Chitosan Derivatives/Calcium Carbonate Composite Capsules Prepared by the Layer-by-Layer Deposition Method

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Takashi Sasaki

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Core/shell capsules composed of calcium carbonate whisker core (rod-like shape and chitosan/chitosansulfate shell were prepared by the layer-by-layer deposition technique. Two chitosan samples of different molecular weights (Mw=9.7×104 and 1.09×106g·mol-1 were used as original materials. Hollow capsules were also obtained by dissolution of the core in hydrochloric acid. Electron microscopy revealed that the surface of the shell is rather ragged associated with some agglomerates. The shell thickness l obeys a linear relation with respect to the number of deposited layers m as l=md+a(a>0. The values of d (thickness per layer were 4.0 and 1.0 nm for the higher and lower Mw chitosan materials, respectively, both of which are greater than the thickness of the monolayer. The results suggest that the feature of the deposition does not obey an ideal homogeneous monolayer-by-monolayer deposition mechanism. Shell crosslinked capsules were also prepared via photodimerization reaction of cinnamoyl groups after a deposition of cinnamoyl chitosan to the calcium carbonate whisker core. The degree of crosslink was not enough to stabilize the shell structure, and hollow capsule was not obtained.

Preparation of U-Si/U-Me (Me = Fe, Ni, Mn) aluminum-dispersion plate-type fuel (miniplates) for capsule irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ugajin, Mitsuhiro; Itoh, Akinori; Akabori, Mitsuo

1993-06-01

Details of equipment installed, method adopted and final products were described on the preparation of uranium silicides and other fuels for capsule irradiation. Main emphasis was placed on the preparation of laboratory-scale aluminum-dispersion plate-type fuel (miniplates) loaded to the first and second JMTR silicide capsules. Fuels contained in the capsules are as follows: (A) uranium-silicide base alloys U 3 Si 2 , Mo- added U 3 Si 2 , U 3 Si 2 +U 3 Si, U 3 Si 2 +USi, U 3 Si, U 3 (Si 0.8 Ge 0.2 ), U 3 (Si 0.6 Ge 0.4 ) (B) U 6 Me-type alloys with higher uranium density U 6 Mn, U 6 Ni, U 6 (Fe 0.4 Ni 0.6 ), U 6 (Fe 0.6 Mn 0.4 ) The powder-metallurgical picture-frame method was adopted and laboratory-scale technique was established for the preparation of miniplates. As a result of inspection for capsule irradiation, miniplates were prepared to meet the requirements of specification. (author)

Preparation and its drug release property of radiation-polymerized poly(methyl methacrylate) capsule including potassium chloride

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshida, Masaru; Kumakura, Minoru; Kaetsu, Isao

1979-01-01

Porous flat circular capsules including KCl as a drug were prepared by radiation-induced polymerization of methyl methacrylate at room temperature in the presence of polyethylene glycol No. 600. The porous structure can be controlled by the methyl methacrylate-polyethylene glycol No. 600 composition. The amount of drug released was linearly related to the square root of time. The magnitude of drug release increased roughly in proportional to the water content of capsule, which can be related to porosity in the capsule. (author)

Preparation of functions of computer code GENGTC and improvement for two-dimensional heat transfer calculations for irradiation capsules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nomura, Yasushi; Someya, Hiroyuki; Ito, Haruhiko.

1992-11-01

Capsules for irradiation tests in the JMTR (Japan Materials Testing Reactor), consist of irradiation specimens surrounded by a cladding tube, holders, an inner tube and a container tube (from 30mm to 65mm in diameter). And the annular gaps between these structural materials in the capsule are filled with liquids or gases. Cooling of the capsule is done by reactor primary coolant flowing down outside the capsule. Most of the heat generated by fission in fuel specimens and gamma absorption in structural materials is directed radially to the capsule container outer surface. In thermal performance calculations for capsule design, an one(r)-dimensional heat transfer computer code entitled (Generalyzed Gap Temperature Calculation), GENGTC, originally developed in Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S.A., has been frequently used. In designing a capsule, are needed many cases of parametric calculations with respect to changes materials and gap sizes. And in some cases, two(r,z)-dimensional heat transfer calculations are needed for irradiation test capsules with short length fuel rods. Recently the authors improved the original one-dimensional code GENGTC, (1) to simplify preparation of input data, (2) to perform automatic calculations for parametric survey based on design temperatures, ect. Moreover, the computer code has been improved to perform r-z two-dimensional heat transfer calculation. This report describes contents of the preparation of the one-dimensional code GENGTC and the improvement for the two-dimensional code GENGTC-2, together with their code manuals. (author)

Red blood cells and polyelectrolyte multilayer capsules: natural carriers versus polymer-based drug delivery vehicles.

Science.gov (United States)

Kolesnikova, Tatiana A; Skirtach, Andre G; Möhwald, Helmuth

2013-01-01

Red blood cells (RBCs) and lipid-based carriers on the one hand and polymeric capsules on the other hand represent two of the most widely used carriers in drug delivery. Each class of these carriers has its own set of properties, specificity and advantages. Thorough comparative studies of such systems are reported here for the first time. In this review, RBCs are described in comparison with synthetic polymeric drug delivery vehicles using polyelectrolyte multilayer capsules as an example. Lipid-based composition of the shell in the former case is particularly attractive due to their inherent biocompatibility and flexibility of the carriers. On the other hand, synthetic approaches to fabrication of polyelectrolyte multilayer capsules permit manipulation of the permeability of their shell as well as tuning their composition, mechanical properties, release methods and targeting. In conclusion, properties of RBCs and polyelectrolyte multilayer capsules are reported here highlighting similarities and differences in their preparation and applications. In addition, their advantages and disadvantages are discussed.

Capsules with evolving brittleness to resist the preparation of self-healing concrete

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gruyaert, E.

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Capsules for self-healing concrete have to possess multifunctional properties and it would be an enormous advantage in the valorization process when they could also be mixed in. Therefore, we aimed to develop capsules with evolving brittleness. Capsules with high initial flexibility were prepared by adding a plasticizer to an ethyl cellulose matrix. During hardening of the concrete, the plasticizing agent should leach out to the moist environment yielding more brittle capsules which break upon crack appearance. The tested capsules could easily be mixed in during concrete production. However, incompatibility issues between the capsule wall and the inner polymeric healing agent appeared. Moreover, the capsules became insufficiently brittle and the bond strength to the cementitious matrix was too weak. Consequently, multilayer capsules were tested. These capsules had a high impact resistance to endure concrete mixing and were able to break upon crack formation.Las cápsulas para la auto-reparación del hormigón tienen que poseer propiedades multifuncionales. Una enorme ventaja en el proceso para su valorización se obtendría si aquellas pudieran resistir con éxito el mezclado. Por lo tanto, nos propusimos desarrollar cápsulas cuya fragilidad evoluciona. Cápsulas con una alta flexibilidad inicial se prepararon mediante la adición de un plastificante a una matriz de etil celulosa. Durante el endurecimiento del hormigón, el agente plastificante debe filtrarse hacia el medio ambiente húmedo produciendo cápsulas más frágiles que se rompen con el surgimiento de fisuras. Las cápsulas pudieron ser fácilmente mezcladas durante la producción de hormigón. Sin embargo, aparecieron problemas de incompatibilidad entre la pared de la cápsula y el agente de curación polimérico interior. Por otra parte, las cápsulas se comportaron insuficientemente frágiles y con una baja adherencia hacia la matriz cementicia. En consecuencia, se probaron las c

Polymers preparation under methane plasma environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Wubao; Cai Zeyong; Zhao Zhen; Qi Lu

2008-01-01

Polymers are prepared under methane plasma environment, and appear to be white, slightly yellow, soft thread-like powders and floc under optical microscope. The polymers contain --CH 3 , -CH 2 , C-O, -C=C-,-OH etc. functional groups, but no simplex carbons. It is found that the solubility of this polymer is less than 0.1mg·ml -1 in different organic solvent. The productivity of the polymers is higher under a plasma environment with higher ionization, higher polarization of neutral gas, lower environment temperature and less permittivity. (authors)

Preparing high-density polymer brushes by mechanically assisted polymer assembly (MAPA)

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Tao; Efimenko, Kirill; Genzer, Jan

2001-03-01

We introduce a novel method of modifying the surface properties of materials. This technique, called MAPA (="mechanically assisted polymer assembly"), is based on: 1) chemically attaching polymerization initiators to the surface of an elastomeric network that has been previously stretched by a certain length, Δx, and 2) growing end-anchored macromolecules using surface initiated ("grafting from") atom transfer living radical polymerization. After the polymerization, the strain is removed from the substrate, which returns to its original size causing the grafted macromolecules to stretch away from the substrate and form a dense polymer brush. We demonstrate the feasibility of the MAPA method by preparing high-density polymer brushes of poly(acryl amide), PAAm. We show that, as expected, the grafting density of the PAAm brushes can be increased by increasing Δx. We demonstrate that polymer brushes with extremely high grafting densities can be successfully prepared by MAPA.

Progress in Preparation of Monodisperse Polymer Microspheres

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hongyan

2017-12-01

The monodisperse crosslinked polymer microspheres have attracted much attention because of their superior thermal and solvent resistance, mechanical strength, surface activity and adsorption properties. They are of wide prospects for using in many fields such as biomedicine, electronic science, information technology, analytical chemistry, standard measurement and environment protection etc. Functional polymer microspheres prepared by different methods have the outstanding surface property, quantum size effect and good potential future in applications with its designable structure, controlled size and large ratio of surface to volume. Scholars of all over the world have focused on this hot topic. The preparation method and research progress in functional polymer microspheres are addressed in the paper.

Relative bioavailability of itraconazole from an extemporaneously prepared suspension and from the marketed capsules.

Science.gov (United States)

Christensen, K J; Gubbins, P O; Gurley, B J; Bowman, J L; Buice, R G

1998-02-01

The bioavailability of itraconazole from an extemporaneously prepared suspension was compared with its bioavailability from the commercially available capsules. Ten healthy volunteers were fed breakfast and were then randomly assigned to receive either 400 mg of itraconazole 40-mg/mL oral suspension or four 100-mg itraconazole capsules with 240 mL of water. They were not allowed to rest in a supine position for six hours, eat for four hours, or take any beverages for two hours post-dose. Blood samples were taken immediately after the subjects had eaten and at intervals up to 72 hours post-dose. Serum was separated and stored at -70 degrees C. Serum itraconazole and hydroxyitraconazole concentrations were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. After 14 days, each subject was given the dosage form that he or she did not previously receive, and testing was repeated. Maximum concentration (Cmax) and time to reach maximum concentration (tmax) were determined, and the area under the serum concentration-versus-time curve from 0 to 72 hours (AUC0-72) was estimated. The suspension:capsule ratios of least-squares means for Cmax, tmax, and AUC0-72 for itraconazole were 0.15 (90% confidence interval [CI], 0.11-0.21), 0.95 (90% CI, 0.75-1.20), and 0.12 (9% CI, 0.06-0.23), respectively. The results for hydroxyitraconazole were similar: 0.19 (0.13-0.28), 0.95 (0.81-1.12), and 0.13 (0.07-0.23), respectively. The bioavailability of itraconazole from the extemporaneously prepared suspension is much lower than that from capsules.

Preparation of sustained release capsules by electrostatic dry powder coating, using traditional dip coating as reference.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yan; Shen, Lian; Yuan, Feng; Fu, Hui; Shan, Weiguang

2018-05-30

Lately, a great deal of attention is being paid to capsule coating, since the coat protects active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) from damage, as is in the case of tablet and pellet. However, moisture and heat sensitivity of gelatin shells make it challenging to coat capsules using the conventional aqueous coating techniques. In an effort to overcome this challenge, the present study aims to coat capsules using two different coating techniques: electrostatic dry powder coating (EDPC) and dip coating (DC). Both capsule coatings and free films were prepared by these two coating techniques, and the effects of coating formulations and processing conditions on the film quality were investigated. The corresponding drug in vitro release and mechanisms were characterized and compared. The results of dissolution tests demonstrated that the drug release behavior of both EDPC and DC coated capsules could be optimized to a sustained release of 24 h, following the Fick's diffusion law. The results of this study suggest that EDPC method is better than DC method for coating capsules, with respect to the higher production efficiency and better stability, indicating that this dry coating technology has promised in gelatin capsule coating applications. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Preparation of conjugated polymer suspensions by using ultrasonic atomizer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tada, Kazuya, E-mail: tada@eng.u-hyogo.ac.jp; Onoda, Mitsuyoshi

2010-11-30

The electrophoretic deposition is a method useful to prepare conjugated polymer films for electronic devices. This method provides high material recovery rate on the substrate from the suspension, in contrast to the conventional spin-coating in which most of the material placed on the substrate is blown away. Although manual reprecipitation technique successfully yields suspensions of various conjugated polymers including polyfluorene derivatives, it is favorable to control the preparation process of suspensions. In this context, this paper reports preliminary results on the preparation of suspension of conjugated polymer by using an ultrasonic atomizer. While the resultant films do not show particular difference due to the preparation methods of the suspension, the electric current profiles during the electrophoretic deposition suggests that the ultrasonic atomization of polymer solution prior to be mixed with poor solvent results in smaller and less uniform colloidal particles than the conventional manual pouring method.

COATING AND MANDREL EFFECTS ON FABRICATION OF GLOW DISCHARGE POLYMER NIF SCALE INDIRECT DRIVE CAPSULES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

NIKROO, A.; PONTELANDOLFO, J.M.; CASTILLO, E.R.

2002-01-01

OAK A271 COATING AND MANDREL EFFECTS ON FABRICATION OF GLOW DISCHARGE POLYMER NIF SCALE INDIRECT DRIVE CAPSULES. Targets for the National Ignition Facility (NIF) need to be about 200 (micro)m thick and 2 mm in diameter. These dimensions are well beyond those currently fabricated on a routine basis. They have investigated fabrication of near NIF scale targets using the depolymerizable mandrel technique. Poly-alpha-methylstyrene (PAMS) mandrels, about 2 mm in diameter, of varying qualities were coated with as much as 125 (micro)m of glow discharge polymer (GDP). The surface finish of the final shells was examined using a variety of techniques. A clear dependence of the modal spectrum of final GDP shell on the quality of the initial PAMS mandrels was observed. isolated features were found to be the greatest cause for a shell not meeting the NIF standard

Mutations blocking side chain assembly, polymerization, or transport of a Wzy-dependent Streptococcus pneumoniae capsule are lethal in the absence of suppressor mutations and can affect polymer transfer to the cell wall.

Science.gov (United States)

Xayarath, Bobbi; Yother, Janet

2007-05-01

Extracellular polysaccharides of many bacteria are synthesized by the Wzy polymerase-dependent mechanism, where long-chain polymers are assembled from undecaprenyl-phosphate-linked repeat units on the outer face of the cytoplasmic membrane. In gram-positive bacteria, Wzy-dependent capsules remain largely cell associated via membrane and peptidoglycan linkages. Like many Wzy-dependent capsules, the Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 2 capsule is branched. In this study, we found that deletions of cps2K, cps2J, or cps2H, which encode a UDP-glucose dehydrogenase necessary for side chain synthesis, the putative Wzx transporter (flippase), and the putative Wzy polymerase, respectively, were obtained only in the presence of suppressor mutations. Most of the suppressor mutations were in cps2E, which encodes the initiating glycosyltransferase for capsule synthesis. The cps2K mutants containing the suppressor mutations produced low levels of high-molecular-weight polymer that was detected only in membrane fractions. cps2K-repaired mutants exhibited only modest increases in capsule production due to the effect of the secondary mutation, but capsule was detectable in both membrane and cell wall fractions. Lethality of the cps2K, cps2J, and cps2H mutations was likely due to sequestration of undecaprenyl-phosphate in the capsule pathway and either preclusion of its turnover for utilization in essential pathways or destabilization of the membrane due to an accumulation of lipid-linked intermediates. The results demonstrate that proper polymer assembly requires not only a functional transporter and polymerase but also complete repeat units. A central role for the initiating glycosyltransferase in controlling capsule synthesis is also suggested.

A simple method for preparing radioactive capsules in colon transit study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Shyhjen; Lin Wanyu; Tsai Shihchuan; Chen Granhun

2000-01-01

Colon transit study is currently performed by delivering technetium-99m or indium-111 labelled activated charcoal to the colon in a methacrylate-coated capsule (coated capsule). However, the coating procedure is complicated and methacrylate has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Therefore, a simpler method is needed for the clinical routine use of colon transit study. In this study, we used a commercial empty enteric capsule and a coated capsule for the measurement of colon transit time. We compared the in vitro stability and in vivo scintigraphy of 99m Tc-labelled activated charcoal in the coated capsule and the enteric capsule to evaluate the possibility of clinical usage of the enteric capsule for colon transit time study. Activated charcoal powder was mixed with 99m Tc-diethylene triamine penta-acetic acid (DTPA) and vaporized to dryness. The dry 99m Tc-DTPA activated charcoal was loaded into the coated capsule and the enteric capsule. In vitro stability study was performed by immersing these capsules in a colourless buffer of variable pH which mimicked the conditions in the stomach and the small bowel. Capsule disruption was determined. Colon transit scintigraphy with 99m Tc-DTPA charcoal was performed in five normal volunteers using these two capsules. The in vitro stability of these two types of capsule was similar and the colon transit scintigraphy findings were almost identical. Most capsules dissolved in the ascending colon and very few in the terminal ileum. It is concluded that enteric capsule is a suitable alternative to coated capsule for measurement of colon transit. (orig.)

A Novel Preparation Method of Two Polymer Dyes with Low Cytotoxicity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dongjun Lv

2017-02-01

Full Text Available A new preparation method of polymer dyes was developed to improve both the grafting degree of the azo dyes onto O-carboxymethyl chitosan (OMCS and the water solubility of prepared polymer dyes. Firstly, the coupling compound of two azo edible colorants, sunset yellow (SY and allura red (AR, was grafted onto OMCS, and then coupled with their diazonium salt. The chemical structure of prepared polymer dyes was determined by Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy and 1H-NMR, and the results showed that the two azo dyes were successfully grafted onto OMCS. The grafting degree onto OMCS and the water solubility of polymer dyes were tested, and the results showed that they were both improved as expected. The UV-vis spectra analysis results showed that the prepared polymer dyes showed similar color performance with the original azo dyes. Eventually, the cytotoxicity of prepared polymer dyes was tested and compared with the original azo dyes by a cytotoxicity test on human liver cell lines LO2, and the results showed that their grafting onto OMCS significantly reduced the cytotoxicity.

PREPARATION OF A POLYMER ARTICLE FOR SELECTIVE METALLIZATION

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2008-01-01

The present invention relates to the field of selective metallization, and in particular to preparing a polymer article for selective metallization by submerging the article in a first liquid, and while submergedirradiate the article by a laser beam the area of the article on which the metal...... is to be deposited. An activation step, prior to the selective metallization, comprises submerging the article in an activation liquid for depositing seedparticles in the selected area. The irradiation of the selected area is proportionate so as to cause a temporary meltingof the polymer in the surface...... of the selected area of the polymer article. The invention is advantageous in that the preparation may be performed with a relatively high scan rate across the polymer article, and in that a quite limited use of toxic chemicals....

Preparation of pinewood/polymer/composites using gamma irradiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ajji, Zaki [Polymer Technology Division, Department of Radiation Technology, Atomic Energy Commission, P.O. Box 6091, Damascus (Syrian Arab Republic)]. E-mail: atomic@aec.org.sy

2006-09-15

Wood/polymer composites (WPC) have been prepared from pinewood with different compounds using gamma irradiation: butyl acrylate, butyl methacrylate, styrene, acrylamide, acrylonitrile, and unsaturated polyester styrene resin. The polymer loading was determined with respect to the compound concentration and the irradiation dose. The polymer loading increases generally with increase in the monomer or polymer concentration. Tensile and compression strength have been improved in the four cases, but no improvement was observed using unsaturated polyester styrene resin or acrylamide.

Klucel™ EF and ELF polymers for immediate-release oral dosage forms prepared by melt extrusion technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohammed, Noorullah Naqvi; Majumdar, Soumyajit; Singh, Abhilasha; Deng, Weibin; Murthy, Narasimha S; Pinto, Elanor; Tewari, Divya; Durig, Thomas; Repka, Michael A

2012-12-01

The objective of this research work was to evaluate Klucel™ hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC) EF and ELF polymers, for solubility enhancement as well as to address some of the disadvantages associated with solid dispersions. Ketoprofen (KPR), a Biopharmaceutics Classification System class II drug with poor solubility, was utilized as a model compound. Preliminary thermal studies were performed to confirm formation of a solid solution/dispersion of KPR in HPC matrix and also to establish processing conditions for hot-melt extrusion. Extrudates pelletized and filled into capsules exhibited a carrier-dependent release with ELF polymer exhibiting a faster release. Tablets compressed from milled extrudates exhibited rapid release owing to the increased surface area of the milled extrudate. Addition of mannitol (MNT) further enhanced the release by forming micro-pores and increasing the porosity of the extrudates. An optimized tablet formulation constituting KPR, MNT, and ELF in a 1:1:1 ratio exhibited 90% release in 15 min similar to a commercial capsule formulation. HPC polymers are non-ionic hydrophilic polymers that undergo polymer-chain-length-dependent solubilization and can be used to enhance solubility or dissolution rate of poorly soluble drugs. Dissolution/release rate could be tailored for rapid-release applications by selecting a suitable HPC polymer and altering the final dosage form. The release obtained from pellets was carrier-dependent and not drug-dependent, and hence, such a system can be effectively utilized to address solubility or precipitation issues with poorly soluble drugs in the gastrointestinal environment.

Microcapsules with a pH responsive polymer: influence of the encapsulated oil on the capsule morphology.

Science.gov (United States)

Wagdare, Nagesh A; Marcelis, Antonius T M; Boom, Remko M; van Rijn, Cees J M

2011-11-01

Microcapsules were prepared by microsieve membrane cross flow emulsification of Eudragit FS 30D/dichloromethane/edible oil mixtures in water, and subsequent phase separation induced by extraction of the dichloromethane through an aqueous phase. For long-chain triglycerides and jojoba oil, core-shell particles were obtained with the oil as core, surrounded by a shell of Eudragit. Medium chain triglyceride (MCT oil) was encapsulated as relatively small droplets in the Eudragit matrix. The morphology of the formed capsules was investigated with optical and SEM microscopy. Extraction of the oil from the core-shell capsules with hexane resulted in hollow Eudragit capsules with porous shells. It was shown that the differences are related to the compatibility of the oils with the shell-forming Eudragit. An oil with poor compatibility yields microcapsules with a dense Eudragit shell on a single oil droplet as the core; oils having better compatibility yield porous Eudragit spheres with several oil droplets trapped inside. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mutations Blocking Side Chain Assembly, Polymerization, or Transport of a Wzy-Dependent Streptococcus pneumoniae Capsule Are Lethal in the Absence of Suppressor Mutations and Can Affect Polymer Transfer to the Cell Wall▿

OpenAIRE

Xayarath, Bobbi; Yother, Janet

2007-01-01

Extracellular polysaccharides of many bacteria are synthesized by the Wzy polymerase-dependent mechanism, where long-chain polymers are assembled from undecaprenyl-phosphate-linked repeat units on the outer face of the cytoplasmic membrane. In gram-positive bacteria, Wzy-dependent capsules remain largely cell associated via membrane and peptidoglycan linkages. Like many Wzy-dependent capsules, the Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 2 capsule is branched. In this study, we found that deletions ...

Actinic-radiation curable polymers prepared from a reactive polymer, halogenated cyclic anhydride and glycidyl ester

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pastor, S.D.

1979-01-01

A novel class of photosensitive polymers are disclosed which are prepared by the reaction, preferably in the presence of a catalyst, of a reactive polymer, a halogenated cyclic anhydride and glycidyl ester of an alpha, beta-unsaturated carboxylic acid. These polymers are capable of undergoing vinyl-type polymerization when exposed to actinic radiation

Influence of different excipients on the properties of hard gelatin capsules with metamizole sodium

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rogowska Magdalena

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Metamizole is an effective non-opioid analgesic drug used in the treatment of acute and chronic pain. Due to induced potentially life-threatening blood disorders, metamizole was withdrawn from market in many parts of the world, however, it is one of the most popular analgesics in Poland that is available as an over the counter drug. Patients tend to prefer capsules over tablets, as they are easier to swallow and taste better. The powder-filled capsules also have greater bioavailability and require less excipients, as compared to tablets. Polymic excipients are mainly used in capsule filling, and have influence upon the physico-chemical properties of the hard gelatin capsules and the powder formulation. The aim of the study was to determine whether various combinations of polymers impact the disintegration time and pharmaceutical availability of hard gelatin capsules with metamizole sodium. The results of our work demonstrated that the 80% of all active substance was released in all tested formulations within 15 minutes. Herein, the capsule containing lactose monohydrate had the longest release (4% after 2 min., while capsules containing mannitol had the fastest release (81.2% after 2 min.. Moreover, the addition of HPMC to capsules with lactose brought about a slight increase in the metamizole release rate, while the addition of PVP 30 to capsules with microcrystalline cellulose slightly accelerated release. This data suggests that the use of different polymers in capsules formulation brings about changes in the physical properties of powders and modifies the release profile of metamizole. In our study, the most preferred formulation was one containing microcrystalline cellulose (good powder properties and fairly fast release.

Preparation and properties of the magnetic absorbent polymer via the chemical transformation process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Shengyu, E-mail: liusytyut@sina.com [Department of Mineral Processing, College of Mining Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024 (China); Key Laboratory of In-situ Property-improving Mining of Ministry of Education, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024 (China); Zhang, Suhong, E-mail: zhangsh04@sina.com [Department of Mineral Processing, College of Mining Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024 (China); Guo, Jianying; Wen, Jing; Qiao, Yan [Department of Mineral Processing, College of Mining Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024 (China)

2017-01-15

Magnetic polyacrylic acid sodium polymer (MPAAS) was prepared by chemical transformation method. Key parameters were investigated in the synthesis process of the magnetic polymer and an optimum preparation condition was gained. The structure of the magnetic polymer was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectrosocopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Magnetic property of the magnetic polymer was measured by the magnet and superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). Both the swelling ratio and kinetics and the water retention ratio and kinetics were investigated. Based on the results, it can be gained that both swelling rate and equilibrium swelling rate were lowered after magnetization while the water retention ability of the magnetic polymer is stronger than that of the polymer. - Highlights: • The preparation mechanism of the magnetic polymer was proposed. • The magnetic property of the magnetic polymer was related to reaction conditions. • Swelling ratio and kinetics of polymer and magnetic polymer were studied. • Water retention ratio and kinetics of polymer and magnetic polymer were studied.

Preparation and properties of the magnetic absorbent polymer via the chemical transformation process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Shengyu; Zhang, Suhong; Guo, Jianying; Wen, Jing; Qiao, Yan

2017-01-01

Magnetic polyacrylic acid sodium polymer (MPAAS) was prepared by chemical transformation method. Key parameters were investigated in the synthesis process of the magnetic polymer and an optimum preparation condition was gained. The structure of the magnetic polymer was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectrosocopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Magnetic property of the magnetic polymer was measured by the magnet and superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). Both the swelling ratio and kinetics and the water retention ratio and kinetics were investigated. Based on the results, it can be gained that both swelling rate and equilibrium swelling rate were lowered after magnetization while the water retention ability of the magnetic polymer is stronger than that of the polymer. - Highlights: • The preparation mechanism of the magnetic polymer was proposed. • The magnetic property of the magnetic polymer was related to reaction conditions. • Swelling ratio and kinetics of polymer and magnetic polymer were studied. • Water retention ratio and kinetics of polymer and magnetic polymer were studied.

Electrocatalysts using porous polymers and method of preparation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Di-Jia; Yuan, Shengwen; Goenaga, Gabriel A.

2016-08-02

A method of producing an electrocatalyst article using porous polymers. The method creates a porous polymer designed to receive transition metal groups disposed at ligation sites and activating the transition metals to form an electrocatalyst which can be used in a fuel cell. Electrocatalysts prepared by this method are also provided. A fuel cell which includes the electrocatalyst is also provided.

Electrocatalysts using porous polymers and method of preparation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Di-Jia; Yuan, Shengwen; Goenaga, Gabriel A.

2015-04-21

A method of producing an electrocatalyst article using porous polymers. The method creates a porous polymer designed to receive transition metal groups disposed at ligation sites and activating the transition metals to form an electrocatalyst which can be used in a fuel cell. Electrocatalysts prepared by this method are also provided. A fuel cell which includes the electrocatalyst is also provided.

One-step preparation of antimicrobial silver nanoparticles in polymer matrix

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lyutakov, O., E-mail: lyutakoo@vscht.cz; Kalachyova, Y. [Institute of Chemical Technology, Department of Solid State Engineering (Czech Republic); Solovyev, A. [Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals of the ASCR (Czech Republic); Vytykacova, S. [Institute of Chemical Technology, Department of Glass and Ceramics (Czech Republic); Svanda, J.; Siegel, J. [Institute of Chemical Technology, Department of Solid State Engineering (Czech Republic); Ulbrich, P. [Institute of Chemical Technology, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology (Czech Republic); Svorcik, V. [Institute of Chemical Technology, Department of Solid State Engineering (Czech Republic)

2015-03-15

Simple one-step procedure for in situ preparation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in the polymer thin films is described. Nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared by reaction of N-methyl pyrrolidone with silver salt in semi-dry polymer film and characterized by transmission electron microscopy, XPS, and UV–Vis spectroscopy techniques. Direct synthesis of NPs in polymer has several advantages; even though it avoids time-consuming NPs mixing with polymer matrix, uniform silver distribution in polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) films is achieved without necessity of additional stabilization. The influence of the silver concentration, reaction temperature and time on reaction conversion rate, and the size and size-distribution of the AgNPs was investigated. Polymer films doped with AgNPs were tested for their antibacterial activity on Gram-negative bacteria. Antimicrobial properties of AgNPs/PMMA films were found to be depended on NPs concentration, their size and distribution. Proposed one-step synthesis of functional polymer containing AgNPs is environmentally friendly, experimentally simple and extremely quick. It opens up new possibilities in development of antimicrobial coatings with medical and sanitation applications.

One-step preparation of antimicrobial silver nanoparticles in polymer matrix

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lyutakov, O.; Kalachyova, Y.; Solovyev, A.; Vytykacova, S.; Svanda, J.; Siegel, J.; Ulbrich, P.; Svorcik, V.

2015-01-01

Simple one-step procedure for in situ preparation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in the polymer thin films is described. Nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared by reaction of N-methyl pyrrolidone with silver salt in semi-dry polymer film and characterized by transmission electron microscopy, XPS, and UV–Vis spectroscopy techniques. Direct synthesis of NPs in polymer has several advantages; even though it avoids time-consuming NPs mixing with polymer matrix, uniform silver distribution in polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) films is achieved without necessity of additional stabilization. The influence of the silver concentration, reaction temperature and time on reaction conversion rate, and the size and size-distribution of the AgNPs was investigated. Polymer films doped with AgNPs were tested for their antibacterial activity on Gram-negative bacteria. Antimicrobial properties of AgNPs/PMMA films were found to be depended on NPs concentration, their size and distribution. Proposed one-step synthesis of functional polymer containing AgNPs is environmentally friendly, experimentally simple and extremely quick. It opens up new possibilities in development of antimicrobial coatings with medical and sanitation applications

Documentation associated with the WESF preparation for receiving 25 cesium capsules from the Applied Radiant Energy Corporation (ARECO)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pawlak, M.W.

1996-10-21

The purpose of this report is to compile all documentation associated with facility preparation of WESF to receive 25 cesium capsules from ARECO. The WESF validated it`s preparedness by completing a facility preparedness review using a performance indicator checklist.

Preparing Methods and Its Influencing Factors about Nanoparticles Based on Dendritic Polymer

OpenAIRE

Zhang Jianwei; Li Jeff

2017-01-01

Based on the properties, structure and application of dendritic polymer, this paper analysed the methods of the preparation of nanoparticles using dendritic polymer, detailed preparation process, technical parameters and application effect about a single metal nanoparticles, bimetallic nanoparticles, sulfide and halide nanoparticles. The influencing factors of the preparation about nanoparticles were discussed, including the molecular algebra, the molar ratio of the metal ions to the dendriti...

A novel approach in preparing polymer/nano-CaCO3 composites

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Zhengying LIU; Runze YU; Mingbo YANG; Jianmin FENG; Wei YANG; Bo YIN

2008-01-01

An novel compounding process using nano-CaCO3 aqueous suspension for preparing polymer/ nano-CaCO3 composites with nanoparticles dispersed at the nanoscale is reported. The process is called the mild mixing method. In this method, the pre-dispersed nano-particle suspensions are blended with melting polymers in a weak shearing field using an extruder, followed by removing the water from the vent. The four typical poly-meric nanocomposites were prepared by mild mixing method. The dispersion of nano-CaCO3 in the matrix of the polymer at the nanoscale was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The molecular weights of polycarbonate (PC) and its nanocomposite showed that the degradation had not occurred during the mild mixing processing. The mechanical properties of the composite with 1.5 wt-% nano-CaCO3 improve slightly. It proved that this approach is suitable for the preparation of nano-composites based on both polar and non-polar polymers.

Process for the preparation of a vinylidene chloride polymer composite

NARCIS (Netherlands)

2013-01-01

Process for the preparation of a vinylidene chloride polymer composite comprising a solid particulate encapsulated in the vinylidene chloride polymer. The process comprises providing a dispersion of a solid particulate material in a liquid phase, said dispersion comprising a RAFT/MADIX agent;

Preparation and rheological behavior of polymer-modified asphalts

Science.gov (United States)

Yousefi, Ali Akbar

1999-09-01

Different materials and methods were used to prepare and stabilize polymer-modified asphalts. Addition of thermoplastic elastomers improved some technically important properties of asphalt. Due to inherent factors like large density difference between asphalt and polyethylene, many physical methods in which the structure of asphalt is unchanged, failed to stabilize this system. The effect of addition of copolymers and a pyrolytic oil residue derived from used tire rubber were also studied and found to be ineffective on the storage stability of the polymer-asphalt emulsions while high and moderate temperature properties of the asphalt were found to be improved. Finally, the technique of catalytic grafting of polymer on the surface of high-density particles (e.g. carbon black) was used to balance the large density difference between asphalt and polymer. The resulting polymer-asphalts were stable at high temperatures and showed enhanced properties at low and high temperatures.

Intrauterine fertilization capsules--a clinical trial

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lenz, S; Lindenberg, S; Sundberg, K

1991-01-01

Treatment of 26 women with tubal infertility was attempted using intrauterine capsules loaded with oocytes and spermatozoa. The stimulation protocol was as used for in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer and consisted of short-term use of Buserelin, human menopausal gonadotropin, and human...... and piston from an intrauterine device. Six complete capsules and parts of two other capsules were expelled. None of the women became pregnant, compared with a pregnancy rate of 21% per aspiration following in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer during the same period....... chorionic gonadotropin. Oocytes were collected by ultrasonically guided transvaginal aspiration, and spermatozoa were prepared by swim-up technique. The gametes were placed in agar capsules 4 hr after oocyte collection, and the capsules were introduced to the uterine fundus using an insertion tube...

Preparation and characterization of conjugated polymers made by postpolymerization reactions of alternating polyketones.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Chen; Guironnet, Damien; Barborak, James; Brookhart, Maurice

2011-06-29

Conjugated polymers possessing a poly(2,5-dimethylene-2,5-dihydrofuran) backbone were prepared through postpolymerization reaction of styrenic polyketones with bromine in one-pot reactions. The modification is proposed to proceed via condensation of two repeating units to form a fully characterized polymer with a poly(2,5-dimethylenetetrahydrofuran) backbone. Subsequent bromination and elimination of HBr yield a polymer with a fully conjugated carbon backbone. The new conjugated polymers were characterized by NMR, IR, and UV-vis spectroscopies and by CV. These polymers have strong absorption in the visible region, with the absorption peaks shifted to the NIR region upon doping with acids. The ease of the synthesis of the starting polyketone and of the modifications allows large-scale preparation of those conjugated polymers.

Preparation of finasteride capsules-loaded drug nanoparticles: formulation, optimization, in vitro, and pharmacokinetic evaluation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmed TA

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Tarek A Ahmed1,2 1Department of Pharmaceutics and Industrial Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 2Department of Pharmaceutics and Industrial Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt Abstract: In this study, optimized freeze-dried finasteride nanoparticles (NPs were prepared from drug nanosuspension formulation that was developed using the bottom–up technique. The effects of four formulation and processing variables that affect the particle size and solubility enhancement of the NPs were explored using the response surface optimization design. The optimized formulation was morphologically characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM. Physicochemical interaction among the studied components was investigated. Crystalline change was investigated using X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD. Crystal growth of the freeze-dried NPs was compared to the corresponding aqueous drug nanosuspension. Freeze-dried NPs formulation was subsequently loaded into hard gelatin capsules that were examined for in vitro dissolution and pharmacokinetic behavior. Results revealed that in most of the studied variables, some of the quadratic and interaction effects had a significant effect on the studied responses. TEM image illustrated homogeneity and shape of the prepared NPs. No interaction among components was noticed. XRPD confirmed crystalline state change in the optimized NPs. An enhancement in the dissolution rate of more than 2.5 times from capsules filled with optimum drug NPs, when compared to capsules filled with pure drug, was obtained. Crystal growth, due to Ostwald ripening phenomenon and positive Gibbs free energy, was reduced following lyophilization of the nanosuspension formulation. Pharmacokinetic parameters from drug NPs were superior to that of pure drug and drug microparticles. In conclusion, freeze-dried NPs based on drug nanosuspension formulation is a successful

An Integrated Laboratory Approach toward the Preparation of Conductive Poly(phenylene vinylene) Polymers

Science.gov (United States)

Knoerzer, Timm A.; Balaich, Gary J.; Miller, Hannah A.; Iacono, Scott T.

2014-01-01

Poly(phenylene vinylene) (PPV) represents an important class of conjugated, conducting polymers that have been readily exploited in the preparation of organic electronic materials. In this experiment, students prepare a PPV polymer via a facile multistep synthetic sequence with robust spectroscopic evaluation of synthetic intermediates and the…

Coffee Enema for Preparation for Small Bowel Video Capsule Endoscopy: A Pilot Study

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Eun Sun; Keum, Bora; Seo, Yeon Seok; Jeen, Yoon Tae; Lee, Hong Sik; Um, Soon Ho; Kim, Chang Duck; Ryu, Ho Sang

2014-01-01

Coffee enemas are believed to cause dilatation of bile ducts and excretion of bile through the colon wall. Proponents of coffee enemas claim that the cafestol palmitate in coffee enhances the activity of glutathione S-transferase, an enzyme that stimulates bile excretion. During video capsule endoscopy (VCE), excreted bile is one of the causes of poor preparation of the small bowel. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and effect of coffee enema for preparation of the small bowel during VCE. In this pilot study, 17 of 34 patients were assigned to the coffee enema plus polyethylene glycol (PEG) 2 L ingestion group, whereas the 17 remaining control patients received 2 L of PEG only. The quality of bowel preparation was evaluated in the two patient groups. Bowel preparations in the proximal segments of small bowel were not differ between two groups. In the mid and distal segments of the small intestine, bowel preparations tend to be better in patients who received coffee enemas plus PEG than in patients who received PEG only. The coffee enema group did not experience any complications or side effects. Coffee enemas may be a feasible option, and there were no clinically significant adverse events related to coffee enemas. More prospective randomized studies are warranted to improve small bowel preparation for VCE. PMID:25136541

Evaluation of released malathion and spinosad from chitosan/alginate/gelatin capsules against Culex pipiens larvae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Badawy MEI

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Mohamed EI Badawy,1 Nehad EM Taktak,2 Osama M Awad,2 Souraya A Elfiki,2 Nadia E Abou El-Ela2 1Department of Pesticide Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, 2Department of Tropical Health, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt Abstract: Efficacy of spinosad and malathion loaded in eco-friendly biodegradable formulations was evaluated for controlling Culex pipiens larvae. Malathion (organophosphorus larvicide and spinosad (naturally derived insecticide were loaded on chitosan/alginate/gelatin capsules. Capsules were characterized by size measurement, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and water uptake. In vitro release kinetics of the larvicides was studied in the running and stagnant water. Biochemical studies on the larvae treated with technical and formulated insecticides were also demonstrated. The results indicated that the released spinosad was active for a long time up to 48 and 211 days in the running and stagnant water, respectively. However, the capsules loaded with malathion showed larvicidal activity for 20 and 27 days in the running and stagnant water, respectively. Technical and formulated malathion and spinosad had an inhibition effect on acetylcholinesterase, carboxylesterase, and glutathione S-transferase. The results proved that the prepared capsules consisting of biodegradable polymers containing larvicides could be effective as controlled-release formulation against C. pipiens larvae for a long period. Keywords: chitosan capsules, larvicide, controlled-release formulation, swelling, mosquitocidal activity, Culex pipiens, biochemical study

Preparation of nanocrystalline iron-carbon materials as fillers for polymers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Narkiewicz, U; Pelech, I; Roslaniec, Z; Kwiatkowska, M; Arabczyk, W

2007-01-01

This paper presents a method of preparing nanocrystalline iron-carbon materials which can be applied as fillers for polymers. Nanocrystalline iron samples were carburized either under ethylene/hydrogen mixture or under pure ethylene. Three kinds of samples were prepared: cementite/carbon (Fe 3 C/C), iron/cementite (Fe/Fe 3 C) and iron/carbon (Fe/C) ones. After carburization the samples were characterized using XRD and SEM methods. The obtained samples of iron-carbon nanoparticles were applied as fillers to polymer nanocomposites prepared in a polycondensation reaction (in situ) in a poly(ether-ester) matrix. The nanofillers were dispersed in monomers (diols) using a sonificator and a high-speed rotary stirrer. The obtained nanocomposites were characterized as regards their structure (SEM method) and mechanical behaviour

Alginate/sodium caseinate aqueous-core capsules: a pH-responsive matrix.

Science.gov (United States)

Ben Messaoud, Ghazi; Sánchez-González, Laura; Jacquot, Adrien; Probst, Laurent; Desobry, Stéphane

2015-02-15

Alginate capsules have several applications. Their functionality depends considerably on their permeability, chemical and mechanical stability. Consequently, the creation of composite system by addition of further components is expected to control mechanical and release properties of alginate capsules. Alginate and alginate-sodium caseinate composite liquid-core capsules were prepared by a simple extrusion. The influence of the preparation pH and sodium caseinate concentration on capsules physico-chemical properties was investigated. Results showed that sodium caseinate influenced significantly capsules properties. As regards to the membrane mechanical stability, composite capsules prepared at pH below the isoelectric point of sodium caseinate exhibited the highest surface Young's modulus, increasing with protein content, explained by potential electrostatic interactions between sodium caseinate amino-groups and alginate carboxylic group. The kinetic of cochineal red A release changed significantly for composite capsules and showed a pH-responsive release. Sodium caseinate-dye mixture studied by absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopy confirmed complex formation at pH 2 by electrostatic interactions between sodium caseinate tryptophan residues and cochineal red sulfonate-groups. Consequently, the release mechanism was explained by membrane adsorption process. This global approach is useful to control release mechanism from macro and micro-capsules by incorporating guest molecules which can interact with the entrapped molecule under specific conditions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A hydrogel capsule as gate dielectric in flexible organic field-effect transistors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dumitru, L. M.; Manoli, K.; Magliulo, M.; Torsi, L., E-mail: luisa.torsi@uniba.it [Department of Chemistry, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Via Orabona 4, Bari I-70126 (Italy); Ligonzo, T. [Department of Physics, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Via Orabona 4, Bari I-70126 (Italy); Palazzo, G. [Department of Chemistry, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Via Orabona 4, Bari I-70126 (Italy); Center of Colloid and Surface Science—CSGI—Bari Unit, Via Orabona 4, Bari I-70126 (Italy)

2015-01-01

A jellified alginate based capsule serves as biocompatible and biodegradable electrolyte system to gate an organic field-effect transistor fabricated on a flexible substrate. Such a system allows operating thiophene based polymer transistors below 0.5 V through an electrical double layer formed across an ion-permeable polymeric electrolyte. Moreover, biological macro-molecules such as glucose-oxidase and streptavidin can enter into the gating capsules that serve also as delivery system. An enzymatic bio-reaction is shown to take place in the capsule and preliminary results on the measurement of the electronic responses promise for low-cost, low-power, flexible electronic bio-sensing applications using capsule-gated organic field-effect transistors.

Thermally Stable Bulk Heterojunction Prepared by Sequential Deposition of Nanostructured Polymer and Fullerene

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heewon Hwang

2017-09-01

Full Text Available A morphologically-stable polymer/fullerene heterojunction has been prepared by minimizing the intermixing between polymer and fullerene via sequential deposition (SqD of a polymer and a fullerene solution. A low crystalline conjugated polymer of PCPDTBT (poly[2,6-(4,4-bis-(2-ethylhexyl-4H-cyclopenta [2,1-b;3,4-b′]dithiophene-alt-4,7(2,1,3-benzothiadiazole] has been utilized for the polymer layer and PC71BM (phenyl-C71-butyric-acid-methyl ester for the fullerene layer, respectively. Firstly, a nanostructured PCPDTBT bottom layer was developed by utilizing various additives to increase the surface area of the polymer film. The PC71BM solution was prepared by dissolving it in the 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE, exhibiting a lower vapor pressure and slower diffusion into the polymer layer. The deposition of the PC71BM solution on the nanostructured PCPDTBT layer forms an inter-digitated bulk heterojunction (ID-BHJ with minimized intermixing. The organic photovoltaic (OPV device utilizing the ID-BHJ photoactive layer exhibits a highly reproducible solar cell performance. In spite of restricted intermixing between the PC71BM and the PCPDTBT, the efficiency of ID-BHJ OPVs (3.36% is comparable to that of OPVs (3.87% prepared by the conventional method (deposition of a blended solution of polymer:fullerene. The thermal stability of the ID-BHJ is superior to the bulk heterojunction (BHJ prepared by the conventional method. The ID-BHJ OPV maintains 70% of its initial efficiency after thermal stress application for twelve days at 80 °C, whereas the conventional BHJ OPV maintains only 40% of its initial efficiency.

Characteristics of porous polymer composite columns prepared by radiation cast-polymerization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumakura, Minoru; Kaetsu, Isao; Asami, Kazuhiro; Suzuki, Shuichi

1989-01-01

Porous polymer composite columns having porous structure were prepared by radiation cast-polymerization of hydrophilic monomers at low temperature and their characteristics were studied. The porosity of the polymer increased with decreasing monomer concentration. The elution time of water in the polymer column increased with increasing monomer concentration and with decreasing irradiation temperature. The elution time was dependent on the degree of hydration of the polymer. The polymer with a degree of hydration of 0.2 to 0.4 gave the minimum elution time. The elution time decreased with the addition of porous inorganic substances. (author)

Development of technology for the large-scale preparation of 60Co polymer film source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Udhayakumar, J.; Pardeshi, G.S.; Gandhi, Shymala S.; Chakravarty, Rubel; Kumar, Manoj; Dash, Ashutosh; Venkatesh, Meera

2008-01-01

60 Co sources (∼37 kBq) in the form of a thin film are widely used in position identification of perforation in offshore oil-well explorations. This paper describes the large-scale preparation of such sources using a radioactive polymer containing 60 Co. 60 Co was extracted into chloroform containing 8-hydroxyquinoline. The chloroform layer was mixed with polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) polymer. A large film was prepared using the polymer solution containing the complex. The polymer film was then cut into circular sources, mounted on a source holder and supplied to various users

Pharmaceutical 3D printing: Design and qualification of a single step print and fill capsule.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Derrick M; Kapoor, Yash; Klinzing, Gerard R; Procopio, Adam T

2018-06-10

Fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing (3DP) has a potential to change how we envision manufacturing in the pharmaceutical industry. A more common utilization for FDM 3DP is to build upon existing hot melt extrusion (HME) technology where the drug is dispersed in the polymer matrix. However, reliable manufacturing of drug-containing filaments remains a challenge along with the limitation of active ingredients which can sustain the processing risks involved in the HME process. To circumvent this obstacle, a single step FDM 3DP process was developed to manufacture thin-walled drug-free capsules which can be filled with dry or liquid drug product formulations. Drug release from these systems is governed by the combined dissolution of the FDM capsule 'shell' and the dosage form encapsulated in these shells. To prepare the shells, the 3D printer files (extension '.gcode') were modified by creating discrete zones, so-called 'zoning process', with individual print parameters. Capsules printed without the zoning process resulted in macroscopic print defects and holes. X-ray computed tomography, finite element analysis and mechanical testing were used to guide the zoning process and printing parameters in order to manufacture consistent and robust capsule shell geometries. Additionally, dose consistencies of drug containing liquid formulations were investigated in this work. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Iodometric determination of ampicillin in proprietary capsules | Ejele ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The concentration of ampicillin in ampicillin capsule preparations purchased in Owerri main market, Imo State of Nigeria, was determined using the iodometric titration method. The results showed that the ampicillin concentrations in the capsules contained between 250 and 260 mg/cap of ampicillin trihydrate. Statistical ...

The Application of Template Selectophores for the Preparation of Molecularly Imprinted Polymers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Basil Danylec

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Molecularly imprinted polymers are versatile materials with wide application scope for the detection, capture and separation of specific compounds present in complex feed stocks. A major challenge associated with their preparation has been the need to sacrifice one mole equivalent of the template molecule to generate the complementary polymer cavities that selectively bind the target molecule. Moreover, template molecules can often be difficult to synthesise, expensive or lack stability. In this study, we describe a new approach, directed at the use of synthetic selectophores, chosen as readily prepared and low cost structural analogues with recognition groups in similar three-dimensional arrangements as found in the target molecule. To validate the approach, a comparative study of selectophores related to the polyphenolic compound (E-resveratrol has been undertaken using traditional and green chemical synthetic approaches. These molecular mimic compounds were employed as polymer templates and also as binding analytes to interrogate the recognition sites associated with the molecularly imprinted polymers. Importantly, the study confirms that the use of selectophores has the potential to confer practical advantages, including access to more efficient methods for selection and preparation of suitable template molecules with a broader range of molecular diversity, as well as delivering imprinted polymers capable of recognizing the target compound and structurally related products.

Process to prepare stable trifluorostyrene containing compounds grafted to base polymers using a solvent/water mixture

Science.gov (United States)

Roelofs, Mark Gerrit; Yang, Zhen-Yu; Han, Amy Qi

2010-06-15

A fluorinated ion exchange polymer is prepared by grafting at least one grafting monomer derived from trifluorostyrene on to at least one base polymer in a organic solvent/water mixture. These ion exchange polymers are useful in preparing catalyst coated membranes and membrane electrode assemblies used in fuel cells.

Synthetic Strategies in the Preparation of Polymer/Inorganic Hybrid Nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Hood, Matthew A.; Mari, Margherita; Muñoz-Espí, Rafael

2014-01-01

This article reviews the recent advances and challenges in the preparation of polymer/inorganic hybrid nanoparticles. We mainly focus on synthetic strategies, basing our classification on whether the inorganic and the polymer components have been formed in situ or ex situ, of the hybrid material. Accordingly, four types of strategies are identified and described, referring to recent examples: (i) ex situ formation of the components and subsequent attachment or integration, either by covalent or noncovalent bonding; (ii) in situ polymerization in the presence of ex situ formed inorganic nanoparticles; (iii) in situ precipitation of the inorganic components on or in polymer structures; and (iv) strategies in which both polymer and inorganic component are simultaneously formed in situ. PMID:28788665

Polar tent for reduced perturbation of NIF ignition capsules

Science.gov (United States)

Hammel, B. A.; Pickworth, L.; Stadermann, M.; Field, J.; Robey, H.; Scott, H. A.; Smalyuk, V.

2016-10-01

In simulations, a tent that contacts the capsule near the poles and departs tangential to the capsule surface greatly reduces the capsule perturbation, and the resulting mass injected into the hot-spot, compared to current capsule support methods. Target fabrication appears feasible with a layered tent (43-nm polyimide + 8-nm C) for increased stiffness. We are planning quantitative measurements of the resulting shell- ρR perturbation near peak implosion velocity (PV) using enhanced self-emission backlighting, achieved by adding 1% Ar to the capsule fill in Symcaps (4He + H). Layered DT implosions are also planned for an integrated test of capsule performance. We will describe the design and simulation predictions. Prepared by LLNL under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344.

Fabrication, characterization and evaluation of bacterial cellulose-based capsule shells for oral drug delivery

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ullah, Hanif; Badshah, Munair; Mäkilä, Ermei

2017-01-01

Bacterial cellulose (BC) was investigated for the first time for the preparation of capsule shells for immediate and sustained release of drugs. The prepared capsule shells were characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The BC...... to gelatin capsules with both immediate and sustained drug release properties depending upon the compositions of the encapsulated materials....

Radiolytic preparation of PFA-g-PVBSA membranes as a polymer electrolyte membrane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fei Geng [Department of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Changshu Institute of Technology, Nansanhuan Road 99, Changshu, Jiangsu 215-500 (China); Hwang, Mi-Lim; Sohn, Joon-Yong; Nho, Young Chang [Advanced Radiation Technology Institute, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, 1266 Sinjeong-dong, Jeongeup-si, Jeollabuk-do 580-185 (Korea, Republic of); Shin, Junhwa, E-mail: shinj@kaeri.re.kr [Advanced Radiation Technology Institute, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, 1266 Sinjeong-dong, Jeongeup-si, Jeollabuk-do 580-185 (Korea, Republic of)

2012-03-01

In this study, a polymer electrolyte membrane, PFA-g-PVBSA was prepared through the radiation-induced graft copolymerization of vinylbenzyl chloride (VBC) monomer onto a poly(tetrafluoroethylene-co-perfluoropropylvinyl ether) (PFA) film and subsequent sulfonation processes. The IEC values and water uptakes of the prepared membranes increased when increasing the contents of the poly(vinylbenzyl sulfonic acid) (PVBSA) graft polymers in the membranes. Compared with Nafion 212, the degree of grafting (DOG) of membranes of 50% and 70% showed higher proton conductivity with significantly lower methanol permeability. The combination of these properties suggests that the prepared membranes are promising for future application in direct methanol fuel cells.

Gamma radiation-induced preparation of some acrylamide polymers for treatment of waste water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siyam, T.; Hanna, E.

1992-01-01

Water-soluble acrylamide copolymers such as: poly (acrylamide-co-sodium) [P(AM-CO-AA Na)], (acrylamide-CO-diallylethylamine-hydrochloride) [P(AM-CO-DAEA-H Cl)] and poly (acrylamide-sodium acrylate-diallylethylamine-hydrochloride) [P(AM-AANa-DAEA-H Cl)] were prepared by gamma radiation-initiated polymerization of the corresponding co monomer or termonomer solutions. The prepared copolymers were used in the treatment of water (metal sulphate solutions). It was found that the polymer efficiency increases with increasing the PH-value and the polymer concentration. The efficiency of the different polymers compared in what concerns elimination of Cu++ and Mg++. The polymer dosage depends on the hydration sheath of the cation. The mechanism for interaction of each polymeric chains with the ions of waste water was also discussed. 3 figs, 1 tab

Polymers in cell encapsulation from an enveloped cell perspective

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Vos, Paul; Lazarjani, Hamideh Aghajani; Poncelet, Denis; Faas, Marijke M.

2014-01-01

In the past two decades, many polymers have been proposed for producing immunoprotective capsules. Examples include the natural polymers alginate, agarose, chitosan, cellulose, collagen, and xanthan and synthetic polymers poly(ethylene glycol), polyvinyl alcohol, polyurethane, poly(ether-sulfone),

Sensing of environmental pollutant by conductive composite from prepared from hyperbranched polymer-grafted carbon black and crystalline polymer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taniguchi, Y.; Chen, J.; Ogawa, M.; Yokoyama, K.; Shimizu, H.; Tsubokawa, N.; Maekawa, Y.; Yoshida, M.

2002-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. The hyperbranched (HB) polymer-grafted (PG) carbon blacks (CB) have the possibility of utilizing as a support of catalyst and enzyme, and a curing agent of epoxy resin, because they have much terminal amino or hydroxyl groups. The postgrafting of crystalline polymer onto HB PG CB and the sensing of environmental pollutant by the conductive composite prepared from the polymer-postgrafted CB was discussed. The grafting of poly(amidoamide) onto CB surface was achieved by repeating either Michael addition of methyl acrylate to amino group on the surface or the amidation of the resulting terminal methyl ester group with ethylene diamine. HB polyester onto CB surface was grafted by stepwise growth of 2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl)propionic acid (bis-MPA) from surface carboxyl and hydroxyl groups on CB as a core in the presence of p-toluenesulfonic acid (p-TSA). The one-pot grafting of HB polyester onto CB as core was also achieved by the polycondensation of bis-MPA in the presence of p-TSA. Postgrafting of crystalline polymer onto HB polymer-grafted CB was achieved by the reaction of terminal amino or hydroxyl groups of grafted chain with COCl-terminated crystalline polymer. The electric resistance of the composite prepared from crystalline polymer-postgrafted CB was found to increase drastically in hexane, containing environmental pollutant, such as chloroform and trichloroethane, and returned immediately to the initial resistance when it was transferred into pure hexane. Based on the above results, it is concluded that the composite can be used as a novel sensor for environmental pollutant in solution

Development of remote welding techniques for in-pile IASCC capsules and evaluation of material integrity on capsules for long irradiation period

Science.gov (United States)

Shibata, A.; Nakano, J.; Ohmi, M.; Kawamata, K.; Nakagawa, T.; Tsukada, T.

