Synthesis and characterization of poly(ester‐ether‐imide)s derived from 5‐(4‐trimellitimidophenoxy)‐1‐trimellitimido naphthalene

A series of novel aromatic poly(ester‐ether‐imide)s with inherent viscosity values of 0.44–0.74 dL g^?1 were prepared by the diphenylchlorophosphate‐activated direct polycondensation of an imide ring‐containing diacid namely 5‐(4‐trimellitimidophenoxy)‐1‐trimellitimido naphthalene ( 1 ) with various aromatic dihydroxy compounds in the presence of pyridine and lithium chloride. Owing to comparison of the characterization data, an ester‐containing model compound ( 2 ) was also synthesized by the reaction of 1 with phenol. The model compound 2 and the resulted polymers were fully characterized by FT‐IR and NMR spectroscopy. The ultraviolet λ_max values of the poly(ester‐ether‐imide)s were also determined. The resulting polymers exhibited an excellent organosolubility in a variety of high polar solvents such as N,N‐dimethylacetamide, N,N‐dimethylformamide, dimethyl sulfoxide, and N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone. They were soluble even in common less polar organic solvents such as pyridine, m‐cresol, and tetrahydrofuran on heating. Crystallinity of the polymers was estimated by means of wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction. The resulted polymers exhibited nearly an amorphous nature. From differential scanning calorimetry thermograms, the polymers showed glass‐transition temperatures between 221 and 245°C. Thermal behaviors of the obtained polymers were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis, and the 10% weight loss temperatures of the poly(ester‐ether‐imide)s were found to be over 410°C in nitrogen. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Irradiation grafting of methyl methacrylate monomer onto ultra‐high‐molecular‐weight polyethylene: An experimental design approach for improving adhesion to bone cement

The grafting of methyl methacrylate (MMA) onto ultra‐high‐molecular‐weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and chromic acid etched UHMWPE was conducted with a preirradiation method in air in the presence of a Mohr salt and sulfuric acid. The grafted samples were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, a gravimetric method, differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and interfacial bonding strength measurements. The FTIR results showed the presence of ether and carbonyl groups in the MMA‐grafted UHMWPE (MMA‐g‐UHMWPE) samples. The Taguchi experimental design method was used to find the best degree of grafting (DG) and bonding strength. The efficient levels for different variables were calculated with an analysis of variance of the results. SEM micrographs of MMA‐g‐UHMWPE samples showed that with increasing DG and chromic acid etching, the MMA‐g‐UHMWPE rich phase increased on the surface; this confirmed the high interfacial bonding strength of the grafted samples with bone cement. The grafting of the MMA units onto UHMWPE resulted in a lower crystallinity, and the crystallization process proceeded at a higher rate for the MMA‐g‐UHMWPE samples compared to the initial UHMWPE; this suggested that the MMA grafted units acted as nucleating agents for the crystallization of UHMWPE. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Synthesis and characterization of (poly (N-vinyl formamide)—pregelled starch—graft copolymer

Bromate / cyclohexanone redox system was investigated as a novel initiator for graft copolymerization of N-vinyl formamide onto pregelled starch. A number of variables in the grafting reaction were investigated including N-vinyl formamide, cyclohexanone, bromate ion, sulphuric acid and pregelled starch concentrations, material to liquor ratio along with polymerization time and temperature. The graft copolymers were evaluated in terms of graft yield, graft reaction efficiency and homopolymer formation (%). The optimum conditions for grafting of N-vinyl formamide onto pregelled starch are: N-vinyl formamide 50% based on weight of substrate, cyclohexanone 15 mmol / l, bromate ion, 30 mmol / l, liquor ratio 10, pH 6, time 120 min., and temperature 40°C. On the other hand, characterizations of the resultant copolymers with respect to swelling capacity, solubility %, metal ion up-take and suitability as a sizing agent for cotton textiles were investigated. The results obtained reflect that, the resultant copolymer shows better results for the aforementioned properties in comparison with that obtained from native pregelled starch as a starting substrate.     

