Thermal strain of high strength polyethylene fiber in low temperature

High strength polyethylene fiber (Toyobo, Dyneema® fiber: hereinafter abbreviated to DF) has a negative thermal expansion coefficient. Relation between fiber structure and thermal strain of DF used as reinforcement of DF reinforced plastic (DFRP) for cryogenic use was investigated. The crystallinities and orientation angles of several kinds of polyethylene fibers having different modulus from 15 to 134Gpa (herein after abbreviated to DFs) were measured by NMR and X‐ray. We obtained the parameters of the mechanical series‐parallel model composed of crystal and amorphous by crystallinity and modulus. Thermal expansion coefficients of DFs were estimated by mechanical series‐parallel model. All DFs having different modulus showed negative thermal expansion coefficients in the temperature range from 180 to 300K, and absolute values of those markedly increased by increasing tensile modulus of DF. The estimated thermal expansion coefficients showed negative values, and thermal strains showed a similar curve to observed ones mostly. Average thermal expansion coefficients in the temperature range from 180 to 300K estimated by mechanical model agreed with the observed ones. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 93: 2918–2925, 2004     

Quartz Ore Beneficiation by Reverse Flotation for Silicon Production

Silicon - In this work the reverse flotation as beneficiation process for high-purity silica valorization from Draissa quartz deposits (Algeria) is studied as a potential raw material for...     

Ionic polymers with tunable liquid‐crystalline properties

Side‐chain polyesters were synthesized from N‐octyl‐, N‐dodecyl‐ or N‐hexadecyl‐diethanolamine and succinic acid anhydride. These polyesters were then transformed into polyester hydrochlorides by protonation of the amino groups using different amounts of HCl (20–100 mol%). Above 60 mol% the reaction is not quantitative and a degree of protonation of up to 88% is obtained. The structures of the synthesized polyesters and their hydrochlorides were determined by ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The thermal properties of the synthesized polyesters and their hydrochlorides were also studied using differential scanning calorimetry in relation to the side‐chain length and the degree of polyester protonation. The polyester with octyl side chains and its hydrochlorides were amorphous liquids at room temperature, while the polyester and polyester hydrochlorides with hexadecyl side chains formed a smectic crystalline phase, S_mB, or its tilted analogues. The polyester with a dodecyl side chain was also an amorphous liquid at room temperature, while its hydrochlorides with various degrees of protonation were smectic liquid crystals, as determined by X‐ray diffraction. By simply varying the degree of protonation the liquid crystal isotropization temperature was increased from 32 °C to 82 °C. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Contents of barbaloin-related compounds in aloe drinks and their change during storage

The contents of barbaloin (BA), isoBA, aloin-dimers A, B, C, D and aloe-emodin (AE) in aloe drinks were investigated. BA and isoBA were detected in 30 of the 31 samples at the levels of 120-570 micrograms/mL and 120-580 micrograms/mL, respectively. Aloin-dimers A, B, C and D were detected in 8 of the 31 samples at the levels of 12-38 micrograms/mL, 13-39 micrograms/mL, 11-36 micrograms/mL and 16-69 micrograms/mL, respectively. AE was detected in all of the 31 samples at the levels of 0.03-1.3 micrograms/mL. When aloe drinks were stored for 4 weeks at 5 degrees C after opening the bottle, decrease of BA and isoBA, and increase of AE and aloin-dimers A, B, C and D were observed in most cases. However, in a few aloe drinks, all of BA, isoBA, aloin-dimers A, B, C, D and AE decreased. In these drinks, the existence of aloin-trimer was elucidated by LC/MS analyses. These data suggested that BA in aloe drinks is converted to the dimer and then to the trimer during storage.     

The effects of di-D-fructofuranose-1,2':2,3'-dianhydride (DFA III) administration on human intestinal microbiota

Di-D-fructofuranose-1,2':2,3'-dianhydride (DFA III) was shown to enhance Ca absorption in rat and human intestine. The effects of DFA III administration (9 g per day for 4 weeks that corresponded to 3-fold the optimal dosage of DFA III) on human intestinal microbiota were studied using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). The major groups of human intestinal microbiota reported previously: the Bacteroides, the Clostridium coccoides group (Clostridium cluster XIVa), the Clostridium leptum group (Clostridium cluster IV), and the Bifidobacterium group were detected. The similarity of 30 DGGE profiles based on the V3 region (before and after administration to the 15 subjects) of the 16S rDNA were calculated using Pearson's correlation based on numbers, positions and intensity of bands, and then a dendrogram of DGGE profiles was constructed by the unweighted pair group method using arithmetic average (UPGMA) clustering method. By these analyses, no difference in DGGE profiles after DFA III administration was observed in healthy subjects, while two subjects with chronic constipation showed different profiles, namely on numbers, positions and the intensity of some bands. Their stools were softer and stool frequencies increased and they obtained relief from constipation.     

RADIOLYTIC DEGRADATION OF A CROWN ETHER FOR EXTRACT ABILITY OF STRONTIUM

ABSTRACT

Dicyclohexano- 18-crown-6 (DC18C6), dissolved in chloroform, 1-octanol, toluene or cyclohexane, was irradiated by ⁶⁰Co γ-rays. Radiolytic destruction of DC18C6, measured by gas chromatography, decreased in the order: chloroform > cyclohexane > 1-octanol > toluene. Distribution coefficients in the solvent extraction of strontium from nitric acid solution were measured. These distribution coefficients were minimally affected by γ-irradiation in toluene solution, but decreased with the absorbed dose in chloroform solution. It was suggested that the distribution coefficient for the liquid-liquid extraction system was influenced by radiolytic products. The effect of radiolytic products on the distribution coefficients was evaluated by considering DC18C6 remaining in the organic phase after irradiation. The distribution coefficient measured for the organic phase with radiolytic products was larger than that without radiolytic products. The radiolytic products were thus shown to contribute to the increase in the distribution coefficient.     

In vitro bio-immunological and cytotoxicity studies of poly(2-oxazolines)

Poly(2-oxazolines) with varying alkyl chain lengths (e.g., methyl, ethyl, aryl) and molar masses have been tested for cell cytotoxicity in vitro. A standard 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used for the estimation of cell viability. Two monomers, 2-methyl-2-oxazoline and 2-ethyl-2-oxazoline, were found to provide polymers with non-cytotoxic properties. The dependence of cell viability on molar mass confirmed the expected trend; the viability increased with the higher molar mass of poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) (PETOX), up to 15,000 g/mol. The results obtained for the polymers with aliphatic side chains were compared with the analogues that possessed an aromatic moiety. All results confirmed low cytotoxicity of the polymers prepared by cationic polymerization of 2-alkyl- and 2-aryl-2-oxazolines, which supports their utilization in biomedical applications. Fluorescence microscopy and steady-state fluorescence were used to observe pyrene-labeled polymer interactions with living cells. Polymer accumulated within the cells was found to be dependent on polymer concentration in media. The immunoefficiency of aromatic and aliphatic oxazoline polymers and copolymers was also studied. Phagocytic and metabolic activities of macrophages were used to assess the immunosuppressive effects of the selected copolymers for possible applications in drug delivery and immunobiology. Overall, the tested polymers demonstrated no significant influences on the cellular immunological parameters.     

Acoustic Location of Fracture Origin in Optical Glass Fibers

During strength measurements on plastic-coated optical glass fibers, the positions of fracture origins were determined by an acoustic technique. For samples other than those in which fracture was initiated at or very near the fixed ends, Weibull plots of the strength data exhibited a single-mode distribution with low variability (m=20 to 25, corresponding to a coefficient of variation of 6.6 to 10.6%).