Dielectric relaxation studies on polymeric salts: Poly(methylmethacrylate-co-N,N-dimethylaminopropyl-acrylamide) benzoic acid systems

A series of polymeric salts of p-substituted benzoic acids in poly(methylmethacrylate-co-N,N-dimethylaminopropylacrylamide) were prepared and AC impedance studies of film-attached electrodes were carried out. The impedance curves and conductivity variation with temperature were analysed. The parameter which describes the shape of the circular arcs in the impedance curves was temperature independent, and the distribution of relaxation times remained constant during the test on the material. Furthermore, the ionic conductivity was highly dependent on the chemical structure produced by the substituted benzoic group.     

Short-run statistical process control: Q-Chart enhancements and alternative methods

The first two tables in Reference 1 are incorrect. Corrected tables are provided below. The errors do not affect the conclusions or the discussion in that paper.     

Electrical properties of biomorphic SiC ceramics and SiC/Si composites fabricated from medium density fiberboard

A study has been made of the dependences of the electrical resistivity and the Hall coefficient on the temperature in the range 1.8-1300 K and on magnetic fields of up to 28 kOe for the biomorphic SiC/Si (MDF-SiC/Si) composite and biomorphic porous SiC (MDF-SiC) based upon artificial cellulosic precursor (MDF - medium density fiberboards). It has been shown that electric transport in MDF-SiC is effected by carriers of n-type with a high concentration of ∼10²⁰ cm⁻³ and a low mobility of ∼0.4 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹. The specific features in the conductivity of MDF-SiC are explained by quantum effects arising in disordered systems and requiring quantum corrections to conductivity. The TEM studies confirmed the presence of disordering structural features (nanocrystalline regions) in MDF-SiC. The conductivity of MDF-SiC/Si composite originates primarily from Si component in the temperature range 1.8-500 K and since ∼500 to 600 K the contribution of MDF-SiC matrix becomes dominant.     

Process Optimisation of In Situ H2 Generation From Ammonia Using Ni on Alumina Coated Cordierite Monoliths

A catalyst of Ni supported on alumina coated monolith has been prepared, characterized and tested in NH₃ decomposition. The characterization of the catalyst by XPS and TPR showed that there is no formation of aluminates after catalyst use. It is studied the effect of the space velocity, by varying the feed flow rate and the catalyst??s length. Some evidences are shown about the reaction inhibition by produced H₂ and about the reasons for the better performance of the monolith than packed bed catalyst.     

High-Stable Mesoporous Ni-Ce/Clay Catalysts for Syngas Production

Abstract  

A mesoporous-type catalytic support was synthesized through the modification of a smectite with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and microwaves. Texture and micro-morphology of the support was determined. Several techniques were employed in order to describe the chemical environment of active species on the surface. Ni⁰ particle sizes were dependent on the structural site of reducible species. High stable Ni-Ce catalysts (calcined at 800 °C) were evaluated in the CO₂ reforming of methane reaction at 700 °C (WHSV = 96 L g⁻¹ h⁻¹, without dilution gas and pre-reduction). The catalysts have presented CH₄ conversions between 40 and 65%, CO₂ conversion between 35 and 65% and H₂/CO ratios between 0.2 and 0.4.     

Electrical, mechanical, and glass transition behavior of polycarbonate-based nanocomposites with different multi-walled carbon nanotubes

Five commercially available multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs), with different characteristics, were melt mixed with polycarbonate (PC) in a twin-screw micro compounder to obtain nanocomposites containing 0.25-3.0 wt.% MWNT. The electrical properties of the composites were assessed using bulk electrical conductivity measurements, the mechanical properties of the composites were evaluated using tensile tests and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), and the thermal properties of the composites were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Electrical percolation thresholds (p_cs) were observed between 0.28 wt.% and 0.60 wt.%, which are comparable with other well-dispersed melt mixed materials. Based on measurements of diameter and length distributions of unprocessed tubes it was found that nanotubes with high aspect ratios exhibited lower p_cs, although one sample did show higher p_c than expected (based on aspect ratio) which was attributed to poorer dispersion achieved during mixing. The stress-strain behavior of the composites is only slightly altered with CNT addition; however, the strain at break is decreased even at low loadings. DMA tests suggest the formation of a combined polymer-CNT continuous network evidenced by measurable storage moduli at temperatures above the glass transition temperature (T_g), consistent with a mild reinforcement effect. The composites showed lower glass transition temperatures than that of pure PC. Lowering of the height of the tanδ peak from DMA and reductions in the heat capacity change at the glass transition from DSC indicate that MWNTs reduced the amount of polymer material that participates in the glass transition of the composites, consistent with immobilization of polymer at the nanotube interface.     

