The physical and mechanical properties of beta‐nucleated polypropylene/montmorillonite nanocomposites

Polypropylene (PP) and polypropylene/polypropylene‐g‐maleic anhydride/ organomontmorillonite (PP/PP‐g‐MA/OMMT) nanocomposites were modified with 0.05 to 0.3% (w/w) of the aryl amide β‐nucleator to promote the formation of hexagonal crystal modification (β‐phase) during melt crystallization. The nonisothermal crystallization behavior of PP, PP/PP‐g‐MA/OMMT and β‐nucleated PP/PP‐g‐MA/OMMT nanocomposites were studied by means of differential scanning calorimetry. Structure‐property relationships of the PP nanocomposites prepared by melt compounding were mainly focused on the effect and quantity of the aryl amide nucleator. The morphological observations, obtained from scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X‐ray diffraction analyses are presented in conjunction with the thermal, rheological, and mechanical properties of these nanocomposites. Chemical interactions in the nanocomposites were observed by FT‐IR. It was found that the β‐crystal modification affected the thermal and mechanical properties of PP and PP/PP‐g‐MA/OMMT nanocomposites, while the PP/PP‐g‐MA/OMMT nanocomposites of the study gained both a higher impact strength (50%) and flexural modulus (30%) compared to that of the neat PP. β‐nucleation of the PP/PP‐g‐MA/OMMT nanocomposites provided a slight reduction in density and some 207% improvement in the very low tensile elongation at break at 92% beta nucleation. The crystallization peak temperature (T_cp) of the PP/PP‐g‐MA/OMMT nanocomposite was slightly higher (116°C) than the neat PP (113°C), whereas the β‐nucleation increased the crystallization temperature of the PP/PP‐g‐MA/OMMT/aryl amide to 128°C, which is of great advantage in a commercial‐scale mold processing of the nanocomposites with the resulting lower cycle times. The beta nucleation of PP nanocomposites can thus be optimized to obtain a better balance between thermal and mechanical properties. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011.     

Determination of sorption of seventy-five pharmaceuticals in sewage sludge

Sorption of 75 active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to three different types of sludge (primary sludge, secondary sludge with short and long sludge age respectively) were investigated. To obtain the sorption isotherms batch studies with the APIs mixture were performed in four nominal concentrations to water containing 1 g of sludge. The range of APIs concentrations was between ng L⁻¹ to μg L⁻¹ which are found in the wastewater effluents. Isotherms were obtained for approximately 45 of the APIs, providing distribution coefficients for linear (K_d), Freundlich (K_f) and Langmuir (K_L) isotherms. K_d, K_f and K_L ranging between 7.1 × 10⁴ and 3.8 × 10⁷, 1.1 × 10⁻² and 6.1 × 10⁴ and 9.2 × 10⁻³ and 1.1 L kg⁻¹, respectively. The obtained coefficients were applied to estimate the fraction of APIs in the water phase (see Abstract Graphic). For 37 of the 75 APIs, the predicted presence in the liquid phase was estimated to >80%. 24 APIs were estimated to be present in the liquid phase between 20 and 80%, and 14 APIs were found to have <20% presence in the liquid phase, i.e. high affinity towards sludge. Furthermore, the effect of pH at values 6, 7 and 8 was evaluated using one way ANOVA-test. A significant difference in K_ds due to pH changes were found for 6 of the APIs (variation 10-20%).     

Modulation of charge transport properties of reduced graphene oxide by submonolayer physisorption of an organic dye

We have examined the effect of submonolayer coverage of 1-pyrene butyric acid on charge carrier transport in reduced graphene oxide. We have modeled the interaction of 1-pyrene butyric acid molecules with graphene and determined the amount of charge transfer at the interface between the two materials. The effect of 1-pyrene butyric acid as electron acceptor was determined by transfer characteristics measurements on thin film transistors for thick layers. By using time-resolved photocurrent measurements we were able to detect a reduction of electron mobility in reduced graphene oxide for coverage as low as 0.08%.     