2012-03-01

To simulate irradiation assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC) behavior by in-pile experiments, it is necessary to irradiate specimens up to a neutron fluence that is higher than the IASCC threshold fluence. Pre-irradiated specimens must be relocated from pre-irradiation capsules to in-pile capsules. Hence, a remote welding machine has been developed. And the integrity of capsule housing for a long term irradiation was evaluated by tensile tests in air and slow strain rate tests in water. Two type specimens were prepared. Specimens were obtained from the outer tubes of capsule irradiated to 1.0-3.9 × 1026 n/m2 (E > 1 MeV). And specimens were irradiated in a leaky capsule to 0.03-1.0 × 1026 n/m2. Elongation more than 15% in tensile test at 423 K was confirmed and no IGSCC fraction was shown in SSRT at 423 K which was estimated as temperature at the outer tubes of the capsule under irradiation.

Development of remote welding techniques for in-pile IASCC capsules and evaluation of material integrity on capsules for long irradiation period

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shibata, A.; Nakano, J.; Ohmi, M.; Kawamata, K.; Nakagawa, T.; Tsukada, T.

2012-01-01

To simulate irradiation assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC) behavior by in-pile experiments, it is necessary to irradiate specimens up to a neutron fluence that is higher than the IASCC threshold fluence. Pre-irradiated specimens must be relocated from pre-irradiation capsules to in-pile capsules. Hence, a remote welding machine has been developed. And the integrity of capsule housing for a long term irradiation was evaluated by tensile tests in air and slow strain rate tests in water. Two type specimens were prepared. Specimens were obtained from the outer tubes of capsule irradiated to 1.0–3.9 × 10 26 n/m 2 (E > 1 MeV). And specimens were irradiated in a leaky capsule to 0.03–1.0 × 10 26 n/m 2 . Elongation more than 15% in tensile test at 423 K was confirmed and no IGSCC fraction was shown in SSRT at 423 K which was estimated as temperature at the outer tubes of the capsule under irradiation.

Preparation and Characterization of Nonylphenol Magnetic Molecularly Imprinted Polymer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, F. Y.; Ba, S. P.; Tang, Y. B.; Wang, X. G.

2015-01-01

Nonylphenol (NP) is a toxic xenobiotic compound classified as an endocrine disrupter, which can interface with the hormonal system of numerous organisms, and then cause a series of pathological changes. It is of great significance to remove nonyl phenol from the environment. In this paper, an effective method for the preparation of molecularly imprinted nanoparticles was reported. Firstly, Fe/sub 3/O/sub 4/ at the rate SiO/sub 2/ magnetic carrier material modified by trimethoxysilane was achieved through three-step reaction. After that, the selective magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer sorbent for NP (Fe/sub 3/O/sub 4/ at the rate SiO/sub 2/-MIP) was synthesized by surface molecular imprinting technique, using NP as template, 4-vinyl pyridine(4-Vpy) as functional monomers, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as cross linker and azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as initiator. The morphous, composition, structure and performance of polymer adsorbent was characterized by SEM, TEM, FT-IR, XRD, EDS, VSM and nitrogen adsorption-desorption techniques. The results indicated that the polymer adsorbent was successfully prepared. The size of the polymer particle was about 50 nm, the aperture on the surface was 3.71 nm, the BET specific surface area was 61.80 m/sup 2/g and the Langmuir specific surface area was 101.24 m/sup 2/g. The selective adsorption rate for NP of 0.5 mmol/L attained value of 86.5%, and for NP with low concentration (less than 2.0 mg/L), the selective adsorption rate reached more than 90%. The synthesized magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer had higher selective recognition ability towards the template molecule nonylphenol. It has good magnetism and can be rapidly separated after being employed by using adscititious magnetic field. It has potential application value in treatment and enrichment of nonylphenol. (author)

Ceramic sealants prepared by polymer pyrolysis

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Sung Jin; Kim, Deug Joong; Yoo, Young Sung

2011-02-01

The formation and properties of ceramic seals for SOFC applications prepared by polymer pyrolysis are investigated. A mixture with polymethylsiloxane and fillers are pyrolyzed in a N2 atmosphere. The coefficient of thermal expansion of the ceramic composites was controlled by fillers with a high coefficient of thermal expansion such as AlCo. The morphology of the ceramic composites derived from the mixture with polymethylsiloxane and fillers is composed of fillers embedded in a Si-O-C glass matrix. The thermal expansion behavior and sealing characteristics are measured and discussed

Preparation of mixed molecularly imprinted polymer magnetic nanoparticles and its application in separation of Chinese traditional medicine

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Yihui; Ma, Yajuan; Bai, Wenting; Zhu, Xiaofang; Liu, Min; Huang, Liping

2017-08-01

A mixed imprinted polymer which can rapidly adsorb all flavonoids from raspberry extract was prepared and recycled. The hybrid molecular surface imprinted polymers were prepared by using quercetin as the template molecule and Fe3O4 magnetic nanospheres as the carrier. The molecular imprinting polymer was prepared by using the "initial template molecule, molecularly imprinted polymer, mixed template molecule, molecularly imprint ted polymers (MIPS)". The adsorption performance and durability of the hybrid molecularly imprinted polymers were investigated by using the fingerprints of the ethyl acetate fraction of raspberry as an index. The adsorption of flavonoids from raspberry extract, lindenoside, cis-lindenin, quercetin, kaempferol and other flavonoids was completely adsorbed by mixed molecular-imprinted polymer, and the other components were basically adsorbed. When Mix-IMPs were repeatedly used 10 times, the fingerprints showed that the content and content of flavonoids were basically the same. The experimental results show that Mix-IMPs has good adsorption performance, can be recycled and used for rapid enrichment of flavonoids in raspberry.

NATO Advanced Study Institute on Preparation and Properties of Stereoregular Polymers

CERN Document Server

Ciardelli, Francesco

1980-01-01

This book contains the texts of the main lectures presented at the NATO Advanced Studies Institute on "Advances in Preparation and Properties of Stereoregular Polymers" held at Tirrenia near Pisa, Italy, from October 3 to 14, 1978. A few contributed papers have also been included because they were concerned with topics not included in the main lectures. The primary objective of the Institute was to assist in the further development of stereoregular polymers because of the ever-increasing demand for new products with exceptional chemical and physical properties. This need has reawakened interest in the field. Indeed there is now a rapidly increasing activity in the study of stereoregular polymerization and the preparation of structurally-ordered polymers with the aim of achieving apprecia­ ble improvements in existing polymeric materials through new developments in synthesis and properties as well as in discovering new polymeric structures. In order to achieve these objectives, a broad interdiscipli­ nary co...

Synthesis and application of magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers in sample preparation.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Shuyao; Xu, Jianqiao; Zheng, Jiating; Zhu, Fang; Xie, Lijun; Ouyang, Gangfeng

2018-04-12

Magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers (MMIPs) have superior advantages in sample pretreatment because of their high selectivity for target analytes and the fast and easy isolation from samples. To meet the demand of both good magnetic property and good extraction performance, MMIPs with various structures, from traditional core-shell structures to novel composite structures with a larger specific surface area and more accessible binding sites, are fabricated by different preparation technologies. Moreover, as the molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) layers determine the affinity, selectivity, and saturated adsorption amount of MMIPs, the development and innovation of the MIP layer are attracting attention and are reviewed here. Many studies that used MMIPs as sorbents in dispersive solid-phase extraction of complex samples, including environmental, food, and biofluid samples, are summarized. Graphical abstract The application of magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) in the sample preparation procedure improves the analytical performances for complex samples. MITs molecular imprinting technologies.

Preparation and characterization of PTFE coating in new polymer quartz piezoelectric crystal sensor for testing liquor products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gu Yu; Li Qiang

2015-01-01

A new method was developed based on the electron beam vacuum dispersion (EBVD) technology to prepare the PTFE polymer coating of the new polymer quartz piezoelectric crystal sensor for testing liquor products. The new method was applied in the new EBVD equipment which we designed. A real-time system monitoring the polymer coating’s thickness was designed for the new EBVD equipment according to the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) principle, playing an important role in preparing stable and uniform PTFE polymer coatings of the same thickness. 30 pieces of PTFE polymer coatings on the surface of the quartz crystal basis were prepared with the PTFE polymer ultrafine powder (purity ≥ 99.99%) as the starting material. We obtained 30 pieces of new PTFE polymer sensors. By using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the structure of the PTFE polymer coating’s column clusters was studied. One sample from the 30 pieces of new PTFE polymer sensors was analysed by SEM in four scales, i.e., 400×, 1000×, 10000×, and 25000×. It was shown that under the condition of high bias voltage and low bias current, uniformly PTFE polymer coating could be achieved, which indicates that the new EBVD equipment is suitable for mass production of stable and uniform polymer coating. (paper)

All solid-state polymer electrolytes prepared from a hyper-branched graft polymer using atom transfer radical polymerization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Higa, Mitsuru; Fujino, Yukiko; Koumoto, Taihei; Kitani, Ryousuke; Egashira, Satsuki

2005-01-01

We propose an all solid-state (liquid free) polymer electrolyte (SPE) prepared from a hyper-branched graft copolymer. The graft copolymer consisting of a poly(methyl methacrylate) main chain and poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate side chains was synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization changing the average chain distance between side chains, side chain length and branched chain length of the proposed structure of the graft copolymer. The ionic conductivity of the SPEs increases with increasing the side chain length, branched chain length and/or average distance between the side chains. The ionic conductivity of the SPE prepared from POEM 9 whose POEM content = 51 wt% shows 2 x 10 -5 S/cm at 30 deg. C. The tensile strength of the SPEs decreases with increases the side chain length, branched chain length and/or average distance between the side chains. These results indicate that a SPE prepared from the hyper-branched graft copolymer has potential to be applied to an all-solid polymer electrolyte

Preparation of alanine/ESR dosimeter using different binder of polymer blend

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Razzak, M.T.; Sudiro, Sutjipto; Sudradjat, Adjat; Waskito, Ashar; Djamili, M.F.

1995-01-01

Different composition of polymer blend of low density polyethylene (PE) and polystyrene (PS) have been studied to be used as a binder for the preparation of Alanine/ESR dosimeter. The polymer binder and Alanine powder were blended in Laboplastomil Mixer at 140 o C and then it was pressed into a plastic film of 0.50 mm thickness. The film was cut into sample size of 250 mm x 2.5 mm and irradiated by gamma rays from a cobalt-60 source at different dose and dose rate. It was found that a blend of Alanine, PS and PE in composition of 60:30:10 is appropriate to prepare the Alanine/ESR dosimeter. (author)

Inorganic-organic hybrid polymer for preparation of affiliating material using electron beam irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, Jaeseung; Kim, Seongeun; Kim, Byounggak; Lee, Jongchan; Park, Jihyun; Lee, Byeongcheol

2011-01-01

Recently, silver nano materials have gained a lot of attentions in a variety of applications due to the unique biological, optical, and electrical properties. Especially, the antifouling property of these material is considered to be an important character for biomedical field, marine coatings industry, biosensor, and drug delivery. In this study, we design and synthesize the inorganic-organic hybrid polymer for preparation of affiliating materials. Silver nano materials having antifouling property with different shapes are prepared by control the electron beam irradiation conditions. Inorganic-organic hybrid polymer was synthesized and characterized. → Morphology and size controlled nano materials are prepared using electron beam irradiation. → Silver nano materials having various shapes can be used for antifouling material

Preparation and characterization of super absorbent polymer from sugarcane bagasse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wiwien Andriyanti; Suyanti; Ngasifudin

2012-01-01

Sugarcane bagasse is a source of biomass which large enough numbers and has not been fully exploited. At this time has developed a super absorbent polymer material of sugarcane bagasse that can absorb water up to several times of its own weight and keep this water. Super absorbent polymers can be used as a soil conditioner that can be used as an absorber and storage of ground water, the giver of nutrients for plants, and can improve soil properties. The purpose of this study is to make and characterization of super absorbent polymer (PCS) from sugarcane bagasse. Preparation of super absorbent polymers (PCS) has been done by grafting method using ionizing radiation from Electron Beam Engineering (MBE) 350 mA keV/10. Irradiation process carried out with a dose variation of 20, 35, and 50 kGy. Increasing doses of radiation will increase the percentage fraction of transplantation (grafting) and the fraction of water absorption ability (swelling ratio). (author)

Radiation preparation of interpenetrating polymer networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sheikh, N.; Ahmadi, M.; Afshar Taromi, F.

2002-01-01

Sequential interpenetrating polymer netwoks were prepared using gamma radiation. Styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) were used as elastomer and plastomer components respectively. Dicumyl peroxide (DCP) and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) were also used as the curing agent of SBR and crosslinker for MMA monomer. The resulting IPNs were characterized by evaluating their mechanical properties. The effect of the amount of DCP on the final properties of product was examined. It was found that amount of curing agent had an important role on the properties of obtained IPNS. The results of the mechanical properties of IPNs showed very good synergistic behavior. (Author)

Design, preparation, and application of ordered porous polymer materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Qingquan; Tang, Zhe; Ou, Baoli; Liu, Lihua; Zhou, Zhihua; Shen, Shaohua; Duan, Yinxiang

2014-01-01

Ordered porous polymer (OPP) materials have extensively application prospects in the field of separation and purification, biomembrane, solid supports for sensors catalysts, scaffolds for tissue engineering, photonic band gap materials owing to ordered pore arrays, uniform and tunable pore size, high specific surface area, great adsorption capacity, and light weight. The present paper reviewed the preparation techniques of OPP materials like breath figures, hard template, and soft template. Finally, the applications of OPP materials in the field of separation, sensors, and biomedicine are introduced, respectively. - Highlights: • Breath figures involve polymer casting under moist ambience. • Hard template employs monodisperse colloidal spheres as a template. • Soft template utilizes the etched block in copolymers as template

Luminescent sensing of organophosphates using europium(III) containing imprinted polymers prepared by RAFT polymerization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Southard, Glen E.; Van Houten, Kelly A.; Ott, Edward W.; Murray, George M.

2007-01-01

Molecularly imprinted polymers capable of sensing organophosphorous compounds by luminescence have been prepared by reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. The polymer contained a dithiobenzoate substituted tris(β-diketonate) europium(III) complex which served as a polymerization substrate and as a luminescent binding site for pinacolyl methylphosphonate (PMP), the hydrolysis product of the nerve agent Soman. The resultant polymer allowed quantitation of PMP in the low ppb range with minimal interference from similar compounds. Polymers were characterized by luminescence spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy

Diffusion coefficients of tracers in glassy polymer systems prepared by gamma radiolysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tonge, M.P.; Gilbert, R.G.

1996-01-01

Diffusion-controlled reactions are common in free radical polymerisation reactions, especially in glassy polymer matrices. Such reactions commonly have an important influence on the polymerisation process and final polymer properties. For example, the dominant growth-stopping event (bimolecular termination) is generally diffusion-controlled. In glassy polymer systems, where molecular mobility is very low, the chain growth mechanism (propagation) may become diffusion-controlled. At present, the mechanism for propagation in glassy polymers is poorly understood, but it is expected by the Smoluchowski expression applied to propagation to depend strongly on the diffusion coefficient of monomer. The objective of this study is to measure reliable diffusion coefficients of small tracer molecules in glassy polymers, and compare these with propagation rate coefficients in similar systems, by the prediction above. Samples were initially prepared in a sealed sampled cell containing monomer, inert diluent, and tracer dye. After irradiation for several days, complete conversion of monomer to polymer can be obtained. The diffusion coefficients for two tracer dyes have been measured as a function of weight fraction polymer glassy poly(methyl methacrylate) samples

Preparation of raspberry-like γ-Fe2O3/crackled nitrogen-doped carbon capsules and their application as supports to improve catalytic activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Junshuai; Yao, Tongjie; Zhang, Hui; Zhang, Xiao; Wu, Jie

2016-11-10

In this manuscript, we have introduced a novel method to improve the catalytic activity of metal nanoparticles via optimizing the support structure. To this end, raspberry-like γ-Fe 2 O 3 /crackled nitrogen-doped carbon (CNC) capsules were prepared by a two-step method. Compared with traditional magnetic capsules, in γ-Fe 2 O 3 /CNC capsules, the γ-Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles were embedded in a CNC shell; therefore, they neither occupied the anchoring sites for metal nanoparticles nor came into contact with them, which was beneficial for increasing the metal nanoparticle loading. Numerous tiny cracks appeared on the porous CNC shell, which effectively improved the mass diffusion and transport in catalytic reactions. Additionally, the coordination interaction could be generated between the precursor metal ions and doped-nitrogen atoms in the capsule shell. With the help of these structural merits, γ-Fe 2 O 3 /CNC capsules were ideal supports for Pd nanoparticles, because they were beneficial for improving the Pd loading, reducing the nanoparticle size, increasing their dispersity and maximizing the catalytic performance of Pd nanoparticles anchored on the inner shell surface. As expected, γ-Fe 2 O 3 /CNC@Pd catalysts exhibited a dramatically enhanced catalytic activity towards hydrophilic 4-nitrophenol and hydrophobic nitrobenzene. The reaction rate constant k was compared with recent work and the corresponding reference samples. Moreover, they could be easily recycled by using a magnet and reused without an obvious loss of catalytic activity.

Design procedure of capsule with multistage heater control (named MUSTAC)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Someya, Hiroyuki; Endoh, Yasuichi; Hoshiya, Taiji; Niimi, Motoji; Harayama, Yasuo

1990-11-01

A capsule with electric heaters at multistage (named MUSTAC) is a type of capsule used in JMTR. The heaters are assembled in the capsule. Supply electric current to the heaters can be independently adjusted with a control systems that keeps irradiation specimens to constant temperature. The capsule being used, the irradiation specimen are inserted into specimen holders. Gas-gap size, between outer surface of specimen holders and inner surface of capsule casing, is calculated and determined to be flatten temperature of loaded specimens over the region. The rise or drop of specimen temperature in accordance with reactor power fluctuations is corrected within the target temperature of specimen by using the heaters filled into groove at specimen holder surface. The present report attempts to propose a reasonable design procedure of the capsules by means of compiling experience for designs, works and irradiation data of the capsules and to prepare for useful informations against onward capsule design. The key point of the capsule lies on thermal design. Now design thermal calculations are complicated in case of specimen holder with multihole. Resolving these issues, it is considered from new on that an emphasis have to placed on settling a thermal calculation device, for an example, a computer program on calculation specimen temperature. (author)

A simple nanostructured polymer/ZnO hybrid solar cell - preparation and operation in air

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krebs, Frederik C; Thomann, Yi; Thomann, Ralf

2008-01-01

without notable loss in efficiency. The devices do not require any form of encapsulation to gain stability, while a barrier for mechanical protection may be useful. The devices are based on soluble zinc oxide nanoparticles mixed with the thermocleavable conjugated polymer poly-(3-(2-methylhexan-2-yl......A detailed description is given of the preparation of a polymer solar cell and its characterization. The solar cell can be prepared entirely in the ambient atmosphere by solution processing without the use of vacuum coating steps, and it can be operated in the ambient atmosphere with good...

Encapsulation of anticancer drug and magnetic particles in biodegradable polymer nanospheres

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koneracka, M; Zavisova, V; Tomasovicova, N; Kopcansky, P; Timko, M; JurIkova, A; Csach, K; Kavecansky, V; Lancz, G [Institute of Experimental Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Watsonova 47, Kosice (Slovakia); Muckova, M [Hameln rds a.s., Horna 36, Modra (Slovakia)], E-mail: konerack@saske.sk

2008-05-21

In this study, we have prepared PLGA (poly-D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) nanospheres loaded with biocompatible magnetic fluid and anticancer drug taxol by a modified nanoprecipitation technique and investigated their magnetic properties. A magnetic fluid, MF-PEG, with a biocompatible layer of polyethylene glycol (PEG), was chosen as a magnetic carrier. The PLGA, whose copolymer ratio of D,L-lactide to glycolide is 85:15, was utilized as a capsulation material. Taxol, as an important anticancer drug, was chosen for its significant role against a wide range of tumours. The morphology and particle size distributions of the prepared nanospheres were investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and showed a spherical shape of prepared nanospheres with size 250 nm. Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetry (TGA) analysis confirmed incorporation of magnetic particles and taxol into the PLGA polymer. The results showed good encapsulation with magnetite content 21.5 wt% and taxol 0.5 wt%. Magnetic properties of magnetic fluids and taxol within the PLGA polymer matrix were investigated by SQUID magnetometry from 4.2 to 300 K. The SQUID measurements showed superparamagnetism of prepared nanospheres with a blocking temperature of 160 K and saturation magnetization 1.4 mT.

Hydrolysis of 4-Acetoxystyrene Polymers Prepared by Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chen, Xianyi; Jankova, Katja; Kops, Jørgen

1999-01-01

Hydrolysis of 4-acetoxystyrene polymers prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization was carried out under various reaction conditions. It was found that hydrazinolysis of 4-acetoxystyrene homopolymers, random and block copolymers with styrene in 1,4-dioxane, afforded the corresponding narrow...

Recent progress on preparation and properties of nanocomposites from recycled polymers: A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zare, Yasser

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► The article determines the current status of nanotechnology in polymer recycling. ► The addition of nanofillers to waste polymers, composites and blends is discussed. ► The future challenges in polymer recycling using nanoparticles are explained. - Abstract: Currently, the growing consumption of polymer products creates the large quantities of waste materials resulting in public concern in the environment and people life. Nanotechnology is assumed the important technology in the current century. Recently, many researchers have tried to develop this new science for polymer recycling. In this article, the application of different nanofillers in the recycled polymers such as PET, PP, HDPE, PVC, etc. and the attributed composites and blends is studied. The morphological, mechanical, rheological and thermal properties of prepared nanocomposites as well as the future challenges are extensively discussed. The present article determines the current status of nanotechnology in the polymer recycling which guide the future studies in this attractive field

Simulation-Aided Design of Tubular Polymeric Capsules for Self-Healing Concrete

Science.gov (United States)

Šavija, Branko; Feiteira, João; Araújo, Maria; Chatrabhuti, Sutima; Raquez, Jean-Marie; Van Tittelboom, Kim; Gruyaert, Elke; De Belie, Nele; Schlangen, Erik

2016-01-01

Polymeric capsules can have an advantage over glass capsules used up to now as proof-of-concept carriers in self-healing concrete. They allow easier processing and afford the possibility to fine tune their mechanical properties. Out of the multiple requirements for capsules used in this context, the capability of rupturing when crossed by a crack in concrete of a typical size is one of the most relevant, as without it no healing agent is released into the crack. This study assessed the fitness of five types of polymeric capsules to fulfill this requirement by using a numerical model to screen the best performing ones and verifying their fitness with experimental methods. Capsules made of a specific type of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) were considered fit for the intended application, rupturing at average crack sizes of 69 and 128 μm, respectively for a wall thickness of ~0.3 and ~0.7 mm. Thicker walls were considered unfit, as they ruptured for crack sizes much higher than 100 μm. Other types of PMMA used and polylactic acid were equally unfit for the same reason. There was overall good fitting between model output and experimental results and an elongation at break of 1.5% is recommended regarding polymers for this application. PMID:28772370

Systems for production of polymer encapsuated solids

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bourcier, William L.; Aines, Roger D.; Baker, Sarah E.; Duoss, Eric B.; Maiti, Amitesh; Roberts, Jeffery J.; Spadaccini, Christopher M.; Stolaroff, Joshuah K.; Vericella, John J.; Lewis, Jennifer A.; Hardin, IV, James O.; Floyd, III, William C.

2017-11-21

Encapsulated solids are made by first encapsulating precursor materials in a polymer shell. The precursors are some combination of solids, liquids, gases, and/or gels. The precursors are then transformed into solids by emplacement of the capsule in an environment where gas or fluid transport into or out of the polymer shell causes transformation into solids.

Polymers having slow release function and their applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaetsu, Isao; Yamada, Akio.

1982-01-01

The research of giving slow releasing property to drugs by compounding them with suitable matrices and forming has been carried out actively in order to minimize the adverse effect, to reduce the frequency of administration and to improve the bioavailability of such drugs. The slow release function of drugs may be acquired by the copolymerization with synthetic and natural polymers. Drugs are mixed with monomers, and the mixture is polymerized by means of heat, light or radiation (gamma ray or electron beam). Various physical and chemical factors influencing on the rate of release are shown. The compound capsules of drugs and polymers may be used for chemotherapy, enzyme and hormone therapy, immunotherapy, artificial organs, medical and pharmaceutical applications in the form of suppositary, and administration by mucous membrane, subcutaneous and intra-fascia contact or burying. Mytomycin (MMC) of 1.6 mg/kg (LD 50 of i.v. injection) or 3.2 mg/kg (LD 50 x 2) was implanted in the abdomen of dogs. The release of MMC from the implanted capsules was relatively localized to the vicinity of implantation. More hydrophilic polymer (39 % water retention, for example, hydroxyethylmetacrylate polymer) gave more death (toxicity) cases than less hydrophilic one (2 % water retention, for example, diethylglycoldimetacrylate polymer) in the mice with Ehrlich ascites cancer cells, 5 x 10 6 cells/0.2 ml. Because of the nature of locally limited release of the drug, the capsules of anti-cancer drugs, analgesics, antibiotics, hormone, etc. should be delivered to disease foci by means of a fiber scope technique, or intravascular microcapsules. (Yamashita, S.)

Stacking layered structure of polymer light emitting diodes prepared by evaporative spray deposition using ultradilute solution for improving carrier balance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aoki, Youichi; Shakutsui, Masato; Fujita, Katsuhiko

2009-01-01

Polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs) with staking layered structures are prepared by the evaporative spray deposition using ultradilute solution (ESDUS) method, which has enabled forming a polymer layer onto another polymer layer even if both polymers are soluble in a solvent used for the preparation. By this method, polymers having various HOMO and LUMO levels can be stacked as a hole transport layer, an emitting layer and an electron transport layer as commonly employed in small molecule-based organic light emitting diodes. Here we demonstrated that a PLED having a tri-layer structure using three kinds of polymers showed significant improvement in quantum efficiency compared with those having a single or bi-layer structure of corresponding polymers.

Liquid-core nanocellulose-shell capsules with tunable oxygen permeability.

Science.gov (United States)

Svagan, A J; Bender Koch, C; Hedenqvist, M S; Nilsson, F; Glasser, G; Baluschev, S; Andersen, M L

2016-01-20

Encapsulation of oxygen sensitive components is important in several areas, including those in the food and pharmaceutical sectors, in order to improve shelf-life (oxidation resistance). Neat nanocellulose films demonstrate outstanding oxygen barrier properties, and thus nanocellulose-based capsules are interesting from the perspective of enhanced protection from oxygen. Herein, two types of nanocellulose-based capsules with liquid hexadecane cores were successfully prepared; a primary nanocellulose polyurea-urethane capsule (diameter: 1.66 μm) and a bigger aggregate capsule (diameter: 8.3 μm) containing several primary capsules in a nanocellulose matrix. To quantify oxygen permeation through the capsule walls, an oxygen-sensitive spin probe was dissolved within the liquid hexadecane core, allowing non-invasive measurements (spin-probe oximetry, electron spin resonance, ESR) of the oxygen concentration within the core. It was observed that the oxygen uptake rate was significantly reduced for both capsule types compared to a neat hexadecane solution containing the spin-probe, i.e. the slope of the non-steady state part of the ESR-curve was approximately one-third and one-ninth for the primary nanocellulose capsule and aggregated capsule, respectively, compared to that for the hexadecane sample. The transport of oxygen was modeled mathematically and by fitting to the experimental data, the oxygen diffusion coefficients of the capsule wall was determined. These values were, however, lower than expected and one plausible reason for this was that the ESR-technique underestimate the true oxygen uptake rate in the present systems at non-steady conditions, when the overall diffusion of oxygen was very slow. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of a Low Temperature Irradiation Capsule for Research Reactor Materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choo, Kee Nam; Cho, Man Soon; Lee, Cheol Yong; Yang, Sung Woo; Shin, Yoon Taek; Park, Seng Jae; Kang, Suk Hoon; Kang, Young Hwan; Park, Sang Jun

2013-01-01

A new capsule design was prepared and tested at HANARO for a neutron irradiation of core materials of research reactors as a part of the research reactor development project. Irradiation testing of the materials including graphite, beryllium, and zircaloy-4 that are supposed to be used as core materials in research reactors was required for irradiation at up to 8 reactor operation cycles at low temperature (<100 .deg. C). Therefore, three instrumented capsules were designed and fabricated for an evaluation of the neutron irradiation properties of the core materials (Graphite, Be, Zircaloy-4) of research reactors. The capsules were first designed and fabricated to irradiate materials at low temperature (<100 .deg. C) for a long cycle of 8 irradiation cycles at HANARO. Therefore, the safety of the new designed capsule should be fully checked before irradiation testing. Out-pile performance and endurance testing before HANARO irradiation testing was performed using a capsule under a 110% condition of a reactor coolant flow amount. The structural integrity of the capsule was analyzed in terms of a vibration-induced fatigue cracking of a rod tip of the capsule that is suspected to be the most vulnerable part of a capsule. Another two capsules were irradiated at HANARO for 4 cycles, and one capsule was transferred to a hot cell to examine the integrity of the rod tip of the capsule. After confirming the soundness of the 4 cycle-irradiated capsule, the remaining capsule was irradiated at up to 8 cycles at HANARO. Based on the structural integrity analysis of the capsule, an improved capsule design will be suggested for a longer irradiation test at HANARO

Porous Polystyrene Monoliths and Microparticles Prepared from Core Cross-linked Star (CCS) Polymers-Stabilized Emulsions.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Qijing; Shi, Ting; Han, Fei; Li, Zihan; Lin, Chao; Zhao, Peng

2017-08-17

A hydrophobic CCS polymer of poly(benzyl methacrylate) (PBzMA) was prepared in toluene by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT)-mediated dispersion polymerization. The CCS polymer, with poly(benzyl methacrylate) as the arm and crosslinked N, N'-bis(acryloyl)cystamine (BAC) as the core, was confirmed by characterization with gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Three kinds of oils (toluene, anisole and styrene) were chosen to study the emulsification properties of PBzMA CCS polymer. The oils can be emulsified by CCS polymer to form water-in-oil (w/o) emulsions. Moreover, w/o high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs) can be obtained with the increase of toluene and styrene volume fractions from 75% to 80%. Porous polystyrene monolith and microparticles were prepared from the emulsion templates and characterized by the scanning electronic microscopy (SEM). With the internal phase volume fraction increased, open-pore porous monolith was obtained.

Rational preparation of dibenzothiophene-imprinted polymers by surface imprinting technique combined with atom transfer radical polymerization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Wenming; Liu, Lukuan; Zhou, Zhiping; Liu, Hong; Xie, Binze; Xu, Wanzhen

2013-01-01

A computational simulation method is introduced to simulate the dibenzothiophene-monomer pre-assembly system of molecular imprinted polymers. The interaction type and intensity between dibenzothiophene and monomer are discussed from the binding energy and spatial position distribution. The simulation and analysis results indicate that the amount of the function monomer is not the more the better in preparing molecular imprinted polymers. Based on the above results, a novel dibenzothiophene-imprinted polymers with the favorable specific adsorption effect was prepared by surface imprinting technique combined with atom transfer radical polymerization. This combined technologies are used for preparing a desulfurization adsorbent for the first time. Various measures were selected to characterize the structure and morphology of the prepared adsorbent. The characterization results show that the adsorbent has suitable features for further adsorption process. A series of static adsorption experiments were conducted to analyze its adsorption performance. The adsorption process follows Elovich model by the kinetic analysis and Sips equation by the isothermal analysis. The approach we described will provide another opportunity in the deep desulfurization field.

NMR relaxation dispersion of Miglyol molecules confined inside polymeric micro-capsules.

Science.gov (United States)

Nechifor, Ruben; Ardelean, Ioan; Mattea, Carlos; Stapf, Siegfried; Bogdan, Mircea

2011-11-01

Frequency dependent NMR relaxation studies have been carried out on Miglyol molecules confined inside core shell polymeric capsules to obtain a correlation between capsule dimension and the measurable parameters. The polymeric capsules were prepared using an interfacial polymerization technique for three different concentrations of Miglyol. It was shown that the variation of Miglyol concentration influences the capsule dimension. Their average size was estimated using the pulsed field gradient diffusometry technique. The relaxation dispersion curves were obtained at room temperature by a combined use of a fast field cycling instrument and a high-field instrument. The frequency dependence of relaxation rate shows a transition from a diffusion-limited to a surface-limited relaxation regime. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Preparation of a zeolite-modified polymer monolith for identification of synthetic colorants in lipsticks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Huiqi; Li, Zheng [College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130012 (China); Niu, Qian [Jilin Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, Changchun 130062 (China); Ma, Jiutong [College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130012 (China); Jia, Qiong, E-mail: jiaqiong@jlu.edu.cn [College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130012 (China)

2015-10-30

Graphical abstract: Poly(methacrylic acid-ethylene dimethacrylate) monolithic column embedded with zeolites was prepared and employed for the polymer monolith microextraction of colorants combined with HPLC. - Highlights: • Zeolite, as a kind of mesoporous material, was firstly combined with PMME. • Zeolite@poly(MAA-EDMA) monolith columns were prepared for the enrichment of colorants. • Zeolite@poly(MAA-EDMA) monolith columns demonstrated relatively high extraction capacity. - Abstract: A novel zeolite-modified poly(methacrylic acid-ethylenedimethacrylate) (zeolite@poly(MAA-EDMA)) monolithic column was prepared with the in situ polymerization method and employed in polymer monolith microextraction for the separation and preconcentration of synthetic colorants combined with high performance liquid chromatography. The polymer was characterized by scanning electronmicroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and thermo-gravimetric analysis. Various parameters affecting the extraction efficiency were investigated and optimized. Under the optimum experimental conditions, we obtained acceptable linearities, low limits of detection, and good intra-day/inter-day relative standard deviations. The method was applied to the determination of synthetic colorants in lipsticks with recoveries ranged from 70.7% to 109.7%. Compared with conventional methacrylic acid-based monoliths, the developed monolith exhibited high enrichment capacity because of the introduction of zeolites into the preparation process. The extraction efficiency followed the order: zeolite@poly(MAA-EDMA) > poly(MAA-EDMA) > direct HPLC analysis.

Box-like gel capsules from heterostructures based on a core-shell MOF as a template of crystal crosslinking.

Science.gov (United States)

Ishiwata, Takumi; Michibata, Ayano; Kokado, Kenta; Ferlay, Sylvie; Hosseini, Mir Wais; Sada, Kazuki

2018-02-06

New polymer capsules (PCs) were obtained using a crystal crosslinking (CC) method on core-shell MOF crystals. The latter are based on the epitaxial growth of two isostructural coordination polymers which are then selectively crosslinked. Decomposition of the non-reticulated phase leads to new PCs, possessing a well-defined hollow cubic shape reflecting the heterostructure of the template.

Nano-structured polymer composites and process for preparing same

Science.gov (United States)

Hillmyer, Marc; Chen, Liang

2013-04-16

A process for preparing a polymer composite that includes reacting (a) a multi-functional monomer and (b) a block copolymer comprising (i) a first block and (ii) a second block that includes a functional group capable of reacting with the multi-functional monomer, to form a crosslinked, nano-structured, bi-continuous composite. The composite includes a continuous matrix phase and a second continuous phase comprising the first block of the block copolymer.

Radiation preparation of drug carriers based polyacrylic acid (PAAc) using poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) as a template polymer

Science.gov (United States)

Abd El-Rehim, H. A.; Hegazy, E. A.; Khalil, F. H.; Hamed, N. A.

2007-01-01

The present study deals with the radiation synthesis of stimuli response hydrophilic polymers from polyacrylic acid (PAAc). To maintain the property of PAAc and control the water swellibility for its application as a drug delivery system, radiation polymerization of AAc in the presence of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) as a template polymer was carried out. Characterization of the prepared PAA/PVP inter-polymer complex was investigated by determining gel content, swelling property, hydrogel microstructure and the release rate of caffeine as a model drug. The release rate of caffeine from the PAA/PVP inter-polymer complexes showed pH-dependency, and seemed to be mainly controlled by the dissolution rate of the complex above a p Ka of PAAc. The prepared inter-polymer complex could be used for application as drug carriers.

Potential of sago starch/carrageenan mixture as gelatin alternative for hard capsule material

Science.gov (United States)

Poeloengasih, Crescentiana Dewi; Pranoto, Yudi; Anggraheni, Frida Dwi; Marseno, Djagal Wiseso

2017-03-01

In order to replace gelatin in capsule shell production, blends of sago starch and carrageenan were developed. Films and capsules were prepared with 10% (w/v) of sago starch, 25% (w/w starch) of glycerol and various carrageenan concentration (1, 2, 3% w/w starch) in two different kappa/iota-carrageenan ratio (1:3 and 3:1). The resulted films and capsules were characterized by mechanical property, water vapor and oxygen permeability. In addition, moisture absorption and solubility of capsule in acid solution were investigated. The results reveal that addition of carrageenan makes the films stronger and less permeable. Higher kappa-carrageenan content improved tensile strength and barrier properties of the films, whereas higher iota-carrageenan content produced films with higher elongation, moisture absorption and capsule solubility in acid solution. Capsule with 2% (w/w starch) of carrageenan at kappa-/iota-ratio 3:1 had the lowest moisture absorption, whereas capsule with 3% (w/w starch) of carrageenan at kappa/iota ratio 1:3 had the highest solubility. It is illustrated that sago starch/carrageenan blends can be used as hard capsule material.

The microstructure of capsule containing self-healing materials: A micro-computed tomography study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Van Stappen, Jeroen, E-mail: Jeroen.Vanstappen@ugent.be [UGCT/PProGRess, Dept. of Geology, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 S8, B-9000 Ghent (Belgium); SIM vzw, Technologiepark 935, B-9052 Zwijnaarde (Belgium); Bultreys, Tom [UGCT/PProGRess, Dept. of Geology, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 S8, B-9000 Ghent (Belgium); Gilabert, Francisco A. [Mechanics of Materials and Structures, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, Ghent University, Technologiepark Zwijnaarde 903, B-9052 Zwijnaarde (Belgium); SIM vzw, Technologiepark 935, B-9052 Zwijnaarde (Belgium); Hillewaere, Xander K.D. [Polymer Chemistry Research Group, Dept. of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 S4-bis, B-9000 Ghent (Belgium); SIM vzw, Technologiepark 935, B-9052 Zwijnaarde (Belgium); Gómez, David Garoz [Mechanics of Materials and Structures, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, Ghent University, Technologiepark Zwijnaarde 903, B-9052 Zwijnaarde (Belgium); SIM vzw, Technologiepark 935, B-9052 Zwijnaarde (Belgium); Van Tittelboom, Kim [Magnel Laboratory for Concrete Research, Dept. of Structural Engineering, Ghent University, Technologiepark Zwijnaarde 904, B-9052 Ghent (Belgium); Dhaene, Jelle [UGCT/Radiation Physics, Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, Ghent University, Proeftuinstraat 86, B-9000 Ghent (Belgium); De Belie, Nele [Magnel Laboratory for Concrete Research, Dept. of Structural Engineering, Ghent University, Technologiepark Zwijnaarde 904, B-9052 Ghent (Belgium); Van Paepegem, Wim [Mechanics of Materials and Structures, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, Ghent University, Technologiepark Zwijnaarde 903, B-9052 Zwijnaarde (Belgium); Du Prez, Filip E. [Polymer Chemistry Research Group, Dept. of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 S4-bis, B-9000 Ghent (Belgium); Cnudde, Veerle [UGCT/PProGRess, Dept. of Geology, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 S8, B-9000 Ghent (Belgium)

2016-09-15

Autonomic self-healing materials are materials with built-in (micro-) capsules or vessels, which upon fracturing release healing agents in order to recover the material's physical and mechanical properties. In order to better understand and engineer these materials, a thorough characterization of the material's microstructural behavior is essential and often overlooked. In this context, micro-computed tomography (μCT) can be used to investigate the three dimensional distribution and (de)bonding of (micro-) capsules in their native state in a polymer system with self-healing properties. Furthermore, in-situ μCT experiments in a self-healing polymer and a self-healing concrete system can elucidate the breakage and leakage behavior of (micro-) capsules at the micrometer scale. While challenges related to image resolution and contrast complicate the characterization in specific cases, non-destructive 3D imaging with μCT is shown to contribute to the understanding of the link between the microstructure and the self-healing behavior of these complex materials. - Highlights: • μCT imaging allows for the analysis of microcapsule distribution patterns in self-healing materials. • μCT allows for qualitative and quantitative measurements of healing agent release from carriers in self-healing materials. • Experimental set-ups can be optimized by changing chemical compounds in the system to ensure maximum quality imaging.

Crystal nuclei templated nanostructured membranes prepared by solvent crystallization and polymer migration

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Bo; Ji, Jing; Li, Kang

2016-09-01

Currently, production of porous polymeric membranes for filtration is predominated by the phase-separation process. However, this method has reached its technological limit, and there have been no significant breakthrough over the last decade. Here we show, using polyvinylidene fluoride as a sample polymer, a new concept of membrane manufacturing by combining oriented green solvent crystallization and polymer migration is able to obtain high performance membranes with pure water permeation flux substantially higher than those with similar pore size prepared by conventional phase-separation processes. The new manufacturing procedure is governed by fewer operating parameters and is, thus, easier to control with reproducible results. Apart from the high water permeation flux, the prepared membranes also show excellent stable flux after fouling and superior mechanical properties of high pressure load and better abrasion resistance. These findings demonstrate the promise of a new concept for green manufacturing nanostructured polymeric membranes with high performances.

In vitro evaluation of extemporaneously compounded slow-release capsules containing morphine sulfate or oxycodone hydrochloride.

Science.gov (United States)

Glowiak, Dana L; Green, Julie L; Bowman, Bill J

2005-01-01

The in vitro performance of extemporaneously compounded morphine sulfate and oxycodone hydrochloride slow-release capsules was evaluated. Capsules containing varying amoutns of morphine sulfate (15, 60, 200 mg) or oxycodone hydrochloride (10, 80, 200 mg) were prepared and provided by a Phoenix, Arizona, pharmacy. The capsules also contained 40% Methocel E4M Premium to slow the release of their active ingredient and sufficient lactose to fill the capsules. Three batches of each capsule strength were prepared, and replicates from each batch were evlauated using United Stated Pharmacopeia dissolution apparatus II. Samples were taken at regular time intervals over 24 hours. After 1 hour the pH of the dissolution medium was adjusted form 1.2 to 4.0, and after 2 hours the pH was adjusted to 6.8. The amount of drug released at each time point was determined spectrophotometrically. The compounded capsules released 14% to 23%, 67% to 85% and 93% to 98% of their active ingredient after 0.5, 4 and 12 hours, respectively. The relative standard deviations between the replicates from each batch were less than 10% for most time points. The percent of drug released over the first 4 hours was linear (r squared = 0.9409-0.9999) when plotted versus time 1/2, indicating adherence to the simplified Higuchi model. Statistical analysis of the Higuchi dissolution constants indicated a significant difference (P less than 0.05) between batch No.3 and the other two batches of 200-mg oxycodone hydrochloride capsules. There was also a statistical difference between most of the Higuchi dissolution constants for the different-strength slow-release capsules and most slow-release capsules and equivalent strength controlled-release manufactured tablets (P less than 0.05). Using 40% Methocel E4M Premium slowed the release of morphine sulfate and oxycodone hydrochloride from extemporaneously compounded capsules. The in vitro performance of the slow-release capsules showed little intrabatch variation

Hard dental tissue minimal-invasive preparation using contemporary polymer rotating instruments and laser

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Beloica Miloš

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Goal of contemporary dentistry is to decrease the patient’s discomfort during treatment. Dentists aim to achieve maximum with the newly developed dental materials as well as with new cavity preparation techniques in the shortest time span. Since the development of the first constructed borer (drilling machine for caries removal, the preparation techniques have considerably changed. The progress of dental materials as well as the cavity preparation techniques has led us to contemporary carbide tungsten and diamond borers that are used with obligatory water cooling. The innovation within this field represents newly developed polymer borers that can detect the difference between carious lesions and healthy tooth structure. In this way the cavity preparation may be performed without damaging dental healthy tissue. This is possible owing to their hardness which is lower than the hardness of intact dentin. Polymer borer preparation is painless with less vibration, while the increase in temperature is negligible. Lasers have been used in clinical dentistry since 1980s so it can be said that they represent a new technology. The function of lasers is based on ablation which requires water. Erbium lasers have shown the highest potential with their ability to produce effective ablation of hard dental tissues. Laser application in dentistry requires special training as well as some protective measures. Laser advantages, compared to traditional preparation techniques, involve the absence of vibration, painless preparation, possibility of preparation without anesthetic and easier patient’s adjustment to dental intervention which is of importance, especially in pediatric dentistry. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 46009

Multilayer Films and Capsules of Sodium Carboxymethylcellulose and Polyhexamethylenguanidine Hydrochloride

Science.gov (United States)

Guzenko, Nataliia; Gabchak, Oleksandra; Pakhlov, Evgenij

The complexation of polyhexamethylenguanidine hydrochloride (PHMG) and sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) was investigated for different conditions. Mixing of equiconcentrated aqueous solutions of the polyelectrolytes was found to result in the formation of an insoluble interpolyelectrolyte complex with an overweight of carboxymethylcellulose. A step-by-step formation of stable, irreversibly adsorbed multilayer film of the polymers was demonstrated using the quartz crystal microbalance method. Unusually thick polymer shells with a large number of loops and tails of the polyanion were formed by the method of layer-by-layer self-assembly of PHMG and CMC on spherical CaCO3 particles. Hollow multilayer capsules stable in neutral media were obtained by dissolution of the inorganic matrix in EDTA solution.

Preparation of degradable porous structures based on 1,3-trimethylene carbonate and D,L-lactide (co)polymers for heart tissue engineering

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pego, AP; Siebum, B; Van Luyn, MJA; Van Seijen, XJGY; Poot, AA; Grijpma, DW; Feijen, J

2003-01-01

Biodegradable porous scaffolds for heart tissue engineering were prepared from amorphous elastomeric (co)polymers of 1,3-trimethylene carbonate (TMC) and D,L-lactide (DLLA). Leaching of salt from compression-molded polymer-salt composites allowed the preparation of highly porous structures in a

Reutilization of discarded biomass for preparing functional polymer materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jianfeng; Qian, Wenzhen; He, Yufeng; Xiong, Yubing; Song, Pengfei; Wang, Rong-Min

2017-07-01

Biomass is abundant and recyclable on the earth, which has been assigned numerous roles to human beings. However, over the past decades, accompanying with the rapid expansion of man-made materials, such as alloy, plastic, synthetic rubber and fiber, a great number of natural materials had been neglected and abandoned, such as straw, which cause a waste of resource and environmental pollution. In this review, based on introducing sources of discarded biomass, the main composition and polymer chains in discarded biomass materials, the traditional treatment and novel approach for reutilization of discarded biomass were summarized. The discarded biomass mainly come from plant wastes generated in the process of agriculture and forestry production and manufacturing processes, animal wastes generated in the process of animal husbandry and fishery production as well as the residual wastes produced in the process of food processing and rural living garbage. Compared with the traditional treatment including burning, landfill, feeding and fertilizer, the novel approach for reutilization of discarded biomass principally allotted to energy, ecology and polymer materials. The prepared functional materials covered in composite materials, biopolymer based adsorbent and flocculant, carrier materials, energy materials, smart polymer materials for medical and other intelligent polymer materials, which can effectively serve the environmental management and human life, such as wastewater treatment, catalyst, new energy, tissue engineering, drug controlled release, and coating. To sum up, the renewable and biodegradable discarded biomass resources play a vital role in the sustainable development of human society, as well as will be put more emphases in the future. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Preparation of polymer/LDH nanocomposite by UV-initiated photopolymerization of acrylate through photoinitiator-modified LDH precursor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu, Lihua; Yuan, Yan; Shi, Wenfang

2011-01-01

Graphical abstract: This is the HR-TEM micrograph of UV cured nanocomposite at 5 wt% LDH-2959 loading for a-5 sample. The dark lines are the intersections of LDH platelets. It can be seen that samples a-5 dispersed in the polymer matrix and lost the ordered stacking-structure and show the completely exfoliation after UV curing. This can be explained by the fact that the sample a-5 only containing LDH-2959 exhibited a relative lower photopolymerization rate, which was propitious to further expand the LDH intergallery to form the exfoliated structure. Research highlights: → The UV cured polymer/LDH nanocomposites were prepared through the photopolymerization initiated by the photoinitiator-modified LDH precursor, LDH-2959. → The exfoliated UV cured nanocomposites were achieved in the presence of LDH-2959 only. However, the UV cured nanocomposites prepared using both LDH-2959 and Irgacure 2959 showed the intercalated structure. → Compared with the pure polymer, the exfoliated polymer/LDH nanocomposite showed remarkable enhanced thermal stability and mechanical properties because of their well dispersion in the polymer matrix. -- Abstract: The exfoliated polymer/layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanocomposite by UV-initiated photopolymerization of acrylate systems through an Irgacure 2959-modified LDH precursor (LDH-2959) as a photoinitiator complex was prepared. The LDH-2959 was obtained by the esterification of 2-hydroxy-4'-(2-hydroxyethoxy)-2-methylpropiophenone (Irgacure 2959) with thioglycolic acid, following by the addition reaction with 3-(2,3-epoxypropoxy)propyltrimethoxysilane (KH-560), finally intercalation into the sodium dodecyl sulfate-modified LDH. For comparison, the intercalated polymer/LDH nanocomposite was obtained with additive Irgacure 2959 addition. From the X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements and HR-TEM observations, the LDH lost the ordered stacking-structure and well dispersed in the polymer matrix at 5 wt% LDH-2959 loading. The glass

Preparation of Metallic and Polymer Nanoparticles, Responsive Nanogels and Nanofibers by Radiation Initiated Reactions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, K. -Pill; Gopalan, A. I. [Department of Chemistry Education, Kyungpook National University (Korea, Republic of)

2009-07-01

Synthesis of nanomaterials have become the focus of intensive research due to their numerous applications in diverse fields such as electronics, optics, ceramics, metallurgy, pulp and paper, environmental, pharmaceutics, biotechnology and biomedical fields. Due to expanding demand for the nanomaterials with defined properties, extensive research activities have been focused on the synthesis and characterization of “functional nanomaterials”. Our research group launched into research activities on the preparation of varieties of functional materials using radiation as the source for inducing functionalities ino these new nanomaterials. Importantly, we kept final goals for specific applications. Thus, we have prepared few interesting functional nanomaterials such as metal nanoparticles decorated multi wall carbon nanotubes, pore filled functional electrospun nanofibers and nanocables based on conducting polymer and carbon nanotubes and demonstrated their applications toward electrocatalysts, polymer electrolyte in energy devices and biosensors. In the forthcoming sections, a brief outline on the use of radiation for the preparation of those functional nanomaterials are presented. (author)

Preparation of Electrospun Polymer Fibers Using a Copper Wire Electrode in a Capillary Tube

Science.gov (United States)

Shinbo, Kazunari; Onozuka, Shintaro; Hoshino, Rikiya; Mizuno, Yoshinori; Ohdaira, Yasuo; Baba, Akira; Kato, Keizo; Kaneko, Futao

2010-04-01

Polymer fibers were prepared by an electrospinning method utilizing a copper wire electrode in a capillary tube. The morphology of electrospun poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) fibers was observed, and was found to be dependent on the wire electrode tip position in the capillary tube, the concentration of the polymer solution, the distance between the electrodes, and the applied voltage. By using the wire electrode, the experimental setup is simple and the distance between the electrodes and the applied voltage can be easily reduced. Furthermore, the preparation of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) fibers was carried out. P3HT fibers were successfully prepared by mixing poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) in P3HT solution. Orientation control was also carried out by depositing the fibers on a rotating collector electrode, and the alignment of the P3HT:PEO fibers was confirmed. Anisotropy of the optical absorption spectra was also observed for the aligned fibers.

Improvement and utilization of irradiation capsule technology in HANARO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choo, Kee-Nam; Cho, Man-Soon; Kim, Bong-Goo; Lee, Cheol-Yong; Yang, Sung-Woo; Shin, Yoon-Taek; Park, Seng-Jae; Jung, Hoan-Sung

2012-01-01

Several improvements of irradiation capsule technology regarding irradiation test parameters, such as temperature and neutron flux/fluence, and regarding instrumentation have progressed at HANARO since the last KAERI-JAERI joint seminar held in 2008. The standard HANARO capsule technology that was developed for use in a commercial power plant temperature of about 300degC was improved to apply to a temperature range of 100-1000degC for the irradiation test of materials of new research reactors and future nuclear systems. Low-flux and long-term irradiation technologies have been developed at HANARO. As a beginning step of the localization of capsule instrumentation technology, the irradiation performance of a domestically produced thermocouple and LVDT will be examined at HANARO. The accuracy of an evaluation of neutron fluence and precise welding technology are also being examined at HANARO. Based on these accumulated capsule technologies, a HANARO irradiation capsule system is being actively utilized for the national R and D programme on commercial nuclear reactors and nuclear fuel cycle technology in Korea. HANARO has recently started the irradiation support of R and D relevant to future nuclear systems including SMART, VHTR, and SFR, and HANARO is preparing new support relevant to new research and Fusion reactors. (author)

Preparation of diclofenac-imprinted polymer beads for selective molecular separation in water.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Tongchang; Kamra, Tripta; Ye, Lei

2018-03-01

Molecular imprinting technique is an attractive strategy to prepare materials for target recognition and rapid separation. In this work, a new type of diclofenac (DFC)-imprinted polymer beads was synthesized by Pickering emulsion polymerization using 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate as the functional monomer. The selectivity and capacity of the molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) were investigated in aqueous solution. Equilibrium binding results show that the MIPs have a high selectivity to bind DFC in a wide range of pH values. Moreover, in liquid chromatography experiment, the imprinted polymer beads were packed into column to investigate the binding selectivity under nonequilibrium conditions. The retention time of DFC on the MIP column is significantly longer than its structural analogues. Also, retention of DFC on the MIP column was significantly longer than on the nonimprinted polymer column under aqueous condition. As the new MIP beads can be used to achieve direct separation of DFC from water, the synthetic method and the affinity beads developed in this work opened new possibilities for removing toxic chemicals from environmental and drinking water. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Colloidal micro- and nano-particles as templates for polyelectrolyte multilayer capsules.

Science.gov (United States)

Parakhonskiy, Bogdan V; Yashchenok, Alexey M; Konrad, Manfred; Skirtach, Andre G

2014-05-01

Colloidal particles play an important role in various areas of material and pharmaceutical sciences, biotechnology, and biomedicine. In this overview we describe micro- and nano-particles used for the preparation of polyelectrolyte multilayer capsules and as drug delivery vehicles. An essential feature of polyelectrolyte multilayer capsule preparations is the ability to adsorb polymeric layers onto colloidal particles or templates followed by dissolution of these templates. The choice of the template is determined by various physico-chemical conditions: solvent needed for dissolution, porosity, aggregation tendency, as well as release of materials from capsules. Historically, the first templates were based on melamine formaldehyde, later evolving towards more elaborate materials such as silica and calcium carbonate. Their advantages and disadvantages are discussed here in comparison to non-particulate templates such as red blood cells. Further steps in this area include development of anisotropic particles, which themselves can serve as delivery carriers. We provide insights into application of particles as drug delivery carriers in comparison to microcapsules templated on them. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Preparation of Magnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles (MIONs with Improved Saturation Magnetization Using Multifunctional Polymer Ligand

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammad Irfan Majeed

2016-11-01

Full Text Available This paper describes the preparation of ultra-small magnetic iron oxide (Fe3O4 nanoparticles (MIONs coated with water-soluble thioether end-functionalized polymer ligand pentaerythritol tetrakis 3-mercaptopropionate-polymethacrylic acid (PTMP-PMAA. The MIONs were prepared by co-precipitation of aqueous iron precursor solution at a high temperature. The polymer modified MIONs were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS, transmission electron microscopy (TEM, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA, and vibrating sample magnetometery (VSM. It was found that these MIONs were successfully modified by this water-soluble polymer ligand with a fairly uniform size and narrow size distribution. The dried powder of MIONs could be stored for a long time and re-dispersed well in water without any significant change. Additionally, the polymer concentration showed a significant effect on size and magnetic properties of the MIONs. The saturation magnetization was increased by optimizing the polymer concentration. Furthermore, the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl-2-5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT-assay demonstrated that these MIONs were highly biocompatible and they could be successfully coupled with fluorescent dye Rhodamine due to the formation of amide bond between carboxylic acid groups of MIONs and amine groups of dye. The obtained results indicated that these multifunctional MIONs with rich surface chemistry exhibit admirable potential in biomedical applications.

