Production of biodiesel from waste fryer grease using mixed methanol/ethanol system

Transesterification of waste fryer grease (WFG) containing 5–6 wt.% free fatty acid (FFA) was carried out with methanol, ethanol, and mixtures of methanol/ethanol maintaining the oil to alcohol molar ratio of 1:6, and initially with KOH as a catalyst. Mixtures of methanol and ethanol were used for transesterification in order to use the better solvent property of ethanol and rapid equilibrium using methanol. Formation of soap by reaction of FFA present in WFG with KOH instigated difficulty in the separation of glycerol from biodiesel ester. To untangle this problem, two-stage (acid and alkali catalyzed) method was used for biodiesel synthesis. More than 90% ester was obtained when two-stage method was used compared to ∼ 50% ester in single stage alkaline catalyst. In the case of mixed alcohol, a relatively smaller amount of ethyl esters was formed along with methyl esters. Acid value, viscosity, and cetane number of all the esters prepared from WFG were within the range of the ASTM standard. Esters obtained from WFG showed good performance as a lubricity additive.     

HOT TEST OF A TALSPEAK PROCEDURE FOR SEPARATION OF ACTINIDES AND LANTHANIDES USING RECIRCULATING DTPA-LACTIC ACID SOLUTION

Abstract

Results are reported from a hot test of a TALSPEAK type process for separation of higher actinides (Am, Cm) from lanthanides. Actinides and lanthanides are extracted by 1 M HDEHP and separated by selective strip of the actinides, using a mixture of DTPA and lactic acid (reversed TALSPEAK process). In order to minimize the generation of secondary waste, a procedure using recirculating DTPA-Lactic acid solution has been developed. A separation factor between Am and Eu of 132 was achieved. In regard to separations of Am and Cm from commercial HLLW, this corresponds to 1.5 % of the lanthanide group remaining with the actlnldes. The loss of Am was about 0.2 %.     

ADSORPTION BEHAVIOR OF EPOXIDIZED FATTY ESTERS VIA BOUNDARY LUBRICATION COEFFICIENT OF FRICTION MEASUREMENTS

The frictional behaviors of a variety of fatty alkenyl esters and their corresponding fatty epoxide esters (epoxy methyl oleate (EMO) and methyl oleate (MO), epoxy methyl linoleate (EMLO) and methyl linoleate (MLO), epoxy methyl linolenate (EMLEN) and methyl linolenate (MLEN)), epoxidized soybean oil (ESBO), and a commercial epoxidized 2-ethylhexyl transesterified soybean oil (VF) as additives in hexadecane have been examined in a boundary lubrication test regime using steel contacts. Langmuir critical additive concentrations were determined, which provide the following order of negative adsorption energies: ESBO > VF > EMO ≥ EMLO > EMLEN and MLEN ≥ MLO > MO. Thus, for the similar epoxidized materials the greater degree of epoxidation results in less negative calculated total adsorption energies; this trend is reversed for the olefinic parent systems. This ordering agrees with that obtained via a more complex unconstrained cooperative interaction adsorption model. Fits of the steady-state coefficient of friction (COF) versus concentration data indicate an inverse relation of the obtained interaction parameters (α) with the primary adsorption energies (E). These results demonstrate the complexity of the adsorption mechanism that occurs.     

BMI和BCE为基础的多元共聚热固性高性能基体树脂研究

用熔融预聚法对二苯甲烷双马来酰亚胺（BDM,即BMI）/二烯丙基双酚A（DABPA）和双酚A二氰酸酯（BCE）/溴化环氧树脂（BCE）各二元体系分别预聚再热混,制成溶解性、稳定性和反应性、粘接性好的多元共聚树脂。经阶梯式固化,并通过FTIR、DSC、DMA、TGA和SEM等手段测试了固化树脂的性能。结果表明,该树脂的玻璃化温度（Tg）为230.7℃,耐热指数（Z）为197℃,热膨胀系数（CTE）为7.0104×10-5/℃,介电常数ε为3.61,介电损耗tanδ（1MHz）为0.007,弯曲强度为131.83MPa,冲击强度25.0kJ/m2,氧指数为31,吸水率为0.44%。此耐热性、介电性能和力学性能等综合性能优异的阻燃型树脂适合做刚性覆铜板（CCL）和先进复合材料的高性能基体树脂。     

