Biodegradable Photo-Crosslinked Thin Polymer Networks Based on Vegetable Oil Hydroxyfatty Acids

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Novel crosslinked thin polymer networks based on vegetable oil hydroxyfatty acids (HFAs) were prepared by UV photopolymerization and their mechanical properties were evaluated. Two raw materials, castor oil and 7,10-dihydroxy-8(E)-octadecenoic acid (DOD) were used as sources of mono- and di-HFAs, r...

Regiospecific Quantification of Triacylglycerols Containing Ricinoleate and Dihydroxy Fatty Acids in Castor Oil by Mass Spectrometry

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Ricinoleate, a monohydroxy fatty acid, has many industrial uses such as the manufacture of aviation lubricant, plastic, paint and cosmetics. Ricinoleate occurs as acylglycerols (AG) in castor oil, and about 70% of castor oil is triricinolein. Castor oil is the only commercial source of ricinoleate. ...

Analysis of acylglycerols containing mono- and dihydroxy fatty acids in castor oil by HPLC and MS

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Ricinoleate, a monohydroxy fatty acid, has many industrial uses such as the manufacture of aviation lubricant, plastic, paint and cosmetics. Ricinoleate occurs as acylglycerols (AG) in castor oil, and about 70% of castor oil is triricinolein. Castor oil is the only commercial source of ricinoleate. ...

Oil content among the diverse castor genetic resources in the U.S. collection

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Castor (Ricinus communis L.) contains oil used for medicine, as an ingredient in shampoo, soap, hand lotion, high-speed lubricants, and as a coating material. Due to its high oil content, oil derived from castor seeds is currently proposed to be used as a feedstock for biodiesel production. The USDA...

Sequential interpenetrating polymer networks produced from vegetable oil based polyurethane and poly(methyl methacrylate).

PubMed

Kong, Xiaohua; Narine, Suresh S

2008-08-01

Sequential interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) were prepared using polyurethane produced from a canola oil based polyol with primary terminal functional groups and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). The properties of the material were studied and compared to the IPNs made from commercial castor oil using dynamic mechanical analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, as well as tensile measurements. The morphology of the IPNs was investigated using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The chemical diversity of the starting materials allowed the evaluation of the effects of dangling chains and graftings on the properties of the IPNs. The polymerization process of canola oil based IPNs was accelerated because of the utilization of polyol with primary functional groups, which efficiently lessened the effect of dangling chains and yielded a higher degree of phase mixing. The mechanical properties of canola oil based IPNs containing more than 75 wt % PMMA were comparable to the corresponding castor oil based IPNs; both were superior to those of the constituent polymers due to the finely divided rubber and plastic combination structures in these IPNs. However, when PMMA content was less than 65 wt %, canola oil based IPNs exhibited a typical mechanical behavior of rigid plastics, whereas castor oil based IPNs showed a typical mechanical behavior of soft rubber. It is proposed that these new IPN materials with high performance prepared from alternative renewable resources can prove to be valuable substitutes for existing materials in various applications.

Castor oil as a natural alternative to labor induction: A retrospective descriptive study.

PubMed

DeMaria, Andrea L; Sundstrom, Beth; Moxley, Grace E; Banks, Kendall; Bishop, Ashlan; Rathbun, Lesley

2018-04-01

To describe birthing outcomes among women who consumed castor oil cocktail as part of a freestanding birth center labor induction protocol. De-identified data from birth logs and electronic medical records were entered into SPSS Statistics 22.0 for analysis for all women who received the castor oil cocktail (n=323) to induce labor between January 2008 and May 2015 at a birth center in the United States. Descriptive statistics were analyzed for trends in safety and birthing outcomes. Of the women who utilized the castor oil cocktail to stimulate labor, 293 (90.7%) birthed vaginally at the birth center or hospital. The incidence of maternal adverse effects (e.g., nausea, vomiting, extreme diarrhea) was less than 7%, and adverse effects of any kind were reported in less than 15% of births. An independent sample t-test revealed that parous women were more likely to birth vaginally at the birth center after using the castor oil cocktail than their nulliparous counterparts (p<.010), while gestational age (p=.26), woman's age (p=.23), and body mass index (p=.28) were not significantly associated. Nearly 91% of women in the study who consumed the castor oil cocktail to induce labor were able to give birth vaginally with little to no maternal or fetal complications. Findings indicate further research is needed to compare the safety and effectiveness of natural labor induction methodologies, including castor oil, to commonly used labor induction techniques in a prospective study or clinical trial. Copyright © 2017 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Identification of acylglycerols containing dihydroxy fatty acids in castor oil by mass spectrometry

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Ricinoleate, a monohydroxy fatty acid, in castor oil has many industrial uses. Dihydroxy fatty acids can also be used in industry. The C18 HPLC fractions of castor oil were used for mass spectrometry of lithium addicts to identify the acylglycerols containing dihydroxy fatty acids. Four diacylglycer...

Mass spectrometry of the lithium adducts of diacylglycerols containing hydroxy FA in castor oil and two normal FA

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Castor oil can be used in industry. The molecular species of triacylglycerols containing hydroxy fatty acids (FA) in castor oil have been identified. We report here the identification of twelve diacylglycerols (DAG) containing hydroxy FA in castor oil using positive ion electrospray ionization mass ...

Identification of minor acylglycerols less polar than triricinolein in castor oil by mass spectrometry

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Triacylglycerols in castor oil less polar than triricinolein were identified by electrospray ionization – mass spectrometry using the lithium adducts of the acylglycerols from the HPLC fractions of castor oil. Thirty four new molecular species of acylglycerols containing hydroxy fatty acids in casto...

Phenylpropanoid esters of lesquerella and castor oil

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Lesquerella (LO) and castor oil (CO) were esterified at the secondary hydroxyl groups of their 14-hydroxyeicos-cis-11-enoic fatty acids and 12-hydroxyoctadec-cis-9-enoic fatty acids, respectively, with 4-acetoxy-3-methoxycinnamic acid (acetoxyferulic acid). The unconventional esterifications were co...

21 CFR 178.3280 - Castor oil, hydrogenated.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Castor oil, hydrogenated. 178.3280 Section 178.3280 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION (CONTINUED) INDIRECT FOOD ADDITIVES: ADJUVANTS, PRODUCTION AIDS, AND...

21 CFR 178.3280 - Castor oil, hydrogenated.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Castor oil, hydrogenated. 178.3280 Section 178.3280 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION (CONTINUED) INDIRECT FOOD ADDITIVES: ADJUVANTS, PRODUCTION AIDS, AND...

21 CFR 178.3280 - Castor oil, hydrogenated.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2010-04-01 2009-04-01 true Castor oil, hydrogenated. 178.3280 Section 178.3280 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION (CONTINUED) INDIRECT FOOD ADDITIVES: ADJUVANTS, PRODUCTION AIDS, AND SANITIZERS...

21 CFR 178.3280 - Castor oil, hydrogenated.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Castor oil, hydrogenated. 178.3280 Section 178.3280 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION (CONTINUED) INDIRECT FOOD ADDITIVES: ADJUVANTS, PRODUCTION AIDS, AND...

Evaluation of castor oil samples for potential toxin contamination

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Castor oil and its derivatives are widely used as a chemical feedstock for production of lubricants and greases, and for engineering plastics, plasticizers and surfactants. They also have wide application in consumer goods such as lipstick, deodorants and medicinal products. Due to concerns about th...

Experimental investigation on performance and exhaust emissions of castor oil biodiesel from a diesel engine.

PubMed

Shojaeefard, M H; Etgahni, M M; Meisami, F; Barari, A

2013-01-01

Biodiesel, produced from plant and animal oils, is an important alternative to fossil fuels because, apart from dwindling supply, the latter are a major source of air pollution. In this investigation, effects of castor oil biodiesel blends have been examined on diesel engine performance and emissions. After producing castor methyl ester by the transesterification method and measuring its characteristics, the experiments were performed on a four cylinder, turbocharged, direct injection, diesel engine. Engine performance (power, torque, brake specific fuel consumption and thermal efficiency) and exhaust emissions were analysed at various engine speeds. All the tests were done under 75% full load. Furthermore, the volumetric blending ratios of biodiesel with conventional diesel fuel were set at 5, 10, 15, 20 and 30%. The results indicate that lower blends of biodiesel provide acceptable engine performance and even improve it. Meanwhile, exhaust emissions are much decreased. Finally, a 15% blend of castor oil-biodiesel was picked as the optimized blend of biodiesel-diesel. It was found that lower blends of castor biodiesel are an acceptable fuel alternative for the engine.

Changes in antioxidant and biochemical activities in castor oil-coated Capsicum annuum L. during postharvest storage.

PubMed

Panigrahi, Jitendriya; Patel, Mansi; Patel, Niyati; Gheewala, Bhumi; Gantait, Saikat

2018-06-01

This study, for the first time, evaluates the efficiency of castor oil when used as an external coating on Capsicum annuum L., to increase postharvest storage-life at 4 ± 1 °C. The castor oil-coated fruits were successfully stored for 36 days, while the non-coated fruits could only sustain for 18 days. Throughout the storage period (at 9-day intervals), different antioxidants and biochemical assays (allied with storage) such as titratable acidity, ascorbic acid content, ferrous ion chelating activity, reducing power, DPPH scavenging activity, hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, total phenolic content, total sugar estimation, and enzymatic study of polyphenol oxidase and pectate lyase, were assessed. During storage, the castor oil-coated fruits showed a substantial decrease in titratable acidity, ascorbic acid content, total phenolic content, including antioxidant activities such as reducing power and DPPH activity; however, an increase in ferrous ion chelating activity, total soluble sugar content, polyphenol oxidase activity and initial pectate lyase activity was observed, in contrast to that of the non-coated fruits. The application of castor oil proved to be effective in delaying the ripening process of fruits during storage.

Efficiency of Castor Oil as a Storage Medium for Avulsed Teeth in Maintaining the Viability of Periodontal Ligament Cells.

PubMed

Nabavizadeh, Mohammadreza; Abbaszadegan, Abbas; Khodabakhsi, Afrooz; Ahzan, Shamseddin; Mehrabani, Davood

2018-03-01

Researchers always seek a new storage medium for avulsed teeth. Castor oil is a vegetable oil with several advantages such as antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, low toxicity, and glutathione preservation capability, low cost, and high availability. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the capacity of castor oil as a new storage medium in preserving the viability of periodontal ligament (PDL) cells compared to Hank's balanced salt solution (HBSS) and milk. Forty freshly extracted human teeth were divided into 3 experimental and 2 control groups. The experimental teeth were stored dry for 30 min and then immersed for 45 min in one of the following media; castor oil, HBSS, and milk. The positive and negative control groups were exposed to 0 min and 2 h of dry time respectively with no immersion in any storage medium. The teeth were then treated with dispase grade II and collagenase and the number of viable PDL cells were counted. Data were analyzed using Kruskal- Wallis test. The percentage of viable cells treated with castor oil, HBSS and milk counted immediately after removal from these media were 46.93, 51.02 and 55.10 % respectively. The statistical analysis revealed that the value for castor oil was significantly lower than HBSS and milk ( p > 0.05). Within the parameters of this study, it appears that castor oil cannot be served as an ideal medium for storage of avulsed tooth. More investigations under in vivo conditions are required to justify the results of this study.

Composition of acylglycerols in castor oil and their biosynthetic pathway

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Castor oil has many industrial uses, such as the manufacture of aviation lubricant, plastics, paints, coatings, and cosmetics, because of its high content of ricinoleate (hydroxy fatty acid). We have identified many molecular species of acylglycerols using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry o...

Biodiesel production from castor oil using heterogeneous Ni doped ZnO nanocatalyst.

PubMed

Baskar, G; Aberna Ebenezer Selvakumari, I; Aiswarya, R

2018-02-01

In the present study, castor oil with high free fatty acid was used for biodiesel production using heterogeneous Ni doped ZnO nanocatalyst. Ni doped ZnO nanocomposite calcinated at 800 °C has shown better catalytic activity. Process parameters on heterogeneous catalysis of castor oil into biodiesel were optimized using conventional and Response Surface Methodology (RSM). RSM was found more accurate in estimating the optimum conditions with higher biodiesel yield (95.20%). The optimum conditions for transesterification was found to be oil to methanol molar ratio of 1:8, catalyst loading 11% (w/w), reaction temperature of 55 °C for 60 min of reaction time by response surface method. The reusability studies showed that the nanocatalyst can be reused efficiently for 3 cycles. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Castor (Ricinus communis L.)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The castor plant has been cultivated for thousands of years, providing a useful source of medicine, lamp fuel and lubricant long before petroleum came into wide use. The oil content of castor seed ranges from 45 to 60%, with most cultivars closer to 50% oil content. The presence of the hydroxy fatty...

Synthesis and characterization of dialkanolamides from castor oil (Ricinus communis) as nonionic surfactant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anwar, M.; Wahyuningsih, T. D.

2017-12-01

Nonionic surfactant of dialkanolamide derivates was synthesized and characterized from castor oil (Ricinus comunnis). Ricinoleic acid was isolated from castor oil by hydrolysis in alkaline (KOH) condition at 65 °C. Oxidation of ricinoleic acid by dilute potassium permanganate (KMnO4) in alkaline condition at 75-90 °C gave dicarboxylic acid which was then reacted with ethanolamine at 140-160 °C for 6 hours. The product was recrystallized with isopropanol, and the structure elucidation was performed by FTIR, 1HNMR spectrometer, and GC-MS with silylation method. Characterization of surfactants was carried out by surface tension measurement (capillary rise method), Critical Micelle Concentration (CMC) based on turbidity method and calculation of Hydrophilic-Lipophilic Balance (HLB) value with Griffin method and Bancroft rule. The result showed that ricinoleic acid in castor oil is 86.19 % and it is oxidation give an azelaic acid and octanedioic acid in 53.25 %. Amidation of a dicarboxylic acid and ethanolamine at 140-160 °C for 6 hours yielded of N1,N9-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)nona diamide in 49.35 %. Surfactant characterization indicates that dialkanolamide derivates can be used as a surfactant due to its ability to reduce the surface tension of ethanol with CMC at 1.2 g/L, HLB value is 5.58 and can be used as emulsifier water in oil (W/O).

Castor Oil Based Polyurethanes: Synthesis and Characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Macalino, AD; Salen, VA; Reyes, LQ

2017-09-01

In this study, polyurethanes based on castor oil and 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HMDI) were synthesized with varying weight ratio of the castor oil and HMDI. The formation of urethane linkages was verified through the use of a fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The hydrophilicity of the films was evaluated through the use of a contact angle meter and it was found that the contact angle of all the films were below 90 degrees which confirms their hydrophilicity. The thermal stability of the PU films were studies through the use of a thermal gravimetric analyzer and found that all of the polyurethane films exhibited two weight loss events at elevated temperatures wherein the first weight loss event was observed to occur at 285°C to 384°C while the second weight loss event was observed at around 521°C to 551°C. The hardness, elastic modulus, and tensile elongation of the PU films were determined by using a universal testing machine (UTM) where it was found out that the hardness and the elastic modulus of the film is directly proportional with HMDI loading while the tensile elongation is inversely proportional to it. Lastly, it was known through the swelling studies of the PU films that it does not swell, this is due to the presence of unreacted triglycerides in the material, which prevents water from permeating to the films.

LDPE/PHB blends filled with castor oil cake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burlein, Gustavo A.; Rocha, Marisa C. G.

2015-05-01

The response surface methodology (RSM) is a collection of mathematical techniques useful for developing, improving and optimizing process. In this study, RSM technique was applied to evaluate the effect of the components proportion on the mechanical properties of low density polyethylene (LDPE)/ poly (3-hydroxy-butyrate) (PHB) blends filled with castor oil cake (CC). The blends were prepared by melt mixing in a twin screw extruder. Low density polyethylene, poly (3-hydroxy-butyrate) and castor oil pressed cake were represented by the input variables designated as LDPE, PHB and CC, respectively. As it was desirable to consider the largest LDPE content in the ternary system, the components of the mixture were subjected to the following constraints: 0.7 ≤ LDPE ≤ 1.0, 0≤ PHB≤0.3 e 0 ≤ CC ≤0.3. The mechanical properties of the different mixtures were determined by conventional ASTM tests and were evaluated through analysis of variance performed by the Minitab software. Some polynomial equations were tested in order to describe the mechanical behavior of the samples. The quadratic model in pseudo components was selected for describing the tensile behavior because it was the most efficient from a statistical point of view (p-value ≤ 0.05; coefficient of determination (r2) close to 1 and variation inflation factor (VIF) values < 5). The results showed that the LDPE Young's modulus increases but the other tensile properties and impact resistance deteriorate with the addition of PHB or CC. The tensile strength values of binary mixtures of LDPE lie in the range from 8.9 to 10 MPa. As some commercial grades of LDPE have mechanical strength in this range, it may be inferred that the addition of a certain amount of PHB or CC to LDPE may be considered as a possibility for obtaining LDPE based materials with increased susceptibility to biodegradation. The cubic model in pseudo components was selected for describe the flexural strength of the samples because it was

Film-forming properties of castor oil polyol ester blends in elastohydrodynamic conditions

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The viscosities and elastohydrodynamic (EHD) film thickness properties of binary blends of castor oil with polyol esters were determined experimentally. Predicted blend viscosity was calculated from the viscosity of the pure blend components. Measured viscosity values were closer to the values pre...

Performance of maleated castor oil based plasticizer on rubber: rheology and curing characteristic studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Indrajati, I. N.; Dewi, I. R.

2017-07-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of maleated castor oil (MACO) as plasticizer on natural rubber (NR), ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM), and nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR). The parameter studied were involving rheological, curing and swelling properties. The MACOs were prepared by an esterification reaction between castor oil (CO) and maleic anhydride (MAH) with the help of xylene as water entrainer to improve water removal. Resulting oils then applied as a plasticizer in each of those rubbers within a fixed loading of 5 phr. Comparison has been made to evaluate the performance of MACO and conventional plasticizer (paraffinic oil for NR and EPDM, DOP for NBR) on each rubber. Rheology, curing characteristic and swelling of each rubber were studied. The results showed that rubber (NR/EPDM/NBR) plasticized with MACO had given similar flow characteristic to conventional plasticizers. MACO exhibited slow curing, confirmed by higher t90, but the scorch safety was of the same magnitude. MAH loading tended to decrease the flow properties and curing rate, while scorch time (ts2) was independent.

Derivatization of castor oil based estolide esters: Preparation of epoxides and cyclic carbonates

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Estolides that are based on castor oil and oleic acid are versatile starting points for the production of industrial fluids with new properties. A variety of unsaturated estolides were derivatized by epoxidation with hydrogen peroxide. The epoxidized estolides were further modified using supercritic...

Kinetic and Thermodynamics studies for Castor Oil Extraction Using Subcritical Water Technology.

PubMed

Abdelmoez, Wael; Ashour, Eman; Naguib, Shahenaz M; Hilal, Amr; Al Mahdy, Dalia A; Mahrous, Engy A; Abdel-Sattar, Essam

2016-06-01

In this work both kinetic and thermodynamics of castor oil extraction from its seeds using subcritical water technique were studied. It was found that the extraction process followed two consecutive steps. In these steps, the oil was firstly extracted from inside the powder by diffusion mechanism. Then the extracted oil, due to extending the extraction time under high temperature and pressure, was subjected to a decomposition reaction following first order mechanism. The experimental data correlated well with the irreversible consecutive unimolecular-type first order mechanism. The values of both oil extraction rate constants and decomposition rate constants were calculated through non-linear fitting using DataFit software. The extraction rate constants were found to be 0.0019, 0.024, 0.098, 0.1 and 0.117 min(-1), while the decomposition rate constants were 0.057, 0.059, 0.014, 0.019 and 0.17 min(-1) at extraction temperatures of 240, 250, 260, 270 and 280°C, respectively. The thermodynamic properties of the oil extraction process were investigated using Arrhenius equation. The values of the activation energy, Ea, and the frequency factor, A, were 73 kJ mol(-1) and 946, 002 min(-1), respectively. The physicochemical properties of the extracted castor oil including the specific gravity, viscosity, acid value, pH value and calorific value were found to be 0.947, 7.487, 1.094 mg KOH/g, 6.1, and 41.5 MJ/Kg, respectively. Gas chromatography analysis showed that ricinoleic acid (83.6%) appears as the predominant fatty acid in the extracted oil followed by oleic acid (5.5%) and linoleic acid (2.3%).

Local sustained delivery of bupivacaine HCl from a new castor oil-based nanoemulsion system.

PubMed

Rachmawati, Heni; Arvin, Yang Aryani; Asyarie, Sukmadjaja; Anggadiredja, Kusnandar; Tjandrawinata, Raymond Rubianto; Storm, Gert

2018-06-01

Bupivacaine HCl (1-butyl-2',6'-pipecoloxylidide hydrochloride), an amide local anesthetic compound, is a local anesthetic drug utilized for intraoperative local anesthesia, post-operative analgesia and in the treatment of chronic pain. However, its utility is limited by the relative short duration of analgesia after local administration (approximately 9 h after direct injection) and risk for side effects. This work is aimed to develop a nanoemulsion of bupivacaine HCl with sustained local anesthetics release kinetics for improved pain management, by exhibiting extended analgesic action and providing reduced peak levels in the circulation to minimize side effects. Herein, biodegradable oils were evaluated for use in nanoemulsions to enable sustained release kinetics of bupivacaine HCl. Only with castor oil, a clear and stable nanoemulsion was obtained without the occurrence of phase separation over a period of 3 months. High loading of bupivacaine HCl into the castor oil-based nanoemulsion system was achieved with about 98% entrapment efficiency and the resulting formulation showed high stability under stress conditions (accelerated stability test) regarding changes in visual appearance, drug content, and droplet size. We show herein that the in vitro release and in vivo pharmacokinetic profiles as well as pharmacodynamic outcome (pain relief test) after subcutaneous administration in rats correlate well and clearly demonstrate the prolonged release and extended duration of activity of our novel nanoformulation. In addition, the lower C max value achieved in the blood compartment suggests the possibility that the risk for systemic side effects is reduced. We conclude that castor oil-based nanomulsion represents an attractive pain treatment possibility to achieve prolonged local action of bupivacaine HCl.

The use of castor oil and ricinoleic acid in lead chalcogenide nanocrystal synthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kyobe, Joseph W. M.; Mubofu, Egid B.; Makame, Yahya M. M.; Mlowe, Sixberth; Revaprasadu, Neerish

2016-08-01

A green solution-based thermolysis method for the synthesis of lead chalcogenide (PbE, E = S, Se, Te) nanocrystals in castor oil (CSTO) and its isolate ricinoleic acid (RA) is described. The blue shift observed from the optical spectra of CSTO and RA-capped PbE nanocrystals (NCs) confirmed the evidence of quantum confinement. The dimensions of PbE NCs obtained from NIR absorption spectra, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies were in good agreement. The particle sizes estimated were in the range of 20, 25, and 130 nm for castor oil-capped PbS, PbSe, and PbTe, respectively. Well-defined close to cubic-shaped particles were observed in the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of PbSe and PbTe nanocrystals. The high-resolution TEM and selective area electron diffraction (SAED) micrographs of the as-synthesized crystalline PbE NCs showed distinct lattice fringes with d-spacing distances corroborating with the standard values reported in literature.

NTP technical report on the toxicity studies of Castor Oil (CAS No. 8001-79-4) in F344/N Rats and B6C3F1 Mice (Dosed Feed Studies).

PubMed

Irwin, R

1992-03-01

Castor oil is a natural oil derived from the seeds of the castor bean, Ricinus communis. It is comprised largely of triglycerides with a high ricinolin content. Toxicity studies with castor oil were performed by incorporating the material at concentrations as high as 10% in diets given to F344/N rats and B6C3F1 mice of both sexes for 13 weeks. Genetic toxicity studies also were performed and were negative for mutation induction in Salmonella typhimurium, for induction of sister chromatid exchanges or chromosomal aberrations in Chinese hamster ovary cells, and for induction of micronuclei in the peripheral blood erythrocytes of mice evaluated at the end of the 13-week studies. Exposure to castor oil at dietary concentrations as high as 10% in 13-week studies did not affect survival or body weight gains of rats or mice (10 per sex and dose). There were no biologically significant effects noted in hematologic analyses in rats. Mild increases in total bile acids and in serum alkaline phosphatase were noted at various times during the studies in rats receiving the higher dietary concentrations of castor oil. Liver weights were increased in male rats receiving the 10% dietary concentration and in male and female mice receiving diets containing 5% or 10% castor oil. However, there were no histopathologic lesions associated with these liver changes, nor were there any compound-related morphologic changes in any organ in rats or mice. No significant changes were noted in a screening for male reproductive endpoints, including sperm count and motility, and no changes were observed in the length of estrous cycles of rats or mice given diets containing castor oil. Thus, no significant adverse effects of castor oil administration were noted in these studies. Synonyms: Ricinus Oil, oil of Palma Christi, tangantangan oil, phorboyl, Neoloid.

Meat quality assessment from young goats fed for long periods with castor de-oiled cake.

PubMed

Oliveira, C H A; Silva, A M; Silva, L M; van Tilburg, M F; Fernandes, C C L; Moura, A A; Moreno, F B M B; Monteiro-Moreira, A C O; Moreira, R A; Bezerra, F J; Rondina, D

2015-08-01

Diet can influence both the qualitative and quantitative traits of ruminant meat. This study evaluated the effects of castor de-oiled cake on the meat of mixed-breed male goat kids. After 165days of diet treatment, no alterations (p>0.05) were observed in the in vivo performance, anatomic components, dissection and proximate composition of the Longissimus dorsi muscle, as well as in the color and pH of the carcasses. However, diet had an effect (p<0.05) on energy metabolites, fatty acid profile, and expression of certain proteins of the Longissimus dorsi muscle. To conclude, this study showed that the establishment of castor de-oiled cake diet for a long period to goats led to alterations in meat quality, without compromising its consumption qualities. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Glutathione Preservation during Storage of Rat Lenses in Optisol-GS and Castor Oil

PubMed Central

Holm, Thomas; Brøgger-Jensen, Martin Rocho; Johnson, Leif; Kessel, Line

2013-01-01

Background Glutathione concentration in the lens decreases in aging and cataractous lenses, providing a marker for tissue condition. Experimental procedures requiring unfrozen lenses from donor banks rely on transportation in storage medium, affecting lens homeostasis and alterations in glutathione levels. The aim of the study was to examine the effects of Optisol-GS and castor oil on lens condition, determined from their ability to maintain glutathione concentrations. Methodology/Principal Findings Rat lenses were stored in the two types of storage media at varying time intervals up to 3 days. Glutathione concentration was afterwards determined in an enzymatic detection assay, specific for both reduced and oxidized forms. Lenses removed immediately after death exhibited a glutathione concentration of 4.70±0.29 mM. In vitro stored lenses in Optisol-GS lost glutathione quickly, ending with a concentration of 0.60±0.34 mM after 3 days while castor oil stored lenses exhibited a slower decline and ended at 3 times the concentration. A group of lenses were additionally stored under post mortem conditions within the host for 6 hours before its removal. Total glutathione after 6 hours was similar to that of lenses removed immediately after death, but with altered GSH and GSSG concentrations. Subsequent storage of these lenses in media showed changes similar to those in the first series of experiments, albeit to a lesser degree. Conclusions/Significance It was determined that storage in Optisol-GS resulted in a higher loss of glutathione than lenses stored in castor oil. Storage for more than 12 hours reduced glutathione to half its original concentration, and was considered unusable after 24 hours. PMID:24260265

Bioplastic from Chitosan and Yellow Pumpkin Starch with Castor Oil as Plasticizer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasan, M.; Rahmayani, R. F. I.; Munandar

2018-03-01

This study has been conducted on bioplastic synthesis of chitosan and yellow pumpkin starch (Cucurbita moschata) with castor oil as plasticizer. The purpose of this study is to determine the characteristics of the effect of chitosan and starch composition of pumpkins against solvent absorption, tensile strength and biodegradable. The first stage of the research is the making of bioplastic by blending yellow pumpkin starch, chitosan and castor oil. Further, it tested the absorption capacity of the solvent, tensile strength test, and biodegradable analysis. The optimum absorption capacity of the solvent is obtained on the composition of Pumpkin/Chitosan was 50/50 in H2O and C2H5OH solvent. Meanwhile the optimum absorbency in HCl and NaOH solvents is obtained by 60/40 composition. The characterization of the optimum tensile strength test was obtained on the 40/60 composition of 6.787 ± 0.274 Mpa and the fastest biodegradation test process within 5-10 days occurred in the 50/50 composition. The more chitosan content the higher the value of tensile strength test obtained, while the fastest biodegradation rate occureds in the composition of yellow pumpkin starch and chitosan balanced 50:50.

A survey of the castor oil content, seed weight and seed-coat colour on the United States Department of Agriculture germplasm collection.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Castor bean is an important non-edible oilseed crop that can potentially be used as feedstock for biodiesel production. Cultivars with a high percentage of oil content in seeds are preferred for biodiesel production. There are 1033 accessions in the USDA castor bean germplasm collection. The range o...

Synthesis and characterization of triglyceride based thermosetting polymers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Can, Erde

2005-07-01

Plant oils, which are found in abundance in all parts of the world and are easily replenished annually, have the potential to replace petroleum as a chemical feedstock for making polymers. Within the past few years, there has been growing interest to use triglycerides as the basic constituent of thermosetting polymers with the necessary rigidity, strength and glass transition temperatures required for engineering applications. Plant oils are not polymerizable in their natural form, however various functional groups that can polymerize can easily be attached to the triglyceride structure making them ideal cross-linking monomers for thermosetting liquid molding resins. Through this research project a number of thermosetting liquid molding resins based on soybean and castor oil, which is a specialty oil with hydroxyls on its fatty acids, have been developed. The triglyceride based monomers were prepared via the malination of the alcoholysis products of soybean and castor oil with various polyols, such as pentaerythritol, glycerol, and Bisphenol A propoxylate. The malinated glycerides were then cured in the presence of a reactive diluent, such as styrene, to form rigid glassy materials with a wide range of properties. In addition to maleate half-esters, methacrylates were also introduced to the glyceride structure via methacrylation of the soybean oil glycerolysis product with methacrylic anhydride. This product, which contains methacrylic acid as by-product, and its blends with styrene also gave rigid materials when cured. The triglyceride based monomers were characterized via conventional spectroscopic techniques. Time resolved FTIR analysis was used to determine the curing kinetics and the final conversions of polymerization of the malinated glyceride-styrene blends. Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) was used to determine the thermomechanical behavior of these polymers and other mechanical properties were determined via standard mechanical tests. The use of lignin

Potential of castor bean (Ricinus communis L.) for phytoremediation of mine tailings and oil production.

PubMed

Ruiz Olivares, Alejandro; Carrillo-González, Rogelio; González-Chávez, Ma del Carmen A; Soto Hernández, Ramón Marcos

2013-01-15

Bioenergy production combined with phytoremediation has been suggested to help in solving two critical world problems: the gradual reduction of fossil fuels and soil contamination. The aim of this research was to investigate the potential for the use of Ricinus communis L. (castor oil plant) as an energy crop and plant species to remediate metal-polluted sites. This study was performed in mine tailings containing high concentrations of Cu, Zn, Mn, Pb and Cd. Physico-chemical characterization, total, DTPA-extractable and water-soluble metals in rhizospheric tailings heap samples were carried. Metal concentrations in plant tissues and translocation factors (TFs) were also determined. The Ricinus seed-oil content was high between 41 and 64%, seeds from San Francisco site 6 had the highest oil content, while these from site 7 had the lowest. No trend between oil yield vs seed origin site was observed. Seed-oil content was negatively correlated with root concentration of Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd, but no correlation was observed with the extractable-metals. According to its shoot metal concentrations and TFs, castor bean is not a metal accumulator plant. This primary colonizing plant is well suited to cope with the local toxic conditions and can be useful for the stabilization of these residues, and for then decreasing metal bioavailability, dispersion and human health risks on these barren tailings heaps and in the surrounding area. Our work is the first report regarding combined oil production and a phytostabilization role for Ricinus plants in metal mine tailings and may give a new value to suitable metal-polluted areas. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Polyurethane Foams for Thermal Insulation Uses Produced from Castor Oil and Crude Glycerol Biopolyols.

PubMed

Carriço, Camila S; Fraga, Thaís; Carvalho, Vagner E; Pasa, Vânya M D

2017-07-02

Rigid polyurethane foams were synthesized using a renewable polyol from the simple physical mixture of castor oil and crude glycerol. The effect of the catalyst (DBTDL) content and blowing agents in the foams' properties were evaluated. The use of physical blowing agents (cyclopentane and n-pentane) allowed foams with smaller cells to be obtained in comparison with the foams produced with a chemical blowing agent (water). The increase of the water content caused a decrease in density, thermal conductivity, compressive strength, and Young's modulus, which indicates that the increment of CO₂ production contributes to the formation of larger cells. Higher amounts of catalyst in the foam formulations caused a slight density decrease and a small increase of thermal conductivity, compressive strength, and Young's modulus values. These green foams presented properties that indicate a great potential to be used as thermal insulation: density (23-41 kg·m -3 ), thermal conductivity (0.0128-0.0207 W·m -1 ·K -1 ), compressive strength (45-188 kPa), and Young's modulus (3-28 kPa). These biofoams are also environmentally friendly polymers and can aggregate revenue to the biodiesel industry, contributing to a reduction in fuel prices.

Oil and fat absorbing polymers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marsh, H. E., Jr. (Inventor)

1977-01-01

A method is described for forming a solid network polymer having a minimal amount of crosslinking for use in absorbing fats and oils. The polymer remains solid at a swelling ratio in oil or fat of at least ten and provides an oil absorption greater than 900 weight percent.

Anaphylactic shock following castor bean contact: a case report.

PubMed

Coattrenec, Y; Jaques, D; Jandus, P; Harr, T; Spoerl, D

2017-01-01

The castor bean plant, Ricinus communis , is known to have allergenic and toxic properties. Castor bean allergy has been described mainly as an occupational inhalation allergy in laboratory workers, in persons working in oil processing mills or in agricultural industry. So far, only one case of anaphylactic reaction due to castor bean sensitization confirmed by specific IgE has been described in literature. A 30-year-old woman presented to the emergency room with severe angioedema followed by urticaria, hypotension and tachycardia. She recovered after treatment with antihistamines, corticosteroids, nebulized adrenaline and intravenous fluids. Food induced anaphylaxis was excluded by allergological investigations. After repeated thorough history, the patient mentioned having bitten into a castor bean just before the reaction. Cutaneous test (prick-to-prick) and specific IgE for castor bean were highly positive. We report the second case of a severe anaphylactic reaction to castor beans, confirmed by IgE testing, reported in the literature. It underlines the importance of a meticulous history in allergology and highlights the fact, that castor beans may cause potentially fatal anaphylaxis.

Allergic axillary dermatitis due to hydrogenated castor oil in a deodorant.

PubMed

Taghipour, Kathy; Tatnall, Frances; Orton, David

2008-03-01

We present a case of axillary dermatitis caused by hydrogenated castor oil (HCO) in a commercially available deodorant. Patch testing with constituents obtained from the manufacturer showed allergic reaction to HCO 'as is', whereas there was no reaction to HCO 30% in pet. Testing 10 controls with HCO 'as is' did not cause irritant contact dermatitis. Allergic contact dermatitis to non-HCO in cosmetics has been described previously but sensitization to HCO seems to be rare. Most common allergens identified in deodorants are fragrances, and this case illustrates that HCO is another possible allergen found in this group of personal care products. It is important that it is tested 'as is' to avoid false-negative results.

One-pot conjugated linoleic acid production from castor oil by Rhizopus oryzae lipase and resting cells of Lactobacillus plantarum.

PubMed

Khaskheli, Abid Ali; Talpur, Farah Naz; Cebeci Aydin, Aysun; Jawaid, Sana; Surhio, Muhammad Ali; Afridi, Hassan Imran

2017-10-01

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) has attracted as novel type of fatty acids having unusual health-promoting properties such as anticarcinogenic and antiobesitic effects. The present work employed castor oil as substrate for one-pot production of CLA using washed cells of Lactobacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) and lipases as catalysts. Among the screened lipases, the lipase Rhizopus oryzae (ROL) greatly assisted resting cells to produce CLA. Mass spectral analysis of the product showed that two major isomers of CLA were produced in the reaction mixture i.e. cis-9, trans-11 56.55% and trans-10, cis-12 43.45%. Optimum factors for CLA synthesis were found as substrate concentration (8 mg/mL), pH (6.5), washed cell concentration (12% w/v), and incubation time of 20 h. Hence, the combination of ROL with L. plantarum offers one pot production of CLA selectively using castor oil as a cost-effective substrate.

Synthesis and application of a novel environmental C26 diglycidyl ester plasticizer based on castor oil for poly(vinyl chloride)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In this work, for the first time, a castor oil derived diglycidyl ester plasticizer (C26-DGE) was prepared and incorporated into poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC). The chemical structure of the product was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), proton nuclear magnetic resonance (...

