Aging of glass fiber reinforced nylon 6,6 automobile underhood parts

Parts used under the hood of automobiles are increasingly made from polymeric materials. These parts are often exposed to relatively high temperatures and corrosive chemicals, exposure conditions that can affect their long-term performance. This paper provides quantitative information on the combined effect of high temperatures and corrosive chemicals on the long-term performance of glass fiber reinforced nylon 6,6 parts. Glass fiber reinforced nylon 6,6 is one of the more widely used polymers in underhood applications. Parts made from this material include radiator headers, oil caps, and, more recently, intake manifolds. In this project the in-service environmental conditions imposed on an oil cap and radiator were monitored, and the exposed parts examined by dynamic mechanical analysis. Data taken from the exposed parts were compared to comparably laboratory aged samples. The basic finding was that glass fiber reinforced nylon 6,6 parts should have an excellent survival rate in the parts investigated.     

A study on natural clinoptilolite for CO2/N2 gas separation

Based on its low cost and low water adsorption capacity, compared to synthetic zeolites (A-type, X-type and Y-type), natural, untreated clinoptilolite was examined as a potential adsorbent for a separation process targeting on removal of CO₂ from flue gas. Taking into consideration typical flue gas composition and temperature, adsorptive properties of binary CO₂/N₂ mixtures were tested in the temperature range of 268 to 403 K and compared with literature data. The results showed that CO₂ concentration, total pressure, and temperature strongly affect selectivity and working capacity, restricting the conditions under which the material could be used as an efficient adsorbent.     

Modeling and simulation of an industrial slurry-phase catalytic olefin polymerization reactor series

In the present study, a comprehensive mathematical model is developed to simulate the dynamic behaviour of an industrial slurry-phase olefin catalytic polymerization loop reactor series. More specifically, the effects of various operating conditions on the dynamic reactor behaviour (i.e., reaction temperature and pressure, inflow rates of catalyst, monomers and diluent, etc.) as well as the on the molecular and rheological polyolefin properties (i.e., M_n, M_w, MWD, complex viscosity, etc.) are fully assessed. According to the proposed modeling approach, each loop reactor (i.e., consisting of the loop reactor and the settling legs) is modeled as an ideal CSTR in series with a semi-continuous product removal unit. Dynamic macroscopic mass species and energy balances are derived to calculate the dynamic evolution of the concentrations of the various molecular species as well as of temperature profiles and heat removal in the two loop reactors. The polymer molecular properties (i.e., number- and weight-average molecular weights and molecular weight distribution) are determined by employing a generalized multi-site, Ziegler–Natta (Z–N) kinetic scheme in conjunction with the well-known method of moments. All the thermodynamic calculations, regarding the equilibrium species concentration in the various phases (i.e., solids and liquid), are carried out using the Sanchez–Lacombe Equation of State (S–L EOS). It is shown that the proposed comprehensive model is capable of simulating the dynamic operation of an industrial slurry-phase cascade-loop reactor series under different plant operating policies (i.e., start-up, grade transition, etc.).     

ON THE ACCURATE MODELING OF MILLIMETER WAVE FIXED WIRELESS CHANNELS EXCEEDANCE PROBABILITY

The ever increasing demand for high date rate multimedia services has led to the deployment of Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) networks operating in frequencies above 10GHz. Propagation characteristics of such networks include line-of-sight (LOS) transmissions highly influenced by the presence of rain. In this paper a methodology for evaluating the outage probability of a FWA channel is introduced, making use of the forward scattering amplitude by distorted raindrops of transmitted signals. Expressions for the imaginary part of the scattering amplitude are derived through a regression fitting analysis on the results of the Method of Auxiliary Sources (MAS) to the problem of electromagnetic scattering from a Pruppacher-Pitter raindrop. These expressions are employed and an analytical method to evaluate the rain attenuation exceedance probability over a fixed wireless access link is presented. The derived exceedance probabilities are compared with experimental data from ITU-R databank with encouraging results.     

