High-temperature stabilization of polypropylene using hindered phenol–thioester stabilizer combinations,Part 1: Optimization and efficacy via nondust blends

The thermal degradation of unstabilized polypropylene has been investigated under long-term processing (twin extruder) and thermal aging at 150°C, with additive concentration studies on combinations of an established hindered phenolic antioxidant (pentaerythritol tetrakis (3-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl) propionate) [S1010] and two popular thioesters (distearyl-3,3′-thiodipropionate [DSTDP] and didodecyl-3,3′-thiodipropionate [DLTDP]) using melt flow rate, carbonyl index and powder diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) (FTIR), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) (oxidation induction time [OIT]) and ultimate embrittlement time (Fracture) on injection-molded test pieces. It was found that 20:80 phenol:thioester ratios provided the best long-term thermal stability (LTTS); however, this was the reverse for processing stabilization (80:20), underlining the antioxidant nature of the two stabilizers (long term vs. melt). Melt preblending of the stabilizers (to form a no-dust blend) gave rise to improved LTTS. DRIFTS FTIR indicated that there was an improvement in preblending the additives, which removed any volatile impurities. Increased additive dispersion and localized potential efficacy in the stabilization cycle is important, as well as possible improved addition of the additives to the extruder rather than fine powder. The data are discussed in relation to the long-term stabilization of polypropylene in high-temperature applications such as under the bonnet of automobiles where minimizing stabilizer losses and maximizing synergy are important.     

Experimental and numerical investigations on the heat production and thermal storage characteristics of rapid preparation amorphous powder activated coke

The heat production and thermal storage characteristics of rapid-preparation amorphous powder activated coke (RAC) were investigated. RAC was prepared by using a drop-tube reactor system. The natural oxidation characteristics of RAC were studied through combined TG–FTIR analysis and temperature-programmed experiment. Experimental results showed that CO and CO₂ were the main oxidation products of RAC in air, and that the oxidation reaction was in accordance with the Arrhenius equation and law of mass action. Thermal storage characteristics were studied through computational fluid dynamics simulation. The maximum excess temperature θ_max increases linearly with the increase of the initial temperature. The concentration fields of the products show that CO₂ is mainly concentrated in the upper part of the coke bin, and the CO generated by CO₂ at high temperature is mainly concentrated in the central part of the coke bin.     

Influence of Al3+ doping for V5+ on the structural,optical, thermal and electrical properties of V2-xAlxO5-δ (x=0–0.20) ceramics

This paper reports an investigation on the structure-properties correlation of trivalent metal oxide (Al₂O₃)-doped V₂O₅ ceramics synthesized by the melt-quench technique. XRD patterns confirmed a single orthorhombic V₂O₅ phase formation with increasing strain on the doping of Al₂O₃ in place of V₂O₅ in the samples estimated by Williamson-Hall analysis. FTIR and Raman investigations revealed a structural change as [VO₅] polyhedra converts into [VO₄] polyhedra on the doping of Al₂O₃ into V₂O₅. The optical band gap was found in a wide semiconductor range as confirmed by UV–visible spectroscopy analysis. The thermal and conductivity behavior of the prepared samples were studied using thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and impedance analyzer, respectively. All the prepared ceramics exhibit good DC conductivity (0.22–0.36 Sm^-1) at 400 ?C. These materials can be considered for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cell (IT-SOFC)/battery applications due to their good conductivity and good thermal stability.     

Optimization of structural,electrical, and magnetic properties of ytterbium substituted W-type hexaferrite for multi-layer chip inductors

The rare earth (Yb³⁺) substituted W-type hexagonal ferrites with composition CaPb_2-xYb_xFe₁₆O₂₇ (x = 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0) were synthesized by a facile and cost-effective sol-gel auto combustion method with post heat treatment. The synthesized hexagonal ferrites were characterized by a variety of analytical techniques, and an impedance analyzer was used to investigate the effects of Ytterbium on structural, magnetic, spectral and dielectric properties. The relationship between their impedance, structure and dielectric properties was investigated. The X-ray diffraction patterns verify the presence of single-phase W-type hexagonal ferrites. Physical properties such as D_bulk (bulk density), D_xrd (X-ray density), and P (porosity) of the CaPb_2-xYb_xFe₁₆O₂₇ W-type hexagonal ferrites were calculated. The bulk density of all the samples was decreased, and X-ray intensity was increased with the Ytterbium replacement in the W-type hexaferrite. By adding Yb³⁺ ions, the lattice parameters, cell volume and X-ray density were reduced due to the substitution of ytterbium with smaller ionic radii compared to the lead ion with large ionic radii. The AC-conductivity was increased from (1.523 × 10^?5 to 6.699 × 10^?5) Ωcm^?1. The dielectric constant and tangent loss was found to decrease substantially. The magnetic properties were found to enhance by the substitution of Yb³⁺. The low coercivity value of Yb³⁺ substituted W-type hexagonal ferrites are suitable for magnetic recording media operated at a high-frequency regime. The enhancement of electrical, dielectric and magnetic characteristics suggests these materials as promising for multi-layer chip inductors (MLCIs) circuit applications.     

