Phase formation and physical properties of mechanically alloyed amorphous 55Mg35Ni1OSi

Amorphous 55Mg35Ni10Si alloy powder has been synthesized by mechanical alloying technique using pure Mg, Ni and Si elemental powders. The transformation of the crystalline powders into an amorphous one has been investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. The new material produced has a higher thermal stability than reported results, which is beneficial to the fabrication of Mg–Ni–Si bulk amorphous components through powder metallurgy.

Diacylglycerols from butterfat: production by Glycerolysis and short-path diltillation and analysis of physical properties

The aim of this paper was to develop a process for the production of DAG from butterfat through glycerolysis and short-path distillation and to evaluate the physical properties of the DAG in comparison with the original butterfat. Chemical glycerolysis produced a mixture of acylglycerols containing DAG together with MAG and TAG. From the mixture of glycerolysis products, MAG were removed through three consecutive distillations (vacuum <0.001 mbar) at 150°C. TAG were separated from DAG by distillation at 210°C, which gave a product with more than 80% DAG in the distillates. Distillation temperatures had significant effects on acyl migration. The formation of desirable 1,3-DAG was favored at higher temperatures. Under 210°C distillation, the equilibrium ratio of 6∶4 was obtained between 1,3-DAG and 1,2(2,3)-DAG. The FA profile of the DAG product was relatively similar to the original butterfat. The total DAG recovery was around 77% in the pilot-scale production. The different patterns of m.p. were observed between butterfat and the DAG fraction produced as well as the MAG fraction collected. Solid fat content profiles of the DAG fraction and its mixtures with rapeseed oil possessed trends similar to those of the corresponding butterfat and its mixtures with rapeseed oil. Compared with butterfat, the DAG fraction behaved differently in its thermal profiles, crystallization patterns, and rheological properties; for example, the dropping point was 13°C higher for the latter than for the former, and the crystal pattern was mostly β form for the latter, whereas the former was the β′ form.

Extruded products with Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecium) chickpea and rice: Physical properties, sensory acceptability and glycaemic index

The present study investigated the effects of fenugreek flour (Trigonella foenum-graecum) and debittered fenugreek polysaccharide (FenuLife^®) inclusion on the physical and sensory quality characteristics, and glycaemic index (GI) of chickpea–rice based extruded products. Based on preliminary evaluation with different proportions of chick pea and rice, a blend of 70:30 chickpea and rice was chosen as the control for further studies. The control blend, replaced with fenugreek flour at 2%, 5% and 10%, or fenugreek polysaccharide at 5%, 10%, 15% and 20%, was extruded at the optimum processing conditions as specified in the detailed study. The extruded products were evaluated for their physical (moisture retention, expansion, hardness, water solubility index (WSI) and water absorption index (WAI)), sensory (flavor, texture, color and overall acceptability) characteristics and in vitro GI to evaluate their suitability as extruded snack products.

Due to the distinct bitter taste, inclusion of fenugreek flour was not acceptable at levels more than 2% in extruded chickpea based products. Addition of fenugreek polysaccharide resulted in slight reduction in radial expansion (P < 0.05), while longitudinal expansion increased. WAI increased while WSI decreased compared to the control (P < 0.05). The mean scores of sensory evaluation indicated that all products containing fenugreek polysaccharide up to 15% were within the acceptable range. There were no significant differences (P > 0.05) between products containing 5–15% fenugreek polysaccharide in their color, flavor, texture and overall quality.

Fenugreek, in the form of debittered polysaccharide (FenuLife^®) could be incorporated up to a level of 15% in a chickpea–rice blend to develop snack products of acceptable physical and sensory properties with low GI Index.

