Hydrogel coating of RVNRL film by electron‐beam irradiation

The tackiness properties of radiation‐vulcanized natural rubber latex (RVNRL) film surfaces coated by various monomers were investigated in order to define the suitable hydrogels which reduce the tackiness of the film. In this context, different types of monomers, namely, N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone (NVP), N,N‐dimethylaminoethylamide (DMAEA), acrylic acid (AAc), n‐butyl acrylate (n‐BA), and 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) as well as the monomer mixtures were tried with varying degrees of success. Coating the RVNRL film with 80% HEMA/20% n‐BA by irradiation at 80 kGy using a low‐energy electron beam gave a remarkable reduction in the surface tackiness of the RVNRL film. Several other attempts were made such as priming the RVNRL film with acid and aluminum sulfate prior to coating, mixing the aluminum sulfate into the monomer mixtures, and dipping the partially wet RVNRL film into the monomer to enhance the wettability of the monomers with the film. The photomicrographs taken illustrate that the decrease in tackiness with the coating is due to the increase of the surface roughness at an 80‐kGy irradiation dose. The studies also revealed that the reduction in the contact angle and the increase in water absorption of the RVNRL film after irradiation are due to the formation of the hydrogel layer. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 72: 1421–1428, 1999     

Synthesis of the dipalmitoyl species of diacyl glycerophosphocholine by rabbit alveolar macrophages

The distribution of radioactivity among the molecular species of diacyl glycerophosphocholine of rabbit alveolar macrophages was determined after incubation with [³H]glycerol and 1-[¹⁴C]palmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine. The highest percentage of radioactivity of [³H]glycerol was found in the dipalmitoyl species (35% of the total) followed by the 1-palmitoyl-2-linoleoyl (23.6%) and 1-stearoyl-2-linoleoyl plus 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl species (19.7%) during the first 30 min incubation. The radioactivity of the dipalmitoyl species reached a maximum at 120 min incubation and decreased thereafter, although the radioactivities of other molecular species still increased. In contrast to the [³H]glycerol labeling, only 4% of the total radioactivity in diacyl glycerophosphocholine derived from 1-[¹⁴C]palmitoyl glycerophosphocholine was found in the dipalmitoyl species; 80% of the radioactivity was located in the 1-palmitoyl-2-arachidonoyl species at 10 min incubation. The present results indicate that the dipalmitoyl species of diacyl glycerophosphocholine are synthesized predominantly via a de novo pathway and not the deacylation-reacylation pathway in rabbit alveolar macrophages.     

Different fatty chain compositions of alkenylacyl,alkylacyl and diacyl phospholipids in rabbit alveolar macrophages: High amounts of arachidonic acid in ether phospholipids

High levels of ether phospholipids were found in rabbit alveolar macrophages. Choline phosphoglycerides (CPG) contained a significant amount of alkylacyl compound (32.5%). On the other hand, ethanolamine phosphoglyceride (EPG) included a very large amount of alkenylacyl compounds (61.2%). Small amounts of alkenylacyl CPG and alkylacyl EPG were also observed. The occurrence of a high amount of alkylacyl CPG may be related to the synthesis or release of platelet-activating factor (PAF) from macrophages. Fatty chains at the 1- and 2-positions in each lipid class of CPG or CPG or alkenylacyl EPG were several other. Particularly, the levels of 20∶4 (arachidonic acid) in alkylacyl CPG or alkenylacyl EPG were several times higher than those in corresponding diacyl phospholipids. Large portions of 20∶4-containing species have alkenyl or alkyl ether moieties at their 1-position in both CPG (73.6%) and EPG (85.9%). These results suggest the importance of ether-containing phospholipids in rabbit alveolar macrophages.     

Morphological Changes in Process-Related Large Pores of Granular Compacted and Sintered Alumina

Large pore defects clearly develop in Al₂O₃ ceramics during sintering. These large pores originate from voids caused by the incomplete deformation and adhesion of powder particles in collapsed dimples at the centers and boundaries of granules in the green compacts. The coalescence of pores, with limited shrinkage, during densification and grain growth in the late intermediate to final stages of sintering, is considered responsible for the development of the large pores. The mechanism of pore coalescence is explained by thermodynamic arguments, which demonstrate that the largest pores result in a stable system.     

