Hydration of dibarium silicate I. Stoicheiometry of hydration

Dibarium silicate, Ba₂SiO₄, was hydrated in two ways: in paste form at 25° using a water/solid weight ratio of 0.7:1, and in a polyethylene bottle rotated on a wheel at 5°, 25° and 50°, using a water/solid weight ratio of 9.0:1. When Ba₂SiO₄ is hydrated in paste form, the stoicheiometry of the reaction at 25° is the same as in bottle-hydration at 50°: 2BaO.SiO₂+2.2H₂O = 1.2BaO.SiO₂.1.4H₂O+0.8Ba(OH)₂. The stoicheiometry of bottle-hydration at 5° and 25° is represented by the equation: 2BaO.SiO₂+2.2H₂O = BaO.SiO.1.2H₂O+Ba(OH)₂. Barium silicate hydrate, 1.2BaO.SiO₂.1.4H₂O, is well crystallised and has a specific surface area of ? 3m²/g. The crystals are plate-like and have a tendency to form clusters. The low-baria hydrate, BaO.SiO₂.1.2H₂O, is poorly crystallised and consists of thin platelets. It has a specific surface area of ? 35m²/g. The thermal dehydration of fully hydrated barium silicate and of the barium silicate hydrates was investigated by thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis techniques. The similarities and differences between the barium silicate hydrates obtained in the hydration of barium silicate and the calcium silicate hydrates obtained in the hydration of β-dicalcium silicate and Ca₃SiO₅ are discussed. A mechanism of hydration of barium silicate is proposed which involves solution, precipitation and crystallisation steps.     

Using a system-on-a-chip implantable device to filter circulating infected cells in blood or lymph

This paper describes a system on a chip (SoC) that makes use of nanoscale cellular adhesion mechanisms in an integrated electronic microsystem to filter infected cells from blood or lymph. An example of a human immunodeficiency virus-specific SoC is explored in depth. Such systems work in vivo, and blood and lymph are filtered on a continuous basis. With the intelligence on the chip, captured cells can be identified and lyzed, expelled, or otherwise acted upon. These types of systems transfer the burden of research from traditional chemotherapy to bioengineering and system design.     

Reaction of cyanuric chloride and its derivatives with polyamide fibres in non-aqueous medium

Polyamide fibres (Nylon 6) were treated with cyanuric chloride in organic solvents (tetrachloroethylene and xylene) under different conditions. This treatment caused an increase in the fibre nitrogen content. The magnitude of the latter was dependent upon the cyanuric chloride concentration, the time and temperature of the treatment as well as the nature of solvent. For instance an extra nitrogen content of 0.08% was obtained at a cyanuric chloride concentration (based on wt. of fabric) of 25%. This contrasts with 0.46% at 100% concentration of cyanuric chloride. Similarly and extra nitrogen content of 0.08% was achieved at 50°C while at 121°C it amounted to 1.18%. However, the cyanuric chloride treated nuylon failed to link covalently to dyestuffs containing labile hydrogen, indicating no chemical reaction between polyamide 6 and cyanuric chloride. This chemical reaction could only be achieved by use of 2-anilino-4,6-dichloro-1,3,5-triazine instead of cyanuric chloride. Similarly a disperse dye containing a chlorotriazine ring as the reactive group was found to react chemically with polyamide 6.     

Failure Analysis of Three Slow-Speed Induction Motors for Reciprocating Load Application

The North Atlantic Refinery has three 5400-hp slow-speed induction motors driving reciprocating compressors for a Hydrogen plant. All motors were rewound on-site over the period of 1998-2002, using magnetic wedges as per the original design, and the motor protection was upgraded to microprocessor-type relays. In summer 2003, during routine maintenance, it was noted that these motors suffered substantial loss of slot magnetic wedges and had to be scheduled for rewedging over 2004-2006. This paper presents failure analysis, field measurements covering heat-run test results, and motor-performance and vibration analysis before and after motor rewedging work. This paper reviews the key factors for using magnetic versus nonmagnetic wedges in these applications and techniques available to predict loss of wedges. The use of a microprocessor relay for slow-speed induction motor protection is discussed, particularly, the thermal protection feature to address the cyclic-load pattern caused by the reciprocating compressor     

Challenges encountered when expanding a world-class petrochemicalfacility

This paper describes the challenges encountered when adding a new ethylene plant, a polyethylene plant, a cogeneration plant, and associated utilities to a major petrochemical facility located in Joffre, AB, Canada. It covers load estimation, power quality, reliability, common electrical specifications, and project coordination with several major engineering, procurement and construction firms. It also highlights the unique design and utility interconnection challenges of building Canada's largest cogeneration plant (rated at 420 MW) within an existing petrochemical plant. The challenges include transmission system capacity and connection, fault levels, stability, and voltage regulation. The paper makes recommendations based on the learning experienced during the implementation of this project, to assist the reader faced with a similar major plant expansion     

One-Pot Multicomponent Synthesis of Pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine-6-one Derivatives

An environmentally benign, simple, and efficient procedure has been developed for the one-pot multicomponent synthesis of pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine-6-one derivatives by the reaction of the variety of aryl-aldehydes, 5-methyl-2-phenyl-2,4-dihydro-3H-pyrazol-3-one, and urea in the presence of catalytic amount of poly(N-vinylpyridinium) hydrogen sulfate in glycerol. The present method affords non-toxic and non-corrosive medium, short reaction times, high yield of the products, mild reaction conditions as well as simple experimental and isolation procedures. The catalyst can be recycled by simple filtration and reused without any significant reduction in its activity.     

Beneficial Changes in Rat Vascular Endocannabinoid System in Primary Hypertension and under Treatment with Chronic Inhibition of Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase by URB597

Our study aimed to examine the effects of hypertension and the chronic administration of the fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) inhibitor URB597 on vascular function and the endocannabinoid system in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Functional studies were performed on small mesenteric G3 arteries (sMA) and aortas isolated from SHR and normotensive Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY) treated with URB597 (1 mg/kg; twice daily for 14 days). In the aortas and sMA of SHR, endocannabinoid levels and cannabinoid CB₁ receptor (CB₁R) expression were elevated. The CB₁R antagonist AM251 diminished the methanandamide-evoked relaxation only in the sMA of SHR and enhanced the vasoconstriction induced by phenylephrine and the thromboxane analog U46619 in sMA in SHR and WKY. In the sMA of SHR, URB597 elevated anandamide levels, improved the endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation to acetylcholine, and in the presence of AM251 reduced the vasoconstriction to phenylephrine and enhanced the vasodilatation to methanandamide, and tended to reduce hypertrophy. In the aortas, URB597 elevated endocannabinoid levels improved the endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation to acetylcholine and decreased CB₁R expression. Our study showed that hypertension and chronic administration of URB597 caused local, resistance artery-specific beneficial alterations in the vascular endocannabinoid system, which may bring further advantages for therapeutic application of pharmacological inhibition of FAAH.