Grain‐size dependence of absorption characteristics of the electromagnetic wave absorbers of ferrite‐SiO2 composites

Grain‐size dependence of electromagnetic absorbing characteristics for composite materials made of Ni‐Zn ferrite and SiO₂ was investigated using SiO₂ with various grain sizes (29 µm, 30 nm, 12 nm, and 7 nm). The absorption characteristics of ferrite composites using SiO₂ with an average grain size of 30, 12, or 7 nm were improved compared with those of ferrite composites using SiO₂ with an average grain size of 29 µm in the low‐frequency region. Furthermore, the grain size dependence of the absorption characteristics for composite materials of Mn‐Zn ferrite with an average grain size of 130 nm and SiO₂ with an average grain size of 29 µm was investigated. The absorbing center frequency shifted to a higher frequency region than that of Mn‐Zn ferrite. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 146(4): 1–9, 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.10269     

Effects of molecular weight distribution of nonionic surfactants on stability of O/W emulsions

From the relationship between the distribution width of oxyethylene (OE) or alkyl chains and O/W emulsions stability, it became evident that even with the same average OE or alkyl chain lengths, the phase-inversion temperature (PIT) and O/W emulsion stability depend on width. However, emulsification at the PIT invariably results in a very stable O/W emulsion. Emulsifiers with a large distribution width of OE or alkyl chains were also found to improve O/W emulsion stability.     

Sorption and permeation behavior of water vapor and carbon dioxide gas through ethylene ionomer membranes

Sorption and permeation of water vapor and carbon dioxide gas through ethylene ionomer membranes were studied as a function of pressure. Water sorption increased with an increase of the acid content and especially degree of neutralization of ethylene ionomers. The sodium salt ionomer enhanced water sorption compared to the zinc salt ionomer. However, there was no remarkable difference of permeability coefficient of water vapor through the sodium and zinc ionomer membranes. Diffusion coefficient of the sodium salt ionomer is one order smaller than that of zinc salt ionomer, corresponding to an immobilized water structure in the sodium salt ionomer. Differential scanning calorimetry studies on water sorbed to membrane manifested that water sorbed was almost nonfreezable. Sorption of carbon dioxide gas in ethylene ionomers was a dual-mode type. The pressure dependence of permeability coefficient of carbon dioxide gas was interpreted in terms of a partial immobilization model, independent of the kind of the metal salt in ethylene ionomer.     

Mechanical properties,morphology, and crystallization behavior of new thermoplastic polyimide (N‐TPI)/poly(ether sulfone) blends

Blends of wholly aromatic new thermoplastic polyimide (N‐TPI) and poly(ether sulfone) (PES) were prepared by melt‐mixing and subsequent injection molding. Their mechanical properties, morphology, and crystallization behavior were investigated. A synergistic effect on the flexural properties was observed for the N‐TPI/PES blends over the whole compositions. Differential scanning calorimetric analysis confirmed that the blend is an immiscible system and that the crystallinity of the N‐TPI component is very low (0.4–1.4%) irrespective of the composition. Scanning electron microscopic analysis suggested that the improvement in flexural properties is likely due to the reinforcement of the PES matrix by the fibrous N‐TPI phase for the N‐TPI/PES (40/60, 20/80) blends. For N‐TPI/PES (80/20, 60/40), the orientation of the matrix N‐TPI rather than the fibrillation of the PES phase along the melt‐flow direction may contribute to the synergism observed. Also, study of the isothermal crystallization behavior of the blends revealed that the addition of 10 wt % PES accelerates the crystallization of N‐TPI and further addition causes the retardation of it. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 83: 1366–1374, 2002     

Effect of film thickness on electrical property of microcrystalline silicon

We report dependences of electrical properties on SiH₄/H₂ dilution rate and film thickness for microcrystalline silicon films formed by a hydrogen radical-induced chemical vapor deposition (HRCVD) method. The electrical conductivity of the films at SiH₄ 18 sccm /H₂ 120 sccm was markedly increased to 10⁻³ S/cm as film thickness increased above 100 nm. Crystalline grains with (2 2 0) orientation were formed. Theoretical analysis revealed that grain boundaries among (2 2 0) grains had a low defect density of 1×10¹² cm⁻² so that the high conductivity was achieved.     

