Parametric sensitivity of chain polymerization reactors exhibiting the trommsdorff effect

The recently developed mathematical technique for studying the parametric sensitivity of reactors is extended to include chain polymerization systems exhibiting the gel and glass effects, as well as physical property variations. The sensitivities of the two temperature maxima with respect to various parameters are computed. It is found that, for a sample system, poly(methyl methacrylate), all the sensitivities of the gel effect induced temperature peak attain their maxima at the same conditions—this leads to a generalized temperature sensitivity constraint applicable to reactor design or operation. This sensitivity boundary is associated with high conversions and high molecular weights. The analysis shows that the dimensionless propagation activation energy, ?_p, and the dimensionless initiation activation energy, ?_d, are the two most important parameters governing the system performance. Sensitivities of the gel effect-induced number average chain length peak with respect to various parameters are also obtained. Again, all of these chain length sensitivities show maxima at the same condition, leading to the concept of a generalized chain length sensitivity criterion of constraint. Most importantly, the temperature and chain length sensitivity boundaries are virtually identical.     

Characteristics of brush plated ZnTe thin films

Zinc telluride thin films were deposited by the brush plating technique at a potential of −0.90 V (SCE) on conducting glass and titanium substrates at different temperatures in the range 30–90°C. The films were polycrystalline in nature with peaks corresponding to the cubic phase. Direct band gap of 2.30 eV was observed. XPS studiers indicated the formation of ZnTe. Depth profiling studies indicated a uniform distribution of Zn and Te throughout the entire thickness. EDAX measurements were made on the films and it was found that there was a slight excess of Te.     

Dielectrc Polarization of Animal Lung at Radio Frequencies

Dielectric properties of the inflated and deflated fceline lung in vivo were investigated at frequencies from 10 kHz to 100 MHz. A computer-controlled network analyzer and a multiring capacitive sensor were employed. It was found that in the frequency range investigated, both the dielectric constant and the conductivity of the deflated lung were higher than those of the inflated one. The analysis of the experimental data was performed using two approaches: the loss-tangent method and the curve-fitting computer program called STEPIT. It was found that in the middle band of frequencies for both inflated and deflated states of the lung, the dielectric response mainly reflects the membrane polarization of the capillary erythrocytes with possible contributions of other components, e.g., the pulmonary microphages. The dielectric relaxation time for the capillary erythrocytes in the lung is similar to that for the packed cells, which is much longer than for the erythrocytes at physiological concentrations. The dielectric parameters at low frequencies obtained using the STEPIT program differ significantly between the inflated and deflated lung. The observed dielectric data reflect at least two overlapping dispersions: of lung capillary erythrocytes and of cellular structures forming the alveoli.     

Rheological Behavior of Polycarbosilane Part II: Effect of Heterometal (Al) Content and Nature of Bonding with Si of Polycarbosilane

A few aluminum containing polycarbosilanes named AlOR-PCS and Alac-PCS have been synthesized by the reaction of aluminum isopropoxide (AlOR) and aluminum acetylacetonate (Alac) with polycarbosilane (PCS), respectively. These materials were characterized by Fourier Transform Spectroscopy (FTIR), Thermo gravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC). The rheological properties of these compounds were studied with respect to time, temperature and atmosphere (inert & air). It has been observed that the increase in metal content enhances the crosslinking of the PCS chains. Under similar conditions, the crosslinking of AlOR-PCS derivatives was found slower than Alac-PCS. GPC analysis of the samples showed the increase in molecular weight of these compounds compared to virgin PCS. TGA showed improved ceramic yield with increasing metal content. Alac-PCS gave higher ceramic yield than AlOR-PCS for similar molar ratios of metal complexes.     

Parametric study of various configurations of hybrid PV/thermal air collector: Experimental validation of theoretical model

In this paper, an attempt has been made to evaluate the overall performance of hybrid PV/thermal (PV/T) air collector. The different configurations of hybrid air collectors which are considered as unglazed and glazed PV/T air heaters, with and without tedlar. Analytical expressions for the temperatures of solar cells, back surface of the module, outlet air and the rate of extraction of useful thermal energy from hybrid PV/T air collectors have been derived. Further an analytical expression similar to Hottel–Whiller–Bliss (HWB) equation for flat plate collector has also been derived in terms of design and climatic parameters. Numerical computations have been carried out for composite climate of New Delhi and the results for different configurations have been compared. The thermal model for unglazed PV/T air heating system has also been validated experimentally for summer climatic conditions. It is observed that glazed hybrid PV/T without tedlar gives the best performance.     

