Unintentionally produced dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls during cooking

The formation and distribution of dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCBs) during cooking was investigated. Concentrations of dl-PCBs in liquid residues, cooked beef, and oil fumes generated during heating were determined by isotope dilution HRGC/HRMS. Although the levels of dl-PCBs in well-done beef were lower compared with those of raw beef, relatively high concentrations of dl-PCBs were detected in the oil fumes produced during heating. This suggests that dl-PCBs in raw beef may have volatilized into the oil fumes during the cooking process. Sucralose and chloropropanols contained in raw materials may have resulted in increased dl-PCB concentrations and the level of toxic equivalents (TEQ) in the oil fumes produced under high temperature during cooking. Concentrations of dl-PCBs did not vary greatly in cooked beef, except when higher levels of chloropropanols were presented in the uncooked raw materials. Results indicate that sucralose and chloropropanols may promote the formation of dl-PCBs during the cooking process. The newly produced dl-PCBs from raw beef cooking were mainly present in oil fumes, which gave rise to high levels of TEQ in oil fumes.     

Dynamic behavior of an aggregate material at simultaneous high pressure and strain rate: SHPB triaxial tests

Low velocity impacts on energetic materials induce plastic deformations and sliding friction which can lead to ignition. If some ignition criteria have been proposed, the remaining difficulty is to characterize the mechanical behavior of the material when submitted to the corresponding solicitations (high pressure and high strain rate). Thus, a technique based on the Split Hopkinson Pressure Bars system is proposed to carry out a triaxial compression test. A cylindrical specimen is placed into a confining ring and is compressed by the system of bars. The ring prevents the radial extension of the specimen and creates a lateral confining pressure. The material and dimensions chosen for the ring maintain a constant radial pressure during the test. Some tests were carried out on an inert aggregate material and proved the validity of this experimental device. The experimental data processing shows the influence of both the pressure and the strain rate. The shear stresses, which contribute to thermal dissipation and then to the ignition threshold, increase according to the pressure.