Preparation and application of PVDF-HFP composite polymer electrolytes in LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2 lithium-polymer batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Chun-Chen; Lian, Zuo-Yu; Lin, S.J.; Shih, Jeng-Ywan; Chen, Wei-Houng

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • PVDF-HFP/SBA15 membrane and NCM cathode material were prepared for Li ion battery. • SBA15 fillers can trap more liquid electrolytes to enhance the ionic conductivity. • Modified fillers with functional groups play a key role in reducing impedance. • LiNi 0.5 Co 0.2 Mn 0.3 O 2 polymer battery showed excellent electrochemical performance. - Abstract: This study reports the preparation of a composite polymer electrolyte for application in LiNi 0.5 Co 0.2 Mn 0.3 O 2 lithium-polymer batteries. Poly(vinylidiene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) (denoted as PVDF-HFP) was used as the polymer host and mesoporous modified-silica fillers (denoted as m-SBA15) used as the solid plasticizer were added into the polymer matrix. The characteristic properties of the composite polymer membranes were examined using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and an AC impedance method. The discharge capacities of LiNi 0.5 Co 0.2 Mn 0.3 O 2 polymer batteries with a PE separator, pure PVDF-HFP polymer membrane, or a PVDF-HFP/10 wt.%m-SBA15 composite at 0.1 C were determined to be 155.5, 159.5, and 198.6 mAh g −1 , respectively. The LiNi 0.5 Co 0.2 Mn 0.3 O 2 polymer battery containing the PVDF-HFP/10 wt.%m-SBA15 composite achieved discharge capacities of 194, 170, 161, 150, 129, 115, and 87 mAh g −1 at 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1, 3, 5, and 10 C, respectively. The lithium-polymer battery demonstrated a high coulomb efficiency of ca. 99%. The PVDF-HFP/m-SBA15 composite membrane is a strong candidate for application in LiNi 0.5 Co 0.2 Mn 0.3 O 2 lithium-polymer batteries

Preparation and Property Recognition of Nimodipine Molecularly Imprinted Polymer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fei-fei CHEN

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Objective: To explore the application of molecular imprinting technique in the separation and detection of nimodipine. Methods: Methacrylic acid as functional monomer, pentaerythritol triacrylate as cross-linking agent were used to prepare molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP with the feature of specific recognition performance on imprinting molecule nimodipine under condition of template molecule nimodipine. The preparation conditions, recognition performance of MIP on nimodipine, different proportions of template molecule and functional monomer, the selectivity to other substrate, and the relationship between adsorption quantity (Q and time were observed. Results: MIP was prepared successfully bynimodipine as template and pentaerythritol triacrylate as cross-linking agent, with the feature of specific recognition performance on nimodipine. The static adsorption distribution coefficient (KD was 0.2264. The equation of Q and the concentration of substrate of template MIP was y = -0.21x+0.2204. Combining capacity of template molecule at the same concentration enhanced with the increasing proportion of functional monomer.Conclusion: Nimodipine MIP based on molecular imprinting technique may become a new approach to chiral separation for nimodipine.

As(III) oxidation by MnO{sub 2} coated PEEK-WC nanostructured capsules

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Criscuoli, Alessandra, E-mail: a.criscuoli@itm.cnr.it [Institute on Membrane Technology, ITM-CNR, Via P. Bucci Cubo 17/C, 87030 Rende (CS) (Italy); Majumdar, Swachchha [Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute, 196, Raja S. C. Mullick Rd., 700032 Kolkata (India); Figoli, Alberto, E-mail: a.figoli@itm.cnr.it [Institute on Membrane Technology, ITM-CNR, Via P. Bucci Cubo 17/C, 87030 Rende (CS) (Italy); Sahoo, Ganesh C. [Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute, 196, Raja S. C. Mullick Rd., 700032 Kolkata (India); Bafaro, Patrizia [Institute on Membrane Technology, ITM-CNR, Via P. Bucci Cubo 17/C, 87030 Rende (CS) (Italy); Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials, University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci Cubo 42/A, 87030 Rende (CS) (Italy); Bandyopadhyay, Sibdas [Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute, 196, Raja S. C. Mullick Rd., 700032 Kolkata (India); Drioli, Enrico [Institute on Membrane Technology, ITM-CNR, Via P. Bucci Cubo 17/C, 87030 Rende (CS) (Italy); Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials, University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci Cubo 42/A, 87030 Rende (CS) (Italy)

2012-04-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Successful preparation of PEEK-WC nanostructured capsules coated by MnO{sub 2}. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Preliminary tests of As(III) oxidation carried out in batch. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Complete oxidation obtained for feed concentrations of 0.1 and 0.3 ppm. - Abstract: PEEK-WC nanostructured capsules were prepared by the phase inversion technique and used as support for the coating of a manganese dioxide layer. The coating was done by a chemical treatment of the capsules followed by a thermal one. The presence of the MnO{sub 2} layer was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), back scattering electron (BSE), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The produced capsules were, then, tested for As(III) oxidation in batch. The experiments consisted in treating 165 ml of As(III) solution with 1 g of coated capsules at fixed temperature (15 Degree-Sign C) and pH (5.7-5.8). In particular, the efficiency of the system was investigated for different As(III) concentrations (0.1, 0.3, 0.7 and 1 ppm). For feeds at lower As(III) content (0.1-0.3 ppm), tests lasted for 8 h, while prolonged runs (up to 48 h) were carried out on more concentrated solutions (0.7 and 1 ppm). The produced capsules were able to oxidize As(III) into As(V) leading to complete conversion after 3 and 4 h for feed concentrations of 0.1 and 0.3 ppm, respectively.

Posterior capsule opacification.

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Wormstone, I Michael; Wang, Lixin; Liu, Christopher S C

2009-02-01

Posterior Capsule Opacification (PCO) is the most common complication of cataract surgery. At present the only means of treating cataract is by surgical intervention, and this initially restores high visual quality. Unfortunately, PCO develops in a significant proportion of patients to such an extent that a secondary loss of vision occurs. A modern cataract operation generates a capsular bag, which comprises a proportion of the anterior and the entire posterior capsule. The bag remains in situ, partitions the aqueous and vitreous humours, and in the majority of cases, houses an intraocular lens. The production of a capsular bag following surgery permits a free passage of light along the visual axis through the transparent intraocular lens and thin acellular posterior capsule. However, on the remaining anterior capsule, lens epithelial cells stubbornly reside despite enduring the rigours of surgical trauma. This resilient group of cells then begin to re-colonise the denuded regions of the anterior capsule, encroach onto the intraocular lens surface, occupy regions of the outer anterior capsule and most importantly of all begin to colonise the previously cell-free posterior capsule. Cells continue to divide, begin to cover the posterior capsule and can ultimately encroach on the visual axis resulting in changes to the matrix and cell organization that can give rise to light scatter. This review will describe the biological mechanisms driving PCO progression and discuss the influence of IOL design, surgical techniques and putative drug therapies in regulating the rate and severity of PCO.

Small bowel preparations for capsule endoscopy with mannitol and simethicone: a prospective, randomized, clinical trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Hong-bin; Huang, Yue; Chen, Su-yu; Song, Hui-wen; Li, Xiao-lin; Dai, Dong-lin; Xie, Jia-tia; He, Song; Zhao, Yuan-yuan; Huang, Chun; Zhang, Sheng-jun; Yang, Lin-na

2011-04-01

There is no consensus concerning small bowel preparation before capsule endoscopy (CE). This study evaluated the effects of 4 regimens on small bowel cleansing and diagnostic yield. Patients were randomly divided into 4 groups. Group A consumed a clear liquid diet after lunch on the day before CE, followed by overnight fasting. Group B took 250 mL 20% mannitol and 1 L 0.9% saline orally at 05:00 hours on the day of the procedure. In group C, the same regimen was taken at 20:00 hours on the day before and at 05:00 hours on the day of CE. In group D, in addition to the group C regimen, 20 mL oral simethicone was taken 30 minutes before CE. Two hundred patients were prospectively enrolled, and 7 were excluded from the final analysis because of incomplete small bowel transit. No significant difference was noted among the 4 groups for small bowel transit time. Bowel preparation in group D was significantly better than for the other regimens for overall cleansing of the proximal small bowel, and showed improved overall cleansing of the distal small bowel when compared with 10-hours overnight fasting. Pathological lesions of the proximal and distal small bowel were, respectively, achieved in 82 and 74 patients, mostly distributed in group D. Small bowel preparation that involves split-dose oral mannitol plus single-dose simethicone for CE can improve mucosal visualization and subsequent diagnostic yield when compared with 10-hours overnight fasting.

Preparation of novel polysulfone capsules containing zirconium phosphate and their properties for Pb{sup 2+} removal from aqueous solution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ma Xiaojie [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, College of Resources and Environment, Institute of Biochemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000 (China); Li Yanfeng, E-mail: liyf@lzu.edu.cn [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, College of Resources and Environment, Institute of Biochemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000 (China); Li Xiaoli; Yang Liuqing [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, College of Resources and Environment, Institute of Biochemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000 (China); Wang Xueyan [Yantai Professional School of Automobile Engineering, Yantai 265500 (China)

2011-04-15

Zirconium phosphate (ZrP) was immobilized by microencapsulation process of polysulfone (PSF) to form the polysulfone capsules containing ZrP (PSF-ZrP capsules) successfully by using phase inversion precipitation technique, and the PSF-ZrP was employed as capsules adsorbents to remove Pb{sup 2+} presented in aqueous solution. The result shows that an encapsulation capacity of 50% (mass ratio, PSF: ZrP = 1:1) should be the optimal proportion of ZrP encapsulated with PSF. The characterization of the macroscopical and microcosmic physical properties of the resulting PSF-ZrP capsules was carried out by the DTA-TG, XRD, BET and SEM. Meanwhile, the adsorption properties of the PSF-ZrP capsules for Pb{sup 2+} were investigated by batch methods. It was found that the adsorption of the PSF-ZrP capsules for Pb{sup 2+} would be pH dependent due to the ion-exchange mechanism, and the uptake of Pb{sup 2+} was slightly influenced with the concentration of coexisting cations (Na{sup +}, K{sup +}) in a low range. Furthermore, the calculated thermodynamics parameters exhibit that the nature of the adsorption process is spontaneous and exothermic. After six times of adsorption-regeneration cycles, no significant loss of adsorption capacity was observed, indicating the good stability of the PSF-ZrP capsules. Consequently, the PSF-ZrP capsules in this work can provide a potential application for treatment process of Pb{sup 2+}-containing wastewater.

Conjugated Polymers Atypically Prepared in Water

Science.gov (United States)

Invernale, Michael A.; Pendergraph, Samuel A.; Yavuz, Mustafa S.; Ombaba, Matthew; Sotzing, Gregory A.

2010-01-01

Processability remains a fundamental issue for the implementation of conducting polymer technology. A simple synthetic route towards processable precursors to conducting polymers (main chain and side chain) was developed using commercially available materials. These soluble precursor systems were converted to conjugated polymers electrochemically in aqueous media, offering a cheaper and greener method of processing. Oxidative conversion in aqueous and organic media each produced equivalent electrochromics. The precursor method enhances the yield of the electrochromic polymer obtained over that of electrodeposition, and it relies on a less corruptible electrolyte bath. However, electrochemical conversion of the precursor polymers often relies on organic salts and solvents. The ability to achieve oxidative conversion in brine offers a less costly and a more environmentally friendly processing step. It is also beneficial for biological applications. The electrochromics obtained herein were evaluated for electronic, spectral, and morphological properties. PMID:20959869

Independent assessment of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) sample preparation quality: Effect of sample preparation on MALDI-MS of synthetic polymers.

Science.gov (United States)

Kooijman, Pieter C; Kok, Sander; Honing, Maarten

2017-02-28

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) provides detailed and in-depth information about the molecular characteristics of synthetic polymers. To obtain the most accurate results the sample preparation parameters should be chosen to suit the sample and the aim of the experiment. Because the underlying principles of MALDI are still not fully known, a priori determination of optimal sample preparation protocols is often not possible. Employing an automated sample preparation quality assessment method recently presented by us we quantified the sample preparation quality obtained using various sample preparation protocols. Six conventional matrices with and without added potassium as a cationization agent and six ionic liquid matrices (ILMs) were assessed using poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), polytetrahydrofuran (PTHF) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) as samples. All sample preparation protocols were scored and ranked based on predefined quality parameters and spot-to-spot repeatability. Clearly distinctive preferences were observed in matrix identity and cationization agent for PEG, PTHF and PMMA, as the addition of an excess of potassium cationization agent results in an increased score for PMMA and a contrasting matrix-dependent effect for PTHF and PEG. The addition of excess cationization agent to sample mixtures dissipates any overrepresentation of high molecular weight polymer species. Our results show reduced ionization efficiency and similar sample deposit homogeneity for all tested ILMs, compared with well-performing conventional MALDI matrices. The results published here represent a start in the unsupervised quantification of sample preparation quality for MALDI samples. This method can select the best sample preparation parameters for any synthetic polymer sample and the results can be used to formulate hypotheses on MALDI principles. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

UV-Induced Radical Photo-Polymerization: A Smart Tool for Preparing Polymer Electrolyte Membranes for Energy Storage Devices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudio Gerbaldi

2012-06-01

Full Text Available In the present work, the preparation and characterization of quasi-solid polymer electrolyte membranes based on methacrylic monomers and oligomers, with the addition of organic plasticizers and lithium salt, are described. Noticeable improvements in the mechanical properties by reinforcement with natural cellulose hand-sheets or nanoscale microfibrillated cellulose fibers are also demonstrated. The ionic conductivity of the various prepared membranes is very high, with average values approaching 10^-3 S cm^-1 at ambient temperature. The electrochemical stability window is wide (anodic breakdown voltages > 4.5 V vs. Li in all the cases along with good cyclability in lithium cells at ambient temperature. The galvanostatic cycling tests are conducted by constructing laboratory-scale lithium cells using LiFePO₄ as cathode and lithium metal as anode with the selected polymer electrolyte membrane as the electrolyte separator. The results obtained demonstrate that UV induced radical photo-polymerization is a well suited method for an easy and rapid preparation of easy tunable quasi-solid polymer electrolyte membranes for energy storage devices.

UV-Induced Radical Photo-Polymerization: A Smart Tool for Preparing Polymer Electrolyte Membranes for Energy Storage Devices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudio Gerbaldi

2012-10-01

Full Text Available In the present work, the preparation and characterization of quasi-solid polymer electrolyte membranes based on methacrylic monomers and oligomers, with the addition of organic plasticizers and lithium salt, are described. Noticeable improvements in the mechanical properties by reinforcement with natural cellulose hand-sheets or nanoscale microfibrillated cellulose fibers are also demonstrated. The ionic conductivity of the various prepared membranes is very high, with average values approaching 10-3 S cm-1 at ambient temperature. The electrochemical stability window is wide (anodic breakdown voltages > 4.5 V vs. Li in all the cases along with good cyclability in lithium cells at ambient temperature. The galvanostatic cycling tests are conducted by constructing laboratory-scale lithium cells using LiFePO4 as cathode and lithium metal as anode with the selected polymer electrolyte membrane as the electrolyte separator. The results obtained demonstrate that UV induced radical photo-polymerization is a well suited method for an easy and rapid preparation of easy tunable quasi-solid polymer electrolyte membranes for energy storage devices.

Capsule physics comparison of different ablators for NIF implosion designs

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, Daniel; Kritcher, Andrea; Yi, Austin; Zylstra, Alex; Haan, Steven; Ralph, Joseph; Weber, Christopher

2017-10-01

Indirect drive implosion experiments on the Naitonal Ignition Facility (NIF) have now tested three different ablator materials: glow discharge polymer (GDP) plastic, high density carbon (HDC), and beryllium. How do these different ablator choices compare in current and future implosion experiments on NIF? What are the relative advantages and disadvantages of each? This talk compares these different ablator options in capsule-only simulations of current NIF experiments and proposed future designs. The simulations compare the impact of the capsule fill tube, support tent, and interface surface roughness for each case, as well as all perturbations in combination. According to the simulations, each ablator is impacted by the various perturbation sources differently, and each material poses unique challenges in the pursuit of ignition. This work performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344.

Preparation of polymer electrolyte membranes for lithium batteries by radiation-induced graft copolymerization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nasef, Mohamed Mahmoud [Business and Advanced Technology Centre, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Jalan Semarak, 54100 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Suppiah, Raja Rajeswary [Chemical Engineering Program, Universiti Teknologi Petronas, Bandar Seri Iskandar, 37150 Tronoh, Perak (Malaysia); Dahlan, Khairul Zaman Mohd [Malaysian Institute for Nuclear Technology Research, Bangi, 43000 Kajang (Malaysia)

2004-07-30

Polymer electrolyte membranes with different degrees of grafting were prepared by radiation-induced graft copolymerization of styrene monomer onto poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) films and subsequent chemical activation with liquid electrolyte consisting of lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF{sub 6}) in a mixture of ethylene carbonate/diethylene carbonate (EC/DEC). The chemical changes in the PVDF films after styrene grafting and subsequent chemical activation were monitored by FTIR spectroscopic analysis and the crystallinity was evaluated using differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) analysis. The swelling in electrolyte solution (electrolyte uptake) and the ionic conductivity of the membranes were determined at various degrees of grafting. The conductivity of the membranes was found to increase with the increase in the degree of grafting and reached a magnitude of 10{sup -3} S/cm at a degree of grafting of 50%. The results of this work suggest that radiation-induced graft polymerization provides an alternative method to substitute blending in preparation of polymer electrolyte membranes for application in lithium batteries.

Sodium ion conducting polymer electrolyte membrane prepared by phase inversion technique

Science.gov (United States)

Harshlata, Mishra, Kuldeep; Rai, D. K.

2018-04-01

A mechanically stable porous polymer membrane of Poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) has been prepared by phase inversion technique using steam as a non-solvent. The membrane possesses semicrystalline network with enhanced amorphicity as observed by X-ray diffraction. The membrane has been soaked in an electrolyte solution of 0.5M NaPF6 in Ethylene Carbonate/Propylene Carbonate (1:1) to obtain the gel polymer electrolyte. The porosity and electrolyte uptake of the membrane have been found to be 67% and 220% respectively. The room temperature ionic conductivity of the membrane has been obtained as ˜ 0.3 mS cm-1. The conductivity follows Arrhenius behavior with temperature and gives activation energy as 0.8 eV. The membrane has been found to possess significantly large electrochemical stability window of 5.0 V.

Preparation, characterization, magnetic and thermal studies of some chelate polymers of first series transition metal ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ukey, Vaishali V.; Juneja, H.D.; Borkar, S.D.; Ghubde, R.S.; Naz, S.

2006-01-01

Azelaoyl-bis-hydroxamic acid used as bis ligand for the preparation of chelate polymers of Mn(II), Co(II), Ni(II) and Zn(II). These chelate polymers have been synthesized by refluxing the metal acetate and bis ligand as 1:1 stoichiometry. In the present work, structural determination of these newly synthesized chelate polymers has been studied on the basis of elemental analyses, infrared and reflectance spectral, magnetic and thermal studies. The decomposition temperature and the order of reaction have been determined by TGA analysis. On the basis of these studies, the Zn(II) chelate polymer has tetrahedral geometry, whereas Mn(II), Co(II) and Ni(II) chelate polymers have octahedral geometry and have the thermal stability in the order Ni(II) > Mn(II) > Zn(II) > Co(II)

Optimization of Conditions for Obtaining Alginate/Olive Oil Capsules for Application in Dairy Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Poirieux Magalie

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Encapsulation is a process of incorporation of bioactive substances in a specific matrix. It results in increasing and/or maintaining of the biological agent concentration in the food matrix or the fermentation system. The encapsulation process is influenced by various factors. The aim of the present work was to investigate the influence of alginate type and concentration, homogenization rate and the oil phase amount in the preparation of capsules rich in olive oil. It has been found that emulsions obtained with medium viscosity alginate were characterized by better stability. To establish the joint influence of the factors was used screening design experiment, the optimization features selected being temperature, centrifugal and microscopic stability. The optimal levels of the factors were established and they we applied for capsule preparation. The obtained capsules showed maximum stability and possibility to be used in dairy product manufacture.

Preparation and characterization of polymer-derived amorphous silicon carbide with silicon-rich stoichiometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Masuda, Takashi, E-mail: mtakashi@jaist.ac.jp [School of Material and Science, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, 1-1 Asahidai, Nomi, Ishikawa 923-1292 (Japan); Iwasaka, Akira [School of Material and Science, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, 1-1 Asahidai, Nomi, Ishikawa 923-1292 (Japan); Takagishi, Hideyuki [Faculty of Symbiotic System Science, Fukushima University, 1 Kanayagawa, Fukushima-shi, Fukushima 960-1296 (Japan); Shimoda, Tatsuya [School of Material and Science, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, 1-1 Asahidai, Nomi, Ishikawa 923-1292 (Japan)

2016-08-01

Polydihydrosilane with pendant hexyl groups was synthesized to obtain silicon-rich amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC) films via the solution route. Unlike conventional polymeric precursors, this polymer requires neither catalysts nor oxidation for its synthesis and cross-linkage. Therefore, the polymer provides sufficient purity for the fabrication of semiconducting a-SiC. Here, we investigated the correlation of Si/C stoichiometry between the polymer and the resultant a-SiC film. The structural, optical, and electrical properties of the films with various carbon contents were also explored. Experimental results suggested that the excess carbon that did not participate in Si−C configurations was decomposed and was evaporated during polymer-to-SiC conversion. Consequently, the upper limit of the carbon in resultant a-SiC film was < 50 at.%; namely, the polymer provided silicon-rich a-SiC, whereas the conventionally used polycarbosilane inevitably provides carbon-rich one. These features of this unusual polymer open up a frontier of polymer-derived SiC and solution-processed SiC electronics. - Highlights: • Polymeric precursor solution for silicon carbide (SiC) is synthesized. • Semiconducting amorphous SiC is prepared via solution route. • The excess carbon is decomposed during cross-linking resulting in Si-rich SiC films. • The grown SiC films contain substantial amount of hydrogen atoms as SiH{sub n}/CH{sub n} entities. • Presence of CH{sub n} entities induces dangling bonds, causing poor electrical properties.

WESF cesium capsule behavior at high temperature or during thermal cycling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tingey, G.L.; Gray, W.J.; Shippell, R.J.; Katayama, Y.B.

1985-06-01

Double-walled stainless steel (SS) capsules prepared for storage of radioactive 137 Cs from defense waste are now being considered for use as sources for commercial irradiation. Cesium was recovered at B-plant from the high-level radioactive waste generated during processing of defense nuclear fuel. It was then purified, converted to the chloride form, and encapsulated at the Hanford Waste Encapsulation and Storage Facility (WESF). The molten cesium chloride salt was encapsulated by pouring it into the inner of two concentric SS cylinders. Each cylinder was fitted with a SS end cap that was welded in place by inert gas-tungsten arc welding. The capsule configuration and dimensions are shown in Figure 1. In a recent review of the safety of these capsules, Tingey, Wheelwright, and Lytle (1984) indicated that experimental studies were continuing to produce long-term corrosion data, to reaffirm capsule integrity during a 90-min fire where capsule temperatures reached 800 0 C, to monitor mechanical properties as a function of time, and to assess the effects of thermal cycling due to periodic transfer of the capsules from a water storage pool to the air environment of an irradiator facility. This report covers results from tests that simulated the effects of the 90-min fire and from thermal cycling actual WESF cesium capsules for 3845 cycles over a period of six months. 11 refs., 39 figs., 9 tabs

New infrared transmitting material via inverse vulcanization of elemental sulfur to prepare high refractive index polymers.

Science.gov (United States)

Griebel, Jared J; Namnabat, Soha; Kim, Eui Tae; Himmelhuber, Roland; Moronta, Dominic H; Chung, Woo Jin; Simmonds, Adam G; Kim, Kyung-Jo; van der Laan, John; Nguyen, Ngoc A; Dereniak, Eustace L; Mackay, Michael E; Char, Kookheon; Glass, Richard S; Norwood, Robert A; Pyun, Jeffrey

2014-05-21

Polymers for IR imaging: The preparation of high refractive index polymers (n = 1.75 to 1.86) via the inverse vulcanization of elemental sulfur is reported. High quality imaging in the near (1.5 μm) and mid-IR (3-5 μm) regions using high refractive index polymeric lenses from these sulfur materials was demonstrated. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Capsule Performance Optimization for the National Ignition Facility

Science.gov (United States)

Landen, Otto

2009-11-01

The overall goal of the capsule performance optimization campaign is to maximize the probability of ignition by experimentally correcting for likely residual uncertainties in the implosion and hohlraum physics used in our radiation-hydrodynamic computational models before proceeding to cryogenic-layered implosions and ignition attempts. This will be accomplished using a variety of targets that will set key laser, hohlraum and capsule parameters to maximize ignition capsule implosion velocity, while minimizing fuel adiabat, core shape asymmetry and ablator-fuel mix. The targets include high Z re-emission spheres setting foot symmetry through foot cone power balance [1], liquid Deuterium-filled ``keyhole'' targets setting shock speed and timing through the laser power profile [2], symmetry capsules setting peak cone power balance and hohlraum length [3], and streaked x-ray backlit imploding capsules setting ablator thickness [4]. We will show how results from successful tuning technique demonstration shots performed at the Omega facility under scaled hohlraum and capsule conditions relevant to the ignition design meet the required sensitivity and accuracy. We will also present estimates of all expected random and systematic uncertainties in setting the key ignition laser and target parameters due to residual measurement, calibration, cross-coupling, surrogacy, and scale-up errors, and show that these get reduced after a number of shots and iterations to meet an acceptable level of residual uncertainty. Finally, we will present results from upcoming tuning technique validation shots performed at NIF at near full-scale. Prepared by LLNL under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344. [4pt] [1] E. Dewald, et. al. Rev. Sci. Instrum. 79 (2008) 10E903. [0pt] [2] T.R. Boehly, et. al., Phys. Plasmas 16 (2009) 056302. [0pt] [3] G. Kyrala, et. al., BAPS 53 (2008) 247. [0pt] [4] D. Hicks, et. al., BAPS 53 (2008) 2.

Effects of food on a gastrically degraded drug: azithromycin fast-dissolving gelatin capsules and HPMC capsules.

Science.gov (United States)

Curatolo, William; Liu, Ping; Johnson, Barbara A; Hausberger, Angela; Quan, Ernest; Vendola, Thomas; Vatsaraj, Neha; Foulds, George; Vincent, John; Chandra, Richa

2011-07-01

Commercial azithromycin gelatin capsules (Zithromax®) are known to be bioequivalent to commercial azithromycin tablets (Zithromax®) when dosed in the fasted state. These capsules exhibit a reduced bioavailability when dosed in the fed state, while tablets do not. This gelatin capsule negative food effect was previously proposed to be due to slow and/or delayed capsule disintegration in the fed stomach, resulting in extended exposure of the drug to gastric acid, leading to degradation to des-cladinose-azithromycin (DCA). Azithromycin gelatin capsules were formulated with "superdisintegrants" to provide fast-dissolving capsules, and HPMC capsule shells were substituted for gelatin capsule shells, in an effort to eliminate the food effect. Healthy volunteers were dosed with these dosage forms under fasted and fed conditions; pharmacokinetics were evaluated. DCA pharmacokinetics were also evaluated for the HPMC capsule subjects. In vitro disintegration of azithromycin HPMC capsules in media containing food was evaluated and compared with commercial tablets and commercial gelatin capsules. When the two fast-dissolving capsule formulations were dosed to fed subjects, the azithromycin AUC was 38.9% and 52.1% lower than after fasted-state dosing. When HPMC capsules were dosed to fed subjects, the azithromycin AUC was 65.5% lower than after fasted-state dosing. For HPMC capsules, the absolute fasting-state to fed-state decrease in azithromycin AUC (on a molar basis) was similar to the increase in DCA AUC. In vitro capsule disintegration studies revealed extended disintegration times for commercial azithromycin gelatin capsules and HPMC capsules in media containing the liquid foods milk and Ensure®. Interaction of azithromycin gelatin and HPMC capsules with food results in slowed disintegration in vitro and decreased bioavailability in vivo. Concurrent measurement of serum azithromycin and the acid-degradation product DCA demonstrates that the loss of azithromycin

Generation of colloidal granules and capsules from double emulsion drops

Science.gov (United States)

Hess, Kathryn S.

Assemblies of colloidal particles are extensively used in ceramic processing, pharmaceuticals, inks and coatings. In this project, the aim was to develop a new technique to fabricate monodispersed colloidal assemblies. The use of microfluidic devices and emulsion processing allows for the fabrication of complex materials that can be used in a variety of applications. A microfluidic device is used to create monodispersed water/oil/water (w/o/w) double emulsions with interior droplets of colloidal silica suspension ranging in size from tens to hundreds of microns. By tailoring the osmotic pressure using glycerol as a solute in the continuous and inner phases of the emulsion, we can control the final volume size of the monodispersed silica colloidal crystals that form in the inner droplets of the double emulsion. Modifying the ionic strength in the colloidal dispersion can be used to affect the particle-particle interactions and crystal formation of the final colloidal particle. This w/o/w technique has been used with other systems of metal oxide colloids and cellulose nanocrystals. Encapsulation of the colloidal suspension in a polymer shell for the generation of ceramic-polymer core-shell particles has also been developed. These core-shell particles have spawned new research in the field of locally resonant acoustic metamaterials. Systems and chemistries for creating cellulose hydrogels within the double emulsions have also been researched. Water in oil single emulsions and double emulsions have been used to create cellulose hydrogel spheres in the sub-100 micron diameter range. Oil/water/oil double emulsions allow us to create stable cellulose capsules. The addition of a second hydrogel polymer, such as acrylate or alginate, further strengthens the cellulose gel network and can also be processed into capsules and particles using the microfluidic device. This work could have promising applications in acoustic metamaterials, personal care products, pharmaceuticals

Helix-sense-selective co-precipitation for preparing optically active helical polymer nanoparticles/graphene oxide hybrid nanocomposites.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Huajun; Li, Weifei; Shi, Yan; Deng, Jianping

2017-05-25

Constructing optically active helical polymer based nanomaterials without using expensive and limited chirally helical polymers has become an extremely attractive research topic in both chemical and materials science. In this study, we prepared a series of optically active helical polymer nanoparticles/graphene oxide (OAHPNs/GO) hybrid nanocomposites through an unprecedented strategy-the co-precipitation of optically inactive helical polymers and chirally modified GO. This approach is named helix-sense-selective co-precipitation (HSSCP), in which the chirally modified GO acted as a chiral source for inducing and further stabilizing the predominantly one-handed helicity in the optically inactive helical polymers. SEM and TEM images show quite similar morphologies of all the obtained OAHPNs/GO nanocomposites; specifically, the chirally modified GO sheets were uniformly decorated with spherical polymer nanoparticles. Circular dichroism (CD) and UV-vis absorption spectra confirmed the preferentially induced helicity in the helical polymers and the optical activity of the nanocomposites. The established HSSCP strategy is thus proven to be widely applicable and is expected to produce numerous functional OAHPNs/GO nanocomposites and even the analogues.

Radiation Synthesis of Superabsorbent Polymers Based on Natural Polymers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sen, Murat; Hayrabolulu, Hande

2010-01-01

The objectives of proposed research contract were first synthesize superabsorbent polymers based on natural polymers to be used as disposable diapers and soil conditioning materials in agriculture, horticulture and other super adsorbent using industries. We have planned to use the natural polymers; locust beam gum, tara gum, guar gum and sodium alginate on the preparation of natural superabsorbent polymers(SAP). The aqueous solution of natural polymers and their blends with trace amount of monomer and cross-linking agents will be irradiated in paste like conditions by gamma rays for the preparation of cross-linked superabsorbent systems. The water absorption and deswellling capacity of prepared super adsorbents and retention capacity, absorbency under load, suction power, swelling pressure and pet-rewet properties will be determined. Use of these materials instead of synthetic super absorbents will be examined by comparing the performance of finished products. The experimental studies achieved in the second year of project mainly on the effect of radiation on the chemistry of sodium alginate polymers in different irradiation conditions and structure-property relationship particularly with respect to radiation induced changes on the molecular weight of natural polymers and preliminary studies on the synthesis of natural-synthetic hydride super adsorbent polymers were given in details

Polymer microcapsules with "foamed" membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Lavergne, Fleur-Marie; Cot, Didier; Ganachaud, François

2007-06-05

This article describes the preparation of capsules displaying craters at their surfaces and independent holes inside their membranes. These poly(methylmethacrylate) capsules of 20 to 200 microm diameter are prepared by a solvent evaporation process and typically contain a dispersant, polyvinyl alcohol, and an excipient, namely, a fatty acid triglyceride (miglyol 812). Spectroscopic methods showed that, depending on the miglyol content, the craters at the surface exhibited sizes of about 1 to 2 microm, whereas the core structure of the membrane changed significantly, typically from "soft-part-of-bread" up to "foamed"-like aspects. Among several spectroscopy techniques, confocal fluorescence microscopy confirmed that the capsules retained the miglyol in their core and not in the craters or holes, even after centrifugation and handling. This technique also showed that holes in the membrane are filled with water. A possible analysis of the "foaming" phenomenon based on the surface tensions of different oils, as well as their optimal hydrophile-lipophile balance (HLBO), is added to generalize the concept.

Nanocomposite metal/plasma polymer films prepared by means of gas aggregation cluster source

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Polonskyi, O.; Solar, P.; Kylian, O.; Drabik, M.; Artemenko, A.; Kousal, J.; Hanus, J.; Pesicka, J.; Matolinova, I. [Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, V Holesovickach 2, 18000 Prague 8 (Czech Republic); Kolibalova, E. [Tescan, Libusina trida 21, 632 00 Brno (Czech Republic); Slavinska, D. [Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, V Holesovickach 2, 18000 Prague 8 (Czech Republic); Biederman, H., E-mail: bieder@kmf.troja.mff.cuni.cz [Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, V Holesovickach 2, 18000 Prague 8 (Czech Republic)

2012-04-02

Nanocomposite metal/plasma polymer films have been prepared by simultaneous plasma polymerization using a mixture of Ar/n-hexane and metal cluster beams. A simple compact cluster gas aggregation source is described and characterized with emphasis on the determination of the amount of charged clusters and their size distribution. It is shown that the fraction of neutral, positively and negatively charged nanoclusters leaving the gas aggregation source is largely influenced by used operational conditions. In addition, it is demonstrated that a large portion of Ag clusters is positively charged, especially when higher currents are used for their production. Deposition of nanocomposite Ag/C:H plasma polymer films is described in detail by means of cluster gas aggregation source. Basic characterization of the films is performed using transmission electron microscopy, ultraviolet-visible and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopies. It is shown that the morphology, structure and optical properties of such prepared nanocomposites differ significantly from the ones fabricated by means of magnetron sputtering of Ag target in Ar/n-hexane mixture.

Method of preparing Ru-immobilized polymer-supported catalyst for hydrogen generation from NaBH{sub 4} solution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Ching-Wen; Chen, Chuh-Yung; Huang, Yao-Hui [Department of Chemical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, No.1, University Road, Tainan City 70101 (China)

2009-03-15

A method of preparing a polymer-supported catalyst for hydrogen generation is introduced in this article. This polymer-supported catalyst is the structure of ruthenium (Ru) nanoparticle immobilized on a monodisperse polystyrene (PSt) microsphere. The diameter of the Ru nanoparticle is around 16 nm, and the diameter of the PSt microsphere is 2.65 um. This preparation method is accomplished by two unique techniques: one is sodium lauryl sulfate/sodium formaldehyde sulfoxylate (SLS/SFS) interface-initiated system, the other is 2-methacrylic acid 3-(bis-carboxymethylamino)-2-hydroxy-propyl ester (GMA-IDA) chelating monomer. By taking advantage of these two techniques, Ru{sup 3+} ion will be chelated and then reduced to Ru{sup (0)} nanoparticle over PSt surface predominantly. The hydrolysis of alkaline sodium borohydride (NaBH{sub 4}) solution catalyzed by this Ru-immobilized polymer-supported catalyst is also examined in this article. It reveals that the hydrogen generation rate is 215.9 ml/min g-cat. in a diluted solution containing 1 wt.% NaBH{sub 4} and 1 wt.% NaOH, and this Ru-immobilized polymer-supported catalyst could be recycled during the reaction. (author)

Preparation and optimization of CdWO_4-polymer nano-composite film as an alpha particle counter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ziluei, Hossein; Azimirad, Rouhollah; Mojtahedzadeh Larijani, Majid; Ziaie, Farhoud

2017-01-01

In this research work, CdWO_4/polymer composite films with different thicknesses were prepared using Poly-methyl acrylate polymer and synthesized CdWO_4 powder. The CdWO_4 powder was synthesized by a simple co-precipitation method in the laboratory. X-ray diffraction, photoluminescence, Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy proved that the CdWO_4 powder was successfully prepared. Moreover, photoluminescence analysis showed that adding polymer does not change the emission peak of CdWO_4. Also, the responses of all samples were measured using an "2"4"1Am alpha source with 1860 Bq activity. Results showed that the sample having thickness of 177 mg/cm"2 has the best counting efficiency (over 2π geometry) among the others. The efficiency measurement was further evaluated using a "2"3"0Th source whose activity is 190.7 Bq. It revealed that the counting efficiency of this sample for both "2"4"1Am and "2"3"0Th was nearly equal.

Tuneable light-emitting carbon-dot/polymer flexible films prepared through one-pot synthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Bhunia, Susanta Kumar; Nandi, Sukhendu; Shikler, Rafi; Jelinek, Raz

2016-02-01

Development of efficient, inexpensive, and environmentally-friendly light emitters, particularly devices that produce white light, have drawn intense interest due to diverse applications in the lighting industry, photonics, solar energy, and others. We present a simple strategy for the fabrication of flexible transparent films exhibiting tuneable light emission through one-pot synthesis of polymer matrixes with embedded carbon dots assembled in situ. Importantly, different luminescence colours were produced simply by preparing C-dot/polymer films using carbon precursors that yielded C-dots exhibiting distinct fluorescence emission profiles. Furthermore, mixtures of C-dot precursors could be also employed for fabricating films exhibiting different colours. In particular, we successfully produced films emitting white light with attractive properties (i.e. ``warm'' white light with a high colour rendering index) - a highly sought after goal in optical technologies.Development of efficient, inexpensive, and environmentally-friendly light emitters, particularly devices that produce white light, have drawn intense interest due to diverse applications in the lighting industry, photonics, solar energy, and others. We present a simple strategy for the fabrication of flexible transparent films exhibiting tuneable light emission through one-pot synthesis of polymer matrixes with embedded carbon dots assembled in situ. Importantly, different luminescence colours were produced simply by preparing C-dot/polymer films using carbon precursors that yielded C-dots exhibiting distinct fluorescence emission profiles. Furthermore, mixtures of C-dot precursors could be also employed for fabricating films exhibiting different colours. In particular, we successfully produced films emitting white light with attractive properties (i.e. ``warm'' white light with a high colour rendering index) - a highly sought after goal in optical technologies. Electronic supplementary information (ESI

Quality evaluation of probiotic capsule prepared from alginate, carrageenan and tofu waste flour based on bacterial activity and organoleptic test

Science.gov (United States)

Muhardina, V.; Ermaya, D.; Aisyah, Y.; Haryani, S.

2018-02-01

Probiotic capsule is an innovation in functional food sector. It is used to preserve the living cells of probiotic bacteria during processing and storage. In this research, the improvement of probiotic viability is studied by using two kinds of encapsulating biomaterials and different concentration of tofu waste flour. Extrusion is selected method for encapsulation process. The purpose of this study is to examine the quality of probiotic capsule by evaluating the lactic acid bacteria performance and its physical characteristic. The article provides the data of probiotic bacteria activity related to their living cells present in capsule, activity in fermentation media compare to uncapsulated bacteria, and panelists’ preferences of capsule’s physical properties. The data is analyzed statistically by using ANOVA. The result shows that variables in this study affect the number of bacteria, their metabolic activity in producing acid during fermentation, and physical appearance of the capsule. Combination of alginate and tofu waste flour allows the multiplication of bacteria to a high number, and forms elastic, yellow and cloudy capsule, while with carrageenan, it causes the growth of a few numbers of bacteria which affects to a moderate pH and produces elastic, creamy and transparent capsule.

Adsorption characteristics, recognition properties, and preliminary application of nordihydroguaiaretic acid molecularly imprinted polymers prepared by sol–gel surface imprinting technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liao, Sen; Zhang, Wen; Long, Wei; Hou, Dan; Yang, Xuechun; Tan, Ni, E-mail: tannii@21cn.com

2016-02-28

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Nordihydroguaiaretic acid imprinted polymer with imprinting factor 2.12 was prepared for the first time through hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interaction between the template molecules and the bifunctional monomers. • The obtained surface molecularly imprinting polymers exhibited high affinity and selectivity to the template molecules. • The prepared surface molecularly imprinted polymers were used in separation the natural active component nordihydroguaiaretic acid from medicinal plants. - Abstract: In this paper, a new core-shell composite of nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) molecularly imprinted polymers layer-coated silica gel (MIP@SiO{sub 2}) was prepared through sol–gel technique and applied as a material for extraction of NDGA from Ephedra. It was synthesized using NDGA as the template molecule, γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTS) and methyltriethoxysilane (MTEOS) as the functional monomers, tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as the cross-linker and ethanol as the porogenic solvent in the surface of silica. The non-imprinted polymers layer-coated silica gel (NIP@SiO{sub 2}) were prepared with the same procedure, but with the absence of template molecule. In addition, the optimum adsorption affinity occurred when the molar ratio of NDGA:APTS:MTEOS:TEOS was 1:6:2:80. The prepared MIP@SiO{sub 2} and NIP@SiO{sub 2} were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Their affinity properties to NDGA were evaluated through dynamic adsorption, static adsorption, and selective recognition experiments, and the results showed the saturated adsorption capacity of MIP@SiO{sub 2} could reach to 5.90 mg g{sup −1}, which was two times more than that of NIP@SiO{sub 2}. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to evaluate the extraction of NDGA from the medicinal plant ephedra by the above prepared materials, and the results

Adsorption characteristics, recognition properties, and preliminary application of nordihydroguaiaretic acid molecularly imprinted polymers prepared by sol–gel surface imprinting technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liao, Sen; Zhang, Wen; Long, Wei; Hou, Dan; Yang, Xuechun; Tan, Ni

2016-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Nordihydroguaiaretic acid imprinted polymer with imprinting factor 2.12 was prepared for the first time through hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interaction between the template molecules and the bifunctional monomers. • The obtained surface molecularly imprinting polymers exhibited high affinity and selectivity to the template molecules. • The prepared surface molecularly imprinted polymers were used in separation the natural active component nordihydroguaiaretic acid from medicinal plants. - Abstract: In this paper, a new core-shell composite of nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) molecularly imprinted polymers layer-coated silica gel (MIP@SiO_2) was prepared through sol–gel technique and applied as a material for extraction of NDGA from Ephedra. It was synthesized using NDGA as the template molecule, γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTS) and methyltriethoxysilane (MTEOS) as the functional monomers, tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as the cross-linker and ethanol as the porogenic solvent in the surface of silica. The non-imprinted polymers layer-coated silica gel (NIP@SiO_2) were prepared with the same procedure, but with the absence of template molecule. In addition, the optimum adsorption affinity occurred when the molar ratio of NDGA:APTS:MTEOS:TEOS was 1:6:2:80. The prepared MIP@SiO_2 and NIP@SiO_2 were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Their affinity properties to NDGA were evaluated through dynamic adsorption, static adsorption, and selective recognition experiments, and the results showed the saturated adsorption capacity of MIP@SiO_2 could reach to 5.90 mg g"−"1, which was two times more than that of NIP@SiO_2. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to evaluate the extraction of NDGA from the medicinal plant ephedra by the above prepared materials, and the results indicated that the MIP@SiO_2 had

Gamma Radiation Induced Preparation of Functional Conducting Polymer Hollow Spheres

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, K. -P.; Gopalan, A. I.; Philips, M. F.; Jeong, K.M., E-mail: kplee@knu.ac.kr [Department of Chemistry Education, Teacher' s College, Kyungpook National University 1370, Sankyuk-dong, Buk-gu, Daegu 702-701 (Korea, Republic of)

2010-07-01

New materials are sought for applications in many of the emerging fields that include catalysis, sensors, biomedical, optics and electronic application. With the advent of nanotechnology, innovative materials with novel properties are being synthesized towards target applications. Changing the sizes of particles, chemical, optical, and mechanical properties of the materials can often be tailored according to the specific needs of the application. Nanocrystalline, nanoparticles, nanocapsules, nanoporous materials, nanofibers, nanowires, fullerenes, nanotubes, nanosprings, nanobelts, dendrimers and nanospheres, ets, are few of the nanostructured materials. The examples of nanostructured materials include semiconducting nanowire quantum dots for gas sensing and self-assembled flower-like architectures. Self-assembly of nanoparticles can result in specific structures with unique and useful electronic, optical, and magnetic properties. Self or induced assemby of simple nanoparticles and rods could result into complex geometries, such as nanoflowers, binary superlattices, optical grating. Over the past decade, hollow spherical nanomaterials have received considerable attention due to their interesting properties such as low density, high surface area and good permeation. Various methods like solvothermal, self-assembly, sonochemical, solvent evaporation, chemical vapor deposition, microwave-assisted aqueous hydrothermal and electrochemical are being pursued for the production of hollow spherical materials. Polymer capsules and hollow spheres have increasingly received interest because of their large surface area and potential applications in catalysis, controlled delivery, artificial cells, light fillers and photonics.

Gamma Radiation Induced Preparation of Functional Conducting Polymer Hollow Spheres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, K.-P.; Gopalan, A.I.; Philips, M.F.; Jeong, K.M.

2010-01-01

New materials are sought for applications in many of the emerging fields that include catalysis, sensors, biomedical, optics and electronic application. With the advent of nanotechnology, innovative materials with novel properties are being synthesized towards target applications. Changing the sizes of particles, chemical, optical, and mechanical properties of the materials can often be tailored according to the specific needs of the application. Nanocrystalline, nanoparticles, nanocapsules, nanoporous materials, nanofibers, nanowires, fullerenes, nanotubes, nanosprings, nanobelts, dendrimers and nanospheres, ets, are few of the nanostructured materials. The examples of nanostructured materials include semiconducting nanowire quantum dots for gas sensing and self-assembled flower-like architectures. Self-assembly of nanoparticles can result in specific structures with unique and useful electronic, optical, and magnetic properties. Self or induced assemby of simple nanoparticles and rods could result into complex geometries, such as nanoflowers, binary superlattices, optical grating. Over the past decade, hollow spherical nanomaterials have received considerable attention due to their interesting properties such as low density, high surface area and good permeation. Various methods like solvothermal, self-assembly, sonochemical, solvent evaporation, chemical vapor deposition, microwave-assisted aqueous hydrothermal and electrochemical are being pursued for the production of hollow spherical materials. Polymer capsules and hollow spheres have increasingly received interest because of their large surface area and potential applications in catalysis, controlled delivery, artificial cells, light fillers and photonics

Preparation of polymer-blended quinine nanocomposite particles by spray drying and assessment of their instrumental bitterness-masking effect using a taste sensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Taki, Moeko; Tagami, Tatsuaki; Ozeki, Tetsuya

2017-05-01

The development of taste-masking technologies for foods and drugs is essential because it would enable people to consume and receive healthy and therapeutic effect without distress. In the current study, in order to develop a novel method to prepare nanocomposite particles (microparticles containing bitter nanoparticles) in only one step, by using spray drying, a two-solution mixing nozzle-equipped spray dryer that we previously reported was used. The nanocomposite particles with or without poorly water-soluble polymers prepared using our spray-drying technique were characterized. (1) The organic solution containing quinine, a model of bitter compound and poorly water-soluble polymers and (2) sugar alcohol (mannitol) aqueous solution were separately flown in tubes and two solutions were spray dried through two-solution type spray nozzle to prepare polymer-blended quinine nanocomposite particles. Mean diameters of nanoparticles, taste-masking effect and dissolution rate of quinine were evaluated. The results of taste masking by taste sensor suggested that the polymer (Eudragit EPO, Eudragit S100 or Ethyl cellulose)-blended quinine nanocomposite particles exhibited marked masking of instrumental quinine bitterness compared with the quinine nanocomposite particles alone. Quinine nanocomposite formulations altered the quinine dissolution rate, indicating that they can control intestinal absorption of quinine. These results suggest that polymer-blended quinine composite particles prepared using our spray-drying technique are useful for masking bitter tastes in the field of food and pharmaceutical industry.

Electro-Optical and Electrochemical Properties of a Conjugated Polymer Prepared by the Cyclopolymerization of Diethyl Dipropargylmalonate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yeong-Soon Gal

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The electro-optical and electrochemical properties of poly(diethyl dipropargylmalonate were measured and discussed. Poly(diethyl dipropargylmalonate prepared by (NBDPdCl2 catalyst was used for study. The chemical structure of poly(diethyl dipropargylmalonate was characterized by such instrumental methods as NMR (1H-, 13C-, IR, and UV-visible spectroscopies to have the conjugated cyclopolymer backbone system. The microstructure analysis of polymer revealed that this polymer have the six-membered ring moieties majorly. The photoluminescence peak of polymer was observed at 543 nm, which is corresponded to the photon energy of 2.51 eV. The cyclovoltamograms of the polymer exhibited the irreversible electrochemical behaviors between the doping and undoping peaks. It was found that the kinetics of the redox process of this conjugated cyclopolymer might be controlled by the diffusion-control process from the experiment of the oxidation current density of polymer versus the scan rate.

Perovskite/polymer solar cells prepared using solution process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosa, E. S.; Shobih; Nursam, N. M.; Saputri, D. G.

2016-01-01

We report a simple solution-based process to fabricate a perovskite/polymer tandem solar cell using inorganic CH 3 NH 3 PM 3 as an absorber and organic PCBM (6,6 phenyl C61- butyric acid methyl ester) as an electron transport layer. The absorber solution was prepared by mixing the CH 3 NH 3 I (methyl ammonium iodide) with PbI 2 (lead iodide) in DMF (N,N- dimethyl formamide) solvent. The absorber and electron transport layer were deposited by spin coating method. The electrical characteristics generated from the cell under 50 mW/cm 2 at 25 °C comprised of an open circuit voltage of 0. 3 1 V, a short circuit current density of 2.53 mA/cm 2 , and a power conversion efficiency of 0.42%. (paper)

Plasma-polymerized SiOx deposition on polymer film surfaces for preparation of oxygen gas barrier polymeric films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inagaki, N.

2003-01-01

SiOx films were deposited on surfaces of three polymeric films, PET, PP, and Nylon; and their oxygen gas barrier properties were evaluated. To mitigate discrepancies between the deposited SiOx and polymer film, surface modification of polymer films was done, and how the surface modification could contribute to was discussed from the viewpoint of apparent activation energy for the permeation process. The SiOx deposition on the polymer film surfaces led to a large decrease in the oxygen permeation rate. Modification of polymer film surfaces by mans of the TMOS or Si-COOH coupling treatment in prior to the SiOx deposition was effective in decreasing the oxygen permeation rate. The cavity model is proposed as an oxygen permeation process through the SiOx-deposited Nylon film. From the proposed model, controlling the interface between the deposited SiOx film and the polymer film is emphasized to be a key factor to prepare SiOx-deposited polymer films with good oxygen gas barrier properties. (author)

Molecularly imprinted polymers for sample preparation and biosensing in food analysis: Progress and perspectives

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ashley, Jon; Shahbazi, Mohammad-Ali; Kant, Krishna

2017-01-01

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are biomimetics which can selectively bind to analytes of interest. One of the most interesting areas where MIPs have shown the biggest potential is food analysis. MIPs have found use as sorbents in sample preparation attributed to the high selectivity and high...... the imprinting methods which are applicable for imprinting food templates, summarize the recent progress in using MIPs for preparing and analysing food samples, and discuss the current limitations in the commercialisation of MIPs technology. Finally, future perspectives will be given....

Assessing the use of food coloring as an appropriate visual guide for homogenously mixed capsule powders in extemporaneous compounding.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffmann, Brittany; Carlson, Christie; Rao, Deepa A

2014-01-01

The purpose of this work was to assess the use of food colors as a visual aid to determine homogeneous mixing in the extemporaneous preparation of capsules. Six different batches of progesterone slow-release 200-mg capsules were prepared by different mixing methods until visually determined as homogeneous based on yellow food coloring distribution in the preparation by the Central Iowa Compounding Pharmacy, Des Moines, Iowa. UV-Vis spectrophotometry was used to extract and evaluate yellow food coloring content in each of these batches and compared to an in-house, small-batch geometric dilution preparation of progesterone slow- release 200-mg capsules. Of the 6 batches tested, only one, which followed the principles of additive dilution and an appropriate mixing time, was both visually and quantitatively homogeneous in the detection of yellow food coloring. The use of food coloring alone is not a valid quality-assurance tool in determining homogeneous mixing. Principles of geometric and/or additive dilution and appropriate mixing times along with the food color can serve as a quality-assurance tool.

Preparation and in vitro evaluation of folate-receptor-targeted SPION-polymer micelle hybrids for MRI contrast enhancement in cancer imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Mahajan, Shveta; Koul, Veena; Choudhary, Veena; Shishodia, Gauri; Bharti, Alok C.

2013-01-01

Polymer-SPION hybrids were investigated for receptor-mediated localization in tumour tissue. Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) prepared by high-temperature decomposition of iron acetylacetonate were monodisperse (9.27 ± 3.37 nm), with high saturation magnetization of 76.8 emu g-1. Amphiphilic copolymers prepared from methyl methacrylate and PEG methacrylate by atom transfer radical polymerization were conjugated with folic acid (for folate-receptor specificity). The folate-conjugated polymer had a low critical micellar concentration (0.4 mg l-1), indicating stability of the micellar formulation. SPION-polymeric micelle clusters were prepared by desolvation of the SPION dispersion/polymer solution in water. Magnetic resonance imaging of the formulation revealed very good contrast enhancement, with transverse (T2) relaxivity of 260.4 mM-1 s-1. The biological evaluation of the SPION micelles included cellular viability assay (MTT) and uptake in HeLa cells. These studies demonstrated the potential use of these nanoplatforms for imaging and targeting.

Status of the material capsule irradiation and the development of the new capsule technology in HANARO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choo, Kee-Nam; Kang, Young-Hwan; Choi, Myoung-Hwan; Cho, Man-Soon; Kim, Bong-Goo

2006-01-01

A material capsule system including a main capsule, fixing, control, cutting, and transport systems was developed for an irradiation test of non-fissile materials in HANARO. 14 irradiation capsules (12 instrumented and 2 non-instrumented capsules) have been designed, fabricated and successfully irradiated in the HANARO CT and IR test holes since 1995. The capsules were mainly designed for an irradiation of the RPV (Reactor Pressure Vessel), reactor core materials, and Zr-based alloys. Most capsules were made for KAERI material research projects, but 5 capsules were made as a part of national projects for the promotion of the HANARO utilization for universities. Based on the accumulated irradiation experience and the user's sophisticated requirements, development of new instrumented capsule technologies for a more precise control of the irradiation temperature and fluence of a specimen irrespective of the reactor operation has been performed in HANARO. (author)

Use of atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy for correlative studies of bacterial capsules.

Science.gov (United States)

Stukalov, Oleg; Korenevsky, Anton; Beveridge, Terry J; Dutcher, John R

2008-09-01

Bacteria can possess an outermost assembly of polysaccharide molecules, a capsule, which is attached to their cell wall. We have used two complementary, high-resolution microscopy techniques, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), to study bacterial capsules of four different gram-negative bacterial strains: Escherichia coli K30, Pseudomonas aeruginosa FRD1, Shewanella oneidensis MR-4, and Geobacter sulfurreducens PCA. TEM analysis of bacterial cells using different preparative techniques (whole-cell mounts, conventional embeddings, and freeze-substitution) revealed capsules for some but not all of the strains. In contrast, the use of AFM allowed the unambiguous identification of the presence of capsules on all strains used in the present study, including those that were shown by TEM to be not encapsulated. In addition, the use of AFM phase imaging allowed the visualization of the bacterial cell within the capsule, with a depth sensitivity that decreased with increasing tapping frequency.

Langmuir-Blodgett films prepared from pre-formed cholestanic liquid-crystalline polymers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tundo, P.; Hodge, P.; Valli, L.; Davis, F. (Venice Univ. (Italy). Dip. di Scienze Ambientali Lecce Univ. (Italy). Dip. di Scienza dei Materiali Manchester Univ. (United Kingdom). Dep. of Chemistry)

1992-01-01

A series of alternating copolymers of maleic anhydride and a-olefins functionalized through different alkyl chains with cholestanic groups were synthetised and derivatives prepared by reactions of the anhydride residues with methanol, water, dimethylamine and morpholine, respectively. The same starting functionalized a-olefins were used to prepare other suitable compounds in order to correlate the features of the liquid-crystalline behaviour of the mesogenic cholestanic group with the stability of the forthcoming polymeric or not polymeric Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films. For some copolymers surface pressure against area per molecule isotherms are reported. In some multilayer (LB) films, the spacings between the layers were determined by the detection of BRAGG peaks by X-ray diffraction. The (LB) films of these polymers are closed packed, owing to either the polymeric skeleton or liquid-crystalline interaction.

