mechanism of high alumina refractory bricks by reaction with deposits in a rotary kiln for fluxed iron ore pellets production

The formed deposits wear out of refractory wall linings in the rotary kiln and may cause production disturbances. This study describes the chemical composition and mineralogical phase components at the deposit/refractory interface in the rotary kiln for fluxed iron ore pellets production. The main phases of refractory bricks are corundum and mullite, while the deposits mainly contain hematite and silicates. The main phases in the deposit/refractory brick contact zone are hematite, anorthite (CaAl₂Si₂O₈), mullite, corundum, and silicates. Moreover, the hematite phases in the deposit/brick interface averagely contain 6.98 wt% Al and 1.38 wt% Ti. The silicates in the contact zone contain higher aluminium content and lower iron content than the silicates in the deposits. Finally, the thermodynamic analysis indicates that the main phases in the deposits can react with the refractory to form Al₂Fe₂O₆, CaAl₂Si₂O₈, feldspar, and liquid phases lead to the degradation of bricks in the kiln during the iron ore pellets production.     

响应面曲线法优化贵州某磷块岩浮选工艺研究

对贵州某沉积钙质磷块岩进行了浮选工艺研究。采用H₂SO₄为氟磷灰石抑制剂、BW-1为白云石捕收剂,进行了浮选单因素试验; 在此基础上进行了正交试验,并采用响应面曲线法进行了浮选条件优化。确定了最佳浮选条件为: 磨矿细度-0.074 mm粒级占60%、H₂SO₄用量13.20 kg/t和BW-1用量400 g/t。采用一段反浮选试验流程,可得到精矿品位30.94%、回收率92.45%的磷精矿。研究结果表明,磨矿细度与H₂SO₄用量的交互作用对精矿品位影响显著,H₂SO₄用量和BW-1用量的交互作用对精矿回收率影响显著。     

The Modification of Chrome Tanned Leather by Polyethylene Glycol-Linked Gemini Fatty Alcohol Phosphate

A series of polyethylene glycol-linked Gemini fatty alcohol phosphate surfactants (GFAP) were prepared with long chain n-alkanol (C = 8, 12, 16, 18), polyethylene glycol (PEG-200, PEG-400, PEG-600, PEG-800, PEG-1000) and phosphorus oxychloride (POCl₃). The structure of the prepared surfactants was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FT-IR). The surfactants were employed for the modification of chrome-tanned leather. The morphological changes of chrome-tanned leather and modified chrome-tanned leather were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The relationship between the alkyl chain length and molecular weight of the PEG and the hydrophobicity, softness, mechanical strength of modified chrome-tanned leather was also discussed. The experimental results showed that the mechanical strength and softness of modified chrome-tanned leather were enhanced with an increase of alkyl chain length, while the hydrophobicity, mechanical strength and softness were decreased with an increase of molecular weight of the PEG. The hydrophobicity, mechanical strength and softness of modified chrome-tanned leather were optimized for an alkyl chain length of 16. Therefore, 16–200 Gemini phosphate surfactants with an alkyl chain length of 16 and a PEG molecular weight of 200 have a good comprehensive modification effect on Chrome-tanned leather, the tensile strength, tear strength and softness of modified chrome-tanned leather are 57.07 N mm⁻², 79.49 N mm⁻¹, 9.73 mm, respectively.     

等离子体改性海绵铁活化过硫酸盐处理含酚废水

采用低温等离子体技术对海绵铁表面进行改性，并将其用于活化过硫酸盐（PS）处理含酚废水。通过氮气等温吸附（BET）、X射线衍射（XRD）和扫描电子显微镜（SEM）等手段对改性前后的海绵铁进行表征分析。以苯酚为目标污染物，通过静态实验考察催化剂投加量、催化剂/PS摩尔比、pH和苯酚初始浓度对等离子体改性海绵铁活化PS处理含酚废水的影响。结果表明，改性后的海绵铁比表面积、孔容及孔径均有增大，活化PS能力显著提高；在最佳反应条件（等离子改性海绵铁的投加量为0.4g/L，催化剂/PS摩尔比为1∶15，溶液pH为2，苯酚的初始浓度为250mg/L）下，苯酚的去除率可达95%；反应过程符合二级反应动力学，主要是硫酸根自由基和羟基自由基起氧化作用。等离子体技术改性海绵铁活化过硫酸钠可有效去除水中苯酚，为实际含酚废水的处理提供一些思路。     

腾冲市茨竹地铁多金属矿成矿地质特征及控矿因素

腾冲市茨竹地铁多金属矿现目前是一座正在开采的以磁铁矿为主、共（伴）生锡钨矿的小型矿山。为了增加矿山资源储量、延长矿山服务年限，通过对矿区的地质特征阐述和对矿区地层岩性、构造、岩体等控矿因素的分析研究，总结了矿区成矿规律并形成了矿区的成矿模式，为矿区深部探矿、外围找矿提供了一定的理论依据。     

Microstructure,hardness, toughness and abrasive wear resistance of 16.0 wt. % chromium white iron after continuous and cyclic destabilisation treatment

Destabilisation of as-cast chromium white iron with 16 wt-% chromium are performed by continuous destabilisation treatment for 4 h and short duration (0.66 h) cyclic destabilisation treatment at 900, 950, 1000, 1050, and 1100 °C. Continuous destabilisation causes secondary carbides precipitation from austenite which on slow cooling transforms to pearlite matrix. Cyclic destabilisation treatment causes similar precipitation of finer secondary carbides following shorter period austenitisation and a matrix containing martensite and retained austenite on forced-air cooling. After continuous destabilisation, hardness falls below the as-cast value (HV622); whereas it rises to HV950 after cyclic destabilisation treatment. The as-cast notched impact toughness (4.0 J) increases to 8.5 J or more after both continuous and cyclic destabilisation at 1050 and 1100 °C. Abrasive wear resistance after continuous destabilisation improves only at higher wear load (49.0 N), while after cyclic destabilisation it supersedes the as-cast and Ni-Hard IV performance at both low (19.6 N) and high (49.9 N) wear load.     

Gel Polymer Electrolyte with Anion‐Trapping Boron Moieties via One‐Step Synthesis for Symmetrical Supercapacitors

A novel gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) which is based on new synthesized boron‐containing monomer, benzyl methacrylate, 1 m LiClO₄/N,N‐dimethylformamidel liquid electrolyte solution is prepared through a one‐step synthesis method. The boron‐containing GPE (B‐GPE) not only displays excellent mechanical behavior, favorable thermal stability, but also exhibits an outstanding ionic conductivity of 2.33 mS cm^?1 at room temperature owing to the presence of anion‐trapping boron sites. The lithium ion transference in this gel polymer film at ambient temperature is 0.60. Furthermore, the symmetrical supercapacitor which is fabricated with B‐GPE as electrolyte and reduced graphene oxide as electrode demonstrates a broad potential window of 2.3 V. The specific capacitance of symmetrical B‐GPE supercapacitors retains 90% after 3000 charge–discharge cycles at current density of 1 A g^?1.