Phase diagrams for oil/methanol/ether mixtures

One-phase transmethylations of vegetable oils with methanol to form methyl esters occur considerably faster than conventional two-phase reactions. Addition of simple ethers is an efficient method for producing a single phase. Ternary phase diagrams have been determined at 23°C for oil/methanol/ether mixtures; these are useful when applying the one-phase method across a wide range of conditions. Soybean, canola, palm, and coconut oils were used in combination with five ethers, namely, tetrahydrofuran (THF), 1,4-dioxane (DO), diethyl ether (DE), diisopropyl ether (DI), andtert-butyl methyl ether (TBM). All five ethers can produce miscibility for all methanol/oil compositions. The ether/methanol volumetric ratios required for miscibility at a methanol/soybean or canola oil volumetric ratio of 0.20 (5.4 molar ratio) at 23°C are: THF, 1.15; DO, 1.60; DE, 1.38 DI, 1.57; and TBM, 1.57. For THF, this results in one-phase mixtures that contain 65 vol% oil. Soybean and canola oil form identical diagrams. Palm oil requires slightly less ether at the lower methanol concentrations, but coconut oil requires considerably less across the whole concentration range. Acid-catalyzed reactions, when performed at the boiling point of the most volatile component, require less ether than predicted from the diagrams.     

Sorption and permeation of solutions of chloride salts, water and methanol in a Nafion membrane

The sorption of water–methanol mixtures containing a dissolved chloride salt in a Nafion 117 membrane, and their transport through the membrane under the driving force of a pressure gradient, have been studied. Both type of experiments was performed by using five different salts: lithium chloride, sodium chloride, cesium chloride, magnesium chloride and calcium chloride. It was observed that both the permeation flow through the membrane and the membrane swelling increase significantly with the methanol content of the solutions. These facts are attributed to the increase in wet membrane porosity, which brings about the increase of the mobility of solvents in the membrane, besides the increase of the mobility of the polymer pendant chains. In contrast, the influence of the type of electrolyte on the membrane porosity and permeability is not very important, with the exception of the CsCl solutions, which is probably due to the small hydration ability of the Cs⁺ ion.     

The rheodynamics and combustion of coal-water mixtures

Investigation methods for characteristics of movement along the tubes, combustion dynamics and gasification of separate drops were developed for the coal-water mixtures (CWM). The following parameters were determined on the basis of laser heating: thermometric, pyrometric and concentration dynamics of single-drop combustion, complete combustion times, duration of temperature phases of combustion, as well as the moment and temperature of ignition. Information on the combustion mass velocity and gasification products was also obtained using laser heating.     

THERMODYNAMIC PERFORMANCE PREDICTION FOR NON-CFC MIXTURES

The ideal thermodynamic performances of a variety of non-CFC refrigerants and their mixtures were calculated by using the Patel-Teja equation of state. The results indicated that the preferable non-CFC refrigerant mixtures could be HCFC-I24 +HFC-152a, HFC-152a + HFC-134, dimethyl ether + HCFC-22, and dimethyl ether + HCFC-124 for air-conditioning systems, and binary mixtures of HCFC-22 + HFC-125, and HCFC-22 + HFC-143a for low-temperature applications. Those potential non-CFC mixtures were suggested for further investigations.     

Polymorphic behavior of gondoic acid and phase behavior of its binary mixtures with asclepic acid and oleic acid

