Quantitative determination of non-defect unstable structures in PVC through selective nucleophilic substitution with C6H5SNa

Summary The nucleophilic substitution with C₆H₅SNa, at -30°C, is compared for five PVC samples with various contents of isotactic triads. The conversion curves consist of a very fast stage followed by a steady one. All the samples are found to behave in the same way except for the content of the structures involved in the fast period. This content is estimated by extrapolating the straight lines of the steady stages to zero time. The obtained values are found to be a linear function of the content of isotactic triads. The results, together with some earlier ones, allow for the content of the labile non-defect structures in PVC to be determined.     

Modeling phosphorus in the upper Etowah River basin: identifying sources under uncertainty.

The Uniform Covering by Probabilistic Rejection (UCPR) algorithm was used, in conjunction with the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model, to identify P loads from point source and nonpoint source polluters in the upper Etowah River basin (UERB) in Georgia. The key findings of the research are as follows. The mean absolute error was preferred over the root mean square error as a search criterion for the UCPR algorithm when water quality observations are scarce. The undocumented P load from point sources in the UERB was consistently estimated as about 43 kg/d by the proposed method; but the method was not able to identify the broiler litter application rate to the poultry/beef operation pastures. Point sources (both documented and undocumented), poultry/beef operation pastures, and forests are the three major contributors of P. During 1992-1996, on average they accounted for 36.4, 31.7, and 17.2% of P load from the UERB, respectively.     

A comparative study on the effect of VUV radiation in plasma SiOx-coated polyimide and polypropylene films

Wettability of polyimide (PI) and polypropylene (PP) films have been improved using SiO_x-like thin layers deposited from a mixture of hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO) and oxygen in a microwave distributed electron cyclotron resonance plasma reactor. The films wettability evolution behaviors were evaluated through the results of contact angle measurements, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The plasma depositions of SiO_x thin layers in presence of VUV radiation induce a contact angle decrease to about 7° and 35° for PI and PP films, respectively. XPS data showed that such difference in wettability is attributed to the increase of hydrophilic group's proportion at the surface of coated PI films due to VUV irradiation. AFM images showed that the PI surface topography remains relatively smooth when coated in presence of VUV radiation. However, in the case of PP films, AFM images revealed the growth of irregular structure due to a substrate etching effect supported by VUV radiation. For polymers coated without VUV irradiation, the deconvolution of the C1s peaks showed a significant decrease of CO bonds for both PI and PP substrates.     

La doping effects on intergrowth Bi2WO6–Bi3TiNbO9 ferroelectrics

La doping effects on intergrowth Bi₂WO₆–Bi₃TiNbO₉ ferroelectric ceramics were studied by X-ray diffraction, electron probe microanalysis and dielectric spectroscopy. It was found that the La³⁺ distribution, ferroelectric phase transition and dielectric relaxation behavior are apparently affected by La doping. With increasing La³⁺ content, the site of dopant ion varies, the grain growth of Bi₅TiNbWO₁₅ is restrained, the Curie temperature is reduced and broadened. Furthermore, two dielectric relaxation loss peaks were observed both in temperature and frequency spectra. The calculated relaxation parameters revealed the oxygen vacancy related to the relaxation process.     

Nucleation of copper on an assembly of carbon microelectrodes

The initial stage of copper electrodeposition on the electrochemically activated assembly of carbon microelectrodes from an acid solution of copper sulfate was investigated using cyclic voltammetry, potentiostatic pulse technique and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Analysis of the experimental current transients has been carried out using a non-linear fitting procedure according to the model that takes into account spherical diffusion towards a disc-shaped microelectrode. The higher values of diffusion coefficient in comparison with those observed on planar electrodes were explained with an increased diffusion caused by the electrode geometry. Impedance spectra showed two time constants, the high-frequency related to the charge transfer process and the low-frequency corresponded to the deposit morphology.     

Kinetics of chlorination of tantalum pentoxide in mixture with sucrose carbon by chlorine gas

The mechanism and kinetics of β-Ta₂O₅ chlorination, mixed with sucrose carbon, have been studied by a thermogravimetric technique. The investigated temperature range was 500 °C to 850 °C. The reactants and reaction residues were analyzed by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method for surface area (BET). The effect of various experimental parameters was studied, such as carbon percentage, temperature, chlorine partial pressure, and flow, use of the multiple sample method, and carbon previous oxidation. The carbon percentage and previous treatment have an effect on the system reactivity. The temperature has a marked effect on the reaction rate. In the 500 °C to 600 °C temperature interval, the apparent activation energy is 144 kJ/mol of oxide, while at higher temperatures, the activation energy decreases. With high chorine partial pressures, the order of reaction is near zero. The kinetic contractile plate model, X=kt, considering carbon oxidation as the controlling stage, is the one with the best fit to the experimental data. A probable mechanism for the carbochlorination of β-Ta₂O₅ is proposed: (1) activation of chlorine on the carbon surface, (2) chlorination of Ta₂O₅, (3) oxidation of carbon, and (4) recrystallization of β-Ta₂O₅.     

Development and evaluation of antimicrobial natamycin‐incorporated film in gorgonzola cheese conservation

Conservation of food products depends on product quality and packaging suitability. The objective of this work was to develop and evaluate the antimicrobial efficiency of natamycin‐incorporated film in the production process of Gorgonzola cheese. It aims to optimize the production process and increase shelf‐life and food safety for the consumer. Films with different concentrations of natamycin were produced and tested in Gorgonzola cheeses to evaluate its efficiency against Penicillium roqueforti on the cheese surface. Films with 2 and 4% natamycin presented satisfactory results for fungus inhibition and the amount of natamycin released to the cheese was below that allowed by the legislation. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Calcium Phosphate Biomaterials: An Update

1Introduction Archaeologicalfindingsdatingbacktothe4thcentury BCshowedthatmissinghumanteethhavebeenreplaced bymaterialswhichincluded:animalteeth,coral,shells,ivory(elephanttusk),wood,andmetals[1].Inmodern times,autografts(boneobtainedfromanothersiteinthe …