Preparation and Characterization of All-Biomass Soy Protein Isolate-Based Films Enhanced by Epoxy Castor Oil Acid Sodium and Hydroxypropyl Cellulose

PubMed Central

Wang, La; Li, Jianzhang; Zhang, Shifeng; Shi, Junyou

2016-01-01

All-biomass soy protein-based films were prepared using soy protein isolate (SPI), glycerol, hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) and epoxy castor oil acid sodium (ECOS). The effect of the incorporated HPC and ECOS on the properties of the SPI film was investigated. The experimental results showed that the tensile strength of the resultant films increased from 2.84 MPa (control) to 4.04 MPa and the elongation at break increased by 22.7% when the SPI was modified with 2% HPC and 10% ECOS. The increased tensile strength resulted from the reaction between the ECOS and SPI, which was confirmed by attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). It was found that ECOS and HPC effectively improved the performance of SPI-based films, which can provide a new method for preparing environmentally-friendly polymer films for a number of commercial applications. PMID:28773320

Preparation and Characterization of All-Biomass Soy Protein Isolate-Based Films Enhanced by Epoxy Castor Oil Acid Sodium and Hydroxypropyl Cellulose.

PubMed

Wang, La; Li, Jianzhang; Zhang, Shifeng; Shi, Junyou

2016-03-15

All-biomass soy protein-based films were prepared using soy protein isolate (SPI), glycerol, hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) and epoxy castor oil acid sodium (ECOS). The effect of the incorporated HPC and ECOS on the properties of the SPI film was investigated. The experimental results showed that the tensile strength of the resultant films increased from 2.84 MPa (control) to 4.04 MPa and the elongation at break increased by 22.7% when the SPI was modified with 2% HPC and 10% ECOS. The increased tensile strength resulted from the reaction between the ECOS and SPI, which was confirmed by attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). It was found that ECOS and HPC effectively improved the performance of SPI-based films, which can provide a new method for preparing environmentally-friendly polymer films for a number of commercial applications.

A castor oil-containing dental luting agent: effects of cyclic loading and storage time on flexural strength

PubMed Central

DERCELI, Juliana dos Reis; FAIS, Laiza Maria Grassi; PINELLI, Lígia Antunes Pereira

2014-01-01

Favorable results in the use of castor oil polyurethane (COP) as pulp capping, membrane material, sealer, mouthwash and in bone repair, associated with the fact that Ricinus communis is not derived from petroleum and it is abundant in Brazil, encourage researches in the development of luting agents. Objectives This study compared the flexural strength (FS) of a castor oil-containing dental luting agent with a weight percentage of 10% (wt%) of calcium carbonate (COP10) with RelyX ARC (RX) after mechanical cycling (MC) and distilled water storage. Material and Methods Sixty-four specimens (25x2x2 mm) were fabricated and divided into two groups, COP10 and RX (control). Each group was divided into 4 subgroups (n=8) according to the storage time, 24 hours (24 h) or 60 days (60 d), and the performance (MC+FS) or not (only FS) of the mechanical cycling test. The FS (10 kN; 0.5 mm/min) and MC tests (10,000 cycles, 5 Hz, 0.5 mm/min) were carried out using an MTS-810 machine. The data were analyzed using ANOVA (α=0.05). Results The obtained FS (MPa) values were: COP10 24h- 19.04±2.41; COP10 60d- 17.92±3.54; RX 24h- 75.19±3.43; RX 60d- 88.77±6.89. All the RX specimens submitted to MC fractured, while the values for COP10 after MC were as follows: COP10 24h- 17.90±1.87 and COP10 60d- 18.60±1.60. Conclusions A castor oil-containing dental luting agent with a weight percentage of 10% (wt%) of calcium carbonate is resistant to mechanical cycling without decreases in flexural strength. However, mean COP10 showed only about 25% of the RelyX ARC mean flexural strength. PMID:25591018

Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Acari: Ixodidae) female ticks exposed to castor oil (Ricinus communis): an ultrastructural overview.

PubMed

Sampieri, B R; Furquim, K C S; Nunes, P H; Camargo-Mathias, M I

2013-02-01

Tick control has been accomplished through the use of synthetic acaricides, which has created resistant individuals, as well as contaminating the environment and nontarget organisms. Substances of plant origin, such as oils and extracts of eucalyptus and neem leaves, have been researched as an alternative to replace the synthetic acaricides. Ricinoleic acid esters from castor oil have recently been shown as a promising alternative in eliminating bacterial contamination during ethanol fermentation, by acting as an effective biocide. The same positive results have been observed when these esters are added to the food given to tick-infested rabbits. This study tested the effect of these substance on the reproductive system of Rhipicephalus sanguineus females, added to rabbit food, more specifically on oogenesis. For this, four groups were established: four control groups (CG1, CG2, CG3, and CG4) and four treatment groups (TG1, TG2, TG3, and TG4) with one rabbit in each (New Zealand White), used as hosts. After full 4 days feeding (semi-engorgement), the females were collected and had their ovaries extracted. In this study, it was observed that R. sanguineus females exposed to esters had their ovaries modified, which was demonstrated through transmission electron microscopy techniques. The addition of ricinoleic esters to the diet of tick-infested rabbits revealed how toxic such substances are for the cytoplasmic organelles of oocytes and pedicel cells. These compounds can change the morphophysiology of germ and somatic cells, consequently influencing their viability and, therefore, confirming that the ricinoleic acid esters from castor oil are a promising substance in the control of R. sanguineus.

Toxicity of water-soluble fractions of biodiesel fuels derived from castor oil, palm oil, and waste cooking oil.

PubMed

Leite, Maria Bernadete Neiva Lemos; de Araújo, Milena Maria Sampaio; Nascimento, Iracema Andrade; da Cruz, Andrea Cristina Santos; Pereira, Solange Andrade; do Nascimento, Núbia Costa

2011-04-01

Concerns over the sustained availability of fossil fuels and their impact on global warming and pollution have led to the search for fuels from renewable sources to address worldwide rising energy demands. Biodiesel is emerging as one of the possible solutions for the transport sector. It shows comparable engine performance to that of conventional diesel fuel, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, the toxicity of products and effluents from the biodiesel industry has not yet been sufficiently investigated. Brazil has a very high potential as a biodiesel producer, in view of its climatic conditions and vast areas for cropland, with consequent environmental risks because of possible accidental biodiesel spillages into water bodies and runoff to coastal areas. This research determined the toxicity to two marine organisms of the water-soluble fractions (WSF) of three different biodiesel fuels obtained by methanol transesterification of castor oil (CO), palm oil (PO), and waste cooking oil (WCO). Microalgae and sea urchins were used as the test organisms, respectively, for culture-growth-inhibition and early-life-stage-toxicity tests. The toxicity levels of the analyzed biodiesel WSF showed the highest toxicity for the CO, followed by WCO and the PO. Methanol was the most prominent contaminant; concentrations increased over time in WSF samples stored up to 120 d. Copyright © 2010 SETAC.

Bio-inspired hydrophobic modification of cellulose nanocrystals with castor oil.

PubMed

Shang, Qianqian; Liu, Chengguo; Hu, Yun; Jia, Puyou; Hu, Lihong; Zhou, Yonghong

2018-07-01

This work presents an efficient and environmentally friendly approach to generate hydrophobic cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) using thiol-containing castor oil (CO-SH) as a renewable hydrophobe with the assist of bio-inspired dopamine at room temperature. The modification process included the formation of the polydopamine (PDA) buffer layer on CNC surfaces and the Michael addition reaction between the catechol moieties of PDA coating and thiol groups of CO-SH. The morphology, crystalline structure, surface chemistry, thermal stability and hydrophobicity of the modified CNC were charactered by TEM, XRD, FT-IR, solid-state 13 C NMR, XPS, TGA and contact angle analysis. The modified CNC preserved cellulose crystallinity, displayed higher thermal stability than unmodified CNC, and was highly hydrophobic with a water contact angle of 95.6°. The simplicity and versatility of the surface modification strategy inspired by adhesive protein of mussel may promote rapid development of hydrophobic bio-based nanomaterials for various applications. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Determination of fatty acid methyl esters in cosmetic castor oils by flow injection - electrospray ionization - high resolution mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Arroyo Negrete, Missael Antonio; Wrobel, Kazimierz; Acevedo Aguilar, Francisco Javier; Yanez Barrientos, Eunice; Corrales Escobosa, Alma Rosa; Wrobel, Katarzyna

2018-05-09

The goal of this work was to set up a high throughput procedure for the determination of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) in cosmetic castor oils using flow injection - electrospray ionization - high resolution mass spectrometry, and to demonstrate the need of such analysis for the quality control purposes. The sample aliquot was mixed with isooctane:chloroform (1:1) and submitted to transesterification; the obtained FAMEs were appropriately diluted using water:isopropanol:acetonitrile (20:50:30) with addition of sodium formate which served as an internal standard, lock mass calibrant and promoted the formation of sodium adducts during electrospray ionization (ESI). The principle of flow injection analysis (FIA) was applied for sample introduction to an ESI - quadrupole- time of flight mass spectrometer (ESI-QTOFMS). The carrier solution was composed of water:isopropanol:acetonitrile (20:50:30). From the acquired MS data, flowgrams of the extracted [M+Na] + ions were obtained using the following m/z values for individual FAMEs: 293.2451 (C16:0); 315.2295 (C18:3); 317.2451 (C18:2); 319.2608 (C18:1); 321.2764 (C18:0); 335.2557 (C18:1,OH); 349.3077 (C20:0); 377.3390 (C22:0) and m/z 226.9515 for IS. Baseline-subtracted and filtered signals were integrated and the list of peaks intensities was exported to Excel, where calibration functions were obtained and quantification carried out. Gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector (GC-FID) was used as an alternative analytical tool. The calibration detection limits for FAMEs of unsaturated fatty acids were in the range 3.61 - 8.62 μg L -1 and for saturated compounds in the range 8.51 - 82.4 μg L -1 . The results obtained for commercial were in good agreement with GC-FID data; among nine cosmetic oils analyzed, three contained low concentrations of ricinoleic acid (C18:1, OH), indicating adulteration of castor bean oil with other vegetable oils. Application of FIA for the sample introduction to ESI-QTOFMS enabled

Genetic diversity and population structure of castor (Ricinus communis L.) germplasm within the U.S. collection assessed with EST-SSR markers

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Castor is an important oilseed crop and although its oil is inedible, it has multiple industrial and pharmaceutical applications. The entire U.S. castor germplasm collection was previously screened for oil content and fatty acid composition, but its genetic diversity and population structure has not...

A review on the challenges for increassed production of castor

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The oil produced by castor (Ricinus communis) is an important raw material for chemical industry for its unique properties such as the only commercial source of a hydroxilated fatty acid that composes around 90% of the oil. This crop has a remarkable potential for increasing importance as a raw mate...

Influence of stability of polymer surfactant on oil displacement mechanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Li; Li, Chengliang; Pi, Yanming; Wu, Di; He, Ying; Geng, Liang

2018-02-01

At present, most of the oilfields of China have entered the late stage of high water-cut development, and three oil recovery technique has become the leading technology for improving oil recovery. With the improvement of three oil recovery techniques, the polymer surfactant flooding technology has been widely promoted in oil fields in recent years. But in the actual field experiment, it has been found that the polymer surfactant has chromatographic separation at the extraction end, which indicates that the property of the polymer surfactant has changed during the displacement process. At present, there was few literature about how the stability of polymer surfactant affects the oil displacement mechanism. This paper used HuaDing-I polymer surfactant to conduct a micro photolithography glass flooding experiment, and then compared the oil displacement law of polymer surfactant before and after static setting. Finally, the influence law of stability of polymer surfactant on the oil displacement mechanism is obtained by comprehensive analysis.

USE OF POLYMERS TO RECOVER VISCOUS OIL FROM UNCONVENTIONAL RESERVOIRS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Randall Seright

2011-09-30

This final technical progress report summarizes work performed the project, 'Use of Polymers to Recover Viscous Oil from Unconventional Reservoirs.' The objective of this three-year research project was to develop methods using water soluble polymers to recover viscous oil from unconventional reservoirs (i.e., on Alaska's North Slope). The project had three technical tasks. First, limits were re-examined and redefined for where polymer flooding technology can be applied with respect to unfavorable displacements. Second, we tested existing and new polymers for effective polymer flooding of viscous oil, and we tested newly proposed mechanisms for oil displacement by polymer solutions. Third, wemore » examined novel methods of using polymer gels to improve sweep efficiency during recovery of unconventional viscous oil. This report details work performed during the project. First, using fractional flow calculations, we examined the potential of polymer flooding for recovering viscous oils when the polymer is able to reduce the residual oil saturation to a value less than that of a waterflood. Second, we extensively investigated the rheology in porous media for a new hydrophobic associative polymer. Third, using simulation and analytical studies, we compared oil recovery efficiency for polymer flooding versus in-depth profile modification (i.e., 'Bright Water') as a function of (1) permeability contrast, (2) relative zone thickness, (3) oil viscosity, (4) polymer solution viscosity, (5) polymer or blocking-agent bank size, and (6) relative costs for polymer versus blocking agent. Fourth, we experimentally established how much polymer flooding can reduce the residual oil saturation in an oil-wet core that is saturated with viscous North Slope crude. Finally, an experimental study compared mechanical degradation of an associative polymer with that of a partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide. Detailed results from the first two years of the project may be found in our first

Ricinus communis L. (castor bean) as a potential candidate for revegetating industrial waste contaminated sites in peri-urban Greater Hyderabad: remarks on seed oil.

PubMed

Boda, Ravi Kiran; Majeti, Narasimha Vara Prasad; Suthari, Sateesh

2017-08-01

Ricinus communis L. (castor bean or castor oil plant) was found growing on metal-contaminated sites (4) of peri-urban Greater Hyderabad comprises of erstwhile industrial areas viz Bollaram, Patancheru, Bharatnagar, and Kattedan industrial areas. During 2013-2017, about 60 research papers have appeared focusing the role of castor bean in phytoremediation of co-contaminated soils, co-generation of biomaterials, and environmental cleanup, as bioenergy crop and sustainable development. The present study is focused on its use as a multipurpose phytoremediation crop for phytostabilization and revegetation of waste disposed peri-urban contaminated soils. To determine the plant tolerance level, metal accumulation, chlorophyll, protein, proline, lipid peroxidation, oil content, and soil properties were characterized. It was noticed that the castor plant and soils have high concentration of metals such as cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), and zinc (Zn). The soils have high phosphorous (P), adequate nitrogen (N), and low concentration of potassium (K). Iron (Fe) concentrations ranged from1672±50.91 to 2166±155.78 mg kg -1 in the soil. The trend of metal accumulation Fe>Zn>Mn>Pb>Cd was found in different plant parts at polluted sites. The translocation of Cd and Pb showed values more than one in industrial areas viz Bollaram, Kattedan, and Bharatnagar indicating the plants resistance to metal toxicity. Chlorophyll and protein content reduced while proline and malondialdehyde increased due to its tolerance level under metal exposure. The content of ricinoleic acid was higher, and the fatty acids composition of polluted areas was almost similar to that of the control area. Thus, R. communis L. can be employed for reclamation of heavy metal contaminated soils.

Detoxification of castor meal through reactive seed crushing

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Non-edible oil crops, such as castor or jatropha, contain several toxic components. Post-harvest treatments should be used to reduce the risks associated with the possible dispersion of toxic compounds in the environment. A new processing technology named Reactive Seed Crushing was developed, which ...

SURFACTANT - POLYMER INTERACTION FOR IMPROVED OIL RECOVERY

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Unknown

1998-10-01

The goal of this research is to use the interaction between a surfactant and a polymer for efficient displacement of tertiary oil by improving slug integrity, adsorption and mobility control. Surfactant--polymer flooding has been shown to be highly effective in laboratory-scale linear floods. The focus of this proposal is to design an inexpensive surfactant-polymer mixture that can efficiently recover tertiary oil by avoiding surfactant slug degradation high adsorption and viscous/heterogeneity fingering. A mixture comprising a ''pseudo oil'' with appropriate surfactant and polymer has been selected to study micellar-polymer chemical flooding. The physical properties and phase behavior of this system havemore » been determined. A surfactant-polymer slug has been designed to achieve high efficiency recovery by improving phase behavior and mobility control. Recovery experiments have been performed on linear cores and a quarter 5-spot. The same recovery experiments have been simulated using a commercially available simulator (UTCHEM). Good agreement between experimental data and simulation results has been achieved.« less

Influence of MgO on Performance and Emissions of DI Engine using blends of Castor oil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ganesan, S.; Padmanabhan, s.; Senthil kumar, J.; Polina, Navakanth; Krishna kumar, Sanivada

2017-05-01

With the technological development, the research over alternate fuels is increasing day by day in order to help the upcoming generation with a bright and greener future. In order to preserve the existing petroleum resources for future generation, it is necessary to soon switch to any alternate source which is easily available, renewable as well as environment friendly. In this paper I would like to highlight upon the usage of Diesel, Castor Oil and Nano Particles for a compression ignition engine and study the emission characteristics of this fuel at different mixing ratios and analyze the different levels of residue particles.

Dirt-binding particles consisting of hydrogenated castor oil beads constitute a nonirritating alternative for abrasive cleaning of recalcitrant oily skin contamination in a three-step programme of occupational skin protection.

PubMed

Mahler, V; Erfurt-Berge, C; Schiemann, S; Michael, S; Egloffstein, A; Kuss, O

2010-04-01

In occupational fields with exposure to grease, oil, metal particles, coal, black lead or soot, cleansing formulations containing abrasive bodies (e.g. refined walnut shell, corn, wood, plastic or pumice) are used. These may constitute an irritant per se. As an alternative, hydrogenated castor oil (also known as castor wax) beads have been developed as dirt-binding particles. A polar surface contributes to their mechanical cleaning effects in removal of oily grime. Standardized examination of the in vivo effects upon the skin barrier of castor wax beads in comparison with abrasive bodies and pure detergent. Three cleansing preparations - (i) detergent, (ii) detergent containing castor wax beads, (iii) detergent containing walnut shell powder - were each repetitively applied in vivo (four times daily for 3 weeks), mimicking workplace conditions, in 30 healthy volunteers (15 with and 15 without an atopic skin diathesis) and compared vs. (iv) no treatment. The treatment effects upon the skin barrier were monitored by repeated measurements of functional parameters [transepidermal water loss (TEWL), redness] and surface topography. After a 3-week treatment, a significant global treatment effect (P < 0.0001) was found in the atopic group concerning TEWL as indicator for barrier function. A significantly higher TEWL and increasing erythema in the area treated with detergent containing walnut shell powder reflected its irritant effect compared with castor wax beads dispensed in the identical detergent. Cleaning properties of the two formulas were comparably superior to detergent alone. Castor wax beads constitute a novel nonirritating alternative for abrasive cleaning of recalcitrant oily skin contamination appropriate for individuals with an atopic skin diathesis in a three-step programme of occupational skin protection. As the skin barrier may additionally be influenced by the composition of dirt and use of skin protection and skin care measures under real workplace

Bio-aviation fuel production from hydroprocessing castor oil promoted by the nickel-based bifunctional catalysts.

PubMed

Liu, Siyang; Zhu, Qingqing; Guan, Qingxin; He, Liangnian; Li, Wei

2015-05-01

Bio-aviation fuel was firstly synthesized by hydroprocessing castor oil in a continuous-flow fixed-bed microreactor with the main objective to obtain the high yield of aviation fuel and determine the elemental compositions of the product phases as well as the reaction mechanism. Highest aviation range alkane yields (91.6 wt%) were achieved with high isomer/n-alkane ratio (i/n) 4.4-7.2 over Ni supported on acidic zeolites. In addition, different fuel range alkanes can be obtained by adjusting the degree of hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) and hydrocracking. And the observations are rationalized by a set of reaction pathways for the various product phases. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using Polymer Alternating Gas to Enhance Oil Recovery in Heavy Oil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Yongzhi; Li, Weirong; Zhou, Tiyao; Dong, Zhenzhen

2018-02-01

CO2 has been used to recover oil for more than 40 years. Currently, about 43% of EOR production in U.S. is from CO2 flooding. CO2 flooding is a well-established EOR technique, but its density and viscosity nature are challenges for CO2 projects. Low density (0.5 to 0.8 g/cm3) causes gas to rise upward in reservoirs and bypass many lower portions of the reservoir. Low viscosity (0.02 to 0.08 cp) leads to poor volumetric sweep efficiency. So water-alternating-gas (WAG) method was used to control the mobility of CO2 and improve sweep efficiency. However, WAG process has some other problems in heavy oil reservoir, such as poor mobility ratio and gravity overriding. To examine the applicability of carbon dioxide to recover viscous oil from highly heterogeneous reservoirs, this study suggests a new EOR method--polymer-alternating gas (PAG) process. The process involves a combination of polymer flooding and CO2 injection. To confirm the effectiveness of PAG process in heavy oils, a reservoir model from Liaohe Oilfield is used to compare the technical and economic performance among PAG, WAG and polymer flooding. Simulation results show that PAG method would increase oil recovery over 10% compared with other EOR methods and PAG would be economically success based on assumption in this study. This study is the first to apply PAG to enhance oil recovery in heavy oil reservoir with highly heterogeneous. Besides, this paper provides detailed discussions and comparison about PAG with other EOR methods in this heavy oil reservoir.

Castor diacylglycerol acyltransferase type1(DGAT1)displays greater activity with diricinolein than Arabidopsis DGAT1

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Castor oil contains the hydroxy fatty acid ricinoleate as a major (90%) component. The diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) carries out the final reaction step in the biosynthesis of triacylglycerol, the principal constituent of seed oil, and has been considered to be the step that controls the oil...

Simultaneous allergen inactivation and detoxification of castor bean cake by treatment with calcium compounds

PubMed Central

Fernandes, K.V.; Deus-de-Oliveira, N.; Godoy, M.G.; Guimarães, Z.A.S.; Nascimento, V.V.; de Melo, E.J.T.; Freire, D.M.G.; Dansa-Petretski, M.; Machado, O.L.T.

2012-01-01

Ricinus communis L. is of great economic importance due to the oil extracted from its seeds. Castor oil has been used for pharmaceutical and industrial applications, as a lubricant or coating agent, as a component of plastic products, as a fungicide or in the synthesis of biodiesel fuels. After oil extraction, a castor cake with a large amount of protein is obtained. However, this by-product cannot be used as animal feed due to the presence of toxic (ricin) and allergenic (2S albumin) proteins. Here, we propose two processes for detoxification and allergen inactivation of the castor cake. In addition, we establish a biological test to detect ricin and validate these detoxification processes. In this test, Vero cells were treated with ricin, and cell death was assessed by cell counting and measurement of lactate dehydrogenase activity. The limit of detection of the Vero cell assay was 10 ng/mL using a concentration of 1.6 × 105 cells/well. Solid-state fermentation (SSF) and treatment with calcium compounds were used as cake detoxification processes. For SSF, Aspergillus niger was grown using a castor cake as a substrate, and this cake was analyzed after 24, 48, 72, and 96 h of SSF. Ricin was eliminated after 24 h of SSF treatment. The cake was treated with 4 or 8% Ca(OH)2 or CaO, and both the toxicity and the allergenic properties were entirely abolished. A by-product free of toxicity and allergens was obtained. PMID:22911344

46 CFR 148.235 - Castor beans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 46 Shipping 5 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Castor beans. 148.235 Section 148.235 Shipping COAST... THAT REQUIRE SPECIAL HANDLING Special Requirements for Certain Materials § 148.235 Castor beans. (a) This part applies only to the stowage and transportation of whole castor beans. Castor meal, castor...

46 CFR 148.235 - Castor beans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 46 Shipping 5 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Castor beans. 148.235 Section 148.235 Shipping COAST... THAT REQUIRE SPECIAL HANDLING Special Requirements for Certain Materials § 148.235 Castor beans. (a) This part applies only to the stowage and transportation of whole castor beans. Castor meal, castor...

46 CFR 148.235 - Castor beans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 46 Shipping 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Castor beans. 148.235 Section 148.235 Shipping COAST... THAT REQUIRE SPECIAL HANDLING Special Requirements for Certain Materials § 148.235 Castor beans. (a) This part applies only to the stowage and transportation of whole castor beans. Castor meal, castor...

46 CFR 148.235 - Castor beans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 46 Shipping 5 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Castor beans. 148.235 Section 148.235 Shipping COAST... THAT REQUIRE SPECIAL HANDLING Special Requirements for Certain Materials § 148.235 Castor beans. (a) This part applies only to the stowage and transportation of whole castor beans. Castor meal, castor...

Influence of the reaction conditions on the enzyme catalyzed transesterification of castor oil: A possible step in biodiesel production.

PubMed

Andrade, Thalles A; Errico, Massimiliano; Christensen, Knud V

2017-11-01

The identification of the influence of the reaction parameters is of paramount importance when defining a process design. In this work, non-edible castor oil was reacted with methanol to produce a possible component for biodiesel blends, using liquid enzymes as the catalyst. Temperature, alcohol-to-oil molar ratio, enzyme and added water contents were the reaction parameters evaluated in the transesterification reactions. The optimal conditions, giving the optimal final FAME yield and FFA content in the methyl ester-phase was identified. At 35°C, 6.0 methanol-to-oil molar ratio, 5wt% of enzyme and 5wt% of water contents, 94% of FAME yield and 6.1% of FFA in the final composition were obtained. The investigation was completed with the analysis of the component profiles, showing that at least 8h are necessary to reach a satisfactory FAME yield together with a minor FFA content. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Polymer as permeability modifier in porous media for enhanced oil recovery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parsa, Shima; Weitz, David

2017-11-01

We use confocal microscopy to directly visualize the changes in morphology and mobilization of trapped oil ganglia within a 3D micromodel of porous media upon polymer flooding. Enhanced oil recovery is achieved in polymer flooding with large molecular weight at concentrations close or higher than a critical concentration of polymer. We also measure the fluctuations of the velocity of the displacing fluid and show that the velocities change upon polymer flooding in the whole medium. The changes in the fluid velocities are heterogeneous and vary in different pores, hence only providing enough pressure gradient across a few of the trapped oil ganglia and mobilize them. Our measurements show that polymer flooding is an effective method for enhancing oil recovery due to retention of polymer on the solid surfaces and changing the resistances of the available paths to water.

A New Approach to Prepare Vegetable Oil-Based Polymers

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Polymers from vegetable oils, such as soybean oil, were prepared by cationic polymerization in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) medium. Boron trifluoride diethyl etherate (BF3.OEt2) was selected as catalyst. The resulting polymers have molecular weight ranging from 21,842 to 118,300 g/mol. Nu...

Plant Oil-Derived Epoxy Polymers toward Sustainable Biobased Thermosets.

PubMed

Wang, Zhongkai; Yuan, Liang; Ganewatta, Mitra S; Lamm, Meghan E; Rahman, Md Anisur; Wang, Jifu; Liu, Shengquan; Tang, Chuanbing

2017-06-01

Epoxy polymers (EPs) derived from soybean oil with varied chemical structures are synthesized. These polymers are then cured with anhydrides to yield soybean-oil-derived epoxy thermosets. The curing kinetic, thermal, and mechanical properties are well characterized. Due to the high epoxide functionality per epoxy polymer chain, these thermosets exhibit tensile strength over an order of magnitude higher than a control formulation with epoxidized soybean oil. More importantly, thermosetting materials ranging from soft elastomers to tough thermosets can be obtained simply by using different EPs and/or by controlling feed ratios of EPs to anhydrides. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Simple Synthesis Hydrogenated Castor Oil Fatty Amide Wax and Its Coating Characterization.

PubMed

Yu, Xiuzhu; Wang, Ning; Zhang, Rui; Zhao, Zhong

2017-07-01

A simple method for incorporating amine groups in hydrogenated castor oil (HCO) to produce wax for beeswax or carnauba wax substitution in packaging and coating was developed. From the conversion rate of the products, HCO was reacted with ethanolamine at 150°C for 5 h, and the molar ratio of HCO and ethanolamine was 1:4. The hardness of the final product was seven times higher than that of beeswax, the cohesiveness of the final product was 1.3 times higher than that of beeswax and approximately one half of that of carnauba wax, and the melting point of the final product is 98°C. The Fourier transform Infrared spectroscopy showed that the amide groups were incorporated to form the amide products. In coating application, the results showed that the force of the final product coating cardboard was higher than that of beeswax and paraffin wax and less than that of carnauba wax. After 24 h soaking, the compression forces were decreased. HCO fatty acid wax can be an alternative wax for carnauba wax and beeswax in coating applications.

Pyruvate metabolism in castor-bean mitochondria.

PubMed Central

Brailsford, M A; Thompson, A G; Kaderbhai, N; Beechey, R B

1986-01-01

We report the isolation of mitochondria from the endosperm of castor beans (Ricinus communis). These mitochondria oxidized succinate, external NADH, malate and pyruvate with respiratory-control and ADP/O ratios consistent with those found previously with mitochondria from other plant sources. The mitochondria exhibited considerable sensitivity to the electron-transport-chain inhibitors antimycin A and cyanide when oxidizing succinate and external NADH. Pyruvate-dependent O2 uptake was relatively insensitive to these inhibitors, although the residual O2 uptake could be inhibited by salicylhydroxamic acid. We conclude that a cyanide-insensitive alternative terminal oxidase is functional in these mitochondria. However, electrons from the succinate dehydrogenase or external NADH dehydrogenase seem to have no access to this pathway. There is little interconnection between the salicylhydroxamic acid-sensitive and cyanide-sensitive pathways of electron transport. alpha-Cyanocinnamate and its analogues, compound UK5099 [alpha-cyano-beta-(1-phenylindol-3-yl)acrylate] and alpha-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamate, were all found to be potent non-competitive inhibitors of pyruvate oxidation in castor-bean mitochondria. The accumulation of pyruvate by castor-bean mitochondria was determined by using a silicone-oil-centrifugation technique. The accumulation was shown to observe Michaelis-Menten kinetics, with a Km for pyruvate of 0.10 mM and a Vmax. of 0.95 nmol/min per mg of mitochondrial protein. However, the observed rates of pyruvate accumulation were insufficient to account for the pyruvate oxidation rates found in the oxygen-electrode studies. We were able to demonstrate that this is due to the immediate export of the accumulated radiolabel in the form of malate and citrate. Compound UK5099 inhibited the accumulation of [2-14C]pyruvate by castor-bean mitochondria at concentrations similar to those required to inhibit pyruvate oxidation. PMID:3814077

Biocompatibility of Ricinus communis polymer with addition of calcium carbonate compared to titanium. Experimental study in guinea pigs

PubMed Central

Graça, Yorgos Luiz Santos De Salles; Opolski, Ana Cristina; Barboza, Barbara Evelin Gonçalves; Erbano, Bruna Olandoski; Mazzaro, Caroline Cantalejo; Klostermann, Flávia Caroline; Sucharski, Enéas Eduardo; Kubrusly, Luiz Fernando

2014-01-01

Objective The aim of the present investigation was to determine whether the difference in inflammatory tissue reaction between the Riccinus communis (castor) polymer with calcium carbonate and the titanium implant is statistically significant. Methods Thirty-two Cavia porcellus were allocated into four groups of eight animals each. We implanted the two types of materials in the retroperitoneal space of all the animals. They were euthanized at 7, 20, 30 and 40 days after surgery, and an histological study of the samples was conducted. Results All implants showed characteristics of chronic inflammation regardless of the material and timepoint of evaluation. There was no statistically significant difference between Pm+CaCO3 and Ti with regard to the presence of granulation tissue, tissue congestion, histiocytes, lymphocytes, neutrophils, giant cells, and fibrosis (P> 0.05). Conclusion The castor oil polymer plus calcium carbonate implant was not statistically different from the titanium implant regarding inflammatory tissue reaction. PMID:25140479

Optimized polymer enhanced foam flooding for ordinary heavy oil reservoir after cross-linked polymer flooding.

PubMed

Sun, Chen; Hou, Jian; Pan, Guangming; Xia, Zhizeng

2016-01-01

A successful cross-linked polymer flooding has been implemented in JD reservoir, an ordinary heavy oil reservoir with high permeability zones. For all that, there are still significant volumes of continuous oil remaining in place, which can not be easily extracted due to stronger vertical heterogeneity. Considering selective plugging feature, polymer enhanced foam (PEF) flooding was taken as following EOR technology for JD reservoir. For low cost and rich source, natural gas was used as foaming gas in our work. In the former work, the surfactant systems CEA/FSA1 was recommended as foam agent for natural gas foam flooding after series of compatibility studies. Foam performance evaluation experiments showed that foaming volume reached 110 mL, half-life time reached 40 min, and dimensionless filter coefficient reached 1.180 when CEA/FSA1 reacted with oil produced by JD reservoir. To compare the recovery efficiency by different EOR technologies, series of oil displacement experiments were carried out in a parallel core system which contained cores with relatively high and low permeability. EOR technologies concerned in our work include further cross-linked polymer (C-P) flooding, surfactant-polymer (S-P) flooding, and PEF flooding. Results showed that PEF flooding had the highest enhanced oil recovery of 19.2 % original oil in place (OOIP), followed by S-P flooding (9.6 % OOIP) and C-P flooding (6.1 % OOIP). Also, produced liquid percentage results indicated PEF flooding can efficiently promote the oil recovery in the lower permeability core by modifying the injection profile.

Repellency of essential oils to Frankliniella occidentalis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) as affected by type of oil and polymer release.

PubMed

Picard, Isabelle; Hollingsworth, Robert G; Salmieri, Stéphane; Lacroix, Monique

2012-08-01

Eight essential oils [0.125-1.0% (vol:vol) in acetone] were separately deposited on leaf disks to evaluate their potential to repel western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), adult females. Two of the best-performing essential oils were incorporated into polymer matrices of methyl cellulose or alginate [0.5 or 1% (wt:vol)] to verify the potential of the polymer to extend repellency of oils over time (24-120 h). Results showed that at a concentration of 0.5%, Thymus vulgaris L. (common thyme) and Satureja montana L. (winter savory) were the most repellent essential oils. For these two treatments, no western flower thrips were counted on treated leaf disks 60 min after the start of the test. T. serpyllum and O. compactum also showed repellency values > or = 90% at this concentration. With both the alginate and methyl cellulose polymers, the incorporation of polymers into treatment solutions containing 0.5% concentrations of S. montana and T. serpyllum resulted in higher repellency compared with treatment solutions lacking these polymers for a minimum of 3 d. For the alginate polymer, differences associated with polymer concentrations were most dramatic. High repellency was maintained for 4 d when a 0.5% concentration of the alginate was used in combination with a 0.5% concentration of S. montana. The use of repellent oils with polymers that extend their repellency may prove useful for both pre- and postharvest applications in flower crops.

Study of soybean oil-based polymers for controlled release anticancer drugs

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Soybean oil-based polymers were prepared by the ring-opening polymerization of epoxidized soybean oil with Lewis acid catalyst. The formed polymers (HPESO) could be converted into hydrogels through hydrolysis. Characterization and viscoelastic properties of this soy hydrogel and application in contr...

[Effects of polyacrylamide on settling and separation of oil droplets in polymer flooding produced water].

PubMed

Deng, Shubo; Zhou, Fusheng; Chen, Zhongxi; Xia, Fujun; Yu, Gang; Jiang, Zhanpeng

2002-03-01

The research found anion polyacrylamide (HPAM) had positive and negative effects on oil-water separation. Polymer made oily wastewater's viscosity increase and reduce rising velocity, and polymer can also increase intensity of water films between oil droplets and lengthen coalescence time of oil droplets. Those were not in favor of settling and separation for oil droplets. The positive effects on separation were that polyacrylamide had flocculating activity and made small droplets contact each other and combine into big droplets. When polymer's molecular weight was 2.72 x 10(6), and concentration was less than 800 mg/L, polymer was in favor of oil droplets settling and separation. The prime reason for oily wastewater of polymer flooding difficult to dispose was that initial median diameters of oil droplets were small. The transverse flow oil separator can intensify oil droplets combination and shorten rising time. The locale experiments showed the separator was suitable for dealing with oily wastewater of polymer flooding.

Characterization of novel soybean-oil-based thermosensitive amphiphilic polymers for drug delivery applications

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Characterization, aggregation behavior, physical properties and drug-polymer interaction of novel soybean oil-based polymers i.e., hydrolyzed polymers of (epoxidized) soybean oil (HPESO), were studied. The surface tension method was used to determine the critical micelle concentration (CMC). CMC w...

Coupling the Alkaline-Surfactant-Polymer Technology and The Gelation Technology to Maximize Oil Production

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Malcolm Pitts; Jie Qi; Dan Wilson

2005-10-01

Gelation technologies have been developed to provide more efficient vertical sweep efficiencies for flooding naturally fractured oil reservoirs or more efficient areal sweep efficiency for those with high permeability contrast ''thief zones''. The field proven alkaline-surfactant-polymer technology economically recovers 15% to 25% OOIP more oil than waterflooding from swept pore space of an oil reservoir. However, alkaline-surfactant-polymer technology is not amenable to naturally fractured reservoirs or those with thief zones because much of injected solution bypasses target pore space containing oil. This work investigates whether combining these two technologies could broaden applicability of alkaline-surfactant-polymer flooding into these reservoirs. A priormore » fluid-fluid report discussed interaction of different gel chemical compositions and alkaline-surfactant-polymer solutions. Gel solutions under dynamic conditions of linear corefloods showed similar stability to alkaline-surfactant-polymer solutions as in the fluid-fluid analyses. Aluminum-polyacrylamide, flowing gels are not stable to alkaline-surfactant-polymer solutions of either pH 10.5 or 12.9. Chromium acetate-polyacrylamide flowing and rigid flowing gels are stable to subsequent alkaline-surfactant-polymer solution injection. Rigid flowing chromium acetate-polyacrylamide gels maintained permeability reduction better than flowing chromium acetate-polyacrylamide gels. Silicate-polyacrylamide gels are not stable with subsequent injection of either a pH 10.5 or a 12.9 alkaline-surfactant-polymer solution. Chromium acetate-xanthan gum rigid gels are not stable to subsequent alkaline-surfactant-polymer solution injection. Resorcinol-formaldehyde gels were stable to subsequent alkaline-surfactant-polymer solution injection. When evaluated in a dual core configuration, injected fluid flows into the core with the greatest effective permeability to the injected fluid. The same gel stability trends to

Studies on biodegradable and crosslinkable poly(castor oil fumarate)/poly(propylene fumarate) composite adhesive as a potential injectable biomaterial.