Experimental determination of gas holdup and volumetric mass transfer coefficient in a jet bubbling reactor

The hydrodynamics and mass transfer characteristics of a lab-scale jet bubbling reactor(JBR) including the gas holdup, volumetric mass transfer coefficient and specific interfacial area were assessed experimentally investigating the influence of temperature, p H and superficial gas velocity. The reactor diameter and height were 11 and 30 cm,respectively. It was equipped with a single sparger, operating at atmospheric pressure, 20 and 40℃, and two p H values of 3 and 6. The height of the liquid was 23 cm, while the superficial gas velocity changed within 0.010–0.040 m·s~(-1) range. Experiments were conducted with pure oxygen as the gas phase and saturated lime solution as the liquid phase. The liquid-side volumetric mass transfer coefficient was determined under unsteady-state oxygen absorption in a saturated lime solution. The gas holdup was calculated based on the liquid height change, while the specific interfacial area was obtained by a physical method based on the bubble size distribution(BSD) in different superficial gas velocities. The results indicated that at the same temperature but different p H, the gas holdup variation was negligible, while the liquid-side volumetric mass transfer coefficient at the p H value of 6 was higher than that at the p H = 3. At a constant p H but different temperatures, the gas holdup and the liquid-side volumetric mass transfer coefficients at 40℃ were higher than that of the same at 20℃. A reasonable and appropriate estimation of the liquid-side volumetric mass transfer coefficient(kla) in a pilot-scale JBR was provided which can be applied to the design and scale-up of JBRs.     

Introducing a proper hydrogen liquefaction concept for using wasted heat of thermal power plants-case study: Parand gas power plant

A hydrogen liquefaction concept with an innovative configuration and a capacity of 4 kg·s^-1 (345.6 t·d^-1) is developed. The concept involves an ammonia absorption refrigeration system for the pre-cooling of hydrogen and MR streams from 25 ℃ to -30 ℃. The ammonia absorption refrigeration system is fed by exhaust gases of the Parand gas power plant that are normally dissipated to the environment with a temperature of 546 ℃. The simulation is performed by Aspen HYSYS V9.0, using two separate equations of state for simulating hydrogen and MR streams to gain more accurate results especially for ortho-para conversion. Results show that conversion enthalpy estimated by Aspen HYSYS, fits very well to the experimental data. Determining the important independent variables and composition of MRs are done using trial and error procedure, a functional and straightforward method for complicated systems. The minimum temperature limit in the cooling section is lowered, and an ortho-para converter is implemented in this section. The proposed concept performs well from energy aspects and leads to COP and SEC equal to 0.271 and 4.54 kW·h·kg^-1, respectively. The main advantage of this study is in the low SEC, eliminating the losses of the distribution network, and improving the ability of the hydrogen liquefaction for energy storage in off-peak times.     

Shades of green: A psychographic segmentation of the green consumer in Kuwait using self-organizing maps

This study uses self-organizing maps (SOM) to examine the effect of various psychographic and cognitive factors on green consumption in Kuwait. SOM is a machine learning method that can be used to explore patterns in large and complex datasets for linear and non-linear patterns. The results show that major variables affecting green consumption are related to altruistic values, environmental concern, environmental knowledge, skepticism towards environmental claims, attitudes toward green consumption, and intention to buy green products. The study also shows that SOM models are capable of improving clustering quality while extracting valuable information from multidimensional data.     

