Organic‐acid‐catalyzed sol–gel route for preparing poly(methyl methacrylate)–silica hybrid materials

In this study, a series of organic–inorganic hybrid sol–gel materials consisting of a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) matrix and dispersed silica (SiO₂) particles were successfully prepared through an organic‐acid‐catalyzed sol–gel route with N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone as the mixing solvent. The as‐synthesized PMMA–SiO₂ nanocomposites were subsequently characterized with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The solid phase of organic camphor sulfonic acid was employed to catalyze the hydrolysis and condensation (i.e., sol–gel reactions) of tetraethyl orthosilicate in the PMMA matrix. The formation of the hybrid membranes was beneficial for the physical properties at low SiO₂ loadings, especially for enhanced mechanical strength and gas barrier properties, in comparison with the neat PMMA. The effects of material composition on the thermal stability, thermal conductivity, mechanical strength, molecular permeability, optical clarity, and surface morphology of the as‐prepared hybrid PMMA–SiO₂ nanocomposites in the form of membranes were investigated with thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis, gas permeability analysis, ultraviolet–visible transmission spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy, respectively. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Synthesis and aqueous solution behaviors of sodium sulfonate‐terminated dendritic poly(ester‐amine)

Sodium sulfonate‐terminated dendritic poly(ester‐amine) (SPEA) was synthesized by sulfonation of acrylic double bond‐terminated dendritic poly(ester‐amine) (APEA) with sodium hydrogen sulfite (NaHSO₃) in mixture of diglycol and 2‐butanone under normal pressure. The structure of SPEA was characterized by IR, ¹H‐NMR, and elemental analysis. SPEA was water‐soluble. 1.0–40.0% (mass) SPEA aqueous solutions appeared as dilatant fluid. When pH value varied from 1.5 to 12.0, the viscosity of 1–5% (mass) SPEA aqueous solutions changed very small, and the electric conductivity almost kept stable within pH 3.0–10.0. The relationship between the viscosity and the concentration of SPEA water solutions was similar to that of NaCl water solutions. The surface tension of SPEA water solutions was lower than that of polyethylene glycol 2000 water solutions with the same concentration. © 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     

Effect of high temperature alkali cooking on the constituents,structure and thermal degradation of hemp fiber

Degumming of hemp fiber by high temperature alkali cooking was investigated, and the effect of temperature and dosage of alkali on the constituents, structure, and thermal degradation of hemp fiber was also discussed in this work. The morphology, structure, and thermal degradation of hemp fiber after high temperature cooking were investigated through SEM, FTIR, WAXD, and TG analysis. The results indicated that the high temperature cooking process was effective for removing hemicelluloses and lignin and could also improve the thermal stability of cellulose. Crystallinity index of the treated hemp fiber was increased, which was related to the cooking temperature and NaOH dosage. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

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     

Syntheses and Structural Characterization of Triorganotin Derivatives of Bis(carboxymethyl)trithiocarbonate: X-ray Crystal Structures of 2D Network Polymers

Six triorganotin(IV) complexes of the type {(R₃Sn)₂[C₃S₃(COO)₂]}_n (R = C₆H₅ 1; n-Bu 2; PhCH₂ 4; p-F-PhCH₂ 5; o-F-PhCH₂ 6) and {(R₃Sn)₂[C₃S₃(COO)₂]}_n·[EtOH] (R = Me 3) have been synthesized by the reaction of bis(carboxymethyl)trithiocarbonate with triorganotin(IV) chloride in the presence of sodium ethoxide. All complexes were characterized by elemental analysis IR, ¹H, ¹³C and ¹¹⁹Sn NMR spectroscopy. Except for 4–6, all complexes were also characterized by X-ray crystallography. The X-ray date revealed that complexes 1–3 show two-dimensional network polymeric structure in which the geometries of tin atoms are trigonal bipyramid with the axial positions occupied by carboxylic oxygen atoms.     

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.     

港口起重机风灾事故的防范

介绍了港口起重机所受风害的种类及其设防情况,分析了起重机结构形式与风作用的关系。介绍了上海国际港务(集团)有限公司几种常用的大型起重机防风装置的原理、功效及检测情况。     

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。