PubMed

Mitha, M K; Jayabalan, M

2009-12-01

Biodegradable hydroxyl terminated-poly(castor oil fumarate) (HT-PCF) and poly(propylene fumarate) (HT-PPF) resins were synthesized as an injectable and in situ-cross linkable polyester resins for orthopedic applications. An injectable adhesive formulation containing this resin blend, N-vinyl pyrrolidone (NVP), hydroxy apatite, free radical initiator and accelerator was developed. The Composite adhesives containing the ratio of resin blend and NVP, 2.1:1.5, 2.1:1.2 and 2.1:1.0 set fast with tolerable exothermic temperature as a three dimensionally cross linked toughened material. Crosslink density and mechanical properties of the crosslinked composite increase with increase of NVP. The present crosslinked composite has hydrophilic character and cytocompatibility with L929 fibroblast cells.

Polymers used to absorb fats and oils: A concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marsh, H. E., Jr.

1974-01-01

One approach to problem of excessive oils and fats is to develop method by which oil is absorbed into solid mixture for elimination as solid waste. Materials proposed for these purposes are cross-linked (network) polymers that have high affinity for aliphatic substances, i. e., petroleum, animal, and vegetable oils.

Formulation, characterization and pharmacokinetics of praziquantel-loaded hydrogenated castor oil solid lipid nanoparticles.

PubMed

Xie, Shuyu; Pan, Baoliang; Wang, Ming; Zhu, Luyan; Wang, Fenghua; Dong, Zhao; Wang, Xiaofang; Zhou, WenZhong

2010-07-01

The purpose of this study was to formulate praziquantel (PZQ)-loaded hydrogenated castor oil (HCO) solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) to enhance the bioavailability and prolong the systemic circulation of the drug. PZQ was encapsulated into HCO nanoparticles by a hot homogenization and ultrasonication method. The physicochemical characteristics of SLN were investigated by optical microscope, scanning electron microscopy and photon correlation spectroscopy. Pharmacokinetics were studied after oral, subcutaneous and intramuscular administration in mice. The diameter, polydispersivity index, zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency and loading capacity of the nanoparticles were 344.0 +/- 15.1 nm, 0.31 +/- 0.08, -16.7 +/- 0.5 mV, 62.17 +/- 6.53% and 12.43 +/- 1.31%, respectively. In vitro release of PZQ-loaded HCO-SLN exhibited an initial burst release followed by a sustained release. SLN increased the bioavailability of PZQ by 14.9-, 16.1- and 2.6-fold, and extended the mean residence time of the drug from 7.6, 6.6 and 8.2 to 95.9, 151.6 and 48.2 h after oral, subcutaneous and intramuscular administration, respectively. The PZQ-loaded HCO-SLN could be a promising formulation to enhance the pharmacological activity of PZQ.

Tribological characteristic enhancement effects by polymer thickened oil in lubricated sliding contacts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pratomo, Ariawan Wahyu; Muchammad, Tauviqirrahman, Mohammad; Jamari, Bayuseno, Athanasius P.

2016-04-01

Polymer thickened oils are the most preferred materials for modern lubrication applications due to their high shear. The present paper explores a lubrication mechanism in sliding contact lubricated with polymer thickened oil considering cavitation. Investigations are carried out by using a numerical method based on commercial CFD (computational fluid dynamic) software ANSYS for fluid flow phenomenon (Fluent) to assess the tribological characteristic (i.e. hydrodynamic pressure distribution) of lubricated sliding contact. The Zwart-Gerber-Belamri model for cavitation is adopted in this simulation to predict the extent of the full film region. The polymer thickened oil is characterized as non-Newtonian power-law fluid. The simulation results show that the cavitation lead lower pressure profile compared to that without cavitation. In addition, it is concluded that the characteristic of the lubrication performance with polymer thickened oil is strongly dependent on the Power-law index of lubricant.

Oil sorbents from plastic wastes and polymers: A review.

PubMed

Saleem, Junaid; Adil Riaz, Muhammad; Gordon, McKay

2018-01-05

A large volume of the waste produced across the world is composed of polymers from plastic wastes such as polyethylene (HDPE or LDPE), polypropylene (PP), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) amongst others. For years, environmentalists have been looking for various ways to overcome the problems of such large quantities of plastic wastes being disposed of into landfill sites. On the other hand, the usage of synthetic polymers as oil sorbents in particular, polyolefins, including polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) have been reported. In recent years, the idea of using plastic wastes as the feed for the production of oil sorbents has gained momentum. However, the studies undertaking such feasibility are rather scattered. This review paper is the first of its kind reporting, compiling and reviewing these various processes. The production of an oil sorbent from plastic wastes is being seen to be satisfactorily achievable through a variety of methods Nevertheless, much work needs to be done regarding further investigation of the numerous parameters influencing production yields and sorbent qualities. For example, differences in results are seen due to varying operating conditions, experimental setups, and virgin or waste plastics being used as feeds. The field of producing oil sorbents from plastic wastes is still very open for further research, and seems to be a promising route for both waste reduction, and the synthesis of value-added products such as oil sorbents. In this review, the research related to the production of various oil sorbents based on plastics (plastic waste and virgin polymer) has been discussed. Further oil sorbent efficiency in terms of oil sorption capacity has been described. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Screening of microbes for the production of polyol oils from soybean oil

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Introduction. More than 30.6 million tons of soybean oil were produced worldwide annually and the major use of this oil is for food products. Triacylglycerols (TAG) containing hydroxy fatty acids (FA), e.g., castor oil, have many industrial uses such as the manufacture of aviation lubricant, plasti...

BONE REGENERATION AFTER DEMINERALIZED BONE MATRIX AND CASTOR OIL (RICINUS COMMUNIS) POLYURETHANE IMPLANTATION

PubMed Central

Leite, Fábio Renato Manzolli; Ramalho, Lizeti Toledo de Oliveira

2008-01-01

Innocuous biocompatible materials have been searched to repair or reconstruct bone defects. Their goal is to restore the function of live or dead tissues. This study compared connective tissue and bone reaction when exposed to demineralized bovine bone matrix and a polyurethane resin derived from castor bean (Ricinus communis). Forty-five rats were assigned to 3 groups of 15 animals (control, bovine bone and polyurethane). A cylindrical defect was created on mandible base and filled with bovine bone matrix and the polyurethane. Control group received no treatment. Analyses were performed after 15, 45 and 60 days (5 animals each). Histological analysis revealed connective tissue tolerance to bovine bone with local inflammatory response similar to that of the control group. After 15 days, all groups demonstrated similar outcomes, with mild inflammatory reaction, probably due to the surgical procedure rather than to the material. In the polymer group, after 60 days, scarce multinucleated cells could still be observed. In general, all groups showed good stability and osteogenic connective tissue with blood vessels into the surgical area. The results suggest biocompatibility of both materials, seen by their integration into rat mandible. Moreover, the polyurethane seems to be an alternative in bone reconstruction and it is an inexhaustible source of biomaterial. PMID:19089203

Effects of ricinoleic acid esters from castor oil of Ricinus communis on the vitellogenesis of Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latreille, 1806) (Acari: Ixodidae) ticks.

PubMed

Arnosti, André; Brienza, Paula Desjardins; Furquim, Karim Christina Scopinho; Chierice, Gilberto Orivaldo; Bechara, Gervásio Henrique; Calligaris, Izabela Braggião; Camargo-Mathias, Maria Izabel

2011-02-01

This study examines the effects of ricinoleic acid esters from Ricinus communis castor oil on the vitellogenesis of Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks attached to hosts that were fed with commercial rabbit food containing these esters. The oocytes of ticks from the treatment group (TG) showed cytoplasmic changes that inhibited the development of oocytes I and II to the advanced stages (IV and V) in addition to preventing the maturation of oocytes V, resulting in small ones. In addition, sperm was not observed in ampoules. Our findings confirm the acaricide potential of ricinoleic acid esters. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Polymers for enhanced oil recovery: fundamentals and selection criteria.

PubMed

Rellegadla, Sandeep; Prajapat, Ganshyam; Agrawal, Akhil

2017-06-01

With a rising population, the demand for energy has increased over the years. As per the projections, both fossil fuel and renewables will remain as major energy source (678 quadrillion BTU) till 2030 with fossil fuel contributing 78% of total energy consumption. Hence, attempts are continuously made to make fossil fuel production more sustainable and cheaper. From the past 40 years, polymer flooding has been carried out in marginal oil fields and have proved to be successful in many cases. The common expectation from polymer flooding is to obtain 50% ultimate recovery with 15 to 20% incremental recovery over secondary water flooding. Both naturally derived polymers like xanthan gum and synthetic polymers like partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM) have been used for this purpose. Earlier laboratory and field trials revealed that salinity and temperature are the major issues with the synthetic polymers that lead to polymer degradation and adsorption on the rock surface. Microbial degradation and concentration are major issues with naturally derived polymers leading to loss of viscosity and pore throat plugging. Earlier studies also revealed that polymer flooding is successful in the fields where oil viscosity is quite higher (up to 126 cp) than injection water due to improvement in mobility ratio during polymer flooding. The largest successful polymer flood was reported in China in 1990 where both synthetic and naturally derived polymers were used in nearly 20 projects. The implementation of these projects provides valuable suggestions for further improving the available processes in future. This paper examines the selection criteria of polymer, field characteristics that support polymer floods and recommendation to design a large producing polymer flooding.

COUPLING THE ALKALINE-SURFACTANT-POLYMER TECHNOLOGY AND THE GELATION TECHNOLOGY TO MAXIMIZE OIL PRODUCTION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Malcolm Pitts; Jie Qi; Dan Wilson

2005-04-01

Gelation technologies have been developed to provide more efficient vertical sweep efficiencies for flooding naturally fractured oil reservoirs or more efficient areal sweep efficiency for those with high permeability contrast ''thief zones''. The field proven alkaline-surfactant-polymer technology economically recovers 15% to 25% OOIP more oil than waterflooding from swept pore space of an oil reservoir. However, alkaline-surfactant-polymer technology is not amenable to naturally fractured reservoirs or those with thief zones because much of injected solution bypasses target pore space containing oil. This work investigates whether combining these two technologies could broaden applicability of alkaline-surfactant-polymer flooding into these reservoirs. A priormore » fluid-fluid report discussed interaction of different gel chemical compositions and alkaline-surfactant-polymer solutions. Gel solutions under dynamic conditions of linear corefloods showed similar stability to alkaline-surfactant-polymer solutions as in the fluid-fluid analyses. Aluminum-polyacrylamide, flowing gels are not stable to alkaline-surfactant-polymer solutions of either pH 10.5 or 12.9. Chromium acetate-polyacrylamide flowing and rigid flowing gels are stable to subsequent alkaline-surfactant-polymer solution injection. Rigid flowing chromium acetate-polyacrylamide gels maintained permeability reduction better than flowing chromium acetate-polyacrylamide gels. Silicate-polyacrylamide gels are not stable with subsequent injection of either a pH 10.5 or a 12.9 alkaline-surfactant-polymer solution. Chromium acetate-xanthan gum rigid gels are not stable to subsequent alkaline-surfactant-polymer solution injection. Resorcinol-formaldehyde gels were stable to subsequent alkaline-surfactant-polymer solution injection. When evaluated in a dual core configuration, injected fluid flows into the core with the greatest effective permeability to the injected fluid. The same gel stability trends to

Coupling the Alkaline-Surfactant-Polymer Technology and the Gelation Technology to Maximize Oil Production

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Malcolm Pitts; Jie Qi; Dan Wilson

2005-12-01

Gelation technologies have been developed to provide more efficient vertical sweep efficiencies for flooding naturally fractured oil reservoirs or reservoirs with different sand lenses with high permeability contrast. The field proven alkaline-surfactant-polymer technology economically recovers 15% to 25% OOIP more crude oil than waterflooding froin swept pore space of an oil reservoir. However, alkaline-surfactant-polymer technology is not amenable to naturally fractured reservoirs or reservoirs with high permeability contrast zones because much of injected solution bypasses target pore space containing oil. This work investigates whether combining these two technologies could broaden applicability of alkaline-surfactant-polymer flooding into these reservoirs. Fluid-fluid interaction withmore » different gel chemical compositions and alkaline-surfactant-polymer solution with pH values ranging from 9.2 to 12.9 have been tested. Aluminum-polyacrylamide gels are not stable to alkaline-surfactant-polymer solutions at any pH. Chromium-polyacrylamide gels with polymer to chromium ion ratios of 25 or greater were stable to alkaline-surfactant-polymer solutions if solution pH was 10.6 or less. When the polymer to chromium ion was 15 or less, chromium-polyacrylamide gels were stable to alkaline-surfactant-polymer solutions with pH values up to 12.9. Chromium-xanthan gum gels were stable to alkaline-surfactant-polymer solutions with pH values of 12.9 at the polymer to chromium ion ratios tested. Silicate-polyacrylamide, resorcinol-formaldehyde, and sulfomethylated resorcinol-formaldehyde gels were also stable to alkaline-surfactant-polymer solutions with pH values ranging from 9.2 to 12.9. Iron-polyacrylamide gels were immediately destroyed when contacted with any of the alkaline-surfactant-polymer solutions with pH values ranging from 9.2 to 12.9. Gel solutions under dynamic conditions of linear corefloods showed similar stability to alkaline-surfactant-polymer solutions

Viscosity of the oil-in-water Pickering emulsion stabilized by surfactant-polymer and nanoparticle-surfactant-polymer system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, Tushar; Kumar, G. Suresh; Chon, Bo Hyun; Sangwai, Jitendra S.

2014-11-01

Information on the viscosity of Pickering emulsion is required for their successful application in upstream oil and gas industry to understand their stability at extreme environment. In this work, a novel formulation of oil-in-water (o/w) Pickering emulsion stabilized using nanoparticle-surfactant-polymer (polyacrylamide) system as formulated in our earlier work (Sharma et al., Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, 2014) is investigated for rheological stability at high pressure and high temperature (HPHT) conditions using a controlled-strain rheometer. The nanoparticle (SiO2 and clay) concentration is varied from 1.0 to 5.0 wt%. The results are compared with the rheological behavior of simple o/w emulsion stabilized by surfactant-polymer system. Both the emulsions exhibit non-Newtonian shear thinning behavior. A positive shift in this behavior is observed for surfactant-polymer stabilized emulsion at high pressure conditions. Yield stress is observed to increase with pressure for surfactant-polymer emulsion. In addition, increase in temperature has an adverse effect on the viscosity of emulsion stabilized by surfactant-polymer system. In case of nanoparticle-surfactant-polymer stabilized o/w emulsion system, the viscosity and yield stress are predominantly constant for varying pressure and temperature conditions. The viscosity data for both o/w emulsion systems are fitted by the Herschel-Bulkley model and found to be satisfactory. In general, the study indicates that the Pickering emulsion stabilized by nanoparticle-surfactant-polymer system shows improved and stable rheological properties as compared to conventional emulsion stabilized by surfactant-polymer system indicating their successful application for HPHT environment in upstream oil and gas industry.

Elastohydrodynamic Traction Properties of Seed Oils

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The elastohydrodynamic traction coefficient (tc) properties of nine seed oils of varying chemical structures, PAO and hexadecane, were investigated using a ball-on disk traction apparatus. The seed oils were: castor oil, a triglyceride with hydroxyl functional group; jojoba, a monoglyceride; and s...

A Novel Methodology for the Synthesis of Acyloxy Castor Polyol Esters: Low Pour Point Lubricant Base Stocks.

PubMed

Kamalakar, Kotte; Mahesh, Goli; Prasad, Rachapudi B N; Karuna, Mallampalli S L

2015-01-01

Castor oil, a non-edible oil containing hydroxyl fatty acid, ricinoleic acid (89.3 %) was chemically modified employing a two step procedure. The first step involved acylation (C(2)-C(6) alkanoic anhydrides) of -OH functionality employing a green catalyst, Kieselguhr-G and solvent free medium. The catalyst after reaction was filtered and reused several times without loss in activity. The second step is esterification of acylated castor fatty acids with branched mono alcohol, 2-ethylhexanol and polyols namely neopentyl glycol (NPG), trimethylolpropane (TMP) and pentaerythritol (PE) to obtain 16 novel base stocks. The base stocks when evaluated for different lubricant properties have shown very low pour points (-30 to -45°C) and broad viscosity ranges 20.27 cSt to 370.73 cSt, higher viscosity indices (144-171), good thermal and oxidative stabilities, and high weld load capacities suitable for multi-range industrial applications such as hydraulic fluids, metal working fluids, gear oil, forging and aviation applications. The study revealed that acylated branched mono- and polyol esters rich in monounsaturation is desirable for developing low pour point base stocks.

Effect of glyphosate on the castor plant Ricinus communis L

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The presence of a toxin in the castor seed has been a major impediment to the reintroduction of castor as a domestic crop in the US. Because dehiscent forms of castor are invasive and castor seed remains viable for years under the right conditions, there is concern that if castor were widely cultiva...

Coupling the Alkaline-Surfactant-Polymer Technology and The Gelation Technology to Maximize Oil Production

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Malcolm Pitts; Jie Qi; Dan Wilson

2005-12-01

Gelation technologies have been developed to provide more efficient vertical sweep efficiencies for flooding naturally fractured oil reservoirs or reservoirs with different sand lenses with high permeability contrast. The field proven alkaline-surfactant-polymer technology economically recovers 15% to 25% OOIP more crude oil than waterflooding from swept pore space of an oil reservoir. However, alkaline-surfactant-polymer technology is not amenable to naturally fractured reservoirs or reservoirs with high permeability contrast zones because much of injected solution bypasses target pore space containing oil. This work investigates whether combining these two technologies could broaden applicability of alkaline-surfactant-polymer flooding into these reservoirs. Fluid-fluid interaction withmore » different gel chemical compositions and alkaline-surfactant-polymer solution with pH values ranging from 9.2 to 12.9 have been tested. Aluminum-polyacrylamide gels are not stable to alkaline-surfactant-polymer solutions at any pH. Chromium-polyacrylamide gels with polymer to chromium ion ratios of 25 or greater were stable to alkaline-surfactant-polymer solutions if solution pH was 10.6 or less. When the polymer to chromium ion was 15 or less, chromium-polyacrylamide gels were stable to alkaline-surfactant-polymer solutions with pH values up to 12.9. Chromium-xanthan gum gels were stable to alkaline-surfactant-polymer solutions with pH values of 12.9 at the polymer to chromium ion ratios tested. Silicate-polyacrylamide, resorcinol-formaldehyde, and sulfomethylated resorcinol-formaldehyde gels were also stable to alkaline-surfactant-polymer solutions with pH values ranging from 9.2 to 12.9. Iron-polyacrylamide gels were immediately destroyed when contacted with any of the alkaline-surfactant-polymer solutions with pH values ranging from 9.2 to 12.9. Gel solutions under dynamic conditions of linear corefloods showed similar stability to alkaline-surfactant-polymer solutions

Polymercaptanized soybean oil – properties and tribological characterization

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Polymercaptanized vegetable oils are produced in industrial scale by the addition of hydrogen sulfide across double bonds or epoxides of vegetable oils, in the presence of UV-light. To date, soybean oil, epoxidized soybean oil, and castor oil has been mercaptanized using such a procedure. Depending ...

Evaluation of the North Stanley Polymer Demonstration Project. [Tertiary oil recovery; polymer-enhanced waterflooding; Oklahoma

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Harpole, K.J.; Hill, C.J.

1983-02-01

A review of the performance of the North Stanley Polymer Demonstration Project has been completed. The objective of the cost-project was to evaluate the technical efficiency and economic feasibility of polymer-enhanced waterflooding as a tertiary recovery process in a highly heterogeneous and vertically fractured sandstone reservoir that has been successfully waterflooded and is approaching the economic limits of conventional waterflooding recovery. The ultimate incremental oil recovery from the project is estimated to be about 570,000 barrels (or approximately 1.4% of the original oil-in-place). This is significantly less than the original recovery predictions but does demonstrate that the project was technicallymore » successful. The lower-than-anticipated recovery is attributed principally to the extremely heterogeneous nature of the reservoir. One of the major objectives of this evaluation is to present an updated economic anlaysis of the North Stanley Polymer Demonstration Project. The updated economic analysis under current (mid-1982) economic conditions indicates that the North Stanley project would be commercially feasible if polymer injection had begun in 1982, rather than in 1976. Overall project operations were conducted efficiently, with a minimum of operational problems. The North Stanley polymer project provides a well-documented example of an actual field-scale tertiary application of polymer-augmented waterflooding in a highly heterogeneous reservoir.« less

Elastohydrodynamic (EHD) traction properties of seed oils

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The elastohydrodynamic traction coefficient (tc) properties of nine seed oils of varying chemical structures, PAO and hexadecane, were investigated using a ball-on disk traction apparatus. The seed oils were: castor oil, a triglyceride with hydroxyl functional group; jojoba, a monoglyceride; and sev...

78 FR 20029 - Castor Oil, Polymer With Adipic Acid, Linoleic Acid, Oleic Acid and Ricinoleic Acid; Tolerance...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-03

... of pesticide use in residential settings. If EPA is able to determine that a finite tolerance is not... environment. 2. The polymer does contain as an integral part of its composition the atomic elements carbon... impurities, any element other than those listed in 40 CFR 723.250(d)(2)(ii). 4. The polymer is neither...

Synthesis and characterization of gold nanotube/nanowire-polyurethane composite based on castor oil and polyethylene glycol.

PubMed

Ganji, Yasaman; Kasra, Mehran; Salahshour Kordestani, Soheila; Bagheri Hariri, Mohiedin

2014-09-01

Gold nanotubes/nanowires (GNT/NW) were synthesized by using the template-assisted electrodeposition technique and mixed with castor oil-polyethylene glycol based polyurethane (PU) to fabricate porous composite scaffolds for biomedical application. 100 and 50 ppm of GNT/NW were used to synthesize composites. The composite scaffolds were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and scanning electron microscopy. Cell attachment on polyurethane-GNT/NW composites was investigated using fat-derived mesenchymal stem cells. Addition of 50 or 100 ppm GNT/NW had significant effects on thermal, mechanical, and cell attachment of polyurethane. Higher crosslink density and better cell attachment and proliferation were observed in polyurethane containing 50 ppm GNT/NW. The results revealed that GNT/NW formed hydrogen bonding with the polyurethane matrix and improved the thermomechanical properties of nanocomposites. Compared with pure PU, better cellular attachment on polyurethane-GNT/NW composites was observed resulting from the improved surface properties of composites. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Thermoset polymers via ring opening metathesis polymerization of functionalized oils

DOEpatents

Larock, Richard C; Henna, Phillip H; Kessier, Michael R

2012-11-27

The invention provides a method for producing a thermosetting resin from renewable oils, the method comprising supplying renewable oil molecules containing strained ring alkene moieties; reacting the alkene moieties with cyclic alkenes to create a polymer; and repeating the above two steps until the resin having desired characteristics are obtained. Also provided is a thermoset resin comprising functionalized renewable oil polymerized with a co-monomer.

Method of improving heterogeneous oil reservoir polymer flooding effect by positively-charged gel profile control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Ling; Xia, Huifen

2018-01-01

The project of polymer flooding has achieved great success in Daqing oilfield, and the main oil reservoir recovery can be improved by more than 15%. But, for some strong oil reservoir heterogeneity carrying out polymer flooding, polymer solution will be inefficient and invalid loop problem in the high permeability layer, then cause the larger polymer volume, and a significant reduction in the polymer flooding efficiency. Aiming at this problem, it is studied the method that improves heterogeneous oil reservoir polymer flooding effect by positively-charged gel profile control. The research results show that the polymer physical and chemical reaction of positively-charged gel with the residual polymer in high permeability layer can generate three-dimensional network of polymer, plugging high permeable layer, and increase injection pressure gradient, then improve the effect of polymer flooding development. Under the condition of the same dosage, positively-charged gel profile control can improve the polymer flooding recovery factor by 2.3∼3.8 percentage points. Under the condition of the same polymer flooding recovery factor increase value, after positively-charged gel profile control, it can reduce the polymer volume by 50 %. Applying mechanism of positively-charged gel profile control technology is feasible, cost savings, simple construction, and no environmental pollution, therefore has good application prospect.

Quantitative proteomics of seed filling in castor: comparison with soybean and rapeseed reveals differences between photosynthetic and nonphotosynthetic seed metabolism.

PubMed

Houston, Norma L; Hajduch, Martin; Thelen, Jay J

2009-10-01

Seed maturation or seed filling is a phase of development that plays a major role in the storage reserve composition of a seed. In many plant seeds photosynthesis plays a major role in this process, although oilseeds, such as castor (Ricinus communis), are capable of accumulating oil without the benefit of photophosphorylation to augment energy demands. To characterize seed filling in castor, a systematic quantitative proteomics study was performed. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis was used to resolve and quantify Cy-dye-labeled proteins expressed at 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 weeks after flowering in biological triplicate. Expression profiles for 660 protein spot groups were established, and of these, 522 proteins were confidently identified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry by mining against the castor genome. Identified proteins were classified according to function, and the most abundant groups of proteins were involved in protein destination and storage (34%), energy (19%), and metabolism (15%). Carbon assimilatory pathways in castor were compared with previous studies of photosynthetic oilseeds, soybean (Glycine max) and rapeseed (Brassica napus). These comparisons revealed differences in abundance and number of protein isoforms at numerous steps in glycolysis. One such difference was the number of enolase isoforms and their sum abundance; castor had approximately six times as many isoforms as soy and rapeseed. Furthermore, Rubisco was 11-fold less prominent in castor compared to rapeseed. These and other differences suggest some aspects of carbon flow, carbon recapture, as well as ATP and NADPH production in castor differs from photosynthetic oilseeds.

Catalytic transformation of waste polymers to fuel oil.

PubMed

Keane, Mark A

2009-01-01

Waste not, want not: The increase in waste polymer generation, which continues to exceed recycle, represents a critical environmental burden. However, plastic waste may be viewed as a potential resource and, with the correct treatment, can serve as hydrocarbon raw material or as fuel oil, as described in this Minireview.Effective waste management must address waste reduction, reuse, recovery, and recycle. The consumption of plastics continues to grow, and, while plastic recycle has seen a significant increase since the early 1990s, consumption still far exceeds recycle. However, waste plastic can be viewed as a potential resource and can serve, with the correct treatment, as hydrocarbon raw material or as fuel oil. This Minireview considers the role of catalysis in waste polymer reprocessing and provides a critical overview of the existing waste plastic treatment technologies. Thermal pyrolysis results in a random scissioning of the polymer chains, generating products with varying molecular weights. Catalytic degradation provides control over the product composition/distribution and serves to lower significantly the degradation temperature. Incineration of waste PVC is very energy demanding and can result in the formation of toxic chloro emissions. The efficacy of a catalytic transformation of PVC is also discussed.

Lubrication properties of new crop oils

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Oils from new crops such as lesquerella (Lesquerella fendleri), field pennycress (Thlaspi arvense L.), meadowfoam (Limnanthes alba L.), and cuphea PSR-23 (Cuphea viscosissima × Cuphea lanceolata) were investigated and compared with vegetable oils from commodity crops such as castor, corn, and soybea...

Elastohydrodynamics of farm-based blends comprising amphiphilic oils

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Vegetable oils contain non-polar hydrocarbon chains and polar ester groups (and possibly also other functional groups such as hydroxyl groups in castor oil). The presence of polar and non-polar groups within the same molecule gives vegetable oil amphiphilic character. The density, refractive index, ...

Mechanisms behind injecting the combination of nano-clay particles and polymer solution for enhanced oil recovery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khalili Nezhad, Seyyed Shahram; Cheraghian, Goshtasp

2016-08-01

Laboratory investigations and field applications have proved injection of polymer solution to be an effective means to improve oil recovery for reservoirs of medium oil viscosity. The incremental oil produced in this case is the result of an increase in areal and vertical sweep efficiencies. Biopolymers and synthetic polymers are the major categories used in the petroleum industry for specific reasons. Biopolymers like xanthan are limited in their application as they are more susceptible to biodegradation. Synthetic polymers like Hydrolyzed PolyAcrylaMide (HPAM) have a much wider application as they are less susceptible to biodegradation. Furthermore, development of nanotechnology has successfully provided technical and economical viable alternatives for present materials. The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of combining clay nanoparticles with polymer solution on oil recovery. This paper includes a history match of both one-dimensional and two-dimensional polymer floods using a three-dimensional numerical model for fluid flow and mass transport. Results indicated that the amount of polymer adsorption decreased when clay nanoparticles were added to the PolyAcrylaMide solution; however, mobility ratio improvement is believed to be the main contributor for the proposed method in order to enhance much oil recovery compared to xanthan flood and HPAM flood.

Optimization of Ultrasonic-Microwave Synergistic Extraction of Ricinine from Castor Cake by Response Surface Methodology.

PubMed

Xu, Wei; Yan, Xiuhua; Shao, Rong; Chen, Ligen; Ke, Zengguang

Castor cake is the residue in castor oil production in which many active components exist and the major one among them is ricinine. In this study, optimization of extraction of ricinine from castor cake using ultrasonic-microwave synergistic extraction (UMSE) was investigated to obtain high yield and purity by Box-Behnken design (BBD) response surface design. The optimal conditions of extraction were: ultrasound power 342 W, extracting time 5 min, microwave power 395 W, and non-significant factor of liquid/solid ratio 1:10. The crude extraction was recrystallized from ethanol. As a result, the maximum yield of ricinine was approximately 67.52%. The purity of ricinine was 99.39% which was determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Additionally, the structure of purified ricinine was identified by fourier transforms infrared (FTIR) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to characterize the prismatic crystals morphology of ricinine. Results demonstrated that the present method combined the advantages of ultrasonic extraction and microwave extraction, which is time-saving with high extraction yield. Our results offer a suitable method for large-scale isolation of ricinine.

An ASCA observation of the Castor system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gotthelf, Eric V.; Jalota, Lalit; Mukai, Koji; White, Nicholas E.

1994-01-01

We report on a day-long ASCA broadband (1-10 keV) spectro-imaging observation of the X-ray emission from the Castor multibinary system. Significant flares were detected from both the flare star system YY Gem (Castor C) and from Castor AB located 73 sec away. Using an optimal viewing geometry and image restoration techniques, we are able to spatially resolve the emission from the two X-ray components. Broadband flare activity from Castor AB is confirmed, and quiescent flux is detected. The quiescent spectrum of YY Gem is a complex blend of emission lines across the ASCA bandpass which requires multitemperature components or two-temperature variable metal-poor abundances (approximately 5-10 below solar) to obtain a satisfactory fit to both the Mewe-Kaastra and Raymond-Smith models. The flare spectrum is consistent with an increase in the emissivity of the hotter component.

Synthesis and properties of a novel bio-based polymer from modified soybean oil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Y. T.; Yang, L. T.; Zhang, H.; Tang, Z. J.

2017-02-01

Maleated acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (MAESO) was prepared by acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (AESO) and maleic anhydride. AESO were obtained by the reaction of epoxidized soybean oil (ESO) with acrylic acid as the ring-opening reagent. The polymer was prepared by MAESO react with styrene. The structures of the products were studied by Fourier transformation infrared spectrometer (FT-IR), and were consistent with the theoretical structures. Swelling experiment indicated that the crosslinking degree increased with increasing epoxy value of ESO. Thermal properties was tested by thermo-gravimetric analysis (TG) and differential scanning calorimetry analysis (DSC), indicating that glass transition temperature (Tg) of the polymer increased with increasing epoxy value of ESO, and thermal stability of polymer have a good correlation with the crosslinking degree. Mechanical properties analysis presented that tensile strength and impact strength affected by epoxy value of ESO. With the increase of epoxy value, the tensile strength increase, while the impact strength decrease. The property of the polymer ranged from elastomer to plastic character depended on the functionality of the ESO.

Rapid determination of saponification value and polymer content of vegetable and fish oils by terahertz spectroscopy.

PubMed

Jiang, Feng Ling; Ikeda, Ikuo; Ogawa, Yuichi; Endo, Yasushi

2012-01-01

A rapid method for determining the saponification value (SV) and polymer content of vegetable and fish oils using the terahertz (THz) spectroscopy was developed. When the THz absorption spectra for vegetable and fish oils were measured in the range of 20 to 400 cm⁻¹, two peaks were seen at 77 and 328 cm⁻¹. The level of absorbance at 77 cm⁻¹ correlated well with the SV. When the THz absorption spectra of thermally treated high-oleic safflower oils were measured, the absorbance increased with heating time. The polymer content in thermally treated oil correlated with the absorbance at 77 cm⁻¹. These results demonstrate that the THz spectrometry is a suitable non-destructive technique for the rapid determination of the SV and polymer content of vegetable and fish oils.

Biohybrid Polymer-Antimicrobial Peptide Medium against Enterococcus faecalis

PubMed Central

Eckhard, Lea H.; Sol, Asaf; Abtew, Ester; Shai, Yechiel; Domb, Abraham J.

2014-01-01

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are conserved evolutionary components of the innate immune system that are being tested as alternatives to antibiotics. Slow release of AMPs using biodegradable polymers can be advantageous in maintaining high peptide levels for topical treatment, especially in the oral environment in which dosage retention is challenged by drug dilution with saliva flow and by drug inactivation by salivary enzymatic activity. Enterococcus faecalis is a multidrug resistant nosocomial pathogen and a persistent pathogen in root canal infections. In this study, four ultra-short lipopeptides (C16-KGGK, C16-KLLK, C16-KAAK and C16-KKK) and an amphipathic α-helical antimicrobial peptide (Amp-1D) were tested against E. faecalis. The antibacterial effect was determined against planktonic bacteria and bacteria grown in biofilm. Of the five tested AMPs, C16-KGGK was the most effective. Next C16-KGGK was formulated with one of two polymers poly (lactic acid co castor oil) (DLLA) or ricinoleic acid-based poly (ester-anhydride) P(SA-RA). Peptide-synthetic polymer conjugates, also referred to as biohybrid mediums were tested for antibacterial activity against E. faecalis grown in suspension and in biofilms. The new formulations exhibited strong and improved anti- E. faecalis activity. PMID:25279943

Evaluation of Castor Oil Cake Starch and Recovered Glycerol and Development of “Green” Composites Based on Those with Plant Fibers

PubMed Central

Guimarães, José Luis; Trindade Cursino, Ana Cristina; Ketzer Saul, Cyro; Sierrakowski, Maria Rita; Ramos, Luiz Pereira; Satyanarayana, Kestur Gundappa

2016-01-01

Continuous efforts are being made in some countries for the recovery of crude glycerin (RG/CG) and castor oil cake (COC), the two byproducts of biodiesel production. These are expected to help, not only in addressing environmental safety, but also in adding value to those byproducts, which otherwise may go to waste. Finding ways to utilize those byproducts underlines the main objective of this study. This paper presents the evaluation of (i) COC, glycerin and banana and sugarcane fibers for moisture content; (ii) COC for structural and thermal properties; and (iii) CG for its chemical characteristics. The possibility of using COC and CG with the selected fibers as reinforcement in the development of bio-composites is attempted through thermo-molding. Results revealed enhanced mechanical properties for these composites. The obtained results are discussed in terms of the observed morphology. PMID:28787878

Sustained Release of Antibacterial Lipopeptides from Biodegradable Polymers against Oral Pathogens

PubMed Central

Eckhard, Lea H.; Houri-Haddad, Yael; Sol, Asaf; Zeharia, Rotem; Shai, Yechiel; Beyth, Shaul; Domb, Abraham J.

