Superparamagnetic latex synthesized by a new route of emulsifier‐free emulsion polymerization

The aim of this study was to design polymeric nanospheres containing magnetic nanoparticle which could display superparamagnetic behavior and thus find application in allied fields. First magnetite nanoparticles were synthesized with coprecipitation method and then their stable acidic dispersion was prepared without surfactant and dropped into the polymerization system during a certain time interval after the polymerization started. The effects of time at which the magnetic sol was added into polymerization system on latex size and stability, average molecular weight of polymer were examined in the case of two different monomer concentrations. Extensive characterization by transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, thermal gravimetric analysis and magnetic measurements shows that when the magnetic sol was dropped during earlier time of polymerization at stage 1, the latex size, average molecular weight of polymer, thermal stability of polymeric composite, and saturation magnetization reduced, whereas polydispersity of size and molecular weight increased because of the reaction between persulfate and naked surface of magnetite at the aqueous phase. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Thixoforming of EN AW-2014 alloy at high solid fraction

EN AW-2014 extruded alloy slugs were thixoformed at 615 °C where the solid fraction is estimated to be 80%. The recrystallization process occurred during heating to the thixoforming temperature, between 550 °C and 600 °C, well above the solidus temperature owing to the pinning of grain boundaries by Al₂Cu precipitates. The equiaxed polygonal grains thus obtained have become increasingly globular upon soaking. Si was enriched in the grain boundaries during soaking while the solid solution matrix was gradually depleted off Cu. The grain boundary composition has moved closer to that of the Al-Cu-Si ternary eutectic with a lower melting point than the binary Al-Cu eutectic, facilitating grain boundary melting. The liquid phase has then penetrated between the grains, forming a more or less continous intergranular network. Microstructural features essential for forming in the semi-solid state were obtained after about 10 min at 615 °C. The subsequent forming process has occurred in the semi-solid state with no evidence of grain deformation. The thixoformed EN AW-2014 part was solutionized at 500 °C for 2 h and was subsequently quenched in water. Artificial ageing at 160 °C has produced hardness values as high as 160 HV after only 8 h. It is concluded that the high strength wrought EN AW-2014 alloy feedstock processed by the RAP route respond to a thixoforming operation in a very favorable fashion.     

Age hardening of EN AW 2014 alloy extruded in the semi-solid state

Response to T6 heat treatment of thixoextruded EN AW 2014 aluminium alloy was investigated in the present work. Extrusion of a 2014 slug heated to a liquid fraction of 15%, takes place in the semi-solid state until the liquid fraction in the final part of the slug is reduced via segregation to a level where semi-solid forming is no longer possible. Hence, the final part of the slug is extruded in the solid-state with a concurrent recrystallization process. This process has produced two distinctly different structures at the front and rear ends and an unexpected hardness profile in T6 temper along the length of the thixoextruded rod. The response to T6 heat treatment of the globular front has been age hardening as usual. The inferior age hardening potential with respect to the hot extruded counterpart is attributed to the grain boundary Al₂Cu phase which has grown too coarse via liquid segregation to be readily solutionized at typical solutionizing temperatures. The rear end of the extrudate on the other hand, has softened upon T6 heat treatment owing to Cu depletion and a fully recrystallized structure.     

Precipitation during homogenization cooling in AlMgSi alloys

Precipitation during the industrial cool down takes place predominantly above 300 °C in the EN AW-6082 and 6005 alloys. The phase precipitation throughout cooling is equilibrium β phase. A considerable capacity is retained after the cool down for further precipitation during a subsequent heating cycle. The β-Mg₂Si is once again the predominant phase that forms during a scan heating cycle employed in exactly the same manner with the industrial billet preheating operation. The precipitation in the 6060 alloy, on the other hand, occurs predominantly below 300 °C with additionally β′-Mg₂Si particles formed below 200 °C.     

A Series of Thiadiazolyl-Benzenesulfonamides Incorporating an Aromatic Tail as Isoform-Selective,Potent Carbonic Anhydrase II/XII Inhibitors

We describe the synthesis of a series of thiadiazolyl-benzenesulfonamide derivatives carrying an aromatic tail linked by an amide linker ( 12–34 ), as human carbonic anhydrase (hCA) inhibitors. These thiadiazol derivatives were evaluated against four physiologically relevant CA isoforms (hCA I, II, IX, and XII), and demonstrated intriguing inhibitory activity against CA II with K_i values in the range of 2.4–31.6 nM. Besides hCA II, also hCA XII activity was potently inhibited by some of the derivatives (K_i=1.5–88.5 nM), producing dual inhibitors of both isoforms. Notably, compound 17 was the most potent dual CA II (K_i=3.1 nM) and XII (K_i=1.5 nM) inhibitor with a significant selectivity ratio over CA I and IX isoforms. In conclusion, although all compounds exhibited preferential activity towards hCA II, the nature of the substituents at the tail part of the main scaffold influenced the activity and selectivity toward other isoforms.     

Real-time monitoring of railroad track tension using a fiber Bragg grating-based strain sensor

Railway and train security are very important in preventing service disruption and ensuring quality and safe journeys. Conventional gauges are used in laboratory environments for the strain measurement of rails used in railways. However, the use of these electrical sensors is not practical in long-distance railways. Instead, access to long distances is possible with fiber optic sensors. In this study, the strain of 49E1 type rail with R260 hardness and quality was calculated theoretically. These results were compared with an experimentally established fiber Bragg grating system. Moreover, a user-friendly interface was prepared for real-time monitoring of the system. Upon examining the results, the maximum deviation at a rate of 2.5% occurred in the strain measurement in the rail in response to force changes between 0 and 200 kN. A value of approximately 1.38?pm/µε was calculated between the wavelength/strain changes.     

Quantum chemical study on 5-nitro-2,4-dihydro-3H-1,2,4-triazol-3-one (NTO) and some of its constitutional isomers

Presently, certain isomeric compounds of NTO and their tautomers have been investigated by performing density functional theory (DFT) calculations at B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) and ROB3P86/6-311G(d,p) levels and also ab initio calculations at RHF/6-311G(d,p) level. The optimized geometries, vibrational frequencies, electronic structures and some thermodynamical values for the presently considered NTO isomers have been obtained in their ground states. Also, detonation performances were evaluated by the Kammlet-Jacobs equations, based on the calculated densities and heat of formation values. The homolytic bond dissociation energies (BDEs) (at ROB3P86/6-311G(d,p) level) of NNO(2) and CNO(2) for the molecules were calculated. Moreover, aromatic character of NTO and its isomers and tautomers were investigated by performing NICS calculations using the gauge invariant atomic orbital (GIAO) approach at the B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) and B3LYP/cc-pVDZ levels.