Polyampholyte acrylic latexes for tablet coating applications

Polyampholyte latexes can exist within a certain pH range as low‐viscosity aqueous dispersions, while upon a pH shift to the vicinity of the isoelectric point they undergo ionic coacervation. Three classes of coacervation latexes were synthesized and evaluated for their suitability for use in tablet coating applications. Pharmaceutical tablet coatings are commonly based on hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, poly(vinyl alcohol), and acrylic polymers. Because of the high viscosity of their aqueous solutions, and to the consequent required low concentrations of the tablet coating polymers in the coating solutions to enable sufficiently low viscosity for effective spray application, the current commercial pharmaceutical tablet coating technology requires the removal of large amounts of water during the manufacturing process. In this work, films prepared from high‐solids, low‐viscosity coacervated acrylic latexes showed good hardness, very low tackiness, an excellent combination of optical properties, and very low water vapor permeability. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40049.     

Preparation of CaCO3‐based biomineralized polyvinylpyrrolidone–carboxymethylcellulose hydrogels and their viscoelastic behavior

In the blend of natural and synthetic polymer‐based biomaterial of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), fabrication of CaCO₃ was successfully accomplished using simple liquid diffusion technique. The present study emphasizes the biomimetic mineralization in PVP–CMC hydrogel, and furthermore, several properties of this regenerated and functionalized hydrogel membranes were investigated. The physical properties were studied and confirmed the presence of CaCO₃ mineral in hydrogel by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Scanning electron microscopy. Moreover, the absorptivity of water and mineral by PVP–CMC hydrogel was studied to determine its absorption capacity. Further, the viscoelastic properties (storage modulus, loss modulus, and complex viscosity) of mineralized and swelled samples (time: 5–150 min) were measured against angular frequency. It is interesting to know the increase of elastic nature of mineralized hydrogel filled with CaCO₃ maintaining the correlation between elastic property and viscous one of pure hydrogel. All these properties of biomineralized hydrogel suggest its application in biomedical field, like bone treatment, bone tissue regeneration, dental plaque and tissue replacement, etc. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40237.     

Conductivity and intermolecular interactions in proton‐conducting gel electrolytes

Proton‐conducting gel electrolytes based on poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVdF), and mixtures of PMMA with PVdF or poly(vinyl chloride) doped by acid solutions in aprotic solvents were synthesized and are discussed in this article. The gel conductivity as a function of the concentrations of acid and polymer and the polymeric matrix composition has been analyzed. Extreme dependence of the conductivity on acid and polymer concentrations was found. It was revealed that within the acid concentration range studied, the gel conductivity was higher than the conductivity of the corresponding liquid electrolytes used for the synthesis. The increase in the electrical conductivity with the growth of the systems viscosity is discussed as an indication of a certain involvement of the polymer matrix in the increase of the charge carrier mobility within the frame of a Grotthuss mechanism. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40674.     

Matched‐dual‐polymer electrochromic lenses,using new cathodically coloring conducting polymers,with exceptional performance and incorporated into automated sunglasses

Reported are syntheses of several new monomer precursors of cathodically coloring conducting polymers (CPs), based on a propylene dioxythiophene skeleton. These are shown to yield CPs—both as homopolymers and as copolymers—that are nearly “perfectly” matched electrochemically and electrochromically with a set of anodically coloring poly(aromatic amines), for use in dual‐polymer electrochromic lenses. Resulting dual‐polymer electrochromic lenses display very high light/dark contrast (typically up to 70/7% or 50/0.5% Transmission (integrated over visible spectrum, vs. air reference), Haze < 2%, very high cyclability (> 10 K cycles), multiyear shelf life, appealing transparent to dark‐blue‐black transition, and excellent optical memory. Dramatic lowering of switching time, from 8 to < 1 s, is demonstrated using unique applied‐potential algorithm resident on inexpensive Microcontroller chip. Working, practical dual‐polymer electrochromic spectacles are demonstrated with electrochromic lenses retrofitted to spectacles meeting ANSI Z87.1, GL‐PD 10–12 (U.S. military) specifications. These incorporate photosensor, rechargeable Li battery, Microcontroller, allow for automated operation. Ab‐initio‐design spectacles, also conforming to above specifications, are also demonstrated, with components seamlessly hidden within frame. To the best of our knowledge, the electrochromic lenses and sunglasses reported herein represent the best visible‐region electrochromic performance for dual‐polymer CP electrochromic systems to date and the first practical implementation in working sunglasses. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 41043.     

Extraction of protein from skim natural rubber latex using PEG as a surfactant via low speed centrifugation and continuous flow

Protein extractions from skim natural rubber latex using 3 %w/v polyethylene glycol (PEG6000) via both low speed centrifugation and continuous flow were investigated. In centrifugal extraction, when the speed was 1000 rpm, the extractable protein (EP) content in serum increased with processing time from 5 to 30 min and when the time was fixed at 5 min, EP content increased with centrifugal speed. In addition, further washing deproteinized chips with 2 %w/v SDS solution could remove proteins with efficiencies corresponding to the efficiencies of protein removals in latex phase, implying the role of PEG in protein reduction in both steps. In continuous flow extraction, EP content increased with increasing Reynolds number or increasing mean residence time of the flow to a maximum and then dropped. The efficiencies of the centrifugal extraction and continuous flow extraction were 55.2 and 33.7%, respectively. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 39900.     

