CHARACTERIZATION OF EVA-BASED ADHESIVES CONTAINING DIFFERENT AMOUNTS OF ROSIN ESTER OR POLYTERPENE TACKIFIER

Different amounts (50-170 php--parts per hundred parts of EVA, 33-63 wt%) of two tackifiers (hydrogenated rosin ester, polyterpene resin) were added to an ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer containing 28 wt% vinyl acetate. The EVA and the tackifier were characterized using infrared (IR) spectroscopy, DSC measurements, and stress-controlled plate-plate rheology. The properties and compatibility of the EVA-tackifier mixtures were studied using DSC, DMTA, and stress-controlled plate-plate rheology. Immediate adhesion was measured as a quantification of tack, and the T-peel strength of roughened styrene-butadiene rubber/EVA-tackifier adhesive joints was also obtained. The increase in the amount of tackifier noticeably changed the crystallinity of polyethylene blocks in the EVA, and the temperature at the cross-over between the curves of the storage and loss moduli as a function of the temperature was displaced to a lower value. Whereas the hydrogenated rosin ester was compatible with the amorphous ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer regions of the EVA (Tg value increased) reducing its crystallinity, the polyterpene resin was compatible with the polyethylene blocks of the EVA (T g value was not modified), increasing its crystallinity. Immediate adhesion of the EVA-tackifier mixtures was improved by adding both hydrogenated rosin ester and polyterpene tackifiers. On the other hand, there was an optimum tackifier content at which the maximum T-peel strength value was obtained.     

Asphalts as inhibitors of radical polymerization

The results of investigations concerning the effect of asphalts on radical polymerization of a monomer for model systems composed of styrene and two petroleum asphalts originated from two different crude oils: low sulphur nonparaffinic crude oil and medium sulphur paraffinic crude oil. Based on determination of styrene conversion in the radical polymerization process in the presence of asphalts, it was found that both asphalts act as inhibitors of this reaction. The inhibiting effect of asphalts is weakened by using higher temperatures and prolongation of polymerization time or application of greater initiator rates. On the basis of the analysis of group and elementary chemical composition of both asphalts as well as electron paramagnetic resonance, it was found that the inhibiting effect to radical polymerization is caused mainly by the presence of structures which are stable free radicals in character. The probability of inhibiting effect by sulphur compounds present in asphalts is also discussed.     

Effect of natural antioxidants in virgin olive oil on oxidative stability of refined,bleached, and deodorized olive oil

The factors influencing the oxidative stability of different commercial olive oils were evaluated. Comparisons were made of (i) the oxidative stability of commercial olive oils with that of a refined, bleached, and deodorized (RBD) olive oil, and (ii) the antioxidant activity of a mixture of phenolic compounds extracted from virgin olive oil with that of pure compounds andα-tocopherol added to RBD olive oil. The progress of oxidation at 60°C was followed by measuring both the formation (peroxide value, PV) and the decomposition (hexanal and volatiles) of hydroperoxides. The trends in antioxidant activity were different according to whether PV or hexanal were measured. Although the virgin olive oils contained higher levels of phenolic compounds than did the refined and RBD oils, their oxidative stability was significantly decreased by their high initial PV. Phenolic compounds extracted from virgin olive oils increased the oxidative stability of RBD olive oil. On the basis of PV, the phenol extract had the best antioxidant activity at 50 ppm, as gallic acid equivalents, but on the basis of hexanal formation, better antioxidant activity was observed at 100 and 200 ppm.α-Tocopherol behaved as a prooxidant at high concentrations (>250 ppm) on the basis of PV, but was more effective than the other antioxidants in inhibiting hexanal formation in RBD olive oil.o-Diphenols (caffeic acid) and, to a lesser extent, substitutedo-diphenols (ferulic and vanillic acids), showed better antioxidant activity than monophenols (p- ando-coumaric), based on both PV and hexanal formation. This study emphasizes the need to measure at least two oxidation parameters to better evaluate antioxidants and the oxidative stability of olive oils. The antioxidant effectiveness of phenolic compounds in virgin olive oils can be significantly diminished in oils if their initial PV are too high.     

Reciprocal Tree-Like Fractal Structures

Sometimes the complex structures of nature inspire human constructions. Gothic construction has shown that forces can cross space along intricate paths that may even be arbitrary if correctly dimensioned. In some way, ribbed structures are like trees where the branches conduct forces instead of sap; they operate as branches and trunks descending by fractal ways. Here we discuss reciprocal tree-like fractal structures and the difficulty in their design and erection and solutions for constructive details, as well as the possible analytical questions and automatic generation by means of proper software. The results are shown in the design of the Natural Interpretation Centre in Melilla where we have proposed two connected trees like shown at figures included below.     

