Influence of Individual Phospholipids on the Physical Properties of Oil-Based Suspensions

The impact of soybean lecithin and three individual phospholipids at different concentration (C_PL) on rheology and sedimentation behavior of sugar/soybean oil suspensions (? = 0.31) was studied and compared with attraction and retraction forces between sugar surfaces in soybean oil as measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM). In general, a surfactant‐induced reduction of yield stress, apparent viscosity and sediment volume of the suspensions coincides with a decrease of adhesive interactions between sugar particles in soybean oil. Although the general influence of individual phospholipids and soybean lecithin is comparable, it is concluded from investigations at low C_PL that individual phospholipids exhibit a less pronounced impact on the analyzed parameters. Furthermore, at low C_PL, binary mixtures of the phospholipids are more efficient than individual phospholipids as regards the reduction of yield stress and sediment volume. While the same tendency was detectable for AFM results, these differences were not statistically verified. Slight differences were also evident when comparing individual phospholipids and their influence on rheology and sedimentation which are, however, not in line with the results of AFM. A general understanding of these interrelations between surfactant composition and possible synergistic or antagonistic effects in mixtures of individual phospholipids contributes to optimizing lecithin composition with respect to functionality.     

A theoretical study of possible shape and phase changes of carbon nanotube crystals during contraction and expansion

We present a theoretical study of the phase transformations of crystals composed of single wall carbon nanotubes self-assembled by the intertube van der Waals interaction under contraction and expansion, and report a new hexagonal crystal structure caused by expansion of the crystal. We show that when the diameter of the nanotubes is larger than certain critical value, the nanotubes in the crystals will undergo three phase transformations: the closely-packed hexagonal phase I → assembled circular phase → new hexagonal phase II → isolated circular phase. These transformations are proved by both a hybrid atomic-continuum approach and the density functional theory calculations.     

Nitriding of 6061T6 aluminium by plasma immersion ion implantation at low energy

It is not easy, in general, to improve the mechanical properties of aluminium alloys by traditional nitriding methods. By contrast, plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) has been successfully used for hardening and in wear resistance improvement. The present work sets out to investigate the formation of AlN on 6061T6 aluminium samples by the PIII process at low energy (2–6 keV) with ion doses in the order of 10¹⁸ ions/cm² and from nitrogen–argon mixtures at different concentrations (N70–Ar30, N50–Ar50 and N30–Ar70) maintained at ∼400 °C sample temperatures. The outcome was evaluated by X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, Vickers microhardness tests and profilometry.     

Calculation of thermal conductivity of gypsum plasterboards at ambient and elevated temperature

Plasterboard often protects steel structures of buildings because it conducts heat slowly and absorbs the heat of the fire by its volumetric enthalpy. The most important property governing the heat transfer is the thermal diffusion. This property depends on the density, specific heat and thermal conductivity. The first two can be calculated based on the mass composition of the board. The thermal conductivity is more difficult to derive since it is a directional property. This paper will focus on the calculation of the thermal conductivity at ambient and elevated temperatures. It is shown that the thermal conductivity of gypsum plasterboard (i.e. a porous medium) can be assumed to be a three‐phase system. Plasterboard consists of a solid phase and a water/air mix in the voids. The differences between different theoretical equations for both dry and moistured plasterboards are presented. The equation proposed by Zehner and Schlunder (Chem. Ing.‐Tech. 1972; 44 (23):1303–1308) with shape‐factor C of 5 gave good agreement with experimental data of the different boards. Furthermore, the influence of the composition of the boards on the thermal conductivity is investigated. This has an influence, especially since the composition is also related to its moisture content. Regression analysis points out that the moisture content depends only on the gypsum content. A value of 2.8% absorbed water on the mass of gypsum is found, and this water plays an important role in the thermal conductivity of plasterboard at ambient temperature. Finally, the thermal conductivity of board at elevated temperature is computed. A close fit between computed and experimental values derived from literature is found. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparative corrosive characteristics of petroleum diesel and palm biodiesel for automotive materials

Corrosive characteristics of biodiesel are important for long term durability of engine parts. The present study aims to compare the corrosion behavior of aluminum, copper and stainless steel in both petroleum diesel and palm biodiesel. Immersion tests in biodiesel (B100) and diesel (B0) were carried out at 80 °C for 1200 h. At the end of the test, corrosion characteristic was investigated by weight loss measurements and changes on the exposed metal surface. Surface morphology was examined by optical microscope and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM/EDS). Fuels were analyzed by using TAN analyzer, FTIR, GCMS and ICP in order to investigate the acid concentration, oxidation level with water content, compositional characteristics and presence of metal species respectively. Results show that the extent of corrosion and change in fuel properties upon exposure to metals are more in biodiesel than that in diesel. Copper and aluminum were susceptible to attack by biodiesel whereas stainless steel was not.     

Development of a new abrasion tester based on planetary motion

Particulate products are subjected to forces of different direction and magnitude during production, storage and transportation. These forces may lead to dust formation or even fracture of the particles. The prediction of how a particle will behave in a process requires a particle breakage tester. For every breakage mechanism a different tester is required, to isolate the physics acting on the particles. In this paper the new abrasion tester is presented, testing mainly tangential forces acting on the particles.     

Viscous and elastic properties of poly(methyl methacrylate) melts filled with silica nanoparticles

In this paper it is shown that elastic properties of a poly(methyl methacrylate) melt in the linear range of deformation are more significantly influenced by the addition of silica nanoparticles than viscous ones. The effect is the strongest in the steady-state which is reached at several thousand seconds. That is the reason why the often used dynamic-mechanical experiments are not a very suitable method for investigations of that kind. Therefore, creep and creep-recovery tests were applied for the characterisation of the filled materials. The linear steady-state recoverable compliances following from the recovery experiments increase by a factor of 6 at the highest measured volume content of 2.1%. This finding is explained by the existence of long retardation times in the filled materials resulting from interactions between the fillers and matrix molecules attached to their surfaces which reduce their molecular mobility. Retardation spectra calculated from the recovery curves quantify these assumptions. The model is supported by the experimental finding that the recoverable compliance becomes smaller above a certain stress applied and approaches that of the matrix as such a behaviour could be explained by a detachment of the molecules from the particle surface. The paper demonstrates that investigations of elastic properties of nanoparticle filled polymers in the molten state at long experimental times are a very sensitive tool to get an insight into interactions between particles and macromolecules of such systems.     

Synthesis of Carbon-Encapsulated Metal Nanoparticles by a Detonation Method

Carbon-encapsulated metal nanoparticles are synthesized by a detonation method using a home-made water-soluble composite explosive. The results of the study show that detonation products contain face-centered cubic cobalt/nickel nanocrystals approximately 10–25 nm in size, which are encapsulated by thin (3–5 nm) carbon layers. These spherical and ellipsoidal nanoparticles exhibit a good superparamagnetism state at 300 K.