Determination of the operating parameters of an evaporator crystallizer

This work involves the study of the solid/liquid equilibrium in the NaCl–NaOH–H₂O ternary system. The aim is to optimize the operating conditions of an evaporator–crystallizer used in a hydrazine extraction process. The latter is conducted at industrial scale using the Raschig method, a general method for preparing hydrazines for aerospace and pharmaceutical applications. The extraction process includes the use of a Kestner type evaporator–crystallizer to first isolate hydrazine and water by evaporation and then separate two salts: sodium hydroxide, recovered as an aqueous solution, and sodium chloride which crystallizes. However, problems related to the co-precipitation of NaCl–NaOH may be encountered in industry, leading to the clogging of installations. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that only NaCl crystallizes while maintaining NaOH in liquid state. Knowledge of the equilibrium phases of the NaCl–NaOH–H₂O ternary system is thus required, particularly the liquid/solid phase. Phase equilibrium experiments were performed by isoplethic thermal analysis (ITA) and chemical titrations over the temperature range of 313 to 353 K at atmospheric pressure. ITA is an isobaric and isothermal method developed in our laboratory and based on the measurement of the thermal effects associated with transformations in a system (appearance or disappearance of a phase) when its composition is changed. The NaCl crystallization domain was fully determined and the operating parameters of the device were defined precisely as a function of temperature and composition of the Kestner loop.     

Snake Venom Components: Tools and Cures to Target Cardiovascular Diseases

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are considered as a major cause of death worldwide. Therefore, identifying and developing therapeutic strategies to treat and reduce the prevalence of CVDs is a major medical challenge. Several drugs used for the treatment of CVDs, such as captopril, emerged from natural products, namely snake venoms. These venoms are complex mixtures of bioactive molecules, which, among other physiological networks, target the cardiovascular system, leading to them being considered in the development and design of new drugs. In this review, we describe some snake venom molecules targeting the cardiovascular system such as phospholipase A2 (PLA2), natriuretic peptides (NPs), bradykinin-potentiating peptides (BPPs), cysteine-rich secretory proteins (CRISPs), disintegrins, fibrinolytic enzymes, and three-finger toxins (3FTXs). In addition, their molecular targets, and mechanisms of action—vasorelaxation, inhibition of platelet aggregation, cardioprotective activities—are discussed. The dissection of their biological effects at the molecular scale give insights for the development of future snake venom-derived drugs.     

Measurements of isobaric LLV equilibria of the 1,1,4,4-tetramethyl-2-tetrazene-water binary system: novel experimental approach and modeling essays

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - The present study was carried out in the frame of the optimization of the synthesis process of 1,1,4,4-tetramethyl-2-tetrazene (TMTZ), a prospective...