Manganese ferrite nanoparticles synthesized through a nanocasting route as a highly active Fenton catalyst

Spinel ferrite MnFe₂O₄ nanoparticles were synthesized by means of a nanocasting technique using a low-cost mesoporous silica gel as a hard template. The magnetic nanoparticles, of <10 nm diameter and with a surface area of around 100 m²/g, were tested as a heterogeneous Fenton catalyst for the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide under neutral and basic conditions. This catalyst shows a much higher activity than previous heterogeneous catalysts reported in the literature, which is mainly ascribed to its small particle size. Furthermore, the magnetic catalyst can be easily separated from the reaction medium by means of an external magnetic field. The effects of residual silica and the purity of the catalyst (hematite formation) on catalytic activity have been studied and correlated. The results obtained show this catalyst to be a suitable candidate for the removal of pollutants in wastewaters by means of the Fenton heterogeneous reaction.     

Iron, folic acid and vitamin B12 deficiencies related to anemia in adolescents from a region with a high incidence of congenital malformations in Venezuela

Since in recent years for certain age groups, the main cause of anemia is not iron deficiency, we intended to study the effect of iron, folic acid and vitamin B12 deficiencies on anemia prevalence in adolescents from Venezuela. One hundred adolescents aged between 12 and 19 years participated in the study. Each subject was interviewed about antecedents and habits and a physical examination and a 24-hour food recall questionnaire were performed. From a blood sample, hemoglobin and hematocrit concentrations were determined and serum was separated for quantification of ferritin, folic acid and vitamin B12 concentrations. Prevalence of anemia was 78% and for iron, folic acid and vitamin B12 deficiencies were 34.66, 90.9 and 18.18%, respectively. From anemic cases, 35.89% presented iron deficiency, while 91.02% presented folic acid deficiency. Only 19.23% of adolescents with anemia presented also vitamin B12 deficiency, but all the cases with vitamin B12 deficiency, were anemic. Simultaneous iron and folic acid deficiencies affected 30.76% of anemic cases. The high prevalence of deficiencies found in this work could be explained by insufficient intake and inadequate food habits. The prevalence of anemia was associated to folic acid deficiency rather than to iron deficiency, due to the high prevalence of folic acid deficiency. The high prevalence of nutritional deficiencies found in this work, especially regarding folic acid deficiency, require immediate interventions.     

A customised approach to determining the geomorphic effectiveness of small flood events in a regulated river

The construction of dams significantly alters flow and sediment regimes with subsequent deleterious effects on the morphological and ecological character of rivers. Effective experimental floods can ameliorate the downstream geomorphic impacts of dams. The traditional view is that large floods are required to perform effective geomorphic work, and the geomorphic outcomes of small floods are often overlooked. Many river restoration frameworks do not consider small floods. Yet, there is evidence that the hydrological characteristics that ameliorate specific geomorphic impacts in a river are unique to each river, and a customised approach to setting the right mix of floods (including small experimental floods) is needed. In this study, we modify an existing flood effectiveness model developed for large floods, for determining the geomorphic effectiveness of small floods in a highly regulated Australian river. Two flood classes were added to the model (medium peak stream power and moderate total energy expenditure), and the flood power characteristics were rescaled to reflect the relative difference in the magnitude of the small floods and the magnitude of the geomorphic work performed. Using a step‐wise approach, this customised model determined the geomorphic effectiveness of small floods. The best flood for ameliorating the geomorphic impacts of flow regulation had medium to long duration (10 to 51 days), high peak unit stream power (77 to 123 Wm^?2) and moderate to large total energy expenditure (78,600 to 342,320 × 10³ J). This approach to determining flood effectiveness for small floods is applicable to other geomorphically impacted river channels downstream of dams and can be used to inform experimental flood releases for geomorphic outcomes.     

Reliable Communication Networks for Smart Grid Transmission Systems

In this paper, we discuss the communications reliability requirements posed by the smart power grid with a focus on communications in support of wide area situational awareness. Implementation of wide area situational awareness relies on both transmission substation networks and wide area optical networks. We study the reliability of a sample communications network of the California Power Grid and find that its reliability falls short of proposed requirements. To overcome this issue, we consider the problem of designing the substation network and the wide area network to meet the reliability requirements while minimizing the network cost. For the wide area network design problem, we propose two alternate design approaches, namely: (1) following the power lines and (2) a mesh based design interconnecting the nodes. For the first approach we develop two greedy iterative heuristics and a heuristic integer linear programming (H-ILP) model using minimum cut-sets for network reliability optimization. The greedy iterative algorithms outperform the H-ILP approach in terms of cost, but require a larger amount of computing resources. Both proposed models are in fact complementary and thus provide a framework to optimize the reliability of smart grid communications networks restricted to following the power lines. In the second approach a greenfield mesh network method is proposed based on starting with a minimum spanning tree which is then augmented through a greedy heuristic into a mesh. Comparative numerical results show that the reliable mesh design has advantages in terms of the number of links and total link distance needed.