Morphology and mechanical properties of pullulan/poly(vinyl alcohol) blends crosslinked with glyoxal

We prepared pullulan/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) blend films by casting the polymer solution in dimethyl sulfoxide. Their morphology and mechanical properties were investigated. Scanning electron micrographs revealed that the pullulan was immiscible with PVA over the entire composition range. The tensile strength and modulus of the blend films were lower than those predicted by the upper bound composite equation. To improve the mechanical properties, we investigated the reaction of the 40/60 blend with glyoxal. The infrared spectral change and the increase in the glass‐transition temperature (corresponding to the PVA component) accompanying the reaction indicated that crosslinking with glyoxal had proceeded. The crosslinked films were homogeneous and had higher tensile strengths and moduli than the simple blend. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 82: 2273–2280, 2001     

Thermal Transformation of Ring-Opened [2+2] C60 Dimer into a Wide-Bridged C120 Isomer. A Computational Evaluation of Fulvalene-Naphthalene Rearrangements

Abstract

As a continuation of the studies on thermal transformation of the [2+2] C₆₀ dimer (1), the consequence of the pyracylene-rearrangement-like valence isomerization of the fulvalene partial structure at the bridge of the ring-opened product from 1, namely 2, was searched by dynamic reaction coordinate /AM1 semiempirical MO calculations. It is predicted that the fulvalene bridge of 2 rearranges into naphthalene partial structure by the concerted ‘in-plane’ mechanism to give a wide-bridged C₁₂₀ intermediate having twenty five-membered rings and two ten-membered rings (3). The computed energy of activation (145 kcal/mol) is 40 kcal/mol lower than those computed for pyracylene rearrangements. In contrast, the recently reported analogous rearrangement of indigo (13) to dibenzonaphthyridindione (14) is computed to occur by the stepwise ‘sp³’ mechanism.     

Impact of noble rot on the aroma precursor of 3-sulfanylhexanol content in Vitis vinifera L. cv Sauvignon blanc and Semillon grape juice

The most famous sweet wine in France is made from botrytised grapes in the Sauternes region. Its distinctive, complex aromas are undoubtedly due to noble rot as a result of Botrytis cinerea development on perfectly ripe Sauvignon blanc and Semillon grapes. The contribution of volatile thiols in botrytised wine aroma was recently reported. The objective of this work was to investigate the impact of B. cinerea development on the aromatic potential of grape juice. The level of S-3-(hexan-1-ol)cysteine (P-3SH), the cysteinylated precursor of the most abundant volatile thiol in wine (3-sulfanylhexanol, 3SH), was determined during grape botrytisation and several grape overripening processes. Production was considerably amplified when B. cinerea had developed on the grapes in both on- and off-vine experiments. The P-3SH levels were increased about 100-fold between the healthy and botrytised stages in one week. We demonstrated that the grape metabolism produced aroma precursor under post-harvest conditions. When grapes were left to overrippen, the vine also produced P-3SH, but levels increased more moderately (about 10-fold). Moreover, a determination of P-3SH distribution demonstrated that B. cinerea was not directly responsible for precursor formation but probably stimulated the grape metabolic pathway involved in this formation.     

Scanning electrochemical microscopy-based drug sensitivity test for a cell culture integrated in silicon microstructures

The respiratory activity of collagen-embedded living cells was imaged by scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) with the objective to study anticancer drug sensitivity. Two kinds of cancer cells, the human erythroleukemia cell line (K562) and its adriamycin-resistant subline (K562/ADM), were immobilized at the array of microholes micromachined on a silicon wafer for comparative characterization of their sensitivity to the anticancer drug, ADM. The results obtained by the SECM method showed correspondence to a conventional colorimetric assay (SDI assay). Furthermore, since the SECM assay is based on the noninvasive measurement of the respiration activity, continuous monitoring of a dose response was possible.     

O2 and N2 gas permselectivity of alternating copoly(vinylidene cyanide–vinyl acetate)

The sorption and permeation of oxygen and nitrogen in and through alternating copoly(vinylidene cyanide–vinyl acetate) [copoly(VDCN–VAc)] (T_g = 176°C) membranes annealed for different periods just below T_g, 160°C, were investigated over the pressure range from 100 to 1000 cmHg. The dual-mode sorption and mobility models were used to analyze the results. A sub-T_g annealing of copoly(VDCN–VAc) caused a slight decrease in the amount of sorption in the membranes. This decrease in the amount of oxygen and nitrogen sorption can be attributed to a decrease in the Langmuir sorption capacity term, C′_H, with increasing sub-T_g annealing period. The densification of copoly(VDCN–VAc) membranes caused simultaneously by the annealing remarkably reduced diffusion coefficients for both gases. The reduction in diffusion coefficients of Langmuir mode, D_H, for both gases was found to be larger than that of Henry's law mode, D_D. Furthermore, permselectivity of oxygen to nitrogen, the ratio of permeability coefficient of oxygen to nitrogen (P O₂/P N₂), reached to 11.8 for the copoly(VDCN–VAc) annealed for 30 h. Evidently the reduction of D_H and D_D for nitrogen with increasing annealing period was much larger than that for oxygen.