Effect of fatty oil dispersion on oil-containing wastewater treatment

The performance of an immobilized continuous fluidized reactor for salad oil-containing model wastewater was examined at a high loading rate using polyurethane as a support, to be applied in fat- and oil-containing wastewater treatment, generated by daily activities in restaurant kitchens. At an organic loading rate higher than 0.6 kg/m3/day, there was a significant amount of white solid (WS), identified as a mixture of calcium di-stearate and di-palmitate, suggesting that saturated fatty acid degradation was limited at such a high loading rate, possibly due to its solubility in the wastewater. Increased oil dispersion by the addition of a surfactant ranging from 10 to 100 microm particle size could result in less than 30 mg/l oil concentration after the treatment at 5 kg/m3/day.     

Diffusion of unreacted monomers detected by ATR FTIR spectroscopy in a photosensitive printing plate after the photoreaction

A water‐developable flexographic printing plate consisting of poly(acrylonitrile‐co‐butadiene), polybutadiene, and carboxylated polyurethane as a polymer matrix, hexanediol dimethacrylate and polybutadiene diacrylate as reactive monomers, and benzildimethylketal as a photoinitiator was prepared and its photoreaction followed by structural change caused by the diffusion of unreacted monomers was characterized. Analysis combined ¹³C‐NMR and attenuated total reflection (ATR) FTIR showed the photoreaction occurred predominantly at the surface of exposure to the light at first, and then the reaction proceeded to the direction of the opposite surface with an increase in the exposure time. Diffusion of unreacted monomers after the photoreaction from the unexposed side to the exposed side was monitored by ATR FTIR. The diffusivity of unreacted monomers was dependent on the extent of photoreaction in the plate and the molecular weight of diffusing monomers. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 92: 2903–2907, 2004     

Field-Induced Anomaly in the Magnetoresistance of (EDO-TTFVO)2FeCl4 below 1.5 K

The magnetoresistance (MR) for a new organic conductor, β”-(EDOTTFVO)₂ FeCl₄ which exhibits metallic temperature dependence of the resistivity down to 0.3 K, was studied. Remarkable and unusual features were found: isotropic MR below 3 T, dip anomaly below 3 K, and SdH effect above 17 T. These features are discussed in terms of an interaction between the π-electrons on the EDO-TTFVO donors and the d-spins on the magnetic FeCl₄⁻ ions.     

Evidence for the π-d Interaction Comparing Magnetoresistance in (EDT-DSDTFVO)2 X, X=FeCl4, GaCl4

Hall resistance and magnetic torque measurements have been carried out in the field-induced spin-density-wave (FISDW) phase of deuterated (TMTSF)₂ClO₄ for various cooling rates through the anion ordering temperature. We have found that the Hall resistance in the intermediate cooled state shows a phase transition from the non-quantized Hall phase to the quantized Hall phase (n=1) with hysteresis. We have also found that the magnetic torque in the non-quantized Hall phase rapidly decreases with increasing cooling rate. These results suggest that there is a new phase transition from the non-quantized Hall phase to the quantized Hall phase in (TMTSF)₂ClO₄.     

Quantum Critical Point in the Quasi 2D Conductor, (Me-DH-TTP)2AsF6

A new TTP donor, Me-DH-TTP (2-methyl-5-(1,3-dithiolan-2-yliden)-1,3,4,6-tetrathiapentalene), was designed to realize a system with large on-site Coulomb repulsion as compared with the previously known bis-fused type TTP donors. Probably as a consequence, (Me-DH-TTP)₂AsF₆ exhibits semiconducting behavior from room temperature to liquid helium temperature. By increasing pressure, metallic behavior appears below 300 K, and with distinct metal-insulator (M-I) transition up to 2.2 GPa. This M-I transition suddenly disappears beyond 2.5 GPa, and metallic state is stabilized down to 2.6 K. We discuss the possibility of quantum critical point around 2.4 GPa.