水热处理过程中伊敏褐煤微观结构的演变规律

褐煤水热处理可以脱除有害元素,降低n(O)/n(C)比,提高煤阶,有利于煤的洁净利用。利用高压反应釜对褐煤进行水热处理,采用拉曼光谱(Raman)和傅立叶红外光谱(FTIR)对处理后的煤样的化学结构进行分析,探索了不同温度水热处理后煤样微观结构的演变规律。结果表明:150℃水热处理时部分含氧官能团脱除,同时,部分脂肪族侧链断裂及不稳定大分子芳环结构分解形成小分子芳环结构,部分CO分解形成各类醚和羟基;当水热温度升至200℃,处理后褐煤的芳香度指数(R)和芳香结构稠合指数(DOC)上升,表明煤内缩合结构增加,同时,缺陷结构和杂环被去除,大分子芳环结构相对增加,CO大量分解;水热温度继续升高至250℃,褐煤发生氢转移反应导致脂肪族侧链增加;当水热温度达到300℃时,褐煤的芳环结构被破坏,交联结构和无定形碳增加。     

羟基酪醇酶促聚合产物的表征及其抗氧化和热稳定性

利用漆酶对羟基酪醇(hydroxytyrosol,HT)进行酶促氧化聚合,运用紫外-可见分光光度计、傅里叶红外光谱、凝胶色谱和液相色谱-质谱联用对聚合产物进行表征。结果表明,形成的聚合物呈现多分散性(D=2.1),主要生成了三聚体、四聚体、六聚体化合物。同时,以VC和2,6-二叔丁基-4-甲基苯酚(dibutyl hydroxy toluene,BHT)为阳性对照,分别通过清除1,1-二苯基-2-三硝基苯肼自由基和热重-傅里叶变换红外光谱(thermogravimetry-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,TG-FTIR)联用的方法对其进行抗氧化性及热稳定性评价。结果表明,HT聚合物较HT和BHT具有更强的抗氧化性,分别约是其2.28倍和5.7倍,接近于VC(约是其72%)。基于热重微分曲线峰值温度(315.1℃)和残余质量所占百分比(66.09%)结果可知,HT聚合物的热稳定性较VC(228.1℃)、BHT(236.2℃)和HT(314.9℃)更强,且FTIR结果表明,HT聚合物及其他受试化合物均是以羟基断裂开始,脱氢形成醌式结构或脱水碳碳双键。这些数据可为HT的深加工利用提供理论和实践基础。     

Detection of fresh palm oil adulteration with recycled cooking oil using fatty acid composition and FTIR spectral analysis

There is a growing concern over the food safety issue related to increased incidence of cooking oil adulteration with recycled cooking oil (RCO). The objective of this study was to detect fresh palm olein (FPO) adulteration with RCO using fatty acid composition (FAC) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectral analyses combined with chemometrics. RCO prepared in the laboratory was mixed with FPO in the proportion ranged from 1% to 50% (v/v) to obtain the adulterated oil samples (AO). FACs for FPO, RCO, and AO were determined using gas chromatography equipped with a flame ionization detector (GC-FID). The compositions of most fatty acids in RCO lied within the normal ranges of Codex standard, except for C8:0, C10:0, C11:0, C15:0, trans C18:1, and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), C20:5. PUFAs showed a consistent decreasing trend with increasing magnitude of change with respect to increasing adulteration level and thus might be a good indicator for detecting FPO adulteration with RCO. The evaluation parameters (coefficient of determination, root mean standard error) of the FTIR-partial least square (PLS) model of palm oil adulteration with recycled oil are R² = 0.995 and 3.25, respectively. For FTIR spectral analysis, the distinct variations in spectral regions and aberrations in characteristic bands between FPO and RCO were observed. The optimized PLS calibration model developed from normal spectral of the combined region at 3602–3398, 3016–2642, and 1845–650 cm^?1 overpredict the adulteration level. On the other hand, the discriminant analysis classification model was able to classify the FPO and AO into two distinct groups. Improvement of the principles of combined techniques in authenticating AO from fresh oil is beneficial as a guideline to detect adulteration in cooking oil.     

Effect of Chemical Surface Treatment on Flax-Reinforced Epoxy Composite

The aim of this study is to examine the impact of surface modification on properties of flax fiber and flax-reinforced composites. For this purpose, acetic anhydride, sodium hydroxide, and silane were used to treat surface of the flax fiber. The effects of treatments on fiber were investigated by using contact angle, attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Contact angle and AFM results revealed that sodium hydroxide-treated flax fibers have higher adhesion force on the fiber surface. Particularly, NaOH treatment improved the mechanical properties of the epoxy matrix composite.