Barley Protein Isolate: Thermal, Functional, Rheological, and Surface Properties

Barley protein isolate (BPI) was extracted in 0.015 N NaOH in a 10:1 ratio solvent:flour and was precipitated by adjusting the pH to 4.5 and freeze-dried. The thermal properties of BPI were determined using modulated differential scanning calorimetry (MDSC). BPI with 4% moisture content exhibited a glass transition (T _g) with 140 °C onset, 153 °C middle, and 165 °C end temperatures and a ΔC _p of 0.454 J/g per °C. The high moisture content sample (50%) showed a T _g at 89, 91, or 94 °C and 0.067 ΔC _p. Acetylation had no apparent effect on the foaming and emulsifying properties of protein from barley flour but exhibited the least-stable foam among BPI samples. Foaming capacities of both barley protein isolates were ∼12% less than that of acid-precipitated soy protein isolate reported in the literature. Acetylated BPI showed the highest surface hydrophobicity compared to the other samples. The surface-tension test confirmed that unmodified and modified BPI possessed surface activity. BPI phosphorous oxycloride-crosslinked was the most effective in lowering the surface tension of aqueous NaCl, while the crosslinked BPI was the least effective. The G′ value of BPI suspension was greater than G″ at all frequencies from 0.1 to 100 rad/s. The strain value at which linear behavior ceased and nonlinear behavior began ranged from 3 to 10%. Names are necessary to report factually on available data; however, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) neither guarantees nor warrants the standard of the product, and the use of the name by the USDA implies no approval of the product to the exclusion of others that may also be suitable.     

Encapsulation of titanium dioxide in styrene/n‐butyl acrylate copolymer by miniemulsion polymerization

Miniemulsion copolymerization of styrene/n‐butyl acrylate was investigated as a means of encapsulating hydrophilic titanium dioxide (TiO₂) in a film‐forming polymer. Dispersion studies of the TiO₂ were first carried out to determine the choice of stabilizer, its concentration, and the dispersion process conditions for obtaining stable TiO₂ particles with minimum particle size. Through screening studies of various functional stabilizers and shelf‐life stability studies at both room and polymerization temperatures, Solsperse 32,000 was selected to give relatively small and stable TiO₂ particles at 1 wt % stabilizer and with 20–25 min sonification. The subsequent encapsulation of the dispersed TiO₂ particles in styrene/n‐butyl acrylate copolymer (St/BA) via miniemulsion polymerization was carried out and compared with a control study using styrene monomer alone. The lattices resulting from the miniemulsion encapsulation polymerizations were characterized in terms of the encapsulation efficiencies (via density gradient column separations; DGC) and particle size (via dynamic light scattering). Encapsulation efficiencies revealed that complete encapsulation of all of the TiO₂ by all of the polymer was not achieved. The maximum encapsulation efficiencies were 79.1% TiO₂ inside 61.7% polystyrene and 63.6% TiO₂ inside 38.5% St/BA copolymer. As the density of the particles collected from the DGC increased from one layer to another, both the average particle size and the number of the TiO₂ particles contained in each latex particle increased. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 101: 3479–3486, 2006     

Performance of an activated carbon made from waste palm shell in simultaneous adsorption of SO<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript> and NO<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript> of flue gas at low temperature

This study examined the individual and simultaneous adsorption of SO{in{itx}} (SO{in{it2}}) and NO{in{itx}} (NO-NO{in{it2}}) on activated carbon prepared from waste palm shell. The adsorption process was examined in a fixed bed reactor at low temperatures (100\2-300\dgC). For individual adsorption without any catalytic activation, SO{in{itx}} showed good adsorption whereas NO{in{itx}} was very much poor. In the simultaneous adsorption of SO{in{itx}} and NO{in{itx}}, SO{in{itx}} showed greater adsorption affinity than NO{itx}. For palm shell activated carbon (PSAC) impregnated with metal catalyst (Ni and Ce) the concentration adsorbed profile showed that the amount of SO{in{itx}} adsorbed decreased regularly, while the amount of the adsorbed NO{in{itx}} increased irregularly. The properties of the pure and impregnated PSAC were analyzed by BET, SEM and EDX. These investigations indicated that PSAC impregnated with metal catalyst is the determining factor in the adsorption of SO{in{itx}} and NO{in{itx}} simultaneously. Supported financially by Yayasan FELDA, Malaysia (Grant No. 6050075)     

Effect of drop coalescence on mass transfer rate

Disperse-phase-controlled mass transfer rates from individual liquid drops suspended in a second liquid phase are measured optically immediately after the drop has been formed by coalescence of two smaller droplets. The net effect on mass transfer of the act of coalescence is determined by comparison to similar measurements made on the initial droplets in the absence of coalescence. The transfer rates immediately after coalescence are high rapidly fall to zero, rebound to an intermediate value and finally decay to the level expected for an undisturbed drop. The net effect on total mass transferred is detrimental in a clean system subject to interfacial instability but appears to be beneficial for contaminated systems or where no surface movements are spontaneously generated.     