Subconjunctival mitomycin C for the treatment of ocular cicatricial pemphigoid

PURPOSE: The authors performed a prospective evaluation of the efficacy of treating ocular cicatricial pemphigoid (OCP) with subconjunctival mitomycin C. DESIGN: Unmasked, prospective, internally controlled case series. METHODS: Patients were eligible for treatment with subconjunctival mitomycin C under three criteria: (1) significant complications of systemic immunosuppressant therapy; (2) markedly asymmetric conjunctival disease; and (3) end-stage OCP. All patients received monocular subconjunctival injections of 0.25 ml of 0.2 mg/ml mitomycin C to both the superior and inferior bulbar conjunctivae in the eye with the more severe disease. RESULTS: Nine eyes of nine patients (mean age, 74 years) were treated with subconjunctival mitomycin C to the more-involved eye and were followed for a mean of 23.5 months (range, 12-40 months). Eight of nine patients showed quiescence of their OCP in the treated eye based on serial evaluation of conjunctival cicatrization and grading of conjunctival erythema. Five of the nine untreated eyes showed progression of the conjunctival disease. One patient required concomitant systemic immunosuppressive therapy after subconjunctival mitomycin C. Two patients underwent successful visual rehabilitative surgery in the mitomycin C-treated eye. CONCLUSION: The use of subconjunctival mitomycin C may be effective in preventing progression of conjunctival cicatrization and erythema in patients with OCP. No complications of mitomycin C treatment were noted. Long-term follow-up and further investigation into the efficacy of subconjunctival mitomycin C in the management of OCP is warranted.     

Growth and morphology manipulation of carbon nanostructures on porous supports

Structural polymorphism of carbon grown on porous supports by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is demonstrated. Combining three different supports (activated carbon, macroporous polymeric beads, and microporous aluminophosphate molecular sieves), with two catalysts (Ni and Fe), yielded a variety of carbon nanostructures ranging from coils and belts to fibers and tubes, without changing CVD temperature, time, and precursor composition and flow rate. Ion exchange between ammonium-impregnated supports and the metals was necessary in order to achieve a fine dispersion of the catalyst over the support surface. Metal-support interactions and the balance between ammonium and metal concentrations were investigated and found to considerably affect catalyst dispersion, shape, and crystallographic orientation, which in turn determined the morphological and structural characteristics, and yield of the carbon product. The catalyst-loaded supports and the resulting carbon materials were characterized by scanning and transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetic analysis, X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy, while nitrogen and mercury porosimetry were used to characterize the supports and evaluate the degree of support pore blocking by the carbon deposits.     

A Vycor® Membrane with Reduced Size Surface Pores I. Preparation and Characterization

Vycor® membranes are surface-modified by a crosslinked commercial silicone which is subsequently subjected to oxygen plasma and converted to silica dioxide. Samples are examined by integral gas permeability of helium, nitrogen, methane and carbon dioxide, differential permeability of carbon dioxide and relative permeability of helium gas vs. water vapor. The modified surface is found to contain large micropores as well as a population of small nanopores. The new membrane may be appropriate for applications such as gas/vapor separations, reverse osmosis and the low molecular weight end of nanofiltration.     

Photorefractive polarization couplers in elliptical core fibres

Photorefractive polarization couplers written internally in germanium-doped elliptical core fibers at 488, 514, and 532 nm are reported. Complete power transfer between the orthogonal polarization modes of the fiber was achieved for couplers written at 514 and 488 nm, respectively. It is shown that the couplers are nonuniform in length because of the high photoinduced attenuation and also due to two-photon absorption. Polarization coupling of higher order modes is also demonstrated at shorter wavelengths where their polarization beat lengths match the polarization beat length of the fundamental mode at which the coupler was written.<>     

Hybrid model for the diffusion of simple and complex penetrants in polymers

A hybrid model, which combines the characteristic features of the Pace–Datyner molecular model with those of the Kulkarni–Stern free‐volume model, was developed to assess the effect of temperature, penetrant concentration, and polymer crystallinity on penetrant diffusivity. The predictive capabilities of the proposed model were tested by a direct comparison with experimental data. The diffusivity of ethylene and propylene vapors in semicrystalline polyethylene and isotactic polypropylene was experimentally measured using a magnetic suspension microbalance. Sorption kinetic measurements were carried out at temperatures up to 80°C and pressures up to 80 atm. The diffusivity was found to increase with temperature and penetrant concentration. Apparently, there was a very good agreement between the theoretical values predicted by the new hybrid diffusion model and the experimentally determined diffusivities. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007