Functional properties of a protein product from Caryodendron orinocense (Barinas nut)

The functional properties of Caryodendron orinocense protein product were investigated and compared with those of soybean (Glycina maxima). The product protein content was 24.47 g/100 g (Nx6.25). Solubility increased at both sides of the isoelectric point (pH 4.0) and with increased NaCl concentration up to 0.5M. Compared with soybean flour (50% protein), the protein product exhibited higher water and oil absorption, but lower emulsifying activity, emulsion stability, foaming capacity, and foam stability, the last one increase at higher pH. Emulsifying activity, foaming capacity, and foam stability were ionic strength dependent. C. orinocense protein product increased its emulsifying activity steadily from 0.05M to 0.75M NaCl, while it remained almost constant for soybean flour. Foaming capacity increased drastically at pH 10. The minimum time and concentration to form a gel was 20% in 4 min and 10% in 8 min for the Caryodendron protein product and soybean flour, respectively. The bulk density was 0.5056+/-0.0041 g/mL.     

Coking kinetics of a Cr2O3/Al2O3 catalyst during 1-butene dehydrogenation: Effect of H2 partial pressure

The influence has been studied of the partial pressure of hydrogen (0–30 kPa) upon the coking rate of a Cr₂O₃/Al₂O₃ commercial catalyst during 1-butene dehydrogenation. Coke deposition has been analysed using a monolayer-multilayer reversible coke growth model (MMRC model). This model provides good fits to the experimental data, within the range of partial pressure of H₂ studied, and allows us to estimate the main kinetic parameters involved in the coking-deactivation process. The results obtained reveal a dual effect of hydrogen: competition against 1-butene for the active sites and the removal of coke precursors from the catalyst surface. Bom effects diminish the coking rate as the H₂ partial pressure is increased.     

Impregnation of X Zeolite with Alkaline Hydroxide During the Synthesis

Enhancement of the basic properties of the X zeolite with FAU framework has been carried out during synthesis, without further treatment such as ion-exchange or impregnation. Control of the washing stage enables retention of the optimum amount of alkaline hydroxides, which increases the basic catalytic activity of X zeolite in the alkylation of toluene. This alkaline hydroxides neither affect the FAU framework nor the silicon/aluminium molar ratio of the X zeolite. The optimum (Na + K)/Al molar ratio of the improved catalyst was 1.06 corresponding to a washing volume of 200 mL. This X zeolite presented better catalytic activity than a cesium-zeolite prepared by ion-exchange. The presence of hydroxysodalite impurity in the X zeolite increased the amount of impregnated alkaline hydroxides but not the catalytic activity. The present study shows that it is possible to increase the basic properties of the X zeolite directly in the synthesis process.     

The anodic oxidation of thiocyanate ion dissolved as KSCN in dimethylsulphoxide

The anodic oxidation of SCN⁻ ion dissolved as KSCN in dimethylsulphoxide, on platinum electrodes, was investigated at ca 25, 60 and 160°C by means of various non-stationary electrochemical techniques. At low temperatures one anodic and two main cathodic processes were found. The anodic oxidation of SCN⁻ ion yields as primary product the SCN radical, which readily produces (SCN)₂. The latter can be in part reduced back to SCN⁻ ion, because it reacts in part yielding solvated hydrogen ions which cause the second cathodic reaction. In the region of 60°C, no (SCN)₂ cathodic current is observed. In the region of 160°C the only reaction is SCN⁻ ion oxidation and the primary product polymerizes to (SCN)_x, which forms a film on the electrode, causing passivation.

On the basis of kinetic data obtained for the different reactions, a mechanism for the anodic oxidation of the SCN⁻ ion and for the passivating film formation is suggested. The second process only partly fits the Müller model for the electrochemical growth of insoluble layers.     

Enantiospecific synthesis of (R)-1,7-dioxaspiro [5.5]undecane [major component of olive fruit fly (Dacus Oleae) sex pheromone] from d-Fructose

The synthesis of the title compound13 has been carried out through the preparation of its precursor, (3R,4R,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-1,7-dioxaspiro[5.5]undecane (6), obtained fromd-fructose using Wittig's methodology, reduction, and spiroketalation. Compound6 was transformed into13 by a Barton deoxygenation at C-5 followed by a Corey dideoxygenation at C-3,4 of the appropriately protected derivatives.Enantiospecific synthesis of spiroacetals. Part II. For Part I, see Izquierdo and Plaza (1990).     

Effect of temperature on the separation of some Δ9-cis-trans isomers of methyl esters of fatty acids by open tubular gas chromatography

The influence of temperature on the gas chromatographic separation ofcis-trans isomers of the methyl esters of some monounsaturated fatty acids was studied on capillary columns coated with Apiezon L, BDS and DEGS. As far as methyl oleate and methyl elaidate are concerned, the separation is better at lower temperatures on Apiezon L (180–210 C) and at higher temperatures on polyester phases (BDS, DEGS; 150–180 C). The influence of temperature on the separation ofcis-trans isomers on the three stationary phases under study is explained by the higher values of δECL/δt forcis isomers. The variation of the equivalent carbon chain length with temperature can be used for the identification ofcis-trans isomers in natural mixtures.     

Chemical Composition Determination at the Bottom Region of a Recovery Boiler Furnace by Direct Minimization of Gibbs Free Energy

An optimization strategy has been applied to describe the chemical composition at the furnace bottom in the Kraft recovery boiler of a pulp production process. The concentrations of each involved chemical species were calculated through an optimization approach, minimizing the Gibbs free energy of the system. Various systems were proposed and tested, assuming different chemical species and phases number. Because serious initialization problems were found at this stage for some of the proposed systems, an optimization heuristic method (PSO) was used for the first approach to the problem. Once the appropriate phases number and chemical species in the system were determined, the initialization problems disappeared and the use of a deterministic optimization method (SQP) became viable. The proposed approach has shown to be satisfactory to reproduce industrial data and also data reported in the open scientific literature.     

The potentiometric behaviour of copolymers of methacrylic acid in water-ethanol solutions

Summary The synthesis is reported of copolymers of styrene with methacrylic acid and of methyl methacrylate with methacrylic acid by radical copolymerization, of copolymers of methyl methacrylate with methacrylic acid by partial alkaline hydrolysis of poly(methyl methacrylate), and of block copolymers of styrene with methacrylic acid. Modified titration curves of all these copolymers were recorded in water and water-ethanol solutions. In a solution containing 50 mass.% ethanol, only small differences could be observed between the potentiometric behaviour of the individual copolymers and polymethacrylic acid. Also, there were no essential differences in any of the solvents used between the potentiometric behaviour of block copolymers of styrene with methacrylic acid, on the one hand, and polymethacrylic acid, on the other. On the contrary, maxima and minima were always observed on the modified titration curves of statistical copolymers with a higher content of the hydrophobic comonomer in solutions with a high water content. Thus, using the modified titration curves, it is possible to decide whether a given copolymer is of the block or statistical type.     

Universal variable length coding for an integrated approach to image coding

We propose a new entropy coding scheme, denoted in this paper as the UVLC (universal variable length coding). It is universal in the sense that its efficiency is close to one for a large class of images. The UVLC, when it is applied to block orthogonal transforms, processes groups of blocks at the bit level, using universal codes designed for binary memoryless sources. It can be used for every video coding application, from high definition TV (HDTV) to high quality videotelephony (above 2 Mbit/s) for transform or subband coding. Last but not least, its implementation is very regular and can be realized in a single chip for the encoding oftv at theccir 601 format.