Summary Report for Capsule Dry Storage Project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

JOSEPHSON, W S

2003-09-04

There are 1.936 cesium (Cs) and strontium (Sr) capsules stored in pools at the Waste Encapsulation and Storage Facility (WESF). These capsules will be moved to dry storage on the Hanford Site as an interim measure to reduce risk. The Cs/Sr Capsule Dry Storage Project (CDSP) is conducted under the assumption the capsules will eventually be moved to the repository at Yucca Mountain, and the design criteria include requirements that will facilitate acceptance at the repository. The storage system must also permit retrieval of capsules in the event vitrification of the capsule contents is pursued. A cut away drawing of a typical cesium chloride (CsCI) capsule and the capsule property and geometry information are provided in Figure 1.1. Strontium fluoride (SrF{sub 2}) capsules are similar in design to CsCl capsules. Further details of capsule design, current state, and reference information are given later in this report and its references. Capsule production and life history is covered in WMP-16938, Capsule Characterization Report for Capsule Dry Storage Project, and is briefly summarized in Section 5.2 of this report.

H2 gas pressure calculation of FPM capsule failure at RSG-GAS reactor core

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hastuti, Endiah Puji; Sunaryo, Geni Rina

2002-01-01

RSG-GAS has been irradiated FPM capsule for 236 times, one of those i.e. capsule number 228 has failure. The one of root cause of failure possibility is radiolysis reaction can be occurred in FPM capsule when it is filled with water during irradiation in the reactor core. The safety analysis of the radiolysis reaction in the capsule has been done. The oc cumulative hydrogen gas production can cause high pressure in the capsule then a mechanical damage occurred. The analysis was done at 10 MW of reactor power which equivalent with neutron flux of 0,6929 x 10 1 4 n/cm 2 sec and γ dose rate of 0,63x10 9 rad/hour. The assumption is the capsule is filled with water at maximum volume, i.e. 176.67 ml. The results of calculation showed that radiolysis reaction with γ and neutron produce hydrogen gas for nominal flow rate each are 494 atm and 19683 atm for γ and neutron radiolysis, respectively. H 2 gas pressure for 5% flow rate each are 723 atm. and 25772 atm., for γ and neutron radiolysis, respectively. The changing of the operation condition due to radiolysis together with one way valve' phenomena, can be produce hydrogen gas from water during irradiation in the reactor core and can be the one of root cause of capsule failure. This analysis recommended the FPM capsule preparation must be guaranteed no water or/and there is no possibility of water immersion in the capsule during irradiation in the core by more accurate leak test

Analytical Model for the Probability Characteristics of a Crack Penetrating Capsules in Capsule-Based Self-Healing Cementitious Materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhong LV

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Autonomous crack healing using pre-embedded capsules containing healing agent is becoming a promising approach to restore the strength of damaged structures. In addition to the material properties, the size and volume fraction of capsules influence crack healing in the matrix. Understanding the crack and capsule interaction is critical in the development and design of structures made of capsule-based self-healing materials. Continuing our previous study, in this contribution a more practical rupturing mode of capsules characterizing the rupturing manner of capsules fractured by cracks in cementitious materials is presented, i.e., penetrating mode. With the underlying assumption that a crack penetrating capsules undoubtedly leads to crack healing, geometrical probability theory is employed to develop the quantitative relationship between crack size and capsule size, capsule concentration in capsule-based self-healing virtual cementitious material. Moreover, an analytical expression of probability of a crack penetrating with randomly dispersed capsules is developed in two-dimensional material matrix setup. The influences of the induced rupturing modes of capsules embedded on the self-healing efficiency are analyzed. Much attention is paid to compare the penetrating probability and the hitting probability, in order to assist the designer to make a choice of the optimal rupturing modes of capsules embedded. The accuracy of results of the theoretical model is also compared with Monte-Carlo numerical analysis of crack interacting with capsules. It shows that the developed probability characteristics of a crack interaction with capsules for different rupturing modes is helpful to provide guidelines for designer working with capsule-based self-healing cementitious materials.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.23.3.16888

Facile preparation of hierarchically porous polymer microspheres for superhydrophobic coating

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Jiefeng; Wong, Julia Shuk-Ping; Hu, Mingjun; Li, Wan; Li, Robert. K. Y.

2013-12-01

electrospraying influence the morphology of finally obtained products. In this paper, the influence of polymer concentration, the weight ratio between nonsolvent and polymer and the flowing rate on the morphology of the porous microsphere is carefully studied. The hierarchically porous microsphere significantly increases the surface roughness and thus the hydrophobicity, and the contact angle can reach as high as 152.2 +/- 1.2°. This nonsolvent assisted electrospraying opens a new way to fabricate superhydrophobic coating materials. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: SEM images of microspheres prepared from electrospraying PMMA solution without nonsolvent. See DOI: 10.1039/c3nr05281h

Structural Characterization of Polymer-Clay Nanocomposites Prepared by Co-Precipitation Using EPR Techniques

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Udo Kielmann

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Polymer-clay nanocomposites (PCNCs containing either a rubber or an acrylate polymer were prepared by drying or co-precipitating polymer latex and nanolayered clay (synthetic and natural suspensions. The interface between the polymer and the clay nanoparticles was studied by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR techniques by selectively addressing spin probes either to the surfactant layer (labeled stearic acid or the clay surface (labeled catamine. Continuous-wave (CW EPR studies of the surfactant dynamics allow to define a transition temperature T* which was tentatively assigned to the order-disorder transition of the surfactant layer. CW EPR studies of PCNC showed that completely exfoliated nanoparticles coexist with agglomerates. HYSCORE spectroscopy in PCNCs showed couplings within the probe −assigned with DFT computations− and couplings with nuclei of the environment, 1H and 23Na for the surfactant layer probe, and 29Si, 7Li, 19F and 23Na for the clay surface probe. Analysis of these couplings indicates that the integrity of the surfactant layer is conserved and that there are sizeable ionic regions containing sodium ions directly beyond the surfactant layer. Simulations of the very weak couplings demonstrated that the HYSCORE spectra are sensitive to the composition of the clay and whether or not clay platelets stack.

Preparation and characterization of high performance Schiff-base liquid crystal diepoxide polymer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Huan; Fu Zien; Xu Kai; Cai Hualun; Liu Xin; Chen Mingcai

2012-01-01

Graphical abstract: The specific effects of highly conjugated Schiff-base moiety on thermal properties of the Schiff-base epoxy polymer were proposed first by us. From the point of view of structure-properties relationship, it can be considered that owing to the presence of the Schiff-base group, the high performance liquid crystal diepoxide polymer displayed improved thermal stability. Highlights: ► In this work, we first proposed that specific effects of highly conjugated Schiff-base moiety on thermal properties of the Schiff-base epoxy polymer. ► As one aim of this study, the thermal and thermal-oxidative stabilities of the thermosets were studied by TGA under nitrogen and under air. ► The second aim of this study was to further understand the thermal degradation mechanism. ► For thermal degradation mechanism of this polymer under nitrogen, TG-IR was used to investigate volatile components, and SEM/EDS was used to explore morphologies and chemical components of the residual char. ► From the point of view of structure-properties relationship, it can be considered that owing to the presence of the Schiff-base group, the high performance liquid crystal diepoxide polymer displayed the improved thermal stability. - Abstract: A novel Schiff-base liquid crystal diepoxide polymer was prepared via a thermal copolymerization of a Schiff-base epoxy monomer (PBMBA) with a diamine co-monomer (MDA). We first proposed that specific effects of highly conjugated Schiff-base moiety on thermal properties of the Schiff-base epoxy polymer (PBMBA/MDA). Thermal degradation behavior of the polymer was characterized using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) under nitrogen and under air, respectively. Thermogravimetric data obtained from TGA under nitrogen and under air reveal that PBMBA/MDA exhibits higher thermal stability compared with bisphenol-A type epoxy polymer (DGEBA/MDA) and other mesogene-containing epoxy polymer. It is worth pointing out that the outstanding residual

Design and manufacturing of non-instrumented capsule for advanced PWR fuel pellet irradiation test in HANARO

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, D. H.; Lee, C. B.; Song, K. W. [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejeon (Korea)

2002-04-01

This project is preparing to irradiation test of the developed large grain UO{sub 2} fuel pellet in HANARO for pursuit fuel safety and high burn-up in 'Advanced LWR Fuel Technology Development Project' as a part Nuclear Mid and Long-term R and D Program. On the basis test rod is performed the nuclei property and preliminary fuel performance analysis, test rod and non-instrumented capsule are designed and manufactured for irradiation test in HANARO. This non-instrumented irradiation capsule of Advanced PWR Fuel pellet was referred the non-instrumented capsule for an irradiation test of simulated DUPIC fuel in HANARO(DUPIC Rig-001) and 18-element HANARO fuel, was designed to ensure the integrity and the endurance of non-instrumented capsule during the long term(2.5 years) irradiation. To irradiate the UO{sub 2} pellets up to the burn-up 70 MWD/kgU, need the time about 60 months and ensure the integrity of non-instrumented capsule for 30 months until replace the new capsule. This non-instrumented irradiation capsule will be based to develope the non-instrumented capsule for the more long term irradiation in HANARO. 22 refs., 13 figs., 5 tabs. (Author)

Effects of Emulsifiers on Preparing Spherical Urea-Formaldehyde Paraffin Capsules Modified by β-Cyclodextrin for Energy Storage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xin Yu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Urea-formaldehyde (UF paraffin capsules (B-UPCS modified by β-cyclodextrin (β-CD were successfully prepared with excellent energy storage capacity using different emulsifiers. B-UPCS were characterized by FT-IR, DSC SEM, optical microscopy, and laser particle size distribution analyzer. The effects of different emulsifiers and the stirring rate of emulsion on the microstructure, average particle diameter, and the content of paraffin were discussed in details. The results show that OP-10 for use with PCMs as emulsifier has a better emulsifying capacity, thermal stability, and mechanical stirring stability than SDBS for use with PCMs as emulsifier. As a result, the optimum dosage of OP-10 was 3% to 7%, and the suitable stirring rate of emulsion was 7500 to 12500 rpm. At this time, the spherical particle diameter of B-UPCS was about 1.0 μm, the paraffin content was 78%, and the enthalpy of B-UPCS can reach 161.0 J/g.

Preparation and optimization of CdWO{sub 4}-polymer nano-composite film as an alpha particle counter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ziluei, Hossein [Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute, AEOI, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Azimirad, Rouhollah [Malek-Ashtar University of Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Mojtahedzadeh Larijani, Majid, E-mail: mmojtahedfr@yahoo.com [Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute, AEOI, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Ziaie, Farhoud [Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute, AEOI, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2017-04-21

In this research work, CdWO{sub 4}/polymer composite films with different thicknesses were prepared using Poly-methyl acrylate polymer and synthesized CdWO{sub 4} powder. The CdWO{sub 4} powder was synthesized by a simple co-precipitation method in the laboratory. X-ray diffraction, photoluminescence, Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy proved that the CdWO{sub 4} powder was successfully prepared. Moreover, photoluminescence analysis showed that adding polymer does not change the emission peak of CdWO{sub 4}. Also, the responses of all samples were measured using an {sup 241}Am alpha source with 1860 Bq activity. Results showed that the sample having thickness of 177 mg/cm{sup 2} has the best counting efficiency (over 2π geometry) among the others. The efficiency measurement was further evaluated using a {sup 230}Th source whose activity is 190.7 Bq. It revealed that the counting efficiency of this sample for both {sup 241}Am and {sup 230}Th was nearly equal.

Comparison of non-electrophoresis grade with electrophoresis grade BIS in NIPAM polymer gel preparation

Science.gov (United States)

Khodadadi, Roghayeh; Khajeali, Azim; Farajollahi, Ali Reza; Hajalioghli, Parisa; Raeisi, Noorallah

2015-01-01

Introduction:The main objective of this study was to investigate the possibility of replacing electrophoresis cross-linker with non-electrophoresis N, N′-methylenebisacrylamide (BIS) in N-isopropyl acrylamide (NIPAM) polymer gel and its possible effect on dose response. Methods: NIPAM polymer gel was prepared from non-electrophoresis grade BIS and the relaxation rate (R2) was measured by MR imaging after exposing the gel to gamma radiation from Co-60 source. To compare the response of this gel with the one that contains electrophoresis grade BIS, two sets of NIPAM gel were prepared using electrophoresis and non-electrophoresis BIS and irradiated to different gamma doses. Results: It was found that the dose–response of NIPAM gel made from the non-electrophoresis grade BIS is coincident with that of electrophoresis grade BIS. Conclusion:Taken all, it can be concluded that the non-electrophoresis grade BIS not only is a suitable alternative for the electrophoresis grade BIS but also reduces the cost of gel due to its lower price. PMID:26457250

How do monomeric components of a polymer gel dosimeter respond to ionising radiation: A steady-state radiolysis towards preparation of a 3D polymer gel dosimeter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kozicki, Marek

2011-01-01

Ionising radiation-induced reactions of aqueous single monomer solutions and mixtures of poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) and N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide (Bis) in a steady-state condition are presented below and above gelation doses in order to highlight reactions in irradiated 3D polymer gel dosimeters, which are assigned for radiotherapy dosimetry. Both monomers are shown to undergo radical polymerisation and cross-linking, which result in the measured increase in molecular weight and radius of gyration of the formed polydisperse polymer coils. The formation of nanogels was also observed for Bis solutions at a low concentration. In the case of PEGDA-Bis mixtures, co-polymerisation is suggested as well. At a sufficiently high radiation dose, the formation of a polymer network was observed for both monomers and their mixture. For this reason a sol-gel analysis for PEGDA and Bis was performed gravimetrically and a proposition of an alternative to this method employing a nuclear magnetic resonance technique is made. The two monomers were used for preparation of 3D polymer gel dosimeters having the acronyms PABIG and PABIG nx . The latter is presented for the first time in this work and is a type of the formerly established PABIG polymer gel dosimeter. The elementary characteristics of the new composition are presented, underlining the ease of its preparation, low dose threshold, and slightly increased sensitivity but lower quasi-linear range of dose response in comparison to PABIG. - Highlights: → Steady-state radiolysis of Bis, PEGDA and Bis-PEGDA is examined. → High Mw products are formed at low absorbed doses. → Formation of Bis nanogels is likely; PEGDA solutions form hydrogels. → NMR technique can be used for sol-gel analysis. → Features of 3D polymer gel dosimeters made from PEGDA and Bis are shown.

Preparation of molecularly imprinted polymers for strychnine by precipitation polymerization and multistep swelling and polymerization and their application for the selective extraction of strychnine from nux-vomica extract powder.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakamura, Yukari; Matsunaga, Hisami; Haginaka, Jun

2016-04-01

Monodisperse molecularly imprinted polymers for strychnine were prepared by precipitation polymerization and multistep swelling and polymerization, respectively. In precipitation polymerization, methacrylic acid and divinylbenzene were used as a functional monomer and crosslinker, respectively, while in multistep swelling and polymerization, methacrylic acid and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate were used as a functional monomer and crosslinker, respectively. The retention and molecular recognition properties of the molecularly imprinted polymers prepared by both methods for strychnine were evaluated using a mixture of sodium phosphate buffer and acetonitrile as a mobile phase by liquid chromatography. In addition to shape recognition, ionic and hydrophobic interactions could affect the retention of strychnine in low acetonitrile content. Furthermore, molecularly imprinted polymers prepared by both methods could selectively recognize strychnine among solutes tested. The retention factors and imprinting factors of strychnine on the molecularly imprinted polymer prepared by precipitation polymerization were 220 and 58, respectively, using 20 mM sodium phosphate buffer (pH 6.0)/acetonitrile (50:50, v/v) as a mobile phase, and those on the molecularly imprinted polymer prepared by multistep swelling and polymerization were 73 and 4.5. These results indicate that precipitation polymerization is suitable for the preparation of a molecularly imprinted polymer for strychnine. Furthermore, the molecularly imprinted polymer could be successfully applied for selective extraction of strychnine in nux-vomica extract powder. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Experimental Optimization In Polymer BLEND Composite Preparation Based On Mix Level of Taguchi Robust Design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdul Aziz Mohamed; Jaafar Abdullah; Dahlan Mohd; Rozaidi Rasid; Megat Harun AlRashid Megat Ahmad; Mahathir Mohamad; Mohd Hamzah Harun

2012-01-01

L 18 orthogonal array in mix level of Taguchi robust design method was carried out to optimize experimental conditions for the preparation of polymer blend composite. Tensile strength and neutron absorption of the composite were the properties of interest. Filler size, filler loading, ball mixing time and dispersion agent concentration were selected as parameters or factors which are expected to affect the composite properties. As a result of Taguchi analysis, filler loading was the most influencing parameter on the tensile strength and neutron absorption. The least influencing was ball-mixing time. The optimal conditions were determined by using mix-level Taguchi robust design method and a polymer composite with tensile strength of 6.33 MPa was successfully prepared. The composite was found to fully absorb thermal neutron flux of 1.04 x 10 5 n/ cm 2 / s with only 2 mm in thickness. In addition, the filler was also characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and elemental analysis (EDX). (Author)

A new technique for the closure of the lens capsule by laser welding.

Science.gov (United States)

Pini, Roberto; Rossi, Francesca; Menabuoni, Luca; Lenzetti, Ivo; Yoo, Sonia; Parel, Jean-Marie

2008-01-01

A new method is presented for the closure of the lens capsule based on laser welding of suitably prepared patches of anterior capsular tissue. Experiments were performed in freshly enucleated porcine eyes. The patches were previously stained with a solution of indocyanine green in sterile water and then welded on the recipient capsule by means of diode laser radiation at 810 nm. The welded tissue revealed mechanical properties comparable to those of healthy tissue. This technique is proposed to repair capsular breaks and to provide the closure of the capsulorhexis in lens refilling procedures.

Design, preparation, surface recognition properties, and characteristics of icariin molecularly imprinted polymers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaohe Jia

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Icariin molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs were prepared by precipitation polymerization. Prior to the polymerization, computer simulation was performed to sketchily choose the suitable functional monomer and the corresponding polymerization solvent. The optimized synthesis parameters, including the functional monomer acrylamide, the mixture of methanol and acetonitrile (V:V = 3:1 as the polymerization solvent, and the reaction molar ratio (1:6:80 of template molecule, functional monomer and cross-linker, were respectively obtained by single factor analysis and orthogonal design methods. The results of the adsorption experiments showed that the resultant MIPs exhibited good adsorption and recognition abilities to icariin. Scatchard analysis illustrated that the homogeneous binding sites only for icariin molecules were formed in the prepared MIPs.

Molecular Design for Preparation of Hexagonal-Ordered Porous Films Based on Side-chain Type Liquid-Crystalline Star Polymer.

Science.gov (United States)

Naka, Yumiko; Takayama, Hiromu; Koyama, Teruhisa; Le, Khoa V; Sasaki, Takeo

2018-05-02

Fabrication of regularly porous films by the breath-figure method has attracted much attention. The simple, low-cost technique uses the condensation of water droplets to produce these structures, but the phenomenon itself is complex, requiring control over many interacting parameters that change throughout the process. Developing a unified understanding for the molecular design of polymers to prepare ordered porous films is challenging, but required for further advancements. In this article, the effects of the chemical structure of polymers in the breath-figure technique were systematically explored using side-chain type liquid-crystalline (LC) star polymers. The formation of porous films was affected by the structure of the polymers. Although the entire film surface of poly(11-[4-(4-cyanobiphenyl)oxy]undecyl methacrylate) (P11CB) had a hexagonal ordered porous structure over a certain Mn value, regularly arranged holes did not easily form in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), even though the main chain of PMMA is similar to that of P11CB. Comparing P11CB and poly(11-[(1,1'-biphenyl)-4-yloxy]undecyl methacrylate) (P11B) (P11CB without cyano groups) showed that the local polar groups in hydrophobic polymers promoted the formation of ordered porous films. No holes formed in poly(4-cyanobiphenyl methacrylate) (P0CB) (P11CB without alkyl spacers) films due to its hydrophilicity. The introduction of alkyl chains in P0CB allowed the preparation of honeycomb-structured films by increasing the internal tension. However, alkyl chains in the side chain alone did not result in a porous structure, as in the case of poly(11-[(1,1'-biphenyl)-4-yloxy]undecyl methacrylate) (P11). Aromatic rings are also required to increase the Tg and improve film formability. In the present study, suitable molecular designs of polymers were found, specifically hydrophobic polymers with local polar groups, to form a regularly porous structure. Development of clear guidelines for the molecular

New scale-down methodology from commercial to lab scale to optimize plant-derived soft gel capsule formulations on a commercial scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Oishi, Sana; Kimura, Shin-Ichiro; Noguchi, Shuji; Kondo, Mio; Kondo, Yosuke; Shimokawa, Yoshiyuki; Iwao, Yasunori; Itai, Shigeru

2018-01-15

A new scale-down methodology from commercial rotary die scale to laboratory scale was developed to optimize a plant-derived soft gel capsule formulation and eventually manufacture superior soft gel capsules on a commercial scale, in order to reduce the time and cost for formulation development. Animal-derived and plant-derived soft gel film sheets were prepared using an applicator on a laboratory scale and their physicochemical properties, such as tensile strength, Young's modulus, and adhesive strength, were evaluated. The tensile strength of the animal-derived and plant-derived soft gel film sheets was 11.7 MPa and 4.41 MPa, respectively. The Young's modulus of the animal-derived and plant-derived soft gel film sheets was 169 MPa and 17.8 MPa, respectively, and both sheets showed a similar adhesion strength of approximately 4.5-10 MPa. Using a D-optimal mixture design, plant-derived soft gel film sheets were prepared and optimized by varying their composition, including variations in the mass of κ-carrageenan, ι-carrageenan, oxidized starch and heat-treated starch. The physicochemical properties of the sheets were evaluated to determine the optimal formulation. Finally, plant-derived soft gel capsules were manufactured using the rotary die method and the prepared soft gel capsules showed equivalent or superior physical properties compared with pre-existing soft gel capsules. Therefore, we successfully developed a new scale-down methodology to optimize the formulation of plant-derived soft gel capsules on a commercial scale. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Polymers in cell encapsulation from an enveloped cell perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

de Vos, Paul; Lazarjani, Hamideh Aghajani; Poncelet, Denis; Faas, Marijke M

2014-04-01

In the past two decades, many polymers have been proposed for producing immunoprotective capsules. Examples include the natural polymers alginate, agarose, chitosan, cellulose, collagen, and xanthan and synthetic polymers poly(ethylene glycol), polyvinyl alcohol, polyurethane, poly(ether-sulfone), polypropylene, sodium polystyrene sulfate, and polyacrylate poly(acrylonitrile-sodium methallylsulfonate). The biocompatibility of these polymers is discussed in terms of tissue responses in both the host and matrix to accommodate the functional survival of the cells. Cells should grow and function in the polymer network as adequately as in their natural environment. This is critical when therapeutic cells from scarce cadaveric donors are considered, such as pancreatic islets. Additionally, the cell mass in capsules is discussed from the perspective of emerging new insights into the release of so-called danger-associated molecular pattern molecules by clumps of necrotic therapeutic cells. We conclude that despite two decades of intensive research, drawing conclusions about which polymer is most adequate for clinical application is still difficult. This is because of the lack of documentation on critical information, such as the composition of the polymer, the presence or absence of confounding factors that induce immune responses, toxicity to enveloped cells, and the permeability of the polymer network. Only alginate has been studied extensively and currently qualifies for application. This review also discusses critical issues that are not directly related to polymers and are not discussed in the other reviews in this issue, such as the functional performance of encapsulated cells in vivo. Physiological endocrine responses may indeed not be expected because of the many barriers that the metabolites encounter when traveling from the blood stream to the enveloped cells and back to circulation. However, despite these diffusion barriers, many studies have shown optimal

Preparation and DMFC performance of a sulfophenylated poly(arylene ether ketone) polymer electrolyte membrane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu Baijun, E-mail: liubj@jlu.edu.c [College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130012 (China); Hu Wei [College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130012 (China); Kim, Yu Seung [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Electronic and Electrochemical Materials and Devices, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); Zou Haifeng [College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130012 (China); Robertson, Gilles P. [Institute for Chemical Process and Environmental Technology, National Research Council, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R6 (Canada); Jiang Zhenhua [College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130012 (China); Guiver, Michael D. [Institute for Chemical Process and Environmental Technology, National Research Council, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R6 (Canada); Department of Energy Engineering, Hanyang University, 17 Haengdang-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 133-791 (Korea, Republic of)

2010-04-15

A sulfonated poly(aryl ether ether ketone ketone) (PEEKK) having a well-defined rigid homopolymer-like chemical structure was synthesized from a readily prepared PEEKK by post-sulfonation with concentrated sulfuric acid at room temperature within several hours. The polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) cast from the resulting polymer exhibited an excellent combination of thermal resistance, oxidative and dimensional stability, low methanol fuel permeability and high proton conductivity. Furthermore, membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) were successfully fabricated and good direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) performance was observed. At 2 M MeOH feed, the current density at 0.5 V reached 165 mA/cm, which outperformed our reported similarly structured analogues and MEAs derived from comparative Nafion membranes.

Preparation of polymer-organo clay nano composites through the spray drying process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bernardo, Paulo R.A.; Pessan, Luiz A.; Carvalho, Antonio J.F. de; Vidotti, Suel E.

2011-01-01

The objective of the work was the study and preparation of polymer nano composites with montmorillonite organo clays (MMT) through the spray drying process. A new technique was proposed and tested to obtaining polymer nano composites, based on the use of the spray drying process to produce a nano composite with high clay content. The process consisted of the following stages: clay intercalation in water solution, with after addition of polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) and a hydro soluble polyester ionomer (GEROLPS20) as exfoliation agents; spray drying the mixture obtained; incorporation powder in EVOH, PET e PP matrix. The effects of exfoliation agent on morphological and thermal properties of the nano composites were studied by XRD, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and TGA. The results demonstrate that the process of spray drying is an innovative way to obtain a nano composite with high clay content. (author)

Hot cell examination on the surveillance capsule and HANARO capsule in IMEF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choo, Yong Sun; Oh, Wan Ho; Yoo, Byung Ok; Jung, Yang Hong; Ahn, Sang Bok; Baik, Seung Je; Song, Wung Sup; Hong, Kwon Pyo

2000-01-01

For the maintenance of integrity and safety of pressurizer of commercial power plant until its life span, it is required by US NRC 10CFR50 APP. G and H and ASTM E185-94 to periodically monitor irradiation embrittlement by neutron irradiation. In order to accomplished the requirement reactor operator has been carrying out the test by extracting the monitoring capsule embeded in reactor during the period of planned preventive maintenance. In relation to this irradiation samples are being used for prediction of reactor vessel life span and reactor vessel's adjusted reference temperature by irradiation of neutron flux enough to reach to end of life span. And also irradiation capsules with and without instrumentation are used for R and D on nuclear materials. Each capsule contains high radioactivity, therefore, post irradiation examination has to be handled by all means in the hot cell. The facility available for this purpose is Irradiated material examination facility (IMEF) to handle such works as capsule receiving, capsule cut and dismantling, sample classification, various examination, and finally development and improvement of examination equipment and instrumentation. (Hong, J. S.)

ALARA implementation in 131I therapeutic capsule production facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumawat, Lalit; Swaminathan, N.; Sudheer, T.S.; Sachdev, S.S.; Arora, S.S.; Vairalkar, K.G.

2005-01-01

Sodium iodide 131 I solution had been invariably administered to patients for both diagnosis and therapy of thyrotoxicosis. The undue exposure to non-target organs has been over come by introducing NaI ( 131 I) in a gelatin capsule. BRIT has set up experimental facility for the preparation and the production volume has augmented into four fold due to increase in demand and the same facility is being used to cater the need. However, the adequately shielded facility (fume hood) used for (manual) dispensing activity in capsules, capsules and product vial capping, transfer of the vials into lead pots and activity measurement of each vial has resulted in significant increase in the personnel exposure. The sources had been identified and efforts were made to reduce the exposure in these operations. An annular shield was introduced around the dispenser, resulted in the reduction of radiation field at wrist level by a factor of three. Introduction of shielded automated dispenser and usage of longer tools for transfer and capping of vials has effected in two times reduction of collective wrist dose. Currently, the relocated capping station two meters away from the source certainly will bring down further exposure. (author)

Preparation and Characterization of Conducting Polymer Latices by Chemical Polymerization of Aniline or Anisidine in Presence of Latex: Study of Their Electroactivity and Anti-Corrosion Properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bakhshali Massoumi

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Poly (vinylacetate-co-butylmethacrylate was prepared in presence of potassium persulphate as an oxidizing agent in aqueous solution of dodecylbenzene sulfonate sodium as an emulsifying agent. Then, aniline was polymerized by chemical oxidation method at three different concentrations of aniline monomer (0.1, 0.2 and 0.3 M in toluene in presence of poly(vinylacetate-co-butylmethacrylate in order to obtain polyaniline/poly(vinylacetate-co-butylmethacrylate. To prepare conducting-latex of polyanisidine/poly(vinylacetate-co-butylmethacrylate the same method was employed as above for aniline monomer in obtaining conducting polyaniline/poly(vinylacetate-co-butylmethacrylate latex. In addition, the purification of conducting-latex polymers, polyaniline/poly(vinylacetate-co-butylmethacrylate and polyanisidine/poly(vinylacetate-co-butylmethacrylate was conducted and preparation of tin layer films of conducting-latex polymers was carried out by casting method on glassy lames. The electroactivity properties of the prepared latex-polymers, polyaniline/poly(vinylacetate-co-butylmethacrylate and polyanisidine/poly(vinylacetate-co-butylmethacrylate were investigated by cyclic voltammetery (CV. The voltamogrames showed that the latex films were electroactive. Because of conductivity and electroactivity, the obtained films may find applications in anti-corrosion coatings. The anti-corrosion properties of conducting-latex polymers were studied on aluminum surface by impedance technique. The structure of the prepared conducting-latex polymers was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR. Finally, the electrical conductivity of synthesized conducting-latex polymers, polyaniline/poly(vinylacetate-co-butylmethacrylate and polyanisidine/poly(vinylacetate-co-butylmethacrylate was measured by four probe technique.

Micro- and nano-capsulated fungal pectinase with outstanding capabilities of eliminating turbidity in freshly produced juice.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahmoud, Khaled F; Abo-Elmagd, Heba I; Housseiny, Manal M

2018-01-01

The present study aimed to compare the pectinase forms produced from Trichoderma viride-free, micro-capsule, and nano-capsule-in sodium alginate to analyze the pectin that causes the turbidity of orange juice. This was performed along with an estimation of viscosity, residual of pectin, and turbidity. The extracted and purified enzyme was 24.35-fold better than that of the crude enzyme. After application of free one, it loses most of the activity on low degrees of acidity and remains constant on the temperatures of pasteurization. Therefore, the tested enzyme was encapsulated by two different ways using the same polymer. The morphology of the three pectinase forms was obtained by transmission electron microscopy, and the micrographs clearly showed the pores on the surface of sodium alginate matrix after encapsulation. The size of the wall (sodium alginate) ranged from 3.24 to 3.76 µm diameter but was 3.15 µm for core of enzyme. Micro-capsuled and nano-capsuled pectinase can be used in the hydrolysis of pectic substances in orange juice with natural ways and maintaining the quality of final product. Consequently, the cost of juice clarifying can be reduced due to reusing the enzyme several times.

Application of radiation grafting techniques to prepare the high molecular weight water-soluble polymer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Hai; Nguyen Quoc Hien; Nguyen Tan Man; Truong Thi Hanh; Le Huu Tu; Tran Thi Tam; Pham Thi Sam; Pham Anh Tuan; Le Dinh Lang

2003-01-01

The results of the study on the preparation of the high molecular weight water-soluble polymers by radiation grafting and their properties is presented as follows: 1/ by radiation grafting, the molecular weight of PVA was increased 20 times and PAM was increased only 3 times; 2/ the thermal and medium stability of poly(vinyl alcohol) grafted with acrylamide was obviously improved. (LH)

Preparation of PbS and PbO nanopowders from new Pb(II)(saccharine) coordination polymers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aslani, Alireza; Musevi, Seyid Javad; Şahin, Ertan; Yilmaz, Veysel T.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The complex of compounds “[Pb(H 2 O)(μ-OAc)(μ-sac)] n ” are synthesized at nano and bulk size structurally diverse and show interesting three-dimensional coordination polymers. • Reduction of the particle size of the coordination polymers to a few dozen nanometers results in lower thermal stability when compared to the single crystalline samples. • This study demonstrates that the metal–organic framework may be suitable precursors for the preparation of nanoscale materials with interesting morphologies. - Abstract: Nanopowders and single crystal of new Pb(II) three-dimensional coordination polymer, [Pb(H 2 O)(μ-OAc)(μ-sac)] n “PASAC” were synthesized by a sonochemical and branched tube methods (Yılmaz et al., Z. Anorg. Allg. Chem. 629 (2003) 172). The new nano-structures of Pb(II) coordination polymer were characterized by X-ray crystallography analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), surface analysis (BET), and IR spectroscopy. The crystal structure of these compounds consists of three-dimensional polymeric units. The thermal stability of compounds was studied by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential thermal analyses (DTA). PbS and PbO nano-structures were obtained by calcinations of the nano-structures of this coordination polymer at 600 °C

Towards a fully synthetic substitute of alginate: optimization of a thermal gelation/chemical cross-linking scheme ("tandem" gelation) for the production of beads and liquid-core capsules.

Science.gov (United States)

Cellesi, F; Weber, W; Fussenegger, M; Hubbell, J A; Tirelli, N

2004-12-20

Fully synthetic polymers were used for the preparation of hydrogel beads and capsules, in a processing scheme that, originally designed for calcium alginate, was adapted to a "tandem" process, that is the combination a physical gelation with a chemical cross-linking. The polymers feature a Tetronic backbone (tetra armed Pluronics), which exhibits a reverse thermal gelation in water solutions within a physiological range of temperatures and pHs. The polymers bear terminal reactive groups that allow for a mild, but effective chemical cross-linking. Given an appropriate temperature jump, the thermal gelation provides a hardening kinetics similar to that of alginate. With slower kinetics, the chemical cross-linking then develops an irreversible and elastic gel structure, and determines its transport properties. In the present article this process has been optimized for the production of monodisperse, high elastic, hydrogel microbeads, and liquid-core microcapsules. We also show the feasibility of the use of liquid-core microcapsules in cell encapsulation. In preliminary experiments, CHO cells have been successfully encapsulated preserving their viability during the process and after incubation. The advantages of this process are mainly in the use of synthetic polymers, which provide great flexibility in the molecular design. This, in principle, allows for a precise tailoring of mechanical and transport properties and of bioactivity of the hydrogels, and also for a precise control in material purification.

Preparation and characterization of polymer nanocomposites based on chitosan and clay minerals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fiori, Ana Paula Santos de Melo; Gabiraba, Victor Parizio; Praxedes, Ana Paula Perdigao; Nunes, Marcelo Ramon da Silva; Balliano, Tatiane L.; Silva, Rosanny Christhinny da; Tonholo, Josealdo; Ribeiro, Adriana Santos

2014-01-01

In this work nanocomposites based on chitosan and different clays were prepared using polyethyleneglycol (PEG) as plasticizer. The samples obtained were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA/DTG) and by mechanical characterization (tensile test) with the aim of investigating the interactions between chitosan and clay. The nanocomposite films prepared using sodium bentonite (Ben) showed an increase of 81.2% in the maximum tensile stress values and a decrease of 16.0% in the Young’s modulus when compared to the chitosan with PEG (QuiPEG) films, evidencing that the introduction of the clay into the polymer matrix provided a more flexible and resistant film, whose elongation at break was 93.6% higher than for the QuiPEG film. (author)

Effect of tian meng capsule treatment on serum TGA, TMA levels in patients with hashimoto's disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang Qingyi; Chen Jianfei

2010-01-01

Objective: To study the effect of tian meng capsule treatment on the serum levels of TGA, TMA in patients with chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis (CLTD or Hashimoto's disease). Methods: Serum TGA and TMA levels were determined with RIA both before and after treatment for 3 months in (1) 30 patients treated with conventional drugs (2) 30 patients treated with conventional drugs plus tian meng capsule (a traditional chinese medicine preparation No.2, tid) and (3) once in 30 controls. Results: Before treatment,the serum TGA and TMA levels in all the patients were significantly, higher than those in controls. After 3 months' treatment, serum TGA and TMA levels in all the patients dropped, but the levels in the patients treated with additional tian meng capsule were significantly lower than those in patients without tian meng capsule treatment. Moreover, 76.7% of the patients with tian meng capsule treatment had their serum TGA and TMA levels decreased over 30%, four patients even had the serum levels became normal. Conclusion: tian meng capsule treatment is very effective in lowering serum TGA and TMA levels in patients with Hashimoto's disease. (authors)

Independent assessment of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) sample preparation quality : Effect of sample preparation on MALDI-MS of synthetic polymers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kooijman, Pieter C.; Kok, Sander; Honing, Maarten

2017-01-01

Rationale: Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) provides detailed and in-depth information about the molecular characteristics of synthetic polymers. To obtain the most accurate results the sample preparation parameters should be chosen to suit the sample and the

Applications of Polymers as Pharmaceutical Excipients in Solid Oral Dosage Forms.

Science.gov (United States)

Debotton, Nir; Dahan, Arik

2017-01-01

Over the last few decades, polymers have been extensively used as pharmaceutical excipients in drug delivery systems. Pharmaceutical polymers evolved from being simply used as gelatin shells comprising capsule to offering great formulation advantages including enabling controlled/slow release and specific targeting of drugs to the site(s) of action (the "magic bullets" concept), hence hold a significant clinical promise. Oral administration of solid dosage forms (e.g., tablets and capsules) is the most common and convenient route of drug administration. When formulating challenging molecules into solid oral dosage forms, polymeric pharmaceutical excipients permit masking undesired physicochemical properties of drugs and consequently, altering their pharmacokinetic profiles to improve the therapeutic effect. As a result, the number of synthetic and natural polymers available commercially as pharmaceutical excipients has increased dramatically, offering potential solutions to various difficulties. For instance, the different polymers may allow increased solubility, swellability, viscosity, biodegradability, advanced coatings, pH dependency, mucodhesion, and inhibition of crystallization. The aim of this article is to provide a wide angle prospect of the different uses of pharmaceutical polymers in solid oral dosage forms. The various types of polymeric excipients are presented, and their distinctive role in oral drug delivery is emphasized. The comprehensive know-how provided in this article may allow scientists to use these polymeric excipients rationally, to fully exploit their different features and potential influence on drug delivery, with the overall aim of making better drug products. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Passive sorting of capsules by deformability

Science.gov (United States)

Haener, Edgar; Juel, Anne

We study passive sorting according to deformability of liquid-filled ovalbumin-alginate capsules. We present results for two sorting geometries: a straight channel with a half-cylindrical obstruction and a pinched flow fractioning device (PFF) adapted for use with capsules. In the half-cylinder device, the capsules deform as they encounter the obstruction, and travel around the half-cylinder. The distance from the capsule's centre of mass to the surface of the half-cylinder depends on deformability, and separation between capsules of different deformability is amplified by diverging streamlines in the channel expansion downstream of the obstruction. We show experimentally that capsules can be sorted according to deformability with their downstream position depending on capillary number only, and we establish the sensitivity of the device to experimental variability. In the PFF device, particles are compressed against a wall using a strong pinching flow. We show that capsule deformation increases with the intensity of the pinching flow, but that the downstream capsule position is not set by deformation in the device. However, when using the PFF device like a T-Junction, we achieve improved sorting resolution compared to the half-cylinder device.

Effect of incorporation of nutraceutical capsule waste of safflower oil in the mechanical characteristics of corn starch films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Camila de CAMPO

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Biodegradable films blends made of safflower oil nutraceutical capsules waste corn starch (20:4, 30:4, 40:4 and 50:4 were prepared. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of addition of different concentrations of safflower oil nutraceutical capsule waste in the mechanical properties (tensile strength, elongation at break, Young’s modulus and thickness of corn starch films. A decrease in tensile strength and Young’s modulus and an increase in elongation at break were observed with the increase in the content of the nutraceutical capsule waste. The results showed that the blends of safflower oil capsules waste-corn starch films demonstrated promising characteristics to form biodegradable films with different mechanical characteristics.

Preparation and evaluation of molecularly imprinted polymer for selective recognition and adsorption of gossypol.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhi, Keke; Wang, Lulu; Zhang, Yagang; Zhang, Xuemin; Zhang, Letao; Liu, Li; Yao, Jun; Xiang, Wei

2018-03-01

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) were designed and prepared via bulk thermal polymerization with gossypol as the template molecule and dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate as the functional monomer. The morphology and microstructures of MIPs were characterized by scanning electron microscope and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface areas. Static adsorption tests were performed to evaluate adsorption behavior of gossypol by the MIPs. It was found that adsorption kinetics and adsorption isotherms data of MIPs for gossypol were fit well with the pseudo-second-order model and Freundlich model, respectively. Scatchard analysis showed that heterogeneous binding sites were formed in the MIPs, including lower-affinity binding sites with the maximum adsorption of 252 mg/g and higher-affinity binding sites with the maximum adsorption of 632 mg/g. Binding studies also revealed that MIPs had favorable selectivity towards gossypol compared with non-imprinted polymers. Furthermore, adsorption capacity of MIPs maintained above 90% after 5 regeneration cycles, indicating MIPs were recyclable and could be used multiple times. These results demonstrated that prepared MIPs could be a promising functional material for selective adsorption of gossypol. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Modification of inkjet printer for polymer sensitive layer preparation on silicon-based gas sensors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tianjian Li

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Inkjet printing is a versatile, low cost deposition technology with the capabilities for the localized deposition of high precision, patterned deposition in a programmable way, and the parallel deposition of a variety of materials. This paper demonstrates a new method of modifying the consumer inkjet printer to prepare polymer-sensitive layers on silicon wafer for gas sensor applications. A special printing tray for the modified inkjet printer to support a 4-inch silicon wafer is designed. The positioning accuracy of the deposition system is tested, based on the newly modified printer. The experimental data show that the positioning errors in the horizontal direction are negligibly small, while the positioning errors in the vertical direction rise with the increase of the printing distance of the wafer. The method for making suitable ink to be deposited to form the polymer-sensitive layer is also discussed. In the testing, a solution of 0.1 wt% polyvinyl alcohol (PVA was used as ink to prepare a sensitive layer with certain dimensions at a specific location on the surface of the silicon wafer, and the results prove the feasibility of the methods presented in this article.

Fiscal 1999 leading research report. Research on advanced functional material technology based on micro- capsule technology; 1999 nendo micro capsule ka gijutsu ni yoru kokinoka zairyo gijutsu no chosa kenkyu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2000-03-01

Study was made on production technology of the 5th- generation material 'eco-smart composite structure' based on micro-capsule technology. This material ought to have an intelligent function including self-detection and self- restoration of defects, environmental harmony, high strength and long life. At present, these demands are implemented by embedding a sensor, actuator and controller in structure, or optical fiber, shape memory alloy and computer chip in matrix, however, such complex material structure has adverse effect on environment. On the other hand, single structure material such as biodegradable polymer is unusable in severe environment such as the ocean and space. These problems can be resolved by combining composite material and micro-sphere technology, for example fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) composite structure including micro-capsules with nano particles. According to targets, this material can have a self-restoration intelligent function, and other environment friendly functions such as easy decomposition, sound insulation, oscillation damping, electromagnetic shielding and hygroscopicity. (NEDO)

Fiscal 1999 leading research report. Research on advanced functional material technology based on micro- capsule technology; 1999 nendo micro capsule ka gijutsu ni yoru kokinoka zairyo gijutsu no chosa kenkyu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2000-03-01

Study was made on production technology of the 5th- generation material 'eco-smart composite structure' based on micro-capsule technology. This material ought to have an intelligent function including self-detection and self- restoration of defects, environmental harmony, high strength and long life. At present, these demands are implemented by embedding a sensor, actuator and controller in structure, or optical fiber, shape memory alloy and computer chip in matrix, however, such complex material structure has adverse effect on environment. On the other hand, single structure material such as biodegradable polymer is unusable in severe environment such as the ocean and space. These problems can be resolved by combining composite material and micro-sphere technology, for example fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) composite structure including micro-capsules with nano particles. According to targets, this material can have a self-restoration intelligent function, and other environment friendly functions such as easy decomposition, sound insulation, oscillation damping, electromagnetic shielding and hygroscopicity. (NEDO)

Magnetically guided capsule endoscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Shamsudhin, Naveen; Zverev, Vladimir I; Keller, Henrik; Pane, Salvador; Egolf, Peter W; Nelson, Bradley J; Tishin, Alexander M

2017-08-01

Wireless capsule endoscopy (WCE) is a powerful tool for medical screening and diagnosis, where a small capsule is swallowed and moved by means of natural peristalsis and gravity through the human gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The camera-integrated capsule allows for visualization of the small intestine, a region which was previously inaccessible to classical flexible endoscopy. As a diagnostic tool, it allows to localize the sources of bleedings in the middle part of the gastrointestinal tract and to identify diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease), polyposis syndrome, and tumors. The screening and diagnostic efficacy of the WCE, especially in the stomach region, is hampered by a variety of technical challenges like the lack of active capsular position and orientation control. Therapeutic functionality is absent in most commercial capsules, due to constraints in capsular volume and energy storage. The possibility of using body-exogenous magnetic fields to guide, orient, power, and operate the capsule and its mechanisms has led to increasing research in Magnetically Guided Capsule Endoscopy (MGCE). This work shortly reviews the history and state-of-art in WCE technology. It highlights the magnetic technologies for advancing diagnostic and therapeutic functionalities of WCE. Not restricting itself to the GI tract, the review further investigates the technological developments in magnetically guided microrobots that can navigate through the various air- and fluid-filled lumina and cavities in the body for minimally invasive medicine. © 2017 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Polymer dispersed liquid crystals. Pt.1 Concept, Preparation and Materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hakemi, H. A.; Santangelo, M.

1998-01-01

It is more than a decade since Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal (PDLC) film technology became the subject of a world-wide scientific and industrial research and development for commercial applications as large-area reflective displays and electrooptical windows, for privacy, security and light transmission control. In view of current interest and intensive fundamental and industrial research on PDLC, the authors attempt to provide a review of the state-of-art of this technology, from concept to its industrial production, in a series of articles. In the present introductory part, the authors discuss the basic concept, the principle of operation, the materials and the preparation techniques of a PDLC device by phase separation method [it

Highly nitrogen-doped carbon capsules: scalable preparation and high-performance applications in fuel cells and lithium ion batteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Chuangang; Xiao, Ying; Zhao, Yang; Chen, Nan; Zhang, Zhipan; Cao, Minhua; Qu, Liangti

2013-04-07

Highly nitrogen-doped carbon capsules (hN-CCs) have been successfully prepared by using inexpensive melamine and glyoxal as precursors via solvothermal reaction and carbonization. With a great promise for large scale production, the hN-CCs, having large surface area and high-level nitrogen content (N/C atomic ration of ca. 13%), possess superior crossover resistance, selective activity and catalytic stability towards oxygen reduction reaction for fuel cells in alkaline medium. As a new anode material in lithium-ion battery, hN-CCs also exhibit excellent cycle performance and high rate capacity with a reversible capacity of as high as 1046 mA h g(-1) at a current density of 50 mA g(-1) after 50 cycles. These features make the hN-CCs developed in this study promising as suitable substitutes for the expensive noble metal catalysts in the next generation alkaline fuel cells, and as advanced electrode materials in lithium-ion batteries.

Polymer containing functional end groups is base for new polymers

Science.gov (United States)

Hirshfield, S. M.

1971-01-01

Butadiene is polymerized with lithium-p-lithiophenoxide to produce linear polymer containing oxy-lithium group at one end and active carbon-lithium group at other end. Living polymers represent new approach to preparation of difunctional polymers in which structural features, molecular weight, type and number of end groups are controlled.

Preparation and drug-loading properties of Fe3O4/Poly(styrene-co-acrylic acid) magnetic polymer nanocomposites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, Wensheng; Shen, Yuhua; Xie, Anjian; Zhang, Weiqiang

2013-01-01

Fe 3 O 4 /poly(styrene-co-acrylic acid) magnetic polymer nanocomposites were synthesized by the dispersion polymerization method using styrene as hard monomer, acrylic acid as functional monomer, Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles modified with oleic acid as core, and poly(styrene-co-acrylic acid) as shell. Drug-loading properties of magnetic polymer nanocomposites with curcumin as a model drug were also studied. The results indicated that magnetic polymer nanocomposites with monodisperse were obtained, the particle size distribution was 50–120 nm, and the average size was about 100 nm. The contents of poly(styrene-co-acrylic acid) and Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles in magnetic polymer nanocomposites were 74% and 24.7%, respectively. The drug-loading capacity and entrapment efficiency were 2.5% and 44.4%, respectively. The saturation magnetization of magnetic polymer nanocomposites at 300 K was 20.2 emu/g without coercivity and remanence. The as-prepared magnetic polymer nanocomposites have not only lots of functional carboxyl groups but also stronger magnetic response, which might have potential applications in drug carrier and targeted drug release

Preparation of molecularly imprinted polymers simazine as material potentiometric sensor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bow Yohandri

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Molecular imprinting technology is a promising technique for creating recognition elements for selected compounds and has been successfully applied for synthesis of environmental pollutants such as simazine. Simazine is a pesticide ingredient that is commonly used in agriculture, which has devastating effects on the environment if used excessively. Molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP provides cavities to form a particular space generated by removing the template when the polymer has formed. In this study, MIP using simazine as template had been made by the cooling-heating method and used as a material potentiometric sensor for detecting simazine. A template (simazine was incorporated into a pre-polymerization solution that contains a methacrylic acid as functional monomer, an ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as cross linker, and benzoyl peroxide as initiator. Characterization was performed by scanning electron microscope (SEM and fourier transforms infra-red (FTIR. The FTIR spectra of the MIP showed that the peaks of amine group decrease significantly, indicating that the simazine concentration decreases drastically. Characterization by SEM images showing the broadest pore size distribution with the highest number of pores in the MIP prepared under the heating time of 150 min. The MIPs therefore could be applied as a simazine sensor.

Investigation on shortening fabrication process of instrumented irradiation capsule of JMTR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagata, Hiroshi; Inoue, Shuichi; Yamaura, Takayuki; Tsuchiya, Kunihiko; Nagao, Yoshiharu

2013-06-01

Refurbishment of The Japan Materials Testing Reactor (JMTR) was completed in FY2010. For damage caused by the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku Earthquake, the repair of facilities was completed in October 2012. Currently, the JMTR is in preparation for restart. Irradiation tests for LWRs safety research, science and technologies and production of RI for medical diagnosis medicine, etc. are expected after the JMTR restart. On the other hand, aiming at the attractive irradiation testing reactor, the usability improvement has been discussed. As a part of the usability improvement, shortening of turnaround time to get irradiation results from an application for irradiation use was discussed focusing on the fabrication process of irradiation capsules, where the fabrication process was analyzed and reviewed by referring a trial fabrication of the mockup capsule. As a result, it was found that the turnaround time can be shortened 2 months from fabrication period of 6 months with communize of irradiation capsule parts, application of ready-made instrumentation including the sheath heater, reconsideration of inspection process, etc. (author)

Microporous Organic Polymers Based on Hyper-Crosslinked Coal Tar: Preparation and Application for Gas Adsorption.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Hui; Ding, Lei; Bai, Hua; Li, Lei

2017-02-08

Hyper-crosslinked polymers (HCPs) are promising materials for gas capture and storage, but high cost and complicated preparation limit their practical application. In this paper, a new type of HCPs (CTHPs) was synthesized through a one-step mild Friedel-Crafts reaction with low-cost coal tar as the starting material. Chloroform was utilized as both solvent and crosslinker to generate a three-dimensional crosslinked network with abundant micropores. The maximum BET surface area of the prepared CTHPs could reach up to 929 m 2  g -1 . Owing to the high affinity between the heteroatoms on the coal-tar building blocks and the CO 2 molecules, the adsorption capacity of CTHPs towards CO 2 reached up to 14.2 wt % (1.0 bar, 273 K) with a high selectivity (CO 2 /N 2 =32.3). Furthermore, the obtained CTHPs could adsorb 1.27 wt % H 2 at 1.0 bar and 77.3 K, and also showed capacity for the capture of high organic vapors at room temperature. In comparison with other reported porous organic polymers, CTHPs have the advantages of low-cost, easy preparation, and high gas-adsorption performance, making them suitable for mass production and practical use in the future. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Preparation of a microporous polymer electrolyte based on poly(vinyl chloride)/poly(acrylonitrile-butyl acrylate) blend for Li-ion batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tian, Zheng; Pu, Weihua; He, Xiangming; Wan, Chunrong; Jiang, Changyin

2007-01-01

Poly(acrylonitrile-co-butyl acrylate) (P(AN-co-BuA))/poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) blend-based gel polymer electrolyte (BGPE) was prepared for lithium-ion batteries. The P(AN-co-BuA)/PVC BGPE consists of an electrolyte-rich phase, which is mainly composed of P(AN-co-BuA) and liquid electrolyte, acting as a conducting channel and a PVC-rich phase that provides mechanical strength. The dual phase was just simply developed by the difference of miscibility properties in solvent, PC, between P(AN-co-BuA) and PVC. The mechanical strength of this new blend electrolyte was found to be much higher, with a fracture stress as high as 29 MPa in dry membrane and 21 MPa in gel state, than that of a previously reported P(AN-co-BuA)-based gel polymer electrolyte. The blended gel polymer electrolyte showed ionic conductivity of higher than 1.5 x 10 -3 S cm -1 and electrochemical stability up to at least 4.8 V. The results showed that the as-prepared gel polymer electrolytes were promising materials for lithium-ion batteries

Preparation of a microporous polymer electrolyte based on poly(vinyl chloride)/poly(acrylonitrile-butyl acrylate) blend for Li-ion batteries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tian, Zheng; Pu, Weihua; He, Xiangming; Wan, Chunrong; Jiang, Changyin [Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)

2007-02-15

Poly(acrylonitrile-co-butyl acrylate) (P(AN-co-BuA))/poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) blend-based gel polymer electrolyte (BGPE) was prepared for lithium-ion batteries. The P(AN-co-BuA)/PVC BGPE consists of an electrolyte-rich phase, which is mainly composed of P(AN-co-BuA) and liquid electrolyte, acting as a conducting channel and a PVC-rich phase that provides mechanical strength. The dual phase was just simply developed by the difference of miscibility properties in solvent, PC, between P(AN-co-BuA) and PVC. The mechanical strength of this new blend electrolyte was found to be much higher, with a fracture stress as high as 29 MPa in dry membrane and 21 MPa in gel state, than that of a previously reported P(AN-co-BuA)-based gel polymer electrolyte. The blended gel polymer electrolyte showed ionic conductivity of higher than 1.5 x 10{sup -3} S cm{sup -1} and electrochemical stability up to at least 4.8 V. The results showed that the as-prepared gel polymer electrolytes were promising materials for lithium-ion batteries. (author)

Hierarchical ZnO particles grafting by fluorocarbon polymer derivative: Preparation and superhydrophobic behavior

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gao, Dahai; Jia, Mengqiu, E-mail: jiamq@mail.buct.edu.cn

2015-07-15

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • The hierarchical particles were prepared by a simple, mild hydrothermal process. • The obtained “chestnut” ZnO particles show dual-scale morphology with high roughness. • FEVE derivative was creatively imported to graft onto hierarchical particles. • Superhydrophobic surfaces were obtained, on which the contact angles surpass 150°. • A special model was proposed to explain the wetting state in this work. - Abstract: Superhydrophobic surfaces on the basis of hierarchical ZnO particles grafted by fluoroethylene-vinylether (FEVE) polymer derivative were prepared using a facile, mild and low-cost method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) revealed that the resulting ZnO particles via hydrothermal process exhibit micro–nano dual-scale morphology with high purity under a suitable surfactant amount and alkali concentration. The grafting of FEVE derivative was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS), suggesting that hierarchical surface of ZnO particles was an imported monomolecular layer of fluorocarbon polymer. The obtained surface fabricated by drop-casting shows considerably high contact angle and good resistance to water immersion. The wetting behavior in this work was furthermore analyzed by theoretical wetting model. This work demonstrates that the sufficient low-wettable surface and high roughness both take a vital role in the superhydrophobic behavior.

Biocompatible, biodegradable polymer-based, lighter than or light as water scaffolds for tissue engineering and methods for preparation and use thereof

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Mohammed Yusuf (Inventor); Laurencin, Cato T. (Inventor); Lu, Helen H. (Inventor); Botchwey, Edward (Inventor); Pollack, Solomon R. (Inventor); Levine, Elliot (Inventor)

2012-01-01

Scaffolds for tissue engineering prepared from biocompatible, biodegradable polymer-based, lighter than or light as water microcarriers and designed for cell culturing in vitro in a rotating bioreactor are provided. Methods for preparation and use of these scaffolds as tissue engineering devices are also provided.

MORPHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF HUMAN LENS CAPSULES - A COMPARATIVE LM, SEM AND TEM EXAMINATION

NARCIS (Netherlands)

JONGEBLOED, WL; KALICHARAN, D; LOS, LI; VANDERVEEN, G; WORST, JGF

1991-01-01

Lens capsules of patients of advanced age, obtained after extracapsular cataract surgery, were carefully prepared for a combined LM, TEM and SEM investigation, after preliminary washing and mounting onto a holder in a buffer solution. After pre-fixation with GA, samples were postfixed for LM/TEM and

Preparation of Magnetic Molecularly Imprinted Polymer for Chlorpyrifos Adsorption and Enrichment

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, M.; Ma, X.; Sheng, J.

