Synthesis and properties of novel amphiphilic sulfated ionomers by the ring‐opening reaction of an epoxidized styrene–butadiene–styrene triblock copolymer

A method for the synthesis of novel sulfated ionomer of styrene–butadiene–styrene triblock copolymer (SBS) was developed. SBS was first epoxidized by performic acid in the presence of a phase‐transfer catalyst; this was followed by a ring‐opening reaction with an aqueous solution of alkali salt of bisulfate. The optimum conditions for the ring‐opening reaction of the epoxidized SBS with an aqueous solution of KHSO₄ were studied. During the ring‐opening reaction, both phase‐transfer catalyst and ring‐opening catalyst were necessary to enhance the conversion of epoxy groups to ionic groups. The products were characterized with Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). After the potassium ions of the ionomer were substituted with lead ions, the lead sulfated ionomer exhibited dark spots under TEM. Some properties of the sulfated ionomer were studied. With increasing ionic groups or ionic potential of the cations, the water absorbency and emulsifying volume of the ionomer and the intrinsic viscosity of the ionomer solution increased, whereas the oil absorbency decreased. The sulfated ionomer possessed excellent emulsifying properties compared with the sulfonated SBS ionomer. The sodium sulfated ionomers in the presence of 10% zinc stearate showed better mechanical properties than the original SBS. When the ionomer was blended with crystalline polypropylene, a synergistic effect occurred with respect to the tensile strength. The ionomer behaved as a compatibilizer for blending equal amounts of SBS and oil‐resistant chlorohydrin rubber. In the presence of 3% ionomer, the blend exhibited much better mechanical properties and solvent resistance than the blend without the ionomer. SEM photographs indicated improved compatibility between the two components of the blend in the presence of the ionomer. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Green and self-lubricating polyoxymethylene composites filled with low-density polyethylene and rice husk flour

Polyoxymethylene (POM) composites filled with low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and rice husk flour (RHF) were prepared by injection molding. The POM/5 wt % LDPE/7.5 wt % RHF composite exhibited the lowest wear rate, whereas the coefficient of friction remained low, and the POM/5 wt % LDPE/5 wt % RHF composite had the best mechanical properties. X-ray diffraction analysis was carried out, and the worn surfaces were examined with scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that the addition of the filler reduced the crystallinity degree of the POM composites. The main wear mechanism for unfilled POM was adhesion, whereas for the POM composites, wear seemed to occur mainly by fatigue and abrasion. It was experimentally confirmed that the POM composite filled with LDPE and RHF, which is well-performing, low-cost, and environmentally friendly, could be a potential material for tribological applications. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Epoxidation of high trans‐1,4‐polyisoprene and its properties

A new organic‐solvent‐free water‐phase suspension method was used to synthesize partially epoxidized high trans‐1,4‐polyisoprene (TPI) to improve its properties, including oil resistance and wet‐skid resistance. The epoxidation was conducted in an aqueous peracetic acid solution and on the TPI granules prepared by a bulk precipitation method with supported titanium catalyst. The effects of the synthesis conditions, including reaction temperature, reaction time, and pH value, on the epoxy content were investigated. Epoxidized trans‐1,4‐polyisoprene (ETPI) with epoxy contents between 10 and 80% were obtained within 4 h. Both the amorphous and crystalline regions of TPI were epoxidized. The crystallization properties decreased with increasing epoxy content. ETPIs possessed lower mechanical properties than TPI but could be enhanced by vulcanization. The oil resistance and wet‐skid resistance were significantly improved after epoxidation. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Dual band-notched ultra-wideband microstrip antenna using asymmetrical spurlines

A simple and novel ultra-wideband microstrip-fed antenna with dual band-notched characteristic is presented. By etching a pair of asymmetrical spurlines on the feedline, two notched bands of 600 MHz (3.95? 4.55 GHz) and 650 MHz (5.35?6.0 GHz) are achieved. Measured results show that this antenna operates from 2.5 to 12.0 GHz for voltage standing wave ratio less than 2, except two frequency notched bands of 3.95?4.55 GHz and 5.35?6.0 GHz. Moreover, this antenna has good omnidirectional radiation patterns in the H-plane.     

Modelling asymmetry in the peripheral auditory system of the lizard

The ears of lizards are highly directional. The directionality is generated by strong acoustical coupling of the eardrums. A simple lumped-parameter model of the ear followed by binaural comparisons has been shown to perform successful phonotaxis in robot implementations. However, such a model will produce localization errors in the form of response bias if the ears are asymmetrical. We have evaluated how large errors are generated by asymmetry using simulations of the ear model in Mathematica 5.2. The study shows that the effect of asymmetry is minimal around the most directional frequency of the ear, but that biases reduce the useful bandwidth of localization. This work was presented in part at the First European Workshop on Artificial Life and Robotics, Vienna, Austria, July 12–13, 2007     

Studies on the treatment of brilliant green solution by combination microwave induced oxidation with CoFe2O4

In this work the synergistic effects of microwave (MW) irradiation induced oxidation processes and CoFe₂O₄ were studied for the degradation of brilliant green (BG) from aqueous solutions. Under the optimum condition, the ratio of solid to liquid was 1:167 (0.3 g CoFe₂O₄ mixed with 50 mL of 20 mg L⁻¹ BG solution), MW power 600 W, and the time of the irradiation 2 min. And the decolorization rate could reach up to 100%. Further investigation showed that BG was degraded by MW-induced oxidation combined with CoFe₂O₄ surface adsorption. The CoFe₂O₄ could increase the efficiencies of MW degradation and be used repeatedly. The experimental results indicated that the method of MW degradation BG in the presence of CoFe₂O₄ could reduce reaction time and increase product yield.     

管道安装工程中管路及附件匹配性问题研究

在管道设备安装工程中，常出现到货管材与管路附件不匹配的问题，究其原因，主要是目前国内使用的管材与管路附件标准繁杂、兼容性不高所致。为此，文章从管材及管件、阀门、管路法兰三方面分析了现行国内外标准之间、国标与行标之间存在的差异，并提出防止管材与管路附件不匹配的措施。