2016-01-01

The development of antibacterial drugs to overcome various pathogenic species, which inhabit the oral cavity, faces several challenges, such as salivary flow and enzymatic activity that restrict dosage retention. Owing to their amphipathic nature, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) serve as the first line of defense of the innate immune system. The ability to synthesize different types of AMPs enables exploitation of their advantages as alternatives to antibiotics. Sustained release of AMPs incorporated in biodegradable polymers can be advantageous in maintaining high levels of the peptides. In this study, four potent ultra-short lipopeptides, conjugated to an aliphatic acid chain (16C) were incorporated in two different biodegradable polymers: poly (lactic acid co castor oil) (PLACO) and ricinoleic acid-based poly (ester-anhydride) (P(SA-RA)) for sustained release. The lipopeptide and polymer formulations were tested for antibacterial activity during one week, by turbidometric measurements of bacterial outgrowth, anti-biofilm activity by live/dead staining, biocompatibility by hemolysis and XTT colorimetric assays, mode of action by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) and release profile by a fluorometric assay. The results show that an antibacterial and anti-biofilm effect, as well as membrane disruption, can be achieved by the use of a formulation of lipopeptide incorporated in biodegradable polymer. PMID:27606830

Chemical Investigations of the Castor Bean Plant Ricinus communis

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-12-01

of the castor bean plant Ricinus communis. A major focus of this grant was to understand the chemical composition of the seeds, and to ascertain if...UNCLASSIFIED Chemical Investigations of the Castor Bean Plant Ricinus communis Simon P. B. Ovenden, Christina K. Bagas, David J...investigation of several forensic aspects of the castor bean plant Ricinus communis. A major focus of this grant was to understand the chemical

A NEW RENEWABLE POLYMER FROM BIO-OIL - PHASE I

EPA Science Inventory

The vast majority of today’s polymers, plastics, foams, synthetic fibers, adhesives, and coatings are made from oil, which is non-renewable, non-biodegradable, depends in large part on foreign sources, is highly sensitive to regional conflicts, and has a large carbon foo...

Design and preparation of plant oil-based polymers and their applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahn, Byung-Jun Kollbe

Renewable materials are desirable for many applications due to the finite fossil resources and environmental issues. Plant oil is one of the most promising renewable feedstocks. Plant oils and functionalized oleo-chemicals including functionalized soybean oils have become attractive sustainable chemicals for industrial applications. Especially, epoxidized oleo-chemicals such as epoxidized soybean oil (ESO) are one of the most well-known readily available inexpensive functionalized plant oils. In this study, novel polymers and nanocomposites for sustainable materials applications were designed and prepared via ring-opening of epoxide in plant oils, and their chemical and physical properties were characterized. The novel transparent elastomers derived from functionalized plant oils have a great potential as flexible electronic and biological applications with their inherent low toxicity. Especially, their rheological properties showed a potential for pressure sensitive adhesives (PSAs). The dominant thermal stability and transparency were obtained via green processing: one pot, single step, fast reactions in moderate conditions, or solvent-free UV curing conditions. These oleo-based elastomers presented excellent end-use properties for PSAs application comparable to commercial PSA tapes. Based on the principal chemical studies, the roles of the each component have been identified: polymer derived from the ring-opening of epoxides as an elastomer, and dihydroxylated triglycerides as a tackifier. Their interaction was also elucidated with an element label analysis. The mechanical and rheological properties of the oleo-polymer as PSAs were able to be improved with a rosin ester tackifier. In addition, biogreases and bio-thermoplastics were developed via the environmentally benign process, which will contribute to further application on the production of new bio-based materials. Further, this study essays a novel acid functionalized iron/iron oxide nanoparticles catalyst

Studies on performance evaluation of a green plasticizer made by enzymatic esterification of furfuryl alcohol and castor oil fatty acid.

PubMed

Mukherjee, Sohini; Ghosh, Mahua

2017-02-10

The esterification of furfuryl alcohol (FA) and castor oil fatty acid (COFA) at 3:1 molar ratio, by immobilized Candida antarctica Lipase B (NS 435 from Novozyme) in a solvent free system gave a maximum yield of 88.64% (%w/w) at 5h. Performance of the FA-COFA ester plasticized Ethyl Cellulose (EC) films were evaluated by surface morphologies, XRD analysis, mechanical properties,thermal properties, water vapor permeability and migration stability test. It was an effective plasticizer with better mechanical properties and thermal stability at the increasing concentration of FA-COFA ester (15-25%) containing EC film, than the traditional plasticizer, i.e; dibutyl phthalate (DBP) in producing good quality films. Chemical structure and the intermolecular interactions between FA-COFA ester and ethyl cellulose chains were the causative agents of these outstanding performances. Therefore, this FA-COFA ester, with significant plasticizing property, at a certain concentration, can be a substitute of DBP. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

CASTOR: Cathode/Anode Satellite Thruster for Orbital Repositioning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mruphy, Gloria A.

2010-01-01

The purpose of CASTOR (Cathode/Anode Satellite Thruster for Orbital Repositioning) satellite is to demonstrate in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) a nanosatellite that uses a Divergent Cusped Field Thruster (DCFT) to perform orbital maneuvers representative of an orbital transfer vehicle. Powered by semi-deployable solar arrays generating 165W of power, CASTOR will achieve nearly 1 km/s of velocity increment over one year. As a technology demonstration mission, success of CASTOR in LEO will pave the way for a low cost, high delta-V orbital transfer capability for small military and civilian payloads in support of Air Force and NASA missions. The educational objective is to engage graduate and undergraduate students in critical roles in the design, development, test, carrier integration and on-orbit operations of CASTOR as a supplement to their curricular activities. This program is laying the foundation for a long-term satellite construction program at MIT. The satellite is being designed as a part of AFRL's University Nanosatellite Program, which provides the funding and a framework in which student satellite teams compete for a launch to orbit. To this end, the satellite must fit within an envelope of 50cmx50cmx60cm, have a mass of less than 50kg, and meet stringent structural and other requirements. In this framework, the CASTOR team successfully completed PDR in August 2009 and CDR in April 2010 and will compete at FCR (Flight Competition Review) in January 2011. The complexity of the project requires implementation of many systems engineering techniques which allow for development of CASTOR from conception through FCR and encompass the full design, fabrication, and testing process.

Plant oil-based polymers prepared in green media and functionalized into useful materials

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The conversion of plant oils to polymers has attracted renewed attention in recent years in order to replace or augment the traditional petro-chemical based polymers and resins. This is due to concern for the environment, waste disposal, and depletion of fossil and non renewable feedstocks. In this ...

Thermoviscosifying Smart Polymers for Oil and Gas Production: State of the Art.

PubMed

Feng, Yujun; Su, Xin

2018-06-11

Water-soluble polymers have been extensively used in all sections of oil and gas upstream industry, but the inherent thermothinning behaviours limited their applications in harsh environment. To address this issue, thermoviscosifying (or "thermothickening") polymers (TVPs) whose aqueous solution viscosity automatically increase upon increasing temperature was introduced early 1990s. This review started with recalling the background for developing such smart materials, followed by demonstrating the mechanism of thermothickening. Next, three major TVPs including N-alkyl substituted acrylamide copolymers, grafted polyethers and cellulose derivatives were summarized with respect to their structure-property relationship, then their practical trials or potential uses in oil and gas drilling fluids, cementing slurries, hydraulic fracturing, steam flooding and enhanced oil recovery were discussed. Finally, the advantages and disadvantages of the current TVPs were commented, and the future prospects were outlooked to close this review. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Succession of microbial communities and changes of incremental oil in a post-polymer flooded reservoir with nutrient stimulation.

PubMed

Gao, Peike; Li, Guoqiang; Le, Jianjun; Liu, Xiaobo; Liu, Fang; Ma, Ting

2018-02-01

Further exploitation of the residual oil underground in post-polymer flooded reservoirs is attractive and challengeable. In this study, indigenous microbial enhanced oil recovery (IMEOR) in a post-polymer flooded reservoir was performed. The succession of microbial communities was revealed by high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA genes and changes of incremental oil were analyzed. The results indicated that the abundances of reservoir microorganisms significantly increased, with alpha diversities decreased in the IMEOR process. With the intermittent nutrient injection, microbial communities showed a regular change and were alternately dominated by minority populations: Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter significantly increased when nutrients were injected; Thauera, Azovibrio, Arcobacter, Helicobacter, Desulfitobacterium, and Clostridium increased in the following water-flooding process. Accompanied by the stimulated populations, higher oil production was obtained. However, these populations did not contribute a persistent level of incremental oil in the reservoir. In summary, this study revealed the alternative succession of microbial communities and the changes of incremental oil in a post-polymer flooded reservoir with intermittent nutrient stimulation process.

The CASTOR proteins are arginine sensors for the mTORC1 pathway

PubMed Central

Chantranupong, Lynne; Scaria, Sonia M.; Saxton, Robert A.; Gygi, Melanie P.; Shen, Kuang; Wyant, Gregory A.; Wang, Tim; Harper, J. Wade; Gygi, Steven P.; Sabatini, David M.

2016-01-01

Amino acids signal to the mTOR complex I (mTORC1) growth pathway through the Rag GTPases. Multiple distinct complexes regulate the Rags, including GATOR1, a GTPase activating protein (GAP), and GATOR2, a positive regulator of unknown molecular function. Arginine stimulation of cells activates mTORC1, but how it is sensed is not well understood. Recently, SLC38A9 was identified as a putative lysosomal arginine sensor required for arginine to activate mTORC1 but how arginine deprivation represses mTORC1 is unknown. Here, we show that CASTOR1, a previously uncharacterized protein, interacts with GATOR2 and is required for arginine deprivation to inhibit mTORC1. CASTOR1 homodimerizes and can also heterodimerize with the related protein, CASTOR2. Arginine disrupts the CASTOR1-GATOR2 complex by binding to CASTOR1 with a dissociation constant of ~30 μM, and its arginine-binding capacity is required for arginine to activate mTORC1 in cells. Collectively, these results establish CASTOR1 as an arginine sensor for the mTORC1 pathway. PMID:26972053

Influence of fatty acid methyl esters from hydroxylated vegetable oils on diesel fuel lubricity.

PubMed

Goodrum, John W; Geller, Daniel P

2005-05-01

Current and future regulations on the sulfur content of diesel fuel have led to a decrease in lubricity of these fuels. This decreased lubricity poses a significant problem as it may lead to wear and damage of diesel engines, primarily fuel injection systems. Vegetable oil based diesel fuel substitutes (biodiesel) have been shown to be clean and effective and may increase overall lubricity when added to diesel fuel at nominally low levels. Previous studies on castor oil suggest that its uniquely high level of the hydroxy fatty acid ricinoleic acid may impart increased lubricity to the oil and its derivatives as compared to other vegetable oils. Likewise, the developing oilseed Lesquerella may also increase diesel lubricity through its unique hydroxy fatty acid composition. This study examines the effect of castor and Lesquerella oil esters on the lubricity of diesel fuel using the High-Frequency Reciprocating Rig (HFRR) test and compares these results to those for the commercial vegetable oil derivatives soybean and rapeseed methyl esters.

Quantification of TAG and DAG in lesquerella (Physaria fendleri) oil by HPLC and MS

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Castor oil has many industrial uses because of its high content (90%) of the hydroxy fatty acid, ricinoleic acid (OH1218:19). Lesquerella oil containing lesquerolic acid (Ls, OH1420:111, 56.5%) is potentially useful in industry. Ten diacylglycerols (DAG) and 74 triacylglycerols (TAG) in the seed oil...

Oil-water separation property of polymer-contained wastewater from polymer-flooding oilfields in Bohai Bay, China.

PubMed

Chen, Hua-xing; Tang, Hong-ming; Duan, Ming; Liu, Yi-gang; Liu, Min; Zhao, Feng

2015-01-01

In this study, the effects of gravitational settling time, temperature, speed and time of centrifugation, flocculant type and dosage, bubble size and gas amount were investigated. The results show that the simple increase in settling time and temperature is of no use for oil-water separation of the three wastewater samples. As far as oil-water separation efficiency is concerned, increasing centrifugal speed and centrifugal time is highly effective for L sample, and has a certain effect on J sample, but is not valid for S sample. The flocculants are highly effective for S and L samples, and the oil-water separation efficiency increases with an increase in the concentration of inorganic cationic flocculants. There exist critical reagent concentrations for the organic cationic and the nonionic flocculants, wherein a higher or lower concentration of flocculant would cause a decrease in the treatment efficiency. Flotation is an effective approach for oil-water separation of polymer-contained wastewater from the three oilfields. The oil-water separation efficiency can be enhanced by increasing floatation agent concentration, flotation time and gas amount, and by decreasing bubble size.

Novel biobased photo-crosslinked polymer networks prepared from vegetable oil and 2,5-furan diacrylate

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Novel biobased crosslinked polymer networks were prepared from vegetable oil with 2,5-furan diacrylate as a difunctional stiffener through UV photopolymerization, and the mechanical properties of the resulting films were evaluated. The vegetable oil raw materials used were acrylated epoxidized soybe...

Risk of ricin from commercial castor production in North America

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Commercial production of castor, as a source of highly valuable hydroxyl fatty acids, has been limited by both the real and perceived risks of commercial castor production in North America. Crop commodity groups, regulatory governmental agencies, and much of the general public may have reservations ...

Evaluation of the safety and efficacy of Lesquerella fendleri seed and oils as poultry feed additives

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Lesquerella (Lesquerella fendleri (Gray) Wats) is an oil seed plant capable of growth over a large geographic area of the southwestern U.S. The seed oil contains hydroxyfatty acids, useful in a variety of industrial products, and can replace imported castor bean oil (Ricinus communis L.). Lesquere...

A study on the dynamic interfacial tension of acidic crude oil/alkali (alkali-polymer) systems--

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Huang, Y.; Yang, P.; Qin, T.

1989-01-01

This paper describes the investigation of dynamic interfacial tension (DIFT) between the acidic Liao-He crude oil and two types of brine: a simple alkali system and a combined alkali-polymer system. It was found that interfacial tension (IFT) changed markedly with time and that the history of DIFT depended upon the concentration of alkali in the brine. The experimental results also showed that the IFT dropped dramatically as soon as the fresh oil contacted brine causing spontaneous emulsification to occur. The steady-state value of DIFT {gamma} st can be lower with the combined alkali-polymer system than with the simple alkali system.more » The results indicate that biopolymer is more effective than partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (PHPAM) for lowering {gamma} st and that Na{sub 2}Co{sub 1} causes a lower {gamma} st than NaOH in the combined alkali-polymer system. Optimized formulations containing Na{sub 2}CO{sub 3} added biopolymer can reduce {gamma} st by two orders of magnitude, and PHPAM can reduce {gamma} st by one order of magnitude. The interaction between alkali and polymer in the combined alkali-polymer system is discussed.« less

Improved method for extraction of castor seed for toxin determination

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The effort to identify castor seeds with low ricin content is considered to be a key to increasing cultivation of the castor plant for industrial applications. The procedure used to obtain soluble protein from the seed is a limiting factor for screening large numbers of seeds. Usually, the seed is...

Distinct Interfacial Fluorescence in Oil-in-Water Emulsions via Exciton Migration of Conjugated Polymers.

PubMed

Koo, Byungjin; Swager, Timothy M

2017-09-01

Commercial dyes are extensively utilized to stain specific phases for the visualization applications in emulsions and bioimaging. In general, dyes emit only one specific fluorescence signal and thus, in order to stain various phases and/or interfaces, one needs to incorporate multiple dyes and carefully consider their compatibility to avoid undesirable interactions with each other and with the components in the system. Herein, surfactant-type, perylene-endcapped fluorescent conjugated polymers that exhibit two different emissions are reported, which are cyan in water and red at oil-water interfaces. The interfacially distinct red emission results from enhanced exciton migration from the higher-bandgap polymer backbone to the lower-bandgap perylene endgroup. The confocal microscopy images exhibit the localized red emission exclusively from the circumference of oil droplets. This exciton migration and dual fluorescence of the polymers in different physical environments can provide a new concept of visualization methods in many amphiphilic colloidal systems and bioimaging. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Use of array of conducting polymers for differentiation of coconut oil products.

PubMed

Rañola, Rey Alfred G; Santiago, Karen S; Sevilla, Fortunato B

2016-01-01

An array of chemiresistors based on conducting polymers was assembled for the differentiation of coconut oil products. The chemiresistor sensors were fabricated through the potentiostatic electrodeposition of polyaniline (PANi), polypyrrole (PPy) and poly(3-methylthiophene) (P-3MTp) on the gap separating two planar gold electrodes set on a Teflon substrate. The change in electrical resistance of the sensors was measured and observed after exposing the array to the headspace of oil samples. The sensor response was found rapid, reversible and reproducible. Different signals were obtained for each coconut oil sample and pattern recognition techniques were employed for the analysis of the data. The developed system was able to distinguish virgin coconut oil (VCO) from refined, bleached & deodorised coconut oil (RBDCO), flavoured VCO, homemade VCO, and rancid VCO. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Naturally occurring and experimentally induced castor bean (Ricinus communis) poisoning in ducks

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jensen, Wayne I.; Allen, J.P.

1981-01-01

Castor bean (Ricinus communis) poisoning accounted for the death of several thousand ducks in the Texas panhandle in the fall and winter months of 1969-1971.Signs of intoxication resembled those of botulism, except for mucoid, blood-tinged excreta. The most common lesions were severe fatty change in the liver, widely distributed internal petechial hemorrhages or ecchymoses, and catarrhal enteritis.Nearly intact castor beans were found in the stomach of one duck during field necropsy. Fragments of seed coat resembling castor bean were found in the stomachs of 10 of 14 ducks examined in the laboratory.Clinical signs and postmortem lesions observed in wild ducks were induced experimentally in mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) by force-feeding intact castor beans. Toxicity titrations were erratic, but the LD50 appeared to be between three and four seeds.The mouse toxicity test, used to detect Clostridium botulinum toxin in the blood serum of intoxicated ducks, was negative in every case. Hemagglutination and precipitin tests generally failed to detect castor bean in extracts of excreta or intestinal contents of experimentally intoxicated ducks.

Preparation, characterization, and pharmacokinetics of tilmicosin- and florfenicol-loaded hydrogenated castor oil-solid lipid nanoparticles.

PubMed

Ling, Z; Yonghong, L; Changqing, S; Junfeng, L; Li, Z; Chunyu, J; Xianqiang, L

2017-06-01

To effectively control bovine mastitis, tilmicosin (TIL)- and florfenicol (FF)-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) with hydrogenated castor oil (HCO) were prepared by a hot homogenization and ultrasonication method. In vitro antibacterial activity, properties, and pharmacokinetics of the TIL-FF-SLN were studied. The results demonstrated that TIL and FF had a synergistic or additive antibacterial activity against Streptococcus dysgalactiae, Streptococcus uberis, and Streptococcus agalactiae. The size, polydispersity index, and zeta potential of nanoparticles were 289.1 ± 13.7 nm, 0.31 ± 0.05, and -26.7 ± 1.3 mV, respectively. The encapsulation efficiencies for TIL and FF were 62.3 ± 5.9% and 85.1 ± 5.2%, and the loading capacities for TIL and FF were 8.2 ± 0.6% and 3.3 ± 0.2%, respectively. The TIL-FF-SLN showed no irritation in the injection site and sustained release in vitro. After medication, TIL and FF could maintain about 0.1 μg/mL for 122 and 6 h. Compared to the control solution, the SLN increased the area under the concentration-time curve (AUC 0-t ), elimination half-life (T ½ke ), and mean residence time (MRT) of TIL by 33.09-, 23.29-, and 37.53-fold, and 1.69-, 5.00-, and 3.83-fold for FF, respectively. These results of this exploratory study suggest that the HCO-SLN could be a useful system for the delivery of TIL and FF for bovine mastitis therapy. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Facile preparation of polymer microspheres and fibers with a hollow core and porous shell for oil adsorption and oil/water separation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Jiefeng; Song, Xin; Huang, Xuewu; Wang, Ling; Li, Bei; Xue, Huaiguo

2018-05-01

Non-solvent assisted electrospinning was proposed for fabricating Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) microspheres and fibers with a hollow core and porous shell, which could be used for oil adsorption and oil/water separation. Propanediol was chosen as the non-solvent because of its high surface tension and viscosity as well as large phase separation tendency with polymer, which was beneficial to the formation of both the hollow core and porous shell during the electrospinning. With the increase of the polymer solution concentration, the microsphere gradually evolved to the bead-on-string geometry and finally to a continuous fiber form, indicating the transition from electro-spraying to electrospinning. The hollow core and dense surface pores enhanced the hydrophobicity, oleophilicity, permeability, and specific surface area of the fibers, and hence imparted the fibrous mat a high oil adsorption capacity. When the porous hollow microspheres were electro-sprayed onto the stainless steel mesh followed by the PDMS modification, the modified mesh became super-hydrophobic and super-oleophilic with the contact angle of 153° and sliding angle of 4°. The as-prepared mesh showed rapid oil/water separation with high efficiency and excellent recycling performance. The flux for separation of oil/water mixture could reach as high as 11,000 L m-2 h-1. This facile non-solvent assisted electrospinning method provides a new avenue for preparation of multifunctional porous materials which possess potential applications in large-scale oil/water separation.

Phytotoxicity of three plant-based biodiesels, unmodified castor oil, and Diesel fuel to alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), radish (Raphanus sativus), and wheatgrass (Triticum aestivum).

PubMed

Bamgbose, Ifeoluwa; Anderson, Todd A

2015-12-01

The wide use of plant-based oils and their derivatives, in particular biodiesel, have increased extensively over the past decade to help alleviate demand for petroleum products and improve the greenhouse gas emissions profile of the transportation sector. Biodiesel is regarded as a clean burning alternative fuel produced from livestock feeds and various vegetable oils. Although in theory these animal and/or plant derived fuels should have less environmental impact in soil based on their simplified composition relative to Diesel, they pose an environmental risk like Diesel at high concentrations when disposed. The aim of the present study was to ascertain the phytotoxicity of three different plant-derived biodiesels relative to conventional Diesel. For phytotoxicological analysis, we used seeds of four crop plants, Medicago sativa, Lactuca sativa, Raphanus sativus, and Triticum aestivum to analyze the germination of seeds in contaminated soil samples. The toxicological experiment was conducted with two different soil textures: sandy loam soil and silt loam soil. The studied plant-based biodiesels were safflower methyl-ester, castor methyl ester, and castor ethyl-ester. Biodiesel toxicity was more evident at high concentrations, affecting the germination and survival of small-seeded plants to a greater extent. Tolerance of plants to the biodiesels varied between plant species and soil textures. With the exception of R. sativus, all plant species were affected and exhibited some sensitivity to the fuels, such as delayed seedling emergence and slow germination (average=10 days) at high soil concentrations (0.85% for Diesel and 1.76% for the biodiesels). Tolerance of plants to soil contamination had a species-specific nature, and on average, decreased in the following order: Raphanus sativus (0-20%)>Triticum aestivum (10-40%) ≥ Medicago sativa> Lactuca sativa (80-100%). Thus, we conclude that there is some phytotoxicity associated with plant-based biodiesels. Further

Hydrogenated castor oil nanoparticles as carriers for the subcutaneous administration of tilmicosin: in vitro and in vivo studies.

PubMed

Han, C; Qi, C M; Zhao, B K; Cao, J; Xie, S Y; Wang, S L; Zhou, W Z

2009-04-01

Tilmicosin-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) were prepared with hydrogenated castor oil (HCO) by o/w emulsion-solvent evaporation technique. The nanoparticle diameters, surface charges, drug loadings and encapsulation efficiencies of different formulations were 90 approximately 230 nm, -6.5 approximately -12.5 mV, 40.3 approximately 59.2% and 5.7 approximately 11.7% (w/w), respectively. In vitro release studies of the tilmicosin-loaded nanoparticles showed a sustained release and the released tilmicosin had the same antibacterial activity as that of the free drug. Pharmacokinetics study after subcutaneous administration to Balb/c mice demonstrated that a single dose of tilmicosin-loaded nanoparticles resulted in sustained serum drug levels (>0.1 microg/mL) for 8 days, as compared with only 5 h for the same amount of tilmicosin phosphate solution. The time to maximum concentration (Tmax), half-life of absorption (T(1/2) ab) and half-life of elimination (T(1/2) el) of tilmicosin-loaded nanoparticles were much longer than those of tilmicosin phosphate solution. Tissue section showed that drug-loaded nanoparticles caused no inflammation at the injection site. Cytotoxicity study in cell culture and acute toxicity test in mice demonstrated that the nanoparticles had little or no toxicity. The results of this exploratory study suggest that the HCO-SLN could be a useful system for the delivery of tilmicosin by subcutaneous administration.

Acute toxicity study of tilmicosin-loaded hydrogenated castor oil-solid lipid nanoparticles.

PubMed

Xie, Shuyu; Wang, Fenghua; Wang, Yan; Zhu, Luyan; Dong, Zhao; Wang, Xiaofang; Li, Xihe; Zhou, Wenzhong

2011-11-20

Our previous studies demonstrated that tilmicosin-loaded hydrogenated castor oil solid lipid nanoparticles (Til-HCO-SLN) are a promising formulation for enhanced pharmacological activity and therapeutic efficacy in veterinary use. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the acute toxicity of Til-HCO-SLN. Two nanoparticle doses were used for the study in ICR mice. The low dose (766 mg/kg.bw) with tilmicosin 7.5 times of the clinic dosage and below the median lethal dose (LD(50)) was subcutaneously administered twice on the first and 7th day. The single high dose (5 g/kg.bw) was the practical upper limit in an acute toxicity study and was administered subcutaneously on the first day. Blank HCO-SLN, native tilmicosin, and saline solution were included as controls. After medication, animals were monitored over 14 days, and then necropsied. Signs of toxicity were evaluated via mortality, symptoms of treatment effect, gross and microscopic pathology, and hematologic and biochemical parameters. After administration of native tilmicosin, all mice died within 2 h in the high dose group, in the low dose group 3 died after the first and 2 died after the second injections. The surviving mice in the tilmicosin low dose group showed hypoactivity, accelerated breath, gloomy spirit and lethargy. In contrast, all mice in Til-HCO-SLN and blank HCO-SLN groups survived at both low and high doses. The high nanoparticle dose induced transient clinical symptoms of treatment effect such as transient reversible action retardation, anorexy and gloomy spirit, increased spleen and liver coefficients and decreased heart coefficients, microscopic pathological changes of liver, spleen and heart, and minor changes in hematologic and biochemical parameters, but no adverse effects were observed in the nanoparticle low dose group. The results revealed that the LD50 of Til-HCO-SLN and blank HCO-SLN exceeded 5 g/kg.bw and thus the nanoparticles are considered low toxic according to the toxicity

Acute toxicity study of tilmicosin-loaded hydrogenated castor oil-solid lipid nanoparticles

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Our previous studies demonstrated that tilmicosin-loaded hydrogenated castor oil solid lipid nanoparticles (Til-HCO-SLN) are a promising formulation for enhanced pharmacological activity and therapeutic efficacy in veterinary use. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the acute toxicity of Til-HCO-SLN. Methods Two nanoparticle doses were used for the study in ICR mice. The low dose (766 mg/kg.bw) with tilmicosin 7.5 times of the clinic dosage and below the median lethal dose (LD50) was subcutaneously administered twice on the first and 7th day. The single high dose (5 g/kg.bw) was the practical upper limit in an acute toxicity study and was administered subcutaneously on the first day. Blank HCO-SLN, native tilmicosin, and saline solution were included as controls. After medication, animals were monitored over 14 days, and then necropsied. Signs of toxicity were evaluated via mortality, symptoms of treatment effect, gross and microscopic pathology, and hematologic and biochemical parameters. Results After administration of native tilmicosin, all mice died within 2 h in the high dose group, in the low dose group 3 died after the first and 2 died after the second injections. The surviving mice in the tilmicosin low dose group showed hypoactivity, accelerated breath, gloomy spirit and lethargy. In contrast, all mice in Til-HCO-SLN and blank HCO-SLN groups survived at both low and high doses. The high nanoparticle dose induced transient clinical symptoms of treatment effect such as transient reversible action retardation, anorexy and gloomy spirit, increased spleen and liver coefficients and decreased heart coefficients, microscopic pathological changes of liver, spleen and heart, and minor changes in hematologic and biochemical parameters, but no adverse effects were observed in the nanoparticle low dose group. Conclusions The results revealed that the LD50 of Til-HCO-SLN and blank HCO-SLN exceeded 5 g/kg.bw and thus the nanoparticles are considered low

Electroactive polyurethane/siloxane derived from castor oil as a versatile cardiac patch, part I: Synthesis, characterization, and myoblast proliferation and differentiation.

PubMed

Baheiraei, Nafiseh; Gharibi, Reza; Yeganeh, Hamid; Miragoli, Michele; Salvarani, Nicolò; Di Pasquale, Elisa; Condorelli, Gianluigi

2016-03-01

Tissue-engineered cardiac patch aims at regenerating an infarcted heart by improving cardiac function and providing mechanical support to the diseased myocardium. In order to take advantages of electroactivity, a new synthetic method was developed for the introduction of an electroactive oligoaniline into the backbone of prepared patches. For this purpose, a series of electroactive polyurethane/siloxane films containing aniline tetramer (AT) was prepared through sol-gel reaction of trimethoxysilane functional intermediate polyurethane prepolymers made from castor oil and poly(ethylene glycol). Physicochemical, mechanical, and electrical conductivity of samples were evaluated and the recorded results were correlated to their structural characteristics. The optimized films were proved to be biodegradable and have tensile properties suitable for cardiac patch application. The embedded AT moieties in the backbone of the prepared samples preserved their electroactivity with the electrical conductivity in the range of 10 -4 S/cm. The prepared films were compatible with proliferation of C2C12 and had potential for enhancing myotube formation even without external electrical stimulation. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 104A: 775-787, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

pH-induced inversion of water-in-oil emulsions to oil-in-water high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs) using core cross-linked star (CCS) polymer as interfacial stabilizer.

PubMed

Chen, Qijing; Deng, Xiaoyong; An, Zesheng

2014-06-01

A pH-responsive core cross-linked star (CCS) polymer containing poly(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) arms was used as an interfacial stabilizer for emulsions containing toluene (80 v%) and water (20 v%). In the pH range of 12.1-9.3, ordinary water-in-oil emulsions were formed. Intermediate multiple emulsions of oil-in-water-in-oil and water-in-oil-in-water were formed at pH 8.6 and 7.5, respectively. Further lowering the pH resulted in the formation of gelled high internal phase emulsions of oil-in-water type in the pH range of 6.4-0.6. The emulsion behavior was correlated with interfacial tension, conductivity and configuration of the CCS polymer at different pH. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Polymer-Coated Nanoparticles for Reversible Emulsification and Recovery of Heavy Oil.

PubMed

Qi, Luqing; Song, Chen; Wang, Tianxiao; Li, Qilin; Hirasaki, George J; Verduzco, Rafael

2018-06-05

Heavy crude oil has poor solubility and a high density, making recovery and transport much more difficult and expensive than for light crude oil. Emulsifiers can be used to produce low viscosity oil-in-water emulsions for recovery and transport, but subsequent demulsification can be challenging. Here, we develop and implement interfacially active, pH-responsive polymer-coated nanoparticles (PNPs) to reversibly stabilize, recover, and break oil/water emulsions through variation of solution pH. Silica particles with poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (DMAEMA) chains covalently grafted to the surface are prepared although a reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer grafting-through technique. The resulting DMAEMA PNPs can stabilize emulsions of high viscosity Canadian heavy oil at PNP concentrations as low as 0.1 wt % and at neutral pH. The performance of the DMAEMA PNPs exceeds that of DMAEMA homopolymer additives, which we attribute to the larger size and irreversible adsorption of DMAEMA PNPs to the oil/water interface. After recovery, the emulsion can be destabilized by the addition of acid to reduce pH, resulting in separation and settling of the heavy oil from the aqueous phase. Recovery of more than 10 wt % of the crude heavy oil-in-place is achieved by flooding with aqueous solution of 0.1 wt % DMAEMA PNPs without any additional surfactant or chemical. This work demonstrates the applicability of PNPs as surface active materials for enhanced oil recovery processes and for heavy oil transport.

Investigation of biosurfactant-producing indigenous microorganisms that enhance residue oil recovery in an oil reservoir after polymer flooding.

PubMed

She, Yue-Hui; Zhang, Fan; Xia, Jing-Jing; Kong, Shu-Qiong; Wang, Zheng-Liang; Shu, Fu-Chang; Hu, Ji-Ming

2011-01-01

Three biosurfactant-producing indigenous microorganisms (XDS1, XDS2, XDS3) were isolated from a petroleum reservoir in the Daqing Oilfield (China) after polymer flooding. Their metabolic, biochemical, and oil-degradation characteristics, as well as their oil displacement in the core were studied. These indigenous microorganisms were identified as short rod bacillus bacteria with white color, round shape, a protruding structure, and a rough surface. Strains have peritrichous flagella, are able to produce endospores, are sporangia, and are clearly swollen and terminal. Bacterial cultures show that the oil-spreading values of the fermentation fluid containing all three strains are more than 4.5 cm (diameter) with an approximate 25 mN/m surface tension. The hydrocarbon degradation rates of each of the three strains exceeded 50%, with the highest achieving 84%. Several oil recovery agents were produced following degradation. At the same time, the heavy components of crude oil were degraded into light components, and their flow characteristics were also improved. The surface tension and viscosity of the crude oil decreased after being treated by the three strains of microorganisms. The core-flooding tests showed that the incremental oil recoveries were 4.89-6.96%. Thus, XDS123 treatment may represent a viable method for microbial-enhanced oil recovery.

From oligomers to molecular giants of soybean oil in supercritical carbon dioxide medium: 1. Preparation of polymers with lower molecular weight from soybean oil.

PubMed

Liu, Zengshe; Sharma, Brajendra K; Erhan, Sevim Z

2007-01-01

Polymers with a low molecular weight derived from soybean oil have been prepared in a supercritical carbon dioxide medium by cationic polymerization. Boron trifluoride diethyl etherate was used as an initiator. Influences of polymerization temperature, amount of initiator, and carbon dioxide pressure on the molecular weight were investigated. It is shown that the higher polymerization temperature favors polymers with relatively higher molecular weights. Larger amounts of initiator also provide polymers with higher molecular weights. Higher pressure favors polymers with relatively higher molecular weights. The applications of these soy-based materials will be in the lubrication and hydraulic fluid areas.

A two-step flocculation process on oil sands tailings treatment using oppositely charged polymer flocculants.

PubMed

Lu, Qiuyi; Yan, Bin; Xie, Lei; Huang, Jun; Liu, Yang; Zeng, Hongbo

2016-09-15

Water management and treatment of mineral tailings and oil sands tailings are becoming critical challenges for the sustainable development of natural resources. Polymeric flocculants have been widely employed to facilitate the flocculation and settling of suspended fine solid particles in tailings, resulting in the separation of released water and solid sediments. In this study, a new flocculation process was developed for the treatment of oil sands tailings by using two oppositely charged polymers, i.e. an anionic polyacrylamide and a natural cationic biopolymer, chitosan. The new process was able to not only improve the clarity of supernatant after settling but also achieve a high settling efficiency. Treatment of the oil sands tailings using pure anionic polyacrylamide showed relatively high initial settling rate (ISR) of ~10.3m/h but with poor supernatant clarity (>1000NTU); while the treatment using pure cationic polymer resulted in clear supernatant (turbidity as low as 22NTU) but relatively low ISR of >2m/h. In the new flocculation process, the addition of anionic polyacrylamide to the tailings was followed by a cationic polymer, which showed both a high ISR (~7.7m/h) and a low turbidity (71NTU) of the supernatant. The flocculation mechanism was further investigated via the measurements of floc size, zeta potential and surface forces. The new flocculation process was revealed to include two steps: (1) bridging of fine solids by anionic polyacrylamide, and (2) further aggregation and flocculation mediated by charge neutralisation of the cationic polymer, which significantly eliminated the fine solids in the supernatants as well as increases floc size. Our results provide insights into the basic understanding of the interactions between polymer flocculants and solid particles in tailings treatment, as well as the development of novel tailings treatment technologies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Preparation and evaluation of tilmicosin-loaded hydrogenated castor oil nanoparticle suspensions of different particle sizes.

PubMed

Chen, Xiaojin; Wang, Ting; Lu, Mengmeng; Zhu, Luyan; Wang, Yan; Zhou, WenZhong

2014-01-01

Three tilmicosin-loaded hydrogenated castor oil nanoparticle (TMS-HCO-NP) suspensions of different particle sizes were prepared with different polyvinyl alcohol surfactant concentrations using a hot homogenization and ultrasonic technique. The in vitro release, in vitro antibacterial activity, mammalian cytotoxicity, acute toxicity in mice, and stability study were conducted to evaluate the characteristics of the suspensions. The in vitro tilmicosin release rate, antibacterial activity, mammalian cytotoxicity, acute toxicity in mice, and stability of the suspensions were evaluated. When prepared with polyvinyl alcohol concentrations of 0.2%, 1%, and 5%, the mean diameters of the nanoparticles in the three suspensions were 920±35 nm, 452±10 nm, and 151±4 nm, respectively. The three suspensions displayed biphasic release profiles similar to that of freeze-dried TMS-HCO-NP powders, with the exception of having a faster initial release. Moreover, suspensions of smaller-sized particles showed faster initial release, and lower minimum inhibitory concentrations and minimum bactericidal concentrations. Time-kill curves showed that within 12 hours, the suspension with the 151 nm particles had the most potent bactericidal activity, but later, the suspensions with larger-sized particles showed increased antibacterial activity. None of the three suspensions were cytotoxic at clinical dosage levels. At higher drug concentrations, all three suspensions showed similar concentration-dependent cytotoxicity. The suspension with the smallest-sized particle showed significantly more acute toxicity in mice, perhaps due to faster drug release. All three suspensions exhibited good stability at 4°C and at room temperature for at least 6 months. These results demonstrate that TMS-HCO-NP suspensions can be a promising formulation for tilmicosin, and that nanoparticle size can be an important consideration for formulation development.

