Temperature and pressure dependence of phase separation of trans-decahydronaphthalene/polystyrene solution

The cloud-point temperatures (T-c1's) of ti-ans-decahydronaphthalene (TD)/polystyrene (PS, M-w = 270 kg/mol) solutions were determined by fight scattering measurements over a range of temperatures (1-16 degreesC), pressures (100-900 bar), and compositions (4.2-21.6 vol% polymer). The system phase separates upon cooling and the T-c1 was found to increase with the rising pressure for the constant composition. In the absence of special effects this finding indicates positive excess volumes. The special attention was paid to the demixing temperatures as a function of the pressure for the different polymer solutions and the plots in the T-volume fraction plane and P-volume fraction plane. The cloud-point curves of polymer solutions under changing pressures were observed for different compositions, demonstrates that the TD/PS system exhibits UCST (phase separation upon cooling) behavior. With this data the phase diagrams under pressure were calculated applying the Sanchez-Lacombe (SL) lattice fluid theory. Furthermore, the cause of phase separation, i.e., the influence of Flory-Huggins (FH) interaction parameter under pressure was investigated.

Formation equilibria of ternary metal complexes with citric acid and glutamine (alanine) in aqueous solution

The species and their formation constants in the ternary, systems were obtained by the Scogs2 software from potentiometric titration data. The Comics software was used to calculate the distribution of species in the ternary systems. MLXH, MLXH2 and MLXH3 are the common species in these systems. The coordination behaviors of the rare earths are very similar and their stability is closely matched. The ternary rare earth complexes are more stable than the corresponding ternary complexes of calcium. The ternary zinc complex with glutamine as the secondary ligand is more stable than the corresponding complexes of rare earths, but the ternary complex with alanine as the secondary ligand shows an inverse trend. The distributions of species in the ternary systems vary with pH changing. A prediction can be made that exogenous rare earths can affect the species of Ca and Zn in human body.

Inverted to normal phase transition in solution-cast polystyrene-poly(methyl methacrylate) block copolymer thin films

We have investigated the inverted phase formation and the transition from inverted to normal phase for a cylinder-forming polystyrene-block-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PS-b-PMMA) diblock copolymer in solution-cast films with thickness about 300 nm during the process of the solution concentrating by slow solvent evaporation. The cast solvent is 1, 1,2,2-tetrachloroethane (Tetra-CE), a good solvent for both blocks but having preferential affinity for the minority PMMA block. During such solution concentrating process, the phase behavior was examined by freeze-drying the samples at different evaporation time, corresponding to at different block copolymer concentrations, phi. As phi increases from similar to 0.1 % (nu/nu), the phase structure evolved from the disordered sphere phase (DS), consisting of random arranged spheres with the majority PS block as I core and the minority PMMA block as a corona, to ordered inverted phases including inverted spheres (IS), inverted cylinders (IC), and inverted hexagonally perforated lamellae (IHPL) with the minority PMMA block comprising the continuum phase, and then to the lamellar (LAM) phase with alternate layers of the two blocks, and finally to the normal cylinder (NC) phase with the majority PS block comprising the continuum phase. The solvent nature and the copolymer solution concentration are shown to be mainly responsible for the inverted phase formation and the phase transition process.

Crystallization and phase behavior of crystalline syndiotactic 1,2-polybutadiene/isotactic polypropylene blends in solution-cast thin films

Crystallization and phase behavior in solution-cast thin films of crystalline syndiotactic 1,2-polybutadiene (s-1,2-PB) and isotactic polypropylene (i-PP) blends have been investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) techniques. Thin films of pure s-1,2-PB consist of parallel lamellae with the c-axis perpendicular to the film plane and the lateral scale in micrometer size, while those of i-PP are composed of cross-hatched and single-crystal-like lamellae. For the blends, TEM and AFM observations show that with addition of i-PP, the s-1,2-PB long lamellae become bended and i-PP itself tends to form dispersed convex regions oil a continuous s-1,2-PB phase even when i-PP is the predominant component, which indicates a strong phase separation between the two polymers during film formation. FESEM micrographs of both lower and upper surfaces of the films reveal that the s-1,2-PB lamellae pass through i-PPconvex regions from the bottom, i.e. the dispersed i-PP regions lie on the continuous s-1,2-PB phase. The structural development is attributed to an interplay of crystallization and phase separation of the blends in the film forming process.

Rapid solution and solid phase synthesis of monodisperse oligo[(1,4-phenyleneethynylene)-alt-(2,5-thiopheneethynylene)]s

Monodisperse oligo[(1,4-phenyleneethynylene)-alt-(2,5-thiopheneethynylene)]s, new candidates for molecular wires, were rapidly synthesized via an iterative divergent/convergent doubling strategy in solution as well as on Merrifield's resin.

