Effects of a Shroud Tube on Flow Field and Particle Behavior Inside a Bag-Filter Vessel

A shroud tube was used to decrease the amount of particles toward the bag filters from whole particles entering a filter vessel. The effects of the shroud tube on the flow field and particle behavior inside the vessel were studied. The air mixed with dust particles enters the vessel through a tangential inlet duct. Some of the particles are deposited on the inside wall of the vessel and the surface of the shroud tube. The other ones are collected on the filter surface or passed through it. The particles deposited on the wall surfaces fall into a hopper by gravity, and those collected on filters are removed by back pulse-jet flow. Computational simulation was performed to know the prereduction rate of particles by deposition on the wall surfaces for the different shroud tubes. The experiment was accomplished with some shroud tubes suggested by the results of computational simulation, and the experimental results were compared qualitatively with the computational results. The shroud tube blocked the direct transport of particles toward the bag filters and reduced the particle loading onto the filters. The particle loading was reduced when the upper region of the vessel was not blocked by the shroud tube more than when the vessel was blocked wholly with the filters from the upper end wall. However, the re-entrainment of the particles removed from the filters by the back pulse cleaning increased when the upper region of the vessel was not blocked by the shroud tube more than when the vessel was blocked wholly with the filters from the upper end wall.     

Nanocomposite piezoelectric films of P(VDF‐TrFE)/LiNbO3

Piezoelectric films were prepared by incorporation of lithium niobate (LiNbO₃) nanoparticles into copolymer of vinylidene difluoride and trifluoroethylene. Nanoparticles of LiNbO₃ with ferroelectric phase were successfully synthesized and dispersed homogenously by ultrasonication in the copolymer matrix without any surfactant or surface functionalization. The nanocomposites were fully characterized by electronic microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, dynamical mechanical analysis, and piezometer. Surprisingly, the copolymer matrix crystallinity and morphology were not affected by the incorporation of nanoparticles. Therefore the nanocomposites remained good mechanicals properties and high ferroelectricity coupled to nonlinear optical activity thanks to the noncentro symmetric space group of lithium niobate. This could be a novel approach to develop new multifunctional materials. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Enhancement of fibroblastic proliferation from photoreactive starch with immobilized epidermal growth factor

Carboxymethyl starch was modified by the incorporation of an azidophenyl group to prepare photoreactive starch, and characterized by Fourier transform infrared reflectance (FT‐IR), proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H‐NMR), and ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy. Photo‐irradiation immobilized the Az‐starch on a polystyrene plate and it was stably retained on the surface. The protein containing immobilized Az‐starch was also immobilized on a stripe micropatterned plate. UV irradiation time and Az‐starch concentration were used to alter the physical properties of Az‐starch and consequently control the rate of epidermal growth factor (EGF) release. The Az‐starch that released growth factor was not cytotoxic to 3T3‐L1 fibroblast cells, and the immobilized EGF maintained its activity and induced cellular proliferation in vitro. These results suggest that Az‐starch could be useful as a clinical synthetic material for medical applications. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Synthesis and optimization of NASICON-type Li3V2(PO4)3 by adipic acid-mediated solid-state approach

We report the synthesis and optimization of NASICON-type carbon-coated Li₃V₂(PO₄)₃ by solid-state approach. Adipic acid (AA) is used as the source material for the carbon. Initially, the synthesis of monoclinic Li₃V₂(PO₄)₃ is optimized at a precalcination temperature of 300 °C for 4 h and 900 °C for 8 h under Ar flow to yield a single phase. Powder characterizations such as thermogravimetric–differential thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and particle size distribution are conducted, and the results are presented. The AA concentration is varied according to the total metal ion composition in the compound (0.05, 0.1, and 0.15 M). Electrochemical Li-insertion properties are evaluated in half-cell configurations between 3 and 4.8 V vs. Li at a current density of 0.1 mA cm^?2 at room temperature. Compared with the lower AA concentrations, Li/Li₃V₂(PO₄)₃ (0.15 M AA) cell exhibited discharge capacities of 178 and 147 mAh g^?1 for the 1st and 50th cycles, respectively, and a capacity retention of 83 % after 50 cycles, which is 11 % higher than that of the native compound. Li/Li₃V₂(PO₄)₃ (0.15 M AA) showed better rate performances and delivered discharge capacities of 173, 165, 150, 132, 105, and 76 mAh g^?1 at rates of 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1, 5, and 12 C, respectively. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy reveals the enhancement in electronic conductivity profile after carbon coating.     

Effect of Sintering Temperature on Thermoelectric Properties of p‐Bi2Te3 Alloys Produced by Gas Atomization

In this research, p‐type Bi₂Te₃–75% Sb₂Te₃ thermoelectric alloy powders were produced by gas atomization and subsequently sintered by hot pressing at different temperatures. The grain growth of the hot‐pressed samples was observed with increasing sintering temperature from 380°C to 460°C. The compressive strength increased with increasing hot‐pressing temperature due to the high relative density of bulk samples obtained at high temperatures. The effect of sintering temperature on thermoelectric (TE) properties was studied. The maximum power factor 3.48 mW/mK² was obtained for the sample hot pressed at 420°C due to the resulting high electrical conductivity and enhanced Seebeck coefficient values.     

