Influence of swelling of noncrystalline regions in silk fibers on modification with methacrylamide

The degrees of swelling of noncrystalline regions of domestic and tussah silk fibers were investigated by measuring the small-angle X-ray scattering intensity of the fibers in wet conditions and analyzing the scattering intensity based on a two-phase model, i.e., crystalline regions and water-swollen noncrystalline regions. The influence of the degree of swelling of noncrystalline regions on the graft treatment of these fibers with methacrylamide was investigated. The changes in the structure caused by the graft treatment were also analyzed using the wide-angle X-ray diffraction measurements. As compared with the tussah silk fibers, the domestic silk fibers showed a larger degree of swelling of the noncrystalline regions, and gained a larger amount of resin by the graft treatment. The crystallites with smaller sizes in the tussah silk fibers were destroyed preferentially by the graft treatment. For the domestic silk fibers, the crystallites were destroyed more seriously and rather homogeneously independent of the crystallite sizes. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Resinification Behavior of Regenerated Feather Keratin Powder

A preliminary study was performed on the resinification behavior of regenerated feather keratin powder by changing the sintering conditions, and the thermal and mechanical properties for the obtained resin were investigated. It was confirmed that the molding at 140°C was enough to complete the resinification. The resin obtained was amorphous and its glass transition temperature could be raised to 93°C. In addition, the hardness of the resin could be increased from 20–25 HV to 90 HV by leaving the as-sintered compact resin in ambient air at room temperature for 133 days. Crosslinking agents that work even at room temperature seem to be synthesized during the molding.     

Structure and kinetic studies of U(VI)-benzamidoxime complex in non-aqueous solutions by H- and C-NMR

The structural and kinetic studies of U(VI) complex with benzamidoxime(Hba) as ligand in CD₃COCD₃ have been studied by means of ¹H and ¹³C NMR. The Hba molecule was found to coordinate to UO₂²⁺ in the form of anionic benzamidoximate (ba), and the number of ba coordinated to UO₂²⁺ was determined to be 3 by analyzing the chemical shift of ¹³C NMR signal for Hba in the presence of UO₂²⁺. The exchange rate constants(k_ex) of ba in [UO₂(ba)₃] were determined by the NMR line-broadening method. The kinetic parameters were obtained as follows: k_ex(25°C) = 3.1 × 10³s⁻¹, ΔH^≠ = 35.8 ± 3.5 KJ mol⁻¹, and ΔS^≠ = −65 ± 13.7 J K⁻¹ mol⁻¹. The UV-visible absorption spectra of solutions containing UO₂²⁺ and Hba were also measured. The molar extinction coefficient of the complex was found to be extremely large compared with those of UO₂(L)₅²⁺ (L = unidentate oxygen donor ligands) complexes. This is due to the strong electron withdrawing of UO₂²⁺ from Hba and suggests that an interaction between UO₂²⁺ and Hba is very strong. Such a high affinity of monomeric amidoxime to UO₂²⁺ reasonably explains the high adsorptibility of amidoxime resin to U(VI) species, and is considered to result in the high recovery of U(VI) species from sea water using amidoxime resin.     

Chemokines and inflammatory diseases

Intoxication after ingestion of toad is rare, but it results in severe morbidity and high mortality. Recently, we encountered 2 children, one a 15-month-old boy and one a 20-month-old girl, who were fed cooked toad (Bufo melanostictus) soup. The boy expired of ventricular fibrillation. The girl presented with varying degrees of A-V block with congestive heart failure which, however, was completely resolved after intensive treatment. In our experience, early identification and intervention are necessary to decrease absorption of toxins; to correct hyperkalemia. Dysrhythmia should be treated with atropine, antiarrhythmic agents, and a temporary pacemaker, in order to avoid lethal results.     

Decomposition of Carbon Dioxide to Carbon with Active Wustite at 300°C

Active wustite (FeδO, with a δ value of 0.98) was prepared by keeping normal wustite (δ value of 0.94) in a N₂ atmosphere at 300°C for 10 min. This reaction is given by (4δ₂–3)Fe_δ1O→(4δ₁–3)Fe_δ2O + (δ₂–δ₁)Fe₃O₄ where δ₁= 0.94 and δ₂= 0.98. The equation indicates that the normal wustite undergoes eutectoid decomposition into active wustite and stoichiometric magnetite (Fe₃O₄). Carbon dioxide (1.013 × 10⁵ Pa) was almost completely (100%) decomposed into carbon (zero valence) by the active wustite at the low temperature of 300°C, which was associated with the transformation of the active wustite into the stoichiometric magnetite. The internal pressure of the reaction cell eventually became a vacuum.     