Monitoring of theophylline dehydration in a vacuum contact dryer by near-infrared spectroscopy

This study is a contribution for development of in-line monitoring of solid-state forms during pharmaceuticals manufacturing. It concerns the dehydration behaviour of theophylline monohydrate by stirred bed vacuum contact drying. First it was demonstrated that NIRS coupled with PLS regression enabled to measure in-line and in situ the exact composition of the mixture of different forms of theophylline (and water) during drying. Second, the influence of operating parameters (temperature and water activity) on the kinetics of solid state transformations was investigated. It was shown that the dehydration advanced first by the formation of the metastable anhydrate and after a lag time of the stable one. Once the stable appeared, formation of the metastable form came to an end. The temperature was found out to be the main factor controlling the overall process rate but also the final contents of the stable and metastable anhydrates for the considered dryer and operating conditions range.     

Silver Salt of 4,6‐Diazido‐N‐nitro‐1,3,5‐triazine‐2‐amine – Characterization of this Primary Explosive

A new primary explosive, the silver salt of 4,6‐diazido‐N‐nitro‐1,3,5‐triazine‐2‐amine (AgDANT), was synthesized and characterized. AgDANT was prepared with a 97 % yield and characterized by IR spectroscopy, single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction, and DTA. The crystal density of AgDANT is 2.530 g cm⁻³ and the molecule consists of a centro‐symmetric dimer with a high degree of planarity. The intramolecular Ag Ag distance is relatively low (331 pm) and can be considered as a strong argentophilic interaction. AgDANT is non‐hygroscopic and its solubility in water (1.27 mg in 100 mL at 23 °C) is on a similar level of solubility to that of silver azide. The sensitivity of AgDANT to impact is slightly higher than that for MF, sensitivity to friction is the same as for LA, and sensitivity to electric discharge is between that for LS and MF. Initiation efficiency of AgDANT was tested in electric detonators and compared to dextrinated lead azide (initiation efficiency of AgDANT is 40 mg for PETN secondary charge). The thermal resistance of detonators with AgDANT is satisfactory; all detonators were fully functional after exposure at 65 °C (30 d) and 85 °C (2 d).     

Quality-Related Enzymes in Fruit and Vegetable Products: Effects of Novel Food Processing Technologies,Part 1: High-Pressure Processing

The activity of endogenous deteriorative enzymes together with microbial growth (with associated enzymatic activity) and/or other non-enzymatic (usually oxidative) reactions considerably shorten the shelf life of fruits and vegetable products. Thermal processing is commonly used by the food industry for enzyme and microbial inactivation and is generally effective in this regard. However, thermal processing may cause undesirable changes in product's sensory as well as nutritional attributes. Over the last 20 years, there has been a great deal of interest shown by both the food industry and academia in exploring alternative food processing technologies that use minimal heat and/or preservatives. One of the technologies that have been investigated in this context is high-pressure processing (HPP). This review deals with HPP focusing on its effectiveness for controlling quality-degrading enzymes in horticultural products. The scientific literature on the effects of HPP on plant enzymes, mechanism of action, and intrinsic and extrinsic factors that influence the effectiveness of HPP for controlling plant enzymes is critically reviewed. HPP inactivates vegetative microbial cells at ambient temperature conditions, resulting in a very high retention of the nutritional and sensory characteristics of the fresh product. Enzymes such as polyphenol oxidase (PPO), peroxidase (POD), and pectin methylesterase (PME) are highly resistant to HPP and are at most partially inactivated under commercially feasible conditions, although their sensitivity towards pressure depends on their origin as well as their environment. Polygalacturonase (PG) and lipoxygenase (LOX) on the other hand are relatively more pressure sensitive and can be substantially inactivated by HPP at commercially feasible conditions. The retention and activation of enzymes such as PME by HPP can be beneficially used for improving the texture and other quality attributes of processed horticultural products as well as for creating novel structures that are not feasible with thermal processing.     