Preparation and evaluation of tilmicosin-loaded hydrogenated castor oil nanoparticle suspensions of different particle sizes

PubMed Central

Chen, Xiaojin; Wang, Ting; Lu, Mengmeng; Zhu, Luyan; Wang, Yan; Zhou, WenZhong

2014-01-01

Three tilmicosin-loaded hydrogenated castor oil nanoparticle (TMS-HCO-NP) suspensions of different particle sizes were prepared with different polyvinyl alcohol surfactant concentrations using a hot homogenization and ultrasonic technique. The in vitro release, in vitro antibacterial activity, mammalian cytotoxicity, acute toxicity in mice, and stability study were conducted to evaluate the characteristics of the suspensions. The in vitro tilmicosin release rate, antibacterial activity, mammalian cytotoxicity, acute toxicity in mice, and stability of the suspensions were evaluated. When prepared with polyvinyl alcohol concentrations of 0.2%, 1%, and 5%, the mean diameters of the nanoparticles in the three suspensions were 920±35 nm, 452±10 nm, and 151±4 nm, respectively. The three suspensions displayed biphasic release profiles similar to that of freeze-dried TMS-HCO-NP powders, with the exception of having a faster initial release. Moreover, suspensions of smaller-sized particles showed faster initial release, and lower minimum inhibitory concentrations and minimum bactericidal concentrations. Time-kill curves showed that within 12 hours, the suspension with the 151 nm particles had the most potent bactericidal activity, but later, the suspensions with larger-sized particles showed increased antibacterial activity. None of the three suspensions were cytotoxic at clinical dosage levels. At higher drug concentrations, all three suspensions showed similar concentration-dependent cytotoxicity. The suspension with the smallest-sized particle showed significantly more acute toxicity in mice, perhaps due to faster drug release. All three suspensions exhibited good stability at 4°C and at room temperature for at least 6 months. These results demonstrate that TMS-HCO-NP suspensions can be a promising formulation for tilmicosin, and that nanoparticle size can be an important consideration for formulation development. PMID:24920902

40 CFR 721.10297 - Tin, C16-18 and C18-unsatd. fatty acids castor-oil fatty acids complexes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Tin, C16-18 and C18-unsatd. fatty... SUBSTANCES Significant New Uses for Specific Chemical Substances § 721.10297 Tin, C16-18 and C18-unsatd... to reporting. (1) The chemical substance identified as tin, C16-18 and C18-unsatd. fatty acids castor...

40 CFR 721.10297 - Tin, C16-18 and C18-unsatd. fatty acids castor-oil fatty acids complexes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Tin, C16-18 and C18-unsatd. fatty... SUBSTANCES Significant New Uses for Specific Chemical Substances § 721.10297 Tin, C16-18 and C18-unsatd... to reporting. (1) The chemical substance identified as tin, C16-18 and C18-unsatd. fatty acids castor...

40 CFR 721.10297 - Tin, C16-18 and C18-unsatd. fatty acids castor-oil fatty acids complexes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Tin, C16-18 and C18-unsatd. fatty... SUBSTANCES Significant New Uses for Specific Chemical Substances § 721.10297 Tin, C16-18 and C18-unsatd... to reporting. (1) The chemical substance identified as tin, C16-18 and C18-unsatd. fatty acids castor...

Diametral tensile strength and film thickness of an experimental dental luting agent derived from castor oil.

PubMed

Carmello, Juliana Cabrini; Fais, Laiza Maria Grassi; Ribeiro, Lígia Nunes de Moraes; Claro Neto, Salvador; Guaglianoni, Dalton Geraldo; Pinelli, Lígia Antunes Pereira

2012-02-01

The need to develop new dental luting agents in order to improve the success of treatments has greatly motivated research. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diametral tensile strength (DTS) and film thickness (FT) of an experimental dental luting agent derived from castor oil (COP) with or without addition of different quantities of filler (calcium carbonate - CaCO3). Eighty specimens were manufactured (DTS N=40; FT N=40) and divided into 4 groups: Pure COP; COP 10%; COP 50% and zinc phosphate (control). The cements were mixed according to the manufacturers' recommendations and submitted to the tests. The DTS test was performed in the MTS 810 testing machine (10 KN, 0.5 mm/min). For FT test, the cements were sandwiched between two glass plates (2 cm²) and a load of 15 kg was applied vertically on the top of the specimen for 10 min. The data were analyzed by means of one-way ANOVA and Tukey's test (α=0.05). The values of DTS (MPa) were: Pure COP- 10.94 ± 1.30; COP 10%- 30.06 ± 0.64; COP 50%- 29.87 ± 0.27; zinc phosphate- 4.88 ± 0.96. The values of FT (µm) were: Pure COP- 31.09 ± 3.16; COP 10%- 17.05 ± 4.83; COP 50%- 13.03 ± 4.83; Zinc Phosphate- 20.00 ± 0.12. One-way ANOVA showed statistically significant differences among the groups (DTS - p=1.01E-40; FT - p=2.4E-10). The experimental dental luting agent with 50% of filler showed the best diametral tensile strength and film thickness.

Mineral oil barrier sequential polymer treatment for recycled paper products in food packaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paul, Uttam C.; Fragouli, Despina; Bayer, Ilker S.; Mele, Elisa; Conchione, Chiara; Cingolani, Roberto; Moret, Sabrina; Athanassiou, Athanassia

2017-01-01

Recycled cellulosic paperboards may include mineral oils after the recycle process, which together with their poor water resistance limit their use as food packaging materials. In this work, we demonstrate that a proper functionalization of the recycled paper with two successive polymer treatments, imposes a mineral oil migration barrier and simultaneously renders it waterproof and grease resistant, making it an ideal material for food contact. The first poly (methyl methacrylate) treatment penetrates the paper network and creates a protective layer around every fiber, permitting thus the transformation of the paperboard to a hydrophobic material throughout its thickness, reducing at the same time the mineral oil migration. Subsequently, the second layer with a cyclic olefin copolymer fills the open pores of the surface, and reduces the mineral oil hydrocarbons migration at levels below those proposed by the BMEL. Online liquid chromatography-gas chromatography coupled with flame ionization detection quantitatively demonstrate that this dual functional treatment prevents the migration of both saturated (mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons) and aromatic hydrocarbon (mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons) mineral oils from the recycled paperboard to a dry food simulant.

Tilmicosin- and florfenicol-loaded hydrogenated castor oil-solid lipid nanoparticles to pigs: Combined antibacterial activities and pharmacokinetics.

PubMed

Ling, Z; Yonghong, L; Junfeng, L; Li, Z; Xianqiang, L

2018-04-01

The combined antibacterial effects of tilmicosin (TIL) and florfenicol (FF) against Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (APP) (n = 2), Streptococcus suis (S. suis) (n = 2), and Haemophilus parasuis (HPS) (n = 2) were evaluated by chekerboard test and time-kill assays. The pharmacokinetics (PKs) of TIL- and FF-loaded hydrogenated castor oil (HCO)-solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) were performed in healthy pigs. The results indicated that TIL and FF showed synergistic or additive antibacterial activities against APP, S. suis and HPS with the fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) ranging from 0.375 to 0.75. The time-kill assays showed that 1/2 minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) TIL combined with 1/2 MIC FF had a stronger ability to inhibit the growth of APP, S. suis, and HPS than 1 MIC TIL or 1 MIC FF, respectively. After oral administration, plasma TIL and FF concentrations could maintain about 0.1 μg/ml for 192 and 176 hr. The SLN prolonged the last time point with detectable concentrations (T last ), area under the concentration-time curve (AUC 0-t ), elimination half-life (T ½ke ), and mean residence time (MRT) by 3.1, 5.6, 12.7, 3.4-fold of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) of TIL and 11.8, 16.5, 18.1, 12.1-fold of the API of FF, respectively. This study suggests that the TIL-FF-SLN could be a useful oral formulation for the treatment of APP, S. suis, and HPS infection in pigs. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Performance and Emission Characteristics of a Compression Ignition Engine Operating on Blends of Castor Oil Biodiesel-Diesel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kanwar, Roopesh; Sharma, Pushpendra Kumar; Singh, Aditya Narayan; Agrawal, Yadvendra Kumar

2017-04-01

Diesel vehicles are the nerves and veins of transportation, particularly in developing countries. With the rapid rate of modernization, increasing demand of fuel is inevitable. The exponential increase in fuel prices and the scarcity of its supply from the environment have promoted interest in the development of alternative sources of fuel. In this work, genus Ricinus communis L. was studied in order to delimit their potential as a raw material for biodiesel production. Further, castor oil, ethyl ester were prepared by transesterification using potassium hydroxide (KOH) as a catalyst and tested on a four-stroke, single-cylinder compression ignition engine. The test was carried out at a constant speed of 3000 rpm at different loads. The results represent a substantial decrease in carbon monoxide (CO) emission with an increasing biodiesel percentage. The reduction of CO in B05, B10, B15 and B20 averaged 11.75, 22.02, 24.23 and 28.79 %, respectively, compared to mineral diesel. The emission results of the comparative test indicated that CO, oxygen (O2) and smoke density emissions are found to be lower when the engine is filled with B05, B10, B15 and B20 as compared to mineral diesel, while carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) with B05, B10, B15 and B20 are found to increase marginally. Brake thermal efficiency and brake specific fuel consumption decrease and increase respectively in biodiesel with different blends in comparison of mineral diesel.

Effects of pH on protein components of extracted oil bodies from diverse plant seeds and endogenous protease-induced oleosin hydrolysis.

PubMed

Zhao, Luping; Chen, Yeming; Chen, Yajing; Kong, Xiangzhen; Hua, Yufei

2016-06-01

Plant seeds are used to extract oil bodies for diverse applications, but oil bodies extracted at different pH values exhibit different properties. Jicama, sunflower, peanut, castor bean, rapeseed, and sesame were selected to examine the effects of pH (6.5-11.0) on the protein components of oil bodies and the oleosin hydrolysis in pH 6.5-extracted oil bodies. In addition to oleosins, many extrinsic proteins (globulins, 2S albumin, and enzymes) were present in pH 6.5-extracted oil bodies. Globulins were mostly removed at pH 8.0, whereas 2S albumins were removed at pH 11.0. At pH 11.0, highly purified oil bodies were obtained from jicama, sunflower, peanut, and sesame, whereas lipase remained in the castor bean oil bodies and many enzymes in the rapeseed oil bodies. Endogenous protease-induced hydrolysis of oleosins occurred in all selected plant seeds. Oleosins with larger sizes were hydrolysed more quickly than oleosins with smaller sizes in each plant seed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Responses of beaver (Castor canadensis Kuhl) to predator chemicals.

PubMed

Engelhart, A; Müller-Schwarze, D

1995-09-01

Free-ranging beaver (Castor canadensis) in two different beaver populations in New York State were exposed to predator chemicals to test feeding inhibition. Solvent extracts of feces were applied to stem sections of aspen, the preferred food tree of beavers, permitting smelling and tasting the samples. Predator odors were from wolf (Canis lupus), coyote (Canis latrans), dog (Canis familiaris), black bear (Ursus americanus), river otter (Lutra canadensis), lynx (Lynx canadensis), and African lion (Panthera leo). The experiment was repeated. The predator odors reduced feeding compared to untreated or solvent-treated controls. One population consumed 17.0% of the samples with predator odor and 27.0% of the controls in summer, and 48.4% and 60.0%, respectively, in autumn. The other population accepted 3.15% of the predator odor samples and 11.05% of the controls in summer. Coyote, lynx, and river otter odors had the strongest effects. Diesel oil and bitter-tasting neem extract had weaker effects. Predator odors are promising as feeding repellents for beaver.

The application of 1,8-cineole, a terpenoid oxide present in medicinal plants, inhibits castor oil-induced diarrhea in rats.

PubMed

Jalilzadeh-Amin, Ghader; Maham, Massoud

2015-04-01

1,8-Cineole, a terpene, characterized as a major constituent occurring in the essential oils of several aromatic plants. It is widely used in pharmaceutical industry, as a food additive and for culinary purposes. This study investigates the inhibitory effect of 1,8-cineole on transit time and diarrhea in animal models. Acute toxicity and lethality of 1-8-cineole was determined by Lork's guidelines. The antidiarrheal effect of 1,8-cineole was investigated by determining the intestinal transit and enterpooling in rats. In all experiments, different doses of 1,8-cineole (20-120 mg/kg), atropine, and loperamide were administered orally. The LD50 of 1,8-cineole for oral administration was estimated to be 1280 mg/kg. 1,8-Cineole (20-120 mg/kg) did not show a significant decrease in small intestine transit (p > 0.05); however, the highest dose displayed a significant decrease in comparison with atropine (p < 0.05). This substance decreased the peristaltic index value to 68 ± 0.36% at a dose of 120 mg/kg compared with the control group (85.22 ± 4.31%) in the castor oil transit test. 1,8-Cineole significantly delayed the onset of diarrhea to -142.33 ± 6.08 min at 120 mg/kg, while the time was 103.66 ± 20.73 min for the control and >240 min for the loperamide. Moreover, 1,8-cineole significantly decreased intestinal fluid accumulation (p < 0.05). This study demonstrated antispasmodic and antisecretory activities of 1,8-cineole and rationalized the traditional use of the plant containing various levels of this terpene in the treatment of gastrointestinal complains such as diarrhea.

Rheological and tribological study of complex soft gels containing polymer, phospholipids, oil, and water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farias, Barbara; Hsiao, Lilian; Khan, Saad

Oil-in-water emulsions with polymers are widely used for personal care products. Since the accumulation of traditional surfactants on the skin can promote irritation, an alternative is the use of hydrogenated phosphatidylcholine (HPC), a phospholipid that can form a lamellar structure similar to the skin barrier. This research aims to investigate the effect of composition on the rheological and tribological characteristics in complex systems containing HPC. For tribology experiments we used a soft model contacts made of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), while for bulk rheology studies we used dynamic and steady shear experiments. We examine how the addition of polymer, HPC and oil affects friction coefficients, lubrication regimes, viscoelasticity, yield stress, and gel formation. The bulk rheology shows that the studied systems are shear thinning and have gel-like behavior. The effect of each component was investigated by going from simple to more complex systems. The Stribeck curves obtained are related to the bulk rheology results to obtain physical insights into these complex systems. The results suggest that the polymer and phospholipids are being adsorbed onto the PDMS surface, reducing the friction coefficient at lower entrainment speeds.

Numerical investigation of complex flooding schemes for surfactant polymer based enhanced oil recovery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dutta, Sourav; Daripa, Prabir

2015-11-01

Surfactant-polymer flooding is a widely used method of chemical enhanced oil recovery (EOR) in which an array of complex fluids containing suitable and varying amounts of surfactant or polymer or both mixed with water is injected into the reservoir. This is an example of multiphase, multicomponent and multiphysics porous media flow which is characterized by the spontaneous formation of complex viscous fingering patterns and is modeled by a system of strongly coupled nonlinear partial differential equations with appropriate initial and boundary conditions. Here we propose and discuss a modern, hybrid method based on a combination of a discontinuous, multiscale finite element formulation and the method of characteristics to accurately solve the system. Several types of flooding schemes and rheological properties of the injected fluids are used to numerically study the effectiveness of various injection policies in minimizing the viscous fingering and maximizing oil recovery. Numerical simulations are also performed to investigate the effect of various other physical and model parameters such as heterogeneity, relative permeability and residual saturation on the quantities of interest like cumulative oil recovery, sweep efficiency, fingering intensity to name a few. Supported by the grant NPRP 08-777-1-141 from the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of The Qatar Foundation).

Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of injectable testosterone undecanoate in castrated cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) are independent of different oil vehicles.

PubMed

Wistuba, Joachim; Marc Luetjens, C; Kamischke, Axel; Gu, Yi-Qun; Schlatt, Stefan; Simoni, Manuela; Nieschlag, Eberhard

2005-08-01

Testosterone undecanoate (TU) dissolved in soybean oil was developed in China to improve the pharmacokinetics of this testosterone ester in comparison with TU in castor or tea seed oil. As a pre-clinical primate model, three groups of five castrated cynomolgus macaques received either a single intramuscular injection of 10 mg/kg body weight TU in soybean oil, in tea seed oil, or in castor oil (equals 6.3 mg pure T/kg body weight for all preparations). Testosterone, estradiol, luteinizing hormone, and follicle-stimulating hormone as well as prostate volume, body weight and ejaculate weight were evaluated. After injection supraphysiological testosterone levels were induced. There were no significant differences in the pharmacokinetics of the three TU preparations for testosterone and estradiol. The gonadotropin levels showed a high individual variation. Prostate volumes increased equally in all groups after administration and declined to castrate level afterwards. The results suggest that TU in soybean oil produces similar effects as TU in the other vehicles. This study in non-human primates provides no objection to testing of this new preparation in humans.

Therapeutic effect of Linum usitatissimum (flaxseed/linseed) fixed oil on acute and chronic arthritic models in albino rats.

PubMed

Kaithwas, Gaurav; Majumdar, Dipak K

2010-06-01

The present study was undertaken to assess the activity/anti-inflammatory potential of Linum usitatissimum fixed oil against castor oil-induced diarrhoea, turpentine oil-induced joint oedema, formaldehyde and Complete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA)-induced arthritis in Wistar albino rats. The oil intraperitoneally, significantly inhibited the castor oil-induced diarrhoea and turpentine oil-induced exudative joint oedema in a dose-dependent manner. Significant inhibitory effect of L. usitatissimum fixed oil was observed in formaldehyde-induced proliferative global oedematous arthritis when given intraperitoneally, with significant checking of the serum glutamic oxaloacetic acid transaminase and serum glutamic pyruvic acid transaminase. Further, L. usitatissimum fixed oil showed a significant dose-dependent protective effect against CFA-induced arthritis as well. Secondary lesions produced by CFA due to a delayed hypersensitivity reaction were also reduced in a significant manner. Anti-inflammatory activity of L. usitatissimum fixed oil can be attributed to the presence of alpha linolenic acid (57.38%, an omega-3 fatty acid, 18:3, n-3) having dual inhibitory effect on arachidonate metabolism resulting in suppressed production of proinflammatory n-6 eicosanoids (PGE(2), LTB(4)) and diminished vascular permeability. These observations suggest possible therapeutic potential of L. usitatissimum fixed oil in inflammatory disorders like rheumatoid arthritis.

Phase-transfer catalysis and ultrasonic waves II: saponification of vegetable oil.

PubMed

Entezari, M H; Keshavarzi, A

2001-07-01

Saponification of oils which is a commercially important heterogeneous reaction, can be speeded up by the application of ultrasound in the presence of phase-transfer catalyst (PTC). This paper focuses on the ability of ultrasound to cause efficient mixing of this liquid-liquid heterogeneous reaction. Castor oil was taken as a model oil and the kinetic of the reaction was followed by the extent of saponification. The hydrolysis of castor oil was carried out with different PTC such as cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB), benzyl triethyl ammonium chloride (BTAC) and tetrabutyl ammonium bromide (TBAB) in aqueous alkaline solution. As hydroxyl anion moves very slowly from aqueous to oil phase, the presence of a PTC is of prime importance. For this purpose, cationic surfactants are selected. The sonication of biphasic system were performed by 20 kHz (simple horn and cup horn) and 900 kHz. It was found that CTAB was better than the two others and this could be related to the molecular structure of the PTCs. The effect of temperature was also studied on the saponification process. By increasing the temperature, the yield was also increased and this could be explained by intermolecular forces, interfacial tension and mass transfer. Saponification of three different vegetable oils shows that the almond oil is saponified easier than the two others and this could be related to their properties such as surface tension, viscosity and density.

Diametral tensile strength and film thickness of an experimental dental luting agent derived from castor oil

PubMed Central

CARMELLO, Juliana Cabrini; FAIS, Laiza Maria Grassi; RIBEIRO, Lígia Nunes de Moraes; CLARO NETO, Salvador; GUAGLIANONI, Dalton Geraldo; PINELLI, Lígia Antunes Pereira

2012-01-01

The need to develop new dental luting agents in order to improve the success of treatments has greatly motivated research. Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the diametral tensile strength (DTS) and film thickness (FT) of an experimental dental luting agent derived from castor oil (COP) with or without addition of different quantities of filler (calcium carbonate - CaCO3). Material and Methods Eighty specimens were manufactured (DTS N=40; FT N=40) and divided into 4 groups: Pure COP; COP 10%; COP 50% and zinc phosphate (control). The cements were mixed according to the manufacturers' recommendations and submitted to the tests. The DTS test was performed in the MTS 810 testing machine (10 KN, 0.5 mm/min). For FT test, the cements were sandwiched between two glass plates (2 cm2) and a load of 15 kg was applied vertically on the top of the specimen for 10 min. The data were analyzed by means of one-way ANOVA and Tukey's test (α=0.05). Results The values of DTS (MPa) were: Pure COP- 10.94±1.30; COP 10%- 30.06±0.64; COP 50%- 29.87±0.27; zinc phosphate- 4.88±0.96. The values of FT (µm) were: Pure COP- 31.09±3.16; COP 10%- 17.05±4.83; COP 50%- 13.03±4.83; Zinc Phosphate- 20.00±0.12. One-way ANOVA showed statistically significant differences among the groups (DTS - p=1.01E-40; FT - p=2.4E-10). Conclusion The experimental dental luting agent with 50% of filler showed the best diametral tensile strength and film thickness. PMID:22437672

Natural oils and waxes: studies on stick bases.

PubMed

Budai, Lívia; Antal, István; Klebovich, Imre; Budai, Marianna

2012-01-01

The objective of the present article was to examine the role of origin and quantity of selected natural oils and waxes in the determination of the thermal properties and hardness of stick bases. The natural oils and waxes selected for the study were sunflower, castor, jojoba, and coconut oils. The selected waxes were yellow beeswax, candelilla wax, and carnauba wax. The hardness of the formulations is a critical parameter from the aspect of their application. Hardness was characterized by the measurement of compression strength along with the softening point, the drop point, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). It can be concluded that coconut oil, jojoba oil, and carnauba wax have the greatest influence on the thermal parameters of stick bases.

Four-Dimensional Printing Hierarchy Scaffolds with Highly Biocompatible Smart Polymers for Tissue Engineering Applications.

PubMed

Miao, Shida; Zhu, Wei; Castro, Nathan J; Leng, Jinsong; Zhang, Lijie Grace

2016-10-01

The objective of this study was to four-dimensional (4D) print novel biomimetic gradient tissue scaffolds with highly biocompatible naturally derived smart polymers. The term "4D printing" refers to the inherent smart shape transformation of fabricated constructs when implanted minimally invasively for seamless and dynamic integration. For this purpose, a series of novel shape memory polymers with excellent biocompatibility and tunable shape changing effects were synthesized and cured in the presence of three-dimensional printed sacrificial molds, which were subsequently dissolved to create controllable and graded porosity within the scaffold. Surface morphology, thermal, mechanical, and biocompatible properties as well as shape memory effects of the synthesized smart polymers and resultant porous scaffolds were characterized. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and gel content analysis confirmed the formation of chemical crosslinking by reacting polycaprolactone triol and castor oil with multi-isocyanate groups. Differential scanning calorimetry revealed an adjustable glass transition temperature in a range from -8°C to 35°C. Uniaxial compression testing indicated that the obtained polymers, possessing a highly crosslinked interpenetrating polymeric networks, have similar compressive modulus to polycaprolactone. Shape memory tests revealed that the smart polymers display finely tunable recovery speed and exhibit greater than 92% shape fixing at -18°C or 0°C and full shape recovery at physiological temperature. Scanning electron microscopy analysis of fabricated scaffolds revealed a graded microporous structure, which mimics the nonuniform distribution of porosity found within natural tissues. With polycaprolactone serving as a control, human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation greatly increased on our novel smart polymers. The current work will significantly advance the future design and development of

Four-Dimensional Printing Hierarchy Scaffolds with Highly Biocompatible Smart Polymers for Tissue Engineering Applications

PubMed Central

Miao, Shida; Zhu, Wei; Castro, Nathan J.; Leng, Jinsong

2016-01-01

The objective of this study was to four-dimensional (4D) print novel biomimetic gradient tissue scaffolds with highly biocompatible naturally derived smart polymers. The term “4D printing” refers to the inherent smart shape transformation of fabricated constructs when implanted minimally invasively for seamless and dynamic integration. For this purpose, a series of novel shape memory polymers with excellent biocompatibility and tunable shape changing effects were synthesized and cured in the presence of three-dimensional printed sacrificial molds, which were subsequently dissolved to create controllable and graded porosity within the scaffold. Surface morphology, thermal, mechanical, and biocompatible properties as well as shape memory effects of the synthesized smart polymers and resultant porous scaffolds were characterized. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and gel content analysis confirmed the formation of chemical crosslinking by reacting polycaprolactone triol and castor oil with multi-isocyanate groups. Differential scanning calorimetry revealed an adjustable glass transition temperature in a range from −8°C to 35°C. Uniaxial compression testing indicated that the obtained polymers, possessing a highly crosslinked interpenetrating polymeric networks, have similar compressive modulus to polycaprolactone. Shape memory tests revealed that the smart polymers display finely tunable recovery speed and exhibit greater than 92% shape fixing at −18°C or 0°C and full shape recovery at physiological temperature. Scanning electron microscopy analysis of fabricated scaffolds revealed a graded microporous structure, which mimics the nonuniform distribution of porosity found within natural tissues. With polycaprolactone serving as a control, human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation greatly increased on our novel smart polymers. The current work will significantly advance the future design and

Biodegradability of regenerated cellulose films coated with polyurethane/natural polymers interpenetrating polymer networks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, L.; Zhou, J.; Huang, J.

1999-11-01

Interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) coatings synthesized from castor-oil-based polyurethane (PU) with chitosan, nitrocellulose, or elaeostearin were coated on regenerated cellulose (RC) film for curing at 80--100 C for 2--5 min, providing biodegradable, water-resistant cellulose films coded, respectively, as RCCH, RCNC, and RCEs. The coated films were buried in natural soil for decaying and inoculated with a spore suspension of fungi on the agar medium, respectively, to test biodegradability. The viscosity-average molecular weight, M{sub {eta}}, and the weight of the degraded films decreased sharply with the progress of degradation. The degradation half-lifes, t{sub 1/2}, of the films in soil at 30more » C were found to be 19 days for RC, 25 days for RCNC, 32 days for RCCH, and 45 days for the RCEs films. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the extent of decay followed in the order RC {gt} RCNC {gt} RCCH {gt} RCEs. SEM, infrared (IR), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and CO{sub 2} evolution results indicated that the microorganisms directly attacked the water-resistant coating layer and then penetrated into the cellulose to speedily metabolize, while accompanying with producing CO{sub 2}, H{sub 2}O, glucose cleaved from cellulose, and small molecules decomposed from the coatings.« less

Development and physical characterization of polymer-fish oil bigel (hydrogel/oleogel) system as a transdermal drug delivery vehicle.

PubMed

Rehman, Khurram; Mohd Amin, Mohd Cairul Iqbal; Zulfakar, Mohd Hanif

2014-01-01

Polymer-Fish oil bigel (hydrogel/oleogel colloidal mixture) was developed by using fish oil and natural (sodium alginate) and synthetic (hydroxypropyl methylcellulose) polymer for pharmaceutical purposes. The bigels were closely monitored and thermal, rheological and mechanical properties were compared with the conventional hydrogels for their potential use as an effective transdermal drug delivery vehicle. Stability of the fish oil fatty acids (especially eicosapentanoic acid, EPA and docosahexanoic acid, DHA) was determined by gas chromatography and the drug content (imiquimod) was assessed with liquid chromatography. Furthermore, in vitro permeation study was conducted to determine the capability of the fish oil-bigels as transdermal drug delivery vehicle. The bigels showed pseudoplastic rheological features, with excellent mechanical properties (adhesiveness, peak stress and hardness), which indicated their excellent spreadability for application on the skin. Bigels prepared with mixture of sodium alginate and fish oil (SB1 and SB2), and the bigels prepared with the mixture of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose and fish oil (HB1-HB3) showed high cumulative permeation and drug flux compared to hydrogels. Addition of fish oil proved to be beneficial in increasing the drug permeation and the results were statistically significant (p < 0.05, one-way Anova, SPSS 20.0). Thus, it can be concluded that bigel formulations could be used as an effective topical and transdermal drug delivery vehicle for pharmaceutical purposes.

Mit castor satellite: Design, implementation, and testing of the communication system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Babuscia, Alessandra; McCormack, Matthew Michael; Munoz, Michael; Parra, Spencer; Miller, David W.

2012-12-01

Cathode Anode Satellite Thruster for Orbital Reposition (CASTOR) is an orbital manoeuvre and transfer micro-satellite bus developed at MIT Space System Laboratory. The technical objective of the mission is achieving 1 km/s of delta-V over a 1 year mission in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). This will be accomplished using a novel electric propulsion system, the Diverging Cusped Field Thruster (DCFT), which enables high efficiency orbital changes of the ESPA-ring class satellite. CASTOR is capable of improving rapid access to space capabilities by providing an orbital transfer platform with a very high performance to mass ratio, thus greatly reducing launch costs and allowing for highly efficient orbital manoeuvre. Furthermore, CASTOR is highly scalable and modular, allowing it to be adapted to a wide range of scales and applications. CASTOR is developed as part of the University Nanosatellite Program (UNP) funded by Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). In order to accomplish CASTOR mission objective, a highly optimized, scalable, light weight, and low cost communication system needed to be developed. These constraints imply the development of trade studies to select the final communication system architecture able to maximize the amount of data transmitted, while guaranteeing reliability, redundancy and limited mass, power consumption, and cost. A special attention is also required to guarantee a reliable communication system in cases of tumbling, or in case of strong Doppler shift which is inevitable due to the high delta-V capabilities of the vehicle. In order to accomplish all the mission requirements, different features have been introduced in the design of the communication system for this mission. Specifically, customized patch antennas have been realized, and a customized communication protocol has been designed and implemented. The communication subsystem has been validated through an intense testing campaign which included software tests in the laboratory, hardware

Radiation effects on polymers for coatings on copper canisters used for the containment of radioactive materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mortley, Aba; Bonin, H. W.; Bui, V. T.

2008-05-01

The present work proposes applying polyurethane coatings as an additional barrier in the design of Canadian nuclear waste disposal containers. The goal of the present research is to investigate the physico-mechanical integrity of a natural castor oil-based polyurethane (COPU) to be used as a coating material in pH-radiation-temperature environments. As the first part to these inquiries, the present paper investigates the effect of a mixed radiation field supplied by a SLOWPOKE-2 nuclear research reactor on COPUs that differ only by their isocyanate structure. FTIR, DSC, DMA, WAXS, and MALDI are used to characterize the changes that occur as a result of radiation and to relate these changes to polymer structure and composition. The COPUs used in the present work have demonstrated sustained physico-mechanical properties up to accumulated doses of 2.0 MGy and are therefore suitable for end-uses in radiation environments such as those expected in the deep geological repository.

Applications of polymer coatings for the fabrication of copper-based containers for the ultimate disposal of Canada's spent nuclear fuel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mortley, Aba

Oxygen-free, phosphorous doped copper containers have been proposed for the storage of the used nuclear fuel bundles as a part of Canada's multi-barrier, adaptive phased management procedure for long term storage of spent nuclear fuel bundles. The spent nuclear fuel disposal system proposed for Canada has been engineered based on the multi-barrier approach intended to minimize the risk that the radioactive materials enter the biosphere. Copper is known to be susceptible to corrosion and it is thought that the simultaneous exposure to aggressive ionizing radiation field and residual heat produced by the spent nuclear fuel and the surrounding groundwater would all challenge the container's integrity. The goal of the present work is to reduce the impact of corrosion in the early stages of emplacement with the addition of a protective coating. Specifically, castor oil based polyurethanes were assessed as coatings and their ability to act as an additional physical barrier in the multi-barrier system mentioned previously. The novelty of this work stems from the use of a naturally derived non-petroleum based material in the form of castor oil as the polyol component. Two types of castor oil polyurethanes were investigated, one based on an aliphatic hexamethylene diisocyanate (HMDI), and the other based on an aromatic 2,4-toluene diisocyanate (TDI). Radiation and saturation tests were conducted using varying conditions. Mixed field ionizing radiation was provided by a SLOWPOKE-2 pool-type nuclear research reactor, up to accumulated doses of 6 MGy at dose rates of 37 kGy h-1 and 55.5 kGy h-1. Weight gain immersion studies, at temperatures of 25° C, 50° C, 70° C, were used to determine the mass uptake of several different solutions. The solutions utilized in the present work included hydrochloric acids of varying pHs, distilled water, and buffered solutions, which simulated chloride and sulphide rich calcium-sodium bicarbonate waters. After being exposed to radiation and

75 FR 44917 - Castor Oil, Ethoxylated, Dioleate; Tolerance Exemption

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-30

... of pesticide use in residential settings. If EPA is able to determine that a finite tolerance is not... of its composition the atomic elements carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. 3. The polymer does not contain as an integral part of its composition, except as impurities, any element other than those listed in...

Castor bean allergy in the upholstery department of a furniture factory.

PubMed Central

Topping, M D; Tyrer, F H; Lowing, R K

1981-01-01

In this study, undertaken to identify the cause of allergy in several upholstery workers in a furniture factory, the workers were handling several different materials, including glue, silicone spray, upholstery fabrics, and felt. Radio-allergo-sorbent test (RAST) assays showed that sera from sensitised workers contained specific IgE towards the felt; however, further investigations using RAST showed that the allergen was not the felt itself but a contaminant of the felt. The felt was manufactured from sacks, some of which had been used to store castor beans. The sera with raised IgE to the felt also had raised IgE to the castor bean extract. By means of RAST inhibition we confirmed that castor bean allergens in the felt were solely responsible for the raised IgE in the sera. The in-vitro RAST results were found to correlate well with the in-vivo pick tests and clinical symptoms. PMID:7272244

75 FR 40751 - Castor Oil, Ethoxylated, Oleate; Tolerance Exemption

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-14

... a finite tolerance is not necessary to ensure that there is a reasonable certainty that no harm will... contain as an integral part of its composition the atomic elements carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. 3. The polymer does not contain as an integral part of its composition, except as impurities, any element other...

Mining lesquerella seed transcriptome for oil and meal improvement and translational research

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Lesquerella (Physaria fendleri), a member of the Brassicaceae family, is currently being developed as a new industrial oilseed. Lesquerella is valued for its unusual hydroxy fatty acid (HFA) lesquerolic acid (20:1OH). The conventional source of HFA is ricinoleic acid (18:1OH) from castor oil. Ricino...

Synthesis and application of molecularly imprinted polymers for the selective extraction of organophosphorus pesticides from vegetable oils.

PubMed

Boulanouar, Sara; Combès, Audrey; Mezzache, Sakina; Pichon, Valérie

2017-09-01

The increasing use of pesticides in agriculture causes environmental issues and possible serious health risks to humans and animals. Their determination at trace concentrations in vegetable oils constitutes a significant analytical challenge. Therefore, their analysis often requires both an extraction and a purification step prior to separation with liquid chromatography (LC) and mass spectrometry (MS) detection. This work aimed at developing sorbents that are able to selectively extract from vegetable oil samples several organophosphorus (OPs) pesticides presenting a wide range of physico-chemical properties. Therefore, different conditions were screened to prepare molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) by a non-covalent approach. The selectivity of the resulting polymers was evaluated by studying the OPs retention in pure media on both MIPs and non-imprinted polymers (NIP) used as control. The most promising MIP sorbent was obtained using monocrotophos (MCP) as the template, methacrylic acid (MAA) as the monomer and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as the cross-linker with a molar ratio of 1/4/20 respectively. The repeatability of the extraction procedure and of the synthesis procedure was demonstrated in pure media. The capacity of this MIP was 1mg/g for malathion. This MIP was also able to selectively extract three OPs from almond oil by applying the optimized SPE procedure. Recoveries were between 73 and 99% with SD values between 4 and 6% in this oil sample. The calculated LOQs (between 0.3 and 2μg/kg) in almond seeds with a SD between 0.1 and 0.4μg/kg were lower than the Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) established for the corresponding compounds in almond seed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Solid-State Treatment of Castor Cake Employing the Enzymatic Cocktail Produced from Pleurotus djamor Fungi.

PubMed

Sánchez-Cantú, Manuel; Ortiz-Moreno, Liliana; Ramos-Cassellis, María E; Marín-Castro, Marco; De la Cerna-Hernández, C

2018-06-01

In this work, the enzymatic cocktail produced by Pleurotus djamor fungi extracted at pH of 4.8 and 5.3 was employed for castor cake solid-state treatment. Proximal, X-ray powder diffraction and scanning electron microscopy analysis of the pristine castor cake were carried out. First, Pleurotus djamor stain was inoculated in castor cake for the enzymatic production and the enzymatic activity was determined. The maximum enzymatic activity was identified at days 14 (65.9 UI/gss) and 11 (140.3 UI/gss) for the enzymatic cocktail obtained at pH 5.3 and 4.8, respectively. Then, the enzymatic cocktail obtained at the highest enzymatic activity days was employed directly over castor cake. Lignin was degraded throughout incubation time achieving a 47 and 45% decrease for the cocktail produced at pH 4.8 and 5.3, correspondingly. These results were corroborated by the SEM and XRD analysis where a higher porosity and xylan degradation were perceived throughout the enzymatic treatment.