Compression Deformation Mechanism of Silicon Carbide: I, Fine-Grained Boron- and Carbon-Doped β-Silicon Carbide Fabricated by Hot Isostatic Pressing

The deformation behavior of boron- and carbon-doped β-silicon carbide (B,C-SiC) with an average grain size of 260 ± 18 nm containing 1 wt% boron was investigated by compression testing at elevated temperatures. Extensive grain growth during deformation was observed. The stress–strain curves were compensated for grain growth by assuming power-law type of dependence on grain size and strain rate. The stress exponent n was ∼1.3 and the grain size exponent p was ∼2.7 at temperatures ranging from 1593° to 1758°C. The apparent activation energy of deformation Q _d was ∼760 kJ/mol, which was lower than the activation energy for lattice diffusion of silicon and carbon in SiC and higher than that for grain-boundary diffusion of carbon in SiC. These results suggest that the deformation mechanism of the fine-grained B,C-SiC is grain-boundary sliding accommodated by the grain-boundary diffusion.     

Morphological study by TEM on uniaxially oriented thin films of PET, PEN and their blends

Uniaxially oriented thin films of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), poly(ethylene 2,6-naphthalene dicarboxylate) (PEN) and their blends were prepared by applying shear strain to their respective melts, and the resulting morphologies were studied by transmission electron microscopy. Selected-area electron diffraction of each film revealed well-defined uniaxial orientation of polymer chains in the shearing direction. In the uniaxially oriented thin film of PEN, stacked-lamellar structure with the average long period of 27 nm consisting of a crystalline region about 15 nm thick and an amorphous one about 12 nm thick was found here and there in the dark-field image: PEN-type. On the other hand, stacked-lamellar structure was rarely observed in the case of PET: PET-type. In PET/PEN blends, the morphologies changed from the PET-type to the PEN-type with increasing content of PEN.     

Evaluation of a Method to Measure Black Carbon Particles Suspended in Rainwater and Snow Samples

We conducted a detailed evaluation of a method for measuring the mass concentrations and size distributions of black carbon (BC) particles in rainwater and snow. The method uses an ultrasonic nebulizer (USN) and a single particle soot photometer (SP2). The USN disperses sample water into micron-size droplets at a constant rate and then dries them to release BC particles into the air. The masses of individual BC particles are measured by the SP2, using the laser-induced incandescence technique. The loss of BC particles during the extraction from liquid water to air depends on their sizes. We determined the size-dependent extraction efficiency using polystyrene latex (PSL) spheres with 12 different diameters between 107 and 1025 nm. The PSL concentrations in water were measured by the light extinction at 532 nm. The extraction efficiency of the USN showed a broad maximum of about 10% in the diameter range 200–500 nm and decreased substantially at larger sizes. The accuracy and reproducibility of the measured mass concentration of BC in sample water after long-term storage were about ±25% and ±35%, respectively. We tested the method by analyzing rainwater and surface snow samples collected in Okinawa and Sapporo, respectively. The measured number size distributions of BC in these samples showed negligible contributions of BC particles larger than 300 nm to the total number of BC particles. A dominant fraction of BC mass in these samples was observed in the diameter range 100–500 nm.

Copyright 2013 American Association for Aerosol Research     

Incorporation of Dust Particles into a Growing Film During Silicon Dioxide Deposition from a TEOS/O2 Plasma

The effects of gas flow rate on particle formation and film deposition during the preparation of silica thin film using a TEOS/O₂ plasma were investigated. Particle formation and growth are suppressed with increasing gas flow rates. The film deposition rate increases with increasing gas flow rate, reaches a maximum value, and eventually decreases again. However, the uniformity of the film tends to degrade at high gas flow rates. At a high gas flow rate, some particles trapped in the sheath near the grounded electrode pass through the sheath to reach the substrate and are then embedded in the growing film. A self-consistent sheath model combined with particle force balance based on charge fluctuation was developed to explain these experimental findings qualitatively. The model reveals that charge fluctuation is a key factor for the particle to overcome the potential barrier of the negatively charged particles to pass through the sheath, eventually reaching the substrate. The model further shows that the probability of a particle being deposited on the substrate is higher for increased gas flow rates, which correctly predicts the experimentally observed trend.     

Note: Zr(IV)-Immobilized Resin Prepared by Surface Template Polymerization for Fluoride Ion Removal

Abstract

A novel adsorbent Zr(IV)-immobilized resin was prepared to remove fluoride ions from tap water and industrial wastewater. In order to enhance both the kinetics and efficiency, large pathways were formed in the resin for fluoride ion adsorption and the Zr(IV)-phosphate complexes were immobilized on the polymer surface by surface-template polymerization. The Zr(IV)-immobilized resin had a fluoride adsorption capacity of 0.30 mmol/g. The morphology of the Zr(IV)-immobilized resin was evaluated by measuring the specific surface area, pore volume, and pore size distribution. The resin possessed large amounts of large macropores with diameters around 300 nm. The molecular structure at the fluoride adsorption sites was investigated by measuring the amounts of phosphorus, zirconium, and fluoride ion in the resin, and developing a model complex using computational chemistry. On the polymer surface, a fluoride ion/Zr(IV)/dioleyl phosphoric acid complex with an ideal F:Zr:P mole ratio of 3:1:3 could be formed.