Role of end-groups and catalyst in polyester cyclodepolymerization and cycle-chain equilibria

The influence of polyesters end-groups on cyclic oligoester formation is investigated using a series of hydroxy-, carboxy- and methylester-terminated aliphatic polyesters, in the presence of various ester interchange catalysts. The presence of hydroxy end-groups is the preponderant factor on cyclodepolymerization kinetics. This indicates that the main reaction is the intramolecular hydroxy–ester interchange reaction between hydroxy end-groups and ester functions in the chain. Carboxy-ester and ester–ester interchanges play a minor role, as the cycle-chain equilibrium is reached only very slowly when carboxy- or ester-terminated polyesters are reacted. High temperature and the presence of tin catalysts are also favorable factors, while, as expected, dilution shifts the equilibrium toward the formation of high yields of cyclic oligoesters. A mechanism is proposed, based on the reverse of the “coordination-insertion” mechanism established for the ring-opening polymerization of lactones.     

CHARACTERIZATION OF EVA-BASED ADHESIVES CONTAINING DIFFERENT AMOUNTS OF ROSIN ESTER OR POLYTERPENE TACKIFIER

Different amounts (50-170 php--parts per hundred parts of EVA, 33-63 wt%) of two tackifiers (hydrogenated rosin ester, polyterpene resin) were added to an ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer containing 28 wt% vinyl acetate. The EVA and the tackifier were characterized using infrared (IR) spectroscopy, DSC measurements, and stress-controlled plate-plate rheology. The properties and compatibility of the EVA-tackifier mixtures were studied using DSC, DMTA, and stress-controlled plate-plate rheology. Immediate adhesion was measured as a quantification of tack, and the T-peel strength of roughened styrene-butadiene rubber/EVA-tackifier adhesive joints was also obtained. The increase in the amount of tackifier noticeably changed the crystallinity of polyethylene blocks in the EVA, and the temperature at the cross-over between the curves of the storage and loss moduli as a function of the temperature was displaced to a lower value. Whereas the hydrogenated rosin ester was compatible with the amorphous ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer regions of the EVA (Tg value increased) reducing its crystallinity, the polyterpene resin was compatible with the polyethylene blocks of the EVA (T g value was not modified), increasing its crystallinity. Immediate adhesion of the EVA-tackifier mixtures was improved by adding both hydrogenated rosin ester and polyterpene tackifiers. On the other hand, there was an optimum tackifier content at which the maximum T-peel strength value was obtained.     

Study on synthesis and electrochemical properties of novel ferrocene-based compounds and their applications in anion recognition

Two novel ferrocene-based compounds glycidyl ester of ferrocene carboxylate (GEFC) and 1,3-diferrocenecarboxylic acid diacylglycerol (DFCDG) were synthesized and characterized by ¹H NMR and mass spectrum. The influence of some factors, namely, solvent type, potential scan rate, electrolyte concentration and [Fe] unit concentration, on the electrochemical behaviors of two novel ferrocene-based compounds was investigated, and the mechanism of the electrode processes was studied. Finally, two compounds were applied to sense the H₂PO₄⁻ by cyclic voltammetry (CV) method and it was found that the DFCDG with a symmetric structure which was synthesized through ring opening reaction of ferrocene carboxylate and GEFC showed stronger interaction with the H₂PO₄⁻ than GEFC.     

Fractionation of liquid lubricants at solid surfaces

The film-forming properties of lubricant base fluid mixtures in elastohydrodynamic contacts have been studied using ultrathin film interferometry. It has been shown that in binary mixtures where one of the components is more polar than the other, the EHD film thickness formed in the very thin film (< 10 nm region) is controlled by the viscosity of the polar component rather than the viscosity of the blend. This means that a mixture of a highly viscous ester in less viscous hydrocarbon gives thicker than predicted lubricant films in the sub 20 nm region and vice versa. This phenomenon can be ascribed to the fractionation of the lubricant mixtures close to the surface caused by lubricant molecule/surface van der Waals forces.