Development and evaluation of epoxidized soybean oil-based polymers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Juangvanich, Nuanpen

Epoxidized Soybean Oil (ESO) based polymers were developed using diamine curing agents and BF3:NH2C2H5 as catalyst. Reactions involved the curing process were explored and monitored by DSC and IR analysis. Amine-epoxy addition reactions governed the main curing reaction at the temperature range of 60--235°C, and the supplementary reactions at higher temperatures were either homopolymerization or etherification reaction. In the aliphatic curing reactions, the epoxy-rich system favored the supplementary reactions at high temperature, however, ESO cured with 1,6 hexanediamine (HDA) always produced the high temperature reaction products, due to some side reactions and the high volatile nature. The curing reaction with aromatic diamines produced inherent rigidity to the cured ESO network, which decreased the high temperature reactions. The system cured with a short aromatic diamine, 1,4-phenyldiamine (PDA), produced a small extent of high temperature reaction, as well. It was believed that the long length diamine with wide separation of the two amines underwent an intermolecular cross-linking reaction, and derived better properties than the shorter diamine. A post-cure process was used to improve the final polymer properties by increasing the temperature after the initial curing reaction was quenched due to gelation. Extending the time of post-curing did not significantly improve properties of the final ESO polymers. Exposing the cured samples at 180°C for longer than 12 hours decreased the properties of the cured material, due to thermal strain generating in the network structure. To increase time efficiency, short heat cycles were performed by post-curing right after gelation, and the cured ESO polymer had tensile strength of 32 MPa, modulus 750 MPa and toughness 1.3 MPa. With the introduction of EPON 828, the mechanical properties of a new ESO polymer improved; having strength above 40 MPa, modulus great than 1,000 MPa, and Tg higher than 40°C. Finally, a rice

Mining whole genomes and transcriptomes of Jatropha (Jatropha curcas) and Castor bean (Ricinus communis) for NBS-LRR genes and defense response associated transcription factors.

PubMed

Sood, Archit; Jaiswal, Varun; Chanumolu, Sree Krishna; Malhotra, Nikhil; Pal, Tarun; Chauhan, Rajinder Singh

2014-11-01

Jatropha (Jatropha curcas L.) and Castor bean (Ricinus communis) are oilseed crops of family Euphorbiaceae with the potential of producing high quality biodiesel and having industrial value. Both the bioenergy plants are becoming susceptible to various biotic stresses directly affecting the oil quality and content. No report exists as of today on analysis of Nucleotide Binding Site-Leucine Rich Repeat (NBS-LRR) gene repertoire and defense response transcription factors in both the plant species. In silico analysis of whole genomes and transcriptomes identified 47 new NBS-LRR genes in both the species and 122 and 318 defense response related transcription factors in Jatropha and Castor bean, respectively. The identified NBS-LRR genes and defense response transcription factors were mapped onto the respective genomes. Common and unique NBS-LRR genes and defense related transcription factors were identified in both the plant species. All NBS-LRR genes in both the species were characterized into Toll/interleukin-1 receptor NBS-LRRs (TNLs) and coiled-coil NBS-LRRs (CNLs), position on contigs, gene clusters and motifs and domains distribution. Transcript abundance or expression values were measured for all NBS-LRR genes and defense response transcription factors, suggesting their functional role. The current study provides a repertoire of NBS-LRR genes and transcription factors which can be used in not only dissecting the molecular basis of disease resistance phenotype but also in developing disease resistant genotypes in Jatropha and Castor bean through transgenic or molecular breeding approaches.

Thermal properties measurements in biodiesel oils using photothermal techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castro, M. P. P.; Andrade, A. A.; Franco, R. W. A.; Miranda, P. C. M. L.; Sthel, M.; Vargas, H.; Constantino, R.; Baesso, M. L.

2005-08-01

In this Letter, thermal lens and open cell photoacoustic techniques are used to measure the thermal properties of biodiesel oils. The absolute values of the thermal effusivity, thermal diffusivity, thermal conductivity and the temperature coefficient of the refractive index were determined for samples obtained from soy, castor bean, sunflower and turnip. The results suggest that the employed techniques may be useful as complementary methods for biodiesel certification.

Mechanism of arginine sensing by CASTOR1 upstream of mTORC1

PubMed Central

Saxton, Robert A.; Chantranupong, Lynne; Knockenhauer, Kevin E.; Schwartz, Thomas U.; Sabatini, David M.

2016-01-01

Summary The mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Complex 1 (mTORC1) is a major regulator of eukaryotic growth that coordinates anabolic and catabolic cellular processes with inputs such as growth factors and nutrients, including amino acids1–3. In mammals, arginine is particularly important and promotes diverse physiological effects including immune cell activation, insulin secretion, and muscle growth, largely through activation of mTORC14–7. Arginine activates mTORC1 upstream of the Rag GTPases8, through either the lysosomal amino acid transporter SLC38A9 or the GATOR2-interacting CASTOR1 (Cellular Arginine Sensor for mTORC1)9–12. However, the mechanism by which the mTORC1 pathway detects and transmits the arginine signal has been elusive. Here, we present the 1.8 Å crystal structure of arginine-bound CASTOR1. Homodimeric CASTOR1 binds arginine at the interface of two ACT domains, enabling allosteric control of the adjacent GATOR2-binding site to trigger dissociation from GATOR2 and the downstream activation of mTORC1. Our data reveal that CASTOR1 shares substantial structural homology with the lysine-binding regulatory domain of prokaryotic aspartate kinases, suggesting that the mTORC1 pathway exploited an ancient amino-acid-dependent allosteric mechanism to acquire arginine sensitivity. Together, these results establish a structural basis for arginine sensing by the mTORC1 pathway and provide insights into the evolution of a mammalian nutrient sensor. PMID:27487210

Computational and experimental investigation of molecular imprinted polymers for selective extraction of dimethoate and its metabolite omethoate from olive oil.

PubMed

Bakas, Idriss; Oujji, Najwa Ben; Moczko, Ewa; Istamboulie, Georges; Piletsky, Sergey; Piletska, Elena; Ait-Addi, Elhabib; Ait-Ichou, Ihya; Noguer, Thierry; Rouillon, Régis

2013-01-25

This work presents the development of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) for the selective extraction of dimethoate from olive oil. Computational simulations allowed selecting itaconic acid as the monomer showing the highest affinity towards dimethoate. Experimental validation confirmed modelling predictions and showed that the polymer based on IA as functional monomer and omethoate as template molecule displays the highest selectivity for the structurally similar pesticides dimethoate, omethoate and monocrotophos. Molecularly imprinted solid phase extraction (MISPE) method was developed and applied to the clean-up of olive oil extracts. It was found that the most suitable solvents for loading, washing and elution step were respectively hexane, hexane-dichloromethane (85:15%) and methanol. The developed MIPSE was successfully applied to extraction of dimethoate from olive oil, with recovery rates up to 94%. The limits of detection and quantification of the described method were respectively 0.012 and 0.05 μg g(-1). Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Organic acids, amino acids compositions in the root exudates and Cu-accumulation in castor (Ricinus communis L.) Under Cu stress.

PubMed

Huang, Guoyong; Guo, Guangguang; Yao, Shiyuan; Zhang, Na; Hu, Hongqing

2016-01-01

Ricinus communis L. is a hyperaccumulation plant newly discovered in an abandoned land of Cu mine in China. A hydroponic experiment was then carried out to determine the root exudates in the Cu-tolerant castor (Ricinus communis L.). Plants were grown in nutrient solution with increasing level of Cu doses (0, 100, 250, 500, and 750 μmol/L Cu) in the form of CuSO4. Cu accumulation in the roots and shoots of castor, and root exudates collected from the castor were measured. The results indicated that the castor had a high Cu accumulation capacity and the Cu concentrations in the shoots and roots of the castor treated with 750 μmol/L Cu were 177.1, 14586.7 mg/kg, respectively. Tartaric was the largest in the root exudates in terms of concentrations, which reached up to 329.13 μmol/g (dry plant) in the level of 750 μmol/L Cu. There was a significantly positive linear relationship between the Cu concentration in root and the concentration of succinic (R = 0.92, P < 0.05), tartaric (R = 0.96, P < 0.01), and citric (R = 0.89, P < 0.05). These results indicated that the difference in root exudation from castor could affect their Cu tolerance. What is more, significant is that the high tartaric and citric, the low oxalic and cysteine in the root exudation of castor contributed to toleration of high Cu concentrations.

Investigation on the photostability of tretinoin in creams.

PubMed

Brisaert, M; Plaizier-Vercammen, J A

2007-04-04

In this investigation, the photodegradation of some tretinoin cream formulations was evaluated. Several oils were selected to prepare the cream formulations: olive oil, maize oil, castor oil, isopropyl myristate and Miglyol 812. A solubility study showed that tretinoin is best soluble in castor oil (0.60g/100ml), followed by isopropyl myristate, maize oil, Miglyol 812 and olive oil, respectively, 0.35, 0.30, 0.29 and 0.22g/100ml. The photostability of tretinoin in oils is comparable with the photostability of a tretinoin lotion (ethanol/propylene glycol 50/50), castor oil and olive oil giving slightly better results than the other oils. Investigation of the photodegradation of tretinoin in o/w creams, prepared with the same oils as mentioned above, revealed that tretinoin is far more stable in the cream formulations than in the respective oils, however it is not clear whether this is due to the formulation or due to a different irradiation technique. Tretinoin seemed to be most stable in the olive oil cream, followed by the castor oil cream. However microscopic investigation revealed the presence of tretinoin crystals in the olive oil cream, while the other creams were free of it. As a conclusion, one can say that the cream prepared with castor oil seems to be the most suitable one, in terms of solubility of tretinoin and in terms of photostability.

Lewis acid catalyzed ring-opening polymerization of natural epoxy oil (Euphorbia oil) in carbon dioxide media

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In an attempt to build up useful application of plant oil based polymers, natural epoxy oil (euphorbia oil-EuO) was polymerized in liquid carbon dioxide in the presence of Lewis acid catalyst [Boron trifluoride diethyl etherate (BF3•OEt2)]. The resulting polymers (RPEuO) were characterized by FTIR ...

Subcellular distribution of gluconeogenetic enzymes in germinating castor bean endosperm

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nishimura, M.; Beevers, H.

1979-07-01

The intracellular distribution of enzymes capable of catalyzing the reactions from oxaloacetate to sucrose in germinating castor bean endosperm has been studied by sucrose density gradient centrifugation. One set of glycolytic enzyme activities was detected in the plastids and another in the cytosol. The percentages of their activities in the plastids were less than 10% of total activities except for aldolase and fructose diphosphatase. The activities of several of the enzymes present in the plastids seem to be too low to account for the in vivo rate of gluconeogenesis whereas those in the cytosol are quite adequate. Furthermore, phosphoenolypyruvate carboxykinase,more » sucrose phosphate synthetase, and sucrose synthetase, which catalyze the first and final steps in the conversion of oxaloacetate to sucrose, were found only in the cytosol. It is deduced that in germinating castor bean endosperm the complete conversion of oxaloacetate to sucrose and CO/sub 2/ occurs in the cytosol. The plastids contain some enzymes of the pentose phosphate pathway, pyruvate dehydrogenase and fatty acid synthetase in addition to the set of glycolytic enzymes. This suggests that the role of the plastid in the endosperm of germinating castor bean is the production of fatty acids from sugar phosphates, as it is known to be in the endosperm during seed development.« less

Intercropping for Management of Insect Pests of Castor, Ricinus communis, in the Semi—Arid Tropics of India

PubMed Central

Srinivasa Rao, M.; Venkateswarlu, B.

2012-01-01

Intercropping is one of the important cultural practices in pest management and is based on the principle of reducing insect pests by increasing the diversity of an ecosystem. On—farm experiments were conducted in villages of semi—arid tropical (SAT) India to identify the appropriate combination of castor (Ricinus communis L.) (Malpighiales: Euphorbiaceae) and intercropping in relation to pest incidence. The diversity created by introducing cluster bean, cowpea, black gram, or groundnut as intercrops in castor (1:2 ratio proportions) resulted in reduction of incidence of insect pests, namely semilooper (Achaea janata L.), leaf hopper (Empoasca flavescens Fabricius), and shoot and capsule borer (Conogethes punctiferalis Guenee). A buildup of natural enemies (Microplitis, coccinellids, and spiders) of the major pests of castor was also observed in these intercropping systems and resulted in the reduction of insect pests. Further, these systems were more efficient agronomically and economically, and were thus more profitable than a castor monocrop. PMID:22934569

Food grade microemulsion systems: Sunflower oil/castor oil derivative-ethanol/water. Rheological and physicochemical analysis.

PubMed

Mori Cortés, Noelia; Lorenzo, Gabriel; Califano, Alicia N

2018-05-01

Microemulsions are thermodynamically stable systems that have attracted considerable attention in the food industry as delivery systems for many hydrophobic nutrients. These spontaneous systems are highly dependent on ingredients and composition. In this work phase diagrams were constructed using two surfactants (Kolliphor RH40 and ELP), water, sunflower oil, and ethanol as cosurfactant, evaluating their physicochemical properties. Stability of the systems was studied at 25 and 60 °C, monitoring turbidity at 550 nm for over a month to identify the microemulsion region. Conductivity was measured to classify between water-in-oil and oil-in-water microemulsions. The phase diagram constructed with Kolliphor RH40 exhibited a larger microemulsion area than that formulated with Kolliphor ELP. All formulations showed a monomodal droplet size distribution with low polydispersity index (<0.30) and a mean droplet size below 20 nm. Systems with higher water content presented a Newtonian behavior; increasing the dispersed phase content produced a weak gel-like structure with pseudoplastic behavior under flow conditions that was satisfactorily modeled to obtain structural parameters. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Oil-Soluble Polymer Brush Grafted Nanoparticles as Effective Lubricant Additives for Friction and Wear Reduction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wright, Roger A. E.; Wang, Kewei; Qu, Jun

Developments of high performance lubricants are driven by increasingly growing industrial demands and environmental concerns. We demonstrate oil-soluble polymer brush-grafted inorganic nanoparticles (hairy NPs) as highly effective lubricant additives for friction and wear reduction. A series of oil-miscible poly(lauryl methacrylate) brush-grafted silica and titania NPs were synthesized by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization. Moreover, these hairy NPs showed exceptional stability in poly(alphaolefin) (PAO) base oil; no change in transparency was observed after being kept at -20, 22, and 100°C for ≥55 days. High-contact stress ball-on-flat reciprocating sliding tribological tests at 100°C showed that addition of 1 wt% of hairy NPsmore » into PAO led to significant reductions in coefficient of friction (up to ≈40%) and wear volume (up to ≈90%). The excellent lubricating properties of hairy NPs were further elucidated by the characterization of the tribofilm formed on the flat. These hairy NPs represent a new type of lubricating oil additives with high efficiency in friction and wear reduction.« less

Oil-Soluble Polymer Brush Grafted Nanoparticles as Effective Lubricant Additives for Friction and Wear Reduction

DOE PAGES

Wright, Roger A. E.; Wang, Kewei; Qu, Jun; ...

2016-06-06

Developments of high performance lubricants are driven by increasingly growing industrial demands and environmental concerns. We demonstrate oil-soluble polymer brush-grafted inorganic nanoparticles (hairy NPs) as highly effective lubricant additives for friction and wear reduction. A series of oil-miscible poly(lauryl methacrylate) brush-grafted silica and titania NPs were synthesized by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization. Moreover, these hairy NPs showed exceptional stability in poly(alphaolefin) (PAO) base oil; no change in transparency was observed after being kept at -20, 22, and 100°C for ≥55 days. High-contact stress ball-on-flat reciprocating sliding tribological tests at 100°C showed that addition of 1 wt% of hairy NPsmore » into PAO led to significant reductions in coefficient of friction (up to ≈40%) and wear volume (up to ≈90%). The excellent lubricating properties of hairy NPs were further elucidated by the characterization of the tribofilm formed on the flat. These hairy NPs represent a new type of lubricating oil additives with high efficiency in friction and wear reduction.« less

Shear rheological characterization of motor oils

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bair, Scott; Winer, Ward O.

1988-01-01

Measurements of high pressure viscosity, traction coefficient, and EHD film thickness were performed on twelve commercial automotive engine oils, a reference oil, two unformulated base oils and two unformated base oil and polymer blends. An effective high shear rate inlet viscosity was calculated from film thickness and pressure viscosity coefficient. The difference between measured and effective viscosity is a function of the polymer type and concentration. Traction measurements did not discriminate mileage formulated oils from those not so designated.

Improving the quality of polymer-coated urea with recycled plastic, proper additives, and large tablets.

PubMed

Yang, Yue-Chao; Zhang, Min; Li, Yuncong; Fan, Xiao-Hui; Geng, Yu-Qing

2012-11-14

Polymer-coated urea (PCU) has great potential for increasing crop production and enhancing nitrogen (N) fertilizer use efficiency, benefiting the ecosystem. However, current PCUs are used only in a limited market, and the main obstacle to the wider use of PCUs is high cost compared to that of conventional N fertilizers. In this study, the low cost PCU and large tablet polymer-coated urea (LTPCU) were prepared by using recycling polystyrene foam and various sealants as the coating materials. The structural and chemical characteristics of the coating shells of the coated fertilizers were examined. The N release characteristics of coated fertilizers were determined in 25 °C water under laboratory conditions. The relationship between the N release longevity and the amount of coating material and the percentage of different sealants were evaluated. The results indicated that recycling polystyrene foam was the ideal coating material of the controlled release fertilizer. The polyurethane that was synthesized by the reaction of castor oil and isocyanate was better than the wax as the additive to delay the N release rate of coated urea. The coating material used for LTPCU was 70-80% less than those used for commercial PCUs under the same N release longevity. The cost of the recycling polystyrene foam used for coating one ton of pure N of the LTPCU was about one-seventh to one-eighth of the cost of the traditional polymer used for the commercial PCU. The experimental data showed that the LTPCU with good controlled-release capacities, being economical and eco-friendly, could be promising for wide use in agriculture and horticulture.

Biochar prepared from castor oil cake at different temperatures: A voltammetric study applied for Pb(2+), Cd(2+) and Cu(2+) ions preconcentration.

PubMed

Kalinke, Cristiane; Mangrich, Antonio Sálvio; Marcolino-Junior, Luiz H; Bergamini, Márcio F

2016-11-15

Biochar is a carbonaceous material similar produced by pyrolysis of biomass under oxygen-limited conditions. Pyrolysis temperature is an important parameter that can alters biochar characteristics (e.g. surface area, pore size distribution and surface functional groups) and affects it efficacy for adsorption of several probes. In this work, biochar samples have been prepared from castor oil cake using different temperatures of pyrolysis (200-600°C). For the first time, a voltammetric procedure based on carbon paste modified electrode (CPME) was used to investigate the effect of temperature of pyrolysis on the adsorptive characteristics of biochar for Pb(II), Cd(II) and Cu(II) ions. Besides the electrochemical techniques, several characterizations have been performed to evaluate the physicochemical properties of biochar in function of the increase of the pyrolysis temperature. Results suggest that biochar pyrolized at 400°C (BC400) showed a better potential for ions adsorption. The CPME modified with BC400 showed better relative current signal with adsorption affinity: Pb(II)>Cd(II)>Cu(II). Kinetic studies revealed that the pseudo-second order model describes more accurately the adsorption process suggesting that the surface reactions control the adsorption rate. Values found for amount adsorbed were 15.94±0.09; 4.29±0.13 and 2.38±0.39μgg(-1) for Pb(II), Cd(II) and Cu(II) ions, respectively. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fetal death of dogs after the ingestion of a soil conditioner.

PubMed

Hong, Il-Hwa; Kwon, Tae-Eog; Lee, Seung-Keun; Park, Jin-Kyu; Ki, Mi-Ran; Park, Se-Il; Jeong, Kyu-Shik

2011-01-01

Castor beans (Ricinus communis) contain ricin, which is one of the most toxic substances of plant origin. Ricin toxicosis has been reported in different countries with usually ingestion of castor beans or plants in both animals and humans. However, ricin toxicosis by ingestion of some products containing castor oil cake has rarely been reported. This paper describes outbreaks of dog death by ricin toxicosis after accidental ingestion of the same soil conditioner. Fifteen dogs showed toxic symptoms such as severe vomiting, abdominal pain and hemorrhagic diarrhea, and then thirteen dogs died in a few days. The soil conditioner dogs ingested consisted of 10% castor oil cake containing ricin. On the basis of clinical signs, laboratory and pathologic findings, a diagnosis of ricin toxicosis was established in the present case. In comparison with previous cases by ingestion of castor beans, the dogs' morbidity was very high in the present case. The ingestion of castor oil cake may be more dangerous to life than the castor beans. It is because mortality by ingestion of castor beans depends on the degree of mastication of the beans, whereas ricin in oil cake is easily absorbed from the stomach and the intestines. As ricin is a heat-labile toxin, products containing ricin or oil cake should be properly treated with heat and have written caution sentences about toxicosis, and be kept out of reach of domestic animals and children. Copyright © 2009 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Blocking effect and numerical study of polymer particles dispersion flooding in heterogeneous reservoir

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Weiyao; Li, Jianhui; Lou, Yu

2018-02-01

Polymer flooding has become an effective way to improve the sweep efficiency in many oil fields. Many scholars have carried out a lot of researches on the mechanism of polymer flooding. In this paper, the effect of polymer on seepage is analyzed. The blocking effect of polymer particles was studied experimentally, and the residual resistance coefficient (RRF) were used to represent the blocking effect. We also build a mathematical model for heterogeneous concentration distribution of polymer particles. Furthermore, the effects of polymer particles on reservoir permeability, fluid viscosity and relative permeability are considered, and a two-phase flow model of oil and polymer particles is established. In addition, the model was tested in the heterogeneous stratum model, and three influencing factors, such as particle concentration, injection volume and PPD (short for polymer particle dispersion) injection time, were analyzed. Simulation results show that PPD can effectively improve sweep efficiency and especially improve oil recovery of low permeability layer. Oil recovery increases with the increase of particle concentration, but oil recovery increase rate gradually decreases with that. The greater the injected amount of PPD, the greater oil recovery and the smaller oil recovery increase rate. And there is an optimal timing to inject PPD for specific reservoir.

Thiolated polymers: evaluation of their potential as dermoadhesive excipients.

PubMed

Grießinger, Julia Anita; Bonengel, Sonja; Partenhauser, Alexandra; Ijaz, Muhammad; Bernkop-Schnürch, Andreas

2017-02-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare four different thiolated polymers regarding their dermoadhesive potential. Therefore, three hydrophilic polymers (poly(acrylic acid), Carbopol 971 and carboxymethylcellulose) and a lipophilic polymer (silicone oil) were chosen to generate thiolated polymers followed by characterization. The total work of adhesion (TWA) and the maximum detachment force (MDF) of formulations containing modified and unmodified polymers were investigated on skin obtained from pig ears using a tensile sandwich technique. The synthesis of thiolated polymers provided 564 µmol, 1079 µmol, 482 µmol and 217 µmol thiol groups per gram poly(acrylic acid), Carbopol 971, carboxymethylcellulose and silicone oil, respectively. Hydrogels containing poly(acrylic acid)-cysteine, Carbopol 971-cysteine, and carboxymethylcellulose-cysteamine exhibited a 6-fold, 25-fold and 9-fold prolonged adhesion on porcine skin than the hydrogel formulations prepared from the corresponding unmodified polymers, respectively. Furthermore, thiolation of silicone oil with thioglycolic acid led to a 5-fold improvement in adhesion compared to the unmodified silicone oil. A comparison between the four thiolated polymer formulations showed a clear correlation between the amount of coupled thiol groups and the TWA. According to these results thiomers might also be useful excipients to provide a prolonged dermal resistance time of various formulations.

[Comparative research on Cd removal from water by different kinds of seedlings].

PubMed

Wang, Yan-yan; Xu, Jing-bo; Sheng, Lian-xi

2007-05-01

Ecological effects of Cd removal from water and the changes of physiological and biochemical indexes of seedlings of maize, sunflower and castor-oil plant were investigated. The results showed that (1) with the trial time lasting, Cd content in solution decreased, and the processes of Cd removal by seedlings of each concentration were almost completed in 48 hours. The removal effects of sunflower and castor-oil plant were better than those of maize at 1 mg x L(-1) and 2 mg x L(-1) Cd, whereas the best removal effects at 5 mg x L(-1) and 10 mg x L(-) Cd were those of castor-oil plant, followed by maize and sunflower. (2) Root absorbed the most proportion of Cd by all these three kinds of seedlings at every treatment. The ability of Cd accumulation by the three kinds of seedlings could be drawn as follow sunflower> castor-oil plant > maize. (3) The physiological and biochemical indexes of seedlings exposed to Cd for 72 hours had changed to different degree compared with control. The root activity and the proline content of sunflower both have significant relations with Cd accumulation, and the plasma membrane permeability and the proline content of castor-oil plant both have significant positive relations with Cd accumulation. Maize, sunflower and castor-oil plant could endure certain concentration of Cd, and the tolerance of sunflower and castor-oil plant are both greater than that of maize through general analysis of Cd accumulation and the changes of physiological and biochemical indexes.

Asymmetric membranes for destabilization of oil droplets in produced water from alkaline-surfactant-polymer (ASP) flooding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramlee, Azierah; Chiam, Chel-Ken; Sarbatly, Rosalam

2018-05-01

This work presents a study of destabilization of oil droplets in the produced water from alkaline-surfactant-polymer (ASP) flooding by using four types of laboratory-fabricated polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes. The PVDF membranes were fabricated via immersion precipitation method with ethanol (0 - 30 %, v/v) as the coagulant. The membranes with the effective area of 17.35 cm2 were tested with synthesized ASP solution as the feed in cross-flow microfiltration process. The ASP feed solution initially contained the oil droplets with radius ranged from 40 to 100 nm and the mean radius was 61 nm. Results have shown that the concentration of the ethanol in the coagulation bath affects the formation of the membrane structure and the corresponding porosity, while no significance influence on the membrane thickness. Coalescence of the oil droplets was occurred when the ASP solution permeated through the asymmetric PVDF membranes. Through the coalescence process, the oil droplets were destabilized where the radius of the oil droplets in the permeates increased to 1.5-4 µm with the corresponding mean radius ranged from 2.4 to 2.7 µm.

THE CONVERSION OF FAT TO CARBOHYDRATE IN THE GERMINATING CASTOR BEAN

PubMed Central

Murlin, John R.

1933-01-01

1. Respiration studies on single castor beans, made by means of the Brodie-Warburg method, at various times after the start of germination, as well as studies on groups of germinating beans over periods of 3 to 8 days, made by a simple procedure involving analysis of the respired air by the Haldane method, consistently give respiratory quotients from 0.30 to 0.58, indicating the conversion of the oil to carbohydrate. 2. The R.Q. varies with the stage of germination, the lowest point occurring when the new growth (hypocotyl) measures from 20 to 35 mm. in length. 3. The R.Q. of the young plant (cotyledons and hypocotyl), separated from the endosperm and studied in the same apparatus, varies from 0.78 to 1.00. It is invariably high enough to indicate considerable combustion of sugar. The R.Q. of the endosperm alone is low, but usually somewhat higher than that of the entire germinating structure. 4. On the same unit of moist weight the young plant (cotyledons and hypocotyl) produces about 2.6 times as much CO2 as the endosperm, whereas it absorbs only 1.3 times as much O2. PMID:19872779

Early plasma exchange for treating ricin toxicity in children after castor bean ingestion.

PubMed

Wang, Cheng-feng; Nie, Xiao-jing; Chen, Guang-ming; Yu, Zi-hua; Li, Zheng; Sun, Zhi-wen; Weng, Zeng-feng; Yang, Yu-ying; Chen, Shu-lian; Zheng, Si-rui; Luo, Ying-yun; Lu, Yan-ting; Cao, Hui-qin; Zhan, Hai-xia

2015-06-01

Plasma exchange (PE) for the treatment of ricin toxicity has not been previously reported. Here we describe the use of PE to treat children who experienced ricin toxicity after ingesting castor beans. Seven children (median age: 8.1 years) who consumed castor beans (median: 5 beans) were treated with PE. All had bradycardia and sinus arrhythmia, and most had experienced episodes of vomiting and/or diarrhea. PE settings were blood flow, 50-80 mL/min; PE rate, 600-800 mL/h; volume of exchange, 1440-1950 mL. Median time from ingestion to PE was 73 h. All clinical symptoms disappeared and vital signs rapidly returned to normal after PE; no severe organ dysfunction occurred. All children were discharged and recovered uneventfully. Concentrations of all serum biochemical parameters significantly decreased immediately after PE. Some, but not all, of these parameters were also significantly decreased at 48 and 72 h after PE compared with before PE. Our findings suggest that PE can be an effective early intervention in the treatment of ricin toxicity due to castor bean ingestion. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Polymer Chemistry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, Martha; Roberson, Luke; Caraccio, Anne

2010-01-01

This viewgraph presentation describes new technologies in polymer and material chemistry that benefits NASA programs and missions. The topics include: 1) What are Polymers?; 2) History of Polymer Chemistry; 3) Composites/Materials Development at KSC; 4) Why Wiring; 5) Next Generation Wiring Materials; 6) Wire System Materials and Integration; 7) Self-Healing Wire Repair; 8) Smart Wiring Summary; 9) Fire and Polymers; 10) Aerogel Technology; 11) Aerogel Composites; 12) Aerogels for Oil Remediation; 13) KSC's Solution; 14) Chemochromic Hydrogen Sensors; 15) STS-130 and 131 Operations; 16) HyperPigment; 17) Antimicrobial Materials; 18) Conductive Inks Formulations for Multiple Applications; and 19) Testing and Processing Equipment.

Processing of oil palm empty fruit bunch as filler material of polymer recycles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saepulloh, D. R.; Nikmatin, S.; Hardhienata, H.

2017-05-01

Oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB) is waste from crude palm oil (CPO) processing plants. This research aims to process OPEFB to be a reinforcement polymer recycle with the mechanical milling method and identify each establishment molecular with the orbital hybridization theory. OPEFB fibers were synthesized using a mechanical milling until the size shortfiber and microfiber. Then do the biocomposite granular synthesis with single screw extruder. TAPPI chemical test shows levels of α-cellulose fibers amounted 41.68%. Based on density, the most optimum composition contained in the filler amounted 15% with the size is the microfiber. The test results of morphology with SEM showed deployment of filler OPEFB fiber is fairly equitable distributed. Regarding the molecular interaction between matrix with OPEFB fiber, described by the theory of orbital hybridization. But the explanation establishment of the bond for more complex molecules likes this from the side of the molecular orbital theory is necessary complete information of the hybrid levels.

Self-healing polymers---The importance of choosing an adequate healing monomer, and the olefin metathesis polymerization of agricultural oils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mauldin, Timothy C.

Modern society's immense and ill-fated reliance on petrochemical-based polymeric materials will likely necessitate a shift in polymer production paradigms in the near future. The work presented herein attempts to address this issue via a two-pronged approach. First, efforts to improve the duration of composite materials by incorporation of a self-healing function are discussed, the fruitful application of which can potentially reduce or eliminate the massive carbon footprints associated with the repair/replacement of damaged materials. And second, polymeric materials derived predominately from natural and renewable feedstock---namely vegetable oils---are developed. Early microcapsule-based self-healing materials utilized dicyclopentadiene-filled microcapsules and Grubbs' olefin metathesis catalyst to initiate the healing mechanism. However, the patent-protected catalyst, made from the precious metal ruthenium and sometimes costly ligands, will likely never be inexpensive and therefore limit large-scale applications. Hence, clever approaches to reduce the healing catalyst loading in self-healing polymers are of great interest. To this end, our efforts have revolved around solving the problem of the relatively inefficient use of Grubbs' catalyst during the healing mechanism. Given that the mismatch of the olefin metathesis polymerization and Grubbs' catalyst dissolution (in monomer) kinetics is a known cause of this inefficient use of the catalyst, we attempted to tune the "latency" (i.e. pot life) of the olefin metathesis polymerization to ensure more complete dissolution of catalyst in monomer. In an alternative approach to improving efficient catalyst dissolution, we developed a simple model to predict relative dissolution rates of Grubbs' catalyst in a small library of healing monomers. This model was shown experimentally to be able to aid in the selection of, for example, reactive monomer additives that can yield impressive improvements in catalyst dissolution

Solubility of ocular therapeutic agents in self-emulsifying oils. I. Self-emulsifying oils for ocular drug delivery: solubility of indomethacin, aciclovir and hydrocortisone.

PubMed

Czajkowska-Kośnik, Anna; Sznitowska, Małgorzata

2009-01-01

Self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS) were prepared by dissolving Cremophor EL, Tween 20, Tween 80 and Span 80 (1% or 5%) in oils (Miglyol 812 or castor oil). Solubilities of three ophthalmic drugs, namely aciclovir, hydrocortisone and indomethacin were determined in these systems. In addition, the effect of a small amount of water (0.5% and 2%) on solubilization properties of the systems was estimated. Of the three substances, indomethacin showed the best solubility in Miglyol while aciclovir was practically insoluble in this oil. The surfactants usually increased drug solubility in the oily phase. Only Tween 20 was found to decrease the solubility of aciclovir and hydrocortisone in Miglyol. Addition of a small amount of water to the oil/surfactant system increased solubility of hydrocortisone, but not of indomethacin. The results of the current study may be utilized to design a suitable composition of SEDDS and allow continuation of research on this type of drug carriers.

Paclitaxel Injection

MedlinePlus

... other medications. Paclitaxel injection manufactured with polyoxyethylated castor oil is used to treat ovarian cancer (cancer that ... and lung cancer. Paclitaxel injection with polyoxyethylated castor oil is also used to treat Kaposi's sarcoma (a ...

Mathematical modeling of polymer flooding using the unstructured Voronoi grid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kireev, T. F.; Bulgakova, G. T.; Khatmullin, I. F.

2017-12-01

Effective recovery of unconventional oil reserves necessitates development of enhanced oil recovery techniques such as polymer flooding. The study investigated the model of polymer flooding with effects of adsorption and water salinity. The model takes into account six components that include elements of the classic black oil model. These components are polymer, salt, water, dead oil, dry gas and dissolved gas. Solution of the problem is obtained by finite volume method on unstructured Voronoi grid using fully implicit scheme and the Newton’s method. To compare several different grid configurations numerical simulation of polymer flooding is performed. The oil rates obtained by a hexagonal locally refined Voronoi grid are shown to be more accurate than the oil rates obtained by a rectangular grid with the same number of cells. The latter effect is caused by high solution accuracy near the wells due to the local grid refinement. Minimization of the grid orientation effect caused by the hexagonal pattern is also demonstrated. However, in the inter-well regions with large Voronoi cells flood front tends to flatten and the water breakthrough moment is smoothed.

Effect of the incorporation of chitosan on the physico-chemical, mechanical properties and biological activity on a mixture of polycaprolactone and polyurethanes obtained from castor oil.

PubMed

Arévalo, Fabian; Uscategui, Yomaira L; Diaz, Luis; Cobo, Martha; Valero, Manuel F

2016-11-01

In the present study, polyurethane materials were obtained from castor oil, polycaprolactone and isophorone diisocyanate by incorporating different concentrations of chitosan (0.5, 1.0 and 2.0% w/w) as an additive to improve the mechanical properties and the biological activity of polyurethanes. The polyurethanes were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, stress/strain fracture tests and swelling analysis, and the hydrophilic character of the surface was determined by contact angle trials. The objectives of the study were to evaluate the effect of the incorporation of chitosan on the changes of the physico-chemical and mechanical properties and the in vitro biological activity of the polyurethanes. It was found that the incorporation of chitosan enhances the ultimate tensile strength of the polyurethanes and does not affect the strain at fracture in polyurethanes with 5% w/w of polycaprolactone and concentrations of chitosan ranging from 0 to 2% w/w. In addition, PCL5-Q-PU formulations and their degradation products did not affect cell viability of L929 mouse fibroblast and 3T3, respectively. Polyurethane formulations showed antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli bacteria. The results of this study have highlighted the potential biomedical application of this polyurethanes related to soft and cardiovascular tissues. © The Author(s) 2016.

Cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of natural resin-based experimental endodontic sealers.

PubMed

Silva, Gleyce O; Cavalcanti, Bruno N; Oliveira, Tatiana R; Bin, Claudia V; Camargo, Samira E A; Camargo, Carlos H R

2016-05-01

The development of endodontic sealers based on natural resins seems to be promising, given their improved biological properties. This study evaluated the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of two experimental root canal sealers, based on extracts from Copaifera multijuga and Ricinus communis (castor oil polymer), comparing them to synthetic resin-based sealers: a single methacrylate-based, a multi-methacrylate-based, and an epoxy resin-based sealers. Sealers were prepared, set, and exposed to cell culture medium for 24 h at 37 °C with CO2. V79 cells were exposed to serial dilutions of the extracts of each sealer for 24 h. Cell viability was measured by the MTT assay and genotoxicity was assessed by the formation of micronuclei. The single methacrylate-based sealer had the most cytotoxic effects, with significant reduction in cell viability in all dilutions of the extract. The castor oil polymer-based sealer was, on the other hand, the most biocompatible sealer, with no cytotoxic effects at any concentration. All tested sealers were not genotoxic, excepting the single methacrylate-based sealer. The tested natural resin-based sealers presented low cytotoxic and no genotoxic effects on cell cultures. These results may suggest a good alternative to develop new endodontic sealers, in order to achieve better biological response and healing, when compared to commercially available sealers.

