Investigation of Polymer–Plasticizer Blends as SH-SAW Sensor Coatings for Detection of Benzene in Water with High Sensitivity and Long-Term Stability

We report the first-ever direct detection of benzene in water at concentrations below 100 ppb (parts per billion) using acoustic wave (specifically, shear-horizontal surface acoustic wave, SH-SAW) sensors with plasticized polymer coatings. Two polymers and two plasticizers were studied as materials for sensor coatings. For each polymer–plasticizer combination, the influence of the mixing ratio of the blend on the sensitivity to benzene was measured and compared to commercially available polymers that were used for BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene) detection in previous work. After optimizing the coating parameters, the highest sensitivity and lowest detection limit for benzene were found for a 1.25 μm thick sensor coating of 17.5%-by-weight diisooctyl azelate-polystyrene on the tested acoustic wave device. The calculated detection limit was 45 ppb, with actual sensor responses to concentrations down to 65 ppb measured directly. Among the sensor coatings that showed good sensitivity to benzene, the best long-term stability was found for a 1.0 μm thick coating of 23% diisononyl cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylate-polystyrene, which was studied here because it is known to show no detectable leaching in water. The present work demonstrates that, by varying type of plasticizer, mixing ratio, and coating thickness, the mechanical and chemical properties of the coatings can be conveniently tailored to maximize analyte sorption and partial chemical selectivity for a given class of analytes as well as to minimize acoustic-wave attenuation in contact with an aqueous phase at the operating frequency of the sensor device

Comparing Laser Diffraction and Optical Microscopy for Characterizing Superabsorbent Polymer Particle Morphology, Size, and Swelling Capacity

In this study, we determined the accuracy and practicality of using optical microscopy (OM) and laser diffraction (LD) to characterize hydrogel particle morphology, size, and swelling capacity (Q). Inverse-suspension-polymerized polyacrylamide particles were used as a model system. OM and LD showed that the average particle diameter varied with the mixing speed during synthesis for the dry (10–120 lm) and hydrated (34–240 lm) particles. The LD volume and number mean diameters showed that a few large particles were responsible for the majority of the water absorption. Excess water present in the gravimetric swelling measurements led to larger Qs (8.2 6 0.37 g/g), whereas the volumetric measurements with OM and LD resulted in reduced capacities (6.5 6 3.8 and 5.7 6 3.9 g/g, respectively). Results from the individual particle swelling measurements with OM (5.2 6 0.66 g/g) statistically confirmed that the volumetric methods resulted in a reduced and more accurate measurement of the Q than the gravimetric method

On developing improved modelling and scale-up procedures for pneumatic conveying of fine powders

Pneumatic transport of fine powders in fluidized dense-phase mode is becoming increasingly popular in various industries, such as power, chemical, cement, refinery, alumina, pharmaceutical, limestone, to list a few, because of the reasons of reduced gas flow rate and power consumption, decreased conveying velocities, improved product quality control, reduced pipeline sizing and wear rate, increased workplace safety etc. For the reliable design of a pneumatic conveying system, it is important to accurately predict the total pipeline pressure drop. However, accurate prediction of pressure drop from an improved understanding of the fundamental transport mechanism of fluidized dense-phase flow condition has only made limited progress till now because of the highly concentrated and turbulent nature of the gas-solids mixture. Power plant fly ash (median particle diameter: 30 μm; particle density: 2300 kg/m3; loose-poured bulk density: 700 kg/m3) was conveyed through different pipelines (69 mm I.D. × 168 m long; 105 mm I.D. × 168 m long; 69 mm I.D. × 554 m long). 8 different fly ash samples were tested in a fluidizing column for their deaeration characteristics and fluidized bulk densities were determined. Governing equations of flow for the dense-phase pneumatic conveying system of fine powders were solved using RungeKutta-Fehlberg (RKF45) method for different fluidized bulk densities of fly ash and air flow rates. The results have shown that the particle and actual gas velocities and the ratio of the two velocities increase in the direction of flow, while a reverse trend was apparent for the solids volumetric concentration. The results were compared against the predictions obtained using existing empirical relations for particle velocity. To develop an improved model for solids friction factor, an existing reliable pure dilute-phase model has been modified for dense-phase flow condition by incorporating sub-models for particle to actual gas velocity and impact and solids friction factor. The developed solids friction factor model was validated by using it to predict the total pipeline pressure drops for larger and longer pipelines and by comparing the experimental and predicted pneumatic conveying characteristics. The results have shown improved reliable predictions and that the model is capable of addressing the gradual transition of flow mechanism from dense- to dilute-phase. The accuracy of prediction is similar (in fact better in certain scale-up cases) when compared to a recently developed two-layer based model (developed by some of the authors). The results demonstrate the importance of incorporating particle and actual gas velocity terms in the model of solids friction factor instead of the prevailing techniques that overly depend on using superficial gas velocities