Synthesis,characterization and rheological properties of multiblock associative copolymers by RAFT technique

Polymer Bulletin - Preparation of associating multiblock copolymer electrolytes mediated by radical addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) technique has been evaluated and reported in...     

Molecular mechanisms of aging and immune system regulation in Drosophila

Aging is a complex process that involves the accumulation of deleterious changes resulting in overall decline in several vital functions, leading to the progressive deterioration in physiological condition of the organism and eventually causing disease and death. The immune system is the most important host-defense mechanism in humans and is also highly conserved in insects. Extensive research in vertebrates has concluded that aging of the immune function results in increased susceptibility to infectious disease and chronic inflammation. Over the years, interest has grown in studying the molecular interaction between aging and the immune response to pathogenic infections. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is an excellent model system for dissecting the genetic and genomic basis of important biological processes, such as aging and the innate immune system, and deciphering parallel mechanisms in vertebrate animals. Here, we review the recent advances in the identification of key players modulating the relationship between molecular aging networks and immune signal transduction pathways in the fly. Understanding the details of the molecular events involved in aging and immune system regulation will potentially lead to the development of strategies for decreasing the impact of age-related diseases, thus improving human health and life span.     

Selective homogeneous and heterogeneous catalytic conversion of methanol/dimethyl ether to triptane

The demand for specific fuels and chemical feed-stocks fluctuates, and as a result, logistical mismatches can occur in the supply of their precursor raw materials such as coal, biomass, crude oil, and methane. To overcome these challenges, industry requires a versatile and robust suite of conversion technologies, many of which are mediated by synthesis gas (CO + H(2)) or methanol/dimethyl ether (DME) intermediates. One such transformation, the conversion of methanol/DME to triptane (2,2,3-trimethylbutane) has spurred particular research interest. Practically, triptane is a high-octane, high-value fuel component, but this transformation also raises fundamental questions: how can such a complex molecule be generated from such a simple precursor with high selectivity? In this Account, we present studies of this reaction carried out in two modes: homogeneously with soluble metal halide catalysts and heterogeneously over solid microporous acid catalysts. Despite their very different compositions, reaction conditions, provenance, and historical scientific context, both processes lead to remarkably similar products and mechanistic interpretations. In both cases, hydrocarbon chains grow by successive methylation in a carbocation-based mechanism. The relative rates of competitive processes-chain growth by methylation, chain termination by hydrogen transfer, isomerization, and cracking-systematically depend upon the structure of the various hydrocarbons produced, strongly favoring the formation of the maximally branched C(7) alkane, triptane. The two catalysts also show parallels in their dependence on acid strength. Stronger acids exhibit higher methanol/DME conversion but also tend to favor chain termination, isomerization, and cracking relative to chain growth, decreasing the preference for triptane. Hence, in both modes, there will be an optimal range: if the acid strength is too low, activity will be poor, but if it is too high, selectivity will be poor. A related reaction, the methylative homologation of alkanes, offers the possibility of upgrading low-value refinery byproducts such as isobutane and isopentane to more valuable gasoline components. With the addition of adamantane, a hydride transfer catalyst that promotes activation of alkanes, both systems effectively catalyze the reaction of methanol/DME with lighter alkanes to produce heavier ones. This transformation has the further advantage of providing stoichiometric balance, whereas the stoichiometry for conversion of methanol/DME to alkanes is deficient in hydrogen and requires rejection of excess carbon in the form of carbon-rich arenes, which lowers the overall yield of desired products. Alternatively, other molecules can serve as sacrificial sources of hydrogen atoms: H(2) on heterogeneous catalysts modified by cations that activate it, and H(3)PO(2) or H(3)PO(3) on homogeneous catalysts. We have interpreted most of the features of these potentially useful reactions at a highly detailed level of mechanistic understanding, and we show that this interpretation applies equally to these two widely disparate types of catalysts. Such approaches can play a key role in developing and optimizing the catalysts that are needed to solve our energy problems.