Phosphorylation of bacterial-type phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase at Ser425 provides a further tier of enzyme control in developing castor oil seeds.

PubMed

O'Leary, Brendan; Rao, Srinath K; Plaxton, William C

2011-01-01

PEPC [PEP (phosphoenolpyruvate) carboxylase] is a tightly controlled anaplerotic enzyme situated at a pivotal branch point of plant carbohydrate metabolism. Two distinct oligomeric PEPC classes were discovered in developing COS (castor oil seeds). Class-1 PEPC is a typical homotetramer of 107 kDa PTPC (plant-type PEPC) subunits, whereas the novel 910-kDa Class-2 PEPC hetero-octamer arises from a tight interaction between Class-1 PEPC and 118 kDa BTPC (bacterial-type PEPC) subunits. Mass spectrometric analysis of immunopurified COS BTPC indicated that it is subject to in vivo proline-directed phosphorylation at Ser425. We show that immunoblots probed with phosphorylation site-specific antibodies demonstrated that Ser425 phosphorylation is promoted during COS development, becoming maximal at stage IX (maturation phase) or in response to depodding. Kinetic analyses of a recombinant, chimaeric Class-2 PEPC containing phosphomimetic BTPC mutant subunits (S425D) indicated that Ser425 phosphorylation results in significant BTPC inhibition by: (i) increasing its Km(PEP) 3-fold, (ii) reducing its I50 (L-malate and L-aspartate) values by 4.5- and 2.5-fold respectively, while (iii) decreasing its activity within the physiological pH range. The developmental pattern and kinetic influence of Ser425 BTPC phosphorylation is very distinct from the in vivo phosphorylation/activation of COS Class-1 PEPC's PTPC subunits at Ser11. Collectively, the results establish that BTPC's phospho-Ser425 content depends upon COS developmental and physiological status and that Ser425 phosphorylation attenuates the catalytic activity of BTPC subunits within a Class-2 PEPC complex. To the best of our knowledge, this study provides the first evidence for protein phosphorylation as a mechanism for the in vivo control of vascular plant BTPC activity.

Mitochondrial Genomes Reveal Slow Rates of Molecular Evolution and the Timing of Speciation in Beavers (Castor), One of the Largest Rodent Species

PubMed Central

Horn, Susanne; Durka, Walter; Wolf, Ronny; Ermala, Aslak; Stubbe, Annegret; Stubbe, Michael; Hofreiter, Michael

2011-01-01

Background Beavers are one of the largest and ecologically most distinct rodent species. Little is known about their evolution and even their closest phylogenetic relatives have not yet been identified with certainty. Similarly, little is known about the timing of divergence events within the genus Castor. Methodology/Principal Findings We sequenced complete mitochondrial genomes from both extant beaver species and used these sequences to place beavers in the phylogenetic tree of rodents and date their divergence from other rodents as well as the divergence events within the genus Castor. Our analyses support the phylogenetic position of beavers as a sister lineage to the scaly tailed squirrel Anomalurus within the mouse related clade. Molecular dating places the divergence time of the lineages leading to beavers and Anomalurus as early as around 54 million years ago (mya). The living beaver species, Castor canadensis from North America and Castor fiber from Eurasia, although similar in appearance, appear to have diverged from a common ancestor more than seven mya. This result is consistent with the hypothesis that a migration of Castor from Eurasia to North America as early as 7.5 mya could have initiated their speciation. We date the common ancestor of the extant Eurasian beaver relict populations to around 210,000 years ago, much earlier than previously thought. Finally, the substitution rate of Castor mitochondrial DNA is considerably lower than that of other rodents. We found evidence that this is correlated with the longer life span of beavers compared to other rodents. Conclusions/Significance A phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial genome sequences suggests a sister-group relationship between Castor and Anomalurus, and allows molecular dating of species divergence in congruence with paleontological data. The implementation of a relaxed molecular clock enabled us to estimate mitochondrial substitution rates and to evaluate the effect of life history traits

Small-angle-neutron-scattering from giant water-in-oil microemulsion droplets. II. Polymer-decorated droplets in a quaternary system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foster, Tobias; Sottmann, Thomas; Schweins, Ralf; Strey, Reinhard

2008-02-01

Amphiphilic block copolymers of the type poly(ethylenepropylene)-co-poly(ethyleneoxide) dramatically enhance the solubilisation efficiency of non-ionic surfactants in microemulsions that contain equal volumes of water in oil. Consequently, the length scale of the microstructure of such bicontinuous microemulsions is dramatically increased up to the order of a few 100nm. In this paper, we show that this so-called efficiency boosting effect can also be applied to water-in-oil microemulsions with droplet microstructure. Such giant water-in-oil microemulsions would provide confined compartments in which chemical reactions of biological macromolecules can be performed on a single molecule level. With this motivation we investigated the phase behavior and the microstructure of oil-rich microemulsions containing D2O, n-decane(d22), C10E4 and the amphiphilic block copolymer PEP5-PEO5 [poly(ethylenepropylene)-co-poly(ethyleneoxide), weight per block of 5000g/mol]. We found that 15wt% of water can be solubilised by 5wt% of surfactant and block copolymer when about 6wt% of surfactant is replaced by the block copolymer. Small-angle-neutron-scattering experiments were performed to determine the length scales and microstructure topologies of the oil-rich microemulsions. To analyze the scattering data, we derived a novel form factor that also takes into account the scattering contribution of the hydrophobic part of the block copolymer molecules that reside in the surfactant shell. The quantitative analysis of the scattering data with this form factor shows that the radius of the largest droplets amounts up to 30nm. The novel form factor also yielded qualitative information on the stretching of the polymer chains in dependence on the polymer surface density and the droplet radius.

Production of polyol oils from soybean oil by Pseudomonas aeruginosa E03-12.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Soy-polyols are important starting materials for the manufacture of polymers such as polyurethane. We have been trying to develop a bioprocess for the production of polyol oils directly from soybean oil. We reported earlier the polyol products produced from soybean oil by Acinetobacter haemolyticus ...

Attachment of a hydrophobically modified biopolymer at the oil-water interface in the treatment of oil spills.

PubMed

Venkataraman, Pradeep; Tang, Jingjian; Frenkel, Etham; McPherson, Gary L; He, Jibao; Raghavan, Srinivasa R; Kolesnichenko, Vladimir; Bose, Arijit; John, Vijay T

2013-05-01

The stability of crude oil droplets formed by adding chemical dispersants can be considerably enhanced by the use of the biopolymer, hydrophobically modified chitosan. Turbidimetric analyses show that emulsions of crude oil in saline water prepared using a combination of the biopolymer and the well-studied chemical dispersant (Corexit 9500A) remain stable for extended periods in comparison to emulsions stabilized by the dispersant alone. We hypothesize that the hydrophobic residues from the polymer preferentially anchor in the oil droplets, thereby forming a layer of the polymer around the droplets. The enhanced stability of the droplets is due to the polymer layer providing an increase in electrostatic and steric repulsions and thereby a large barrier to droplet coalescence. Our results show that the addition of hydrophobically modified chitosan following the application of chemical dispersant to an oil spill can potentially reduce the use of chemical dispersants. Increasing the molecular weight of the biopolymer changes the rheological properties of the oil-in-water emulsion to that of a weak gel. The ability of the biopolymer to tether the oil droplets in a gel-like matrix has potential applications in the immobilization of surface oil spills for enhanced removal.

Ultrastructural changes in the ovary cells of engorged Rhipicephalus sanguineus female ticks treated with esters of ricinoleic acid from castor oil (Ricinus communis).

PubMed

Sampieri, Bruno Rodrigues; Arnosti, André; Nunes, Pablo Henrique; Furquim, Karim Christina Scopinho; Chierice, Gilberto Orivaldo; Mathias, Maria Izabel Camargo

2012-05-01

Rhipicephalus sanguineus is a widely distributed tick species that has adapted to the urban environment, and the dog is its main host. This species is also known as a vector and reservoir of diseases caused by bacteria, protozoa, and viruses. Currently, acaricides of synthetic chemical origin have been widely and indiscriminately used, leading to the development of resistance to these products by ticks and causing damage to the environment. Thus, these issues have made it necessary to seek other forms of controlling these ectoparasites. R. sanguineus was artificially infested in host New Zealand White rabbits, which were divided into four treatment groups: control (CG1 and CG2) and treatment (TG1 and TG2) groups. TG1 and TG2 hosts were provided with feed supplemented with esters of ricinoleic acid from castor oil at a concentration of 5 g/kg of feed for 7 and 15 days. Afterward, the ovaries of the female ticks were removed for analysis by transmission electron microscopy. The results showed ultrastructural changes in the somatic and germ cells of ovaries from TG1 and TG2 females, particularly with respect to chorion deposition, a protective membrane of the oocyte, as well as in the transport process of vitellogenic materials via the hemolymph and pedicel cells. Moreover, the mitochondria were less electron-dense and had cristae that were more disorganized than the mitochondria from CG1 and CG2 individuals. Thus, this study demonstrated the action of esters on the ovaries of R. sanguineus, signaling the prospect of a way to control this ectoparasite without affecting nontarget organisms or the environment. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Phytoextraction of metals and rhizoremediation of PAHs in co-contaminated soil by co-planting of Sedum alfredii with ryegrass (Lolium perenne) or castor (Ricinus communis).

PubMed

Wang, Kai; Huang, Huagang; Zhu, Zhiqiang; Li, Tingqiang; He, Zhenli; Yang, Xiaoe; Alva, Ashok

2013-01-01

A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the potential for phytoextraction of heavy metals and rhizoremediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in co-contaminated soil by co-planting a cadmium/zinc (Cd/Zn) hyperaccumulator and lead (Pb) accumulator Sedum alfredii with ryegrass (Lolium perenne) or castor (Ricinus communis). Co-planting with castor decreased the shoot biomass of S. alfredii as compared to that in monoculture. Cadmium concentration in S. alfredii shoot significantly decreased when grown with ryegrass or castor as compared to that in monoculture. However, no reduction of Zn or Pb concentration in S. alfredii shoot was detected in co-planting treatments. Total removal of either Cd, Zn, or Pb by plants was similar across S. alfredii monoculture or co-planting with ryegrass or castor, except enhanced Pb removal in S. alfredii and ryegrass co-planting treatment. Co-planting of S. alfredii with ryegrass or castor significantly enhanced the pyrene and anthracene dissipation as compared to that in the bare soil or S. alfredii monoculture. This appears to be due to the increased soil microbial population and activities in both co-planting treatments. Co-planting of S. alfredii with ryegrass or castor provides a promising strategy to mitigate both metal and PAH contaminants from co-contaminated soils.

Experimental Study on Oil Displacement Mechanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pi, Yanfu; Shao, Hongzhi; Pi, Yanming; Liu, Li

2018-02-01

In this work, the objective is enhancing oil recovery in offshore heavy oil after polymer flooding. The heterogeneous physical model is especially designed for oil fields with heavy oil. The comparative study of the two displacement experiments was carried out, and the experimental data was compared and analysed. The comparison between scheme one and scheme two was analysed from the production curve. The patterns of cores are analysed and compared with each other. It was found that the oil in the high permeability layer and medium permeability layer had been widely removed in the stage of binary combination flooding. There was a high degree of use in the low permeability layer. The recovery ratio is 66.29%. After polymer flooding, the addition of binary combination flooding in the heavy oil reservoir can greatly enhance oil recovery.

Influence of phosphorous fertilization on copper phytoextraction and antioxidant defenses in castor bean (Ricinus communis L.).

PubMed

Huang, Guoyong; Rizwan, Muhammad Shahid; Ren, Chao; Guo, Guangguang; Fu, Qingling; Zhu, Jun; Hu, Hongqing

2018-01-01

Application of fertilizers to supply appropriate nutrients has become an essential agricultural strategy for enhancing the efficiency of phytoremediation in heavy metal contaminated soils. The present study was conducted to investigate the beneficial effects of three types of phosphate fertilizers (i.e., oxalic acid-activated phosphate rock (APR), Ca(H 2 PO 4 ) 2 , and NaH 2 PO 4 ) in the range of 0-600 mg P kg -1 soil, on castor bean growth, antioxidants [antioxidative enzymes and glutathione (GSH)], and Cu uptake. Results showed that with the addition of phosphorus fertilizers, the dry weight of castor bean and the Cu concentration in roots increased significantly, resulting in increased Cu extraction. The phosphorus concentration in both shoots and roots was increased as compared with the control, and the Ca(H 2 PO 4 ) 2 treatment had the greatest effect. Application of APR, NaH 2 PO 4 , and Ca(H 2 PO 4 ) 2 reduced the malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and the activity of the two antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismustase (SOD, EC 1.15.1.1) and catalase (CAT, EC 1.11.1.6) in the leaves of castor bean. GSH concentration in leaves increased with the increasing levels of phosphorus applied to soil as well as the accumulation of phosphorus in shoots, compared to the control. These results demonstrated that the addition of phosphorus fertilizers can enhance the resistance of castor bean to Cu and increase the Cu extraction efficiency of the plant from contaminated soils.

Biosynthesis of Nonspecific Lipid Transfer Proteins in Germinating Castor Bean Seeds 1

PubMed Central

Tsuboi, Shigeru; Watanabe, Shin-ichiro; Ozeki, Yoshihiro; Yamada, Mitsuhiro

1989-01-01

The biosynthesis of nonspecific lipid transfer proteins (ns-LTPs) in germinating castor bean (Ricinus communis L.) seeds were investigated. Lipid transfer activities of ns-LTPs in the cotyledons, axis, and endosperm increased with growth after germination. The activity increases were accompanied by increased amounts of ns-LTPs in each tissue, as measured by immunoblot using anti-ns-LTP serum. These results suggest that the ns-LTPs are synthesized de novo in each tissue after germination and not activated from inactive proteins synthesized before germination. Comparison of the immunoblot products in each tissue from 4-day-old seedlings indicate the occurrence of tissue-specific isoforms of ns-LTPs; 9 kilodaltons (major) and 7 kilodaltons (minor) in the cotyledons, and 7 kilodaltons (major) and 9 kilodaltons (minor) in the axis, whereas only the 8-kilodalton ns-LTP is present in the endosperm. In vitro translation from poly(A)+ RNAs from three tissues of castor bean seedlings and the detection of immunoprecipitated products indicate that translatable mRNAs for ns-LTPs exist in the three tissues a day before the synthesis of ns-LTPs; the translation products, which are 3.5 to 4.0 kilodaltons larger than ns-LTPs, were processed to the mature ns-LTPs. The production of mature ns-LTPs from translatable mRNAs without any delay suggests that gene expression of ns-LTPs in castor bean seedlings is controlled at a step before the formation of translatable mRNAs. Images Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 PMID:16666886

21 CFR 73.2180 - Guaiazulene.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... ADDITIVES EXEMPT FROM CERTIFICATION Cosmetics § 73.2180 Guaiazulene. (a) Identity. (1) The color additive... cosmetic use may contain the following diluent: Polyethylene glycol-40 castor oil (PEG-40 castor oil... applied cosmetics in amounts consistent with good manufacturing practice. (d) Labeling. The label of the...

21 CFR 73.2180 - Guaiazulene.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... ADDITIVES EXEMPT FROM CERTIFICATION Cosmetics § 73.2180 Guaiazulene. (a) Identity. (1) The color additive... cosmetic use may contain the following diluent: Polyethylene glycol-40 castor oil (PEG-40 castor oil... applied cosmetics in amounts consistent with good manufacturing practice. (d) Labeling. The label of the...

21 CFR 73.2180 - Guaiazulene.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... ADDITIVES EXEMPT FROM CERTIFICATION Cosmetics § 73.2180 Guaiazulene. (a) Identity. (1) The color additive... cosmetic use may contain the following diluent: Polyethylene glycol-40 castor oil (PEG-40 castor oil... applied cosmetics in amounts consistent with good manufacturing practice. (d) Labeling. The label of the...

21 CFR 73.2180 - Guaiazulene.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... ADDITIVES EXEMPT FROM CERTIFICATION Cosmetics § 73.2180 Guaiazulene. (a) Identity. (1) The color additive... cosmetic use may contain the following diluent: Polyethylene glycol-40 castor oil (PEG-40 castor oil... applied cosmetics in amounts consistent with good manufacturing practice. (d) Labeling. The label of the...

A global review on the influence of beavers (Castor fiber, Castor canadensis) on river and floodplain dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larsen, Annegret; Lane, Stuart; Larsen, Joshua

2017-04-01

Beavers (Castor fiber, Castor canadensis) have the ability to actively engineer their habitat, which they can do most effectively in lower order streams and their floodplains. Hence, this engineering has the potential to alter the hydrology, geomorphology, biogeochemistry, and ecology of river systems and the feedbacks between them. Thus, the beaver is often referred to as an 'ecosystem engineer' and is reflected in their recognition as a key species when restoring ecosystems. This capacity to engineer low order streams also shapes a range of positive and negative perceptions on their influence. On the one hand they may be perceived as capable of undermining existing river engineering schemes and the land use of associated floodplains, and on the other hand beavers may provide an alternative to traditional 'hard' engineering, potentially improving river restoration success. The aim of this review is to summarize research to date on the impacts of beavers on stream and floodplain hydrology, geomorphology, water-quality and ecology, and the feedbacks between them. Our review shows that: (1) research has been focused heavily on North American streams, with far less research outside this North American context; (2) there is a tendency to investigate beaver impacts from the perspective of individual disciplines, to the detriment of considering broader process feedbacks, notably at the interface of hydro-geomorphology and riparian ecology; (3) it remains unclear to which extent beavers genuinely engineered streams prior to human impact, pointing to the need for longer term (millennium scale) studies on how beavers have changed river-floodplain systems. Crucially, we conclude that the investigation of the effects of beavers on streams and floodplains, especially in a longer-term, and their use for river restoration can only be understood through the thorough investigation of antecedent hydro-geomorphic conditions which takes account of the ways in which beavers and humans

Polymerization of euphorbia oil with Lewis acid in carbon dioxide media

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Boron trifluoride diethyl etherate (BF3-OEt2) Lewis acid catalyzed ring-opening polymerization of euphorbia oil (EO), a natural epoxy oil, in liquid carbon dioxide was conducted in an effort to develop useful vegetable oil based polymers. The resulting polymers (RPEO) were characterized by FTIR, 1H-...

Lipase catalyzed methanolysis of tri-(12-hydroxy stearoyl)-glycerol in organic solvents

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Castor oil is the source of numerous products and is the only commercial source of the fatty acid ricinoleate, 12-hydroxy-oleate. Hydrogenated castor oil is similarly useful as the source of 12-hydroxy-stearic acid, best known as a component of lithium grease. Mono- and diacylglycerols derived from ...

Combating oil spill problem using plastic waste.

PubMed

Saleem, Junaid; Ning, Chao; Barford, John; McKay, Gordon

2015-10-01

Thermoplastic polymers (such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and high density polyethylene (HDPE)) constitute 5-15% of municipal solid waste produced across the world. A huge quantity of plastic waste is disposed of each year and is mostly either discarded in landfills or incinerated. On the other hand, the usage of synthetic polymers as oil sorbents, in particular, polyolefins, including polypropylene (PP), and polyethylene (PE) are the most commonly used oil sorbent materials mainly due to their low cost. However, they possess relatively low oil absorption capacities. In this work, we provide an innovative way to produce a value-added product such as oil-sorbent film with high practical oil uptake values in terms of g/g from waste HDPE bottles for rapid oil spill remedy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemical Methods for Ugnu Viscous Oils

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kishore Mohanty

2012-03-31

The North Slope of Alaska has large (about 20 billion barrels) deposits of viscous oil in Ugnu, West Sak and Shraeder Bluff reservoirs. These shallow reservoirs overlie existing productive reservoirs such as Kuparuk and Milne Point. The viscosity of the Ugnu reservoir on top of Milne Point varies from 200 cp to 10,000 cp and the depth is about 3300 ft. The same reservoir extends to the west on the top of the Kuparuk River Unit and onto the Beaufort Sea. The depth of the reservoir decreases and the viscosity increases towards the west. Currently, the operators are testing coldmore » heavy oil production with sand (CHOPS) in Ugnu, but oil recovery is expected to be low (< 10%). Improved oil recovery techniques must be developed for these reservoirs. The proximity to the permafrost is an issue for thermal methods; thus nonthermal methods must be considered. The objective of this project is to develop chemical methods for the Ugnu reservoir on the top of Milne Point. An alkaline-surfactant-polymer (ASP) formulation was developed for a viscous oil (330 cp) where as an alkaline-surfactant formulation was developed for a heavy oil (10,000 cp). These formulations were tested in one-dimensional and quarter five-spot Ugnu sand packs. Micromodel studies were conducted to determine the mechanisms of high viscosity ratio displacements. Laboratory displacements were modeled and transport parameters (such as relative permeability) were determined that can be used in reservoir simulations. Ugnu oil is suitable for chemical flooding because it is biodegraded and contains some organic acids. The acids react with injected alkali to produce soap. This soap helps in lowering interfacial tension between water and oil which in turn helps in the formation of macro and micro emulsions. A lower amount of synthetic surfactant is needed because of the presence of organic acids in the oil. Tertiary ASP flooding is very effective for the 330 cp viscous oil in 1D sand pack. This chemical

Sustainable polymers from renewable resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Yunqing; Romain, Charles; Williams, Charlotte K.

2016-12-01

Renewable resources are used increasingly in the production of polymers. In particular, monomers such as carbon dioxide, terpenes, vegetable oils and carbohydrates can be used as feedstocks for the manufacture of a variety of sustainable materials and products, including elastomers, plastics, hydrogels, flexible electronics, resins, engineering polymers and composites. Efficient catalysis is required to produce monomers, to facilitate selective polymerizations and to enable recycling or upcycling of waste materials. There are opportunities to use such sustainable polymers in both high-value areas and in basic applications such as packaging. Life-cycle assessment can be used to quantify the environmental benefits of sustainable polymers.

Sustainable polymers from renewable resources.

PubMed

Zhu, Yunqing; Romain, Charles; Williams, Charlotte K

2016-12-14

Renewable resources are used increasingly in the production of polymers. In particular, monomers such as carbon dioxide, terpenes, vegetable oils and carbohydrates can be used as feedstocks for the manufacture of a variety of sustainable materials and products, including elastomers, plastics, hydrogels, flexible electronics, resins, engineering polymers and composites. Efficient catalysis is required to produce monomers, to facilitate selective polymerizations and to enable recycling or upcycling of waste materials. There are opportunities to use such sustainable polymers in both high-value areas and in basic applications such as packaging. Life-cycle assessment can be used to quantify the environmental benefits of sustainable polymers.

Electrical, thermal and structural properties of plasticized waste cooking oil-based polyurethane solid polymer electrolyte

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huzaizi, Rahmatina Mohd; Tahir, Syuhada Mohd; Mahbor, Kamisah Mohamad

2017-12-01

Waste cooking oil-based polyol was synthesized using epoxidation and hydroxylation methods. The polyol was combined with 4,4-diphenylmethane diisocyanate to produce polyurethane (PU) to be used as polymer host in solid polymer electrolyte. 30 wt% LiClO4 was added as doping salt and two types of plasticizers were used; ethylene carbonate (PU-EC) and polyethylene glycol (PU-PEG). The SPE films were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The highest conductivity achieved was 8.4 x 10-8 S cm-1 upon addition of 10 wt% EC. The XRD results showed a decrease of crystalline peaks in PU-EC and the increase in PU-PEG. DSC results revealed that the films; PU, PU-EC and PU-PEG had glass transition temperatures of 159.7, 106.0 and 179.7 °C, respectively. The results showed that the addition of EC increased the amorphous region and the free volume in the SPE structure, thus resulted in higher ionic conductivity.

STIMULI-RESPONSIVE POLYMERS WITH ENHANCED EFFICIENCY IN RESERVOIR RECOVERY PROCESSES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Charles McCormick; Roger Hester

This sixth and final progress report for DOE Award Number DE-FC26-01BC15317 describes research during the period March 01, 2004 through August 31, 2004 performed at the University of Southern Mississippi on ''Stimuli Responsive Polymers with Enhanced Efficiency in Reservoir Recovery'' processes. Significantly, terpolymers that are responsive to changes in pH and ionic strength have been synthesized, characterized, and their solution properties have been extensively examined. Terpolymers composed of acrylamide, a carboxylated acrylamido monomer (AMBA), and a quaternary ammonium monomer (AMBATAC) with balanced compositions of the latter two, exhibit increases in aqueous solution viscosity as NaCl concentration is increased. This increasemore » in polymer coil size can be expected upon injection of this type of polymer into oil reservoirs of moderate-to-high salinity, leading to better mobility control. The opposite effect (loss of viscosity) is observed for conventional polymer systems. Additionally polymer mobility characteristics have been conducted for a number of hydrophilic copolymers utilizing an extensional flow apparatus and size exclusion chromatography. This study reveled that oil recovery enhancement through use of polymers in a water flood is due to the polymer's resistance to deformation as it flows through the reservoir. Individual polymers when in aqueous solution form coils. The larger the polymer's coil size, the greater the polymer's resistance to extensional flow and the more effective the polymer is in enhancing oil recovery. Large coil sizes are obtained by increasing the polymer molecular weight and having macromolecular structures that favor greater swelling of the coil by the aqueous solvent conditions (temperature, pH and electrolyte concentration) existing in the reservoir.« less

Polymer-functionalized nanoparticles for improving oil displacement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fossati, Ana B.; Martins Alho, Miriam; Jacobo, Silvia E.

2018-03-01

This work focuses on the synthesis, functionalization, and characterization of magnetic nanoparticles to be used for improving the oil recovery in the oil exploitation industry. In this manuscript we explore three different types of hydrophobic/hydrophilic functionalization through a silanized particle: with styrene, with acrylic acid and with a copolymer of styrene and maleic acid. Further application of such nanoparticles dispersions (nanofluid) are discussed as the wetting and spreading behaviour of liquids on the solid surfaces change if the wettability of solid surface is altered. In order to investigate the influence of wettability alternation on enhancing oil recovery after nanofluid treatment, flushing oil experiment and contact angle measurement were conducted in our laboratory. The results indicated that nanofluid can produce a better flushing efficiency compared with brine solution, and the contact angles of oil phase increased from 13° to 37° after nanofluid treatment (0.005% w/w). We focus on the synthesis of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles considering recovering possibility.

Identification of hydroxy fatty acid and triacylglycerol metabolism-related genes in lesquerella through seed transcriptome analysis

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Background: Castor oil is the only commercial source of hydroxy fatty acid which has industrial value. The production of castor oil is hampered by the presence of the toxin ricin in its seed. Lesquerella seed also accumulates hydroxy fatty acid and is free of ricin, thus it is being developed as a n...

Slippery self-lubricating polymer surfaces

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aizenberg, Joanna; Aizenberg, Michael; Cui, Jiaxi

The present disclosure describes a strategy to create self-healing, slippery self-lubricating polymers. Lubricating liquids with affinities to polymers can be utilized to get absorbed within the polymer and form a lubricant layer (of the lubricating liquid) on the polymer. The lubricant layer can repel a wide range of materials, including simple and complex fluids (water, hydrocarbons, crude oil and bodily fluids), restore liquid-repellency after physical damage, and resist ice, microorganisms and insects adhesion. Some exemplary applications where self-lubricating polymers will be useful include energy-efficient, friction-reduction fluid handling and transportation, medical devices, anti-icing, optical sensing, and as self-cleaning, and anti-fouling materialsmore » operating in extreme environments.« less

Modulated release from implantable ocular silicone oil tamponade drug reservoirs.

PubMed

Cauldbeck, Helen; Le Hellaye, Maude; McDonald, Tom O; Long, Mark; Williams, Rachel L; Rannard, Steve P; Kearns, Victoria R

2018-04-15

Complicated cases of retinal detachment can be treated with silicone oil tamponades. There is the potential for silicone oil tamponades to have adjunctive drug releasing behaviour within the eye, however the lipophilic nature of silicone oil limits the number of drugs that are suitable, and drug release from the hydrophobic reservoir is uncontrolled. Here, a radiometric technique was developed to accurately measure drug solubility in silicone oil and measure release into culture media. All-trans retinoic acid (atRA), a lipophilic drug known to act as an anti-proliferative within the eye, was used throughout this work. Chain-end modification of polydimethylsiloxane with atRA produced a polydimethylsiloxane retinoate (PDMS-atRA), which was used as an additive to silicone oil to modify the solvent environment within the silicone oil and the distribution coefficient. Blends of PDMS-atRA and silicone oil containing different concentrations of free atRA were produced. The presence of PDMS-atRA in silicone oil had a positive effect on atRA solubility and the longevity of release in vitro . The drug release period was independent of atRA starting concentration and dependent on the PDMS-atRA concentration in the blend. A clinically relevant release period of atRA over 7 weeks from a silicone oil blend with PDMS-atRA was observed. © 2018 The Authors. Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer Chemistry Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2018 , 56 , 938-946.

Synthesis of lesquerella a-hydroxy phosphonates

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Hydroxy fatty acids (HFAs) have found a number of uses in today’s market, with uses ranging from industrial materials to pharmaceuticals. Castor oil, which is obtained from castor seeds, has served as a source of a versatile HFA; its principle component, ricinoleic acid, can be isolated from castor ...

Analysis of castor by ELISAs that distinguish Ricin and Ricinus communis agglutinin (RCA)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

To facilitate the analysis of castor (Ricinus communis L.) seed fractions and germplasm for ricin content, we investigated the use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) methods to differentiate between ricin toxin and the related Ricinus communis agglutinin (RCA). Both proteins are based on ...

Surveillance of Space Concept Demonstrator. Presentation of One Sensor: CASTOR-V

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-04-01

30ºC to minimize the significant dark count (noise) gradient, and that the highest binning mode that will not incur resolution loss must be selected...38 5.1.4 Dome issue 3: Shutter malfunctioning...Dome motor and its controller used to rotate the observatory dome of CASTOR-V10 Figure 8. Dome shutter and wind screen motors and the controller

Role of biotechnological interventions in the improvement of castor (Ricinus communis L.) and Jatropha curcas L.

PubMed

Sujatha, M; Reddy, T P; Mahasi, M J

2008-01-01

Castor and Jatropha belong to the Euphorbiaceae family. This review highlights the role of biotechnological tools in the genetic improvement of castor and jatropha. Castor is monotypic and breeding programmes have mostly relied on the variability available in the primary gene pool. The major constraints limiting profitable cultivation are: vulnerability to insect pests and diseases, and the press cake is toxic which restrict its use as cattle feed. Conventional breeding techniques have limited scope in improvement of resistance to biotic stresses and in quality improvement owing to low genetic variability for these traits. Genetic diversity was assessed using protein based markers while use of molecular markers is at infancy. In vitro studies in castor have been successful in shoot proliferation from meristematic explants, but not callus-mediated regeneration. Genetic transformation experiments have been initiated for development of insect resistant and ricin-free transgenics with very low transformation frequency. In tropical and subtropical countries jatropha is viewed as a potential biofuel crop. The limitations in available germplasm include; lack of knowledge of the genetic base, poor yields, low genetic diversity and vulnerability to a wide array of insects and diseases. Great scope exists for genetic improvement through conventional methods, induced mutations, interspecific hybridization and genetic transformation. Reliable and highly efficient tissue culture protocols for direct and callus-mediated shoot regeneration and somatic embryogenesis are established for jatropha which indicates potential for widening the genetic base through biotechnological tools. Assessment of genetic diversity using molecular markers disclosed low interaccessional variability in local Jatropha curcas germplasm. The current status and future prospects of in vitro regeneration, genetic transformation and the role of molecular tools in the genetic enhancement of the two

Production of polyol oils from soybean oil by bioprocess: results of microbial screening and identification of positive cultures

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Recently we reported methods for microbial screening and production of polyol oils from soybean oil through bioprocessing (Hou and Lin, 2013). Soy-polyol oils (oxygenated acylglycerols) are important starting materials for the manufacture of polymers such as polyurethane. Currently, they are produce...

Demulsification of oil-in-water emulsions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Roark, D.N.

1986-09-30

This patent describes a process of demulsifying an oil-in-water emulsion which comprises admixing with the emulsion a water-soluble polymer of monoallylamine that causes formation of and separation between an oil phase and an aqueous phase to occur. The emulsion has a pH in the range of about 5 to about 10 and the polymer has a weight average molecular weight of at least 1000 and contains at least 95% by weight of monoallylamine.

Preparation of non-porous microspheres with high entrapment efficiency of proteins by a (water-in-oil)-in-oil emulsion technique.

PubMed

Viswanathan, N B; Thomas, P A; Pandit, J K; Kulkarni, M G; Mashelkar, R A

1999-03-08

Emulsification-solvent removal methods have been widely used for encapsulating bioactive macromolecules like proteins and polypeptides in biodegradable polymers. We report, a (water-in-oil)-in-oil emulsion technique wherein proteins and polypeptides differing in molecular weight and shape were encapsulated in polymers of current biomedical interest. When an oil was used as the processing medium in combination with a carefully selected mixed solvent system such that a stable (w/o1/o2 emulsion is formed and solvents are removed by a combination of extraction and evaporation, the entrapment efficiency was high and the product nonporous. The entrapment efficiency of globular proteins exceeded 90% while that of fibrous proteins was around 70%. Fracture studies revealed that the polymer matrix was dense. The mechanism of entrapment involved solvent-induced precipitation of the protein as the microspheres were being formed. The principle of the method will find use in preparation of non-porous polymer microparticles with reduced burst effect.

Polymers from renewable materials.

PubMed

Rus, Anika Zafiah M

2010-01-01

With the world facing depletion of its oil reserves, attention is being focused on how the plastics industry will address shortages and price increases in its crucial raw materials. One renewable resource is that of vegetable oils and fats and about a dozen crop plants make up the main vegetable oil-seed market. The main constituents of these oils are saturated and unsaturated fatty acids that are unique to the plant in which they have been developed. Moreover, technological processes can produce more well-defined and pure oils, and the fatty acid contents in the vegetable oils can be altered with modern crop development techniques. This article describes recent advances in utilising such vegetable oils in sourcing new polymeric materials. It also gives the context for the development of polymers based on renewable materials in general.

Polymers And Riblets Reduce Hydrodynamic Skin Friction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bushnell, Dennis M.; Reed, Jason C.

1991-01-01

Polymers injected into riblet grooves dramatically reduce polymer flow rate required for drag reduction. Polymer solution injected into valleys of grooves through array of holes or slots angled downstream to keep injected streams within grooves. Injection repeated some distance downstream because volumes of grooves finite and polymer becomes depleted as slowly pulled from groove by turbulence. Potentially useful for oil tankers as means of markedly reducing cost of fuel and used extensively on submarines, other ships, and other marine vehicles.

Molecularly imprinted polymer cartridges coupled to high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC-UV) for simple and rapid analysis of fenthion in olive oil.

PubMed

Bakas, Idriss; Ben Oujji, Najwa; Istamboulié, Georges; Piletsky, Sergey; Piletska, Elena; Ait-Addi, Elhabib; Ait-Ichou, Ihya; Noguer, Thierry; Rouillon, Régis

2014-07-01

A combination of molecular modelling and a screening of the library of non-imprinted polymers (NIPs) was used to identify acrylamide as a functional monomer with high affinity towards fenthion, organophosphate insecticide, which is frequently used in the treatment of olives. A good correlation was found between the screening tests and modelling of monomer-template interactions performed using a computational approach. Acrylamide-based molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) and non-imprinted polymer (NIP) were thermally synthesised in dimethyl formamide (porogen) using ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as a cross-linker and 1,1-azo-bis (isobutyronitrile) as an initiator. The chemical and physical properties of the prepared polymers were characterised. The binding of fenthion by the polymers was studied using solvents with different polarities. The developed MIP showed a high selectivity towards fenthion, compared to other organophosphates (dimethoate, methidathion malalthion), and allowed extraction of fenthion from olive oil samples with a recovery rate of about 96%. The extraction of fenthion using MIPs was much more effective than traditional C18 reverse-phase solid phase extraction and allowed to achieve a low detection limit (LOD) (5 µg L(-1)). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bio-oil upgrading strategies to improve PHA production from selected aerobic mixed cultures.

