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Phase Separation Process (phase + separation_process)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Polymers and Materials Science	66%

Selected Abstracts

The Ludwig-Soret Effect on the Thermally Induced Phase Separation Process in Polymer Solutions: A Computational Study

MACROMOLECULAR THEORY AND SIMULATIONS, Issue 2 2009
Sureshkumar B. Kukadiya
Abstract The Ludwig-Soret effect was investigated in the thermally induced phase separation process via SD in polymer solutions under an externally imposed spatial linear temperature gradient using mathematical modeling and computer simulation. The mathematical model incorporated non-linear Cahn-Hilliard theory for SD, Flory-Huggins theory for thermodynamics, and the Ludwig-Soret effect for thermal diffusion. 2D simulation results revealed that the Ludwig-Soret effect had negligible impact on the phase separation mechanism in binary polymer solutions under a non-uniform temperature field, as reflected by the time evolution of the dimensionless structure factor and the transition time from the early to the intermediate stages of SD. [source]

Fabrication and Drug Delivery of Ultrathin Mesoporous Bioactive Glass Hollow Fibers

ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 9 2010
Youliang Hong
Abstract Ultrathin mesoporous bioactive glass hollow fibers (MBGHFs) fabricated using an electrospinning technique and combined with a phase-separation-induced agent, poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), are described. The rapid solvent evaporation during electrospinning and the PEO-induced phase separation process demonstrated play vital roles in the formation of ultrathin bioactive glass fibers with hollow cores and mesoporous walls. Immersing the MBGHFs in simulated body fluid rapidly results in the development of a layer of enamel-like apatite mesocrystals at the fiber surfaces and apatite nanocrystals inside the hollow cores. Drug loading and release experiments indicate that the drug loading capacity and drug release behavior of the MBGHFs strongly depends on the fiber length. MBGHFs with fiber length >50,µm can become excellent carriers for drug delivery. The shortening of the fiber length reduces drug loading amounts and accelerates drug release. The MBGHFs reported here with sophisticated structure, high bioactivity, and good drug delivery capability can be a promising scaffold for hard tissue repair and wound healing when organized into 3D macroporous membranes. [source]

Modeling the mass transfers during the elaboration of chitosan-activated carbon composites for medical applications

AICHE JOURNAL, Issue 6 2010
A. Venault
Abstract Hydrogels composites composed of chitosan and activated carbon were prepared for medical applications using the vapor-induced phase separation process. Since the gelation process involves mass exchanges between the polymer solution and the air, the kinetics of mass transfer were investigated through experimental and modeling approaches. Among the formulation and process parameters, gravimetric measurements exhibited that mass transfers were mostly controlled by the initial ammonia partial pressure. A nonisotherm mass-transfer model was developed to predict the nonsolvent and solvent exchange rates, therefore, the water and ammonia concentration profiles within the sample during the process. The numerical results were successively validated with gravimetrical kinetic curves obtained in a chamber where the process parameters were controlled. The model aimed also at predicting the pH moving front along the film thickness. The gelation time could also be predicted for different operating conditions (formulation and process parameters). © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2009 [source]

Pressure-Sensitive Adhesive Blend Films for Low-Tack Applications

MACROMOLECULAR MATERIALS & ENGINEERING, Issue 7 2007
Peter Müller-Buschbaum
Abstract Polymer blend films consisting of a tacky and a nonadhesive component are promising candidates for low-tack applications. Immiscibility of both components results in a phase separation process yielding a tacky matrix with glassy objects embedded. The influence of the blending ratio of the components poly(n -butyl acrylate) (PnBA) and polystyrene (PS) is addressed. The mechanical information resulting from the tack test shows the possibility of varying the bonding strength of the PSA blend over a wide range. The macroscopic and microscopic structural characterization with optical microscopy and ultrasmall angle X-ray scattering (USAXS) shows that the blend PnBA/PS exhibits similarities to common filler systems as well as deviates regarding installed structures. Due to the large domain size on a microscopic level, only the tacky component, PnBA, defines the adhesive behavior. The nonadhesive component limits the contact area between the adhesive and the substrate. [source]

