Density,refractive index and liquid–liquid equilibrium data of polyethylene glycol 3000 + potassium formate + water at different pH values

New liquid–liquid equilibrium data for polyethylene glycol(PEG) 3000 + CHO_2K + H_2O systems were measured at 298.15 K and pH values of 7.95, 8.40 and 9.98. It was found that an increase in pH caused the binodal curve to be displaced downward and the two-phase region to expand. Accordingly, the binodal curve was adjusted to the Pirdashti equation and the tie-line compositions were correlated using the Othmer–Tobias, Bancroft and Hand equations. The study measured the refractive index and densities of several homogeneous binary and ternary solutions. The solutions were used for calibration within a range of 0% to 30% of the mass of the PEG and potassium formate. The density and refractive index data show a linear variation with the mass fraction of the polymer and the salt. The effect of pH on the binodal, tie-line lengths(TLL) and slope of the tie-line(STL) in the systems was examined. It was found that an increase in pH increased the TLL and decreased the STL. It was observed that the density of the aqueous two-phase system was influenced by the TLL. The difference in density between phases(Δρ) increased as the TLL and pH increased. It was found that the TLL and Δρ showed a linear relationship. The effective excluded volume(EEV) of the PEG was obtained and it was found that EEV also increased as the pH increased.     

Functionally-graded shape memory alloy by diffusion annealing of palladium-coated NiTi plates

Diffusion annealing of palladium-coated Ti-Ni plates was performed at temperatures ranging from 900 °C to 1,000 °C, to accomplish a compositional gradient in Ti-rich, Ti-Ni shape memory alloys. The aim of this study was to increase the transformation temperatures and transformation temperature intervals. Palladium diffusion profiles were measured by energy dispersive spectroscopy, and the corresponding approximate diffusion coefficients of the annealed specimens were calculated. The Gaussian solution of Fick’s second law for the one-dimensional lattice diffusion of a tracer was used. The transformation behavior studies were performed by differential scanning calorimetry. It was depicted that annealed specimens show longer transformation intervals compared to the bare alloy. In addition, annealed specimens showed improved shape memory properties that were attributed to the lower amount of Ti₂Ni precipitates in the diffusion layer. The shape memory behaviour of the samples was detected using micro-indentation at room temperature, followed by heating them above the austenite formation temperature to calculate the shape recovery ratio.     

A review of design considerations in glass buildings

In the past few decades, the use of glass in buildings has remarkably increased. As a result, several transparent buildings have been constructed, in which the materials have almost disappeared. Given that the advancement of architecture is inextricably linked to the acquisition of general knowledge on future developments, this study was conducted to predict the paths of development that glass structures are likely to take in the future. Investigations such as this increase the possibility of advancing both design and construction at the same speed as technology. To achieve this goal, this study evaluates the present situation by investigating new possibilities and assessing their effect on the development of glass buildings. The findings of this study show that the durability, safety, appearance, and efficiency of transparent buildings can be improved through continuous refinement of designs, replacement of aged elements, prompt repair of damaged protective coatings, and greater exploitation of double-sided screens.     

A new inorganic framework in the synthesis of barium carbonate nanoparticles via convenient solid state decomposition route

BaCO₃, a common mineral with important applications in industry, has been synthesized in the orthorhombic phase with a high purity. As a new precursor, barium-o-phthalate complex was applied to prepare BaCO₃ nanoparticles via solvent-free thermal decomposition route. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was applied to determine the thermal behavior of the complex. The products were characterized by X-ray diffractometry (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The best results were obtained for the sample prepared at 500 °C. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of this product shows “bean-like” shaped nanoparticles with an average size of 35–70 nm. The purity, composition and stoichiometry of the as-prepared sample were studied by Electron Diffraction X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) spectra.     

Electrochemical sensor for selective determination of N-acetylcysteine in the presence of folic acid using a modified carbon nanotube paste electrode

In the present paper, a novel benzoylferrocene (BF) modified carbon nanotube paste electrode (BFCNPE) was prepared. The modified electrode was further used for the successful determination of N-acetylcysteine (NAC), and it showed an excellent electrocatalytic oxidation activity toward NAC with a lower overvoltage, pronounced current response, and good sensitivity. Under the optimized experimental conditions, the proposed electrochemical NAC sensor exhibited a linear calibration plot that ranged from 3.0 × 10^? 7 to 7.0 × 10^? 4 M with a detection limit of 9.0 × 10^? 8 M. Also, Square wave voltammetry (SWV) was used for simultaneous determination of NAC and folic acid (FA) at the modified electrode. Finally, the proposed method was applied to the determination of NAC in NAC tablets.     

Rapid synthesis of new block copolyurethanes derived from L‐leucine‐PEG in ionic liquids under microwave irradiation

This study concerns the synthesis of novel multi block polyurethane (PU) copolymers containing eco‐friendly segments, taking the advantage of ionic liquids (IL)s under microwave irradiation. For this, L ‐leucine anhydride cyclodipeptide (LAC) was prepared and then a new class of poly(ether‐urethane‐urea)s (PEUUs) was synthesized with two types of ILs, including room temperature imidazolium (RTIL)s and molten ammonium type ILs. ILs were used as reaction media and PUs were prepared via two‐step polymerization method. Polymerization reaction was also conducted under conventional heating method in N‐methyl pyrrolidone (NMP) as reaction solvent. In the first step, 4,4′‐methylene‐bis(4‐phenylisocyanate) (MDI) was reacted with LAC to produce isocyanate‐terminated poly(imide‐urea) oligomers as hard segment. Chain extension of the resulting prepolymer with polyethyleneglycol (PEG) of molecular weights of 400 (PEG‐400) was the second step to furnish a series of new PEUUs. These multiblock copolymers are optically active, thermally stable and soluble in amide‐type solvents. PEUUs prepared in ILs under microwave irradiation showed more phase separation and crystallinity than PEUU prepared under conventional method. Some structural characterization and physical properties of these PEUUs, prepared under different methods, are reported and compared. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Triple-layer proton exchange membranes based on chitosan biopolymer with reduced methanol crossover for high-performance direct methanol fuel cells application

A novel triple-layer proton exchange membrane comprising two thin layers of structurally modified chitosan, as methanol barrier layers, both sides coated with Nafion^®105 is prepared and tested for high-performance direct methanol fuel cell applications. A tight adherence is detected between layers from SEM and EDX data for the cross-sectional area of the newly designed membrane, which are attributed to high affinity of opposite charged polyelectrolyte layers. Proton conductivity and methanol permeability measurements show improved transport properties for the multi-layer membrane compared to Nafion^®117 with approximately the same thickness. Moreover, direct methanol fuel cell tests reveal higher open circuit voltage, power density output, and overall fuel cell efficiency for the triple-layer membrane than Nafion^®117, especially at concentrated methanol solutions. A power output of 68.10 mW cm^?2 at 5 M methanol feed is supplied using multi-layer membrane, which is found to be about 72% more than that of for Nafion^®117. In addition, fuel cell efficiency for multi-layer membrane is measured about 19.55% and 18.45% at 1 and 5 M methanol concentrations, respectively. Owing to the ability to provide high power output, significantly reduced methanol crossover, ease of preparation and low cost, the triple-layer membrane under study could be considered as a promising polyelectrolyte for high-performance direct methanol fuel cell applications.