2017-11-01

Magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer (MMIP) for chlorpyrifos was prepared and characterized. The adsorption performance of MMIP for chlorpyrifos was evaluated under various conditions. The results showed that the adsorption equilibrium was achieved within 1 h, the adsorption capacity was 16.8 mg/g, and the adsorption process could be well described by Langmuir isotherm model and pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The MMIP was used as the selective sorbent for solid-phase extraction of chlorpyrifos from environmental water and vegetable samples. Combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, a LOD of 30 ng/L, spiked recovery of 89.6%-107.3% and RSD of 1.9%-3.8% for chlorpyrifos were obtained.

Preparation and characterization of plasticized palm-based polyurethane solid polymer electrolyte

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Daud, Farah Nadia; Ahmad, Azizan; Badri, Khairiah Haji [School of Chemical Science and Food Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan (Malaysia)

2013-11-27

Palm-based polyurethane solid polymer electrolyte was prepared via prepolymerization method between palm kernel oil based polyols (PKO-p) and 2,4’-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (2,4’-MDI) in acetone at room temperature with the vary amount of lithium trifuoromethanesulfonate (LiCF{sub 3}SO{sub 3}) salt and polyethylene glycol (PEG). The film was analyzed using attenuated total reflection infrared (ATR-IR) spectroscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD). EIS result indicated ionic conductivity obtained with 30 wt% LiCF3SO3 increased to 6.55 × 10{sup −6} S cm{sup −1} when 10 wt.% of plasticizer was added into the system. FTIR analysis showed the interaction between lithium ions and amine (-N-H) at 3600–3100 cm{sup −1}, carbonyl (-C=O) at 1750–1650 cm{sup −1} and ether (-C-O-C-) at 1150–1000 cm{sup −1} of the polyurethane forming polymer-salt complexes. The XRD result confirmed that LiCF{sub 3}SO{sub 3} salt completely dissociated within the polyurethane film with the absence of crystalline peaks of LiCF{sub 3}SO{sub 3}.

Preparation and characterization of plasticized palm-based polyurethane solid polymer electrolyte

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daud, Farah Nadia; Ahmad, Azizan; Badri, Khairiah Haji

2013-01-01

Palm-based polyurethane solid polymer electrolyte was prepared via prepolymerization method between palm kernel oil based polyols (PKO-p) and 2,4’-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (2,4’-MDI) in acetone at room temperature with the vary amount of lithium trifuoromethanesulfonate (LiCF 3 SO 3 ) salt and polyethylene glycol (PEG). The film was analyzed using attenuated total reflection infrared (ATR-IR) spectroscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD). EIS result indicated ionic conductivity obtained with 30 wt% LiCF3SO3 increased to 6.55 × 10 −6 S cm −1 when 10 wt.% of plasticizer was added into the system. FTIR analysis showed the interaction between lithium ions and amine (-N-H) at 3600–3100 cm −1 , carbonyl (-C=O) at 1750–1650 cm −1 and ether (-C-O-C-) at 1150–1000 cm −1 of the polyurethane forming polymer-salt complexes. The XRD result confirmed that LiCF 3 SO 3 salt completely dissociated within the polyurethane film with the absence of crystalline peaks of LiCF 3 SO 3

Morphology and Electrical Conductivity of Carbon Nanocoatings Prepared from Pyrolysed Polymers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcin Molenda

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Conductive carbon nanocoatings (conductive carbon layers—CCL were formed on α-Al2O3 model support using three different polymer precursors and deposition methods. This was done in an effort to improve electrical conductivity of the material through creating the appropriate morphology of the carbon layers. The best electrical properties were obtained with use of a precursor that consisted of poly-N-vinylformamide modified with pyromellitic acid (PMA. We demonstrate that these properties originate from a specific morphology of this layer that showed nanopores (3-4 nm capable of assuring easy pathways for ion transport in real electrode materials. The proposed, water mediated, method of carbon coating of powdered supports combines coating from solution and solid phase and is easy to scale up process. The optimal polymer carbon precursor composition was used to prepare conductive carbon nanocoatings on LiFePO4 cathode material. Charge-discharge tests clearly show that C/LiFePO4 composites obtained using poly-N-vinylformamide modified with pyromellitic acid exhibit higher rechargeable capacity and longer working time in a battery cell than standard carbon/lithium iron phosphate composites.

Bacteriophage-derived enzyme that depolymerizes the alginic acid capsule associated with cystic fibrosis isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Science.gov (United States)

Glonti, T; Chanishvili, N; Taylor, P W

2010-02-01

To identify enzymes associated with bacteriophages infecting cystic fibrosis (CF) strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa that are able to degrade extracellular alginic acids elaborated by the host bacterium. Plaques produced by 21 Ps. aeruginosa-specific phages were screened for the presence of haloes, an indicator of capsule hydrolytic activity. Four phages produced haloed plaques, and one (PT-6) was investigated further. PT-6 was shown by electron microscopy to belong to Podoviridae family C1, to reduce the viscosity of four alginate preparations using a rolling ball viscometer and to release uronic acid-containing fragments from the polymers, as judged by spectrophotometry and thin layer chromatography. The alginase was partially purified by gel filtration chromatography and shown to be a 37 kDa polypeptide. Infection of CF strains of Ps. aeruginosa by phage PT-6 involves hydrolysis of the exopolysaccharide secreted by the host. The alginase produced by PT-6 has the potential to increase the well-being of CF suffers by improving the surface properties of sputum, accelerating phagocytic uptake of bacteria and perturbing bacterial growth in biofilms.

Evaulation of B4C as an ablator material for NIF capsules. Revision 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burnham, A.K.; Alford, C.S.; Makowiecki, D.M.; Dittrich, T.R.; Wallace, R.J.; Honea, E.C.; King, C.M.; Steinman, D.

1997-01-01

Boron carbide (B 4 C) is examined as a potential fuel container and ablator for implosion capsules on the National Ignition Facility (NIF). A capsule of pure B 4 C encasing a layer of solid DT implodes stably and ignites with anticipated NIF x-ray drives, producing 18 MJ of energy. Thin films of B 4 C were found to be resistant to oxidation and modestly transmitting in the infrared (IR), possibly enabling IR fuel characterization and enhancement for thin permeation barriers but not for full-thickness capsules. Polystyrene mandrels 0.5 mm in diameter were successfully coated with 0.15-2.0 micrometers of B 4 C. Thickness estimated from optical density agreed well with those measured by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The B 4 C microstructure was columnar but finer than for Be made at the same conditions. B 4 C is a very strong material, with a fiber tensile strength capable of holding NIF fill pressures at room temperature, but it is also very brittle, and microscopic flaws or grain structure may limit the noncryogenic fill pressure. Argon (Ar) permeation rates were measured for a few capsules that had been further coated with 5 micrometers of plasma polymer. The B 4 C coatings tended to crack under tensile load. Some shells filled more slowly than they leaked, suggesting that the cracks open and close under opposite pressure loading. As observed earlier for Ti coatings, 0.15-micrometer layers of B 4 C had better gas retention properties than 2-micrometer layers, possibly because of fewer cracks. Permeation and fill strength issues for capsules with a full ablator thickness of B 4 C are unresolved. 21 refs., 6 figs

Osmotic load from glucose polymers.

Science.gov (United States)

Koo, W W; Poh, D; Leong, M; Tam, Y K; Succop, P; Checkland, E G

1991-01-01

Glucose polymer is a carbohydrate source with variable chain lengths of glucose units which may result in variable osmolality. The osmolality of two commercial glucose polymers was measured in reconstituted powder infant formulas, and the change in osmolality of infant milk formulas at the same increases in energy density (67 kcal/dL to 81 and 97 kcal/dL) from the use of additional milk powder or glucose polymers was compared. All samples were prepared from powders (to nearest 0.1 mg), and osmolality was measured by freezing point depression. For both glucose polymers the within-batch variability of the measured osmolality was less than 3.5%, and between-batch variability of the measured osmolality was less than 9.6%. The measured osmolality varies linearly with energy density (p less than 0.001) and was highest in infant formula reconstituted from milk powder alone. However, there exist significant differences in the measured osmolality between different glucose polymer preparations. At high energy densities (greater than or equal to 97 kcal/dL), infant milk formulas prepared with milk powder alone or with the addition of certain glucose polymer preparation may have high osmolality (greater than or equal to 450 mosm/kg) and theoretically predispose the infant to complications of hyperosmotic feeds.

Status of irradiation capsule design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagata, Hiroshi; Yamaura, Takayuki; Nagao, Yoshiharu

2013-01-01

For the irradiation test after the restart of JMTR, further precise temperature control and temperature prediction are required. In the design of irradiation capsule, particularly sophisticated irradiation temperature prediction and evaluation are urged. Under such circumstance, among the conventional design techniques of irradiation capsule, the authors reviewed the evaluation method of irradiation temperature. In addition, for the improvement of use convenience, this study examined and improved FINAS/STAR code in order to adopt the new calculation code that enables a variety of analyses. In addition, the study on the common use of the components for radiation capsule enabled the shortening of design period. After the restart, the authors will apply this improved calculation code to the design of irradiation capsule. (A.O.)

Preparation and performance of lipophilic α-zirconium phosphate with high thermal stability and its application in thermal-plastic polymers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ya Du

2015-10-01

Full Text Available To prepare lipophilic α-zirconium phosphate with high grafting ratio and thermal stability (OZrP-HT and explore its potential application in thermal-plastic polymers, a novel method was developed by surface lipophilicity enhancement strategy. The commercial α-zirconium phosphate (α-ZrP was pre-intercalated by n-propylamine (PA and grafted by silane coupling agents. Then the pre-intercalated PA was removed by heat-treatment, and the obtained OZrP-HT was utilized to fabricate the phosphorous-containing polyester (P-co-PET/OZrP-HT nanocomposites by melt-blending method. The prepared OZrP-HT and P-co-PET/OZrP-HT nanocomposites were characterized by Wide Angle X-ray Diffraction (WAXD, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR, Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA, Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM, etc. The results show that OZrP-HT with high grafting ratio (13.78 wt% and thermal stability (Tonset=368 °C was successfully prepared via this novel method and was uniformly intercalated by P-co-PET molecular chains. OZrP-HT had no significant effect on the fiber processability of P-co-PET polymer, and flame retardant properties of (P-co-PET/OZrP-HT nanocomposites were improved. This method may be suitable for organic modification of general inorganic layered compounds and could extend the potential applications in thermo-plastic polymers.

Capsule physics comparison of National Ignition Facility implosion designs using plastic, high density carbon, and beryllium ablators

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, D. S.; Kritcher, A. L.; Yi, S. A.; Zylstra, A. B.; Haan, S. W.; Weber, C. R.

2018-03-01

Indirect drive implosion experiments on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) [E. I. Moses et al., Phys. Plasmas 16, 041006 (2009)] have now tested three different ablator materials: glow discharge polymer plastic, high density carbon, and beryllium. How do these different ablators compare in current and proposed implosion experiments on NIF? What are the relative advantages and disadvantages of each? This paper compares these different ablator options in capsule-only simulations of current NIF experiments and potential future designs. The simulations compare the impact of the capsule fill tube, support tent, and interface surface roughness for each case, as well as all perturbations in combination. According to the simulations, each ablator is impacted by the various perturbation sources differently, and each material poses unique challenges in the pursuit of ignition on NIF.

Electrical characterization of proton conducting polymer electrolyte based on bio polymer with acid dopant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kalaiselvimary, J.; Pradeepa, P.; Sowmya, G.; Edwinraj, S.; Prabhu, M. Ramesh, E-mail: email-mkram83@gmail.com [Department of Physics, Alagappa University, Karaikudi – 630 004, India. (India)

2016-05-06

This study describes the biodegradable acid doped films composed of chitosan and Perchloric acid with different ratios (2.5 wt %, 5 wt %, 7.5 wt %, 10 wt %) was prepared by the solution casting technique. The temperature dependence of the proton conductivity of complex electrolytes obeys the Arrhenius relationship. Proton conductivity of the prepared polymer electrolyte of the bio polymer with acid doped was measured to be approximately 5.90 × 10{sup −4} Scm{sup −1}. The dielectric data were analyzed using Complex impedance Z*, Dielectric loss ε’, Tangent loss for prepared polymer electrolyte membrane with the highest conductivity samples at various temperature.

Effects of lipophilic components on the compatibility of lipid-based formulations with hard gelatin capsules.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Feng-Jing; Etzler, Frank M; Ubben, Johanna; Birch, Amy; Zhong, Li; Schwabe, Robert; Dudhedia, Mayur S

2010-01-01

the capsules took much longer time (7 weeks) for ranking the predicted capsule deformation at 40 degrees C. Asides from the time savings, activity determination can be considered to be material sparing by offering capsule-fill compatibility assessment even without the need for preparing liquid-filled capsules once appropriate positive and negative references are established. With further optimization, this approach should enable high throughput screening of LBDDS for capsule-fill compatibility in liquid-filled capsule development.

Preparation of micro-porous gel polymer for lithium ion polymer battery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Je Young; Kim, Seok Koo; Lee, Seung-Jin; Lee, Sang Young; Lee, Hyang Mok; Ahn, Soonho

2004-01-01

We have developed a micro-porous gelling polymer layer which is formed on both the sides of support polyolefin separator with wet or dry processing technique. Morphologies of gel-coated layer are dependent on the compositions and process conditions, such as solvent/non-solvent combination and stretching ratios. The micro-porous gelling layer is used for the assembly of the lithium ion polymer battery of LG Chemical Ltd. The structure of battery is given elsewhere and the battery has excellent discharge performance with 94% of 2C discharge performance at room temperature

Preparation and antifouling properties of 2-(meth-acryloyloxy)ethyl cholinephosphate based polymers modified surface with different molecular architectures by ATRP.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Yuchen; Su, Yuling; Zhao, Lili; Meng, Fancui; Wang, Quanxin; Ding, Chunmei; Luo, Jianbin; Li, Jianshu

2017-08-01

Choline phosphate (CP) containing polymers modified surfaces have been shown good resist to the adhesion of proteins while prompt the attaching of mammalian cells due to the dipole pairing between the CP groups of the polymer and the phosphorylcholine (PC) groups on the cell membrane. However, the antifouling activities of CP modified surface against microbes have not been investigated at present. In addition, CP containing polymers modified surface with different molecular architectures has not been prepared and studied. To this end, glass slides surface modified with two different 2-(meth-acryloyloxy)ethyl cholinephosphate (MCP) containing polymer (PMCP) structures, i.e. brush-like (Glass-PMCP) and bottle brush-like (Glass-PHEMA-g-PMCP) architectures, were prepared in this work by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP). The surface physichemical and antifouling properties of the prepared surfaces were characterized and studied. The Glass-PMCP shows improved antifouling properties against proteins and bacteria as compared to pristine glass slides (Glass-OH) and glass slides grafted with poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (Glass-PHEMA). Notably, a synergetic fouling resistant properties of PHEMA and PMCP is presented for Glass-PHEMA-g-PMCP, which shows superior antifouling activities over Glass-PHEMA and Glass-PMCP. Furthermore, glass slides containing PMCP, i.e. Glass-PMCP and Glas-PHEMA-g-PMCP, decrease platelet adhesion and prevent their activation significantly. Therefore, the combination of antifouling PHEMA and PMCP into one system holds potential for prevention of bacterial fouling and biomaterial-centered infections. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Energy storage in ferroelectric polymer nanocomposites filled with core-shell structured polymer@BaTiO3 nanoparticles: understanding the role of polymer shells in the interfacial regions.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Ming; Huang, Xingyi; Yang, Ke; Zhai, Xing; Zhang, Jun; He, Jinliang; Jiang, Pingkai

2014-11-26

The interfacial region plays a critical role in determining the electrical properties and energy storage density of dielectric polymer nanocomposites. However, we still know a little about the effects of electrical properties of the interfacial regions on the electrical properties and energy storage of dielectric polymer nanocomposites. In this work, three types of core-shell structured polymer@BaTiO3 nanoparticles with polymer shells having different electrical properties were used as fillers to prepare ferroelectric polymer nanocomposites. All the polymer@BaTiO3 nanoparticles were prepared by surface-initiated reversible-addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization, and the polymer shells were controlled to have the same thickness. The morphology, crystal structure, frequency-dependent dielectric properties, breakdown strength, leakage currents, energy storage capability, and energy storage efficiency of the polymer nanocomposites were investigated. On the other hand, the pure polymers having the same molecular structure as the shells of polymer@BaTiO3 nanoparticles were also prepared by RAFT polymerization, and their electrical properties were provided. Our results show that, to achieve nanocomposites with high discharged energy density, the core-shell nanoparticle filler should simultaneously have high dielectric constant and low electrical conductivity. On the other hand, the breakdown strength of the polymer@BaTiO3-based nanocomposites is highly affected by the electrical properties of the polymer shells. It is believed that the electrical conductivity of the polymer shells should be as low as possible to achieve nanocomposites with high breakdown strength.

Approaches for Making High Performance Polymer Materials from Commodity Polymers

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Xu Xi

2004-01-01

A brief surrey of ongoing research work done for improving and enhancing the properties of commodity polymers by the author and author's colleagues is given in this paper. A series of high performance polymers and polymer nanomaterials were successfully prepared through irradiation and stress-induced reactions of polymers and hydrogen bonding. The methods proposed are viable, easy in operation, clean and efficient.1. The effect of irradiation source (UV light, electron beam, γ -ray and microwave), irradiation dose, irradiation time and atmosphere etc. on molecular structure of polyolefine during irradiation was studied. The basic rules of dominating oxidation, degradation and cross-linking reactions were mastered. Under the controlled conditions, cross-linking reactions are prevented, some oxygen containing groups are introduced on the molecular chain of polyolefine to facilitate the interface compatibility of their blends. A series of high performance polymer materials: u-HDPE/PA6,u-HDPE/CaCO3, u-iPP/STC, γ-HDPE/STC, γ-LLDPE/ATH, e-HDPE, e-LLDPE and m-HDPEfilled system were prepared (u- ultraviolet light irradiated, γ- γ-ray irradiated, e- electron beam irradiated, m- microwave irradiated)2. The effect of ultrasonic irradiation, jet and pan-milling on structure and changes in properties of polymers were studied. Imposition of critical stress on polymer chain can cause the scission of bonds to form macroradicals. The macroradicals formed in this way may recombine or react with monomer or other radicals to form linear, branched or cross-linked polymers or copolymers. About 20 kinds of block/graft copolymers have been synthesized from polymer-polymer or polymer-monomer through ultrasonic irradiation.Through jet-milling, the molecular weight of PVC is decreased somewhat, the intensity of its crystalline absorption bonds becomes indistinct. The processability, the yield strength, strength at break and elongation at break of PVC get increased quite a lot after

Novel salicylazo polymers for colon drug delivery: dissolving polymers by means of bacterial degradation.

Science.gov (United States)

Saphier, Sigal; Karton, Yishai

2010-02-01

Novel azo polymers were prepared for colonic drug delivery with a release mechanism based on structural features of azo derivatives designed for rapid bacterial degradation leading to soluble polymers. Two Salicylazo derivatives were prepared and conjugated as side chains at different ratios to methacrylic acid-methyl methacrylate copolymers (Eudragits). The azo compounds were designed to have a hydrophilic and a hydrophobic part on opposite sides of the azo bond. Upon reduction of the azo bonds, the hydrophobic part is released, resulting in a more water soluble polymer. The solubility of the polymeric films was studied relative to Eudragit S known to dissolve toward the end of the small intestine. One of the two azo derivatives prepared gave rise to polymers, which showed reduced solubility relative to Eudragit S. These polymers were subjected to reduction tests in anaerobic rat cecal suspensions by following the release of the hydrophobic product. Reduction rate was found to be rapid, comparable to that of Sulfasalazine. Studies on the azopolymeric films in anaerobic rat cecal suspensions, showed that these polymers dissolve faster than in sterilized suspensions. Solid dosage forms may be coated with these polymers to provide an efficient delivery system to the colon with a rapid release mechanism. (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association.

High-speed precision weighing of pharmaceutical capsules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bürmen, Miran; Pernuš, Franjo; Likar, Boštjan

2009-01-01

In this paper, we present a cost-effective method for fast and accurate in-line weighing of hard gelatin capsules based on the optimized capacitance sensor and real-time processing of the capsule capacitance profile resulting from 5000 capacitance measurements per second. First, the effect of the shape and size of the capacitive sensor on the sensitivity and stability of the measurements was investigated in order to optimize the performance of the system. The method was tested on two types of hard gelatin capsules weighing from 50 mg to 650 mg. The results showed that the capacitance profile was exceptionally well correlated with the capsule weight with the correlation coefficient exceeding 0.999. The mean precision of the measurements was in the range from 1 mg to 3 mg, depending on the size of the capsule and was significantly lower than the 5% weight tolerances usually used by the pharmaceutical industry. Therefore, the method was found feasible for weighing pharmaceutical hard gelatin capsules as long as certain conditions are met regarding the capsule fill properties and environment stability. The proposed measurement system can be calibrated by using only two or three sets of capsules with known weight. However, for most applications it is sufficient to use only empty and nominally filled capsules for calibration. Finally, a practical application of the proposed method showed that a single system is capable of weighing around 75 000 capsules per hour, while using multiple systems could easily increase the inspection rate to meet almost any requirements

Thermoregulation of Capsule Production by Streptococcus pyogenes

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Song Ok; Wright, Jordan O.; Tesorero, Rafael A.; Lee, Hyunwoo; Beall, Bernard; Cho, Kyu Hong

2012-01-01

The capsule of Streptococcus pyogenes serves as an adhesin as well as an anti-phagocytic factor by binding to CD44 on keratinocytes of the pharyngeal mucosa and the skin, the main entry sites of the pathogen. We discovered that S. pyogenes HSC5 and MGAS315 strains are further thermoregulated for capsule production at a post-transcriptional level in addition to the transcriptional regulation by the CovRS two-component regulatory system. When the transcription of the hasABC capsular biosynthetic locus was de-repressed through mutation of the covRS system, the two strains, which have been used for pathogenesis studies in the laboratory, exhibited markedly increased capsule production at sub-body temperature. Employing transposon mutagenesis, we found that CvfA, a previously identified membrane-associated endoribonuclease, is required for the thermoregulation of capsule synthesis. The mutation of the cvfA gene conferred increased capsule production regardless of temperature. However, the amount of the capsule transcript was not changed by the mutation, indicating that a post-transcriptional regulator mediates between CvfA and thermoregulated capsule production. When we tested naturally occurring invasive mucoid strains, a high percentage (11/53, 21%) of the strains exhibited thermoregulated capsule production. As expected, the mucoid phenotype of these strains at sub-body temperature was due to mutations within the chromosomal covRS genes. Capsule thermoregulation that exhibits high capsule production at lower temperatures that occur on the skin or mucosal surface potentially confers better capability of adhesion and invasion when S. pyogenes penetrates the epithelial surface. PMID:22615992

Optimal use of polyethylene glycol for preparation of small bowel video capsule endoscopy: a network meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Shan; Gao, Yun-Jie; Ge, Zhi-Zheng

2017-06-01

Standardized strategy of bowel preparation before video capsule endoscopy (VCE) remains controversial. This study aimed to assess the ideal dose of PEG, based on small bowel visualization quality (SBVQ), diagnostic yield (DY), and complete rate (CR) of VCE using a network meta-analysis (NMA) of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). This NMA included RCTs comparing any of the following bowel preparation interventions for VCE: fasting overnight ("Fast"), 1 liter PEG ("PEG 1L"), 2-liter PEG ("PEG 2L"), or 4-liter PEG ("PEG 4L"). The authors searched papers in PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase as of June 2016. The cumulative ranking (SUCRA) probabilities to rank different doses of PEG and Fast were used. The search engine provided 102 studies. Nine RCTs including 982 patients were incorporated into this analysis. All studies showed low risk of bias of blinding. SUCRA provided an initial ranking among these strategies, in which PEG 2 L showed the best score in SBVQ (PEG 2 L, 89.4%; PEG 1 L, 62.5%; PEG 4 L, 44.0%; Fast, 4.1%) and DY (PEG 2 L, 74.6%; PEG 1 L 28.1%; PEG 4 L 65.9%; Fast 31.4%) of VCE. No significant difference was shown in the analysis of CR. This study recommends PEG 2 L as the ideal dose, which may improve the SBVQ of VCE and, therefore, diagnostic accuracy. Multi-center randomized controlled trials are required to verify these findings.

NIF capsule performance modeling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weber S.

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Post-shot modeling of NIF capsule implosions was performed in order to validate our physical and numerical models. Cryogenic layered target implosions and experiments with surrogate targets produce an abundance of capsule performance data including implosion velocity, remaining ablator mass, times of peak x-ray and neutron emission, core image size, core symmetry, neutron yield, and x-ray spectra. We have attempted to match the integrated data set with capsule-only simulations by adjusting the drive and other physics parameters within expected uncertainties. The simulations include interface roughness, time-dependent symmetry, and a model of mix. We were able to match many of the measured performance parameters for a selection of shots.

Photoinitiated grafting of porous polymer monoliths and thermoplastic polymers for microfluidic devices

Science.gov (United States)

Frechet, Jean M. J. [Oakland, CA; Svec, Frantisek [Alameda, CA; Rohr, Thomas [Leiden, NL

2008-10-07

A microfluidic device preferably made of a thermoplastic polymer that includes a channel or a multiplicity of channels whose surfaces are modified by photografting. The device further includes a porous polymer monolith prepared via UV initiated polymerization within the channel, and functionalization of the pore surface of the monolith using photografting. Processes for making such surface modifications of thermoplastic polymers and porous polymer monoliths are set forth.

Controllable fabrication and characterization of biocompatible core-shell particles and hollow capsules as drug carrier

Science.gov (United States)

Hao, Lingyun; Gong, Xinglong; Xuan, Shouhu; Zhang, Hong; Gong, Xiuqing; Jiang, Wanquan; Chen, Zuyao

2006-10-01

SiO 2@CdSe core-shell particles were fabricated by controllable deposition CdSe nanoparticles on silica colloidal spheres. Step-wise coating process was tracked by the TEM and XRD measurements. In addition, SiO 2@CdSe/polypyrrole(PPy) multi-composite particles were synthesized based on the as-prepared SiO 2@CdSe particles by cationic polymerization. The direct electrochemistry of myoglobin (Mb) could be performed by immobilizing Mb on the surface of SiO 2@CdSe particles. Immobilized with Mb, SiO 2@CdSe/PPy-Mb also displayed good bioelectrochemical activity. It confirmed the good biocompatible property of the materials with protein. CdSe hollow capsules were further obtained as the removal of the cores of SiO 2@CdSe spheres. Hollow and porous character of CdSe sub-meter size capsules made them becoming hopeful candidates as drug carriers. Doxorubicin, a typical an antineoplastic drug, was introduced into the capsules. A good sustained drug release behavior of the loading capsules was discovered via performing a release test in the PBS buffer (pH 7.4) solution at 310 k. Furthermore, SiO 2@CdSe/PPy could be converted to various smart hollow capsules via selectively removal of their relevant components.

Evaluation of polyvinyl alcohols as mucoadhesive polymers for mucoadhesive buccal tablets prepared by direct compression.

Science.gov (United States)

Ikeuchi-Takahashi, Yuri; Ishihara, Chizuko; Onishi, Hiraku

2017-09-01

The purpose of the present work was to evaluate polyvinyl alcohols (PVAs) as a mucoadhesive polymer for mucoadhesive buccal tablets prepared by direct compression. Various polymerization degree and particle diameter PVAs were investigated for their usability. The tensile strength, in vitro adhesive force, and water absorption properties of the tablets were determined to compare the various PVAs. The highest values of the tensile strength and the in vitro adhesive force were observed for PVAs with a medium viscosity and small particle size. The optimal PVA was identified by a factorial design analysis. Mucoadhesive tablets containing the optimal PVA were compared with carboxyvinyl polymer and hydroxypropyl cellulose formulations. The optimal PVA gives a high adhesive force, has a low viscosity, and resulted in relatively rapid drug release. Formulations containing carboxyvinyl polymer had high tensile strengths but short disintegration times. Higher hydroxypropyl cellulose concentration formulations had good adhesion forces and very long disintegration times. We identified the optimal characteristics of PVA, and the usefulness of mucoadhesive buccal tablets containing this PVA was suggested from their formulation properties.

Herniation of the anterior lens capsule

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pereira Nolette

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Herniation of the anterior lens capsule is a rare abnormality in which the capsule bulges forward in the pupillary area. This herniation can be mistaken for an anterior lenticonus where both the capsule and the cortex bulge forward. The exact pathology behind this finding is still unclear. We report the clinical, ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM and histopathological findings of a case of herniation of the anterior lens capsule. UBM helped to differentiate this entity from anterior lenticonus. Light microscopy revealed capsular splitting suggestive of capsular delamination and collection of fluid (aqueous in the area of herniation giving it a characteristic appearance.

Diagnostic and therapeutic radio pharmaceutical capsules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haney, T.A.; Wedeking, P.W.; Morcos, N.A.

1981-01-01

An improved pharmaceutical radioactive capsule consisting of a non-toxic, water soluble material adapted to being ingested and rapidly disintegrating on contact with fluids of the gastro-intestinal tract is described. Each capsule is provided with filler material supporting a pharmaceutically useful radioactive compound absorbable from the gastro-intestinal tract. The capsule is preferably of gelatin, methyl cellulose or polyvinyl alcohol and the filler is a polyethylene glycol. The radioactive compound may be iodine e.g. sodium radioiodide I-131 or 123. The capsule may also contain a reducing agent e.g. sodium thiosulphate, sulphite, or bisulphite. (author)

Preparing polymer brushes on polytetrafluoroethylene films by free radical polymerization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Wei; Chen Yiwang; Deng Qilan; Chen Lie; Zhou Lang

2006-01-01

Films of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) were exposed to sodium naphthalenide (Na/naphtha) etchant so as to defluorinate the surface for obtaining hydroxyl functionality. Surface-initiators were immobilized on the PTFE films by esterification of 4,4'-azobis(4-cyanopentanoic acid) (ACP) and the hydroxyl groups covalently linked to the surface. Grafting of polymer brushes on the PTFE films was carried out by the surface-initiated free radical polymerization. Homopolymers brushes of methyl methacrylate (MMA) were prepared by free radical polymerization from the azo-functionalized PTFE surface. The chemical composition and topography of the graft-functionalized PTFE surfaces were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), attenuated total reflectance (ATR) FT-IR spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Water contact angles on PTFE films were reduced by surface grafting of MMA

Increasing Z-pinch vacuum hohlraum capsule coupling efficiency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Callahan, Debbie; Vesey, Roger Alan; Cochrane, Kyle Robert; Nikroo, A.; Bennett, Guy R.; Schroen, Diana Grace; Ruggles, Laurence E.; Porter, John L.; Streit, Jon; Mehlhorn, Thomas Alan; Cuneo, Michael Edward

2004-01-01

Symmetric capsule implosions in the double-ended vacuum hohlraum (DEH) on Z have demonstrated convergence ratios of 14-21 for 2.15-mm plastic ablator capsules absorbing 5-7 kJ of x-rays, based on backlit images of the compressed ablator remaining at peak convergence (1). Experiments with DD-filled 3.3-mm diameter capsules designed to absorb 14 kJ of x-rays have begun as an integrated test of drive temperature and symmetry, complementary to thin-shell symmetry diagnostic capsules. These capsule implosions are characterized by excellent control of symmetry (< 3% time-integrated), but low hohlraum efficiency (< 2%). Possible methods to increase the capsule absorbed energy in the DEH include mixed-component hohlraums, large diameter foam ablator capsules, transmissive shine shields between the z-pinch and capsule, higher spoke electrode x-ray transmission, a double-sided power feed, and smaller initial radius z-pinch wire arrays. Simulations will explore the potential for each of these modifications to increase the capsule coupling efficiency for near-term experiments on Z and ZR

Preparation and in vitro evaluation of folate-receptor-targeted SPION–polymer micelle hybrids for MRI contrast enhancement in cancer imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahajan, Shveta; Choudhary, Veena; Koul, Veena; Shishodia, Gauri; Bharti, Alok C

2013-01-01

Polymer–SPION hybrids were investigated for receptor-mediated localization in tumour tissue. Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) prepared by high-temperature decomposition of iron acetylacetonate were monodisperse (9.27 ± 3.37 nm), with high saturation magnetization of 76.8 emu g −1 . Amphiphilic copolymers prepared from methyl methacrylate and PEG methacrylate by atom transfer radical polymerization were conjugated with folic acid (for folate-receptor specificity). The folate-conjugated polymer had a low critical micellar concentration (0.4 mg l −1 ), indicating stability of the micellar formulation. SPION–polymeric micelle clusters were prepared by desolvation of the SPION dispersion/polymer solution in water. Magnetic resonance imaging of the formulation revealed very good contrast enhancement, with transverse (T 2 ) relaxivity of 260.4 mM −1 s −1 . The biological evaluation of the SPION micelles included cellular viability assay (MTT) and uptake in HeLa cells. These studies demonstrated the potential use of these nanoplatforms for imaging and targeting. (paper)

Hydro-instability growth of perturbation seeds from alternate capsule-support strategies in indirect-drive implosions on National Ignition Facility

Science.gov (United States)

Martinez, D. A.; Smalyuk, V. A.; MacPhee, A. G.; Milovich, J.; Casey, D. T.; Weber, C. R.; Robey, H. F.; Chen, K.-C.; Clark, D. S.; Crippen, J.; Farrell, M.; Felker, S.; Field, J. E.; Haan, S. W.; Hammel, B. A.; Hamza, A. V.; Stadermann, M.; Hsing, W. W.; Kroll, J. J.; Landen, O. L.; Nikroo, A.; Pickworth, L.; Rice, N.

2017-10-01

Hydrodynamic instability growth of the capsule support membranes (or "tents") and fill tubes has been studied in spherical, glow discharge polymer plastic capsule implosions at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) [Campbell et al., AIP Conf. Proc. 429, 3 (1998)]. In NIF implosions, the capsules are supported by tents because the nominal 10-μm thick fill tubes are not strong enough to support capsules by themselves. After it was recognized that the tents had a significant impact of implosion stability, new support methods were investigated, including thicker, 30-μm diameter fill tubes and cantilevered fill tubes, as described in this article. A new "sub-scale" version of the existing x-ray radiography platform was developed for measuring growing capsule perturbations in the acceleration phase of implosions. It was calibrated using hydrodynamic growth measurements of pre-imposed capsule modulations with Legendre modes of 60, 90, 110, and 140 at convergence ratios up to ˜2.4. Subsequent experiments with 3-D perturbations have studied instability growth of 10-μm and 30-μm thick fill tubes to compare them with 30-nm thick tent perturbations at convergence ratios up to ˜3. In other experiments, the perturbations from cantilevered fill tubes were measured and compared to the tent perturbations. The cantilevered fill tubes were supported by 12-μm thick SiC rods, offset by 100 μm, 200 μm, and 300 μm from the capsule surfaces. Based on these experiments, 30-μm thick fill tubes and 300-μm offset cantilevered fill tubes were recommended for further tests using layered deuterium-tritium implosions. The effects of x-ray shadowing during the drive and oxygen-induced perturbations during target assembly produced additional seeds for instabilities and were also measured in these experiments.

21 CFR 520.1660b - Oxytetracycline hydrochloride capsules.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 6 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Oxytetracycline hydrochloride capsules. 520.1660b... Oxytetracycline hydrochloride capsules. (a) Specifications. The drug is in capsule form with each capsule containing 125 or 250 milligrams of oxytetracycline hydrochloride. Oxytetracycline is the antibiotic...

Development of polymer-bound fast-dissolving metformin buccal film with disintegrants.

Science.gov (United States)

Haque, Shaikh Ershadul; Sheela, Angappan

2015-01-01

Fast-dissolving drug-delivery systems are considered advantageous over the existing conventional oral dosage forms like tablets, capsules, and syrups for being patient friendly. Buccal films are one such system responsible for systemic drug delivery at the desired site of action by avoiding hepatic first-pass metabolism. Metformin hydrochloride (Met), an antidiabetic drug, has poor bioavailability due to its high solubility and low permeability. The purpose of the study reported here was to develop a polymer-bound fast-dissolving buccal film of metformin to exploit these unique properties. In the study, metformin fast-dissolving films were prepared by the solvent-casting method using chitosan, a bioadhesive polymer. Further, starch, sodium starch glycolate, and microcrystalline cellulose were the disintegrants added to different ratios, forming various formulations (F1 to F7). The buccal films were evaluated for various parameters like weight variation, thickness, folding endurance, surface pH, content uniformity, tensile strength, and percentage of elongation. The films were also subjected to in vitro dissolution study, and the disintegration time was found to be less than 30 minutes for all formulations, which was attributed to the effect of disintegrants. Formulation F6 showed 92.2% drug release within 6 minutes due to the combined effect of sodium starch glycolate and microcrystalline cellulose.

Thermal characteristic test for saturated temperature type capsule

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niimi, Motoji; Someya, Hiroyuki; Kobayashi, Toshiki; Ohuchi, Mitsuo; Harayama, Yasuo

1989-08-01

The Japan Material Testing Reactor Project is developing a new type capsule so-called 'Saturated Temperature Capsule', as a part of irradiation technique improvement program. This type capsule, in which the water is supplied and boiled, bases on the conception of keeping the coolant at the saturated temperature and facilitating the temperature setting of specimens heated by gamma-ray in reactor. However, out-pile test was planned, because there were few usable data for design and operation of the capsule into which the coolant was injected. A out-pile apparatus, simulated the capsule with electric heaters, was fabricated and experiments were carried out, to obtain data concerning design and operation for the capsule into which the water was injected. As a structure of simulated capsule, a type of downward coolant supply was adopted. The downward coolant tube type injectes the water in the bottom of capsule by tube through the upper flange. Major objects of experiences were to grasp thermal features under operation and to provide performances of capsule control equipment. Experimental results proved that the temperature of water within the capsule was easily varied by controlling supply water flow rate, and that the control equipment was operated stably and safety. (author)

Effect of thiolated polymers to textural and mucoadhesive properties of vaginal gel formulations prepared with polycarbophil and chitosan.

Science.gov (United States)

Cevher, Erdal; Sensoy, Demet; Taha, Mohamed A M; Araman, Ahmet

2008-01-01

The aim of this study was to design and evaluate of mucoadhesive gel formulations for the vaginal application of clomiphene citrate (CLM) for local treatment of human papilloma virus (HPV) infections. Chitosan (CHI) and polycarbophil (PC) were covalently modified using the thioglycolic acid and L-cysteine, respectively. The formation of thiol conjugates of chitosan (CHI-TG) and polycarbophil (PC-CYS) were confirmed by FT-IR analysis and PC-CYS and CHI-TG were found to have 148.42 +/- 4.16 and 41.17 +/- 2.34 micromol of thiol groups per gram of polymer, respectively. One percent CLM gels were prepared by combination of various concentrations of PC and CHI with thiolated conjugates of these polymers. Hardness, compressibility, elasticity, adhesiveness and cohesiveness of the gels were measured by Texture profile analysis and the vaginal mucoadhesion was investigated by mucoadhesion test. The increasing in the amount of the thiol conjugates was found to enhance the elasticity, cohesiveness, adhesiveness and mucoadhesion of the gel formulations but not their hardness and compressibility when compared to gels prepared using their respective parent formulations. Slower release rate of CLM from gels was achieved when the polymer concentrations were increased in the gel formulations. PC and its thiol conjugate were found to prolong the release of CLM longer than 70 h unlike gel formulations prepared using CHI and its thiol conjugate which were able to release CLM up to 12 h. Stability of CLM was preserved during the 3 month stability analysis under controlled room temperature and accelerated conditions.

Capsule safety analysis of PRTF irradiation facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suwarto

2013-01-01

Power Ramp Test Facility (PRTF) is an irradiation facility used for fuel testing of power reactor. PRTF has a capsule which is a test fuel rod container. During operation, pressurized water of 160 bars flows through in the capsule. Due to the high pressure it should be analyzed the impact of the capsule on reactor core safety. This analysis has purpose to calculate the ability of capsule pressure capacity. The analysis was carried out by calculating pressure capacity. From the calculating results it can be concluded that the capsule with pressure capacity of 438 bars will be safe to prevent the operation pressure of PRTF. (author)

Synthetic approaches to uniform polymers.

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, Monzur; Brocchini, Steve

2006-12-30

Uniform polymers are characterised by a narrow molecular weight distribution (MWD). Uniformity is also defined by chemical structure in respect of (1) monomer orientation, sequence and stereo-regularity, (2) polymer shape and morphology and (3) chemical functionality. The function of natural polymers such as polypeptides and polynucleotides is related to their conformational structure (e.g. folded tertiary structure). This is only possible because of their high degree of uniformity. While completely uniform synthetic polymers are rare, polymers with broad structure and MWD are widely used in medicine and the biomedical sciences. They are integral components in final dosage forms, drug delivery systems (DDS) and in implantable devices. Increasingly uniform polymers are being used to develop more complex medicines (e.g. delivery of biopharmaceuticals, enhanced formulations or DDS's for existing actives). In addition to the function imparted by any new polymer it will be required to meet stringent specifications in terms of cost containment, scalability, biocompatibility and performance. Synthetic polymers with therapeutic activity are also being developed to exploit their polyvalent properties, which is not possible with low molecular weight molecules. There is need to utilise uniform polymers for applications where the polymer may interact with the systemic circulation, tissues or cellular environment. There are also potential applications (e.g. stimuli responsive coatings) where uniform polymers may be used for their more defined property profile. While it is not yet practical to prepare synthetic polymers to the same high degree of uniformity as proteins, nature also effectively utilises many polymers with lower degrees of uniformity (e.g. polysaccharides, poly(amino acids), polyhydroxyalkanoates). In recent years it has become possible to prepare with practical experimental protocols sufficient quantities of polymers that display many aspects of uniformity. This

[New polymer-drug systems based on natural and synthetic polymers].

Science.gov (United States)

Racoviţă, Stefania; Vasiliu, Silvia; Foia, Liliana

2010-01-01

The great versatility of polymers makes them very useful in the biomedical and pharmaceutical fields. The combination of natural and synthetic polymers leads to new materials with tailored functional properties. The aim of this work consists in the preparation of new drug delivery system based on chitosan (natural polymer) and polybetaines (synthetic polymers), by a simple process, well known in the literature as complex coacervation methods. Also, the adsorption and release studies of two antibiotics as well as the preservation of their bactericidal capacities were performed.

Electrochemical performance of trimethylolpropane trimethylacrylate-based gel polymer electrolyte prepared by in situ thermal polymerization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, Dong; Fan, Li-Zhen; Fan, Huanhuan; Shi, Qiao

2013-01-01

Cross-linked trimethylolpropane trimethylacrylate-based gel polymer electrolytes (GPE) were prepared by in situ thermal polymerization. The ionic conductivity of the GPEs are >10 −3 S cm −1 at 25 °C, and continuously increased with the increase of liquid electrolyte content. The GPEs have excellent electrochemical stability up to 5.0 V versus Li/Li + . The LiCoO 2 |TMPTMA-based GPE|graphite cells exhibit an initial discharge capacity of 129 mAh g −1 at the 0.2C, and good cycling stability with around 83% capacity retention after 100 cycles. Both the simple fabricating process of polymer cell and outstanding electrochemical performance of such new GPE make it potentially one of the most promising electrolyte materials for next generation lithium ion batteries

Preparation of Sandy Soil Stabilizer for Roads Based on Radiation Modified Polymer Composite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elnahas, H.H.

2016-01-01

Radiation modified polymer composite (RMPC) was studied to build an extremely durable sandy road, construct a trail or bath, or control dust and erosion. A dilute solution of composite binds sandy soil fines through a coagulation bonding process. The result is a dense soil structure that has superior resistance to cracks and water penetration and can also solve erosion control problems. In erosion control applications, diluted composite is merely sprayed into sandy soil without compaction, effectively sealing the surface to prevent air-born dust or deterioration from erosion. The prepared composite has an elastic and melt-able film formation that imparts thermal compacting to the stabilized sandy soil after full dryness for sandy road leveling, repairing and restoration processes. The prepared composite is environmentally economical when compared with traditional sandy soil stabilizing (SSS) or sealing methods.

Preparation and stability investigation of tamsulosin hydrochloride sustained release pellets containing acrylic resin polymers with two different techniques

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rui Fan

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to prepare tamsulosin hydrochloride-sustained release (TSH-SR pellets which showed good release stability with frame-controlled method. TSH was added to Eudragit®NE30D and Eudragit®L30D-55 polymers to form drug-loaded inner core. Afterwards, enteric Eudragit®L30D-55 polymer was modified on the surface of it to the final product. Dissolution studies showed that TSH-SR pellets were more stable during the coating process, different curing temperatures and storage conditions compared with TSH pellets produced by film-controlled technique. Appearances and glass transition temperatures (Tgs of free films and surface morphologies observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM of blank sustained release pellets prepared by different ratios of Eudragit®NE30D and Eudragit®L30D-55 further indicated that temperature and relative humidity (RH were the key factors when Eudragit®NE30D blended with Eudragit®L30D-55 were applied to sustained/controlled release preparations. In addition, SEM identified the surface morphologies of TSH-SR pellets before and after dissolution, which showed intact surface structure and great correlation with release curve respectively.

Stimuli responsive ion gels based on polysaccharides and other polymers prepared using ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents.

Science.gov (United States)

Prasad, Kamalesh; Mondal, Dibyendu; Sharma, Mukesh; Freire, Mara G; Mukesh, Chandrakant; Bhatt, Jitkumar

2018-01-15

Ion gels and self-healing gels prepared using ionic liquids (ILs) and deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have been largely investigated in the past years due to their remarkable applications in different research areas. Herewith we provide an overview on the ILs and DESs used for the preparation of ion gels, highlight the preparation and physicochemical characteristics of stimuli responsive gel materials based on co-polymers and biopolymers, with special emphasis on polysaccharides and discuss their applications. Overall, this review summarizes the fundamentals and advances in ion gels with switchable properties prepared using ILs or DESs, as well as their potential applications in electrochemistry, in sensing devices and as drug delivery vehicles. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder: MR arthrography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Hyun Jeong; Han, Tae Il; Lee, Kwang Won; Choi, Youn Seon; Kim, Dae Hong; Han, Hyun Young; Song, Mun Kab; Kwon, Soon Tae

2001-01-01

Adhesive capsulitis is a clinical syndrome involving pain and decreased joint motion caused by thickening and contraction of the joint capsule. The purpose of this study is to describe the MR arthrographic findings of this syndrome. Twenty-nine sets of MR arthrographic images were included in the study. Fourteen patients had adhesive capsulitis diagnosed by physical examination and arthrography, and their MR arthrographic findings were compared with those of 15 subjects in the control group. The images were retrospectively reviewed with specific attention to the thickness of the joint capsule, volume of the axillary pouch (length, width, height(depth)), thinkness of the coracohumeral ligament, presence of extra-articular contrast extravasation, and contrst filling of the subcoracoid bursa. Mean capsular thickness measured at the inferior portion of the axillary pouch was 4.1 mm in patients with adhesive capsulitis and 1.5 mm in the control group. The mean width of the axillary pouch was 2.5 mm in patients and 9.5 mm in controls. In patients, the capsule was significantly thicker and the axillary pouch significantly narrower than in controls (p<0.05). Capsule thickness greater than 2.5 mm at the inferior portion of the axillary pouch (sensitivity 93%, specificity 80%) and a pouch narrower than 3.5 mm (sensitivity 93%, specificity 100%) were useful criteria for the diagnosis of adhesive capsulitis. In patients with this condition, extra-articular contrast extravasation was noted in six patients (43%) and contrast filling of the subcoracoid bursa in three (21%). The MR arthrographic findings of adhesive capsulitis are capsular thickening, a low-volume axillary pouch, extra-articular contrast extravasation, and contrast filling of the subcoracoid bursa. Capsule thickness greater than 2.5 mm at the inferior portion of the axillary pouch and a pouch width of less than 3.5 mm are useful diagnostic imaging characteristics

Reinforcing effects of caffeine in coffee and capsules.

Science.gov (United States)

Griffiths, R R; Bigelow, G E; Liebson, I A

1989-09-01

In a residential research ward the reinforcing and subjective effects of caffeine were studied under double-blind conditions in volunteer subjects with histories of heavy coffee drinking. In Experiment 1, 6 subjects had 13 opportunities each day to self-administer either a caffeine (100 mg) or a placebo capsule for periods of 14 to 61 days. All subjects developed a clear preference for caffeine, with intake of caffeine becoming relatively stable after preference had been attained. Preference for caffeine was demonstrated whether or not preference testing was preceded by a period of 10 to 37 days of caffeine abstinence, suggesting that a recent history of heavy caffeine intake (tolerance/dependence) was not a necessary condition for caffeine to function as a reinforcer. In Experiment 2, 6 subjects had 10 opportunities each day to self-administer a cup of coffee or (on different days) a capsule, dependent upon completing a work requirement that progressively increased and then decreased over days. Each day, one of four conditions was studied: caffeinated coffee (100 mg/cup), decaffeinated coffee, caffeine capsules (100 mg/capsule), or placebo capsules. Caffeinated coffee maintained the most self-administration, significantly higher than decaffeinated coffee and placebo capsules but not different from caffeine capsules. Both decaffeinated coffee and caffeine capsules were significantly higher than placebo capsules but not different from each other. In both experiments, subject ratings of "linking" of coffee or capsules covaried with the self-administration measures. These experiments provide the clearest demonstrations to date of the reinforcing effects of caffeine in capsules and in coffee.

Capsule Pipeline Research Center. 3-year Progress report, September 1, 1993--August 31, 1994

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1994-04-01

The Capsule Pipeline Research Center is devoted to performing research in capsule pipelines so that this emerging technology can be developed for early use to transport solids including coal, grain, other agricultural products, solid wastes, etc. Important research findings and accomplishments during the first-three years include: success in making durable binderless coal logs by compaction, success in underwater extrusion of binderless coal logs, success in compacting and extruding coal logs with less than 3% hydrophobic binder at room temperature, improvement in the injection system and the pump-bypass scheme, advancement in the state-of-the-art of predicting the energy loss (pressure drop) along both stationary and moving capsules, demonstrated the effectiveness of using polymer for drag reduction in CLP, demonstrated the influence of zeta potential on coal log fabrication, improved understanding of the water absorption properties of coal logs, better understanding of the mechanism of coal log abrasion (wear), completed a detailed economic evaluation of the CLP technology and compared coal transportation cost by CLP to that by rail, truck and slurry pipelines, and completion of several areas of legal research. The Center also conducted important technology transfer activities including workshops, work sessions, company seminars, involvement of companies in CLP research, issuance of newsletters, completion of a video tape on CLP, and presentation of research findings at numerous national and international meetings.

Capsule Pipeline Research Center. 3-year Progress report, September 1, 1993--August 31, 1994

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

The Capsule Pipeline Research Center is devoted to performing research in capsule pipelines so that this emerging technology can be developed for early use to transport solids including coal, grain, other agricultural products, solid wastes, etc. Important research findings and accomplishments during the first-three years include: success in making durable binderless coal logs by compaction, success in underwater extrusion of binderless coal logs, success in compacting and extruding coal logs with less than 3% hydrophobic binder at room temperature, improvement in the injection system and the pump-bypass scheme, advancement in the state-of-the-art of predicting the energy loss (pressure drop) along both stationary and moving capsules, demonstrated the effectiveness of using polymer for drag reduction in CLP, demonstrated the influence of zeta potential on coal log fabrication, improved understanding of the water absorption properties of coal logs, better understanding of the mechanism of coal log abrasion (wear), completed a detailed economic evaluation of the CLP technology and compared coal transportation cost by CLP to that by rail, truck and slurry pipelines, and completion of several areas of legal research. The Center also conducted important technology transfer activities including workshops, work sessions, company seminars, involvement of companies in CLP research, issuance of newsletters, completion of a video tape on CLP, and presentation of research findings at numerous national and international meetings

Boronic Acid functionalized core-shell polymer nanoparticles prepared by distillation precipitation polymerization for glycopeptide enrichment.

Science.gov (United States)

Qu, Yanyan; Liu, Jianxi; Yang, Kaiguang; Liang, Zhen; Zhang, Lihua; Zhang, Yukui

2012-07-16

The boronic acid-functionalized core-shell polymer nanoparticles, poly(N,N-methylenebisacrylamide-co-methacrylic acid)@4-vinylphenylboronic acid (poly(MBA-co-MAA)@VPBA), were successfully synthesized for enriching glycosylated peptides. Such nanoparticles were composed of a hydrophilic polymer core prepared by distillation precipitation polymerization (DPP) and a boronic acid-functionalized shell designed for capturing glycopeptides. Owing to the relatively large amount of residual vinyl groups introduced by DPP on the core surface, the VPBA monomer was coated with high efficiency, working as the shell. Moreover, the overall polymerization route, especially the use of DPP, made the synthesis of nanoparticles facile and time-saving. With the poly(MBA-co-MAA)@VPBA nanoparticles, 18 glycopeptides from horseradish peroxidase (HRP) digest were captured and identified by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometric analysis, relative to eight glycopeptides enriched by using commercially available meta-aminophenylboronic acid agarose under the same conditions. When the concentration of the HRP digest was decreased to as low as 5 nmol, glycopeptides could still be selectively isolated by the prepared nanoparticles. Our results demonstrated that the synthetic poly(MBA-co-MAA)@VPBA nanoparticles might be a promising selective enrichment material for glycoproteome analysis. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Fast and Easy Drying Method for the Preparation of Activated [{sup 18}F]Fluoride Using Polymer Cartridge

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seo, Jai Woong [Inha University, Inchon (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Byoung Se; Chi, Dae Yoon [FutureChem Co., Ltd., Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Sang Ju [Sogang University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Oh, Seung Jun [Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2011-01-15

An efficient nucleophilic [{sup 18}F]fluorination has been studied to reduce byproducts and preparation time. Instead of conventional aqueous solution of K{sub 2}CO{sub 3}-K{sub 222}, several organic solution containing inert organic salts were used to release [{sup 18}F]fluoride ion and anion bases captured in the polymer cartridge, concluding that methanol solution is the best choice. Comparing to azeotropic drying process, one min was sufficient to remove methanol completely, resulting in about 10% radioactivity saving by reducing drying time. The polymer cartridge, Chromafix (PS-HCO{sub 3}) was pretreated with several anion bases to displace pre-loaded bicarbonate base. Phosphate bases showed better results than carbonate bases in terms of lower basicity. tert-Butanol solvent used as a reaction media played another critical role in nucleophilic [{sup 18}F]fluorination by suppressing eliminated side product. Consequent [{sup 18}F]fluorination under the present condition afforded fast preparation of reaction solution and high radiochemical yields (98% radio-TLC, 84% RCY) with 94% of precursor remained.

Preparation of polymer composites using nanostructured carbon produced at large scale by catalytic decomposition of methane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suelves, I.; Utrilla, R.; Torres, D.; Llobet, S. de; Pinilla, J.L.; Lázaro, M.J.; Moliner, R.

2013-01-01

Polymer-based composites were prepared using different concentrations of nanostructured carbons (NCs), produced by catalytic decomposition of methane (CDM). Four carbonaceous nanostructures were produced using different catalysts (with Ni and Fe as active phases) in a rotary bed reactor capable of producing up to 20 g of carbon per hour. The effect of nanostructured carbon on the thermal and electrical behaviour of epoxy-based composites is studied. An increase in the thermal stability and the decrease of electrical resistivity were observed for the composites at carbon contents as low as 1 wt%. The highest reduction of the electrical resistivity was obtained using multi-walled carbon nanotubes obtained with the Fe based catalysts. This effect could be related to the high degree of structural order of these materials. The results were compared with those obtained using a commercial carbon nanofibre, showing that the use of carbon nanostructures from CDM can be a valid alternative to the commercial nanofibres. -- Highlights: ► Preparation of polymer nanocomposites with enhanced thermal and electrical properties. ► Formation of nanostructured carbon materials with different textural and structural properties at large scale. ► Catalytic decomposition of methane to simultaneously produce hydrogen and carbon materials.

