Preparation and characterization of porous PDMS beads for oil and organic solvent sorption

In this article, poly (dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) porous beads were prepared by suspension polymerization method using n‐octane and carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) as diluents and pore formation agents. The apparent density, porosity and other characteristics were characterized. The absorption experiments showed that the porous PDMS beads exhibited more absorption capacity and faster absorption rate toward oils than the nonporous or oligoporous PDMS beads did, moreover they are of remarkable stability and recyclability, which could provide a path to absorb the oils floating on water. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 54:2965–2969, 2014. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Rapid Bonding of Ti3SiC2 and Ti3AlC2 by Pulsed Electrical Current Heating

Inspired by pressure resistance welding of metallic materials, herein we describe how two MAX phases—Ti₃SiC₂ and Ti₃AlC₂—were successfully joined by a rapid electric current heating method in a pulsed electric current sintering furnace. No welding agent was employed and the total processing time was less than 6 min. When the bulk temperature of the joint couple exceeded 1070°C, good joints, with shear strength above 50 MPa, were achieved in both homo‐ and heterojunction joints.     

On the Validity of the Poisson Assumption in Sampling Nanometer-Sized Aerosols

For a constant aerosol concentration, it is traditionally assumed that a Poisson process describes the behavior of particle detections during sampling and consequently fluctuations in the measured concentration. Recent studies, however, have shown that sampling of micrometer-sized aerosols has non-Poissonian behavior with positive correlations. The validity of the Poisson assumption for nanometer-sized aerosols has not been established and thus was tested in this study. Its validity was tested for four particle sizes—10 nm, 25 nm, 50 nm, and 100 nm—by sampling from indoor air with a differential mobility analyzer-condensation particle counter (DMA-CPC) setup to obtain a time series of particle counts. Five metrics were calculated from the data: pair-correlation function (PCF), scaled clustering index (SCI), coefficient of variation, probability of measuring a concentration at least 25% greater than average, and posterior distributions from Bayesian inference. To identify departures from Poissonian behavior, these metrics were also calculated for 1000 computer-generated Poisson time series with the same mean as the experimental data. For most comparisons, the experimental data fell within the range of 80% of the Poisson-simulation values. Essentially, the metrics for the experimental data were mostly indistinguishable from a simulated Poisson process. The greater influence of Brownian motion for nanometer-sized aerosols may explain the Poissonian behavior observed for smaller aerosols. Although the Poisson assumption was found to be reasonable in this study it must be carefully applied, as the results here do not definitively prove applicability in all sampling situations.

Copyright 2014 American Association for Aerosol Research     

A Moisture Transfer Model for Isothermal Drying of Plant Cellular Materials Based on the Pore Network Approach

Plant materials with cellular structure, like fruits and vegetables, are often viewed as porous media in terms of model building of the drying process, on the basis of a hypothesis that all of the moisture of a plant tissue is trapped in a continuous and connected pore network system. However, most of the moisture in the plant tissue is contained naturally in enclosed cells. In the course of drying, the trapped moisture has to cross the cell membranes and then migrates in the extracellular space. Based on this concept, a pore network model for isothermal drying of plant materials was developed in which two stages of moisture movement—transmembrane transfer and extracellular transfer in the pore network—were considered. Finally, the isothermal convective air-drying processes of a potato slice were simulated. The calculated results were validated by the experiments conducted under the simulation conditions.     

1-氨基-2-(N,N-二甲氨基)-4-羟基-蒽醌的合成新方法

以分散红60和DMF为原料,在碳酸钾作用下反应制备得到1-氨基-2-(N,N-二甲氨基)-4-羟基-蒽醌,产品收率92.8%。     

One-Pot Synthesis,Crystal Structure,and Thermal Decomposition Behavior of 1,1ʹ-Diamino-4,4ʹ,5,5ʹ-Tetranitro-2,2ʹ-Biimidazole

