Structures and morphologies of cast and plastically strained polyamide 6 films as evidenced by confocal Raman microspectroscopy and atomic force microscopy

Both confocal Raman microspectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM) have been undertaken to study the crystalline and the morphological aspects of cast PA 6 films at a sub-microscopic scale. The percentages of the different crystalline structures present within PA 6 cast films, i.e. the monoclinic α, the pseudo-hexagonal β, and the monoclinic γ, have been measured by confocal Raman microspectroscopy. In cast films, the prevailing structure is the β one. AFM has been used to characterize the morphology of the PA 6 films. Simultaneously, the deformed state has been considered as well. Our main interest has been to follow the evolution of the percentage of each crystalline structure as a function of the plastic deformation mechanisms which are responsible of the yielding of PA 6 films: shear banding for temperatures T lower than 160 °C and formation of fibrils for      

Fractal characterization of the fissures occuring during polymerization of low-profile unsaturated polyester resins

Blends of unsaturated polyester resin and polyvinylacetate (PVAc) were cured between two glass slides. In this case, the low-profile effect arises by fissuring with a fractal geometry. This paper shows how the fractal dimension of the fissures depends on the PVAc amount and on the cure temperature. These results are discussed with the present knowledge about the polyester network morphology in two phases more or less co-continuous.     

The fatty acid composition of purified fractions of cold-pressed peanut oil

Cold-pressed peanut oil was separated into chromatographically homogeneous fractions by column chromatography. The fatty acid composition of the major fractions was determined by gas chromatography. The phosphatides, and especially the cephalins, had a higher palmitate content than did the triglycerides. Palmitate was the dominant fatty acid in the phosphatidyl-serines.     

Silane functionalization of perfluoroether oligomers for reaction management and morphology control of two‐phase epoxy networks

Mixtures of an epoxy resin, hardener, and acid functionalized perfluoroether oligomers will readily undergo phase separation during curing. However, the conditions to bring about the growth of nuclei into microscopic particles have hitherto been found only for systems cured with anhydrides. In the present study perfluoroether oligomers were functionalized by established procedures to introduce both carboxylic acid groups and alkoxysilane groups in sites within the chain extended segments. The presence of alkoxysilane groups together with the prereaction step with an excess epoxy resin, prior to the addition of the aromatic amine hardener, induced phase separation by a nucleation‐and‐growth mechanism. The dual functionality in the perfluoroether oligomer was even more beneficial when the alkoxysilane groups were hydrolyzed prior to the addition of the amine hardener. Under such circumstances the precipitation of the perfluoroether oligomer occurred quantitatively, as indicated by the complete absence of any plasticization effects in the epoxy matrix. From electron microscopy examinations, thermal analysis, and measurements of mechanical properties it was possible to deduce a plausible mechanism for the formation of the typical core‐shell aggregates within the precipitated particles for these systems, which could also be applied to other systems, such as those using carboxylic‐acid‐terminated butadiene acrylonitrile oligomers. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 98: 1036–1049, 2005     

MPaaS: Mobility prediction as a service in telecom cloud

Mobile applications and services relying on mobility prediction have recently spurred lots of interest. In this paper, we propose mobility prediction based on cellular traces as an infrastructural level service of telecom cloud. Mobility Prediction as a Service (MPaaS) embeds mobility mining and forecasting algorithms into a cloud-based user location tracking framework. By empowering MPaaS, the hosted 3rd-party and value-added services can benefit from online mobility prediction. Particularly we took Mobility-aware Personalization and Predictive Resource Allocation as key features to elaborate how MPaaS drives new fashion of mobile cloud applications. Due to the randomness of human mobility patterns, mobility predicting remains a very challenging task in MPaaS research. Our preliminary study observed collective behavioral patterns (CBP) in mobility of crowds, and proposed a CBP-based mobility predictor. MPaaS system equips a hybrid predictor fusing both CBP-based scheme and Markov-based predictor to provide telecom cloud with large-scale mobility prediction capacity.     

Improved activity and thermostability of Candida antarctica lipase B by DNA family shuffling

DNA family shuffling was used to create chimeric lipase B proteins with improved activity toward the hydrolysis of diethyl 3-(3',4'-dichlorophenyl)glutarate (DDG). Three homologous lipases from Candida antarctica ATCC 32657, Hyphozyma sp. CBS 648.91 and Crytococcus tsukubaensis ATCC 24555 were cloned and shuffled to generate a diverse gene library. A high-throughput screening assay was developed and used successfully to identify chimeric lipase B proteins having a 20-fold higher activity toward DDG than lipase B from C.antarctica ATCC 32657 and a 13-fold higher activity than the most active parent derived from C.tsukubaensis ATCC 24555. In addition, the stability characteristics of several highly active chimeric proteins were also improved as a result of family shuffling. For example, the half-life at 45 degrees C and melting point (T(m)) of one chimera exceeded those of lipase B from C.antarctica ATCC 32657 by 11-fold and 6.4 degrees C, respectively, which closely approached the stability characteristics of the most thermostable parent derived from Hyphozyma sp. CBS 648.91.     