Apatite formability of boron nitride nanotubes

This study investigates the ability of boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) to induce apatite formation in a simulated body fluid environment for a period of 7, 14 and 28 days. BNNTs, when soaked in the simulated body fluid, are found to induce hydroxyapatite (HA) precipitation on their surface. The precipitation process has an initial incubation period of ～ 4.6 days. The amount of HA precipitate increases gradually with the soaking time. High resolution TEM results indicated a hexagonal crystal structure of HA needles. No specific crystallographic orientation relationship is observed between BNNT and HA, which is due to the presence of a thin amorphous HA layer on the BNNT surface that disturbs a definite orientation relationship.     

Quantification of carbon nanotube induced adhesion of osteoblast on hydroxyapatite using nano-scratch technique

This paper explores the nano-scratch technique for measuring the adhesion strength of a single osteoblast cell on a hydroxyapatite (HA) surface reinforced with carbon nanotubes (CNTs). This technique efficiently separates out the contribution of the environment (culture medium and substrate) from the measured adhesion force of the cell, which is a major limitation of the existing techniques. Nano-scratches were performed on plasma sprayed hydroxyapatite (HA) and HA-CNT coatings to quantify the adhesion of the osteoblast. The presence of CNTs in HA coating promotes an increase in the adhesion of osteoblasts. The adhesion force and energy of an osteoblast on a HA-CNT surface are 17 ± 2 μN/cell and 78 ± 14 pJ/cell respectively, as compared to 11 ± 2 μN/cell and 45 ± 10 pJ/cell on a HA surface after 1 day of incubation. The adhesion force and energy of the osteoblasts increase on both the surfaces with culture periods of up to 5 days. This increase is more pronounced for osteoblasts cultured on HA-CNT. Staining of actin filaments revealed a higher spreading and attachment of osteoblasts on a surface containing CNTs. The affinity of CNTs to conjugate with integrin and other proteins is responsible for the enhanced attachment of osteoblasts. Our results suggest that the addition of CNTs to surfaces used in medical applications may be beneficial when stronger adhesion of osteoblasts is desired.     

Quantitative force and dissipation measurements in liquids using piezo-excited atomic force microscopy: a unifying theory

The use of a piezoelectric element (acoustic excitation) to vibrate the base of microcantilevers is a popular method for dynamic atomic force microscopy. In air or vacuum, the base motion is so small (relative to tip motion) that it can be neglected. However, in liquid environments the base motion can be large and cannot be neglected. Yet it cannot be directly observed in most AFMs. Therefore, in liquids, quantitative force and energy dissipation spectroscopy with acoustic AFM relies on theoretical formulae and models to estimate the magnitude of the base motion. However, such formulae can be inaccurate due to several effects. For example, a significant component of the piezo excitation does not mechanically excite the cantilever but rather transmits acoustic waves through the surrounding liquid, which in turn indirectly excites the cantilever. Moreover, resonances of the piezo, chip and holder can obscure the true cantilever dynamics even in well-designed liquid cells. Although some groups have tried to overcome these limitations (either by theory modification or better design of piezos and liquid cells), it is generally accepted that acoustic excitation is unsuitable for quantitative force and dissipation spectroscopy in liquids. In this paper the authors present a careful study of the base motion and excitation forces and propose a method by which quantitative analysis is in fact possible, thus opening this popular method for quantitative force and dissipation spectroscopy using dynamic AFM in liquids. This method is validated by experiments in water on mica using a scanning laser Doppler vibrometer, which can measure the actual base motion. Finally, the method is demonstrated by using small-amplitude dynamic AFM to extract the force gradients and dissipation on solvation shells of octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (OMCTS) molecules on mica.     

Residential energy consumption across different population groups: comparative analysis for Latino and non-Latino households in USA

Residential energy cost is an important part of the household budget and could vary significantly across different population groups in many countries. In the United States, many studies have analyzed household fuel consumption by fuel type, including electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and by geographic areas. Past research has also demonstrated significant variation in residential energy use across various population groups, including white, black, and Latino. However, our research shows that residential energy demand by fuel type for Latinos, the fastest growing population group, has not been explained by economic and non-economic factors in any statistical model in public domain. The purpose of this paper was to discuss energy demand and expenditure patterns for Latino and non-Latino households in hhe United States as a case example of analyzing residential energy consumption across different population groups in a country. The linear expenditure system model developed by Stone and Geary is the basis of the statistical model developed to explain fuel consumption and expenditures for Latino households. For comparison, the models are also developed for non-Latino, black, and non-black households. These models estimate energy consumption of and expenditures for electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, and LPG by various households at the national level. Significant variations in the patterns of these fuels consumption for Latinos and non-Latinos are highlighted. The model methodology and results of this research should be useful to energy policymakers in government and industry, researches, and academicians who are concerned with economic and energy issues related to various population groups in their country.