Ring‐opening polymerization of D,L‐lactide by rare earth 2,6‐dimethylaryloxide

Ring‐opening polymerization of D,L ‐lactide (LA) has been successfully carried out by using rare earth 2,6‐dimethylaryloxide (Ln(ODMP)₃) as single component catalyst or initiator for the first time. The effects of different rare earth elements, solvents, monomers and catalyst concentration as well as polymerization temperature and time on the polymerization were investigated. The results show that La(ODMP)₃ exhibits higher activity to prepare poly(D,L ‐lactide) (PLA) with a viscosity molecular weight of 4.5 × 10⁴ g mol^?1 and the conversion of 97 % at 100 °C in 45 min. The catalytic activity of Ln(ODMP)₃ has following sequence: La > Nd > Sm > Gd > Er > Y. A kinetic study has indicated that the polymerization is first order with respect to both monomer and catalyst concentration. The apparent activation energy of the polymerization of LA with La(ODMP)₃ is 69.6 kJ mol^?1. The analyses of polymer ends indicate that the LA polymerization proceeds according to ‘coordination–insertion’ mechanism with selective cleavage of the acyl–oxygen bond of the monomer. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Equilibrium Moisture Characteristics of High Oleic Sunflower Seeds and Kernels

The equilibrium moisture content (EMC) characteristics of high oleic sunflower seeds and kernels between 10 and 55°C were determined by equilibrating the samples to known relative humidities (RH) above saturated salt solutions. EMC of the kernels was lower than that of seeds in the range of 11 to 96% ERH and at 25 and 40°C. Hysteresis effect was found for the EMC properties of seeds and kernels at 25°C. Four EMC-ERH models (modified Henderson, Chung-Pfost, Halsey, and Guggenheim-Anderson-de Boer) and their estimated parameters were evaluated for goodness of fit. GAB and Halsey equations showed the best fitting of experimental data although GAB equation adjusted for temperature described the EMC data the best. Components of the seed as oil content or hull/kernel ratio did not explain the slight differences in EMC found between the varieties.     

A study of solid circulation rate in a circulating fluidized bed

An experimental investigation under cold condition was made to study the effects of some operating/design parameters and non-mechanical L valve configuration on the solid circulation rate in a 4.5 m tall, 0.15 m diameter circulating fluidized bed with riser flow rate varying from 1400 litres/min to 2000 litres/min and bed inventory from 15 kg to 25 kg of sand of average sizes 200 μm, 400 μm and 500 μm. Solid circulation rate was estimated by measuring velocity of sand particle travelling through a vertical Perspex tube section at the bottom of the return leg. It was found to be in the range of 2.8 to 12.3kg/m²s, 0.07 to 9.1kg/m²s and 0.12 to 2.23kg/m²s for sand sizes of 200 μm, 400 μm and 500 μm, respectively for a horizontal L valve. Two mathematical correlations have been developed from the experimental results to predict solid circulation rate as a function of riser flow rate, aeration flow rate, total bed inventory and particle size used.     

Anthocyanins characterization of 15 Iranian pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) varieties and their variation after cold storage and pasteurization

Anthocyanins (ACs) are phenolic compounds that are distributed widely in fruits and vegetables. Apart from imparting color to plants, ACs also have an array of health-promoting benefits. In this research, the amounts of major ACs of 15 pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) varieties obtained from Yazd province were determined. The major ACs detected in the studied varieties were as follows: delphinidin 3-glucoside (2.19–16.29 mg/L), delphinidin 3,5-diglucoside (2.36–63.07 mg/L), pelargonidin 3-glucoside (0.26–1.36 mg/L), pelargonidin 3,5-diglucoside (0.01–8.11 mg/L), cyanidin 3-glucoside (5.78–30.38 mg/L), and cyanidin 3,5-diglucoside (4.39–166.32 mg/L). The effect of storage time of unprocessed and pasteurized juices on ACs content of four selected varieties was also studied. Average degradation percentage of each AC was between 23.0 and 83.0% during 10 days at 4 °C. Moreover, in pasteurized juices average degradation of ACs was 42.8 ± 0.5% after 10 weeks storage at 4 °C.     