Thermal and physical properties of an archetypal organic ionic plastic crystal electrolyte

The thermal and mechanical properties of the ionic plastic crystal N-methyl-N-propylpyrrolidinium hexafluorophosphate have been investigated and the effect of adding a miscible polymer on the mechanical properties is reported. The physical properties of the pure plastic crystal are discussed in detail and for the first time the change in volume with temperature for an organic ionic plastic crystal is reported. An increase in volume in conjunction with increased conductivity supports the hypothesis that ion conduction within the plastic crystal proceeds via defects. For phase I and melting, the magnitude of the volume increase does not appear to be in accord with the subtle change in conductivity. This is suggested to be due to the presence of layer defects, which allow for correlated ionic motion, which does not increase the conductivity. Addition of polymer to the plastic crystal significantly increases the mechanical strength, decreases the conductivity, but has little effect on the phase behaviour, further supporting the hypothesis of vacancy-mediated conduction.

Ionic liquid mixtures—variations in physical properties and their origins in molecular structure

In order to explore the various possible property trends in ionic liquid mixtures, five different ionic liquids were mixed with N-methyl-N-propylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide ([C₃mpyr][NTf₂]), and the viscosities, excess molar volumes, ionic conductivities, and phase diagrams of the mixtures were determined over a range of temperatures. In a number of the mixtures the crystallization of both components was completely suppressed and no melting point was observable. Such mixtures of similar ionic liquids thus have potential for use in low-temperature applications by extending the liquid range to T_g. The molar conductivities and viscosities are described as approximating predictable or “simple” mixing behaviors, while excess molar volumes were found to show a variety of mixing and nonideal mixing effects. Mixture equations for viscosity and conductivity are discussed and analyzed. An immiscibility window was observed in the trihexyl(tetradecyl)phosphonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide ([P_6,6,6,14][NTf₂]) in the [C₃mpyr][NTf₂] system in the [C₃mpyr][NTf₂]-rich region. Unusual physical properties are exhibited by miscible compositions near the demixing line. These compositions are described as [P_6,6,6,14][NTf₂]-like, even up to 0.5 mol fraction of [C₃mpyr][NTf₂].

Effect of moisture content on the physical properties of fibered flaxseed

The physical properties of fibered flaxseed were investigated within moisture content varying from 6.21 to 16.29%. The length, width, thickness and geometric mean diameter increased from 4.20 to 4.44mm, 1.99 to 2.13mm, 0.91 to 0.95mm, and 1.95 to 2.06mm, respectively in the moisture content range. One thousand seed weight increased linearly from 4.22 to 4.62g. The bulk density decreased from 726.783 to 611.872kg/m3, while the true density increased from 1165.265 to 1289.341kg/m3 in the moisture content range. The porosity values of flaxseed increased linearly from 37.67 to 52.54%. The highest static coefficient of friction was found on the plywood surface, while the lowest on the stainless steel surface. The static coefficient of friction increased from 0.467 to 0.972, 0.442 to 0.864, 0.492 to 0.927, and 0.490 to 0.845 for plywood, stainless steel, aluminum sheet and galvanized iron, respectively. The angle of repose increased linearly from 25.7° to 33.8° in the moisture content range. The results are necessary for design of equipment to handling, transportation, processing, and the storage of flaxseed.

Physical properties of novel co-woven-knitted fabrics

 Co-woven-knitted (CWK) fabrics have been reported previously. Historically these unique structures have been used to develop composite and shielding fabrics. In this study, novel CWK structures with unique appearances was developed with a modified machine using wool and polyester yarns. The physical properties of these fabrics were compared with conventional woven and knitted fabrics. The thickness of the CWK fabrics was similar to knits. The fabrics showed a unique tensile strength, with higher bending rigidity, and performed better in abrasion resistance.

Physical properties of high Li-ion content N-propyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide based ionic liquid electrolytes

Electrolytes based on bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (FSI) with a range of LiFSI salt concentrations were characterized using physical property measurements, as well as NMR, FT-IR and Raman spectroscopy. Different from the behavior at lower concentrations, the FSI electrolyte containing 1 : 1 salt to IL mole ratio showed less deviation from the KCl line in the Walden plot, suggesting greater ionic dissociation. Diffusion measurements show higher mobility of lithium ions compared to the other ions, which suggests that the partial conductivity of Li(+) is higher at this higher composition. Changes in the FT-IR and Raman peaks indicate that the cis-FSI conformation is preferred with increasing Li salt concentration.