1,1?-Diamino-4,4?,5,5?-tetranitro-2,2?-biimidazole (DATNBI) was synthesized, by employing one-pot facile method, from 4,4?,5,5?-tetranitro-2,2?-biimidazole. The crystal structure was determined by X-ray diffraction for the first time. DATNBI crystallized in monoclinic system P2₁/c, with a crystal density of 1.934 g cm^?3 at 293(2) K and 2.019 g cm^?3 at 130(2) K, respectively. Its crystal parameters at 293 K are a = 4.8833(15) Å, b = 6.960(2) Å, c = 6.928(4) Å, α = γ = 90°, β = 93.418(6)°, V = 591.1(3) ?³, Z = 2, μ = 0.178 mm^?1, and F(000) = 348. The thermal stability and non-isothermal kinetics of DATNBI were studied by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) with heating rates of 5, 10, 15, and 20 K min^?1. The apparent activation energy (E_a) at the first decomposition peak calculated by Kissinger, Ozawa, and Starink equations were 85.50, 89.67, and 86.10 kJ mol^?1, respectively. For the second peak, these were 116.49, 119.82, and 117.45 kJ mol^?1, respectively, with individual pre-exponential factors lnA = 18.40 s^?1 and lnA = 25.11 s^?1. The thermogravimetry-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (TG-FTIR) analysis of thermal decomposition products reveals that the main decomposition gas products are H₂O, N₂O, CO₂, and NO₂. Based on the new crystalline densities, the detonation velocity and pressure predicted by EXPLO5 are 9062 m s^?1 and 36.4 GPa, respectively.     

Properties and carbonization behavior of asphalt modified with the THF-soluble fraction of a coal liquefaction residue

This study focuses on the effects of the tetrahydrofuran-soluble fraction of direct coal liquefaction residue as a modifier to modify asphalt with formaldehyde. The properties and carbonization behavior of matrix asphalt and the modified asphalts were studied. The results indicate that the ductility properties of modified asphalts have been effectively improved. The morphology of modified asphalts without the addition of formaldehyde is a set of uniform distribution point, and it is converted from linear distribution to clustered distribution observed in fluorescence microscope images with the increase of the adding amount of formaldehyde.     

Features of liquid hydrocarbon and biomarker maturity ratios during HTHP semi-open system pyrolysis of type II and III source rocks

In order to study the liquid hydrocarbon generated by laboratory pyrolysis and the biomarker maturity ratios in expelled oil with the increasing simulation temperature, the Hydrous semi-open system high temperature high pressure (HTHP) pyrolysis experiments was performed on Type II and III source rocks from 350°C to 540°C. The results showed that expelled oil yields in both samples have a trend of increased first and then decreased with the increasing temperature, while an opposite tendency occurred in the residual oil. The biomarker maturity ratios, such as ∑C_21?/∑C₂₂₊ ratio in n-alkanes, Pr/Ph ratio in isoprenoid alkenes, Ts/Tm in terpenes, and C₂₉ββ/(αα + ββ) ratios in steranes are all better indicators in terms of maturity in pyrolysis. However, the maturity biomarkers ratios interpreted by the mechanism of isomerization such as C₃₁-homohopanes 22S/(22S?+?22R) and ααα C₂₉-sterane 20S/(20S + 20R), which had already reached their equilibrium values, indicating that microbiological deterioration is one reason for the failure indicative function of αααC₂₉sterane20S/(20S + 20R) ratio. This research may also play an important role in the studies about the evolution of sedimentary organic matters in geology.     

Assembly of Enantioenriched cis‐3a,8a‐Hexahydropyrrolo[2,3‐b]indole Scaffolds by Silver(I)‐Catalyzed Asymmetric Domino Reaction of Isocyanoacetates in the Presence of Cinchona‐Derived Chiral Phosphorus Ligands

By using Cinchona‐derived chiral phosphines as catalytic ligands, enantioenriched cis‐3a,8a‐hexahydropyrrolo[2,3‐b]indoles (ent‐HPIs), which are core scaffolds in a large array of biologically active natural products, can be convergently assembled under mild conditions through the silver(I)‐catalyzed asymmetric domino reaction of readily available isocyanoacetates and 2‐(2‐aminophenyl)acrylates. Various functionalities can be tolerated in the reaction, affording enantioenriched HPIs in high overall yields and good enantioselectivities (up to 92% ees).