Molecular properties of polymorphic forms of gondoic acid [cis-C_20:1Δ11ω9 (GOA)] have been studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), optical microscopy, and Raman scattering, in comparison to those of six principal unsaturated fatty acids: oleic acid [cis-C_18:1Δ9ω9 (OA)], erucic acid [cis-C_22:1Δ13ω9 (ERA)], petroselinic acid [cis-C_18:1Δ6ω12 (PSA)], asclepic acid [cis-C_18:1Δ11ω7 (APA)], palmitoleic acid [cis-C_16:1Δ9ω7 (POA)], and elaidic acid [trans-C_18:1Δ9ω9 (ELA)]. In addition, phase behavior of binary mixtures of GOA and APA and OA was examined by XRD and DSC. The polymorphic structures of GOA are quite similar to those of APA, ERA, POA, and partly to OA. In particular, DSC and Raman scattering studies have shown that gondoic acid exhibits conformational disordering on heating at the ω-chain, a chain segment between the double bond and CH₃ group, as a transition from all-trans (γ form) to gauche-rich (α form) conformations. A miscible mixing phase was observed in the mixture of GOA and APA, yet eutectic phases were observed in the GOA and OA mixtures. This is a remarkable contrast because the binary mixture systems of varying combinations of cis-unsaturated fatty acids examined so far exhibited either eutectic nature or molecular compound formation. It is expected that specific molecular interactions between GOA and APA that originate from the equivalence of the length of the Δ-chain, the chain segment between the cis-double bond and COOH group, and also from the presence of the γ-α order-disorder transformation would be operating to form the miscible mixing phase.     

Mixed monolayer and mixed micelle formation in binary mixture of surfactants—Systems for trioxyethylenated dodecyl sulfonate and some polyoxyethylenated fatty alcohol ether nonionic surfactants

The interaction and synergism of some polyoxyethylenated fatty alcohol ether (POE) nonionic surfactants (C₁₂E₂, C₁₂E₃, C₁₀E₅, C₁₀E₇, where C_x indicates number of carbon atoms in the chain and E_y indicates number of oxyethylene glycol ethers) with trioxyethylenated dodecyl sulfonate (C₁₂E₃S) in mixed monolayer formation at the surface and in mixed micelle formation in aqueous solutions were studied at 25 and 40°C by calculating interaction parameters (β_α, β_M) from surface tension-concentration data by use of Rosen's equations based on the nonideal solution theory. All the systems investigated adapt reasonably well to the nonideal model, with negative values of β_σ and β_M (where M means micelle and σ refers to the air-liquid interface) indicating a favorable interaction between the mixed surfactants. Either at a monolayer or in a mixed micelle, the attractive interaction becomes stronger when the alkyl chain in the POE surfactant is longer, i.e., when the POE becomes more hydrophobic. The interaction increases in the order C₁₀E₇<C₁₀E₅<C₁₂E₃, C₁₂E₂. For the two C₁₀E _n (n= 5,7)/C₁₂E₃S systems, as temperature increases from 25 to 40°C, the interaction increases in a mixed micelle, but it decreases in a mixed monolayer. Synergism in mixed micelle formation exists for C₁₂E₃S/C₁₀E _n mixtures when X₁ ^M , the mole fraction of POE in a mixed micelle, is ≈0.4–0.8, whereas synergism does not occur in the systems of C₁₂E₃S/C₁₂E _m due to the large difference between CMC₁ and CMC₂, i.e., large |In(C ₁ ^M /C ₂ ^M )| value (where CMC=critical micelle concentration). The degree of synergism in mixed micelle formation is temperature independent and is 0.23, 0.18, and close to zero for C₁₀E₅/C₁₂E₃S, C₁₀E₇/C₁₂E₃S, and C₁₂E _m (m=2,3)/C₁₂E₃S systems, respectively. Synergism in surface tension reduction effectiveness occurs in C₁₂E₃S/C₁₂E₂ and C₁₂E₃S/C₁₂E₃ systems. The mole fractions of POE in the solution phase are 0.302 and 0.333 for the two mixtures at the point of maximum synergism.     