Sequential Polymer Precipitation of Core,Shell Microstructured Composites with Giant Permittivity

MACROMOLECULAR RAPID COMMUNICATIONS, Issue 5 2010
Tingyang Dai
Abstract Polymeric core,shell microstructures have been constructed through a new method, namely sequential precipitation, which is intrinsically a self-assembly and phase separation process. High-quality poly(vinyldene fluoride),polycarbonate,lithium perchlorate composite films with spherical core,shell microstructures have been prepared and determined to consist of conducting cores and insulating shells. Because of the percolation effect, the resulting materials present a dielectric constant as high as 104,107 at the threshold. [source]

Reactive processing of syndiotactic polystyrene with an epoxy/amine solvent system

MACROMOLECULAR SYMPOSIA, Issue 1 2003
Jaap Schut
Abstract Syndiotactic polystyrene (sPS) is a new semi-crystalline thermoplastic which is believed to fill the price-performance gap between engineering and commodity plastics. In order to reduce the high processing temperature of sPS (>290°C), an epoxy-amine model system was used as a reactive solvent. Such a processing aid can be used to achieve a 50 to 500 fold lowering of the melt viscosity. When initially homogeneous solutions of sPS in a stoechiometric epoxy-amine mixture are thermally cured, Reaction Induced Phase Separation (RIPS) takes place, leading to phase separated thermoplastic-thermoset polymer blends. We focus our study on low (wt% sPS < 20%) and high concentration blends (wt% sPS > 60%) prepared by two processing techniques (mechanical stirring in a laboratory reactor or internal mixer/ reactive extrusion respectively). These blends have different potential interests. Low concentration blends (sPS domains in an epoxy-amine matrix) are prepared to create new, tunable blend morphologies by choosing the nature of the phase separation process, i.e. either crystallisation followed by polymerization or polymerization followed crystallisation. High concentration blends (sPS matrix containing dispersed epoxy-amine particles after RIPS) are prepared to facilitate the extrusion of sPS. In this case, the epoxy amine model system served as a reactive solvent. The time to the onset of RIPS is in the order of 7-9 min for low concentration blends, while it increases to 20-45 min for high concentration samples, as the reaction rates are substantially slowed down due to lower epoxy and amine concentrations. During the curing reaction the melting temperature of sPS in the reactive solvent mixture evolves back from a depressed value to the level of pure sPS. This indicates a change in the composition of the sPS phase, caused by (complete) phase separation upon reaction. We conclude that our epoxy amine system is suited for reactive processing of sPS, where final properties depend strongly on composition and processing conditions. [source]

Dielectric in situ sensor monitoring of phase separation and changes in the state of each phase

MACROMOLECULAR SYMPOSIA, Issue 1 2003
D. Kranbuehl
Abstract Frequency dependent dielectric measurements have been used to monitor and characterize the phase separation process and changes in state of each phase. The measurements are made in situ using a micro planar sensor. They can be made both in the laboratory as well as in an industrial production or use environment. Two examples are presented. The first is monitoring the onset of phase separation, the buildup in Tg and change in composition of each phase during "reactive processing" of a high performance thermoplastic (TP) PPI, thermoset precursors (TS) DGEBA-MCDEA intially homogeneous blend. The second example involves monitoring the stability, onset of phase separation, as a function of temperature on a mineral oil, stearyl alcohol, water, sufactant emulsion used in the cosmetic industry. [source]

The Ludwig-Soret Effect on the Thermally Induced Phase Separation Process in Polymer Solutions: A Computational Study

Global regular solutions to Cahn,Hilliard system coupled with viscoelasticity

MATHEMATICAL METHODS IN THE APPLIED SCIENCES, Issue 17 2009
Irena Paw
Abstract In this paper we prove the existence and uniqueness of a global in time, regular solution to the Cahn,Hilliard system coupled with viscoelasticity. The system arises as a model, regularized by a viscous damping, of phase separation process in a binary deformable alloy quenched below a critical temperature. The key tools in the analysis are estimates of absorbing type with the property of exponentially time-decreasing contribution of the initial data. Such estimates allow not only to prolong the solution step by step on the infinite time interval but also to conclude the existence of an absorbing set. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Ab initio studies of indium separated phases in AlGaInN quaternary alloys

PHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI (C) - CURRENT TOPICS IN SOLID STATE PHYSICS, Issue 7 2005
M. Marques
Abstract In this work, ab initio total energy electronic structure calculations are combined with Monte Carlo simulations to study microscopically the indium separated phases taking place in AlxGayIn1,x,yN quaternary alloys. The presence of aluminum in the InGaN alloy is shown to enhance the phase separation process, compared to the InGaN ternary alloy with the same In compositions. We also observe that even in the stable region of the quaternay alloy there are composition fluctuations towards InGaN- and AlGaN-like alloys formation. From our findings the origin of the emissions which have been observed from AlGaInN quaternary is discussed. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source]

Composites formed by glass fibers and PS-modified epoxy matrix.

POLYMER COMPOSITES, Issue 6 2010
Influence of the glass fibers surface on the morphologies, mechanical properties of the interphases generated
In this work, the influence of the nature of the reinforcement surface on the interfacial morphologies developed in E-glass fibers/polystyrene (PS)-modified epoxy composites has been studied. Different surface modifications of the fibers were considered. In a complementary way, morphological analysis and nanoindentation measurements were carried out using atomic force microscopy to subsequently correlate the interfacial structure with the morphologies observed. In every composite, reaction-induced phase separation happened with a morphology composed of PS-rich domains immersed in an epoxy-rich phase. However, depending on the surface modification of the glass fibers, different distributions of PS-rich domains at the interfaces were obtained. The results were interpreted in terms of a gradual phase separation process because of stoichiometric gradients from the glass fibers surface to the matrix bulk caused by specific segregation of one of the components of the reactive epoxy mixture to the fibers occurs. It was concluded that specific and controlled reinforcement modification allows obtaining tailored interfaces formed by a polymer blend and a reinforcement in which the morphology can be previously selected. POLYM. COMPOS., 2010. © 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers [source]

Br/Cl signature of hydrothermal fluids: liquid,vapour fractionation of bromine revisited

GEOFLUIDS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 2 2006
A. LIEBSCHER
Abstract Br/Cl ratios of hydrothermal fluids are widely used as geochemical tracers in marine hydrothermal systems to prove fluid phase separation processes. However, previous results of the liquid,vapour fractionation of bromine are ambiguous. Here we report new experimental results of the liquid,vapour fractionation of bromine in the system H2O,NaCl,NaBr at 380,450°C and 22.9,41.7 MPa. Our data indicate that bromine is generally more enriched than chlorine in the liquid phase. Calculated exchange coefficients KD(Br-Cl)liquid-vapour for the reaction Brvapour + Clliquid = Brliquid + Clvapour are between 0.94 ± 0.08 and 1.66 ± 0.14 within the investigated P,T range. They correlate positively with DClliquid-vapour and suggest increasing bromine,chlorine fractionation with increasing opening of the liquid,vapour solvus, i.e. increasing distance to the critical curve in the H2O,NaCl system. An empirical fit of the form KD(Br-Cl)liquid-vapour = a*ln[b*(DClliquid-vapour,1) + e1/a] yields a = 0.349 and b = 1.697. Based on this empirical fit and the well-constrained phase relations in the H2O,NaCl system we calculated the effect of fluid phase separation on the Br/Cl signature of a hydrothermal fluid with initial seawater composition for closed and open adiabatic ascents along the 4.5 and 4.8 J g,1 K,1 isentropes. The calculations indicate that fluid phase separation can significantly alter the Br/Cl ratio in hydrothermal fluids. The predicted Br/Cl evolutions are in accord with the Br/Cl signatures in low-salinity vent fluids from the 9 to 10°N East Pacific Rise. [source]