Facile preparation of polymer electrolytes based on the polymerized ionic liquid poly((4-vinylbenzyl)trimethylammonium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonylimide)) for lithium secondary batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Mingtao; Wang, Lu; Yang, Bolun; Du, Tingting; Zhang, Ying

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: (A) The main components of PIL electrolytes, (B) A PIL electrolyte sample. - Highlights: • A new polymer electrolyte incorporating a DEME-TFSI liquid is prepared. • The ionic conductivity of the electrolytes reaches 7.58 × 10 −4 S cm −1 at 60 °C. • Batteries discharge 130 mAh g −1 at 0.1 C rates with good capacity retention. - Abstract: The polymer electrolytes based on a novel poly((4-vinylbenzyl)trimethylammonium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonylimide)) polymeric ionic liquid (PIL) as polymer host and containing DEME-TFSI ionic liquid, LiTFSI salt and nano silica are prepared. The polymer electrolyte is chemically stable even at a higher temperature of 60 °C in contact with lithium anode. Particularly, the electrolyte exhibits high lithium ion conductivity, wide electrochemical stability window and good lithium stripping/plating performance. When the IL content reaches 60% (the weight ratio of DEME-TFSI/PIL), the PIL electrolyte presents a higher ionic conductivity, and it is 7.58 × 10 −4 S cm −1 at 60 °C. Preliminary battery tests show that Li/LiFePO 4 cells with the PIL electrolytes are capable to deliver above 130 mAh g −1 at 60 °C with very good capacity retention

Poly(vinylpyridine-co-styrene) based in situ cross-linked gel polymer electrolyte for lithium-ion polymer batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oh, Sijin; Kim, Dong Wook; Lee, Changjin; Lee, Myong-Hoon; Kang, Yongku

2011-01-01

A gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) was successfully prepared by means of an in situ cross-linking reaction of poly(2-vinylpyridine-co-styrene) and oligo(ethylene oxide) with epoxide functional groups at 65 °C without using a polymerization initiator. A stable gel polymer electrolyte could be obtained by adding only 1% of a polymer gelator. The ionic conductivity of the GPE containing 99 wt% of liquid electrolyte was measured to be ca. 10 −2 S/cm at the ambient temperature. The ionic conductivity of the resulting GPE was comparable to that of a pure liquid electrolyte. The electrochemical stability window of the prepared gel polymer electrolytes was measured to be 5.2 V. The test cell carried a discharge capacity of 133.2 mAh/g at 0.1 C and showed good cycling performance with negligible capacity fading after the 200th cycle, maintaining 99.5% coulombic efficiency throughout 200 cycles. The resulting gel polymer electrolyte prepared by in situ thermal cross-linking without a polymerization initiator holds promise for application to on the high power lithium-ion polymer batteries.

Preparation and evaluation of open-tubular capillary column combining a metal-organic framework and a brush-shaped polymer for liquid chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Kai; Zhang, Lingyi; Zhang, Weibing

2018-03-30

In this work, an open-tubular capillary liquid-phase column was prepared by modifying chain polymer on the inner surface of capillary and chemical bonding of metal organic frameworks, NH 2 -UiO-66, to the brushes of chain polymer (poly(glycidyl methacrylate)). Besides advantages of facial preparation and good permeability, the chain polymer effectively increases the modification amount of NH 2 -UiO-66 nanoparticles to increase the phase ratio of open-tubular capillary column and enhance the interactions with analytes. The results of scanning electron microscope energy-dispersive X-ray spectra indicated that NH 2 -UiO-66 nanoparticles were successfully bonded to the chain polymer. Because of the hydrophobic interaction and hydrogen bonding interaction between the analytes and the ligand of NH 2 -UiO-66, different analytes were well separated on the NH 2 -UiO-66-modified poly(glycidyl methacrylate) capillary (1.12 m × 25 μm id × 365 μm od) with the high absolute column efficiency reaching 121 477 plates, benefiting from an open-tubular column and low mass transfer resistance provided by polymer brush and metal-organic framework crystal. The relative standard deviations of the retention time for run-to-run, day-to-day, and column-to-column (n = 3) runs are below 4.28%, exhibiting good repeatability. Finally, the column was successfully applied to separation of flavonoids in licorice. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Oxygen fugacity and piston cylinder capsule assemblies

Science.gov (United States)

Jakobsson, S.

2011-12-01

A double capsule assembly designed to control oxygen fugacity in piston cylinder experiments has been tested at 1200 °C and 10 kbar. The assembly consists of an outer Pt-capsule containing a solid buffer (Ni-NiO or Co-CoO plus H2O) and an inner AuPd-capsule containing the sample, H2O and a Pt-wire. To prevent direct contact with the buffer phases the AuPd-capsule is embedded in finely ground Al2O3 along with some coarser, fractured Al2O3 facilitating fluid inclusion formation. No water loss is observed in the sample even after 48 hrs but a slight increase in water content is observed in longer duration runs due to oxygen and hydrogen diffusion into the AuPd-capsule. Carbon from the furnace also diffuses through the outer Pt-capsule but reacts with H2O in the outer capsule to form CO2 and never reaches the inner capsule. Oxygen fugacity of runs in equilibrium with the Ni-NiO and Co-CoO buffers was measured by analyzing the Fe content of the Pt-wire in the sample1 and by analyzing Fe dissolved in the AuPd capsule2. The second method gives values that are in good agreement with established buffer whereas results from the first method are one half to one log units higher than the established values. References 1. E. Medard, C. A. McCammon, J. A. Barr, T. L. Grove, Am. Mineral. 93, 1838 (2008). 2. J. Barr, T. Grove, Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 160, 631 (2010)

Low Band Gap Polymers for Roll-to-Roll Coated Polymer Solar Cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bundgaard, Eva; Hagemann, Ole; Manceau, Matthieu

2010-01-01

connected cells were prepared with a total module active area of 96 cm2. The devices were tested for operational stability under simulated sunlight (AM1.5G) and natural sunlight, and the photochemical stability of the polymer was examined using a combination of UV−vis and IR spectroscopy.......We present the synthesis of a low band gap copolymer based on dithienothiophene and dialkoxybenzothiadiazole (poly(dithienothiophene-co-dialkoxybenzothiadiazole), PDTTDABT). The optical properties of the polymer showed a band gap of 1.6 eV and a sky-blue color in solid films. The polymer...... around a 1:2 mixing ratio. Roll-to-roll coated polymer solar cell devices were prepared under ambient conditions employing solution processing in all steps including the metallic back electrode that was printed as a grid giving semitransparent solar cell devices. Solar cell modules comprising 16 serially...

Responsive Polymers for Crop Protection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Serban F. Peteu

2010-08-01

Full Text Available This review outlines the responsive polymer methods currently in use with their potential application to plant protection and puts forward plant-specific mechanisms as stimuli in newly devised methods for smart release of crop protection agents (CPAs. CPAs include chemicals (fungicides, insecticides, herbicides, biochemicals (antibiotics, RNA-based vaccines for plant viruses, semiochemicals (pheromones, repellents, allomones, microbial pesticides, growth regulators (insect and plant or micronutrients, all with crop protection effects. This appraisal focuses on emerging uses of polymer nano-encapsulated CPAs. Firstly, the most interesting advances in controlled release methods are critically discussed with their advantages and drawbacks. Secondly, several plant-specific stimuli-based smart methods are anticipated for use alongside the polymer nano- or micro-capsules. These new CPA release methods are designed to (i protect plants against infection produced by fungi or bacteria, and (ii apply micro-nutrients when the plants need it the most. Thus, we foresee (i the responsive release of nano- encapsulated bio-insecticides regulated by plant stress enzymes, and (ii the delivery of micro-nutrients synchronized by the nature or intensity of plant root exudates. Such continued advances of nano-scale smart polymer-based CPAs for the protection of crops herald a “small revolution” for the benefit of sustainable agriculture.

Preparation and evaluation of microparticles from thiolated polymers via air jet milling.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoyer, Herbert; Schlocker, Wolfgang; Krum, Kafedjiiski; Bernkop-Schnürch, Andreas

2008-06-01

Microparticles were formulated by incorporation of the model protein horseradish peroxidase in (thiolated) chitosan and (thiolated) poly(acrylic acid) via co-precipitation. Dried protein/polymer complexes were ground with an air jet mill and resulting particles were evaluated regarding size distribution, shape, zeta potential, drug load, protein activity, release pattern, swelling behaviour and cytotoxicity. The mean particle size distribution was 0.5-12 microm. Non-porous microparticles with a smooth surface were prepared. Microparticles from (thiolated) chitosan had a positive charge whereas microparticles from (thiolated) poly(acrylic acid) were negatively charged. The maximum protein load for microparticles based on chitosan, chitosan-glutathione (Ch-GSH), poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and for poly(acrylic acid)-glutathione (PAA-GSH) was 7+/-1%, 11+/-2%, 4+/-0.2% and 7+/-2%, respectively. The release profile of all microparticles followed a first order release kinetic. Chitosan (0.5mg), Ch-GSH, PAA and PAA-GSH particles showed a 31.4-, 13.8-, 54.2- and a 42.2-fold increase in weight, respectively. No significant cytotoxicity could be found. Thiolated microparticles prepared by jet milling technique were shown to be stable and to have controlled drug release characteristics. After further optimizations the preparation method described here might be a useful tool for the production of protein loaded drug delivery systems.

Physical and Degradable Properties of Mulching Films Prepared from Natural Fibers and Biodegradable Polymers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhijian Tan

2016-05-01

Full Text Available The use of plastic film in agriculture has the serious drawback of producing vast quantities of waste. In this work, films were prepared from natural fibers and biodegradable polymers as potential substitutes for the conventional non-biodegradable plastic film used as mulching material in agricultural production. The physical properties (e.g., mechanical properties, heat preservation, water permeability, and photopermeability and degradation characteristics (evaluated by micro-organic culture testing and soil burial testing of the films were studied in both laboratory and field tests. The experimental results indicated that these fiber/polymer films exhibited favorable physical properties that were sufficient for use in mulching film applications. Moreover, the degradation degree of the three tested films decreased in the following order: fiber/starch (ST film > fiber/poly(vinyl alcohol (PVA film > fiber/polyacrylate (PA film. The fiber/starch and fiber/PVA films were made from completely biodegradable materials and demonstrated the potential to substitute non-biodegradable films.

Vortex rings from Sphagnum moss capsules

Science.gov (United States)

Whitaker, Dwight; Strassman, Sam; Cha, Jung; Chang, Emily; Guo, Xinyi; Edwards, Joan

2010-11-01

The capsules of Sphagnum moss use vortex rings to disperse spores to suitable habitats many kilometers away. Vortex rings are created by the sudden release of pressurized air when the capsule ruptures, and are an efficient way to carry the small spores with low terminal velocities to heights where they can be carried by turbulent wind currents. We will present our computational model of these explosions, which are carried out using a 2-D large eddy simulation (LES) on FLUENT. Our simulations can reproduce the observed motion of the spore clouds observed from moss capsules with high-speed videos, and we will discuss the roles of bursting pressure, cap mass, and capsule morphology on the formation and quality of vortex rings created by this plant.

[Evaluation of nopal capsules in diabetes mellitus].

Science.gov (United States)

Frati Munari, A C; Vera Lastra, O; Ariza Andraca, C R

1992-01-01

To find out if commercial capsules with dried nopal (prickle-pear cactus, Opuntia ficus indica may have a role in the management of diabetes mellitus, three experiments were performed: 30 capsules where given in fasting condition to 10 diabetic subjects and serum glucose was measured through out 3 hours; a control test was performed with 30 placebo capsules. OGTT with previous intake of 30 nopal or placebo capsules was performed in ten healthy individuals. In a crossover and single blinded study 14 diabetic patients withdrew the oral hypoglycemic treatment and received 10 nopal or placebo capsules t.i.d. during one week; serum glucose, cholesterol and tryglycerides levels were measured before and after each one-week period. Five healthy subjects were also studied in the same fashion. Opuntia capsules did not show acute hypoglycemic effect and did not influence OGTT. In diabetic patients serum glucose, cholesterol and tryglycerides levels did not change with Opuntia, but they increased with placebo (P nopal, while cholesterol and triglycerides decreased (P < 0.01 vs. placebo). The intake of 30 Opuntia capsules daily in patients with diabetes mellitus had a discrete beneficial effect on glucose and cholesterol. However this dose is unpractical and at present it is not recommended in the management of diabetes mellitus.

Selective Template Wetting Routes to Hierarchical Polymer Films: Polymer Nanotubes from Phase-Separated Films via Solvent Annealing.

Science.gov (United States)

Ko, Hao-Wen; Cheng, Ming-Hsiang; Chi, Mu-Huan; Chang, Chun-Wei; Chen, Jiun-Tai

2016-03-01

We demonstrate a novel wetting method to prepare hierarchical polymer films with polymer nanotubes on selective regions. This strategy is based on the selective wetting abilities of polymer chains, annealed in different solvent vapors, into the nanopores of porous templates. Phase-separated films of polystyrene (PS) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), two commonly used polymers, are prepared as a model system. After anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates are placed on the films, the samples are annealed in vapors of acetic acid, in which the PMMA chains are swollen and wet the nanopores of the AAO templates selectively. As a result, hierarchical polymer films containing PMMA nanotubes can be obtained after the AAO templates are removed. The distribution of the PMMA nanotubes of the hierarchical polymer films can also be controlled by changing the compositions of the polymer blends. This work not only presents a novel method to fabricate hierarchical polymer films with polymer nanotubes on selective regions, but also gives a deeper understanding in the selective wetting ability of polymer chains in solvent vapors.

Formulation and statistical optimization of gastric floating alginate/oil/chitosan capsules loading procyanidins: in vitro and in vivo evaluations.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Rencai; Guo, Xiaomin; Liu, Xuecong; Cui, Haiming; Wang, Rui; Han, Jing

2018-03-01

The aim of the present work was to develop gastric floating capsules containing oil-entrapped beads loading procyanidins. The floating beads were prepared by ionotropic gelation method using sodium alginate, CaCl 2 and chitosan. The effect of three independent parameters (concentration of sodium alginate, CaCl 2 and chitosan) on entrapment efficiency were analyzed by Box-Behnken design. The floating beads were evaluated for surface morphology, particle size, density, entrapment efficiency, buoyancy, release behavior in vitro and floating ability in vivo. The prepared beads were grossly spherical in shape and the mean size was approximately 1.54±0.17mm. The density was 0.97g/cm 3 . And the optimal conditions were as follows: concentration of sodium alginate, CaCl 2 and chitosan were 33.75mg/mL, 9.84mg/mL and 9.05mg/mL, respectively. The optimized formulation showed entrapment efficiency of 88.84±1.04% within small error-value (0.65). The release mechanism of floating capsules followed Korsmeyer-Peppas model (r 2 =0.9902) with non-Fickian release. The gastric floating capsules exhibited 100% floating percentage in vitro and they could float on the top of gastric juice for 5h in vivo. Therefore, the floating capsules are able to prolong the gastroretentive delivery of procyanidins. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Design and fabrication of non-instrumented capsule

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Yong Sung; Lee, Jeong Young; Kim, Joon Yeon; Lee, Sung Ho; Ji, Dae Young; Kim, Suk Hoon; Ahn, Sung Ho [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

1995-04-01

The use of non-instrumented capsule designed and fabricated in this time is for the evaluation of material irradiation performance, it is to be installed in the inner core of HANARO. The design process of non-instrumented capsule was accomplished by the decision of the quality of material and the shape, thermal analysis, structural analysis. The temperature of the specimen and the stress in capsule during irradiation test was calculated by the thermal analysis and the structural analysis. GGENGTC code and ABAQUS code were used for the calculation of non-instrumented capsule. In case of installing the capsule in irradiation hole, the coolant flow rate and the pressure drop in the hole is changed, which will affect the coolant flow rate of the fuel region. Eventually the coolant flow rate outside capsule have to be restricted to the allowable range. In order to obtain the required pressure drop, the flow rate control mechanism, end plate and orifice ring were used in this test. The test results are compared with 36-element fuel pressure drop data which AECL performed by the SCTR facility.

Design and fabrication of non-instrumented capsule

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Yong Sung; Lee, Jeong Young; Kim, Joon Yeon; Lee, Sung Ho; Ji, Dae Young; Kim, Suk Hoon; Ahn, Sung Ho

1995-04-01

The use of non-instrumented capsule designed and fabricated in this time is for the evaluation of material irradiation performance, it is to be installed in the inner core of HANARO. The design process of non-instrumented capsule was accomplished by the decision of the quality of material and the shape, thermal analysis, structural analysis. The temperature of the specimen and the stress in capsule during irradiation test was calculated by the thermal analysis and the structural analysis. GGENGTC code and ABAQUS code were used for the calculation of non-instrumented capsule. In case of installing the capsule in irradiation hole, the coolant flow rate and the pressure drop in the hole is changed, which will affect the coolant flow rate of the fuel region. Eventually the coolant flow rate outside capsule have to be restricted to the allowable range. In order to obtain the required pressure drop, the flow rate control mechanism, end plate and orifice ring were used in this test. The test results are compared with 36-element fuel pressure drop data which AECL performed by the SCTR facility

Accelerated Characterization of Polymer Properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

R. Wroczynski; l. Brewer; D. Buckley; M. Burrell; R. Potyrailo

2003-07-30

This report describes the efforts to develop a suite of microanalysis techniques that can rapidly measure a variety of polymer properties of industrial importance, including thermal, photo-oxidative, and color stability; as well as ductility, viscosity, and mechanical and antistatic properties. Additional goals of the project were to direct the development of these techniques toward simultaneous measurements of multiple polymer samples of small size in real time using non-destructive and/or parallel or rapid sequential measurements, to develop microcompounding techniques for preparing polymers with additives, and to demonstrate that samples prepared in the microcompounder could be analyzed directly or used in rapid off-line measurements. These enabling technologies are the crucial precursors to the development of high-throughput screening (HTS) methodologies for the polymer additives industry whereby the rate of development of new additives and polymer formulations can be greatly accelerated.

Preparation of mucosal nanoparticles and polymer-based inactivated vaccine for Newcastle disease and H9N2 AI viruses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heba M. El Naggar

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Aim: To develop a mucosal inactivated vaccines for Newcastle disease (ND and H9N2 viruses to protect against these viruses at sites of infections through mucosal immunity. Materials and Methods: In this study, we prepared two new formulations for mucosal bivalent inactivated vaccine formulations for Newcastle and Avian Influenza (H9N2 based on the use of nanoparticles and polymer adjuvants. The prepared vaccines were delivered via intranasal and spray routes of administration in specific pathogen-free chickens. Cell-mediated and humoral immune response was measured as well as challenge trial was carried out. In addition, ISA71 water in oil was also evaluated. Results: Our results showed that the use of spray route as vaccination delivery method of polymer and nanoparticles MontanideTM adjuvants revealed that it enhanced the cell mediated immune response as indicated by phagocytic activity, gamma interferon and interleukin 6 responses and induced protection against challenge with Newcastle and Avian Influenza (H9N2 viruses. Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate the potentiality of polymer compared to nanoparticles adjuvantes when used via spray route. Mass application of such vaccines will add value to improve the vaccination strategies against ND virus and Avian influenza viruses.

Preparation and drug-loading properties of Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}/Poly(styrene-co-acrylic acid) magnetic polymer nanocomposites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lu, Wensheng [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230039 (China); Coordination Chemistry Institute, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and Life Science, Chaohu University, Chaohu 238000 (China); Shen, Yuhua, E-mail: s_yuhua@163.com [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230039 (China); Xie, Anjian [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230039 (China); Zhang, Weiqiang [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230039 (China); Coordination Chemistry Institute, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and Life Science, Chaohu University, Chaohu 238000 (China)

2013-11-15

Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}/poly(styrene-co-acrylic acid) magnetic polymer nanocomposites were synthesized by the dispersion polymerization method using styrene as hard monomer, acrylic acid as functional monomer, Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles modified with oleic acid as core, and poly(styrene-co-acrylic acid) as shell. Drug-loading properties of magnetic polymer nanocomposites with curcumin as a model drug were also studied. The results indicated that magnetic polymer nanocomposites with monodisperse were obtained, the particle size distribution was 50–120 nm, and the average size was about 100 nm. The contents of poly(styrene-co-acrylic acid) and Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles in magnetic polymer nanocomposites were 74% and 24.7%, respectively. The drug-loading capacity and entrapment efficiency were 2.5% and 44.4%, respectively. The saturation magnetization of magnetic polymer nanocomposites at 300 K was 20.2 emu/g without coercivity and remanence. The as-prepared magnetic polymer nanocomposites have not only lots of functional carboxyl groups but also stronger magnetic response, which might have potential applications in drug carrier and targeted drug release.

The use of design-of-experiments methodology to optimize polymer capsule fabrication. 1998 summer research program for high school juniors at the University of Rochester's Laboratory for Laser Energetics. Student research reports

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lai, L.

1999-03-01

Future inertial-fusion experiments on Omega will utilize ∼ 1 mm-diameter cryogenic targets that have a ∼ 100-microm-thick, uniformly-frozen fuel layer on their interior. It is desired that they have a stress-free wall thickness < 1 microm and an rms surface roughness < 20 nm. A design-of-experiments (DOE) approach was used to characterize a glow-discharge-polymerization coater built at LLE to fabricate smooth, stress-free capsules with submicron wall thicknesses. The DOE approach was selected because several parameters can be changed simultaneously in a manner which allows the minimum number of runs to be performed to obtain statistically-relevant data. Planar, silicon substrates were coated with ∼ 3--5 microm of polymer and profilometry was used to determine the coating rate, the film stress, and the surface roughness. The coating rate was found to depend on the trans-2-butene/hydrogen ratio, the total gas-flow rate, the total chamber pressure, and the RF power. In addition, a two-parameter interaction between the total pressure and the RF power also affects the coating rate. The film stress depends on the total chamber pressure and the total mass-flow rate. The surface roughness is independent of the parameters studied. Preliminary results indicate that capsules can be produced rapidly without affecting the smoothness of their outside surface and without residual stress in their walls

Controlled release system for ametryn using polymer microspheres: Preparation, characterization and release kinetics in water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grillo, Renato; Pereira, Anderson do Espirito Santo; Ferreira Silva de Melo, Nathalie; Porto, Raquel Martins; Feitosa, Leandro Oliveira; Tonello, Paulo Sergio; Dias Filho, Newton L.; Rosa, Andre Henrique; Lima, Renata; Fraceto, Leonardo Fernandes

2011-01-01

The purpose of this work was to develop a modified release system for the herbicide ametryn by encapsulating the active substance in biodegradable polymer microparticles produced using the polymers poly(hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) or poly(hydroxybutyrate-valerate) (PHBV), in order to both improve the herbicidal action and reduce environmental toxicity. PHB or PHBV microparticles containing ametryn were prepared and the efficiencies of herbicide association and loading were evaluated, presenting similar values of approximately 40%. The microparticles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which showed that the average sizes of the PHB and PHBV microparticles were 5.92 ± 0.74 μm and 5.63 ± 0.68 μm, respectively. The ametryn release profile was modified when it was encapsulated in the microparticles, with slower and more sustained release compared to the release profile of pure ametryn. When ametryn was associated with the PHB and PHBV microparticles, the amount of herbicide released in the same period of time was significantly reduced, declining to 75% and 87%, respectively. For both types of microparticle (PHB and PHBV) the release of ametryn was by diffusion processes due to anomalous transport (governed by diffusion and relaxation of the polymer chains), which did not follow Fick's laws of diffusion. The results presented in this paper are promising, in view of the successful encapsulation of ametryn in PHB or PHBV polymer microparticles, and indications that this system may help reduce the impacts caused by the herbicide, making it an environmentally safer alternative.

Hot Melt Extruded Amorphous Solid Dispersion of Posaconazole with Improved Bioavailability: Investigating Drug-Polymer Miscibility with Advanced Characterisation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ritesh Fule

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Invasive antifungal infections are reasons for morbidity and mortality in immunogenic patients worldwide. Posaconazole is a most promising antifungal agent against all types of invasive infections with high % of cure rate. The marketed suspension formulation has low bioavailability and is needed to be taken with food. In this paper, PCZ hot melt extruded amorphous solid dispersion (SD with immediate release and improved bioavailability was prepared using Soluplus (Sol as primary carrier for solubilization. Surfactants such as PEG 400, Lutrol F27, Lutrol F68, and TPGS are also used in combination with Soluplus to improve the physicochemical performance of the formulation when it comes in contact with GI (gastrointestinal fluid. Drug-polymer miscibility of SD was investigated using advanced techniques. In the in vivo study, the AUC(0–72 and Cmax of PCZ/Soluplus were 11.5 and 11.74 time higher than those of pure PCZ. The formulation of the extrudate SD had an AUC(0–72 and Cmax higher than those with the commercial capsule (Noxafil. Molecular dynamic (MD simulation studies were carried out using in silico molecular modelling to understand the drug-polymer intermolecular behaviour. The results of this research ensure enhanced dissolution and bioavailability of the solid dispersion of PCZ prepared by HME compared with the PCZ suspension.

Metal-containing radiation-sensitive polymers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, A.Y.

1986-01-01

The copolymers of methyl methacrylate with alkali metal salts (Na, K, and Cs) of methacrylic acid have been prepared by saponification K, and Cs) of methylacrylic acid have been prepared by saponification of the homopolymer poly(methyl methacrylate), PMMA. Low degrees of hydrolysis have been achieved by a heterogeneous system, and from the infrared spectra it has been confirmed that the ester groups of the methyl methacrylates are directly converted to the metal salts of methacrylic acid. These ionomers exhibit pseudo high molecular weights in gel permeation chromatogram, but no appreciable increase in intrinsic viscosities is observed in comparison to PMMA. The coordinated inorganic polymers poly[(dithio-2,2'-diacetato)bis(dimethylsulfoxide)dioxouranium(VI)] and poly[{methylenebis(thio)-2,2'-bis(acetato)}bis(dimethylsulfoxide)dioxouranium(VI)]have been synthesized in dimethyl sulfoxide solution with about 90% yield. The degree of polymerization and the number of average molecular weights of these polymers have been assessed by high resolution nuclear magnetic resonance, with which the acetato end group to the bridging ligand group ratios have been determined. The polymers bridging ligand group ratios have been determined. The polymers have been characterized by employing various techniques: infrared spectra, thermal gravimetric analysis, 13 C solid state nuclear magnetic resonance, and gel permeation chromatography. The prepared polymer samples have been subjected to various doses of 137 Cs gamma radiation under which the polymers predominantly undergo chain scission. The radiation sensitivities of the polymers are assessed by G values which are obtained from gel permeation chromatograms. These uranyl polymers exhibit unusually high G values

Capsule endoscopy—A mechatronics perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Lin; Rasouli, Mahdi; Kencana, Andy Prima; Tan, Su Lim; Wong, Kai Juan; Ho, Khek Yu; Phee, Soo Jay

2011-03-01

The recent advances in integrated circuit technology, wireless communication, and sensor technology have opened the door for development of miniature medical devices that can be used for enhanced monitoring and treatment of medical conditions. Wireless capsule endoscopy is one of such medical devices that has gained significant attention during the past few years. It is envisaged that future wireless capsule endoscopies replace traditional endoscopy procedures by providing advanced functionalities such as active locomotion, body fluid/tissue sampling, and drug delivery. Development of energy-efficient miniaturized actuation mechanisms is a key step toward achieving this goal. Here, we review some of the actuators that could be integrated into future wireless capsules and discuss the existing challenges.

Porous Polymer Drug-Eluting Coating Prepared by Radiation Induced Polymerization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Veres, M.; Beiler, B.; Himics, L.; Tóth, S.; Koós, M.

2010-01-01

Many areas of modern medicine are almost unimaginable without the use of different kinds of implants. They used as replacements, supports, auxiliary devices etc. for various parts or functions of the body. Their use has many advantages, however there could be some drawbacks too, like the possibility of rejection, inflammation and other side-effects. Many of these drawbacks are directly related to the materials used for the implant fabrication. Coatings are widely used to eliminate the unwanted effects appearing after the implantation. In addition to the protection and separation of tissues from the implant material they could also enhance the functionality and the acceptance of the artificial device and also promote the regeneration of the tissues after the intervention. Drug-eluting coatings are a good example for the latter. By delivery and controlled elution of drugs they could actively suppress inflammatory reactions, allergy and rejection of the implant, and their activity is localized to the place where these effects could mainly occur – to the region of the implant. This project is aimed to develop a drug-eluting porous polymer coating by radiation induced polymerization that can be used in different medical implants. The primary objects for this research are coronary stents however these porous layers could have perspective in other types of medical devices too. The main objectives are to develop a method for coating the surface of medical grade metallic alloy wires, plates and tubes with a porous polymer nanocomposite layer prepared by radiation induced polymerization and to characterize the obtained coatings

Porous Polymer Drug-Eluting Coating Prepared by Radiation Induced Polymerization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Veres, M.; Beiler, B.; Himics, L.; Tóth, S.; Koós, M., E-mail: vm@szfki.hu [Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Research Institute for Solid State Physics and Optics, Department of Laser Applications, Konkoly Thege Miklós ut 29-33, 1121 Budapest, P.O. Box 49, 1525 Budapest (Hungary)

2010-07-01

Many areas of modern medicine are almost unimaginable without the use of different kinds of implants. They used as replacements, supports, auxiliary devices etc. for various parts or functions of the body. Their use has many advantages, however there could be some drawbacks too, like the possibility of rejection, inflammation and other side-effects. Many of these drawbacks are directly related to the materials used for the implant fabrication. Coatings are widely used to eliminate the unwanted effects appearing after the implantation. In addition to the protection and separation of tissues from the implant material they could also enhance the functionality and the acceptance of the artificial device and also promote the regeneration of the tissues after the intervention. Drug-eluting coatings are a good example for the latter. By delivery and controlled elution of drugs they could actively suppress inflammatory reactions, allergy and rejection of the implant, and their activity is localized to the place where these effects could mainly occur – to the region of the implant. This project is aimed to develop a drug-eluting porous polymer coating by radiation induced polymerization that can be used in different medical implants. The primary objects for this research are coronary stents however these porous layers could have perspective in other types of medical devices too. The main objectives are to develop a method for coating the surface of medical grade metallic alloy wires, plates and tubes with a porous polymer nanocomposite layer prepared by radiation induced polymerization and to characterize the obtained coatings.

Isolation of Capsulate Bacteria from Acute Dentoalveolar Abscesses

OpenAIRE

Lewis, M. A. O.; Milligan, S. G.; MacFarlane, T. W.; Carmichael, F. A.

2011-01-01

The presence of a capsule was determined for 198 bacterial strains (57 facultative anaerobes, 141 strict anaerobes) isobdted from pus samples aspirated from 40 acute dentoalveolar abscesses. A total of 133 (67 per cent) of the isolates (42 facultative anaerobes, 91 strict anaerobes) were found to have a capsule. Possession ofa capsule may in part explain the apparent pathogenicity of the bacterial species encountered in acute dentoalveolar abscess.Keywords - Bacterial capsule; Acute dentoalve...

Effect of Polymer Matrix on the Structure and Electric Properties of Piezoelectric Lead Zirconatetitanate/Polymer Composites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rui Li

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Piezoelectric lead zirconatetitanate (PZT/polymer composites were prepared by two typical polymer matrixes using the hot-press method. The micromorphology, microstructure, dielectric properties, and piezoelectric properties of the PZT/polymer composites were characterized and investigated. The results showed that when the condition of frequency is 103 Hz, the dielectric and piezoelectric properties of PZT/poly(vinylidene fluoride were both better than that of PZT/polyvinyl chloride (PVC. When the volume fraction of PZT was 50%, PZT/PVDF prepared by the hot-press method had better comprehensive electric property.

Capsule Endoscopy

Science.gov (United States)

... because experience with it is limited and traditional upper endoscopy is widely available. Why it's done Your doctor might recommend a capsule endoscopy procedure to: Find the cause of gastrointestinal bleeding. If you have unexplained bleeding in your digestive ...

Tissue ingrowth polymers and degradation of two biodegradable porous with different porosities and pore sizes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Tienen, TG; Heijkants, RGJC; Buma, P; de Groot, JH; Pennings, AJ; Veth, RPH

Commonly, spontaneous repair of lesions in the avascular zone of the knee meniscus does not occur. By implanting a porous polymer scaffold in a knee meniscus defect, the lesion is connected with the abundantly vascularized knee capsule and heating can be realized. Ingrowth of fibrovascular tissue

Analysis of the necessity for inserting new surveillance capsule into the Kori Unit 1 RPV to monitor material fracture toughness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song, Taek Ho

2007-01-01

In association with monitoring of reactor pressure vessel (RPV) fracture toughness, surveillance capsule test specimens have been used to monitor the material property of nuclear reactor vessel. As far as Kori Unit 1 is concerned, 6 capsules were put into the vessel before commercial operation of the plant. Up to now, all the six capsules have been withdrawn to test and monitor the fracture toughness of RPV material. The last capsule has been withdrawn on June this year, and the Kori unit 1 has been shut downed since July 2007 and will be shut downed until December this year for about 6 months, preparing the life extension of the plant to operate the plant 10 more years. With the situation that all the surveillance capsules have been withdrawn, public ask the following question, 'To extend the life of Kori Unit 1 more than 10 years, is it necessary to insert new surveillance capsules into the Kori Unit 1 to monitor RPV material fracture toughness?' In connection with this issue, planning project have been carried out since spring this year. In this paper, it is described that inserting new surveillance capsule into the Kori Unit 1 RPV has some meaning in some public acceptance point of view and is not necessary in material engineering point of view

Capsule development and utilization for material irradiation tests

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kang, Young Hwan; Kim, B G; Joo, K N [and others

2000-05-01

The development program of advanced nuclear structural and fuel materials includes the in-pile tests using the instrumented capsule at HANARO. The tests were performed in the in-core test holes of CT, IR 1 and 2 and OR 4 and 5 of HANARO. Extensive efforts have also been made to establish design and manufacturing technology for the instrumented capsule and its related system, which should be compatible with the HANARO's characteristics. Since the first instrumented capsule(97M-01K) had been designed and successfully fabricated, five tests were done to support the users and provided the economic benefits to user by generating the essential in-pile information on the performance and structural integrity of materials. This paper describes the present status and future plans of these R and D activities for the development of the instrumented capsule including in-situ material property measurement capsules and nuclear fuel test capsules.

Capsule development and utilization for material irradiation tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, Young Hwan; Kim, B. G.; Joo, K. N.

2000-05-01

The development program of advanced nuclear structural and fuel materials includes the in-pile tests using the instrumented capsule at HANARO. The tests were performed in the in-core test holes of CT, IR 1 and 2 and OR 4 and 5 of HANARO. Extensive efforts have also been made to establish design and manufacturing technology for the instrumented capsule and its related system, which should be compatible with the HANARO's characteristics. Since the first instrumented capsule(97M-01K) had been designed and successfully fabricated, five tests were done to support the users and provided the economic benefits to user by generating the essential in-pile information on the performance and structural integrity of materials. This paper describes the present status and future plans of these R and D activities for the development of the instrumented capsule including in-situ material property measurement capsules and nuclear fuel test capsules

Enzyme production in immobilized Trichoderma reesei cells with hydrophobic polymers prepared by radiation polymerization method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luzhao Xin; Kumakura, Minoru; Kaetsu, Isao

1993-01-01

Trichoderma reesei cells were immobilized on paper covered with hydrophobic monomer, trimethylpropane triacrylate by radiation polymerization. The effect of immobilization condition on enzyme productivity was studied by measuring filter paper and cellobiose activity. The cells were adhered and grew on the surface of the carrier with the polymer giving high enzyme productivity in the immobilized cells in comparison with the free cells. Optimum concentration and volume of the coating monomer for the preparation of the immobilized cells were obtained. (author)

Adsorption and desorption of phosphorus in ceramic capsules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Almeida, J.R.F. de.

1983-01-01

Experiments were carried out in order to analyse the capacity of adsorving P from water using ceramic capsules with 32P, in the presence and absence of water flow through the capsule. Also studied was the desorption of 32 P from the capsule in water, with and without water flow. The desorption of residual 32 P was analysed by isotopic exchange with 31 P, also with and without water flow. It was observed that, in the presence of a flow, the capsule retained 32 P from the solution, which was weakly desorbed by water but was isotopically exchanged with 31 P. In the absence of a flow, the capsule was not an efficient P adsorber. (Author) [pt

Preparation of candidate reference materials for the determination of phosphorus containing flame retardants in styrene-based polymers.

Science.gov (United States)

Roth, Thomas; Urpi Bertran, Raquel; Latza, Andreas; Andörfer-Lang, Katrin; Hügelschäffer, Claudia; Pöhlein, Manfred; Puchta, Ralph; Placht, Christian; Maid, Harald; Bauer, Walter; van Eldik, Rudi

2015-04-01

Candidate reference materials (RM) for the analysis of phosphorus-based flame retardants in styrene-based polymers were prepared using a self-made mini-extruder. Due to legal requirements of the current restriction for the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment, focus now is placed on phosphorus-based flame retardants instead of the brominated kind. Newly developed analytical methods for the first-mentioned substances also require RMs similar to industrial samples for validation and verification purposes. Hence, the prepared candidate RMs contained resorcinol-bis-(diphenyl phosphate), bisphenol A bis(diphenyl phosphate), triphenyl phosphate and triphenyl phosphine oxide as phosphorus-based flame retardants. Blends of polycarbonate and acrylonitrile-co-butadiene-co-styrene as well as blends of high-impact polystyrene and polyphenylene oxide were chosen as carrier polymers. Homogeneity and thermal stability of the candidate RMs were investigated. Results showed that the candidate RMs were comparable to the available industrial materials. Measurements by ICP/OES, FTIR and NMR confirmed the expected concentrations of the flame retardants and proved that analyte loss and degradation, respectively, was below the uncertainty of measurement during the extrusion process. Thus, the candidate RMs were found to be suitable for laboratory use.

In vitro evaluation of mucoadhesive vaginal tablets of antifungal drugs prepared with thiolated polymer and development of a new dissolution technique for vaginal formulations.

Science.gov (United States)

Baloglu, Esra; Ay Senyıgıt, Zeynep; Karavana, Sinem Yaprak; Vetter, Anja; Metın, Dilek Yesim; Hilmioglu Polat, Suleyha; Guneri, Tamer; Bernkop-Schnurch, Andreas

2011-01-01

The main objective of this work was to develop antifungal matrix tablet for vaginal applications using mucoadhesive thiolated polymer. Econazole nitrate (EN) and miconazole nitrate (MN) were used as antifungal drugs to prepare the vaginal tablet formulations. Thiolated poly(acrylic acid)-cysteine (PAA-Cys) conjugate was synthesized by the covalent attachment of L-cysteine to PAA with the formation of amide bonds between the primary amino group of L-cysteine and the carboxylic acid group of the polymer. Vaginal mucoadhesive matrix tablets were prepared by direct compression technique. The investigation focused on the influence of modified polymer on water uptake behavior, mucoadhesive property and release rate of drug. Thiolated polymer increased the water uptake ratio and mucoadhesive property of the formulations. A new simple dissolution technique was developed to simulate the vaginal environment for the evaluation of release behavior of vaginal tablets. In this technique, daily production amount and rate of the vaginal fluid was used without any rotational movement. The drug release was found to be slower from PAA-Cys compared to that from PAA formulations. The similarity study results confirmed that the difference in particle size of EN and MN did not affect their release profile. The release process was described by plotting the fraction released drug versus time and n fitting data to the simple exponential model: M(t)/M(∞)=kt(n). The release kinetics were determined as Super Case II for all the formulations prepared with PAA or PAA-Cys. According to these results the mucoadhesive vaginal tablet formulations prepared with PAA-Cys represent good example for delivery systems which prolong the residence time of drugs at the vaginal mucosal surface.

Supercritical transitiometry of polymers.

Science.gov (United States)

Randzio, S L; Grolier, J P

1998-06-01

Employing supercritical fluids (SCFs) during polymers processing allows the unusual properties of SCFs to be exploited for making polymer products that cannot be obtained by other means. A new supercritical transitiometer has been constructed to permit study of the interactions of SCFs with polymers during processing under well-defined conditions of temperature and pressure. The supercritical transitiometer allows pressure to be exerted by either a supercritical fluid or a neutral medium and enables simultaneous determination of four basic parameters of a transition, i.e., p, T, Δ(tr)H and Δ(tr)V. This permits determination of the SCF effect on modification of the polymer structure at a given pressure and temperature and defines conditions to allow reproducible preparation of new polymer structures. Study of a semicrystalline polyethylene by this method has defined conditions for preparation of new microfoamed phases with good mechanical properties. The low densities and microporous structures of the new materials may make them useful for applications in medicine, pharmacy, or the food industry, for example.

Concept of polymer alloy electrolytes: towards room temperature operation of lithium-polymer batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noda, Kazuhiro; Yasuda, Toshikazu; Nishi, Yoshio

2004-01-01

Polymer alloy technique is very powerful tool to tune the ionic conductivity and mechanical strength of polymer electrolyte. A semi-interpenetrating polymer network (semi-IPN) polymer alloy electrolyte, composed of non-cross-linkable siloxane-based polymer and cross-linked 3D network polymer, was prepared. Such polymer alloy electrolyte has quite high ionic conductivity (more than 10 -4 Scm -1 at 25 o C and 10 -5 Scm -1 at -10 o C) and mechanical strength as a separator film with a wide electrochemical stability window. A lithium metal/semi-IPN polymer alloy solid state electrolyte/LiCoO 2 cell demonstrated promising cycle performance with room temperature operation of the energy density of 300Wh/L and better rate performance than conventional PEO based lithium polymer battery ever reported

Preparation and mechanical property of polymer-based biomaterials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, P; Chen, G; Zheng, X F

2010-01-01

The porous polymer-based biomaterial has been synthesized from PLGA, dioxane and tricalcium phosphate (TCP) by low-temperature deposition process. The deformation behaviours and fracture mechanism of polymer-based biomaterials were investigated using the compression test and the finite element (FE) simulation. The results show that the stress-strain curve of compression process includes linear elastic stage I, platform stage II and densification stage III, and the fracture mechanism can be considered as brittle fracture.

Production, deformation and mechanical investigation of magnetic alginate capsules

Science.gov (United States)

Zwar, Elena; Kemna, Andre; Richter, Lena; Degen, Patrick; Rehage, Heinz

2018-02-01

In this article we investigated the deformation of alginate capsules in magnetic fields. The sensitivity to magnetic forces was realised by encapsulating an oil in water emulsion, where the oil droplets contained dispersed magnetic nanoparticles. We solved calcium ions in the aqueous emulsion phase, which act as crosslinking compounds for forming thin layers of alginate membranes. This encapsulating technique allows the production of flexible capsules with an emulsion as the capsule core. It is important to mention that the magnetic nanoparticles were stable and dispersed throughout the complete process, which is an important difference to most magnetic alginate-based materials. In a series of experiments, we used spinning drop techniques, capsule squeezing experiments and interfacial shear rheology in order to determine the surface Young moduli, the surface Poisson ratios and the surface shear moduli of the magnetically sensitive alginate capsules. In additional experiments, we analysed the capsule deformation in magnetic fields. In spinning drop and capsule squeezing experiments, water droplets were pressed out of the capsules at elevated values of the mechanical load. This phenomenon might be used for the mechanically triggered release of water-soluble ingredients. After drying the emulsion-filled capsules, we produced capsules, which only contained a homogeneous oil phase with stable suspended magnetic nanoparticles (organic ferrofluid). In the dried state, the thin alginate membranes of these particles were rather rigid. These dehydrated capsules could be stored at ambient conditions for several months without changing their properties. After exposure to water, the alginate membranes rehydrated and became flexible and deformable again. During this swelling process, water diffused back in the capsule. This long-term stability and rehydration offers a great spectrum of different applications as sensors, soft actuators, artificial muscles or drug delivery systems.

Extraction of uranium by hydroxybenzamide type polymers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakuragi, Masako; Ichimura, Kunihiro; Suda, Yoshio; Marumo, Tomofuyu; Iwaki, Takao; Abe, Yoshimoto; Misono, Takahisa.

1985-01-01

Polyethyleneimine crosslinked with N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide was treated with substituted phenyl hydroxybenzoates to give the polymers having corresponding hydroxybenzamide groups. In these polymers I-V, polymer having 2-hydroxybenzamide group (I) and that having 2,4-dihydroxybenzamide group (II) showed the adsorption abilities of 45 and 87 μg-U/g in 4 days in seawater, respectively. The polymers having 2-hydroxybenzamide group in concentration from 1 to 20 mol % were prepared and the adsorption property for uranium was examined. Three mol % is most suitable concentration for treatment for 2-4 days, while 20 mol % is suitable for treatment for 30 days. The polymer prepared from porous polyethyleneimine bead showed higher adsorption ability than usual ones. (J.P.N.)

Capsule endoscopy: Beyond small bowel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samuel N Adler

2012-01-01

Full Text Available In this article the brief and dramatic history of capsule endoscopy of the digestive tract is reviewed. Capsule endoscopy offers a non invasive method to diagnose diseases that affect the esophagus, small bowel and colon. Technological improvements relating to optics, software, data recorders with two way communication have revolutionized this field. These advancements have produced better diagnostic performance.

Preparation of polymer brushes grafted graphene oxide by atom transfer radical polymerization as a new support for trypsin immobilization and efficient proteome digestion.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Cong; Zhao, Xinyuan; Zhang, Wanjun; Bai, Haihong; Qin, Weijie; Song, Haifeng; Qian, Xiaohong

2017-08-01

Highly efficient protein digestion is one of the key issues in the "bottom-up" strategy-based proteomic studies. Compared with the time-consuming solution-based free protease digestion, immobilized protease digestion offers a promising alternative with obviously improved sample processing throughput. In this study, we proposed a new immobilized protease digestion strategy using two kinds of polymer-grafted graphene oxide (GO) conjugated trypsin. The polymer brush grafted GO was prepared using in situ polymer growth on initiator-functionalized GO using surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) and characterized by AFM, TEM, TGA, and XPS. The polymer brush grafted GO supports three-dimensional trypsin immobilization, which not only increases the loading amount but also improves accessibility towards protein substrates. Both of the two types of immobilized trypsin provide 700 times shorter digestion time, while maintaining comparable protein/peptide identification scale compared with that of free trypsin digestion. More interestingly, combined application of the two types of immobilized trypsin with different surface-grafted polymers leads to at least 18.3/31.3% enhancement in protein/peptide identification compared with that obtained by digestion using a single type, indicating the potential of this digestion strategy for deeper proteome coverage using limited mass spectrometer machine hour. We expect these advantages may find valuable application in high throughput clinical proteomic studies, which often involve processing of a large number of samples. Graphical abstract Preparation of polymer brushes grafted and trypsin immobilized graphene oxide and its application in proteome digestion and mass spectrometry identification.

Composite phase change materials prepared by encapsuling paraffin in PVC macrocapsules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Yingbo; Zhang, Shifeng; Zhang, Qi; Chen, Yusheng; Zhang, Yufeng

2014-01-01

Highlights: • PVC macrocapsules coated with SiO 2 were synthesized. • Paraffin was encapsuled in the capsules. • The composite PCM has high heat capacity. • The composite PCM has no surpercooling. - Abstract: A novel phase change material capsules with SiO 2 in their surface was prepared by absorbing paraffin into PVC hollow capsules and by the polycondensation reaction of TEOS in different conditions. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis and scanning electronic microscope (SEM) were used to determine chemical composition and microstructure of the composite capsules, respectively. Enthalpy capacity and thermal stability of the composite capsules are systematically characterized by using differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) and thermocycling tests. The composite has high heat capacity with good stability and absence of supercooling phenomena

Fluorescent molecularly imprinted polymer thin films for specific protein detection prepared with dansyl ethylenediamine-conjugated O-acryloyl L-hydroxyproline.

Science.gov (United States)

Inoue, Yuki; Kuwahara, Atsushi; Ohmori, Kohei; Sunayama, Hirobumi; Ooya, Tooru; Takeuchi, Toshifumi

2013-10-15

Protein-imprinted polymers, capable of specific transduction of protein binding events into fluorescent signal change, were designed and synthesized by using dansyl ethylenediamine-conjugated O-acryloyl L-hydroxyproline (Hyp-En-Dans). Human serum albumin (HSA) was used as a model target protein and HSA-imprinted polymers (HSA-IP) were prepared on glass substrates. Specific fluorescence change was observed for HSA binding on the imprinted polymer thin film, whereas a weaker response was observed for other proteins, including bovine serum albumin, chymotrypsin, lysozyme, and avidin. The binding specificity was found to derive from the rigid structure of the hydrogen-bondable pyrrolidine moiety. Compared with SPR measurements, the non-specific binding caused by the polymer matrix and/or randomly located fluorescent monomer residues that did not compose specific binding sites did not contribute to the observed fluorescence change. These results revealed that the proposed protein-imprinting technique using Hyp-En-Dans could provide a highly selective protein-sensing platform, in which only specific binding events would be detected by fluorescent measurements. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Preparation and characterization of MWCNT nanofiller incorporated polymer composite for lithium battery applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pradeepa, P.; Raj, S. Edwin; Selvakumar, K.; Sowmya, G.; Prabhu, M. Ramesh, E-mail: mkram83@gmail.com [School of Physics, Alagappa University, Karaikudi-630 003, Tamil Nadu (India)

2015-06-24

Poly (ethyl methacrylate) based polymer electrolyte films were prepared by solution casting technique incorporating multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) as filler and characterized using XRD and Ac impedance analysis. The electrical conductivity is increased with increasing filler concentration (upto 6wt %), which is attributed to the formation of charge transfer complexes. The maximum ionic conductivity value is found to be 1.171×10{sup −3} Scm{sup −1} at 303K for PEMA (19wt %) -LiClO{sub 4} (8wt %) -MWCNT (6wt %) -PC (67wt %) electrolyte system. The temperature dependent ionic conductivity plot seems to obey Vogel -Tamman-Fulcher relation.

Capsule development and utilization for material irradiation tests

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kang, Young Hwan; Kim, B. G.; Joo, K. N. [and others

2000-05-01

The development program of advanced nuclear structural and fuel materials includes the in-pile tests using the instrumented capsule at HANARO. The tests were performed in the in-core test holes of CT, IR 1 and 2 and OR 4 and 5 of HANARO. Extensive efforts have also been made to establish design and manufacturing technology for the instrumented capsule and its related system, which should be compatible with the HANARO's characteristics. Since the first instrumented capsule(97M-01K) had been designed and successfully fabricated, five tests were done to support the users and provided the economic benefits to user by generating the essential in-pile information on the performance and structural integrity of materials. This paper describes the present status and future plans of these R and D activities for the development of the instrumented capsule including in-situ material property measurement capsules and nuclear fuel test capsules.

Mechanical properties of polymer-modified porous concrete

Science.gov (United States)

Ariffin, N. F.; Jaafar, M. F. Md.; Shukor Lim, N. H. Abdul; Bhutta, M. A. R.; Hussin, M. W.

2018-04-01

In this research work, polymer-modified porous concretes (permeable concretes) using polymer latex and redispersible polymer powder with water-cement ratio of 30 %, polymer-cement ratios of 0 to 10 % and cement content of 300 kg/m3 are prepared. The porous concrete was tested for compressive strength, flexural strength, water permeability and void ratio. The cubes size of specimen is 100 mm ×100 mm × 100 mm and 150 mm × 150 mm × 150 mm while the beam size is 100 mm × 100 mm × 500 mm was prepared for particular tests. The tests results show that the addition of polymer as a binder to porous concrete gives an improvement on the strength properties and coefficient of water permeability of polymer-modified porous concrete. It is concluded from the test results that increase in compressive and flexural strengths and decrease in the coefficient of water permeability of the polymer-modified porous concrete are clearly observed with increasing of polymer-cement ratio.

Formulation, Development and Evaluation of delayed release capsules of Duloxetine Hydrochloride made of different Enteric Polymers

OpenAIRE

Pallavi Yerramsetty; J. Vijaya Ratna; Venkata Ramana Reddy; Praveen Kumar

2012-01-01

Delayed release systems have acquired a centre stage in the arena of pharmaceutical research and development. The present study involves formulation and evaluation of Duloxetine Hydrochloride delayed release capsules. Duloxetine Hydrochloride is an acid labile drug. It degrades in the acidic environment of the stomach thus leading to therapeutic inefficacy. Therefore it is necessary to bypass the acidic pH of the stomach which can be achieved by formulating delayed release dosage form by usin...

Motion of an elastic capsule in a square microfluidic channel.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuriakose, S; Dimitrakopoulos, P

2011-07-01

In the present study we investigate computationally the steady-state motion of an elastic capsule along the centerline of a square microfluidic channel and compare it with that in a cylindrical tube. In particular, we consider a slightly over-inflated elastic capsule made of a strain-hardening membrane with comparable shearing and area-dilatation resistance. Under the conditions studied in this paper (i.e., small, moderate, and large capsules at low and moderate flow rates), the capsule motion in a square channel is similar to and thus governed by the same scaling laws with the capsule motion in a cylindrical tube, even though in the channel the cross section in the upstream portion of large capsules is nonaxisymmetric (i.e., square-like with rounded corners). When the hydrodynamic forces on the membrane increase, the capsule develops a pointed downstream edge and a flattened rear (possibly with a negative curvature) so that the restoring tension forces are increased as also happens with droplets. Membrane tensions increase significantly with the capsule size while the area near the downstream tip is the most probable to rupture when a capsule flows in a microchannel. Because the membrane tensions increase with the interfacial deformation, a suitable Landau-Levich-Derjaguin-Bretherton analysis reveals that the lubrication film thickness h for large capsules depends on both the capillary number Ca and the capsule size a; our computations determine the latter dependence to be (in dimensionless form) h ~ a(-2) for the large capsules studied in this work. For small and moderate capsule sizes a, the capsule velocity Ux and additional pressure drop ΔP+ are governed by the same scaling laws as for high-viscosity droplets. The velocity and additional pressure drop of large thick capsules also follow the dynamics of high-viscosity droplets, and are affected by the lubrication film thickness. The motion of our large thick capsules is characterized by a Ux-U ~ h ~ a(-2

Transition state analogue imprinted polymers as artificial amidases for amino acid p-nitroanilides: morphological effects of polymer network on catalytic efficiency.

Science.gov (United States)

Mathew, Divya; Thomas, Benny; Devaky, K S

2017-11-13

The morphology of the polymer network - porous/less porous - plays predominant role in the amidase activities of the polymer catalysts in the hydrolytic reactions of amino acid p-nitroanilides. Polymers with the imprints of stable phosphonate analogue of the intermediate of hydrolytic reactions were synthesized as enzyme mimics. Molecular imprinting was carried out in thermodynamically stable porogen dimethyl sulphoxide and unstable porogen chloroform, to investigate the morphological effects of polymers on catalytic amidolysis. It was found that the medium of polymerization has vital influence in the amidase activities of the enzyme mimics. The morphological studies of the polymer catalysts were carried out by scanning electron microscopy and Bruner-Emmett-Teller analysis. The morphology of the polymer catalysts and their amidase activities are found to be dependent on the composition of reaction medium. The polymer catalyst prepared in dimethyl sulphoxide is observed to be efficient in 1:9 acetonitrile (ACN)-Tris HCl buffer and that prepared in chloroform is noticed to be stereo specifically and shape-selectively effective in 9:1 ACN-Tris HCl buffer. The solvent memory effect in catalytic amidolysis was investigated using the polymer prepared in acetonitrile.

Preparation of the capsule for the experiment with enriched fuel, task E-14-16-00-29; Priprema kapsula za eksperiment sa obogacenim gorivom, zad. E-14-16-00-29

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anastasijevic, P; Pavlovic, A; Zivkovic, S; Nikolic, M [Institute of Nuclear Sciences Boris Kidric, Vinca, Beograd (Serbia and Montenegro)

1968-12-15

Preparation of the experiment with highly enriched fuel was based on the experience gained in constructing the capsule for natural uranium fuel. The possibility of using capsules with enriched UO{sub 2} in the RA reactor was analyzed. Special attention was devoted to the analysis of heat removal from the fuel rods. Capsule for irradiation of enriched UO{sub 2} was designed. The most important change appeared in sealing zircaloy-2 with stainless steel part. This must be done by diffusion welding. Since there is no device for diffusion welding in our country the elements will be sent to Saclay, France. All the parts made of domestic material were fabricated in the Institute. Purchase of elements that must be imported is delayed due to procedures for obtaining foreign currency. The fabrication of the capsule can be completed within 25 days upon obtaining the mentioned material from abroad. This report contains the safety report for the experiment with the enriched fuel. Na osnovu dosadasnjeg rada i iskustva na izgradnji kapsula za neobogaceno gorivo izvrsena je priprema za eksperimenat sa obogacenim gorivom. Analizirana je mogucnost koriscenja kapsula sa obogadenim UO{sub 2} u reaktoru RA. Narocito je posvecena paznja analizi odvodjenja generisane toplote iz sipki gorivnih elemenata. Projektovana je kapsula za ozracivanje obogacenog UO{sub 2}. Najznacajnija izmena je kod spajanja dela od cirkaloja-2 sa delom od nerdjajuceg celika. To spajanje morace se izvrsiti na masini za difuziono zavarivanje. Kako takvu masinu nemamo u zemlji elemente cemo dati da se zavare u Saclay-u. Svi delovi za koje nije bio potreban uvozni materijal izradjeni su u nasem Institutu. Kapsula nije montirana jer materijal iz uvoza koji se ugradjuje u kapsulu nije jos stigao u zemlju. Nabavka uvoznlh elemenata nije izvrsena na vreme zbog zakasnjenja kod odobravanja deviznih sredstava. Potpuna montaza kapsule moze se obaviti 25 dana po dobijanju pomenutog materijala. U radu je dat i izvestaj o

Roles of ethylene glycol solvent and polymers in preparing uniformly distributed MgO nanoparticles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chunxi Hai

2017-06-01

Full Text Available This study focus on specifying the roles of solvent ethylene glycol (EG and polymers for synthesis of uniformly distributed magnesium oxide (MgO nanoparticles with average crystallite size of around 50 nm through a modified polyol method. Based on different characterization results, it was concluded that, Mg2+ ions was precipitated by the −OH and CO32− ions decomposed from urea in ethylene glycol (EG medium (CO(NH22 → NH3 + HNCO, HNCO + H2O → NH3 + CO2, thus forming well crystallized Mg5(CO34(OH2 (H2O4 precursor which could be converted to MgO by calcination. Surface protectors PEG and PVP have no obvious influences on cyrtsal structure, morphology and size uniformity of as-prepared precursors and target MgO nanoparticles. In comparison with polymers PEG and PVP, solvent EG plays an important role in controlling the morphology and diameter uniformity of MgO nanoparticles.