P123对聚醚砜纳米纤维膜结构和性能的影响

通过静电纺丝法制备了聚醚砜(PES)/聚环氧乙烷-聚环氧丙烷-聚环氧乙烷三嵌段共聚物(P123,PEO₂₀PPO₇₀PEO₂₀,M_a=5800)纳米纤维膜,考察了P123含量对纺丝液的黏度和表面张力的影响,以及对所制备的纳米纤维膜的结构和性能的影响。实验结果表明:P123含量从3%(质量)增至9%时,其纺丝液的黏度由300 mPa·s增至1000 mPa·s,表面张力在36.5～37.8 mN·m^-1范围内;P123改性的PES纳米纤维直径约为360 nm,分布均匀,其表面也比较光滑,取向趋于一致;此外,该纳米纤维膜具有良好的机械性能和耐溶胀性能,较大的比表面积(>39 m²·g^-1),孔隙率,可用作催化剂载体。     

响应面优化Al3+配位改性天然高分子骨胶黏合材料的制备

采用Al³⁺配位改性天然高分子骨胶黏合材料,应用响应面优化法优化尿素用量、十二烷基硫酸钠(SDS)用量和配位反应温度3个因素对天然高分子骨胶黏合材料黏度和凝固点的影响。根据Box-Behnken实验设计原理,使用Design-Expert (V8.0.6.1)软件对实验进行设计与分析,以黏度和凝固点为响应量,建立响应量的回归模型,分析各因素的显著性与交互作用。结果表明最佳工艺条件为:m_尿素= 0.78g,m_SDS =0.5g,T_配位=60.56℃;响应量预测值为:凝固点4.2℃,黏度4.575Pa·s。     

复合材料用天然植物纤维改性研究进展

天然植物纤维的结构和性能独特,与树脂基体复合仍存在诸多问题。天然植物纤维改性对于提高反应活性、改善其与基体树脂的界面相容性及复合材料的综合性能有重要影响。从天然植物纤维原料的组成、结构及性能分析出发,重点介绍了蒸汽爆破预处理、热预处理、高能辐射预处理、碱预处理、过氧化物预处理和组合法预处理等预处理技术以及酯化改性、接枝共聚、偶联剂改性和其他改性方法,并综述了改性天然植物纤维在复合材料中的研究进展,总结了天然植物纤维改性对复合材料性能的影响,以期为天然植物纤维复合材料的研究提供思路和参考。     

低压天然气轻烃回收工艺

通过对现有低压天然气(0.3～1.6MPa)轻烃回收方法比较, 提出一种新的改进吸附回收工艺, 降低生产消耗, 提高轻烃的收率。本工艺采用两段变温变压吸附(T-PSA)方法相结合, 第一段T-PSA主要脱除原料气中水分, 第二段T-PSA主要回收原料气中的轻烃, 回收的轻烃以压力不低于1.6MPa的液相混烃作为产品, 保证烃露点要求, 满足储运安全。本工艺具有较高的轻烃收率, 丙烷和丁烷收率均大于94%, 较目前常采用的深冷回收方法和一段变温吸附法的轻烃收率提高了30%～40%, 带来明显的经济效益, 同时本工艺较外冷回收方法, 操作弹性更大, 适用性更强, 特别适合小规模生产或需要经常搬迁的生产环境。因此, 改进吸附回收工艺非常值得推广应用。     

Multilayer‐coated NPK compound fertilizer hydrogel with controlled nutrient release and water absorbency

A novel trilayered controlled‐release nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium (NPK) fertilizer hydrogel was prepared by dipping the NPK fertilizer granules sequentially in 7% w v^?1 poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and 2% w v^?1 chitosan (CS) solutions and then cross‐linking the CS layer (cross‐CS) via glutaraldehyde vapor deposition. Different NPK fertilizer hydrogels were then synthesized by inverse suspension polymerization of the dried PVA/cross‐CS bilayer‐coated fertilizer granules in various molar ratios of acrylamide (AM) and acrylic acid (AA) monomers, and polymerization with varying molar ratios of ammonium persulfate, N,N,N′,N′‐tetramethylethylenediamine and N,N′‐methylenebisacrylamide (N‐MBA). The water dissolution time of the obtained PVA/cross‐CS/poly (AA‐co‐AM) trilayer‐coated NPK fertilizer hydrogel granules was prolonged, while the water absorbency increased with increasing AA contents, and decreased with increasing N‐MBA contents in the outer poly(AA‐co‐AM) coating. The optimal trilayer‐coated NPK fertilizer hydrogel obtained released 84 ± 18, 63 ± 12, and 36 ± 15% of the N, P, and K nutrients, respectively, after a 30‐day immersion in water. The release phenomena of the N, P, and K nutrients of the fertilizer hydrogel obeyed both the Korsmeyer‐Peppas and Ritger‐Peppas models with a pseudo‐Fickian diffusion mechanism. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 41249.