Thin water films and particle morphology evolution in nanocrystalline MgO

A key question in the field of ceramics and catalysis is how and to what extent residual water in the reactive environment of a metal oxide particle powder affects particle coarsening and morphology. With X‐ray Diffraction (XRD) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), we investigated annealing‐induced morphology changes on powders of MgO nanocubes in different gaseous H₂O environments. The use of such a model system for particle powders enabled us to describe how adsorbed water that originates from short exposure to air determines the evolution of MgO grain size, morphology, and microstructure. While cubic nanoparticles with a predominant abundance of (100) surface planes retain their shape after annealing to T = 1173 K under continuous pumping with a base pressure of water p(H₂O) = 10^?5 mbar, higher water partial pressures promote mass transport on the surfaces and across interfaces of such particle systems. This leads to substantial growth and intergrowth of particles and simultaneously favors the formation of step edges and shallow protrusions on terraces. The mass transfer is promoted by thin films of water providing a two‐dimensional solvent for Mg²⁺ ion hydration. In addition, we obtained direct evidence for hydroxylation‐induced stabilization of (110) faces and step edges of the grain surfaces.     

Borescopy in pressurized gas‐solid fluidized beds

A borescopic technique was used for finding the effect of pressure on the hydrodynamics of gas‐solid fluidized beds. The results showed that solids radial distribution may become more or less uniform with increasing pressure depending on the superficial gas velocity. Moreover, it is found that the solids volume fraction of the emulsion phase may decrease at relatively high pressures, only in the central region of the bed. Additionally, it is observed that with increasing pressure the bubble size generally decreased in the central regions and increased near the wall regions. This trend was more complicated at low excess gas velocities. The number of bubbles increased for the central regions and near the walls for all the performed experiments. However, this parameter showed a different trend at other radial positions. © 2018 The Authors AIChE Journal published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 64: 3303–3311, 2018     

Lipase-based quantitation of triacylglycerols in cellular lipid extracts: Requirement for presence of detergent and prior separation by thin-layer chromatography

A protocol, based on the use of Pseudomonas lipase, is presented to measure quantitatively the amount of triacylglycerols in extracts from cultured cells or tissues. Since the lipase also acts on di- and monoacylglycerols, separation of the extracts by thin-layer chromatography is recommended. In order to allow the lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis to proceed efficiently, lipid extracts or eluates from silica scraping were mixed with the detergent Thesit [dodecylpoly(ethylene glycol ether)], prior to drying. After dissolution of the dried residues in water, the amount of triacylglycerols was quantified using Pseudomonas sp. lipase, glycerol kinase, glycerol-phosphate oxidase, and peroxidase. The activity of the latter enzyme was followed either colorimetrically in the presence of 4-aminoantipyrine and 2,4,6-tribromo-3-hydroxybenzoic acid or fluorimetrically in the presence of homovanillic acid.     

A simple method for the objective characterisation of fabric softness. Part 1: Influence of bleaching,dyeing and crosslinking of wool*

A simple method for the characterisation of fabric softness using a conventional tensile tester and a special measurement device has been developed. The method is demonstrated to be especially useful in detecting changes in softness of a given substrate due to different treatments. The results obtained, particularly hysteresis at 75% of the maximum extension, provide a good correlation with subjective ranking for samples that are subjectively distinguishable; they also differentiate well between samples which seem subjectively indistinguishable. Screening tests were carried out, mainly on wool fabrics, to find the effect of different treatments such as oxidative (alkaline and acidic) and reductive (Blankit IN) bleaching, dyeing with acid and a 1:2 metal complex, chrome and (mono and bi)reactive dyes, the effect of the antisetting agent Basolan AS (BASF) and of crosslinking with Irgasol HTW (CGY) on fabric softness.     

