Techno-economic study of different alternatives for biodiesel production

Biodiesel has become an attractive diesel fuel substitute due to its environmental benefits since it can be made from renewable resource. However, the high costs surrounding biodiesel production remains the main problem in making it competitive in the fuel market either as a blend or as a neat fuel. More than 80% of the production cost is associated with the feedstock itself and consequently, efforts are focused on developing technologies capable of using lower-cost feedstocks, such as recycled cooking oils and wastes from animal or vegetable oil processing operations.     

Thermal solution of Kashpir shale in pressurized benzene under supercritical conditions

The results of the thermal solution of oil shale in benzene in a flow unit under supercritical conditions are reported. It was found that the conversion of shale organic matter into liquid products increased by a factor of 2.5 with an increase in the solvent pressure from 5 to 15 MPa.     

Sp3/sp2 character of the carbon and hydrogen configuration in micro- and nanocrystalline diamond

Hot filament and microwave plasma CVD micro- nanocrystalline diamond films are analysed by visible and ultra-violet excitation source Raman spectroscopy. The sample grain size varies from 20 nm to 2 μm. The hydrogen concentration in samples is measured by SIMS and compared to the grain size, and to the ratio of sp² carbon bonds determined by Raman spectroscopy from the 1332 cm^− 1 diamond peak and the sp² 1550 cm^− 1 G band. Hydrogen concentration appears to be proportional to the sp² bonds ratio. The 3000 cm^− 1 CH_x stretching mode band intensity observed on the Raman spectra is decreasing with the G band intensity. Thermal annealing modifies the sp² phase structure and concentration, as hydrogen outdiffuses.     

To treat or not to treat: comparison of different criteria used to determine whether weight loss is to be recommended

Background  

Excess body fat is a major risk factor for disease primarily due to its endocrine activity. In recent years several criteria have been introduced to evaluate this factor. Nevertheless, treatment need is currently assessed only on the basis of an individual's Body Mass Index (BMI), calculated as body weight (in kg) divided by height in m². The aim of our study was to determine whether application of the BMI, compared to adiposity-based criteria, results in underestimation of the number of subjects needing lifestyle intervention.     

Choosing the technology of combined processing of titanium-rare-metal raw materials

The main rules and principles which govern the choice of new variants for chemical technology of combined processing of titanium-rare-metal raw materials are considered. The existing variants of the technology are characterized from the viewpoint of their technological, economical, and ecological efficiency and social importance for a given region. A realistic choice of a technology from a large number of available variants should take into account the entire combination of their advantages and disadvantages The implementation of a rational technological scheme will result in the creation of economically profitable and efficient domestic production satisfying the demands of Russian industry in rare-metal and titanium materials. Directions are noted in which it is expedient to continue studies on designing a rational technology of loparite concentrate or some other concentrate.     

The relationship between bioelectrical impedance phase angle and subjective global assessment in advanced colorectal cancer

Background  

Bioelectrical Impedance (BIA) derived phase angle is increasingly being used as an objective indicator of nutritional status in advanced cancer. Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) is a subjective method of nutritional status. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between BIA derived phase angle and SGA in advanced colorectal cancer.     

Synthesis and Characterizations of Triphenylamine End-Functionalized Polymers via Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain Transfer Polymerization

A novel reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) reagent bearing triphenylamine (TPA) group, 4-diphenylamino-dithiobenzoic acid benzyl ester (DDABE), was designed and synthesized. It was used in the RAFT polymerizations of styrene (St) and methyl acrylate (MA) to prepare end-functionalized polymers. The results of the polymerization showed that the RAFT polymerizations could be well controlled using DDABE as the RAFT agent. Number-average molecular weight (M_n,GPC) increased linearly with monomer conversion, and molecular weight distributions were relatively narrow (PDI< 1.50). The results of chain-extension reaction, ¹H NMR spectra and UV/Vis spectra confirmed that most of the polymers chains were end-capped by the functional triphenylamine (TPA) groups. The effect of feed molar ratios of St/DDABE/AIBN on polymerization was investigated.     

Efficient allylation of cellulose in dimethyl sulfoxide/tetrabutylammonium fluoride trihydrate

The cellulose solvent dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)/tetrabutylammonium fluoride trihydrate (TBAF) was successfully applied as reaction medium for the synthesis of allyl cellulose by conversion of the polymer with allyl chloride in the presence of solid NaOH. Samples with degree of substitution from 0.50 to 2.98 were accessible by varying the molar ratio anhydroglucose unit:allyl chloride:NaOH and reaction time. DMSO/TBAF was found to be an efficient reaction medium for the preparation of highly functionalized samples from spruce sulfite pulp with degree of polymerization of about 500 even in a scale of 50 g. The allyl cellulose samples were characterized by means of FTIR- and NMR spectroscopy. Size exclusion chromatography revealed negligible polymer degradation during synthesis and purification of the samples.     

Molecular weight effect on the obtainment of parallel and perpendicular orientation in thermotropic poly(diethylene glycol <Emphasis Type="Italic">p,p′</Emphasis>-bibenzoate)

Summary The effect of molecular weight on the uniaxial orientation process has been analyzed in two samples of thermotropic poly(diethylene glycol p,p′-bibenzoate), evaluating the influence of that parameter on the type of orientation obtained. Several strain rates and deformation temperatures have been tested in order to map out the conditions for obtaining the two different kinds of orientation. The results show that in the lower molecular weight PDEB sample (M_w=31200) it is rather easy to get exclusively perpendicular “anomalous” orientation, with the molecular axes aligned transversely to the stretching direction. However, it is extremely difficult to obtain 100% parallel “normal” orientation. On the contrary, either type of orientation or a mixture of them can be easily developed for the higher molecular weight PDEB sample (M_w=102900).