Search Results
DSC monitoring of supermolecular structure damage of polyethylene products
Academia and industry challenges
Abstract
Investigated materials were produced from polyethylene of low density (PE-LD) and a filler: carbon black or chalk. A part of the samples was kept in ambient temperature over several months in order to study the effect of material ageing. The qualitative conclusions were drawn based on a precise analysis of shape of DSC curves and the basic investigations of PE morphologies known from literature. The influence of the thermal history and the filler contents on the amount and kind of crystal phase was established. Additionally, the effect of the measurement technique, in our case it was positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS), on the morphological feature changes was found. The paper serves selected examples of problems solved by DSC. However, from the other hand, the authors discuss critically the opportunity given by this method.
Abstract
Differential scanning calorimetry was applied to the determination of diclofenac in three 'Voltaren' formulas. The pharmaceutical products (soluble tablets, suppositories and vials) were selected in order to show that calorimetric analysis is an easy technique to perform and can be competitive with other conventional methods. In the tablets diclofenac (DH) was determined, without any pre-treatment, from the area of the endothermic peak which occurs at about 180C in the DSC curve obtained in N2 atmosphere. In the analysis of the suppositories and vials, nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) was added to transform the diclofenac sodium salt (DS) into the thermally active form (DH). In both cases, it was necessary to eliminate the interference of excipient by cyclohexane extraction (suppositories) or by a multistep program for the DSC run (vials). The accuracy of the results and the simplicity of the procedure justify the important role of DSC in the analysis of these drugs and certainly of several other commercial products.
Abstract
Oxidation of saturated fatty acids ethyl esters: laurate, myristate, palmitate and stearate was investigated by means of DSC techniques under isothermal and non-isothermal conditions. The activation energies of isothermal oxidation were similar to each other (112–123 kJ mol−1) and no influence of carbon length on the rate of oxidative decomposition was observed. Results obtained from non-isothermal experiments were similar only for the first stage of oxidation.
Abstract
The thermal decomposition of electrolytic manganese dioxide (EMD), in an inert atmosphere, and the effect of chemical reduction on EMD, using 2-propanol under reflux (82C), was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). This study is an extension of a study investigating the thermal decomposition of EMD and reduced EMD by TG-MS (J. Therm. Anal. Cal., 80 (2005)625)). The DSC characterisation was carried out up to 600C encompassing the water loss region up to 390C and the first thermal reduction step. Water removal was observed in two distinct endothermic peaks (which were not deconvolved in the TG-MS) associated with the removal of bound water. For the lower degrees of chemical reduction, thermal reduction resulted in the formation of Mn2O3; for higher degrees of chemical reduction, the thermal reduction resulted in Mn3O4 at 600C. In the DSC the thermal reduction of the EMD and chemically reduced specimen was observed to be endothermic. The reduced specimens, however, also showed an exothermic structural reorganisation.
Abstract
Modifications of lens proteins play a crucial role in the formation of cataract, which is among the leading causes of world blindness in the ageing population. Although modern cataract surgery by phacoemulsification is a very successful and safe procedure, the prevention of cataract formation would be a real breakthrough in this field of ophthalmology. The aim of our study was to analyse the thermal denaturation of the cataractous lens proteins by the method of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), to understand cataract formation and to work on its prevention possibilities. Samples were obtained from cataract patients of different age, sex, patients with and without diabetes mellitus. Samples were obtained from lenses of mature degree and progredient degree of cataract as well. Previous DSC examinations were performed on manually extracted human cataractous lens materials, however to the best of our knowledge, this is the first study, in which DSC examinations were performed on lens materials obtained by the phacoemulsification technique, which gained acceptance world-wide in the last decade.
Influence of transcrystallinity on DSC analysis of polymers
Experimental and theoretical aspects
Abstract
Intense parasitic nucleation has been observed at the surface of differential scanning calorimetry samples for various polymers, whereas their crystallization traces exhibit complex shapes. Revisited overall kinetics theories and computer simulation, taking into account small thickness of samples and transcrystallinity effects, allow to explain and reproduce experimental ‘double peaks’, currently observed with polyamide 6-6. The beginning of the transformation and the main peak are attributed to surface and bulk nucleations, respectively. As a consequence, any DSC experiment should be followed by a microscopic observation and more accurate models including thermal gradients and resistances should be developed for their interpretation.
Abstract
The aim of the present work is to study plaster residues produced in industries in Goiás State (Brazil). The study analyzes the trituration and dehydrating processes of the plaster and compares its chemical, mechanical and physical characteristics to the natural plaster samples aiming its possible recycling. Plaster samples were submitted to X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric (TG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analyses. By the comparison of the results obtained for both samples it was observed that they have similar chemical characteristics. No reason was found against the use of recycled plaster.
Abstract
Knowledge of the the kinetic study of chitosan/genipin allow to know the different effects that time and temperature have on the cure reaction of the material. The total enthalpy of reaction, the glass transition temperature and the partial enthalpies have been determined using DSC in dynamic mode. Two models, one based on chemical kinetics and the other accounting for diffusion were used. The incorporation of the diffusion factor in the second model allowed for the cure kinetics to be predicted the whole range of conversion.
Abstract
A DSC method for evaluating the surface area of etched Al foils for use in high performance electrolytic capacitors is presented. A linear relationship between the etching degree (effective surface area) and the thermal resistance of the sample is obtained by means of DSC, based on the transient phenomenon. This method using the transient state in DSC measurement is not only novel, but also rapid and simple in evaluating the surface area of an etched aluminum foil. The method is effective even when the Al foil has a naturally oxidized surface.
Abstract
Monoclinic (I) and orthorhombic (II) polymorphs of paracetamol were studied by DSC and adiabatic calorimetry in the temperature range 5 - 450 K. At all the stages of the study, the samples (single crystals and powders) were characterized using X-ray diffraction. A single crystal → polycrystal II→ I transformation was observed on heating polymorph II, after which polymorph I melted at 442 K. The previously reported fact that the two polymorphs melt at different temperatures could not be confirmed. The temperature of the II→I transformation varied from crystal to crystal. On cooling the crystals of paracetamol II from ambient temperature to 5 K, a II→ I transformation was also observed, if the 'cooling-heating' cycles were repeated several times. Inclusions of solvent (water) into the starting crystals were shown to be important for this transformation. The values of the low-temperature heat-capacity of the I and II polymorphs of paracetamol were compared, and the thermodynamic functions calculated for the two polymorphs.