Metal doped fluorocarbon polymer films prepared by plasma polymerization using an RF planar magnetron target

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Biederman, H.; Holland, L.

1983-01-01

Fluorocarbon films have been prepared by plasma polymerization of CF 4 using an RF planar magnetron with an aluminium target. More than one order of magnitude higher deposition rate has been achieved in comparison with an r.f. diode system operated under similar conditions of monomer pressure and flow rate and power input. A glow discharge in a CF 4 [25%]-argon[75%] mixture was used to incorporate aluminium from a target electrode into the polymer films. The foregoing mixture and another based on CF 4 [87%]-argon[13%] were used in the RF discharge with a copper target. Some experiments with a gold target and pure CF 4 as the inlet gas were also made. The film structure was examined by SEM and TEM and characteristic micrographs are presented here. The composition of the films was estimated from an EAS study. The sheet resistivity of the metal/polymer film complexes was determined. (orig.)

Metal doped fluorocarbon polymer films prepared by plasma polymerization using an RF planar magnetron target

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Biederman, H.; Holland, L. (Sussex Univ., Brighton (UK). Lab. for Plasma Materials Processing)

1983-07-01

Fluorocarbon films have been prepared by plasma polymerization of CF/sub 4/ using an RF planar magnetron with an aluminium target. More than one order of magnitude higher deposition rate has been achieved in comparison with an R.F. diode system operated under similar conditions of monomer pressure and flow rate and power input. A glow discharge in a CF/sub 4/(25%)-argon(75%) mixture was used to incorporate aluminium from a target electrode into the polymer films. The foregoing mixture and another based on CF/sub 4/(87%)-argon(13%) were used in the RF discharge with a copper target. Some experiments with a gold target and pure CF/sub 4/ as the inlet gas were also made. The film structure was examined by SEM and TEM and characteristic micrographs are presented here. The composition of the films was estimated from an EAS study. The sheet resistivity of the metal/polymer film complexes was determined.

Genomic analysis of Bacillus subtilis lytic bacteriophage ϕNIT1 capable of obstructing natto fermentation carrying genes for the capsule-lytic soluble enzymes poly-γ-glutamate hydrolase and levanase.

Science.gov (United States)

Ozaki, Tatsuro; Abe, Naoki; Kimura, Keitarou; Suzuki, Atsuto; Kaneko, Jun

2017-01-01

Bacillus subtilis strains including the fermented soybean (natto) starter produce capsular polymers consisting of poly-γ-glutamate and levan. Capsular polymers may protect the cells from phage infection. However, bacteriophage ϕNIT1 carries a γ-PGA hydrolase gene (pghP) that help it to counteract the host cell's protection strategy. ϕNIT had a linear double stranded DNA genome of 155,631-bp with a terminal redundancy of 5,103-bp, containing a gene encoding an active levan hydrolase. These capsule-lytic enzyme genes were located in the possible foreign gene cluster regions between central core and terminal redundant regions, and were expressed at the late phase of the phage lytic cycle. All tested natto origin Spounavirinae phages carried both genes for capsule degrading enzymes similar to ϕNIT1. A comparative genomic analysis revealed the diversity among ϕNIT1 and Bacillus phages carrying pghP-like and levan-hydrolase genes, and provides novel understanding on the acquisition mechanism of these enzymatic genes.

The Knowledge Capsules: Very Short Films on Earth Science for Mainstream Audiences

Science.gov (United States)

Kerlow, Isaac

2015-04-01

The Knowledge Capsules are outreach and communication videos that present practical science research to mainstream audiences and take viewers on a journey into different aspects of Earth science and natural hazards. The innovative shorts are the result of an interdisciplinary development and production process. They include a combination of interviews, visualizations of scientific research, and documentation of fieldwork. They encapsulate research insights about volcanoes, tsunamis, and climate change in Southeast Asia. These short films were actively distributed free-of-charge during 2012-2014 and all of them are available online. The paper provides an overview of the motivations, process and accomplished results. Our approach for producing the Knowledge Capsules includes: an engaging mix of information and a fresh delivery style, a style suitable for a primary audience of non-scientists, a simple but experientially rich production style, Diagrams and animations based on the scientists' visuals, and a running time between five and twenty minutes. The completed Knowledge Capsules include: "Coastal Science" on Coastal Hazards, "The Ratu River Expedition" on Structural Geology, "Forensic Volcano Petrology by Fidel Costa, Volcano Petrology, "A Tale of Two Tsunamis" on Tsunami Stratigraphy, "Unlocking Climate Secrets" on Marine Geochemistry, and "Earth Girl 2: A Casual Strategy Game to Prepare for the Tsunami" on Natural Hazards and Science Outreach.

Thin polymer films prepared by plasma immersion ion implantation and deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rangel, Elidiane C.; Silva, Paulo A.F.; Mota, Rogerio P.; Schreiner, Wido H.; Cruz, Nilson C.

2005-01-01

This work describes an investigation of the properties of polymer films prepared by plasma immersion ion implantation and deposition. Films were synthesized from low pressure benzene glow discharges, biasing the samples with 25 kV negative pulses. The total energy deposited in the growing layer was varied tailoring simultaneously pulse frequency and duty cycle. The effect of the pulse characteristics on the chemical composition and mechanical properties of the films was studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and nanoindentation, respectively. Analysis of the deconvoluted C 1s XPS peaks demonstrated that oxygen was incorporated in all the samples. The chemical modifications induced structural reorganization, characterized by chain cross-linking and unsaturation, affecting material properties. Hardness and plastic resistance parameter increased under certain bombardment conditions. An interpretation is proposed in terms of the total energy delivered to the growing layer

Possible use of ionic polymers for treatment of radioactive liquid waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siyam, T.; Nofal, M.; Eldessouky, M.I.; Aly, H.F.

1992-01-01

Water-soluble nonionic polymers such as polyacrylamide is recently introduced for treatment of radioactive liquid waste. Eater-soluble ionic polymers such as: poly (sodium acrylate) [anionic polymer], poly (acrylamide-CO-sodium acrylate) [anionic copolymer] and poly (acrylamide-sodium acrylate-diallyldiethylammonium chloride) [amphoteric terpolymer] were prepared by gamma radiation-initiated polymerization of the corresponding monomer solutions. The prepared polymers were assessed for use in treatment of radionuclides that might be present in radioactive waste effluents. It was found that the polymer efficiency for cobalt-60 was affected by the composition of the copolymer and the degree of ionization of the polymer. The efficiency of the polymer increases with increasing the concentration of the polymer. The mechanism of sludge formation for each type of polymer was discussed. It was found that the anionic copolymer is more selective for cobalt than the prepared polymers. Amphoteric terpolymer has different selectivity for cations and anions. 3 figs, 1 tab

Diagnostic and therapeutic capsules and method of producing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morcos, N.A.; Haney, T.A.; Wedeking, P.W.

1981-01-01

An article of manufacture comprising a pharmaceutical radioactive capsule formed essentially of a non-toxic, water soluble material adapted to being ingested and rapidly disintegrating on contract with fluids of the gastro-intestinal tract, and having a filler material supporting a pharmaceutically useful radioactive compound absorbable from the gastro-intestinal tract said filler material being supported by said capsule. And a method of filling a pharmaceutical radioactive capsule comprising providing filler material supporting a pharmaceutically useful radioactive compound and transporting said filler material carrying a pharmaceutically useful radioactive compound into the chamber of said capsule

Evidence for an intact polysaccharide capsule in Bordetella pertussis.

Science.gov (United States)

Neo, YiLin; Li, Rui; Howe, Josephine; Hoo, Regina; Pant, Aakanksha; Ho, SiYing; Alonso, Sylvie

2010-03-01

Polysaccharide capsules contribute to the pathogenesis of many bacteria species by providing resistance against various defense mechanisms. The production of a capsule in Bordetella pertussis, the etiologic agent of whooping cough, has remained controversial; earlier studies reported this pathogen as a capsulated microorganism whereas the recent B. pertussis genome analysis revealed the presence of a truncated capsule locus. In this work, using transmission electron microscopy and immunostaining approaches, we provide a formal evidence for the presence of an intact microcapsule produced at the surface of both laboratory strain and clinical isolates of B. pertussis. In agreement with previous studies, we found that the capsule is optimally produced in avirulent phase. Unexpectedly, the presence of the capsule was also detected at the surface of virulent B. pertussis bacteria. Consistently, a substantial transcriptional activity of the capsule operon was detected in virulent phase, suggesting that the capsular polysaccharide may play a role during pertussis pathogenesis. In vitro assays indicated that the presence of the capsule does not affect B. pertussis adherence to mammalian cells and does not further protect the bacterium from phagocytosis, complement-mediated killing or antimicrobial peptide attack. Copyright 2009. Published by Elsevier SAS.

Utilization of star-shaped polymer architecture in the creation of high-density polymer brush coatings for the prevention of platelet and bacteria adhesion

Science.gov (United States)

Totani, Masayasu; Terada, Kayo; Terashima, Takaya; Kim, Ill Yong; Ohtsuki, Chikara; Xi, Chuanwu; Tanihara, Masao

2014-01-01

We demonstrate utilization of star-shaped polymers as high-density polymer brush coatings and their effectiveness to inhibit the adhesion of platelets and bacteria. Star polymers consisting of poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) and/or poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), were synthesized using living radical polymerization with a ruthenium catalyst. The polymer coatings were prepared by simple drop casting of the polymer solution onto poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) surfaces and then dried. Among the star polymers prepared in this study, the PHEMA star polymer (star-PHEMA) and the PHEMA/PMMA (mol. ratio of 71/29) heteroarm star polymer (star-H71M29) coatings showed the highest percentage of inhibition against platelet adhesion (78–88% relative to noncoated PET surface) and Escherichia coli (94–97%). These coatings also showed anti-adhesion activity against platelets after incubation in Dulbecco's phosphate buffered saline or surfactant solution for 7 days. In addition, the PMMA component of the star polymers increased the scratch resistance of the coating. These results indicate that the star-polymer architecture provides high polymer chain density on PET surfaces to prevent adhesion of platelets and bacteria, as well as coating stability and physical durability to prevent exposure of bare PET surfaces. The star polymers provide a simple and effective approach to preparing anti-adhesion polymer coatings on biomedical materials against the adhesion of platelets and bacteria. PMID:25485105

Polymer and Polymer Gel of Liquid Crystalline Semiconductors

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Teppei Shimakawa; Naoki Yoshimoto; Jun-ichi Hanna

2004-01-01

It prepared a polymer and polymer gel of a liquid crystalline (LC) semiconductor having a 2-phenylnaphthalene moiety and studied their charge carrier transport properties by the time-of-flight technique. It is found that polyacrylate having the mesogenic core moiety of 2-phenylnaphtalene (PNP-acrylate) exhibited a comparable mobility of 10-4cm2/Vs in smectic A phase to those in smectic A (SmA) phase of small molecular liquid crystals with the same core moiety, e.g., 6-(4'-octylphenyl)- 2-dodecyloxynaphthalene (8-PNP-O12), and an enhanced mobility up to 10-3cm2/Vs in the LC-glassy phase at room temperature, when mixed with a small amount of 8-PNP-O12. On the other hand, the polymer gel consisting of 20 wt %-hexamethylenediacrylate (HDA)-based cross-linked polymer and 8-PNP-O12 exhibited no degraded mobility when cross-linked at the mesophase. These results indicate that the polymer and polymer composite of liquid crystalline semiconductors provide us with an easy way to realize a quality organic semiconductor thin film for the immediate device applications.

Pharmacokinetic Study of a Diclofenac Sodium Capsule Filled with Enteric-coated Pellets in Healthy Chinese Volunteers by Liquid Chromatography-electrospray Ionization-tandem Mass Spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, J-Y; Liu, M; Yang, M; Zhao, H; Tong, Y; Zhang, Y; Deng, M; Liu, H

2016-05-01

The pharmacokinetic study of a diclofenac sodium capsule filled with enteric-coated pellets (abbreviated as CAPSULE) in healthy Chinese subjects was evaluated using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry with simple sample preparation. In a cross-over study, 12 healthy male volunteers were given 50 mg CAPSULE and diclofenac sodium enteric-coated tablet (abbreviated as TABLET, used as a control dosage form) at fasting. The Cmax, AUC0-t, and Tmax of CAPSULE were 1.01±0.52 μg/mL, 1.54±0.18 μg·h/mL, and 1.50±1.31 h, respectively. When compared with TABLET, the pharmacokinetic study showed that although this CAPSULE exhibited similar AUC (only 10% lower), it presented lower maximum plasma concentration, faster absorption and shorter time to reach maximum concentration. When compared with the previous study in Germany, obvious variations on Tmax were found in Chinese subjects taking CAPSULE, but not TABLET. The results indicated that individual difference should be paid attention when prescribing CAPSULE to Chinese patients. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Endurance test for DUPIC capsule

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, Heung June; Bae, K. K.; Lee, C. Y.; Park, J. M.; Ryu, J. S.

1999-07-01

This report presents the pressure drop, vibration and endurance test results for mini-plate fuel rig which were designed fabricately by KAERI. From the pressure drop test results, it is noted that the flow rate across the capsule corresponding to the pressure drop of 200 kPa is measured to be about 9.632 kg/sec. Vibration frequency for the capsule ranges from 14 to 18.5 Hz. RMS (Root Mean Square) displacement for the fuel rig is less than 14 μm, and the maximum displacement is less than 54 μm. Based on the endurance test results, the appreciable fretting wear for the DUPIC capsule was not detected. Oxidation on the support tube is observed, also tiny trace of wear between contact points observed. (author). 4 refs., 10 tabs., 45 figs

Nanoparticle/Polymer assembled microcapsules with pH sensing property.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Pan; Song, Xiaoxue; Tong, Weijun; Gao, Changyou

2014-10-01

The dual-labeled microcapsules via nanoparticle/polymer assembly based on polyamine-salt aggregates can be fabricated for the ratiometric intracellular pH sensing. After deposition of SiO2 nanoparticles on the poly(allylamine hydrochloride)/multivalent anionic salt aggregates followed by silicic acid treatment, the generated microcapsules are stable in a wide pH range (3.0 ∼ 8.0). pH sensitive dye and pH insensitive dye are simultaneously labeled on the capsules, which enable the ratiometric pH sensing. Due to the rough and positively charged surface, the microcapsules can be internalized by several kinds of cells naturally. Real-time measurement of intracellular pH in several living cells shows that the capsules are all located in acidic organelles after being taken up. Furthermore, the negatively charged DNA and dyes can be easily encapsulated into the capsules via charge interaction. The microcapsules with combination of localized pH sensing and drug loading abilities have many advantages, such as following the real-time transportation and processing of the carriers in cells. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Preparation and Characterization of Biomimetic Hydroxyapatite-Resorbable Polymer Composites for Hard Tissue Repair

Science.gov (United States)

Hiebner, Kristopher Robert

Autografts are the orthopedic "gold standard" for repairing bone voids. Autografts are osteoconductive and do not elicit an immune response, but they are in short supply and require a second surgery to harvest the bone graft. Allografts are currently the most common materials used for the repair of segmental defects in hard tissue. Unlike autografts, allografts can cause an undesirable immune response and the possibility of disease transmission is a major concern. As an alternative to the above approaches, recent research efforts have focused on the use of composite materials made from hydroxyapatite (HA) and bioresorbable polymers, such as poly-L-lactide (PLLA). Recent results have shown that the surface hydroxides on HA can initiate the ring opening polymerization (ROP) of L-lactide and other lactones creating a composite with superior interfacial strength. This thesis demonstrates that the surface of porous biologically derived HA substrates, such as coralline HA and trabecular bone, can be used to initiate the ROP of L-lactide and other lactones from the vapor phase. This process increases the strength of the porous scaffold through the deposition of a thin, uniform polymer coating, while maintaining the porous structure. The kinetics of the chemical vapor deposition polymerization (CVDP) are described using a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). The reaction temperature and monomer vapor pressure are found to affect the rate of the polymerization. Also described in this thesis is the preparation of a porous polymer scaffold that mimics the structure of demineralized bone matrix (DBM). This demineralized bone matrix simulant (DBMS) is created using anorganic bovine bone as a template to initiate the polymerization of various lactones, followed by the removal of the HA scaffold. This material retained its shape and exhibits mechanical properties superior to DBM. Finally it is shown that HA can be used to initiate the ROP of a-caprolactam and the biocompatibility

Immobilization of Enzymes in Polymer Supports.

Science.gov (United States)

Conlon, Hugh D.; Walt, David R.

1986-01-01

Two experiments in which an enzyme is immobilized onto a polymeric support are described. The experiments (which also demonstrate two different polymer preparations) involve: (1) entrapping an enzyme in an acrylamide polymer; and (2) reacting the amino groups on the enzyme's (esterase) lysine residues with an activated polymer. (JN)

Enteric coated HPMC capsules plugged with 5-FU loaded microsponges: a potential approach for treatment of colon cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ankita Gupta

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The work was aimed at developing novel enteric coated HPMC capsules (ECHC plugged with 5 Florouracil (5-FU loaded Microsponges in combination with calcium pectinate beads. Modified quasi-emulsion solvent diffusion method was used to formulate microsponges based on 32 factorial design and the effects of independent variables (volume of organic solvent and Eudragit RS100 content on the dependent variables (Particle size, %EE & % CDR were determined. The optimized microsponges (F4 were characterized by SEM, PXRD, TGA and were plugged along with calcium pectinate beads in HPMC capsules and the HPMC capsules were further coated with enteric polymer Eudragit L 100 (Ed-L100 and/ or Eudrgit S 100 (Ed-S 100 in different proportions. In vitro release study of ECHC was performed in various release media sequentially SGF for 2 h, followed by SIF for the next 6 h and then in SCF (in the presence and absence of pectinase enzyme for further 16 h. Drug release was retarded on coating with EdS-100 in comparison to blend of EdS-100: EdL-100 coating. The percentage of 5-FU released at the end of 24 h from ECHC 3 was 97.83 ± 0.12% in the presence of pectinase whereas in control study it was 40.08 ± 0.02% drug. The optimized formulation was subjected to in vivo Roentgenographic studies in New Zealand white rabbits to analyze the in vivo behavior of the developed colon targeted capsules. Pharmacokinetic studies in New Zealand white rabbits were conducted to determine the extent of systemic exposure provided by the developed formulation in comparison to 5-FU aqueous solutions. Thus, enteric coated HPMC capsules plugged with 5-FU loaded microsponges and calcium pectinate beads proved to be promising dosage form for colon targeted drug delivery to treat colorectal cancer.

Failure of the capsule for coated particles irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamaki, Jikei; Nomura, Yasushi; Nagamatsuya, Takaaki; Yamahara, Takeshi; Sakai, Haruyuki

1975-10-01

During operation cycle No. 27 of the JMTR (Japan Material Testing Reactor) on May 20, 1974, leakage of the fission product gas occurred from the capsule 72F-7A, which contained coated particles for the irradiation; the coated particles are for the development of a multi-purpose high temperature gas cooled reactor. The capsule was designed for heat 1600 0 C. Three nickel plates as the heat reflector were sandwiched in between the plates of titanium and zirconium, which were adsorbents for the impurity gases in the cladding tube (Nb-1%Zr). Temperatures of the plates were about 1000 0 C under the irradiation, so one metal diffused into the other metal through interfaces, resulting in the formation of an alloy. Its melting point was lower than those of metals in the capsule. The cladding material Nb-1%Zr was melted by the alloy and finally a pin hole developed through the cladding. The process of failure, design of the capsule, post-irradiation test of the capsule and the failure-reproducing experiment with a mock-up capsule are described. (auth.)

PREPARATION, CHARACTERIZATION AND PHARMACEUTICAL APPLICATION OF LINEAR DEXTRINS .4. DRUG-RELEASE FROM CAPSULES AND TABLETS CONTAINING AMYLODEXTRIN

NARCIS (Netherlands)

WIERIK, GHPT; EISSENS, AC; LERK, CF

1993-01-01

Linear dextrin (amylodextrin) and its soluble fraction were investigated for their suitability to enhance diazepam release from capsules and tablets. Drug release was analyzed in the USP XXI paddle apparatus and performed in phosphate buffer pH 6.8, with and without alpha-amylase, and in 0.1 N HCl

Deformation of ovalbumin-alginate capsules in a T-Junction

Science.gov (United States)

Häner, Edgar; Juel, Anne

2015-11-01

We study experimentally the flow-induced deformation of liquid-filled ovalbumin-alginate capsules in a T-junction. In applications, capsules/cells often negotiate branched networks with junctions thus experiencing large deformations. We investigate the constant volume-flux viscous flow of buoyancy-neutral thin-walled capsules close to the centreline of rectangular channels, by comparison to near-rigid gelled beads. The motion of the capsules in straight channels scales with the capillary number - the ration of viscous to elastic forces. However, the effect of elastic deformation on the motion is sufficiently weak that a rigid sphere model predicts the velocity of capsules with diameters of up to 70% of that of the channel to within 5%. In the T-junction, systematic selection of daughter channel (right-left) occurs outside a finite region around the channel centreline, by contrast with near-rigid gelled beads, where the actual centreline is the separator. We quantify the behaviour of capsules in terms of their longitudinal stretching (up to a factor of three without rupture). We show the large range of deformations encountered can be applied to the measurement of the elastic properties of capsules as well as to the geometric-induced sorting and manipulation of capsules.

Preparation of a Mini-Library of Thermo-Responsive Star (NVCL/NVP-VAc Polymers with Tailored Properties Using a Hexafunctional Xanthate RAFT Agent

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Norma Aidé Cortez-Lemus

2017-12-01

Full Text Available A mini-library of star-shaped thermoresponsive polymers having six arms was prepared using a hexafunctional xanthate by reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT polymerization. Star polymers with homopolymeric arms of poly(N-vinylcaprolactam (PNVCL, copolymeric arms of poly(N-vinylcaprolactam-co-N-vinylpyrrolidone (PNVCL-co-PNVP and also arms of block copolymers of PNVCL-b-PVAc, (PNVCL-co-PNVP-b-PVAc, and combinations of them changing the order of the block was achieved exploiting the R-RAFT synthetic methodology (or R-group approach, wherein the thiocarbonyl group is transferred to the polymeric chain end. Taking advantage of the RAFT benefits, the molecular weight of the star polymers was controlled (Mn = 11,880–153,400 g/mol to yield star polymers of different sizes and lower critical solution temperature (LCST values. Removing the xanthate group of the star polymers allowed for the introduction of specific functional groups at the ends of the star arms and resulted in an increase of the LCST values. Star PNVCL-b-PVAc diblock copolymers with PVAc contents of 5–26 mol % were prepared; the hydrophobic segment (PVAc is located at the end of the star arms. Interestingly, when the PVAc content was 5–7 mol %, the hydrodynamic diameter (Dh value of the aggregates formed in water was almost the same sa the Dh of the corresponding PNVCL star homopolymers. It is proposed that these star block copolymers self-assemble into single flowerlike micelles, showing great stability in aqueous solution. Star block copolymers with the PVAc hydrophobic block in the core of the star, such as PVAc-b-(PNVCL-co-PNVP, form micellar aggregates in aqueous solution with Dh values in the range from ~115 to 245 nm while maintaining a thermoresponsive behavior. Micellar aggregates of selected star polymers were used to encapsulate methotrexate (MTX showing their potential in the temperature controlled release of this antineoplasic drug. The importance

Three-dimensional simulations of Nova capsule implosion experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marinak, M.M.; Tipton, R.E.; Landen, O.L.

1995-01-01

Capsule implosion experiments carried out on the Nova laser are simulated with the three-dimensional HYDRA radiation hydrodynamics code. Simulations of ordered near single mode perturbations indicate that structures which evolve into round spikes can penetrate farthest into the hot spot. Bubble-shaped perturbations can burn through the capsule shell fastest, however, causing even more damage. Simulations of a capsule with multimode perturbations shows spike amplitudes evolving in good agreement with a saturation model during the deceleration phase. The presence of sizable low mode asymmetry, caused either by drive asymmetry or perturbations in the capsule shell, can dramatically affect the manner in which spikes approach the center of the hot spot. Three-dimensional coupling between the low mode shell perturbations intrinsic to Nova capsules and the drive asymmetry brings the simulated yields into closer agreement with the experimental values

Preparation of polymer blends from glycerol, fumaric acid and of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) recycled

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Medeiros, Marina A.O.; Guimaraes, Danilo H.; Brioude, Michel M.; Jose, Nadia M.; Prado, Luis A.S. de A.

2011-01-01

Polymer blends based on recycled poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and poly(glycerol fumarate) polyesters were prepared in different PET concentrations. The PET powder was dispersed during the poly(glycerol fumarate) synthesis at 260 deg C. The resulting blends were characterized by X-ray diffraction. The thermal stability of the materials was evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. The morphology was studies by scanning electron microscopy. The blends were clearly immiscible. The possibility of (interfacial) compatibilization of the PET domains, caused by transesterification reactions between PET and glycerol were discussed. (author)

Equilibrium ignition for ICF capsules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lackner, K.S.; Colgate, S.A.; Johnson, N.L.; Kirkpatrick, R.C.; Menikoff, R.; Petschek, A.G.

1993-01-01

There are two fundamentally different approaches to igniting DT fuel in an ICF capsule which can be described as equilibrium and hot spot ignition. In both cases, a capsule which can be thought of as a pusher containing the DT fuel is imploded until the fuel reaches ignition conditions. In comparing high-gain ICF targets using cryogenic DT for a pusher with equilibrium ignition targets using high-Z pushers which contain the radiation. The authors point to the intrinsic advantages of the latter. Equilibrium or volume ignition sacrifices high gain for lower losses, lower ignition temperature, lower implosion velocity and lower sensitivity of the more robust capsule to small fluctuations and asymmetries in the drive system. The reduction in gain is about a factor of 2.5, which is small enough to make the more robust equilibrium ignition an attractive alternative

Positron radiography of ignition-relevant ICF capsules

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, G. J.; Chen, Hui; Field, J. E.; Landen, O. L.; Strozzi, D. J.

2017-12-01

Laser-generated positrons are evaluated as a probe source to radiograph in-flight ignition-relevant inertial confinement fusion capsules. Current ultraintense laser facilities are capable of producing 2 × 1012 relativistic positrons in a narrow energy bandwidth and short time duration. Monte Carlo simulations suggest that the unique characteristics of such positrons allow for the reconstruction of both capsule shell radius and areal density between 0.002 and 2 g/cm2. The energy-downshifted positron spectrum and angular scattering of the source particles are sufficient to constrain the conditions of the capsule between preshot and stagnation. We evaluate the effects of magnetic fields near the capsule surface using analytic estimates where it is shown that this diagnostic can tolerate line integrated field strengths of 100 T mm.

Preparation of dielectrics HR mirrors from colloidal oxide suspensions containing organic polymer binders

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas, I.M.

1994-01-01

Colloidal suspensions of oxides have been used to prepare dielectric HR (high reflective) mirrors, specifically for high power fusion case applications, on substrates up to 38 cm square using a meniscus coater. These coatings consist of porous quarterwave layers of alternating high and low refractive index oxides. Silica was used as the low index oxide and AlOOH, ZrO 2 , or HfO 2 as the high index material. Coatings were weak because of low particle-to-particle adhesion. Use of organic polymer binders in the high index component was found to increase strength, thereby improving the laser damage threshold and also reducing the number of layers required for 99% reflection due to increased refractive index

Laser patterning of transparent polymers assisted by plasmon excitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Elashnikov, R; Trelin, A; Otta, J; Fitl, P; Mares, D; Jerabek, V; Svorcik, V; Lyutakov, O

2018-06-13

Plasmon-assisted lithography of thin transparent polymer films, based on polymer mass-redistribution under plasmon excitation, is presented. The plasmon-supported structures were prepared by thermal annealing of thin Ag films sputtered on glass or glass/graphene substrates. Thin films of polymethylmethacrylate, polystyrene and polylactic acid were then spin-coated on the created plasmon-supported structures. Subsequent laser beam writing, at the wavelength corresponding to the position of plasmon absorption, leads to mass redistribution and patterning of the thin polymer films. The prepared structures were characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy and confocal and AFM microscopy. The shape of the prepared structures was found to be strongly dependent on the substrate type. The mechanism leading to polymer patterning was examined and attributed to the plasmon-heating. The proposed method makes it possible to create different patterns in polymer films without the need for wet technological stages, powerful light sources or a change in the polymer optical properties.

Interpenetrating networks of two conducting polymers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Winther-Jensen, Bjørn; West, Keld

2005-01-01

Interpenetrating networks (IPNs) of two conjugated polymers are prepared by a combination of a chemical oxidation step and a vapour phase polymerisation step on non-conducting surfaces. In this work ferric tosylate was used as the oxidant as it gives very smooth and homogeneous coatings, and beca......Interpenetrating networks (IPNs) of two conjugated polymers are prepared by a combination of a chemical oxidation step and a vapour phase polymerisation step on non-conducting surfaces. In this work ferric tosylate was used as the oxidant as it gives very smooth and homogeneous coatings......, and because its reaction products can be removed efficiently after the formation of the composite. Several combinations of polymers are demonstrated, and the versatility of the proposed method allows extensions to a wide range of conjugated polymers. The IPNs show optical and electrochemical characteristics......, which are sums of the characteristics from the participating conducting polymers....

Preparation and performance of a novel gel polymer electrolyte based on poly(vinylidene fluoride)/graphene separator for lithium ion battery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Jiuqing; Wu, Xiufeng; He, Junying; Li, Jie; Lai, Yanqing

2017-01-01

Poly(vinylidenefluoride)/graphene (PVDF/graphene) gel polymer electrolyte is prepared via non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) technique for lithium ion battery application. The effect of graphene on the ion conductivity is investigated by AC impedance measurement. The relationship among the chemical structure, PVDF crystallinity, the graphene on macroporous formation and the ion conductivity are investigated. The results indicate that the graphene disperses homogenously in PVDF, and it also increases the porosity and decreases the crystallinity of the PVDF. At the same time, the unique structure increases the liquid uptake capability of PVDF/graphene polymer electrolyte. The ionic conductivity of the PVDF/graphene polymer electrolyte increases significantly from 1.85 mS cm"−"1 in pristine PVDF to 3.61 mS cm"−"1 with 0.002 wt% graphene. It is found that graphene not only increases the ionic conductivity but also markedly enhances the rate capability and the cycling performances of coin cell. This study shows that PVDF/graphene gel polymer electrolyte is a very promising material for lithium ion batteries.

Carbon-based layer-by-layer nanostructures: from films to hollow capsules

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Jinkee; Han, Jung Yeon; Yoon, Hyunsik; Joo, Piljae; Lee, Taemin; Seo, Eunyong; Char, Kookheon; Kim, Byeong-Su

2011-11-01

Over the past years, the layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly has been widely developed as one of the most powerful techniques to prepare multifunctional films with desired functions, structures and morphologies because of its versatility in the process steps in both material and substrate choices. Among various functional nanoscale objects, carbon-based nanomaterials, such as carbon nanotubes and graphene sheets, are promising candidates for emerging science and technology with their unique physical, chemical, and mechanical properties. In particular, carbon-based functional multilayer coatings based on the LbL assembly are currently being actively pursued as conducting electrodes, batteries, solar cells, supercapacitors, fuel cells and sensor applications. In this article, we give an overview on the use of carbon materials in nanostructured films and capsules prepared by the LbL assembly with the aim of unraveling the unique features and their applications of carbon multilayers prepared by the LbL assembly.

Light-responsive polymer microcapsules as delivery systems for natural active agents

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bizzarro, Valentina; Carfagna, Cosimo; Cerruti, Pierfrancesco [Institute for Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials (IPCB-CNR), Via Campi Flegrei, 34, 80078 Pozzuoli, NA (Italy); Marturano, Valentina; Ambrogi, Veronica [Department of Chemical, Materials and Production Engineering (DICMAPI), University of Naples “Federico II”, P. le Tecchio, 80, 80125 Napoli (Italy); Institute for Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials (IPCB-CNR), Via Campi Flegrei, 34, 80078 Pozzuoli, NA (Italy)

2016-05-18

In this work we report the preparation and the release behavior of UV-responsive polymeric microcapsules containing essential oils as a core. The oil acted also as a monomer solvent during polymerization. Accordingly, the potentially toxic organic solvent traditionally used was replaced with a natural active substance, resulting in a more sustainable functional system. Polymer shell was based on a lightly cross-linked polyamide containing UV-sensitive azobenzene moieties in the main chain. The micro-sized capsules were obtained via interfacial polycondensation in o/w emulsion, and their mean size was measured via Dynamic Light Scattering. Shape and morphology were analyzed through Scanning Electron and Optical Microscopy. UV-responsive behavior was evaluated via spectrofluorimetry, by assessing the release kinetics of a fluorescent probe molecule upon UV light irradiation (λ{sub max}=360 nm). The irradiated samples showed an increase in fluorescence intensity, in accordance with the increase of the probe molecule concentration in the release medium. As for the un-irradiated sample, no changes could be detected demonstrating the effectiveness of the obtained releasing system.

Capsule-odometer: a concept to improve accurate lesion localisation.

Science.gov (United States)

Karargyris, Alexandros; Koulaouzidis, Anastasios

2013-09-21

In order to improve lesion localisation in small-bowel capsule endoscopy, a modified capsule design has been proposed incorporating localisation and - in theory - stabilization capabilities. The proposed design consists of a capsule fitted with protruding wheels attached to a spring-mechanism. This would act as a miniature odometer, leading to more accurate lesion localization information in relation to the onset of the investigation (spring expansion e.g., pyloric opening). Furthermore, this capsule could allow stabilization of the recorded video as any erratic, non-forward movement through the gut is minimised. Three-dimensional (3-D) printing technology was used to build a capsule prototype. Thereafter, miniature wheels were also 3-D printed and mounted on a spring which was attached to conventional capsule endoscopes for the purpose of this proof-of-concept experiment. In vitro and ex vivo experiments with porcine small-bowel are presented herein. Further experiments have been scheduled.

Polymer Electrolytes for Lithium/Sulfur Batteries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

The Nam Long Doan

2012-08-01

Full Text Available This review evaluates the characteristics and advantages of employing polymer electrolytes in lithium/sulfur (Li/S batteries. The main highlights of this study constitute detailed information on the advanced developments for solid polymer electrolytes and gel polymer electrolytes, used in the lithium/sulfur battery. This includes an in-depth analysis conducted on the preparation and electrochemical characteristics of the Li/S batteries based on these polymer electrolytes.

Production of 131I gelatin capsules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Freud, A.; Hirshfeld, N.; Canfi, A.; Melamud, Y.

1997-01-01

Radioiodine ( 131 I) hard-gelatin capsules are widely used for the diagnosis and treatment of various thyroid disorders. Until 1980 radioiodine was supplied by us as a liquid dosage. This proved to be a rather inconvenient form since it resulted in inaccurate dosing by the physicians and caused frequent contamination of the patients and the hospital personnel. In an attempt to overcome these problems we have designed and constructed a production facility for capsules in which 1311 is packaged. Because of the extreme precautions necessary in handling radioactive compounds, encapsulation of radioactive materials requires specifically designed production techniques, special instrumentation and unique quality control procedures that are not encountered in the standard capsule production processes in the pharmaceutical industry

Pneumatic capsule with a measuring system for in-pile irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oshima, Keiichi; Yamazaki, Yasaburo; Hirata, Mitsuho; Ishii, Toshio; Shimozawa, Ryohei.

1967-01-01

A prior-art in-pile irradiation apparatus wherein a rabbit containing an irradiation specimen therein is inserted into and removed from a pile by a pneumatic system does not include means for measuring the temperature and pressure of the specimen under irradiation. When the rabbit is deformed during irradiation, it cannot be reliably recovered. A pneumatic capsule assembly with a measuring system according to this invention has a double structure which consists of an inner capsule containing the specimen therein and an outer capsule evacuated or filled with a gas. A thermocouple lace wire and a strain gauge are welded on the outside surface of the inner capsule as detection terminals for measuring the temperature and pressure. A rupture plate which bursts when the pressure in the inner capsule reaches a predetermined value is provided at a part of the inner capsule, and a fin for heat transmission is provided between the inner and outer capsules to thus prevent the deformation of the pneumatic capsule assembly as a whole. (Takasuka, S.)

No stabilizing effect of the elbow joint capsule. A kinematic study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, K K; Olsen, Bo Sanderhoff

1999-01-01

We dissected 7 cadaveric elbow specimens, leaving the collateral ligaments and the joint capsule intact. The anterior and the posterior capsule were sequentially transected, followed by kinematic testings. We found no change in joint laxity after total transection of the capsule.......We dissected 7 cadaveric elbow specimens, leaving the collateral ligaments and the joint capsule intact. The anterior and the posterior capsule were sequentially transected, followed by kinematic testings. We found no change in joint laxity after total transection of the capsule....

Synthesis, characterization and applications of polymer-metal ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Abstract. 4-Acryloxy acetophenone was prepared and subjected to suspension polymerization with divinyl- benzene as a cross-linking agent. The resulting network polymer was ligated with benzoyl hydrazone. The functional polymer was treated with metal ions [Cu(II), Fe(II)]. The polymer-metal complexes obtained.

Preparation and characterization of nanocomposite polymer electrolytes poly(vinylidone fluoride)/nanoclay

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rahmawati, Suci A.; Sulistyaningsih,; Putro, Alviansyah Z. A.; Widyanto, Nugroho F.; Jumari, Arif; Purwanto, Agus; Dyartanti, Endah R., E-mail: endahrd@uns.ac.id [Research Group of Battery & Advanced Material, Department of Chemical Engineering, Sebelas Maret University, Jl. Ir. Sutami 36 A Kentingan, Surakarta Indonesia 57126 (Indonesia)

2016-02-08

Polymer electrolytes are defined as semi solid electrolytes used as separator in lithium ion battery. Separator used as medium for transfer ions and to prevent electrical short circuits in battery cells. To obtain the optimal battery performance, separator with high porosity and electrolyte uptake is required. This can reduce the resistance in the transfer of ions between cathode and anode. The main objective of this work is to investigate the impact of different solvent (Dimethyl acetamide (DMAc), N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) and dimethyl formamide (DMF)), pore forming agent poly(vinylpyrolidone) (PVP) and nanoclay as filler in addition of membrane using phase inversion method on the morphology, porosity, electrolyte uptake and degree of crystallinity. The membrane was prepared by the phase inversion method by adding PVP and Nanoclay using different solvents. The phase inversion method was prepared by dissolving Nanoclay and PVP in solvent for 1-2 hours, and then add the PVDF with stirring for 4 hours at 60°C. The membranes were characterized by porosity test, electrolyte uptake test, scanning electron microscope (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results showed that DMAc as solvent gives the highest value of porosity and electrolyte uptake. The addition of nanoclay and PVP enlarge the size of the pores and reduce the degree of crystallinity. So, the usage of DMAc as solvent is better than NMP or DMF.

Radioactive gas-containing polymeric capsule

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winchell, H.S.; Lewis, R.E.

1975-01-01

A disposable ventilation study system for dispensing a single patient dosage of gaseous radioisotopes to patients for pulmonary function studies is disclosed. A gas impermeable capsule encloses the gaseous radioisotope and is stored within a radioactivity shielding body of valve means which shears the capsule to dispense the radioisotope to the patient. A breathing bag receives the patient's exhalation of the radioisotope and permits rebreathing of the radioisotope by the patient. 18 claims, 7 drawing figures

Advanced polymer chemistry of organometallic anions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chamberlin, R.M.; Abney, K.D.; Balaich, G.J.; Fino, S.A.

1997-01-01

This is the final report of a one-year, Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The objective of the project was to prepare and characterize new polymers incorporating cobalt dicarbollide. Specific goals were to prepare polymerizable cobalt dicarbollide monomers using the nucleophilic substitution route discovered in laboratories and to establish the reaction conditions required to form polymers from these complexes. This one-year project resulted in two publications (in press), and provided the foundation for further investigations into polymer synthesis and characterization using cobalt dicarbollide and other metallocarboranes. Interest in synthesizing organometallic polymers containing the cobalt bis(dicarbollide) anion is motivated by their possible application as cation exchange materials for the remediation of cesium-137 and strontium-90 from nuclear wastes

Microwave-assisted preparation of carbon nanofiber-functionalized graphite felts as electrodes for polymer-based redox-flow batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Schwenke, A. M.; Janoschka, T.; Stolze, C.; Martin, N.; Hoeppener, S.; Schubert, U. S.

2016-12-01

A simple and fast microwave-assisted protocol to functionalize commercially available graphite felts (GFs) with carbon nanofibers (CNFs) for the application as electrode materials in redox-flow batteries (RFB) is demonstrated. As catalyst for the CNF synthesis nickel acetate is applied and ethanol serves as the carbon source. By the in-situ growth of CNFs, the active surface of the electrodes is increased by a factor of 50, which is determined by the electrochemical double layer capacities of the obtained materials. Furthermore, the morphology of the CNF-coating is investigated by scanning electron microscopy. Subsequently, the functionalized electrodes are applied in a polymer-based redox-flow battery (pRFB) using a TEMPO- and a viologen polymer as active materials. Due to the increased surface area as compared to an untreated graphite felt electrode, the current rating is improved by about 45% at 80 mA cm-2 and, furthermore, a decrease in overpotentials is observed. Thus, using this microwave-assisted synthesis approach, CNF-functionalized composite electrodes are prepared with a very simple protocol suitable for real life applications and an improvement of the overall performance of the polymer-based redox-flow battery is demonstrated.

Measurement of the volume of internal capsule in healthy Chinese adults of the Han nationality on the high-resolution MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qin Yuan; Guo Yulin; Zhu Kai; Lai Yanbo; Ma Shuai; Chen Nan; Wang Xing; Li Kuncheng; Zhu Yan; Chen Lin

2012-01-01

Objective: To explore the normal range of the volume of internal capsules in Chinese adults of the Han nationality and its relationship with age, body habitus, and craniocerebral volume. Methods: One thousand healthy volunteers (age range =18 to 80 years) were divided into 5 groups according to their age; Group A (18 to 30 years old), group B (31 to 40 years), group C (41 to 50 years), group D (51 to 60 years), and group E (61 to 80 years). Each group consisted of 100 males and 100 females. MR imaging was performed in all of the volunteers using T 1 weighted three-dimensional magnetization prepared rapid acquisition gradient echo sequence. After three dimension data reconstruction, the volumes of bilateral internal capsules were manually measured. The volumes of bilateral internal capsules were compared by paired sample t test. The internal capsule volumes were compared between male and female by independent sample t test, and the differences among 5 age groups were compared by one-way ANOVA. The relationship between the volumes of internal capsule and age, body habitus or cerebral volume were analyzed using bivariate correlation. Results: The left and right internal capsule volumes were (2809 ± 393) and (2677 ± 343 ) mm 3 respectively. The left internal capsule volumes were significantly larger than that of right (t=12.078, P<0.05). The left and right side of internal capsule volumes in male were (2863 ± 396) and (2744 ±358) mm 3 respectively, and (2754 ±385) and (2609 ±314) mm 3 in female. The left and right internal capsule volumes were larger in males than in female (t=1.982, 2.851; P<0.05). The left internal capsule volume of the 5 age groups were (3273 ± 361), (2943 ± 299), (2777 ± 255), (2607 ± 199), (2444 ±213) mm 3 , and the right were (2993 ± 361), (2814 ± 270), (2682 ± 239), (2543 ± 219), (2351 ±210) mm 3 . There were significant differences among 5 age groups between left and right internal capsule volume (F=55.244, 34.493; P<0

Preparation and characterization of molecularly-imprinted polymers for extraction of sanshool acid amide compounds followed by their separation from pepper oil resin derived from Chinese prickly ash (Zanthoxylum bungeanum).

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xiaolong; Jin, Xinkai; Li, Yao; Chen, Guangjing; Chen, Kewei; Kan, Jianquan

2018-01-01

Molecularly imprinted polymers were prepared using the molecular structure analogs of sanshool as template molecule, 2-vinylpyridine and β-cyclodextrin as double functional monomers, ethylene dimethacrylate as cross linker, and azobisisobutyronitrile as initiator. The structural characteristics of the polymers were determined by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Dynamic adsorption and isothermal adsorption were also investigated. The molecularly imprinted polymers were used to prepare a molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction column in order to separate acid amide components from pepper oil resin derived from Chinese prickly ash (Zanthoxylum bungeanum). After eluting, the percentage of acid amide components was enhanced to 92.40 ± 1.41% compared with 23.34 ± 1.21% in the initial pepper oil resin, indicating good properties of purification of molecularly imprinted polymers and potential industrial application. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Ingestible capsule for remote controlled release of a substance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2014-01-01

The application relates to an ingestible capsule (102) for delivery of a substance e.g. a pharmaceutical drug, to a human or animal. The ingestible capsule comprises a capsule wall structure (202) forming a substantially sealed reservoir or lumen holding the substance (204). An electrical resonance...

Adsorption characteristics, recognition properties, and preliminary application of nordihydroguaiaretic acid molecularly imprinted polymers prepared by sol-gel surface imprinting technology

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, Sen; Zhang, Wen; Long, Wei; Hou, Dan; Yang, Xuechun; Tan, Ni

2016-02-01

In this paper, a new core-shell composite of nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) molecularly imprinted polymers layer-coated silica gel (MIP@SiO2) was prepared through sol-gel technique and applied as a material for extraction of NDGA from Ephedra. It was synthesized using NDGA as the template molecule, γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTS) and methyltriethoxysilane (MTEOS) as the functional monomers, tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as the cross-linker and ethanol as the porogenic solvent in the surface of silica. The non-imprinted polymers layer-coated silica gel (NIP@SiO2) were prepared with the same procedure, but with the absence of template molecule. In addition, the optimum adsorption affinity occurred when the molar ratio of NDGA:APTS:MTEOS:TEOS was 1:6:2:80. The prepared MIP@SiO2 and NIP@SiO2 were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Their affinity properties to NDGA were evaluated through dynamic adsorption, static adsorption, and selective recognition experiments, and the results showed the saturated adsorption capacity of MIP@SiO2 could reach to 5.90 mg g-1, which was two times more than that of NIP@SiO2. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to evaluate the extraction of NDGA from the medicinal plant ephedra by the above prepared materials, and the results indicated that the MIP@SiO2 had potential application in separation of the natural active component NDGA from medicinal plants.

Fabrication of flexible polymer dispersed liquid crystal films using conducting polymer thin films as the driving electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Yang-Bae; Park, Sucheol; Hong, Jin-Who

2009-01-01

Conducting polymers exhibit good mechanical and interfacial compatibility with plastic substrates. We prepared an optimized coating formulation based on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) and 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl acrylate and fabricated a transparent electrode on poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) substrate. The surface resistances and transmittance of the prepared thin films were 500-600 Ω/□ and 87% at 500 nm, respectively. To evaluate the performance of the conducting polymer electrode, we fabricated a five-layer flexible polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) device as a PET-PEDOT-PDLC-PEDOT-PET flexible film. The prepared PDLC device exhibited a low driving voltage (15 VAC), high contrast ratio (60:1), and high transmittance in the ON state (60%), characteristics that are comparable with those of conventional PDLC film based on indium tin oxide electrodes. The fabrication of conducting polymer thin films as the driving electrodes in this study showed that such films can be used as a substitute for an indium tin oxide electrode, which further enhances the flexibility of PDLC film

Aza‐Michael addition reaction: Post‐polymerization modification and preparation of PEI/PEG‐based polyester hydrogels from enzymatically synthesized reactive polymers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hoffmann, Christian; Stuparu, Mihaiela C.; Daugaard, Anders Egede

2015-01-01

The utility of aza‐Michael addition chemistry for post‐polymerization functionalization of enzymatically prepared polyesters is established. For this, itaconate ester and oligoethylene glycol are selected as monomers. A Candida Antarctica lipase B catalyzed polycondensation reaction between the two...... monomers provides the polyesters, which carry an activated carbon‐carbon double bond in the polymer backbone. These electron deficient alkenes represent suitable aza‐Michael acceptors and can be engaged in a nucleophilic addition reaction with small molecular mono‐amines (aza‐Michael donors) to yield...... functionalized linear polyesters. Employing a poly‐amine as the aza‐Michael donor, on the other hand, results in the formation of hydrophilic polymer networks....

Stratified polymer brushes from microcontact printing of polydopamine initiator on polymer brush surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Qiangbing; Yu, Bo; Wang, Xiaolong; Zhou, Feng

2014-06-01

Stratified polymer brushes are fabricated using microcontact printing (μCP) of initiator integrated polydopamine (PDOPBr) on polymer brush surfaces and the following surface initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP). It is found that the surface energy, chemically active groups, and the antifouling ability of the polymer brushes affect transfer efficiency and adhesive stability of the polydopamine film. The stickiness of the PDOPBr pattern on polymer brush surfaces is stable enough to perform continuous μCP and SI-ATRP to prepare stratified polymer brushes with a 3D topography, which have broad applications in cell and protein patterning, biosensors, and hybrid surfaces. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Synthesis Using RAFT Polymerisation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cormack, P.A.G.; Faizatul Shimal Mehamod; Faizatul Shimal Mehamod

2013-01-01

In this paper, the synthesis and characterisation of caffeine-imprinted polymers are described. The polymers were prepared in monolithic form via both reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerisation and conventional free radical polymerisation, using methacrylic acid and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as the functional monomer and crosslinking agent, respectively. The potential benefits in applying RAFT polymerisation techniques towards the synthesis of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are explored and elucidated. The pore structures of the polymers produced were characterised by nitrogen sorption porosimetry and the molecular recognition properties of representative products were evaluated in high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) mode. Molecular imprinting effects were confirmed by analysing the relative retentions of analytes on imprinted and non-imprinted HPLC stationary phases. It was found that a caffeine-imprinted polymer synthesised by RAFT polymerisation was superior to a polymer prepared using a conventional synthetic approach; the imprinting factor and column efficiency were found to be higher for the former material. (author)

POLYMER ELECTROLYTE MEMBRANE FUEL CELLS

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2001-01-01

A method for preparing polybenzimidazole or polybenzimidazole blend membranes and fabricating gas diffusion electrodes and membrane-electrode assemblies is provided for a high temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell. Blend polymer electrolyte membranes based on PBI and various...... thermoplastic polymers for high temperature polymer electrolyte fuel cells have also been developed. Miscible blends are used for solution casting of polymer membranes (solid electrolytes). High conductivity and enhanced mechanical strength were obtained for the blend polymer solid electrolytes....... With the thermally resistant polymer, e.g., polybenzimidazole or a mixture of polybenzimidazole and other thermoplastics as binder, the carbon-supported noble metal catalyst is tape-cast onto a hydrophobic supporting substrate. When doped with an acid mixture, electrodes are assembled with an acid doped solid...

Spheroidal and conical shapes of ferrofluid-filled capsules in magnetic fields

Science.gov (United States)

Wischnewski, Christian; Kierfeld, Jan

2018-04-01

We investigate the deformation of soft spherical elastic capsules filled with a ferrofluid in external uniform magnetic fields at fixed volume by a combination of numerical and analytical approaches. We develop a numerical iterative solution strategy based on nonlinear elastic shape equations to calculate the stretched capsule shape numerically and a coupled finite element and boundary element method to solve the corresponding magnetostatic problem and employ analytical linear response theory, approximative energy minimization, and slender-body theory. The observed deformation behavior is qualitatively similar to the deformation of ferrofluid droplets in uniform magnetic fields. Homogeneous magnetic fields elongate the capsule and a discontinuous shape transition from a spheroidal shape to a conical shape takes place at a critical field strength. We investigate how capsule elasticity modifies this hysteretic shape transition. We show that conical capsule shapes are possible but involve diverging stretch factors at the tips, which gives rise to rupture for real capsule materials. In a slender-body approximation we find that the critical susceptibility above which conical shapes occur for ferrofluid capsules is the same as for droplets. At small fields capsules remain spheroidal and we characterize the deformation of spheroidal capsules both analytically and numerically. Finally, we determine whether wrinkling of a spheroidal capsule occurs during elongation in a magnetic field and how it modifies the stretching behavior. We find the nontrivial dependence between the extent of the wrinkled region and capsule elongation. Our results can be helpful in quantitatively determining capsule or ferrofluid material properties from magnetic deformation experiments. All results also apply to elastic capsules filled with a dielectric liquid in an external uniform electric field.

Matrix-mini-tablets of lornoxicam for targeting early morning peak symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdul Hadi Mohd

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Objective(s: The aim of present research was to develop matrix-mini-tablets of lornoxicam filled in capsule for targeting early morning peak symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Materials and Methods:Matrix-mini-tablets of lornoxicam were prepared by direct compression method using microsomal enzyme dependent and pH-sensitive polymers which were further filled into an empty HPMC capsule. To assess the compatibility, FT-IR and DSC studies for pure drug, polymers and their physical mixture were performed. The formulated batches were subjected to physicochemical studies, estimation of drug content, in vitro drug release, drug release kinetics, and stability studies. Results:  When FTIR and DSC studies were performed it was found that there was no interaction between lornoxicam and polymers which used. All the physicochemical properties of prepared matrix-mini-tablets were found to be in normal limits. The percentage of drug content was found to be 99.60±0.07%. Our optimized matrix mini-tablets-filled-capsule formulation F30 released lornoxicam after a lag time of 5.02±0.92 hr, 95.48±0.65 % at the end of 8 hr and 99.90±0.83 % at the end of 12 hr. Stability was also found for this formulation as per the guidelines of International Conference on Harmonisation of Technical Requirements of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use. Conclusion: A novel colon targeted delivery system of lornoxicam was successfully developed by filling matrix-mini-tablets into an empty HPMC capsule shell for targeting early morning peak symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

Development of polymer films by the coalescence of polymer particles in powdered and aqueous polymer-modified mortars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Afridi, M.U.K.; Ohama, Y.; Demura, K.; Iqbal, M.Z.

2003-01-01

This paper evaluates and compares the coalescence of polymer particles (continuous polymer films formation) in powdered polymer-modified mortars (PPMMs) and aqueous polymer-modified mortars (APMMs). Polymer-modified mortars (PMMs) using various redispersible polymer powders (powdered cement modifiers) and polymer dispersions (aqueous cement modifiers) were prepared by varying the polymer-cement ratio (P/C) and were tested for the characterization of polymer films using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) after curing for 28 days. It is concluded from the test results that mortar constituents of unmodified mortar (UMM) are loosely joined with each other due to the absence of polymer films, thus having a structure with comparatively lower mechanical and durability characteristics. By contrast, mortar constituents in PPMMs and APMMs are compactly joined with each other due to the presence of interweaving polymer films, thereby forming a monolithic structure with improved mechanical and durability characteristics. However, the results make obvious the poor coalescence of polymer particles or development of inferior quality polymers films in PPMMs as compared to that observed in APMMs. Moreover, PPMMs show less uniform distribution of polymer films as compared to that in APMMs. Different powdered cement modifiers have different film-forming capabilities. However, such difference is hardly recognized in aqueous cement modifiers. The polymer films in PPMMs and APMMs may acquire different structures. They may appear as mesh-like, thread-like, rugged, dense or fibrous with fine or rough surfaces. Development of coherent polymer films is not well pronounced at a P/C of 5% in PPMMs, whereas sometimes coherent polymer films are observed at a P/C of 5% in APMMs. At a P/C of 10% or more, fully developed, coherent polymer films are observed in both PPMMs and APMMs

Development of polymer-bound fast-dissolving metformin buccal film with disintegrants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haque SE

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Shaikh Ershadul Haque, Angappan Sheela Materials Chemistry Division, Centre for Nanomaterials, School of Advanced Sciences, VIT University, Vellore, India Abstract: Fast-dissolving drug-delivery systems are considered advantageous over the existing conventional oral dosage forms like tablets, capsules, and syrups for being patient friendly. Buccal films are one such system responsible for systemic drug delivery at the desired site of action by avoiding hepatic first-pass metabolism. Metformin hydrochloride (Met, an antidiabetic drug, has poor bioavailability due to its high solubility and low permeability. The purpose of the study reported here was to develop a polymer-bound fast-dissolving buccal film of metformin to exploit these unique properties. In the study, metformin fast-dissolving films were prepared by the solvent-casting method using chitosan, a bioadhesive polymer. Further, starch, sodium starch glycolate, and microcrystalline cellulose were the disintegrants added to different ratios, forming various formulations (F1 to F7. The buccal films were evaluated for various parameters like weight variation, thickness, folding endurance, surface pH, content uniformity, tensile strength, and percentage of elongation. The films were also subjected to in vitro dissolution study, and the disintegration time was found to be less than 30 minutes for all formulations, which was attributed to the effect of disintegrants. Formulation F6 showed 92.2% drug release within 6 minutes due to the combined effect of sodium starch glycolate and microcrystalline cellulose. Keywords: chitosan, sodium starch glycolate, microcrystalline cellulose, drug-delivery system, immediate release

Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of the Major Constituents in Chinese Medical Preparation Lianhua-Qingwen Capsule by UPLC-DAD-QTOF-MS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weina Jia

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Lianhua-Qingwen capsule (LQC is a commonly used Chinese medical preparation to treat viral influenza and especially played a very important role in the fight against severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS in 2002-2003 in China. In this paper, a rapid ultraperformance liquid chromatography coupled with diode-array detector and quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-DAD-QTOF-MS method was established for qualitative and quantitative analysis of the major constituents of LQC. A total of 61 compounds including flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, anthraquinones, triterpenoids, iridoids, and other types of compounds were unambiguously or tentatively identified by comparing the retention times and accurate mass measurement with reference compounds or literature data. Among them, twelve representative compounds were further quantified as chemical markers in quantitative analysis, including salidroside, chlorogenic acid, forsythoside E, cryptochlorogenic acid, amygdalin, sweroside, hyperin, rutin, forsythoside A, phillyrin, rhein, and glycyrrhizic acid. The UPLC-DAD method was evaluated with linearity, limit of detection (LOD, limit of quantification (LOQ, precision, stability, repeatability, and recovery tests. The results showed that the developed quantitative method was linear, sensitive, and precise for the quality control of LQC.