Predicting the band gap of ternary oxides containing 3d(10) and 3d(0) metals

We present soft x-ray spectroscopy measurements and electronic structure calculations of ZnTiO 3, a ternary oxide that is related to wurtzite ZnO and rutile TiO 2. The electronic structure of ZnTiO 3 was calculated using a variety of exchange-correlation functionals, and we compare the predicted band gaps of this material obtained from each functional with estimates from our experimental data and optical gaps quoted from the literature. We find that the main hybridizations in the electronic structure of ZnTiO 3 can be predicted from the electronic structures of the two binary oxides. We further find that ZnTiO 3 has weaker O 2p-Zn 3d repulsion than in ZnO, resulting in a relatively lower valence band maximum and consequently a larger band gap. Although we find a significant core hole shift in the measured O K XAS of ZnTiO 3, we provide a simple empirical scheme for estimating the band gap that may prove to be applicable for any d10-d0 ternary oxide, and could be useful in finding a ternary oxide with a band gap tailored to a specific energy. © 2012 American Physical Society

The Ultimate Fate of Supercooled Liquids

In recent years it has become widely accepted that a dynamical length scale {\xi}_{\alpha} plays an important role in supercooled liquids near the glass transition. We examine the implications of the interplay between the growing {\xi}_{\alpha} and the size of the crystal nucleus, {\xi}_M, which shrinks on cooling. We argue that at low temperatures where {\xi}_{\alpha} > {\xi}_M a new crystallization mechanism emerges enabling rapid development of a large scale web of sparsely connected crystallinity. Though we predict this web percolates the system at too low a temperature to be easily seen in the laboratory, there are noticeable residual effects near the glass transition that can account for several previously observed unexplained phenomena of deeply supercooled liquids including Fischer clusters, and anomalous crystal growth near T_g

Effects of a nanoscopic filler on the structure and dynamics of a simulated polymer melt and the relationship to ultra-thin films

We perform molecular dynamics simulations of an idealized polymer melt surrounding a nanoscopic filler particle to probe the effects of a filler on the local melt structure and dynamics. We show that the glass transition temperature $T_g$ of the melt can be shifted to either higher or lower temperatures by appropriately tuning the interactions between polymer and filler. A gradual change of the polymer dynamics approaching the filler surface causes the change in the glass transition. We also find that while the bulk structure of the polymers changes little, the polymers close to the surface tend to be elongated and flattened, independent of the type of interaction we study. Consequently, the dynamics appear strongly influenced by the interactions, while the melt structure is only altered by the geometric constraints imposed by the presence of the filler. Our findings show a strong similarity to those obtained for ultra-thin polymer films (thickness $\lesssim 100$ nm) suggesting that both ultra-thin films and filled-polymer systems might be understood in the same context

FOXC2 controls adult lymphatic endothelial specialization, function, and gut lymphatic barrier preventing multiorgan failure.

The mechanisms maintaining adult lymphatic vascular specialization throughout life and their role in coordinating inter-organ communication to sustain homeostasis remain elusive. We report that inactivation of the mechanosensitive transcription factor Foxc2 in adult lymphatic endothelium leads to a stepwise intestine-to-lung systemic failure. Foxc2 loss compromised the gut epithelial barrier, promoted dysbiosis and bacterial translocation to peripheral lymph nodes, and increased circulating levels of purine metabolites and angiopoietin-2. Commensal microbiota depletion dampened systemic pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, corrected intestinal lymphatic dysfunction, and improved survival. Foxc2 loss skewed the specialization of lymphatic endothelial subsets, leading to populations with mixed, pro-fibrotic identities and to emergence of lymph node-like endothelial cells. Our study uncovers a cross-talk between lymphatic vascular function and commensal microbiota, provides single-cell atlas of lymphatic endothelial subtypes, and reveals organ-specific and systemic effects of dysfunctional lymphatics. These effects potentially contribute to the pathogenesis of diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease, cancer, or lymphedema

STUDI ES ON NATURAL FI BERS OF BRAZI L AND GREEN COM POSI TES

Abstract: Natural resource of any country is one of the contributors for its GDP (gross domestic product). Brazil has a number of such resources, which are abundantly available and being not used to its full potential. Plant fibers belong to this category. This paper presents the data on the availability of some of the resources of such fibers, their production, structure and properties along with their present uses. It also briefly gives perspectives being used for their better utilization while giving a brief overview of the R&D carried out in the country in general and UFPR in particular in the synthesis of composites, to meet the ecological aspects and their increased use