Rheological,thermal, and morphological properties of blends based on poly(propylene), ethylene propylene rubber,and ethylene-1-octene copolymer that could result from end of life vehicles: Effect of maleic anhydride grafted poly(propylene)

The objective of this work is to study the properties of blends that could result from the recycling of end-of-life vehicles (ELV). While ethylene propylene rubber (EPR) and ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) have been used extensively as elastomeric additives in poly(propylene) (PP), they can be substituted by ethylene-1-octene copolymer (EOC). As a consequence, the matter resulting from the sorting of ELV might be more complex and made of PP, EPR, and EOC. The effect of incorporating EOC [that is a polyethylene elastomer (PEE)] and maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (PP-g-MAH) on the rheological, thermal, and morphological properties of PP/EPR blends has been investigated. Blends of various compositions (with and without compatibilizer) were prepared using a corotating twin-screw extruder. The results were compared to the ones presented by a commercial (PP/EPR) blend. The EPR phase is dispersed in the form of spherical particles in (PP/EPR). The EOC phase is dispersed in the form of aggregated particles. Dynamic viscoelastic and differential scanning calorimetry properties of (PP/EPR)/EOC blends shows the incompatibility of the components even in presence of PP-g-MAH copolymer. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 47:1009–1015, 2007. © 2007 Society of Plastics Engineers     

ABSORPTION AND DESORPTION TO AND FROM LIQUID FILMS ON INCLINED PLANES

Two published theoretical models are examined and applied to experimental results for absorption and desorption. The system used was CO₂/H₂O and studies were made for liquid film flow down inclined planes. Experimental results give “Reduced” values of mass ransfer rates.

Interferometric studies give interfacial concentration, penetration and film depths, and take-up of carbon dioxide. In the case of desorption the interferograms are distorted by “deflections.”

All the experimental values for absorption and desorption differ from those calculated from theoretical models.

Desorption is not a mirror image of absorption, and it is approximately 75% of the transfer rate of absorption over a wide operating range.

A comparison is made of the behaviour of static pools and flowing liquid films.     

Investigation into etching mechanism of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) films treated in helium and oxygenated‐helium atmospheric plasmas

This research makes an investigation into the etching mechanism of atmospheric plasma conditions on the surface of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) films. Two types of untreated PET films (S/200 and S/500) were exposed to plasma for 0 to 5.0 min in 30‐s increments. The first set of each film type was treated in helium plasma, while the second was treated in oxygenated‐helium plasma. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) was used to characterize pre‐ and post‐exposure films. Weight changes and the degree of solubility were also determined. Based on peak area results, the percent crystallinity of PET S/200 increased by an average of 4.57% (helium treated) and 13.56% (oxygenated‐helium treated), while the S/500 showed only a small increase. There was no significant change in the melting or crystallization temperatures of either film type, indicating a decrease in amorphous content versus an increase in crystalline material. Weight loss analysis supports this theory. Solubility testing revealed a continual decrease in swelling as exposure time was increased. A model was developed to predict the change in the degree of solubility for polyphase surfaces considering the etching rate per phase. The model was applied to PET with good correlation between the model and experimental data. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 94: 2383–2389, 2004     

Augmented grasshopper optimization algorithm by differential evolution: a power scheduling application in smart homes

With the increasing number of electricity consumers, production, distribution, and consumption problems of produced energy have appeared. This paper proposed an optimization method to reduce the peak demand using smart grid capabilities. In the proposed method, a hybrid Grasshopper Optimization Algorithm (GOA) with the self-adaptive Differential Evolution (DE) is used, called HGOA. The proposed method takes advantage of the global and local search strategies from Differential Evolution and Grasshopper Optimization Algorithm. Experimental results are applied in two scenarios; the first scenario has universal inputs and several appliances. The second scenario has an expanded number of appliances. The results showed that the proposed method (HGOA) got better power scheduling arrangements and better performance than other comparative algorithms using the classical benchmark functions. Moreover, according to the computational time, it runs in constant execution time as the population is increased. The proposed method got 0.26?% enhancement compared to the other methods. Finally, we found that the proposed HGOA always got better results than the original method in the worst cases and the best cases.

     

An efficient IoT based smart farming system using machine learning algorithms

Multimedia Tools and Applications - This paper suggests an IoT based smart farming system along with an efficient prediction method called WPART based on machine learning techniques to predict crop...     

Genetic algorithm-based initial contour optimization for skin lesion border detection

Multimedia Tools and Applications - Automated segmentation has an essential role in detecting several diseases, such as skin lesions. In segmentation, the active contour (AC) is an efficient method...