Effect of curing under pressure on compressive strength development of cemented paste backfill

The mechanical performance of cemented paste backfill (CPB) placed in underground openings (e.g., mine stopes) often differs from laboratory-predicted performance, even under the same atmospheric curing conditions (ambient temperature and relative humidity). This is probably due to the specific self-weight consolidation, different drainage conditions and confinement pressures encountered in the paste backfilled stopes. A new test system named CUAPS (Curing Under Applied Pressure System) was designed at the Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT) to assess the hydro-mechanical performance of in situ CPB samples at laboratory scale. The CUAPS apparatus allows the effective curing of CPB samples subjected to an assortment of vertical pressure applications (curing under stresses) that can mimic in situ placement and consolidation conditions. The compressive strength development of CPB samples prepared from sulphide-rich mine tailings from Garpenberg polymetallic mine (Sweden) was investigated using CUAPS apparatus and conventional plastic moulds (unconsolidated undrained samples) in parallel. The effect of curing stress (i.e. simulating different consolidation conditions) on resultant geotechnical index parameters and hydromechanical properties of CPB samples was analyzed. The primary observation is the confirmation that the compressive strength development of the consolidated CPB samples is higher than that of unconsolidated undrained ones. It could be attributed to the removal of excess pore water mainly due to the applied pressure during the effective curing process, which seems to improve consolidation process of the CPB material. The results also account for the differences in the CPB strength observed between laboratory samples and in situ samples. Thus, CUAPS would be more suitable than conventional plastic moulds to collect data for preliminary and final design of CPB systems.     

Modeling the efficiency of top Arab banks: A DEA–neural network approach

This study investigates the efficiency of top Arab banks using two quantitative methodologies: data envelopment analysis and neural networks. The study uses a probabilistic neural network (PNN) and a traditional statistical classification method to model and classify the relative efficiency of top Arab banks. Accuracy indices are used to assess the classification accuracy of the models. Results indicate that the predictive accuracy of NN models is quite similar to that of traditional statistical methods. The study shows that the NN models have a great potential for the classification of banks’ relative efficiency due to their robustness and flexibility of modeling algorithms. From a policy perspective, this study highlights the economic importance of encouraging increased efficiency throughout the banking industry in the Arab world.     

In vivo lipolysis induced by heparin injection or fasting: a proton MR spectroscopy analysis of human plasma

The impact of induced lipolysis on the composition of plasma lipids is analyzed by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in humans. The variations of the methylene and methyl resonances from lipids in lipoproteins are studied under two sets of lipolytic conditions: acute endovascular lipolysis induced by an intravenous injection of heparin and subacute lipolysis induced by short fasting. During acute lipolysis, the degradation of the very low density lipoproteins structures is well correlated to the modifications observed in the areas of CH₂ and CH₃ MRS signals. The comparison of regular spectra, spectra with water signal suppression, and spectra recorded with a spin-echo sequence provides information on the behavior of the different parts of the lipoproteins, that is, the neutral core, little affected by heparine-induced lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activation, and the surface layer supplying substrates to LPL. During 48 h of fasting, only limited modifications occur on the MR spectra, and lipolysis cannot be documented in details.Address for correspondence: CRMBM-CNRS, Faculté de Médecine, 27, bd Jean Moulin, 13005 Marseille, France.     

Comparison of stress field forming methods for vibro-acoustography

Vibro-acoustography is a method that produces images of the acoustic response of a material to a localized harmonic motion generated by ultrasound radiation force. The low-frequency, oscillatory radiation force (e.g., 10 kHz) is produced by amplitude modulating a single ultrasound beam, or by interfering two beams of slightly different frequencies. Proper beam forming for the stress field of the probing ultrasound is very important because it determines the resolution of the imaging system. Three beam-forming geometries are studied: amplitude modulation, confocal, and x-focal. The amplitude of radiation force on a unit point target is calculated from the ultrasound energy density averaged over a short period of time. The profiles of radiation stress amplitude on the focal plane and on the beam axis are derived. The theory is validated by experiments using a small sphere as a point target. A laser vibrometer is used to measure the velocity of the sphere, which is proportional to the radiation stress exerted on the target as the transducer is scanned over the focal plane or along the beam axis. The measured velocity profiles match the theory. The theory and experimental technique may be useful in future transducer design for vibro-acoustography.