Effect of processing conditions and reactive compatibilizer on the morphology of injection molded modified poly(phenylene oxide)/polyamide‐6 blends

The effect of injection molding conditions and reactive compatibilization on the morphology of maleic anhydryde‐modified poly(phenylene oxide)/polyamide‐6 blends was investigated. The injection flow rate primarily influenced the position of the subskin layer, and the injection temperature affected the aspect ratio of the dispersed phase. A reduction of the sue of the dispersed phase occured during the converging flow in the barrel‐to‐sprue zone. The reactive compatibilization reduced the flow induced deformation, the coalescence and the breakup of particles and improved the dispersion of the minor phase.     

Molecular characterization of statistical copolymers: 1. Potential and limitations of full adsorption–desorption procedure in separation of statistical copolymers

Dynamic integral desorption isotherms for a series of poly(methyl methacrylate) homopolymers and poly(methyl methacrylate)–polystyrene statistical copolymers were measured. Nonporous silica was the full adsorption–desorption (FAD) column packing and various adsorption‐promoting and desorption‐promoting liquids were used. The aim of this study was to evaluate the applicability of the FAD approach for separation of statistical copolymers. The effects of the adsorbing liquid and desorbing liquid nature were demonstrated on the positions and shapes of desorption isotherms. The desorption isotherms also strongly depended on both (co)polymer molar mass and copolymer chemical composition. This indicates large fractionation potential of the FAD procedure. Simultaneously, the interference of both above parameters prevents the direct use of FAD for fractionation of the copolymers. It is anticipated that the fractionation and/or reconcentration potential of the FAD procedure can be very effectively utilized in combination of FAD with size‐exclusion chromatography and/or with gradient elution liquid adsorption chromatography. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 75: 857–864, 2000     

Polypyrrole composite membrane with high permeability prepared by interfacial polymerization

Novel polypyrrole (PPy)/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composite membrane was prepared by interfacial polymerization to make a very effective gas separation membrane. We found that Polymerized PPy films as thin as ～200 nm could be chemically synthesized as freestanding membranes by using the interfacial polymerization technique. Additionally, we show that difference morphology of PPys films was obtained by controlling polymerization rate and more dense films were formed at low polymerization rate. Wide X-ray diffraction study showed the d spacing value of the PPy film decreased from 4.89 å to 3.67 å by the rate of polymerization decreases. According to d spacing value decrease, selectivity of a PPy composite membrane was increased dramatically and permeability was reduced gradually. This high selectivity was derived from d spacing closed to the kinetic diameter of nitrogen. These results indicated that the permeability is controlled by the diffusion coefficient, reflecting the packed structure of the PPy film. The highest selectivity value of composite membrane that was prepared by interfacial polymerization was O₂/N₂=17.2 and permeability for O₂ was 40.2 barrer.     

Electron spin resonance of thin films of organic light-emitting material tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum doped by magnesium

We have successfully observed electron spin resonance (ESR) signals of radical anions in thin films of tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (Alq₃), a compound widely used as electron transporting and luminescent layers in organic light-emitting diodes. To obtain definitely defined radical-anion states in Alq₃, we doped Alq₃ with Mg by co-evaporating these materials. The obtained g value and peak-to-peak ESR linewidth ΔH_pp of Alq₃ radical anions are 2.0030 and 2.19 mT, respectively. Theoretical g value and hyperfine interactions were calculated by density functional theory method, which are in good agreement with the experimental results. A quantitative evaluation of doping concentration was performed. We confirmed that doped charges are localized at deep trapping sites by the lineshape analysis and temperature dependence of the ESR signals. Morphological investigation using transmission electron microscopy clarified that the co-evaporated Mg atoms form clusters.     

Ring-opening polymerization of ?-caprolactone by poly(propyleneglycol) in the presence of a monomer activator

The ring-opening polymerization of ?-caprolactone (CL) was induced by using polypropylene glycol (PPG) as an initiator in the presence of the monomer activator HCl·Et₂O to synthesize triblock copolymers composed of PPG and poly(?-caprolactone) (PCL). The degree of CL conversion and the molecular weight of PCL increased linearly with the polymerization time or with the feed ratio of CL to PPG in the presence of HCl·Et₂O in CH₂Cl₂ at 25 °C. The PCLs obtained had molecular weights close to the theoretical values calculated from the CL:PPG molar ratios and exhibited monomodal GPC curves with narrow polydispersity indexes. The apparent rate constant (k_app) for the polymerization of CL activated by HCl·Et₂O was greatly affected by the ratio of HCl·Et₂O/PPG. The activation energy for the polymerization of CL in this system was estimated to be 49.8 kJ/mol K. We successfully prepared PPG and PCL triblock copolymers using this activated monomer mechanism.