Biopolymer foams from Novatein thermoplastic protein and poly(lactic acid)

A batch processing method is used to fabricate foams comprising of a blend of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and Novatein, a protein‐based thermoplastic. Various compositions of Novatein/PLA are prepared with and without a compatibilizer, PLA grafted with itaconic anhydride (PLA‐g‐IA). Pure Novatein cannot form a cellular structure at a foaming temperature of 80 °C, however, in a blend with 50 wt % of PLA, microcells form with smaller cell sizes (3.36 µm) and higher cell density (8.44 × 10²¹ cells cm^?3) compared to pure PLA and blends with higher amounts of PLA. The incorporation of 50 wt % of semicrystalline Novatein stiffens the amorphous PLA phase, which restrains cell coalescence and cell collapse in the blends. At a foaming temperature of 140 °C, NTP₃₀–PLA₇₀ shows a unique interconnected porous morphology which can be attributed to the CO₂‐induced plasticization effect. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134 , 45561.     

Pulsatile Jet Cleaning of Filter Cloths Contaminated with Yeast Cells

The cleaning of filter cloths is necessary to avoid prolonged system downtime and strong fouling. Reliable cleaning concepts are central to the removal of residues from the complex surface of filter cloths. Particle residues, in particular, play a decisive role in the sufficiency of the cleaning performance. Consequently, enhanced particle‐removal cleaning concepts based on pulsatile jets for filter cloths have been developed. By varying the cleaning parameters, it has been demonstrated that increased pulse numbers and velocities improve the cleaning performance. Furthermore, this promising cleaning concept cleaned more effectively than conventional methods. The reduction in the amount of detergent needed is an ecological and economic advantage of pulsatile cleaning.     

Developments in and practical guidelines for tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

This feature review provides an overview of the state-of the art and recent developments in tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS), in-depth information about the different available types of instruments including their (dis-)advantages and capabilities as well as a short glance at a number of samples that have recently been investigated using TERS. Issues concerning the progression of TERS from point spectroscopy to an imaging technique are discussed, as well as problems arising from background and contamination signals. This review is concluded with a short TERS 'user guideline', trying to aid researchers new in the field to properly align and test their own TERS setups. Finally, a short outlook is given and some critical issues are raised that need to be solved by the community sooner or later, in order to promote TERS towards a 'push-button' operation.     

Preparation of Glycosyltriazenes

O‐Unprotected glycosyltriazenes are prepared for the first time by coupling of 1‐anthraquinone‐1‐diazonium hydrogensulfate with β‐glycopyranosylamines to afford 1‐ (anthraquinone‐1‐yl)‐3‐( β‐glycopyranosyl)triazenes 3a—h . Acetylation of compounds 3 furnished the O‐acetates 4a—g . The stability of triazenes 3 results from fixation of the NH proton in an intramolecular hydrogen bond to one of the anthraquinone carbonyl oxgen atoms. Treatment of triazenes 4 with tert‐butyl hypochlorite afforded acetoglycosyl chlorides 6 and 1‐azidoanthraquinone 7 . With acetic acid the triazene 4a formed tetra‐O‐acetyl‐D‐xylopyranose 9 together with 1‐ aminoanthraquinone 10 .     

Radiopaque miscible systems composed of poly(methyl methacrylate) and transition and nontransition metal salts: Spectroscopic,thermal, and radiographic characterization

The preparation of miscible systems containing poly(methyl methacrylate) and cupric nitrate, manganese chloride, praseodymium chloride, and uranyl nitrate is described. The salt was dissolved in the monomer, which was subsequently polymerized. The heavy metal salts impart radiopacity to these plastics and this renders them useful for X-ray imaging in applications such as medical implants. The polymer–salt systems are characterized on the basis of their infrared spectra, thermal, and radiographic properties, and the formation of complexes between the cations and the carbonyl function of the polymer is discussed. The glass transition temperatures of the salt-containing polymers are higher than those of the salt-free polymers, the elevation being dependent on the nature and concentration of the metal salt. Miscible PMMA–uranyl nitrate systems are transparent, glassy plastics and approximately 11 wt % of uranyl nitrate hexahydrate imparts a radiopacity equivalent to that of aluminum.