Short communication: Comparative performance of 3 on-farm culture systems for detection of mastitis pathogens interpreted by trained and untrained observers

On-farm culture (OFC) systems facilitate pathogen-based mastitis management and can facilitate antimicrobial stewardship on dairy farms. Interpretation of the results, however, may present a challenge for those with limited microbiology experience. Here, we compared results of 3 OFC systems interpreted by trained and untrained observers against results of a standard laboratory reference method (aerobic culture and mass spectrometry). Milk samples (280 quarter and 60 composite) were selected from submissions for routine diagnostic testing to Quality Milk Production Services (Cornell University, Ithaca, NY) between August 2017 and January 2018. Samples were cultured simultaneously using the standard laboratory reference method and 3 commercially available OFC systems that varied in detail of pathogen identification (provided in parentheses) as follows: (1) Minnesota Easy Culture System II Bi-plate (University of Minnesota Laboratory for Udder Health, St. Paul; gram-positive, gram-negative), (2) Minnesota Easy Culture System II Tri-plate (gram-positive, gram-negative, some genus level), and (3) FERA Diagnostics and Biologicals AccuMast plate (Ithaca, NY; genus level, some species level). After 18 to 24 h of incubation, OFC plates were interpreted by 1 trained observer (>10 yr of experience in milk microbiology) and 6 untrained observers with no previous milk microbiology training, using only the manufacturers' instructions for guidance. Strength of agreement (κ) between observer groups and the reference method was determined for the available outcomes of each system. Interpreted by the trained observer, agreement was moderate for identifying gram-positive organisms (Bi-plate, κ = 0.56) and substantial for Streptococcus spp. (Tri-plate, κ = 0.64, AccuMast κ = 0.61). Interpretation by untrained observers resulted in fair agreement (κ = 0.29–0.37) for these organisms. Moderate agreement (κ = 0.43–0.59) was found across all 3 OFC for the identification of gram-negative organisms (Bi-plate), non-aureus staphylococci (Tri-plate and AccuMast), Lactococcus spp., and Enterococcus spp. (AccuMast) when interpreted by the trained observer, and fair to moderate agreement was found (κ = 0.31–0.53) among untrained observers. Across all 3 OFC, agreement was almost perfect (κ = 0.80–0.89) for Staphylococcus aureus for the trained observer, and moderate to substantial (κ = 0.56–0.61) for untrained observers. We concluded that all 3 OFC appeared suitable to support pathogen-based mastitis management when operated by trained observers. Training beyond the instruction manual is a prerequisite to make OFC systems useful for pathogen-based mastitis management.     

Environmental risk assessment of fluctuating diazinon concentrations in an urban and agricultural catchment using toxicokinetic-toxicodynamic modeling

Temporally resolved environmental risk assessment of fluctuating concentrations of micropollutants is presented. We separated the prediction of toxicity over time from the extrapolation from one to many species and from acute to sublethal effects. A toxicokinetic-toxicodynamic (TKTD) model predicted toxicity caused by fluctuating concentrations of diazinon, measured by time-resolved sampling over 108 days from three locations in a stream network, representing urban, agricultural and mixed land use. We calculated extrapolation factors to quantify variation in toxicity among species and effect types based on available toxicity data, while correcting for different test durations with the TKTD model. Sampling from the distribution of extrapolation factors and prediction of time-resolved toxicity with the TKTD model facilitated subsequent calculation of the risk of undesired toxic events. Approximately one-fifth of aquatic organisms were at risk and fluctuating concentrations were more toxic than their averages. Contribution of urban and agricultural sources of diazinon to the overall risk varied. Thus using fixed concentrations as water quality criteria appears overly simplistic because it ignores the temporal dimension of toxicity. However, the improved prediction of toxicity for fluctuating concentrations may be small compared to uncertainty due to limited diversity of toxicity data to base the extrapolation factors on.