Study on the origin of inverted phase in drying solution-cast block copolymer films

In a previous study, we reported observation of the novel inverted phase (the minority blocks comprising the continuum phase) in kinetically controlled phase separating solution-cast poly(styrene-b-butadiene-b-styrene) (SBS) triblock copolymer films [Zhang et al. Macromolecules 2000, 33, 9561-7]. In this study, we adopt the same approach to investigate the formation of inverted phase in a series of solution-cast poly(styrene-b-butadiene) (SB) asymmetric diblock copolymers having nearly equal polystyrene (PS) weight fraction (about 30 wt %) but different molecular weights. The microstructure of the solution-cast block copolymer films resulting from different solvent evaporation rates, R, was inspected, from which the kinetically frozen-in phase structures at qualitatively different block copolymer concentrations and correspondingly different effective interaction parameter, chieff, can be deduced. Our result shows that there is a threshold molecular weight or range of molecular weight below which the unusual inverted phase is accessible by controlling the solvent evaporation rate. In comparing the present result with that of our previous study on the SBS triblock copolymer, we find that the formation of the inverted phase has little bearing on the chain architecture. We performed numerical calculations for the free energy of block copolymer cylinders and found that the normal phase is always preferred irrespective of the interaction parameter and molecular weight, which suggests the formation of the inverted phase to have a kinetic origin.

Statistical thermodynamics of polydisperse polymer systems in the framework of lattice fluid model: Effect of molecular weight and its distribution on the spinodal in polymer solution

With the aid of thermodynamics of Gibbs, the expression of the spinodal was derived for the polydisperse polymer-solvent system in the framework of Sanchez-Lacombe Lattice Fluid Theory (SLLFT). For convenience, we considered that a model polydisperse polymer contains three sub-components. According to our calculation, the spinodal depends on both weight-average ((M) over bar (w)) and number-average ((M) over bar (n)) molecular weights of the polydisperse polymer, but the z-average molecular weight ((M) over bar (z)) dependence on the spinodal is invisible. The dependence of free volume on composition, temperature, molecular weight, and its distribution results in the effect of (M) over bar (n) on the spinodal. Moreover, it has been found that the effect of changing (M) over bar (w) on the spinodal is much bigger than that of changing (M) over bar (n) and the extrema of the spinodal increases with the rise of the weight-average molecular weight of the polymer in the solutions with upper critical solution temperature (UCST). However, the effect of polydispersity on the spinodal can be neglected for the polymer with a considerably high weight-average molecular weight. A more simple expression of the spinodal for the polydisperse polymer solution in the framework of SLLFT was also derived under the assumption of upsilon(*)=upsilon(1)(*)=upsilon(2)(*) and (1/r(1)(0))-(1/r(2i)(0))-->(1/r(1)(0)).

An Analytical Solution for Three-Dimensional Diffraction of Plane P-Waves by a Hemispherical Alluvial Valley with Saturated Soil Deposits

An analytical solution for the three-dimensional scattering and diffraction of plane P-waves by a hemispherical alluvial valley with saturated soil deposits is developed by employing Fourier-Bessel series expansion technique. Unlike previous studies, in which the saturated soil deposits were simulated with the single-phase elastic theory, in this paper, they are simulated with Biot's dynamic theory for saturated porous media, and the half space is assumed as a single-phase elastic medium. The effects of the dimensionless frequency, the incidence angle of P-wave and the porosity of soil deposits on the surface displacement magnifications of the hemispherical alluvial valley are investigated. Numerical results show that the existence of a saturated hemispherical alluvial valley has much influence on the surface displacement magnifications. It is more reasonable to simulate soil deposits with Biot's dynamic theory when evaluating the displacement responses of a hemispherical alluvial valley with an incidence of P-waves.

Nonequilibrium microstructures and phase evolutions of an iron-based laser clad coating

The microstructural and compositional features of the laser-solidified microstructures and phase evolutions occurring during high temperature tempering were investigated by using analytical electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray analysis. The cladded alloy, a powder mixture of Fe, Cr, W, Ni and C with a weight ratio of 10:5:1:1:1, was processed with a 3 kW continuous wave CO2 laser. The cladded coating possessed the hypoeutectic microstructure of the primary dendritic gamma-austenite and interdendritic eutectic consisting of (gamma+M7C3). The gamma-austenite is a nonequilibrium phase with extended solid solution of alloying elements. And, a great deal of fine structures, i.e., a high density of dislocations, twins, and stacking faults existed in austenite phase. During high temperature aging, the precipitation of M23C6, MC and M2C in austenite and in situ transformation of M7C3(+gamma) --> M23C6 and M7C3+gamma --> M6C occurred. The laser clad coating revealed an evident secondary hardening and superior impact wear resistance.