Formulating middle-phase microemulsions using mixed anionic and cationic surfactant systems

Although mixtures of anionic and cationic surfactants can show great synergism, their potential to precipitate and form liquid crystals has limited their use. Previous studies have shown that alcohol addition can prevent liquid crystal formation, thereby allowing formation of middle-phase microemulsions with mixed anionic-cationic systems. This research investigates the role of surfactant selection in designing alcohol-free anionic-cationic microemulsions. Microemulsion phase behavior was studied for three anionic-cationic surfactant systems and three oils of widely varying hydrophobicity [trichloroethylene (TCE), hexane, and n-hexadecane]. Consistent with our hypothesis, using a branched surfactant and surfactants with varying tail length allowed us to form alcohol-free middle-phase microemulsion using mixed anionic-cationic systems (i.e., liquid crystals did not form). The anionic to cationic molar ratio required to form middle-phase microemulsions approached 1∶1 for univalent surfactants as oil hydrophobicity increased (i.e., TCE to hexane to n-hexadecane); even for these equimolar systems, liquid crystal formation was avoided. To test the use of these anionic-cationic surfactant mixtures in surfactant-enhanced subsurface remediation, we performed soil column studies: Greater than 95% of the oil was extracted in 2.5 pore volumes using an anionic-rich surfactant system. By contrast, cationic-rich systems performed very poorly (<1% oil removal), reflecting significant losses of the cationic-rich surfactant system in the porous media. The results thus suggest that, when properly designed, anionic-rich mixtures of anionic and cationic surfactants can be efficient for environmental remediation. By corollary, other industrial applications and consumer products should also find these mixtures advantageous.     

Formation of isocyanic acid during the reaction of mixtures of NO, CO and H2 over supported platinum catalysts

On-line infrared spectroscopy has been used to show that isocyanic acid, HNCO, is a substantial primary product of the reaction between NO, CO and H₂ over a Pt/SiO₂ catalyst. At 230°C it accounts for more than 40% of the CO converted. No isocyanic acid is seen when Al₂O₃ is placed downstream of Pt/SiO₂, or when using a Pt/Al₂O₃ catalyst under the same conditions, due to rapid hydrolysis of HNCO on the alumina. Isocyanic acid may exist as a trace intermediate in automobile catalytic converters during their warm-up phase but it is unlikely to emerge from the pore system of aluminabased catalysts.     

Olfactory coding in the perception of semiochemicals

Information processing in the olfactory pathway underlying the perception of semiochemicals by insects is discussed. Both the chemical message for mates and the message for food consist of blends of chemicals. Olfactory receptors in an insect species are tuned to the detection of those compounds which comprise such chemical messages for that species. The classification of receptors as specialists or generalists coincides with two concepts of information processing, i.e., labeled lines and across-fiber patterns, respectively. The olfactory code coming from antennal receptors inPieris brassicae larvae is a combination of labeled lines and across-fiber patterning. When antennae of adult Colorado potato beetles,Leptinotarsa decemlineata, are stimulated by binary mixtures of leaf odor components, the pattern of neural activities in the olfactory receptors shows some separation into two channels, quantitative versus qualitative detection. The separation is complete in the antennal lobe of this beetle.Presented at the Symposium on Insect Chemical Communications: Unifying Concepts. ACS 194th National Meeting, New Orleans, Louisiana, August 31, 1987.     

PAHs代谢物对PAHs生物降解的影响作用

分别研究了芽胞杆菌CN2降解蒽产生的代谢物对蒽生物降解的影响和菲产生的代谢物对菲生物降解的影响.试验结果表明:(1)外加蒽(或菲)代谢物,对蒽(或菲)的降解均表现出促进作用.蒽156 h累计去除率可提高3.07%～6.10%,菲60 h累计去除率可提高13.14%～30.35%.(2)在芽胞杆菌CN2作用下,蒽(或菲)生物降解过程能够用一级动力学方程式较准确地描述,外加代谢物可以增大降解反应表观速率常数k值;从不同时段内蒽(或菲)的降解速率看,反应初期0～2 h内,外加代谢物对蒽(或菲)的降解速率提高最为明显,对蒽可提高0.281～1.20 mg/L·h,对菲可提高0.570～1.13 mg/L·h.(3)外加代谢物对蒽(或菲)降解液的pH值有缓冲作用,使降解液的pH值随降解时间下降趋势减缓.