Simulation of transient process in melting section of reciprocating extruder

Plastic injection molding machine that can be classified as reciprocating extruders are among the most widely used machines in industry. However, most studies in the injector design were based on steady state models developed for extruders that involved no reciprocation. This over-simplified model leaves out the most important aspect of reciprocation. The authors of this paper have derived a transient melting model that takes care of the change from the conventional steady extrusion to that of a discontinuous transient process. This paper describes simulations conducted on the derived model to explain observation that cannot be explained by the steady extrusion model in practical experiments. The simulation was conducted by using parameters given in Donovan's experiment [Polym Engng, 11 (1971) 353]. The simulation results are found to qualitatively match with the experimental results. It proves the validity of the model. Simulation has also been conducted with the model on materials that their viscosities are temperature and shear rate dependent. The result has shown that screw rotation speed, screw axial movement speed, barrel thickness, barrel heat capacity, temperature of heater and polymer are factors affecting the melting speed and the transient effects.     

Viscoelastic effects on the scratch resistance of polymers: relationship between mechanical properties and scratch properties at various temperatures

Scratch durability of polymer surfaces and coatings is becoming critical for the increasing use of these materials in new applications, replacing other materials with harder surfaces.

Scratch resistance of polymers has been the subject of numerous studies, which have led to specific definitions for plastic deformation characterization and fracture resistance during scratch testing. Viscoelastic and viscoplastic behavior during a scratch process have been related to dynamic mechanical properties that can be measured via dynamic nano-indentation testing. Yet, the understanding of the origin of the fracture process of a polymer during scratch remains approximate. Parameters like tip shape and size, scratch velocity and loading rate, applied strain and strain rates, have been considered critical parameters for the fracture process, but no correlation has been clearly established.

The goal of this work is to define and analyze scratch parameters that relate to mechanical properties. The evolution of scratch resistance parameters as a function of temperature and strain rate, compared to the evolution of dynamic mechanical properties obtained from indentation and uniaxial tensile tests over a range of temperature for poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) helped in identifying a correlation between the tensile stress–strain behavior and scratch fracture toughness.

This correlation brings a new understanding of the origin of the fracture mechanisms during a scratch process. In particular, it is demonstrated that the characteristic strain applied by the indenter is a most relevant parameter to describe the fracture resistance during a scratch process, independently of the indenter geometry.     

Contribution of the C-terminal amino acid to the stability of Bacillus subtilis neutral protease

The role of the C-terminal Leu300 in maintaining thermal stabilityof the neutral protease of Bacillus subtilis was investigated.From model building studies based on the three dimensional structureof thermolysin, the neutral protease of B.thermoproteolyticus,it was conduded that this residue is located in a hydrophobicpocket composed of residues located in the C-terminal and themiddle domain. To test the hypothesis that Leu300, by contributingto a stabilizing interaction between these domains, is importantfor enzyme stability, several neutral protease mutants wereconstructed and characterized. The thermostability of the enzymewas lowered by deleting Leu300 or by replacing this residueby a smaller (Ala), a polar (Asn) or a sterically unfavourable(He) amino acid. Thermostabiity was increased upon replacingLeu300 by Phe. These results are in agreement with model-buildingstudies. The effects on thermostability observed after mutatingthe corresponding Val318 in the thermostable neutral proteaseof B.stearothermophilus were less pronounced.     

Synthesis of novel tri- and tetrasubstituted C<Subscript>18</Subscript> furan fatty esters

A methylene-interrupted C₁₈ keto-acetylenic fatty ester (methyl 12-oxo-9-octadecynoate) was obtained from methyl ricinoleate by bromination-dehydrobromination followed by oxidation. Reaction of methyl 12-oxo-9-octadecynoate with bis(benzonitrile) palladium(II) chloride, allyl bromide, or methyl-allyl bromide furnished methyl 8-[5-hexyl-3-allyl-furan-2-yl]-octanoate (1, 56%) or methyl 8-[5-hexyl-3-(2-methyl-allyl)-furan-2-yl]-octanoate (2, 55%). Reaction of methyl 12-oxo-11-chloro-or 11-fluoro-9-octadeyynoate (prepared from methyl santalbate-methyl 11-E-9-octadecynoate, found in sandalwood, Santalum album, seed oil) with bis(benzonitrile) palladium(II) chloride gave methyl 8-(4-fluoro-5-hexyl-furan-2-yl)-octanoate (3, 50%) or methyl 8-(4-fluoro-5-hexyl-furan-2-yl)-octanoate (4, 50%), respectively. And when methyl 12-oxo-11-chloro- or 11-fluoro-9-octadecynoate was treated with a mixture of bis(benzonitrile) palladium(II) chloride, allyl bromide, or methyl-allyl bromide, the reaction yielded tetrasubstituted C₁₈ furan derivatives, viz, methyl 8-(3-allyl-4-chloro-5-hexyl-furan-2-yl)-octanoate (5, 54%), methyl 8-[4-chloro-5-hexyl-3-(2-methyl-allyl)-furan-2-yl)-octanoate (6, 54%), methyl 8-(3-allyl-4-fluoro-5-hexyl-furan-2-yl]-octanoate (7, 10%), and methyl 8-[4-fluoro-5-hexyl-3-(2-methyl-allyl)-furan-2-yl]-octanoate (8, 10%). The presence of a fluorine atom in the furan derivatives 4, 7, and 8 was readily characterized by the appearance of doublets for carbon nuclei, which were coupled to the fluorine atom in the ¹³C NMR spectra. All furan fatty derivatives from this work were characterized by NMR spectroscopic and mass spectrometric analyses. The yields of compounds 7 and 8 were very low (10%) despite attempts to improve the procedure by increasing the amounts of the reactants and catalyst.