Nanoparticle/Polymer Nanocomposite Bond Coat or Coating

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Sandi G.

2011-01-01

This innovation addresses the problem of coatings (meant to reduce gas permeation) applied to polymer matrix composites spalling off in service due to incompatibility with the polymer matrix. A bond coat/coating has been created that uses chemically functionalized nanoparticles (either clay or graphene) to create a barrier film that bonds well to the matrix resin, and provides an outstanding barrier to gas permeation. There is interest in applying clay nanoparticles as a coating/bond coat to a polymer matrix composite. Often, nanoclays are chemically functionalized with an organic compound intended to facilitate dispersion of the clay in a matrix. That organic modifier generally degrades at the processing temperature of many high-temperature polymers, rendering the clay useless as a nano-additive to high-temperature polymers. However, this innovation includes the use of organic compounds compatible with hightemperature polymer matrix, and is suitable for nanoclay functionalization, the preparation of that clay into a coating/bondcoat for high-temperature polymers, the use of the clay as a coating for composites that do not have a hightemperature requirement, and a comparable approach to the preparation of graphene coatings/bond coats for polymer matrix composites.

Novel Polymers with Carboxylic Acid Loading

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Anders Daugaard; Malmström, Eva; Hvilsted, Søren

2006-01-01

Click chemistry has been used to prepare a range of novel polymers with pendant carboxylic acid side groups. Four azido carboxylic acids, either mono- or difunctional and aliphatic or aromatic, have been prepared and thoroughly characterized. Extensive model reactions with 1-ethyl-4-hydroxybenzene......, the simplest model for poly(4-hydroxystyrene), and the four azido carboxylic acids have been conducted to establish the proper reaction conditions and provide an analytical frame for the corresponding polymers. Poly(4-hydroxystyrene) moieties in three different polymers—poly(4-hydroxystyrene), poly(4...... the polymers in general exhibit [when poly(4-hydroxystyrene) is a substantial part] significant changes in the glass-transition temperature from the polar poly(4-hydroxystyrene) (120–130 °C) to the much less polar alkyne polymers (46–60 °C). A direct correlation between the nature of the pendant groups...

Wood and concrete polymer composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singer, K.

1974-01-01

There are several ways to prepare and use wood and concrete polymer composites. The most important improvements in the case of concrete polymer composites are obtained for compressive and tensile strengths. The progress in this field in United States and other countries is discussed in this rview. (M.S.)

Scaling effects in spiral capsule robots.

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Liang; Hu, Rong; Chen, Bai; Tang, Yong; Xu, Yan

2017-04-01

Spiral capsule robots can be applied to human gastrointestinal tracts and blood vessels. Because of significant variations in the sizes of the inner diameters of the intestines as well as blood vessels, this research has been unable to meet the requirements for medical applications. By applying the fluid dynamic equations, using the computational fluid dynamics method, to a robot axial length ranging from 10 -5 to 10 -2  m, the operational performance indicators (axial driving force, load torque, and maximum fluid pressure on the pipe wall) of the spiral capsule robot and the fluid turbulent intensity around the robot spiral surfaces was numerically calculated in a straight rigid pipe filled with fluid. The reasonableness and validity of the calculation method adopted in this study were verified by the consistency of the calculated values by the computational fluid dynamics method and the experimental values from a relevant literature. The results show that the greater the fluid turbulent intensity, the greater the impact of the fluid turbulence on the driving performance of the spiral capsule robot and the higher the energy consumption of the robot. For the same level of size of the robot, the axial driving force, the load torque, and the maximum fluid pressure on the pipe wall of the outer spiral robot were larger than those of the inner spiral robot. For different requirements of the operating environment, we can choose a certain kind of spiral capsule robot. This study provides a theoretical foundation for spiral capsule robots.

Dynamics of an elastic capsule in moderate Reynolds number Poiseuille flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shin, Soo Jai; Sung, Hyung Jin

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Dynamics of a capsule in moderate Re Poiseuille flow were explored numerically. ► Capsule tends to tumbling motion for larger membrane elasticity and higher Re flow. ► Capsule undergoes swinging motion for larger size and aspect ratio of the capsule. ► Capsule tends to migrate to a specific lateral equilibrium as Re increases. ► Equilibrium position varies differently around the transition of the dynamic motion. - Abstract: The dynamic motions and lateral equilibrium positions of a two-dimensional elastic capsule in a Poiseuille flow were explored at moderate Reynolds number (10 ⩽ Re ⩽ 100) as a function of the initial lateral position (y 0 ), Re, aspect ratio (ε), size ratio (λ), membrane stretching coefficient (φ) and bending coefficient (γ). The transition between tank-treading (TT) and swinging (SW) to tumbling (TU) motions was observed and the lateral equilibrium positions of the capsules varied according to the conditions. The initial behavior of the elastic capsule was influenced by variation in the initial lateral position (y 0 ), but the equilibrium position and dynamic motion of the capsule were not affected by such variation. The capsules had a stronger tendency toward TU motion at higher values of Re, φ and γ, whereas the capsules underwent TT or SW motion as the values of ε and λ increased. Under moderate Re Poiseuille flows, capsules tended to migrate across streamlines to a specific equilibrium position. The lateral equilibrium position shifted toward the centerline at larger λ and migrated toward the wall at larger ε,φandγ. As Re increased, the equilibrium position first shifted toward the bottom wall, then toward the channel center. However, different equilibrium position trends were obtained around the SW–TU transition. The capsule undergoing TU motion tended to migrate downward toward the bottom wall more than the capsule undergoing SW motion, all other conditions being similar.

Equation of state study of Laser Megajoule capsules ablator materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Colin-Lalu, Pierre

2016-01-01

This PhD thesis enters the field of inertial confinement fusion studies. In particular, it focuses on the equation of state tables of ablator materials synthesized on LMJ capsules. This work is indeed aims at improving the theoretical models introduced into the equation of state tables. We focused in the Mbar-eV pressure-temperature range because it can be access on kJ-scale laser facilities.In order to achieve this, we used the QEOS model, which is simple to use, configurable, and easily modifiable.First, quantum molecular dynamics (QMD) simulations were performed to generate cold compression curve as well as shock compression curves along the principal Hugoniot. Simulations were compared to QEOS model and showed that atomic bond dissociation has an effect on the compressibility. Results from these simulations are then used to parametrize the Grueneisen parameter in order to generate a tabulated equation of state that includes dissociation. It allowed us to show its influence on shock timing in a hydrodynamic simulation.Second, thermodynamic states along the Hugoniot were measured during three experimental campaigns upon the LULI2000 and GEKKO XII laser facilities. Experimental data confirm QMD simulations.This study was performed on two ablator materials which are an undoped polymer CHO, and a silicon-doped polymer CHOSi. Results showed universal shock compression properties. (author) [fr

Design of Endoscopic Capsule With Multiple Cameras.

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Yingke; Xie, Xiang; Li, Guolin; Sun, Tianjia; Wang, Dan; Yin, Zheng; Zhang, Pengfei; Wang, Zhihua

2015-08-01

In order to reduce the miss rate of the wireless capsule endoscopy, in this paper, we propose a new system of the endoscopic capsule with multiple cameras. A master-slave architecture, including an efficient bus architecture and a four level clock management architecture, is applied for the Multiple Cameras Endoscopic Capsule (MCEC). For covering more area of the gastrointestinal tract wall with low power, multiple cameras with a smart image capture strategy, including movement sensitive control and camera selection, are used in the MCEC. To reduce the data transfer bandwidth and power consumption to prolong the MCEC's working life, a low complexity image compressor with PSNR 40.7 dB and compression rate 86% is implemented. A chipset is designed and implemented for the MCEC and a six cameras endoscopic capsule prototype is implemented by using the chipset. With the smart image capture strategy, the coverage rate of the MCEC prototype can achieve 98% and its power consumption is only about 7.1 mW.

Polymer-encapsulated carbon capture liquids that tolerate precipitation of solids for increased capacity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aines, Roger D; Bourcier, William L; Spadaccini, Christopher M; Stolaroff, Joshuah K

2015-02-03

A system for carbon dioxide capture from flue gas and other industrial gas sources utilizes microcapsules with very thin polymer shells. The contents of the microcapsules can be liquids or mixtures of liquids and solids. The microcapsules are exposed to the flue gas and other industrial gas and take up carbon dioxide from the flue gas and other industrial gas and eventual precipitate solids in the capsule.

Capsule Shields the Function of Short Bacterial Adhesins

OpenAIRE

Schembri, Mark A.; Dalsgaard, Dorte; Klemm, Per

2004-01-01

Bacterial surface structures such as capsules and adhesins are generally regarded as important virulence factors. Here we demonstrate that capsules block the function of the self-recognizing protein antigen 43 through physical shielding. The phenomenon is not restricted to Escherichia coli but can occur in other gram-negative bacteria. Likewise, we show that other short adhesins exemplified by the AIDA-I protein are blocked by the presence of a capsule. The results support the notion that cap...

Moisture diffusion and permeability characteristics of hydroxypropylmethylcellulose and hard gelatin capsules.

Science.gov (United States)

Barham, Ahmad S; Tewes, Frederic; Healy, Anne Marie

2015-01-30

The primary objective of this paper is to compare the sorption characteristics of hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC) and hard gelatin (HG) capsules and their ability to protect capsule contents. Moisture sorption and desorption isotherms for empty HPMC and HG capsules have been investigated using dynamic vapour sorption (DVS) at 25°C. All sorption studies were analysed using the Young-Nelson model equations which distinguishes three moisture sorption types: monolayer adsorption moisture, condensation and absorption. Water vapour diffusion coefficients (D), solubility (S) and permeability (P) parameters of the capsule shells were calculated. ANOVA was performed with the Tukey comparison test to analyse the effect of %RH and capsule type on S, P, and D parameters. The moisture uptake of HG capsules were higher than HPMC capsules at all %RH conditions studied. It was found that values of D and P across HPMC capsules were greater than for HG capsules at 0-40 %RH; whereas over the same %RH range S values were higher for HG than for HPMC capsules. S values decreased gradually as the %RH was increased up to 60% RH. To probe the effect of moisture ingress, spray dried lactose was loaded into capsules. Phase evolution was characterised by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The capsules under investigation are not capable of protecting spray dried lactose from induced solid state changes as a result of moisture uptake. For somewhat less moisture sensitive formulations, HPMC would appear to be a better choice than HG in terms of protection of moisture induced deterioration. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Utilization of the capsule out-pile test facilities(2000-2003)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cho, M. S.; Oh, J. M.; Cho, Y. G. and others

2003-06-01

Two out-pile test facilities were installed and being utilized for the non-irradiation tests outside the HANARO. The names of the facilities are the irradiation equipment design verification test facilities and the one-channel flow test device. In these facilities, the performance test of all capsules manufactured before loading in the HANARO and the design verification test for newly developed capsules were performed. The tests in these facilities include loading/unloading, pressure drop, endurance and vibration test etc. of capsules. In the period 2000{approx}2003, the performance tests for 8 material capsules of 99M-01K{approx}02M-05U were carried out, and the design verification tests of creep and fuel capsules developed newly were performed. For development of the creep capsule, pressure drop measurement, operation test of heater, T/C, LVDT and stress loading test were performed. In the design stage of the fuel capsule, the endurance and vibration test besides the above mentioned tests were carried out for verification of the safe operation during irradiation test in the HANARO. And in-chimeny bracket and the capsule supporting system were fixed and the flow tubes and the handling tools were manufactured for use at the facilities.

Fabrication of Covalently Crosslinked and Amine-Reactive Microcapsules by Reactive Layer-by-Layer Assembly of Azlactone-Containing Polymer Multilayers on Sacrificial Microparticle Templates

Science.gov (United States)

Saurer, Eric M.; Flessner, Ryan M.; Buck, Maren E.; Lynn, David M.

2011-01-01

We report on the fabrication of covalently crosslinked and amine-reactive hollow microcapsules using ‘reactive’ layer-by-layer assembly to deposit thin polymer films on sacrificial microparticle templates. Our approach is based on the alternating deposition of layers of a synthetic polyamine and a polymer containing reactive azlactone functionality. Multilayered films composed of branched poly(ethylene imine) (BPEI) and poly(2-vinyl-4,4-dimethylazlactone) (PVDMA) were fabricated layer-by-layer on the surfaces of calcium carbonate and glass microparticle templates. After fabrication, these films contained residual azlactone functionality that was accessible for reaction with amine-containing molecules. Dissolution of the calcium carbonate or glass cores using aqueous ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) or hydrofluoric acid (HF), respectively, led to the formation of hollow polymer microcapsules. These microcapsules were robust enough to encapsulate and retain a model macromolecule (FITC-dextran) and were stable for at least 22 hours in high ionic strength environments, in low and high pH solutions, and in several common organic solvents. Significant differences in the behaviors of capsules fabricated on CaCO3 and glass cores were observed and characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Whereas capsules fabricated on CaCO3 templates collapsed upon drying, capsules fabricated on glass templates remained rigid and spherical. Characterization using EDS suggested that this latter behavior results, at least in part, from the presence of insoluble metal fluoride salts that are trapped or precipitate within the walls of capsules after etching of the glass cores using HF. Our results demonstrate that the assembly of BPEI/PVDMA films on sacrificial templates can be used to fabricate reactive microcapsules of potential use in a wide range of fields, including catalysis, drug and gene delivery, imaging, and

Gallium-67 activated charcoal: a new method for preparation of radioactive capsules for colonic transit study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng, Kai-Yuan; Tsai, Shih-Chuan; Lin, Wan-Yu.

2003-01-01

Indium-111 is currently the radionuclide of choice for colonic transit study. However, it is expensive and not available in many hospitals. Technetium-99m has been proposed for colonic transit study but the short half-life has limited its use. Gallium-67 citrate is inexpensive and available in most countries. Most importantly, it has a suitable half-life for colonic transit study. Attempts have been made in some studies to use 67 Ga citrate to label activated charcoal, but the results have not been good because of poor stability. In this study, we successfully labelled activated charcoal with 67 Ga citrate by adding alcohol and 5% glucose solution. To evaluate the in vitro stability, the 67 Ga-activated charcoal was incubated in a milieu mimicking the intestinal content, containing lipase, trypsin and glycochenodeoxycholate at different pH values (6.0, 7.0, 7.4 and 8.0) and for different durations (0 h, 24 h, 48 h, 72 h and 96 h). For the in vivo study, the 67 Ga-activated charcoal was loaded into a commercial empty enteric capsule. Colonic transit scintigraphy was performed in five volunteers, including three healthy people and two constipated patients, after intake of the radioactive capsule. Images were obtained at 2 h, 4 h, 6 h, 8 h, 24h, 48 h, 72 h etc. until no radioactivity was detected in the bowel. Our data show that the in vitro stability of 67 Ga-activated charcoal was good. The labelling efficiency still exceeded 91% at 96 h at pH values of 6.0, 7.0 and 7.4. In the group with a pH value of 8.0, the labelling efficiency gradually fell during the 4-day incubation but was still higher than 88% at the end of the fourth day. In the in vivo study, most capsules disintegrated in the caecum/colon region, and the 67 Ga-activated charcoal mixed very well with bowel content. In addition, the radioactive charcoal could be detected clearly on the 72-h image, which is very important for the evaluation of colonic transit time in patients with constipation. In

Preparation and characterization of a Polyacrylonitrile based gel polymer electrolyte for redox capacitors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C.M. Bandaranayake

2016-06-01

Full Text Available In this study, a gel polymer electrolyte (GPE consisting with polyacrylonitrile (PAN, ethylene carbonate (EC, propylene carbonate (PC and magnesium trifluromethane sulfonate (Mg(CF3SO32 was prepared using the hot pressed method. The starting materials were heated at 130 oC for 2 hours and the resulting hot viscous mixture was pressed in between two well cleaned glass plates. The composition was fine-tuned by varying the salt and the polymer concentration in order to obtain a mechanically stable, thin and flexible film with a high ionic conductivity. It was found that the composition, 105 PAN : 150 MgTF : 400 EC : 400 PC gives the maximum conductivity of 1.06 x 10-2 Scm-1. DC polarization test done with blocking electrodes confirmed the ionic nature of the sample while the results obtained with non-blocking electrodes proved that the anionic contribution for the conductivity is dominant. The sample was used in redox capacitors having two identical polypyrrole electrodes doped with dodecylbenzesulfonate. Cyclic Voltammetry, Galvanostatic Charge Discharge and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy techniques were used to evaluate the performance of the redox capacitors. The specific capacitance was high at low scan rates. The electrolyte was quite stable when use in the redox capacitors. Further, redox capacitor was having a good cycleability which is one of the important key issues to be considered for practical applications.

Preparation of polymer monolithic column functionalized by arsonic acid groups for mixed-mode capillary liquid chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, Zhang-Na; Yu, Qiong-Wei; Wang, Ren-Qi; Feng, Yu-Qi

2018-04-27

A mixed-mode polymer monolithic column functionalized by arsonic acid groups was prepared by single-step in situ copolymerization of monomers p-methacryloylaminophenylarsonic acid (p-MAPHA) and pentaerythritol triacrylate (PETA). The prepared poly(p-MAPHA-co-PETA) monolithic column has a homogeneous monolithic structure with good permeability and mechanical stability. Zeta potential measurements reveal that the monolithic stationary phase holds a negative surface charge when the mobile phase resides in the pH range of 3.0-8.0. The retention mechanisms of prepared monolithic column are explored by the separation of selected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), nucleosides, and three basic compounds. The results indicate that the column functions in three different separation modes associated with reversed-phase chromatography based on hydrophobic interaction, hydrophilic interaction chromatography, and cation-exchange chromatography. The column efficiency of prepared monolithic column is estimated to be 70,000 and 76,000 theoretical plates/m for thiourea and naphthalene, respectively, at a linear flow velocity of 0.85 mm/s using acetonitrile/H 2 O (85/15, v/v) as the mobile phase. Furthermore, an analysis of the retention factors obtained for the PAHs indicates that the prepared monolithic column exhibits good reproducibility with relative standard deviations of 2.9%, 4.0%, and 4.7% based on run-to-run injections, column-to-column preparation, and batch-to-batch preparation, respectively. Finally, we investigate the separation performance of the proposed monolithic column for select phenols, sulfonamides, nucleobases and nucleosides. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fluorinated bio-acceptable polymers via an ATRP macroinitiator approach

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Natanya Majbritt Louie; Haddletion, D.M.; Hvilsted, Søren

2007-01-01

Polymers derived from bio-acceptable poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), poly(2-methoxyethyl acrylate) (PMEA), and poly(oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate) (PPEGMA) have been prepared via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) utilizing an initiator prepared from a fluoroalkoxy-t...... in the advancing water contact angles of all fluoro-containing polymers....

Nanocomposites from polymers and layered minerals

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fischer, H.R.; Gielgens, L.H.; Koster, T.P.M.

1999-01-01

Composites consisting of polymer matrix materials and natural or synthetic layered minerals e.g. clays were prepared by using special compatibilizing agents betsveen these two intrinsically non-miscible components. Block or graft copolymers combining one part of the polymer that is identically

Preparation and thermo-optical characteristics of a smart polymer-stabilized liquid crystal thin film based on smectic A–chiral nematic phase transition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Jian; Wang, Huihui; Cao, Hui; Ding, Hangjun; Yang, Zhou; Yang, Huai; Wang, Ling; Xie, Hui; Luo, Xueyao; Xiao, Jiumei

2014-01-01

A smart polymer stabilized liquid crystal (PSLC) thin film with temperature-controllable light transmittance was prepared based on a smectic-A (SmA)–chiral nematic (N*) phase transition, and then the effect of the composition and the preparation condition of the PSLC film on its thermo-optical (T-O) characteristics has been investigated in detail. Within the temperature range of the SmA phase, the PSLC shows a strong opaque state due to the focal conic alignment of liquid crystal (LC) molecules, while the film exhibits a transparent state result from the parallel alignment of N* phase LC molecules at a higher temperature. Importantly, the PSLC films with different temperature of phase transition and contrast ratio can be prepared by changing the composition of photo-polymerizable monomer/LC/chiral dopant. According to the competition between the polymerization of the curable monomers and the diffusion of LC molecules, the ultraviolet (UV) curing surrounding temperature and the intensity of UV irradiation play a critical role in tuning the size of the polymer network meshes, which in turn influence the contrast ratio and the switching speed of the film. Our observations are expected to pave the way for preparing smart PSLC thin films for applications in areas of smart windows, thermo-detectors and other information recording devices. (paper)

Metal coated colloidosomes as carriers for an antibiotic

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Qian; Zhao, Ziyan; Hall, Elizabeth A. H.; Routh, Alexander F.

2018-06-01

Colloidosomes are polymer shell microcapsules. They are stable and easy to prepare and have been used to encapsulate drugs for release at specific areas in the body. Traditional polymer shell capsules cannot totally seal drugs, since they are porous and small molecules diffuse through the polymer shell. In this paper, we report a method for encapsulating an antibiotic kanamycin using gold or silver coated colloidosomes. The colloidosomes are impermeable and can be triggered using ultrasound. To investigate the application of the capsules in a biological system, Escherichia Coli (E.coli) was chosen as a model organism. After triggering, the released antibiotic, as well as the metal shell fragments, kill E.coli. Both the silver and gold shells colloidosomes are toxic to this bacterial system and the gold coated colloidosomes can load a higher concentration of kanamycin.

Development of Multiple Capsule Robots in Pipe

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shuxiang Guo

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Swallowable capsule robots which travel in body cavities to implement drug delivery, minimally invasive surgery, and diagnosis have provided great potential for medical applications. However, the space constraints of the internal environment and the size limitations of the robots are great challenges to practical application. To address the fundamental challenges of narrow body cavities, a different-frequency driven approach for multiple capsule robots with screw structure manipulated by external electromagnetic field is proposed in this paper. The multiple capsule robots are composed of driven permanent magnets, joint permanent magnets, and a screw body. The screw body generates a propulsive force in a fluidic environment. Moreover, robots can form new constructions via mutual docking and release. To provide manipulation guidelines for active locomotion, a dynamic model of axial propulsion and circumferential torque is established. The multiple start and step-out frequencies for multiple robots are defined theoretically. Moreover, the different-frequency driven approach based on geometrical parameters of screw structure and the overlap angles of magnetic polarities is proposed to drive multiple robots in an identical electromagnetic field. Finally, two capsule robots were prototyped and experiments in a narrow pipe were conducted to verify the different motions such as docking, release, and cooperative locomotion. The experimental results demonstrated the validity of the driven approach for multiple capsule robots in narrow body cavities.

Enteric coating of granules containing the probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pyar Hassan

2014-06-01

Full Text Available In the present study, a capsule formulation composed of enteric coated granules of Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4962 was developed using Eudragit L30D-55 as enteric polymer. Optimization of the capsule formulation was achieved with a maximum viable cell count after 2 h of incubation in acid medium and disintegration time of 1 h in buffer pH 6.8. The amount of Eudragit L30D-55 in the capsules correlated with gastric juice resistance. The best protective qualities against artificial gastric juice were observed when capsules were prepared from granules composed of L. acidophilus, corn starch, lactose monohydrate, polyvinylpyrrolidone and coated with 12.5 % (m/V of Eudragit L30D-55. Capsule formulation of L. acidophilus in edible broth medium suspension serves as a cheap alternative to the expensive freeze-drying procedure for preparing L. acidophilus. In addition, the enteric coating using Eudragit L30D-55 could protect probiotics from the acidic gastric environment and enhance the bioactivity of probiotics along with replacement of pathogenic microbes in human intestine

Pharmaceutical Factors Affecting The Formulation Of Verapamil HCl ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Floating sustained release Verapamil HCl capsules were prepared using different polymers. Hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose 4000 and 50 (HPMC 4000 & HPMC 50), Carbopol 934, sodium alginate (Na alginate), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and Pectin were used to study their effect on the release of Verapamil HCl from ...

Dynamic computed tomography of hepatocellular carcinoma with particular reference to capsule

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Otsuji, Hideaki [Nara Prefectural Hospital (Japan); Uchida, Hideo; Ohishi, H

1983-11-01

Dynamic CT of 117 hepatocellular carcinoma was analyzed about the capsule. Capsules were detected in 57 cases (49%) and they were classified into three types. The tumor showed high density during 15 to 26 sec after bolus injection of conrast medium, but the capsule was not enhanced. Incidence of the capsule enhanced as ring high density was 73% during 37 to 90 sec and over 90% after 4 min. Dynamic CT was very useful in the elucidation of hemodynamics of capsules of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Results from annual testing of ARECO cesium capsules from 1990-1994

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lundeen, J.E.

1994-10-01

The purpose of this report is to compile the results of the cesium capsule inspections and testing at the Applied Radiant Energy Corporation (ARECO) facility in Lynchburg, VA, performed in 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, and 1994. The 25 cesium capsules at the ARECO facility were visually identified and clunk tested. A Go/No Go gauge test was required for capsules failing the clunk test. A visual inspection of capsules was required for the initial testing (1990). All 25 capsules passed the inspections and testing each year.

Electrospun nanocomposite fibrous polymer electrolyte for secondary lithium battery applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Padmaraj, O.; Rao, B. Nageswara; Jena, Paramananda; Satyanarayana, N.; Venkateswarlu, M.

2014-01-01

Hybrid nanocomposite [poly(vinylidene fluoride -co- hexafluoropropylene) (PVdF-co-HFP)/magnesium aluminate (MgAl 2 O 4 )] fibrous polymer membranes were prepared by electrospinning method. The prepared pure and nanocomposite fibrous polymer electrolyte membranes were soaked into the liquid electrolyte 1M LiPF 6 in EC: DEC (1:1,v/v). XRD and SEM are used to study the structural and morphological studies of nanocomposite electrospun fibrous polymer membranes. The nanocomposite fibrous polymer electrolyte membrane with 5 wt.% of MgAl 2 O 4 exhibits high ionic conductivity of 2.80 × 10 −3 S/cm at room temperature. The charge-discharge capacity of Li/LiCoO 2 coin cells composed of the newly prepared nanocomposite [(16 wt.%) PVdF-co-HFP+(5 wt.%) MgAl 2 O 4 ] fibrous polymer electrolyte membrane was also studied and compared with commercial Celgard separator

Bio-Based Polymers with Potential for Biodegradability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas F. Garrison

2016-07-01

Full Text Available A variety of renewable starting materials, such as sugars and polysaccharides, vegetable oils, lignin, pine resin derivatives, and proteins, have so far been investigated for the preparation of bio-based polymers. Among the various sources of bio-based feedstock, vegetable oils are one of the most widely used starting materials in the polymer industry due to their easy availability, low toxicity, and relative low cost. Another bio-based plastic of great interest is poly(lactic acid (PLA, widely used in multiple commercial applications nowadays. There is an intrinsic expectation that bio-based polymers are also biodegradable, but in reality there is no guarantee that polymers prepared from biorenewable feedstock exhibit significant or relevant biodegradability. Biodegradability studies are therefore crucial in order to assess the long-term environmental impact of such materials. This review presents a brief overview of the different classes of bio-based polymers, with a strong focus on vegetable oil-derived resins and PLA. An entire section is dedicated to a discussion of the literature addressing the biodegradability of bio-based polymers.

Preparation of irritant polymer samples for an in vitro round robin study.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Coleman, Kelly P; Grailer, Thomas P; McNamara, Lori R; Rollins, Beau L; Christiano, Nicholas J; Kandárová, Helena; De Jong, Wim H

2018-01-01

A round robin study using reconstructed human epidermis (RhE) tissues was conducted to test medical device polymer extracts for skin irritation potential. Test samples were four irritant and three non-irritant medical device polymers. Five of these polymer samples were developed and two were

High-gain capsule design for the HIDIF project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Honrubia, J.J.; Cerrada, J.A.; Gomez, R.

2000-01-01

A high-gain capsule has been designed for the HIDIF project. The goal has been to relax the accelerator requirements by using a radiation pulse with lower peak temperature (220 eV) than previous designs (260 eV). The ablator material is beryllium doped with a very low concentration (0.2 atom %) of copper. The capsule absorbs 1.3 MJ and yields, approximately, 450 MJ in I-D simulations. The effect of the opacity of the ablator on capsule performance has been studied in detail. (authors)

Biomolecule-functionalized polymer brushes.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Hui; Xu, Fu-Jian

2013-04-21

Functional polymer brushes have been utilized extensively for the immobilization of biomolecules, which is of crucial importance for the development of biosensors and biotechnology. Recent progress in polymerization methods, in particular surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), has provided a unique means for the design and synthesis of new biomolecule-functionalized polymer brushes. This current review summarizes such recent research activities. The different preparation strategies for biomolecule immobilization through polymer brush spacers are described in detail. The functional groups of the polymer brushes used for biomolecule immobilization include epoxide, carboxylic acid, hydroxyl, aldehyde, and amine groups. The recent research activities indicate that functional polymer brushes become versatile and powerful spacers for immobilization of various biomolecules to maximize their functionalities. This review also demonstrates that surface-initiated ATRP is used more frequently than other polymerization methods in the designs of new biomolecule-functionalized polymer brushes.

Polymers for Protein Conjugation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gianfranco Pasut

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Polyethylene glycol (PEG at the moment is considered the leading polymer for protein conjugation in view of its unique properties, as well as to its low toxicity in humans, qualities which have been confirmed by its extensive use in clinical practice. Other polymers that are safe, biodegradable and custom-designed have, nevertheless, also been investigated as potential candidates for protein conjugation. This review will focus on natural polymers and synthetic linear polymers that have been used for protein delivery and the results associated with their use. Genetic fusion approaches for the preparation of protein-polypeptide conjugates will be also reviewed and compared with the best known chemical conjugation ones.

Rapid Polymer Sequencer

Science.gov (United States)

Stolc, Viktor (Inventor); Brock, Matthew W (Inventor)

2013-01-01

Method and system for rapid and accurate determination of each of a sequence of unknown polymer components, such as nucleic acid components. A self-assembling monolayer of a selected substance is optionally provided on an interior surface of a pipette tip, and the interior surface is immersed in a selected liquid. A selected electrical field is impressed in a longitudinal direction, or in a transverse direction, in the tip region, a polymer sequence is passed through the tip region, and a change in an electrical current signal is measured as each polymer component passes through the tip region. Each of the measured changes in electrical current signals is compared with a database of reference electrical change signals, with each reference signal corresponding to an identified polymer component, to identify the unknown polymer component with a reference polymer component. The nanopore preferably has a pore inner diameter of no more than about 40 nm and is prepared by heating and pulling a very small section of a glass tubing.

Capsule endoscopy in the diagnosis of Crohn’s disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Niv Y

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Yaron NivDepartment of Gastroenterology, Rabin Medical Center, Tel Aviv University, Petah Tikva, IsraelAbstract: Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory disorder affecting any part of the gastrointestinal tract, but frequently involves the small and large bowel. Typical presenting symptoms include abdominal pain and diarrhea. Patients with this disorder may also have extraintestinal manifestations, including arthritis, uveitis, and skin lesions. The PillCam™SB capsule is an ingestible disposable video camera that transmits high quality images of the small intestinal mucosa. This enables the small intestine to be readily accessible to physicians investigating for the presence of small bowel disorders, such as Crohn’s disease. Four meta-analyses have demonstrated that capsule endoscopy identifies Crohn’s disease when other methods are not helpful. It should be noted that it is the best noninvasive procedure for assessing mucosal status, but is not superior to ileocolonoscopy, which remains the gold standard for assessment of ileocolonic disease. Mucosal healing along the small bowel can only be demonstrated by an endoscopic procedure such as capsule endoscopy. Achievement of long-term mucosal healing has been associated with a trend towards a decreased need for hospitalization and a decreased requirement for corticosteroid treatment in patients with Crohn’s disease. Recently, we have developed and validated the Capsule Endoscopy Crohn’s Disease Activity Index (also known as the Niv score for Crohn’s disease of the small bowel. The next step is to expand our score to the colon, and to determine the role and benefit of a capsule endoscopy activity score in patients suffering from Crohn’s ileocolitis and/or colitis. This scoring system will also serve to improve our understanding of the impact of capsule endoscopy, and therefore treatment, on the immediate outcome of this disorder. As the best procedure available for assessing

Noninvasive control of rhodamine-loaded capsules distribution in vivo

Science.gov (United States)

Stelmashchuk, O.; Tarakanchikova, Y.; Seryogina, E.; Piavchenko, G.; Zherebtsov, E.; Dunaev, A.; Popov, A.; Meglinski, I.

2018-04-01

Using fluorescence spectroscopy system with fibre-optical probe, we investigated the dynamics of propagation and circulation in the microcirculatory system of experimental nanocapsules fluorescent-labelled (rhodamine TRITC) nanocapsules. The studies were carried out in clinically healthy Wistar rats. The model animals were divided into control group and group received injections of the nanocapsules. The fluorescent measurements conducted transcutaneously on the thigh surface. The administration of the preparation with the rhodamine concentration of 5 mg/kg of animal weight resulted in twofold increase of fluorescence intensity by reference to the baseline level. As a result of the study, it was concluded that fluorescence spectroscopy can be used for transdermal measurements of the rhodamine-loaded capsules in vivo.

Preorganization of Nanostructured Inks for Roll-to-Roll-Coated Polymer Solar Cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krebs, Frederik C; Senkovskyy, Volodymyr; Kiriy, Anton

2010-01-01

, a preorganized ink was obtained that was used to make polymer solar cell modules in a full roll-to-roll coating and printing process operating in ambient air. The polymer solar cells were thus prepared by a mixture of slot die and flat-bed screen printing. Various polymer solar cell modules were prepared ranging...

Preparation and characterization of corn reinforced polymer sheet of fibers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moreira, Tatiana Martinez; Seo, Emilia Satoshi Miyamaru

2016-01-01

There is a global trend in seeking plant fibers to replace the synthetic fibers to obtain reinforced composites aimed at the use of renewable resources. In this context, this paper aims to develop the process of preparing maize leaf fibers, characterizing them and adapting them for applications in the construction industry and develop a reinforced polymer composite with these fibers. Corn leaves were dried in environmental temperature, treated by mercerizing, then neutralized with acid solution and washed in running water. The characterization of the corn leaf fibers was carried out by X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, scanning electron microscopy, specific surface area, thermogravimetry and specific mass. The mercerizing treatment was effective, because the maize fibers have characteristics similar to synthetic fibers, leading to a possibility of new technological uses. The polymeric composite material was developed by extrusion processes and injection and tested for tensile testing, differential scanning calorimetry and scanning electron microscopy, thus reused an organic waste that would be disposed of by inserting it in a technological process, contributing to the research and development of new polymeric materials as well as to reduce waste discarded as scrap. (author)

Capsule Development and Utilization for Material Irradiation Tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, Young Hwan; Kim, B. G.; Joo, K. N.

2003-05-01

The objective of this project was to establish basic capsule irradiation technology using the multi-purpose research reactor [HANARO] to eventually support national R and D projects of advanced fuel and materials related to domestic nuclear power plants and next generation reactors. There are several national nuclear projects in KAERI, which require several irradiation tests to investigate in-pile behavior of nuclear reactor fuel and materials for the R and D of several types of fuels such as advanced PWR and DUPIC fuels and for the R and D of structural materials such as RPV(reactor pressure vessel) steel, Inconel, zirconium alloy, and stainless steel. At the moment, internal and external researchers in institutes, industries and universities are interested in investigating the irradiation characteristics of materials using the irradiation facilities of HANARO. For these kinds of material irradiation tests, it is important to develop various capsules using our own techniques. The development of capsules requires several leading-edge technologies and our own experiences related to design and fabrication. In the second phase from April 1,2000 to March 31, 2003, the utilization technologies were developed using various sensors for the measurements of temperature, pressure and displacement, and instrumented capsule technologies for the required fuel irradiation tests were developed. In addition, the improvement of the existing capsule technologies and the development of an in-situ measurable creep capsule for specific purposes were done to meet the various requirements of users

Preparation and application of conducting polymer/Ag/clay composite nanoparticles formed by in situ UV-induced dispersion polymerization

Science.gov (United States)

Zang, Limin; Qiu, Jianhui; Yang, Chao; Sakai, Eiichi

2016-02-01

In this work, composite nanoparticles containing polypyrrole, silver and attapulgite (PPy/Ag/ATP) were prepared via UV-induced dispersion polymerization of pyrrole using ATP clay as a templet and silver nitrate as photoinitiator. The effects of ATP concentration on morphology, structure and electrical conductivity were studied. The obtained composite nanoparticles with an interesting beads-on-a-string morphology can be obtained in a short time (10 min), which indicates the preparation method is facile and feasible. To explore the potential applications of the prepared PPy/Ag/ATP composite nanoparticles, they were served as multifunctional filler and blended with poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) matrix to prepare biodegradable composite material. The distribution of fillers in polymer matrix and the interfacial interaction between fillers and PBS were confirmed by scanning electron microscope, elemental mapping and dynamic mechanical analysis. The well dispersed fillers in PBS matrix impart outstanding antibacterial property to the biodegradable composite material as well as enhanced storage modulus due to Ag nanoparticles and ATP clay. The biodegradable composite material also possesses modest surface resistivity (106 ~ 109 Ω/◻).

Preparation and application of conducting polymer/Ag/clay composite nanoparticles formed by in situ UV-induced dispersion polymerization.

Science.gov (United States)

Zang, Limin; Qiu, Jianhui; Yang, Chao; Sakai, Eiichi

2016-02-03

In this work, composite nanoparticles containing polypyrrole, silver and attapulgite (PPy/Ag/ATP) were prepared via UV-induced dispersion polymerization of pyrrole using ATP clay as a templet and silver nitrate as photoinitiator. The effects of ATP concentration on morphology, structure and electrical conductivity were studied. The obtained composite nanoparticles with an interesting beads-on-a-string morphology can be obtained in a short time (10 min), which indicates the preparation method is facile and feasible. To explore the potential applications of the prepared PPy/Ag/ATP composite nanoparticles, they were served as multifunctional filler and blended with poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) matrix to prepare biodegradable composite material. The distribution of fillers in polymer matrix and the interfacial interaction between fillers and PBS were confirmed by scanning electron microscope, elemental mapping and dynamic mechanical analysis. The well dispersed fillers in PBS matrix impart outstanding antibacterial property to the biodegradable composite material as well as enhanced storage modulus due to Ag nanoparticles and ATP clay. The biodegradable composite material also possesses modest surface resistivity (10(6)~ 10(9) Ω/◻).

Crosslinking studies in gelatin capsules treated with formaldehyde and in capsules exposed to elevated temperature and humidity.

Science.gov (United States)

Ofner, C M; Zhang, Y E; Jobeck, V C; Bowman, B J

2001-01-01

Incomplete in vitro capsule shell dissolution and subsequent drug release problems have recently received attention. A modified USP dissolution method was used to follow capsule shell dissolution, and a 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS) assay was used to follow loss of epsilon-amino groups to study this shell dissolution problem postulated to be due to gelatin crosslinking. The dissolution problems were simulated using hard gelatin capsule (HGC) shells previously treated with formaldehyde to crosslink the gelatin. These methods were also used to study the effect of uncrosslinked HGC stored under stressed conditions (37 degrees C and 81% RH) with or without the presence of soft gelatin capsule shells (SGC). A 120 ppm formaldehyde treatment reduced gelatin shell dissolution to 8% within 45 min in water at 37 degrees C. A 200 ppm treatment reduced gelatin epsilon-amino groups to 83% of the original uncrosslinked value. The results also support earlier reports of non-amino group crosslinking by formaldehyde in gelatin. Under stressed conditions, HGC stored alone showed little change over 21 weeks. However, by 12 to 14 weeks, the HGC exposed to SGC showed a 23% decrease in shell dissolution and an 8% decrease in the number of epsilon-amino groups. These effects on the stressed HGC are ascribed to a volatile agent from SGC shells, most likely formaldehyde, that crosslinked nearby HGC shells. This report also includes a summary of the literature on agents that reduce gelatin and capsule shell dissolution and the possible mechanisms of this not-so-simple problem. Copyright 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmaceutical Association J Pharm Sci 90: 79-88, 2001

Molecularly imprinted polymers for sample preparation and biosensing in food analysis: Progress and perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Ashley, Jon; Shahbazi, Mohammad-Ali; Kant, Krishna; Chidambara, Vinayaka Aaydha; Wolff, Anders; Bang, Dang Duong; Sun, Yi

2017-05-15

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are biomimetics which can selectively bind to analytes of interest. One of the most interesting areas where MIPs have shown the biggest potential is food analysis. MIPs have found use as sorbents in sample preparation attributed to the high selectivity and high loading capacity. MIPs have been intensively employed in classical solid-phase extraction and solid-phase microextraction. More recently, MIPs have been combined with magnetic bead extraction, which greatly simplifies sample handling procedures. Studies have consistently shown that MIPs can effectively minimize complex food matrix effects, and improve recoveries and detection limits. In addition to sample preparation, MIPs have also been viewed as promising alternatives to bio-receptors due to the inherent molecular recognition abilities and the high stability in harsh chemical and physical conditions. MIPs have been utilized as receptors in biosensing platforms such as electrochemical, optical and mass biosensors to detect various analytes in food. In this review, we will discuss the current state-of-the-art of MIP synthesis and applications in the context of food analysis. We will highlight the imprinting methods which are applicable for imprinting food templates, summarize the recent progress in using MIPs for preparing and analysing food samples, and discuss the current limitations in the commercialisation of MIPs technology. Finally, future perspectives will be given. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Capsule-Fixated Intraocular Lens Implantation in Small Pupil Cases.

Science.gov (United States)

Schojai, Merita; Schultz, Tim; Burkhard Dick, H

2017-08-01

To describe a new technique for implantation of capsule-fixated intraocular lenses (IOLs) (FEMTIS; Oculentis, Berlin, Germany) in patients with small pupils. In 4 eyes with small pupils, an anterior capsule-fixated IOL was implanted into the capsular bag after femtosecond laser treatment. The two large and two small flaps of the IOL were elevated to the front of the iris and the anterior capsule. Finally, the iris was flipped over the flaps to ensure a fixation of the capsule inside of the capsulotomy. In all cases, the implantation of anterior capsule-fixated IOLs was possible. No complications occurred during surgery or within the first months after surgery. With the described technique, capsulefixated IOLs can be implanted in eyes with small pupil easily and safely. This type of IOL has great potential to improve the refractive outcome by better prediction of the postoperative IOL position and eliminating IOL rotation after cataract surgery. [J Refract Surg. 2017;33(8):568-570.]. Copyright 2017, SLACK Incorporated.

Preparation and Properties of Polyhedral Oligosilsesquioxanes/Polymers Blends

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Blanski, Rusty

2000-01-01

.... These materials have the advantage of combining a well defined ceramic type molecule with an organic polymer which can result in a material that may bridge the performance gap between the two systems...

What we have learned and what to expect from capsule endoscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Adler, Samuel N; Bjarnason, Ingvar

2012-10-16

Capsule endoscopy was conceived by Gabriel Iddan and Paul Swain independently two decades ago. These applications include but are not limited to Crohn's disease of the small bowel, occult gastrointestinal bleeding, non steroidal anti inflammatory drug induced small bowel disease, carcinoid tumors of the small bowel, gastro intestinal stromal tumors of the small bowel and other disease affecting the small bowel. Capsule endoscopy has been compared to traditional small bowel series, computerized tomography studies and push enteroscopy. The diagnostic yield of capsule endoscopy has consistently been superior in the diagnosis of small bowel disease compared to the competing methods (small bowel series, computerized tomography, push enteroscopy) of diagnosis. For this reason capsule endoscopy has enjoyed a meteoric success. Image quality has been improved with increased number of pixels, automatic light exposure adaptation and wider angle of view. Further applications of capsule endoscopy of other areas of the digestive tract are being explored. The increased transmission rate of images per second has made capsule endoscopy of the esophagus a realistic possibility. Technological advances that include a double imager capsule with a nearly panoramic view of the colon and a variable frame rate adjusted to the movement of the capsule in the colon have made capsule endoscopy of the colon feasible. The diagnostic rate for the identification of patients with polyps equal to or larger than 6 mm is high. Future advances in technology and biotechnology will lead to further progress. Capsule endoscopy is following the successful modern trend in medicine that replaces invasive tests with less invasive methodology.

Preparation of poly(acrylonitrile-butyl acrylate) gel electrolyte for lithium-ion batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tian Zheng; He Xiangming; Pu Weihua; Wan Chunrong; Jiang Changyin

2006-01-01

Poly(acrylonitrile-butyl acrylate) gel polymer electrolyte was prepared for lithium ion batteries. The preparation started with synthesis of poly(acrylonitrile-butyl acrylate) by radical emulsion polymerization, followed by phase inversion to produce microporous membrane. Then, the microporous gel polymer electrolytes (MGPEs) was prepared with the microporous membrane and LiPF 6 in ethylene carbonate/diethyl carbonate. The dry microporous membrane showed a fracture strength as high as 18.98 MPa. As-prepared gel polymer electrolytes presented ionic conductivity in excess of 3.0 x 10 -3 S cm -1 at ambient temperature and a decomposition voltage over 6.6 V. The results showed that the as-prepared gel polymer electrolytes were promising materials for Li-ion batteries

PE-g-MMA polymer electrolyte membrane for lithium polymer battery

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gao Kun [Departments of Applied Chemistry, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China)]. E-mail: gaokun@hit.edu.cn; Hu Xinguo [Departments of Applied Chemistry, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China); Yi Tingfeng [Departments of Applied Chemistry, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China); Dai Changsong [Departments of Applied Chemistry, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China)

2006-10-25

PE-g-MMA membranes with different degrees of grafting (DG) were prepared by electron beam radiation-induced graft copolymerization of methylmethacrylate (MMA) monomer onto polyethylene (PE) separator. The grafted membranes (GMs) were characterized using SEM, FTIR. The new polymer electrolytes based on GMs were prepared through immersion in a solution of LiPF{sub 6}-EC/DMC (1:1 by volume). It was found that the GMs with different DG exhibited the different uptake and retention ability of liquid electrolyte. Moreover, the ion conductivities of activated polymer electrolytes (APEs) were also found to vary with the different DG and reached a magnitude of 10{sup -3} S cm{sup -1} at the DG of 42%. Compared with those containing PE separators, the LiCoO{sub 2}-MCMB coin cells containing GMs demonstrated better cycle life and excellent rate performance.

PE-g-MMA polymer electrolyte membrane for lithium polymer battery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao Kun; Hu Xinguo; Yi Tingfeng; Dai Changsong

2006-01-01

PE-g-MMA membranes with different degrees of grafting (DG) were prepared by electron beam radiation-induced graft copolymerization of methylmethacrylate (MMA) monomer onto polyethylene (PE) separator. The grafted membranes (GMs) were characterized using SEM, FTIR. The new polymer electrolytes based on GMs were prepared through immersion in a solution of LiPF 6 -EC/DMC (1:1 by volume). It was found that the GMs with different DG exhibited the different uptake and retention ability of liquid electrolyte. Moreover, the ion conductivities of activated polymer electrolytes (APEs) were also found to vary with the different DG and reached a magnitude of 10 -3 S cm -1 at the DG of 42%. Compared with those containing PE separators, the LiCoO 2 -MCMB coin cells containing GMs demonstrated better cycle life and excellent rate performance

PE-g-MMA polymer electrolyte membrane for lithium polymer battery

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gao, Kun; Hu, Xinguo; Yi, Tingfeng; Dai, Changsong [Departments of Applied Chemistry, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China)

2006-10-25

PE-g-MMA membranes with different degrees of grafting (DG) were prepared by electron beam radiation-induced graft copolymerization of methylmethacrylate (MMA) monomer onto polyethylene (PE) separator. The grafted membranes (GMs) were characterized using SEM, FTIR. The new polymer electrolytes based on GMs were prepared through immersion in a solution of LiPF{sub 6}-EC/DMC (1:1 by volume). It was found that the GMs with different DG exhibited the different uptake and retention ability of liquid electrolyte. Moreover, the ion conductivities of activated polymer electrolytes (APEs) were also found to vary with the different DG and reached a magnitude of 10{sup -3}Scm{sup -1} at the DG of 42%. Compared with those containing PE separators, the LiCoO{sub 2}-MCMB coin cells containing GMs demonstrated better cycle life and excellent rate performance. (author)

Safety evaluation for packaging (onsite) singly encapsulated cesium chloride capsules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smyth, W.W.

1997-01-01

Three nonstandard Waste Encapsulation and Storage Facility (WESF) cesium chloride capsules are being shipped from WESF (225B building) to the 324 building. They would normally be shipped in the Beneficial Uses Shipping System (BUSS) cask under its US Department of Energy (DOE) license (DOE 1996), but these capsules are nonstandard: one has a damaged or defective weld in the outer layer of encapsulation, and two have the outer encapsulation removed. The 3 capsules, along with 13 other capsules, will be overpacked in the 324 building to meet the requirements for storage in WESF's pool

Polymer Light-Emitting Diode Prepared by Floating-Off Film-Transfer Technique

KAUST Repository

Park, Jihoon; Kim, Eugene

2015-01-01

© 2015 Copyright Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. Floating-off film-transfer technique was used for the formation of semiconducting polymer multi-layers and the effect on the performance of polymer light-emitting diode (PLED) was studied. This method

Molecularly imprinted polymer microspheres prepared by Pickering emulsion polymerization for selective solid-phase extraction of eight bisphenols from human urine samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Jiajia; Li, Yun; Wang, Jincheng; Sun, Xiaoli; Cao, Rong; Sun, Hao; Huang, Chaonan; Chen, Jiping

2015-01-01

Highlights: • BPA imprinted polymer microspheres were prepared by Pickering emulsion polymerization. • Regular spherical shape and narrow diameter distribution. • Good specific adsorption capacity for BPA. • Good class-selectivity and clean-up efficiency for bisphenols in human urine under SPE mode. • Good recoveries and sensitivity for bisphenols using the MIPMS-SPE coupled with HPLC-DAD method. - Abstract: The bisphenol A (BPA) imprinted polymer microspheres were prepared by simple Pickering emulsion polymerization. Compared to traditional bulk polymerization, both high yields of polymer and good control of particle sizes were achieved. The characterization results of scanning electron microscopy and nitrogen adsorption–desorption measurements showed that the obtained molecularly imprinted polymer microsphere (MIPMS) particles possessed regular spherical shape, narrow diameter distribution (30–60 μm), a specific surface area (S BET ) of 281.26 m 2 g −1 and a total pore volume (V t ) of 0.459 cm 3 g −1 . Good specific adsorption capacity for BPA was obtained in the sorption experiment and good class selectivity for BPA and its seven structural analogs (bisphenol F, bisphenol B, bisphenol E, bisphenol AF, bisphenol S, bisphenol AP and bisphenol Z) was demonstrated by the chromatographic evaluation experiment. The MIPMS as solid-phase extraction (SPE) packing material was then evaluated for extraction and clean-up of these bisphenols (BPs) from human urine samples. An accurate and sensitive analytical method based on the MIPMS-SPE coupled with HPLC-DAD has been successfully established for simultaneous determination of eight BPs from human urine samples with detection limits of 1.2–2.2 ng mL −1 . The recoveries of BPs for urine samples at two spiking levels (100 and 500 ng mL −1 for each BP) were in the range of 81.3–106.7% with RSD values below 8.3%

Heparin release from thermosensitive polymer coatings: in vivo studies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gutowska, Anna; Bae, You Han; Jacobs, Harvey; Mohammad, Fazal; Mix, Donald; Feijen, Jan; Kim, Sung Wan

1995-01-01

Biomer/poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)/[poly(NiPAAm)] thermosensitive polymer blends were prepared and their application as heparin-releasing polymer coatings for the prevention of surface-induced thrombosis was examined. The advantage of using poly(NiPAAm)-based coatings as heparin-releasing polymers

Application of a Compact Magnetic Resonance Imaging System with 1.5 T Permanent Magnets to Visualize Release from and the Disintegration of Capsule Formulations in Vitro and in Vivo.

Science.gov (United States)

Takeshita, Keizo; Okazaki, Shoko; Shinada, Kyosuke; Shibamoto, Yuma

2017-01-01

Although magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has potential in assessments of formulations, few studies have been conducted because of the size and expense of the instrument. In the present study, the processes of in vitro and in vivo release in a gelatin capsule formulation model were visualized using a compact MRI system with 1.5 T permanent magnets, which is more convenient than the superconducting MRI systems typically used for clinical and experimental purposes. A Gd-chelate of diethylenetriamine-N,N,N',N″,N″-pentaacetic acid, a contrast agent that markedly enhances proton signals via close contact with water, was incorporated into capsule formulations as a marker compound. In vitro experiments could clearly demonstrate the preparation-dependent differences in the release/disintegration of the formulations. In some preparations, the penetration of water into the formulation and generation of bubbles in the capsule were also observed prior to the disintegration of the formulation. When capsule formulations were orally administered to rats, the release of the marker into the stomach and its transit to the duodenum were visualized. These results strongly indicate that the compact MRI system is a powerful tool for pharmaceutical studies.

Capsule shields the function of short bacterial adhesins

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schembri, Mark; Dalsgaard, D.; Klemm, Per

2004-01-01

Bacterial surface structures such as capsules and adhesins are generally regarded as important virulence factors. Here we demonstrate that capsules block the function of the self-recognizing protein antigen 43 through physical shielding. The phenomenon is not restricted to Escherichia coli but can...

Toward an integrated model of capsule regulation in Cryptococcus neoformans.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brian C Haynes

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Cryptococcus neoformans is an opportunistic fungal pathogen that causes serious human disease in immunocompromised populations. Its polysaccharide capsule is a key virulence factor which is regulated in response to growth conditions, becoming enlarged in the context of infection. We used microarray analysis of cells stimulated to form capsule over a range of growth conditions to identify a transcriptional signature associated with capsule enlargement. The signature contains 880 genes, is enriched for genes encoding known capsule regulators, and includes many uncharacterized sequences. One uncharacterized sequence encodes a novel regulator of capsule and of fungal virulence. This factor is a homolog of the yeast protein Ada2, a member of the Spt-Ada-Gcn5 Acetyltransferase (SAGA complex that regulates transcription of stress response genes via histone acetylation. Consistent with this homology, the C. neoformans null mutant exhibits reduced histone H3 lysine 9 acetylation. It is also defective in response to a variety of stress conditions, demonstrating phenotypes that overlap with, but are not identical to, those of other fungi with altered SAGA complexes. The mutant also exhibits significant defects in sexual development and virulence. To establish the role of Ada2 in the broader network of capsule regulation we performed RNA-Seq on strains lacking either Ada2 or one of two other capsule regulators: Cir1 and Nrg1. Analysis of the results suggested that Ada2 functions downstream of both Cir1 and Nrg1 via components of the high osmolarity glycerol (HOG pathway. To identify direct targets of Ada2, we performed ChIP-Seq analysis of histone acetylation in the Ada2 null mutant. These studies supported the role of Ada2 in the direct regulation of capsule and mating responses and suggested that it may also play a direct role in regulating capsule-independent antiphagocytic virulence factors. These results validate our experimental approach to dissecting

Synthesis and characterization of oxytetracycline imprinted magnetic polymer for application in food

Science.gov (United States)

Aggarwal, Sneha; Rajput, Yudhishthir Singh; Singh, Gulab; Sharma, Rajan

2016-02-01

Magnetic imprinted polymer was prepared by polymerization of methacrylate and ethyleneglycoldimethacrylate in the presence of oxytetracycline on the surface of iron magnetite. Selectivity of prepared polymer was calculated from ratio of partition coefficient of oxytetracycline for imprinted and non- imprinted polymer in water, acetonitrile, methanol and at different pH in aqueous buffer. pH of solvent exhibited pronounced effect on selectivity. Selectivity at pH 7.0, 6.0 and 5.0 was 36.0, 2.25 and 1.61 fold higher than at pH 4.0. Imprinted polymer was not selective for oxytetracycline in methanol. However, selectivity in water and acetonitrile was 19.42 and 2.86, respectively. Oxytetracycline did bind to imprinted polymer in water or aqueous buffer (pH 7.0) and could be eluted with methanol. Prepared polymer extracted 75-80 % oxytetracycline from water, honey and egg white.

A Study of Functional Polymer Colloids Prepared Using Thiol-Ene/Yne Click Chemistry