Rapidly solidified nonequilibrium microstructure and phase transformation of laser-synthesized iron-based alloy coating

The rapidly solidified microstructural and compositional features, the precipitation and transformation of carbides during tempering, and the impact wear resistance of an iron-based alloy coating prepared by laser cladding are investigated. The clad coating alloy, a powder mixture of Fe, Cr, W, Ni, and C with a weight ratio of 10:5:1.1.1, is processed using a continuous wave CO, laser. Microstructural studies demonstrate that the coating possesses the hypoeutectic microstructure comprising the primary dendritic gamma-austenite and interdendritic eutectic consisting of gamma-austenite and M7C3 carbides. gamma-Austenite is a non-equilibrium phase with an extended solid solution of alloying elements. During high temperature tempering at 963 K for 1 h, the precipitation of M23C6, MC and M2C carbides in austenite and in situ carbide transformation of M7C3 to M23C6 and M7C3 to M6C respectively are observed. In addition, the microstructure of the laser-clad coating reveals an evident secondary hardening and a superior impact wear resistance.

Preparation And Optical Properties Of Cdte/Cdo Center Dot Nh(2)O Core/Shell Nano-Composites In Aqueous Solution

The deposition of CdO center dot nH(2)O On CdTe nanoparticles was studied in an aqueous phase. The CdTe nanocrystals (NCs) were prepared in aqueous solution through the reaction between Cd2+ and NaHTe in the presence of thioglycolic acid as a stabilizer. The molar ratio of the Cd2+ to Te2- in the precursory solution played an important role in the photoluminescence of the ultimate CdTe NCs. The strongest photoluminescence was obtained under 4.0 of [Cd2+]/[Te2-] at pH similar to 8.2. With the optimum dosage of Cd(II) hydrous oxide deposited on the CdTe NCs, the photoluminescence was enhanced greatly. The photoluminescence of these nanocomposites was kept constant in the pH range of 8.0-10.0, but dramatically decreased with an obvious blue-shifted peak while the pH was below 8.0. In addition, the photochemical oxidation of CdTe NCs with cadmium hydrous oxide deposition was markedly inhibited.

Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy Of Peo Coating On Aluminum Alloy In Nacl Solution

Various Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation (PEO) ceramic coatings were prepared on LY12 aluminum alloy by adjusting the concentration of sodium silicate solution. Optical microscope (OM), XRD and EIS were used to study their morphology, composition and anti corrosion behavior in NaCl solution. Increasing concentration of sodium silicate leads to the increase of the total coating thickness while too high and too low concentration lead to the decrease of inner dense layer. The main composition of PEO coatings prepared in 20, 40 and above 60g/L concentration solution are correspondingly alumina, alumina with mullite, and amorphous phase. The corrosion resistance is determined by the inner dense layer. Increasing the thickness of inner dense layer can improve the anti-corrosion performance. PEO coating's corrosion resistance in acidic, alkaline and neutral NaCl solution is proved and the corrosion mechanism involved is also discussed.

Shock-induced two-phase flows in an aligned baffle system filled with suspended particles

This paper describes the shock propagation through a dilute gas-particle suspension in an aligned baffle system. Numerical solution to two-phase flows induced by a planar shock wave is given based on the two-continuum model with interphase coupling. The governing equations are numerically solved by using high-resolution schemes. The computational results show the shock reflection and diffraction patterns, and the shock-induced flow fields in the 4-baffle system filled with the dusty gas.

The Effect of the Thickness of Fe2 Al5 Phase Layer at Fe/Al Interface on the Mechanics Behavior of Hot Dip Aluminizing Coating

Hot Dip Aluminized Coatings with different thickness were prepared on Q235 steel in aluminum solutions with different temperature for certain time. Through tensile tests and in-situ SEM observations, the effect of the coating's microstructure on the tensile strength of the samples was studied. It was disclosed at certain aluminum solution temperature,transaction layers mainly composed of Fe2 Al5 phase got thicker with time prolonging, and this changed initial crack's extending direction from parallel with to vertical with stretching direction. The change in crack direction decreased tensile strength of samples, thus made the coating easy to break. It was concluded that the existence of thick Fe2 Al5 phase layer was the basic reason for the lowering of tensile strength of the coating.

Preparation and optical properties of CdTe/CdO center dot nH(2)O core/shell nano-composites in aqueous solution

The deposition of CdO center dot nH(2)O On CdTe nanoparticles was studied in an aqueous phase. The CdTe nanocrystals (NCs) were prepared in aqueous solution through the reaction between Cd2+ and NaHTe in the presence of thioglycolic acid as a stabilizer. The molar ratio of the Cd2+ to Te2- in the precursory solution played an important role in the photoluminescence of the ultimate CdTe NCs. The strongest photoluminescence was obtained under 4.0 of [Cd2+]/[Te2-] at pH similar to 8.2. With the optimum dosage of Cd(II) hydrous oxide deposited on the CdTe NCs, the photoluminescence was enhanced greatly. The photoluminescence of these nanocomposites was kept constant in the pH range of 8.0-10.0, but dramatically decreased with an obvious blue-shifted peak while the pH was below 8.0. In addition, the photochemical oxidation of CdTe NCs with cadmium hydrous oxide deposition was markedly inhibited.