A Novel Method Of Transport Barrier Formation

A novel technique is proposed for creating transport barriers by the rf waves. This is that the transport barriers can be created by the rf induced ponderomotive force itself and no rf induced flow shear generation is necessary. It is demonstrated that the ponderomotive force of the rf waves can stabilize the ion temperature gradient (ITG) mode, considered nowadays as the dominant source of anomalous energy losses in the low confinement (L) mode. It is also shown that this stabilization can be achieved for rather modest values of the rf power and hence should be easily obtained in actual experiments.      

广西产迷迭香挥发油化学成分的分析

水蒸气蒸馏法提取广西百色地区迷迭香茎、叶中的挥发油,利用GC-MS联用仪进行了分析。共分离出36个峰,鉴定了其中31个化学成分,占总含量的97.08%。其主要成分为1,8-桉叶素、α-蒎烯、樟脑、莰烯、α-松油醇、乙酸龙脑酯及龙脑等。     

Use of a sex attractant and an inhibitor for monitoring winter moth and bruce spanworm populations

A single sex pherormone component was isolated from abdominal tip extracts of female Bruce spanworm.Operophtera bruceata (Hulst). This was identified as (Z,Z,Z)-1,3,6,9-nonadecatetraene by capillary gas chromatography (GC), electroantennography, and mass spectrometry. In addition, hexane extracts of female abdominal tips from Bruce spanworm and the winter moth.O. brumata L., were analyzed by GC coupled to an electroantennographic detector (GC-EAD). The extracts ofO. bruceata andO. brumata females elicited only a single response, at the same retention time, from antennae of their conspecific and reciprocal males. In field tests conducted in Saskatchewan, traps baited with the synthetic tetraene captured Bruce spanworm males. In tests carried out on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, where the two species coexist, both Bruce spanworm and winter moth males were captured. The attractancy of lures containing the synthetic pheromone alone and in combination with several structurally related analogs was field tested at both locations. One of these, an isomer of the natural pheromone, (E,Z,Z)-1,3,6,9-nonadecatetraene, inhibited the capture of Bruce spanworm males but had no effect upon the number of winter moth males which were taken. Thus, populations of these two very similar species can be distinguished by employing traps baited with pheromone ± the inhibitor. Coneorifice Hara traps were found useful for field trapping males of both species.Issued as NRCC No. 26107     

Fate of nitrogen fertilizer applied to lowland rice on a Sulfic Tropaquept

A field experiment was conducted on an acid sulfate soil in Thailand to determine the effect of N fertilization practices on the fate of fertilizer-N and yield of lowland rice (Oryza sativa L.). A delayed broadcast application of ammonium phosphate sulfate (16-20-0) or urea was compared with basal incorporation of urea, deep placement of urea as urea supergranules (USG), and amendment of urea with a urease inhibitor. Deep placement of urea as USG significantly reduced floodwater urea- and ammoniacal-N concentrations following N application but did not reduce N loss, as determined from an¹⁵N balance, in this experiment where runoff loss was prevented. The urease inhibitor, phenyl phosphorodiamidate (PPD), had little effect on floodwater urea- and ammoniacal-N, and it did not reduce N loss. The floodwater pH never exceeded 4.5 in the 7 days following the first N applications, and application of 16-20-0 reduced floodwater pH by 0.1 to 0.3 units below the no-N control. The low floodwater pH indicated that ammonia volatilization was unimportant for all the N fertilization practices. Floodwater ammoniacal-N concentrations following application of urea or 16-20-0 were greater on this Sulfic Tropaquept than on an Andaqueptic Haplaquoll with near neutral pH and alkaline floodwater. The prolonged, high floodwater N concentrations on this Sulfic Tropaquept suggested that runoff loss of applied N might be a potentially serious problem when heavy rainfall or poor water control follow N fertilization. The unaccounted-for¹⁵N in the¹⁵N balances, which presumably represented gaseous N losses, ranged from 20 to 26% of the applied N and was unaffected by urea fertilization practice. Grain yield and N uptake were significantly increased with applied N, but grain yield was not significantly affected by urea fertilization practice. Yield was significantly lower (P = 0.05) for 16-20-0 than for urea; however, this difference in yield might be due to later application of P and hence delayed availability of P in the 16-20-0 treatment.