Synthesis and characterization of novel curcumin based polyurethanes varying diisocyanates structure

In this research work, novel polyurethanes (PUs) based on blends of curcumin/1,4-butane diol (BDO) by varying the structure of diisocyanates were prepared following step growth polymerization. Structural study of blends and various diisocyanates based PU through Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy confirmed the incorporation of curcumin into the backbone of the PU. The scanning electron microscopic (SEM) study confirmed the well dispersion of incorporated curcumin and homogeneity of surface of synthesized samples. The SEM results also indicated that surface morphology of synthesized samples much dependent on diisocynates structure. Moreover SEM images inferred that phase separation is more pronounced in aromatic diisocyanate based PU. The anti-bacterial and anti-fungal tests were performed against different strains in order to determine the biocompatibility of the curcumin based PU. The antimicrobial activity results revealed that the material having aromatic diisocyanate are more biocompatible than the aliphatic diisocyanates in the PU structure. On the whole, this work is actually a step towards the generation of novel biocompatible materials preferably useful for biomedical applications.     

Comparative efficiency of maltodextrin and protein in the production of spray-dried tamarind pulp powder

The potential of maltodextrin (DE 20) and soya protein isolate (SPI) in spray drying of tamarind pulp was compared. Powder recovery was zero when the tamarind pulp was spray dried alone. A greater amount of maltodextrin (MD; 55%) was required for successful spray drying of tamarind pulp, whereas a small amount of SPI (20%) was needed for the same purpose. The study revealed that the mechanism for the increase in product recovery with the addition of MD is due to the increase in overall glass transition temperature of tamarind pulp powder. However, using SPI, preferential migration of the protein to the surface of droplets/particles resulting in the formation of a glassy skin was responsible for a reduction in stickiness between the particles and dryer wall and hence increased the powder recovery. The potential of SPI in reducing powder hygroscopicity was almost comparable to that of MD, confirming its efficiency as a drying aid. Tamarind pulp powders produced with SPI had a larger particle size with a wrinkled particle surface morphology and high flowability compared to powders produced with MD. The study showed the excellent potential of SPI as a drying aid in production of quality tamarind pulp powder.     

Stress Generated on Aluminum During Anodization as a Function of Current Density and pH

Anodic oxidation is accompanied by stressgeneration during the growth of the oxide. The presentstudy focuses on the stress-generation mechanism onaluminum as a function of the applied current density in acidic solutions of sulfuric acid ofdifferent strengths giving variable pH. Abeam-deflection technique was utilized for thedetermination of the magnitude and direction of stressesgenerated during the anodic oxidation process. Generally,thickness of the oxide determines whether the stress iscompressive or tensile in nature. The results have beeninterpreted in terms of the formation and annihilation of anion (O^2-) and cation(Al³⁺) vacancies. A reduction in thealuminum-ion vacancy concentration (VAl³) results in a compressive stressdeflection, whereas tensile-stress deflection isintroduced by an increase in the oxygen vacancy(Vo²⁺) concentration. The mechanism isfurther elucidated by current-density jump/dropexperiments. The results show that stress in this caseis affected by the dissolution of the oxide at the oxide-electrolyteinterface.     

Thermodynamic interpretation of solute–polymer interactions at infinite dilution

Heats of solution at infinite dilution of solutes in poly(ethyl methacrylate) were estimated using gas–liquid chromatography over a temperature range of 417.74 K–427.55 K. The heat of solution is related to solute polarizability and dipole moment. Contributions of specific interactions such as hydrogen bonding and charge-transfer complexing to the enthalpy of solution were also determined.     

Two new Protecting Groups for the Guanidino Function of arginine

Two new synthons, Fmoc-L-Arg(biphenyl-4-sulphonyl)-OH ( 8 ) and Fmoc-Arg(4-methoxy-3-t-butylbenzenesulphonyl)-OH ( 14 ), are prepared for the synthesis of arginine-containing peptides. These groups are cleaved by commonly employed trifluoroacetic acid and methanesulphonic acid. Kinetic studies reveal that extended bicyclic aromatic conjugation, as in biphenyl, slightly improves the acid lability compared to the electron-donating t-butyl group.     

Experimental investigation of a new type of interfacial instability in a reactive coextrusion process

This paper deals with the study of new interfacial instabilities, called “grainy” defects, in coextrusion process of reactive multilayer polymers. The main objective was to better understand this phenomenon since no help can be found in the literature. The fundamental approach from a micro‐scale to a macro‐scale involves the study of relationships between polymer structure, processing, and interfacial properties. The influence of these parameters on the generation of “grainy” defects during coextrusion has been assessed in correlation with physicochemical properties. Through this work, rheological properties and the interfacial morphology between tie and barrier layers have been investigated by shear stress relaxation experiments and transmission electronic microscopy, respectively. Depending on the reactive polymers, the interfacial coupling was found to significantly alter the stress relaxation behavior by extending the relaxation time and generating an interfacial roughness. Hence, relations between the copolymer architecture, the relaxation process, and the interfacial morphology were established in correlation with the generation of grainy defects in coextrusion process. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 55:2542–2552, 2015. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Hydrodynamics of gas fluidized beds with mixture of group D and B particles

The dynamics of a gas‐solid fluidized bed containing Geldart Group D particles mixed with a small proportion of Geldart Group B particles are investigated using pressure fluctuations data. Time series analysis, using a variety of nonlinear dynamics tools, shows that the slugging present with Group D particles can be suppressed by the addition of a small proportion of Group B particles. The power spectra and the auto‐correlation function are used for a preliminary evaluation of dominant slug frequencies. It is shown that the bed fluidized with the mixture of Group D and B particles behaves in a less periodic manner and is dominated by more random bubble motion. On the other hand, the correlation integral is used to analyze the chaotic behaviour of the flow, through evaluation of the fractal structure of the reconstructed attractors. It is shown that the bed fluidized with Group D particles is characterized by a combination of steady slug motion and irregular particles motion. The behaviour of the fluidized bed of Group D/B particles mixture is characterized by a single correlation dimension for a wide range of fluidization velocities.     

ENERGY DISSIPATION DISTRIBUTION AND MIXING IN A TORUS REACTOR

Previous works devoted to the development of the swirl flow generated by rotation of the marine screw impeller in the loop toroidal reactor show that the flow structure is characterized by the existence of a secondary flow. The deformation of the axial velocity profile, due to the bends curvature and the rotation of the agitator, modify considerably the friction and the transfer near the wall. The objective of this work is to study the toroidal flow and to characterize the wall turbulence. The wall shear stress distribution in the torus were performed by using an electrochemical method. The measurements of the wall shear stress were carried out in the inner and outer walls. The evolution of the wall velocity gradient with the longitudinal distance depends on the location in the torus. These results allow to obtain information about the friction factor, which is compared with the one measured directly by using piezometric connections. The experimental determination of the axial dispersion coefficient is obtained by using the dispersion plug flow model with a total recirculation. Finally, a relationship between the turbulent characteristics and the mixing parameters has been established.