PubMed

Moita Fidalgo, Rita; Ortigueira, Joana; Freches, André; Pelica, João; Gonçalves, Magarida; Mendes, Benilde; Lemos, Paulo C

2014-06-25

Recent research on polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) has focused on developing cost-effective production processes using low-value or industrial waste/surplus as substrate. One of such substrates is the liquid fraction resulting from pyrolysis processes, bio-oil. In this study, valorisation of bio-oil through PHA production was investigated. The impact of the complex bio-oil matrix on PHA production by an enriched mixed culture was examined. The performance of the direct utilization of pure bio-oil was compared with the utilization of three defined substrates contained in this bio-oil: acetate, glucose and xylose. When compared with acetate, bio-oil revealed lower capacity for polymer production as a result of a lower polymer yield on substrate and a lower PHA cell content. Two strategies for bio-oil upgrade were performed, anaerobic fermentation and vacuum distillation, and the resulting liquid streams were tested for polymer production. The first one was enriched in volatile fatty acids and the second one mainly on phenolic and long-chain fatty acids. PHA accumulation assays using the upgraded bio-oils attained polymer yields on substrate similar or higher than the one achieved with acetate, although with a lower PHA content. The capacity to use the enriched fractions for polymer production has yet to be optimized. The anaerobic digestion of bio-oil could also open-up the possibility to use the fermented bio-oil directly in the enrichment process of the mixed culture. This would increase the selective pressure toward an optimized PHA accumulating culture selection. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Oil-Impregnated Polyethylene Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mukherjee, Ranit; Habibi, Mohammad; Rashed, Ziad; Berbert, Otacilio; Shi, Shawn; Boreyko, Jonathan

2017-11-01

Slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces (SLIPS) minimize the contact angle hysteresis of a wide range of liquids and aqueous food products. Although hydrophobic polymers are often used as the porous substrate for SLIPS, the choice of polymer has been limited to silicone-based or fluorine-based materials. Hydrocarbon-based polymers, such as polyethylene, are cost effective and widely used in food packaging applications where SLIPS would be highly desirable. However, to date there have been no reports on using polyethylene as a SLIPS substrate, as it is considered highly impermeable. Here, we show that thin films of low-density polyethylene can be stably impregnated with carbon-based oils without requiring any surface modification. Wicking tests reveal that oils with sufficient chemical compatibility follow Washburn's equation. The nanometric effective pore size of the polyethylene does result in a very low wicking speed, but by using micro-thin films and a drawdown coater, impregnation can still be completed in under one second. The oil-impregnated polyethylene films promoted ultra-slippery behavior for water, ketchup, and yogurt while remaining durable even after being submerged in ketchup for over one month. This work was supported by Bemis North America (AT-23981).

Polymerization of plant oils in carbon dioxide media

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The conversion of plant oils to polymers has attracted renewed attention in recent years to replace or augment the traditional petrochemical-based polymers and resins. This is because of concern for the environment, waste disposal, and depletion of fossil and non-renewable feedstocks. Usually, polym...

Study the effect of polymers on the stability and rheological properties of oil-in-water (O/W) Pickering emulsion muds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jha, Praveen Kumar; Mahto, Vikas; Saxena, Vinod Kumar

2018-05-01

A new type of oil-in-water (O/W) Pickering emulsion systems, which were prepared by polymers such as xanthan gum, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and sodium lignosulfonate have been investigated for their properties as multifunctional emulsion muds with respect to rheological control and filtration control properties. Diesel oil was used as dispersed phase and KCl-brine as continuous phase in the developed emulsions. Initially, rheological parameters like apparent viscosity, plastic viscosity, gel strength, and filtration control properties were measured using recommended practices. Emulsion stability was analyzed using steady state shear stress-shear rate and oscillatory (dynamic) rheological measurement techniques. The emulsions were found to exhibit shear-thinning (pseudoplastic) behavior. Experiments conducted for oscillatory rheological measurements have shown that emulsions are stable as per the stability criteria G' (elastic modulus) > G'' (loss modulus) and both are independent of changing ω (Frequency). These fluids have shown stable properties upto 70°C which shows that they can be used as drilling muds for drilling oil and gas wells.

Combating oil spill problem using plastic waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Saleem, Junaid, E-mail: junaidupm@gmail.com; Ning, Chao; Barford, John

Highlights: • Up-cycling one type of pollution i.e. plastic waste and successfully using it to combat the other type of pollution i.e. oil spill. • Synthesized oil sorbent that has extremely high oil uptake of 90 g/g after prolonged dripping of 1 h. • Synthesized porous oil sorbent film which not only facilitates in oil sorption but also increases the affinity between sorbent and oil by means of adhesion. - Abstract: Thermoplastic polymers (such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and high density polyethylene (HDPE)) constitute 5–15% of municipal solid waste produced across the world. A huge quantity of plasticmore » waste is disposed of each year and is mostly either discarded in landfills or incinerated. On the other hand, the usage of synthetic polymers as oil sorbents, in particular, polyolefins, including polypropylene (PP), and polyethylene (PE) are the most commonly used oil sorbent materials mainly due to their low cost. However, they possess relatively low oil absorption capacities. In this work, we provide an innovative way to produce a value-added product such as oil-sorbent film with high practical oil uptake values in terms of g/g from waste HDPE bottles for rapid oil spill remedy.« less

Impact of innovations on future energy supply - chemical enhanced oil recovery (CEOR).

PubMed

Bittner, Christian

2013-01-01

The International Energy Agency (IEA) expects an increase of global energy demand by one-third during next 20 years together with a change in the global energy mix. A key-influencing factor is a strong expected increase in oil and gas production in the United States driven by 'new' technologies such as hydraulic fracturing. Chemical enhanced oil recovery (CEOR) is another strong growing technology with the potential of a step change innovation, which will help to secure future oil supply by turning resources into reserves. While conventional production methods give access to on average only one-third of original oil in place, the use of surfactants and polymers allows for recovery of up to another third of this oil. In the case of polymer flooding with poly acrylamide, the number of full field implementations has increased in recent years. In the meantime new polymers have been developed to cover previously unmet needs - such polymers can be applied in fields of high salinity and high temperature. Use of surfactants is in an earlier stage, but pilot tests show promising results.

Safety Evaluation of Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) Compounds for Cosmetic Use

PubMed Central

Shin, Chan Young; Kim, Kyu-Bong

2015-01-01

Polyethylene glycols (PEGs) are products of condensed ethylene oxide and water that can have various derivatives and functions. Since many PEG types are hydrophilic, they are favorably used as penetration enhancers, especially in topical dermatological preparations. PEGs, together with their typically nonionic derivatives, are broadly utilized in cosmetic products as surfactants, emulsifiers, cleansing agents, humectants, and skin conditioners. The compounds studied in this review include PEG/PPG-17/6 copolymer, PEG-20 glyceryl triisostearate, PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil, and PEG-60 hydrogenated castor oil. Overall, much of the data available in this review are on PEGylated oils (PEG-40 and PEG-60 hydrogenated castor oils), which were recommended as safe for use in cosmetics up to 100% concentration. Currently, PEG-20 glyceryl triisostearate and PEGylated oils are considered safe for cosmetic use according to the results of relevant studies. Additionally, PEG/PPG-17/6 copolymer should be further studied to ensure its safety as a cosmetic ingredient. PMID:26191379

An experimental study on oil supply in a space bearing with an oil-impregnated retainer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Jianhai; Fan, Youwen; Wen, Shizhu

1993-06-01

Parched elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) film thickness in a space ball bearing is measured by electrical capacitance and resistance, and parched transients of oil film and lubricant breakdown are observed. With different oil-impregnated polymer retainers, which are employed as oil supply resources, parched degradation is restricted to some degree, even lubricant breakdown disappears and a steady state of the oil film is produced. A long-term space bail bearing demands both the lowest driving torque and a steady state oil film, which depends on a strictly controlled oil supply from oil-impregnated retainers. The results of this experimental research describe the effects of oil supply by amounts of oil in retainers on parched EHL.

Chemical enhanced oil recovery (EOR) activities in Indonesia: How it's future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdurrahman, Muslim

2017-05-01

Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) is a proven method for increasing oil production in many oil fields in the world. Huge oil remaining in the reservoir after primary and secondary recovery stage are the main reason for developing EOR methods. Approximately of 49.50 billion barrels oil as a candidate for EOR activities in Indonesia. This present study focuses on the chemical EOR activities involved surfactant and polymer. This research based on pertinent information from various resources such as journal papers, conference papers, and report from the government. Based on this information, this paper explain in detail the progress of each project and it shows the potential oil field employ chemical EOR in the near future. Generally, the EOR activities can be categorized into two phases such as preliminary study phase and field implementation phase. In the preliminary study, the activities simply involve experimental and/or simulation works. Following the preliminary is the field implementation phase which can be categorized into three phases such as field trial, pilot project, and full-scale. In fact, several activities have been conducted by Lemigas (government oil and gas research center), Institut Teknologi Bandung, Institut Pertanian Bogor. These activities focused on laboratory and simulation work. Those institutions have been developing the chemical formula collaborating with oil companies for applying the EOR method in their oil fields. Currently, status of chemical EOR activities include 5 oil fields under pilot project and 12 oil fields under field trial. There are 7 oil fields applying surfactant, 4 oil fields by alkaline-surfactant-polymer (ASP), 2 oil fields by polymer, 1 oil field by surfactant polymer (SP), and 1 oil field by caustic. According to this information, we will have insight knowledge about the EOR current activities, the main issues, future activities on chemical EOR in Indonesia. Moreover, this study can became the preliminary information for

Lipase activities in castor bean endosperm during germinaion. [Ricinus communis; glyoxysomes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Muto, S.; Beevers, H.

1974-01-01

Two lipases were found in extracts from castor bean (Ricinus communis L.) endosperm. One, with optimal activity at pH 5.0 (acid lipase), was present in dry seeds and displayed high activity during the first 2 days of germination. The second, with an alkaline pH optimum (alkaline lipase), was particularly active during days 3 to 5. When total homogenates of endosperm were fractionated into fat layer, supernatant, and particulate fractions, the acid lipase was recovered in the fat layer, and the alkaline lipase was located primarily in the particulate fraction. Sucrose density gradient centrifugation showed that the alkaline lipase was locatedmore » mainly in glyoxysomes, with some 30 percent of the activity in the endoplasmic reticulum. When glyoxysomes were broken by osmotic shock and exposed to KCl, which solubilizes most of the enzymes, the alkaline lipase remained particulate and was recovered with the glyoxysomal ''ghosts'' at equilibrium density 1.21 g/cm/sup 3/ on the sucrose gradient. Association of the lipase with the glyoxysomal membrane was supported by the responses to detergents and to butanol. The alkaline lipase hydrolyzed only monosubstituted glycerols. The roles of the two lipases in lipid utilization during germination of castor bean are discussed.« less

Development, Characterization, and Utilization of Food-Grade Polymer Oleogels.

PubMed

Davidovich-Pinhas, M; Barbut, Shai; Marangoni, A G

2016-01-01

The potential of organogels (oleogels) for oil structuring has been identified and investigated extensively using different gelator-oil systems in recent years. This review provides a comprehensive summary of all oil-structuring systems found in the literature, with an emphasis on ethyl-cellulose (EC), the only direct food-grade polymer oleogelator. EC is a semicrystalline material that undergoes a thermoreversible sol-gel transition in the presence of liquid oil. This unique behavior is based on the polymer's ability to associate through physical bonds. These interactions are strongly affected by external fields such as shear and temperature, as well as by solvent chemistry, which in turn strongly affect final gel properties. Recently, EC-based oleogels have been used as a replacement for fats in foods, as heat-resistance agents in chocolate, as oil-binding agents in bakery products, and as the basis for cosmetic pastes. Understanding the characteristics of the EC oleogel is essential for the development of new applications.

The influence of plasticizers on the release of theophylline from microporous-controlled tablets.

PubMed

Lin, W J; Lee, H K; Wang, D M

2004-10-19

The aim of present work was to investigate the influence of plasticizer on the release of theophylline from microporous-controlled tablets. Three plasticizers, acetyltributyl citrate (ATBC), castor oil, and triacetin, were included in this study. These plasticizers reduced the crystallinity of poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL)/poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-blended films, and the most prominent change of enthalpy of fusion was the film plasticized by triacetin. This might be due to triacetin penetrating into both PCL and PEG domains. However, the lipophilic property of castor oil only allowed it to alter the crystallization of hydrophobic PCL domain. The Young's modulus and the tensile strength of films showed a decreased tendency while increasing the amount of plasticizer. The change of elongation of plasticized blended films was irregular and was dependent of the type of plasticizer. The size of micropores formed in the presence of plasticizer was larger than those micropores formed in its absence. The fatty plasticizer, castor oil, altered the thermal and mechanical performance and pore size of films via soluble in PCL domain, which resulted in the release of theophylline from castor oil plasticized-coated tablets, which in turn enhanced and closed to a constant release pattern.

Antidiarrheal and antinociceptive activities of ethanol extract and its chloroform and pet ether fraction of Phrynium imbricatum (Roxb.) leaves in mice.

PubMed

Hossain, Mohammed Munawar; Kabir, Mohammad Shah Hafez; Dinar, Md Abu Monsur; Arman, Md Saiful Islam; Rahman, Md Mominur; Hosen, S M Zahid; Dash, Raju; Uddin, Mir Muhammad Nasir

2017-09-26

The objective of the study was to evaluate the antidiarrheal and antinociceptive activities of ethanol extract and its chloroform and pet ether fraction of Phrynium imbricatum (Roxb.) leaves in mice. In the present study, the dried leaves of P. imbricatum were subjected to extraction with ethanol, and then it was fractioned by chloroform and pet ether solvent. Antidiarrheal effects were tested by using castor oil-induced diarrhea, castor oil-induced enteropooling, and gastrointestinal transit test. Antinociceptive activity was evaluated by using the acetic acid-induced writhing test and formalin-induced paw licking test. The standard drug loperamide (5 mg/kg) showed significant (p<0.001) inhibitory activity against castor oil-induced diarrhea, in which all the examined treatments decreased the frequency of defecation and were found to possess an anti-castor oil-induced enteropooling effect in mice by reducing both weight and volume of intestinal content significantly, and reducing the propulsive movement in castor oil-induced gastrointestinal transit using charcoal meal in mice. The results showed that the ethanol extract of P. imbricatum leaves has significant dose-dependent antinociceptive activity, and among its two different fractions, the pet ether fraction significantly inhibited the abdominal writhing induced by acetic acid and the licking times in formalin test at both phases. These findings suggest that the plant may be a potential source for the development of a new antinociceptive drug and slightly suitable for diarrhea, as it exhibited lower activity. Our observations resemble previously published data on P. imbricatum leaves.

Self-healing polymer cement composites for geothermal wellbore applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rod, K. A.; Fernandez, C.; Childers, I.; Koech, P.; Um, W.; Roosendaal, T.; Nguyen, M.; Huerta, N. J.; Chun, J.; Glezakou, V. A.

2017-12-01

Cement is vital for controlling leaks from wellbores employed in oil, gas, and geothermal operations by sealing the annulus between the wellbore casing and geologic formation. Wellbore cement failure due to physical and chemical stresses is common and can result in significant environmental consequences and ultimately significant financial costs due to remediation efforts. To date numerous alternative cement blends have been proposed for the oil and gas industry. Most of these possess poor mechanical properties, or are not designed to work in high temperature environments. This research investigates novel polymer-cement composites which could function at most geothermal temperatures. Thermal stability and mechanical strength of the polymer is attributed to the formation of a number of chemical interactions between the polymer and cement matrix including covalent bonds, hydrogen bonding, and van der Waals interactions. It has been demonstrated that the bonding between cement and casing is more predictable when polymer is added to cement and can even improve healing of adhesion break when subjected to stresses such as thermal shock. Fractures have also been healed, effectively reducing permeability with fractures up to 0.3-0.5mm apertures, which is two orders of magnitude larger than typical wellbore fractures. Additionally, tomography analysis was used to determine internal structure of the cement polymer composite and imaging reveals that polymers fill fractures in the cement and between the cement and casing. By plugging fractures that occur in wellbore cement, reducing permeability of fractures, both environmental safety and economics of subsurface operations will be improved for geothermal energy and oil and gas production.

A carbon nanotube-infused polysulfone membrane with polyvinyl alcohol layer for treating oil-containing waste water

PubMed Central

Maphutha, Selby; Moothi, Kapil; Meyyappan, M.; Iyuke, Sunny E.

2013-01-01

A carbon nanotube (CNT) integrated polymer composite membrane with a polyvinyl alcohol barrier layer has been prepared to separate oil from water for treatment of oil-containing waste water. The CNTs were synthesised using chemical vapour deposition, and a phase inversion method was employed for the blending of the CNTs in the polymer composite solution for casting of the membrane. Relative to the baseline polymer, an increase of 119% in the tensile strength, 77% in the Young's modulus and 258% in the toughness is seen for a concentration of 7.5% CNTs in the polymer composite. The permeate through the membrane shows oil concentrations below the acceptable 10 mg/L limit with an excellent throughput and oil rejection of over 95%. PMID:23518875

Ring-opening Polymerization of Epoxidized Soybean Oil

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Ring opening polymerization of epoxidized soybean oil (ESO) initiated by boron trifluoride diethyl etherate, (BF3•OEt2), in methylene chloride was conducted in an effort to develop useful biodegradable polymers. The resulting polymers (PESO) were characterized using Infrared (IR), differential scan...

Intravenous tacrolimus and cyclosporine induced anaphylaxis: what is next?

PubMed Central

Kang, Sung-Yoon; Sohn, Kyoung-Hee; Lee, Jeong-Ok; Kim, Sae-Hoon; Cho, Sang-Heon

2015-01-01

Tacrolimus and cyclosporine have been used in various formulations, but their hypersensitivity reactions are rare in practice. Castor oil derivatives are nonionic surfactants used in aqueous preparations of hydrophobic active pharmaceutical ingredients. Castor oil derivatives that can be used as additives to tacrolimus and cyclosporine may play a role in the development of hypersensitivity reactions, especially anaphylaxis. Various immunologic and nonimmunologic mechanisms have been implicated in hypersensitivity reactions induced by castor oil derivatives. Physicians should be aware that not only the drug itself, but also its additives or metabolites could induce hypersensitivity reactions. We report a case of anaphylaxis caused by vitamin K (phytonadine), serotonin antagonist (granisetron), intravenous tacrolimus, and cyclosporine. Interestingly, the patient tolerated oral cyclosporine, which did not contain Cremophor EL or polysorbate 80. PMID:26240796

Oil-in-oil emulsions: a unique tool for the formation of polymer nanoparticles.

PubMed

Klapper, Markus; Nenov, Svetlin; Haschick, Robert; Müller, Kevin; Müllen, Klaus

2008-09-01

Polymer latex particles are nanofunctional materials with widespread applications including electronics, pharmaceuticals, photonics, cosmetics, and coatings. These materials are typically prepared using waterborne heterogeneous systems such as emulsion, miniemulsion, and suspension polymerization. However, all of these processes are limited to water-stable catalysts and monomers mainly polymerizable via radical polymerization. In this Account, we describe a method to overcome this limitation: nonaqueous emulsions can serve as a versatile tool for the synthesis of new types of polymer nanoparticles. To form these emulsions, we first needed to find two nonmiscible nonpolar/polar aprotic organic solvents. We used solvent mixtures of either DMF or acetonitrile in alkanes and carefully designed amphiphilic block and statistical copolymers, such as polyisoprene- b-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PI- b-PMMA), as additives to stabilize these emulsions. Unlike aqueous emulsions, these new emulsion systems allowed the use of water-sensitive monomers and catalysts. Although polyaddition and polycondensation reactions usually lead to a large number of side products and only to oligomers in the aqueous phase, these new conditions resulted in high-molecular-weight, defect-free polymers. Furthermore, conducting nanoparticles were produced by the iron(III)-induced synthesis of poly(ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) in an emulsion of acetonitrile in cyclohexane. Because metallocenes are sensitive to nitrile and carbonyl groups, the acetonitrile and DMF emulsions were not suitable for carrying out metallocene-catalyzed olefin polymerization. Instead, we developed a second system, which consists of alkanes dispersed in perfluoroalkanes. In this case, we designed a new amphipolar polymeric emulsifier with fluorous and aliphatic side chains to stabilize the emulsions. Such heterogeneous mixtures facilitated the catalytic polymerization of ethylene or propylene to give spherical nanoparticles

[Progress in bio-based polyamides].

PubMed

Huang, Zhengqiang; Cui, Zhe; Zhang, Heming; Fu, Peng; Zhao, Qingxiang; Liu, Minying

2016-06-25

Bio-based polyamides are environment-friendly polymers. The precursors of bio-based polyamides come from bio-based materials such as castor oil, glucose and animal oil. Bio-based polyamides precursors include bio-based amino acids, bio-based lactams, bio-based diprotic acid and bio-based diamines. In this paper, we discussed the route of the precursors of bio-based polyamides that come from bio-based materials. We discussed the properties of bio-based polyamides. Bio-based PA11and bio-based PA1010 are well-known bio-based polyamides; we discussed the origin materials of the precursors, the route of manufacturing bio-based PA11 and PA1010, and their modifications status. The variety, classification and commercial production of bio-based polyamides were described in details, as well as bio-based polyamides development in China.

Phosphatidylethanolamine Synthesis by Castor Bean Endosperm 1

PubMed Central

Shin, Sungho; Moore, Thomas S.

1990-01-01

A base exchange reaction for synthesis of phosphatidylethanolamine by the endoplasmic reticulum of castor bean (Ricinus comminus L. var Hale) endosperm has been examined. The calculated Michaelis-Menten constant of the enzyme for ethanolamine was 5 micromolar and the optimal pH was 7.8 in the presence of 2 millimolar CaCl2. l-Serine, N-methylethanolamine and N,N-dimethylethanolamine all reduced ethanolamine incorporation, while d-serine and myo-inositol had little effect. These inhibitions of ethanolamine incorporation were found to be noncompetitive and ethanolamine also noncompetitively inhibited l-serine incorporation by exchange. The activity of the ethanolamine base exchange enzyme was affected by several detergents, with the best activity being obtained with the zwitterionic defjtergent 3-3-cholamidopropyl) dimethylammonio-2-hydroxyl-1-propanesulfonate. PMID:16667427

Gene Structures, Evolution and Transcriptional Profiling of the WRKY Gene Family in Castor Bean (Ricinus communis L.).

PubMed

Zou, Zhi; Yang, Lifu; Wang, Danhua; Huang, Qixing; Mo, Yeyong; Xie, Guishui

2016-01-01

WRKY proteins comprise one of the largest transcription factor families in plants and form key regulators of many plant processes. This study presents the characterization of 58 WRKY genes from the castor bean (Ricinus communis L., Euphorbiaceae) genome. Compared with the automatic genome annotation, one more WRKY-encoding locus was identified and 20 out of the 57 predicted gene models were manually corrected. All RcWRKY genes were shown to contain at least one intron in their coding sequences. According to the structural features of the present WRKY domains, the identified RcWRKY genes were assigned to three previously defined groups (I-III). Although castor bean underwent no recent whole-genome duplication event like physic nut (Jatropha curcas L., Euphorbiaceae), comparative genomics analysis indicated that one gene loss, one intron loss and one recent proximal duplication occurred in the RcWRKY gene family. The expression of all 58 RcWRKY genes was supported by ESTs and/or RNA sequencing reads derived from roots, leaves, flowers, seeds and endosperms. Further global expression profiles with RNA sequencing data revealed diverse expression patterns among various tissues. Results obtained from this study not only provide valuable information for future functional analysis and utilization of the castor bean WRKY genes, but also provide a useful reference to investigate the gene family expansion and evolution in Euphorbiaceus plants.

Synthetic mimicking of plant oils and comparison with naturally grown products in polyurethane synthesis.

PubMed

Coles, Stuart R; Barker, Guy; Clark, Andrew J; Kirwan, Kerry; Jacobs, Daniel; Makenji, Kylash; Pink, David

2008-06-11

The use of plant oils as industrial feedstocks can often be hampered by their lack of optimization towards a particular process, as well as their development being risky; growing suitable volumes of crops to test can take up to five years. To circumvent this, we aimed to discover a method that would mimic plant oil profiles in the laboratory, and show that they exhibited similar properties to the naturally grown plant oils in a given process. Using the synthesis of polyurethanes as an example, we have synthesized six different polymers and demonstrated that plant oils will produce polymers with similar physical properties to those oils mimicked in the laboratory. The use of this mimicking process can be extended to other types of polymers to obtain a method for predicting the properties of a given material based on the plant oil composition of a crop before it is grown in bulk.

Process for removing polymer-forming impurities from naphtha fraction

DOEpatents

Kowalczyk, D.C.; Bricklemyer, B.A.; Svoboda, J.J.

1983-12-27

Polymer precursor materials are vaporized without polymerization or are removed from a raw naphtha fraction by passing the raw naphtha to a vaporization zone and vaporizing the naphtha in the presence of a wash oil while stripping with hot hydrogen to prevent polymer deposits in the equipment. 2 figs.

Process for removing polymer-forming impurities from naphtha fraction

DOEpatents

Kowalczyk, Dennis C.; Bricklemyer, Bruce A.; Svoboda, Joseph J.

1983-01-01

Polymer precursor materials are vaporized without polymerization or are removed from a raw naphtha fraction by passing the raw naphtha to a vaporization zone (24) and vaporizing the naphtha in the presence of a wash oil while stripping with hot hydrogen to prevent polymer deposits in the equipment.

Production of polyol oils from soybean oil through bioprocess

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Soy-polyol oils (oxygenated acylglycerols) are important starting materials for the manufacture of polymers such as polyurethane. Currently, they are produced by a two-step chemical process involving epoxidation and then the subsequent opening of the oxirane ring. The objective of this study is to d...

Enzymatically Crosslinked Emulsion Gels Using Star-Polymer Stabilizers.

PubMed

Ma, Kai; An, Zesheng

2016-10-01

A novel type of emulsion gel based on star-polymer-stabilized emulsions is highlighted, which contains discrete hydrophobic oil and hydrophilic aqueous solution domains. Well-defined phenol-functionalized core-crosslinked star polymers are synthesized via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT)-mediated dispersion polymerization and are used as stabilizers for oil-in-water emulsions. Horseradish-peroxidase-catalyzed polymerization of the phenol moieties in the presence of H 2 O 2 enables rapid formation of crosslinked emulsion gels under mild conditions. The crosslinked emulsion gels exhibit enhanced mechanical strength, as well as widely tunable composition. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Investigation of tribological properties of biobased polymers and polymeric composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhuyan, Satyam Kumar

Worldwide potential demands for replacing petroleum derived raw materials with renewable plant-based ones in the production of valuable polymeric materials and composites are quite significant from the social and environmental standpoints. Therefore, using low-cost renewable resources has deeply drawn the attention of many researchers. Among them, natural oils are expected to be ideal alternative feedstock since oils, derived from plant and animal sources, are found in profusion in the world. The important feature of these types of materials is that they can be designed and tailored to meet different requirements. The real challenge lies in finding applications which would use sufficiently large quantities of these materials allowing biodegradable polymers to compete economically in the market. Lack of material and tribological characterizations have created an awareness to fulfill this essential objective. In order to understand the viability of biobased polymers in structural applications, this thesis work elucidates the study of friction and wear characteristics of polymers and polymeric composites made out of natural oil available profusely in plants and animals. The natural oils used in this study were soybean and tung oil. Various monomeric components like styrene, divinely benzene etc. were used in the synthesis of biobased polymers through Rh-catalyzed isomerization techniques. For the different polymeric composites, spent germ, a byproduct of ethanol production, is used as the filler and an organoclay called montmorillonite is used as the reinforcing agent in the polymer matrix. The effect of crosslinker concentration, filler composition and reinforcement agent concentration was studied under dry sliding. A ball-on-flat tribometer with a probe made out of steel, silicon nitride or diamond was used for most of the experimental work to measure friction and generate wear. The wear tracks were quantified with an atomic force microscope and a contact

Epoxy thermoset networks derived from vegetable oils and their blends

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryu, Chang; Ravalli, Matthew

2015-03-01

Epoxidized vegetable oils (EVOs), such as epoxidized soybean oil and linseed oils were prepared by the partial oxidation of the unsaturated double bonds in vegetable oils and used as monomers for preparing epoxy thermoset materials based on the cationic polymerization. These EVOs have been used to prepare epoxy thermosets of different network densities by cationic polymerization using onium salt catalyst. The crosslinked epoxy thermosets provide an ideal platform to study the structure-property-relationships of networked polymers. In particular, rheological studies on the epoxidized vegetable oil thermosets have been performed to measure the molecular weights between crosslinks (Mx) in the epoxy thermosets and to ultimately elucidate the role of functionality of epoxy groups in EVO on the mechanical and thermophysical properties of the epoxy thermoset materials. NSF DMR POLYMERS 1308617.

ANALYSIS OF RICIN TOXIN PREPARATIONS FOR CARBOHYDRATE AND FATTY ACID ABUNDANCE AND ISOTOPE RATIO INFORMATION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wunschel, David S.; Kreuzer-Martin, Helen W.; Antolick, Kathryn C.

2009-12-01

This report describes method development and preliminary evaluation for analyzing castor samples for signatures of purifying ricin. Ricin purification from the source castor seeds is essentially a problem of protein purification using common biochemical methods. Indications of protein purification will likely manifest themselves as removal of the non-protein fractions of the seed. Two major, non-protein, types of biochemical constituents in the seed are the castor oil and various carbohydrates. The oil comprises roughly half the seed weight while the carbohydrate component comprises roughly half of the remaining “mash” left after oil and hull removal. Different castor oil and carbohydrate componentsmore » can serve as indicators of specific toxin processing steps. Ricinoleic acid is a relatively unique fatty acid in nature and is the most abundant component of castor oil. The loss of ricinoleic acid indicates a step to remove oil from the seeds. The relative amounts of carbohydrates and carbohydrate-like compounds, including arabinose, xylose, myo-inositol fucose, rhamnose, glucosamine and mannose detected in the sample can also indicate specific processing steps. For instance, the differential loss of arabinose relative to mannose and N-acetyl glucosamine indicates enrichment for the protein fraction of the seed using protein precipitation. The methods developed in this project center on fatty acid and carbohydrate extraction from castor samples followed by derivatization to permit analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Method descriptions herein include: the source and preparation of castor materials used for method evaluation, the equipment and description of procedure required for chemical derivatization, and the instrument parameters used in the analysis. Two types of derivatization methods describe analysis of carbohydrates and one procedure for analysis of fatty acids. Two types of GC-MS analysis is included in the method development

PH Sensitive Polymers for Improving Reservoir Sweep and Conformance Control in Chemical Flooring

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mukul Sharma; Steven Bryant; Chun Huh

There is an increasing opportunity to recover bypassed oil from depleted, mature oilfields in the US. The recovery factor in many reservoirs is low due to inefficient displacement of the oil by injected fluids (typically water). The use of chemical flooding methods to increase recovery efficiencies is severely constrained by the inability of the injected chemicals to contact the bypassed oil. Low sweep efficiencies are the primary cause of low oil recoveries observed in the field in chemical flooding operations even when lab studies indicate high oil recovery efficiency. Any technology that increases the ability of chemical flooding agents tomore » better contact the remaining oil and reduce the amount of water produced in conjunction with the produced oil will have a significant impact on the cost of producing oil domestically in the US. This translates directly into additional economically recoverable reserves, which extends the economic lives of marginal and mature wells. The objective of this research project was to develop a low-cost, pH-triggered polymer for use in IOR processes to improve reservoir sweep efficiency and reservoir conformance in chemical flooding. Rheological measurements made on the polymer solution, clearly show that it has a low viscosity at low pH and exhibits a sudden increase in viscosity (by 2 orders of magnitude or more) at a pH of 3.5 to 4. This implies that the polymer would preferentially flow into zones containing water since the effective permeability to water is highest in these zones. As the pH of the zone increases due to the buffering capacity of the reservoir rock, the polymer solution undergoes a liquid to gel transition causing a sharp increase in the viscosity of the polymer solution in these zones. This allows operationally robust, in-depth conformance treatment of such water bearing zones and better mobility control. The rheological properties of HPAM solutions were measured. These include: steady-shear viscosity and

Low Cost Polymer heat Exchangers for Condensing Boilers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Butcher, Thomas; Trojanowski, Rebecca; Wei, George

2015-09-30

Work in this project sought to develop a suitable design for a low cost, corrosion resistant heat exchanger as part of a high efficiency condensing boiler. Based upon the design parameters and cost analysis several geometries and material options were explored. The project also quantified and demonstrated the durability of the selected polymer/filler composite under expected operating conditions. The core material idea included a polymer matrix with fillers for thermal conductivity improvement. While the work focused on conventional heating oil, this concept could also be applicable to natural gas, low sulfur heating oil, and biodiesel- although these are considered tomore » be less challenging environments. An extruded polymer composite heat exchanger was designed, built, and tested during this project, demonstrating technical feasibility of this corrosion-resistant material approach. In such flue gas-to-air heat exchangers, the controlling resistance to heat transfer is in the gas-side convective layer and not in the tube material. For this reason, the lower thermal conductivity polymer composite heat exchanger can achieve overall heat transfer performance comparable to a metal heat exchanger. However, with the polymer composite, the surface temperature on the gas side will be higher, leading to a lower water vapor condensation rate.« less

Essential oils: from extraction to encapsulation.

PubMed

El Asbahani, A; Miladi, K; Badri, W; Sala, M; Aït Addi, E H; Casabianca, H; El Mousadik, A; Hartmann, D; Jilale, A; Renaud, F N R; Elaissari, A

2015-04-10

Essential oils are natural products which have many interesting applications. Extraction of essential oils from plants is performed by classical and innovative methods. Numerous encapsulation processes have been developed and reported in the literature in order to encapsulate biomolecules, active molecules, nanocrystals, oils and also essential oils for various applications such as in vitro diagnosis, therapy, cosmetic, textile, food etc. Essential oils encapsulation led to numerous new formulations with new applications. This insures the protection of the fragile oil and controlled release. The most commonly prepared carriers are polymer particles, liposomes and solid lipid nanoparticles. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of sublethal effects of polymer-based essential oils nanoformulation on the german cockroach.

PubMed

González, Jorge Werdin; Yeguerman, Cristhian; Marcovecchio, Diego; Delrieux, Claudio; Ferrero, Adriana; Band, Beatriz Fernández

2016-08-01

The German cockroach, Blattella germanica (L.), is a serious household and public health pest worldwide. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the sublethal activity of polymer-based essential oils (EOs) nanoparticles (NPs) on adults of B. germanica. The LC50 and LC25 for contact toxicity were determined. To evaluate the repellency of EOs and NPs at LC25, a software was specially created in order to track multiple insects on just-recorded videos, and generate statistics using the obtained information. The effects of EOs and NPs at LC25 and LC50 on the nutritional physiology were also evaluated. The results showed that NPs exerted sublethal effects on the German cockroach, since these products enhance the repellent effects of the EOs and negatively affected the nutritional indices and the feeding deterrence index. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Real time monitoring of the minute dynamic variation at the crude oil-water interface.

PubMed

Duan, Ming; Ding, Ziling; Wang, Hu; Xiong, Yan

2018-02-21

Quantitative recording of the minute dynamic variation at an oil-water interface is always a great challenge. Dual polarization interferometry (DPI) presents an approach in monitoring the variations of mass, thickness, and density at the interface with high resolution. In this study, a planar crude oil-water interface was established by spin-coating on a DPI chip surface. Different concentrations of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) and polyacrylamide (PAM) were injected into the interface. The absorption of free SDS molecules, in low concentrations, can be interpreted as a two-step absorption. With the existence of micelles in higher concentrations, the crude oil molecules tend to be taken away by the micelles. The absorptions of the polymers at the interface are different from SDS. The crude oil can hardly be taken away by the polymers. Instead, the hydrophobic segments of polymers insert into the oil film and hydrophilic groups stretch into the solution.

Study on the effect of polymeric rheology modifier on the rheological properties of oil-based drilling fluids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, C.; Li, L.; Yang, Y. P.; Hao, W. W.; Zhang, Q.; Lv, J.

2018-01-01

A new type of polymeric rheology modifier was synthesized by suspension polymerization, and the effect of rheology modifier on the rheological properties of oil-based drilling fluids was investigated. The results indicated that the obtained polymer had good capacity of improvement of shearing force of oil-based drilling fluids under high temperature and high pressure conditions. Moreover, the obtained polymer can improve the stability of oil-based drilling fluids greatly. As a result, the obtained polymer is a good rheology modifier for oil-based drilling fluids, and it can optimize oil-based drilling fluid system with good rheological properties, good static suspension ability for cuttings and environmental protection function. It can play an essential role in safe drilling jobs and improvement of drilling efficiency.

Biomass Biorefinery for the production of Polymers and Fuels

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dr. Oliver P. Peoples

The conversion of biomass crops to fuel is receiving considerable attention as a means to reduce our dependence on foreign oil imports and to meet future energy needs. Besides their use for fuel, biomass crops are an attractive vehicle for producing value added products such as biopolymers. Metabolix, Inc. of Cambridge proposes to develop methods for producing biodegradable polymers polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) in green tissue plants as well as utilizating residual plant biomass after polymer extraction for fuel generation to offset the energy required for polymer extraction. The primary plant target is switchgrass, and backup targets are alfalfa and tobacco. Themore » combined polymer and fuel production from the transgenic biomass crops establishes a biorefinery that has the potential to reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign oil imports for both the feedstocks and energy needed for plastic production. Concerns about the widespread use of transgenic crops and the grower’s ability to prevent the contamination of the surrounding environment with foreign genes will be addressed by incorporating and expanding on some of the latest plant biotechnology developed by the project partners of this proposal. This proposal also addresses extraction of PHAs from biomass, modification of PHAs so that they have suitable properties for large volume polymer applications, processing of the PHAs using conversion processes now practiced at large scale (e.g., to film, fiber, and molded parts), conversion of PHA polymers to chemical building blocks, and demonstration of the usefulness of PHAs in large volume applications. The biodegradability of PHAs can also help to reduce solid waste in our landfills. If successful, this program will reduce U.S. dependence on imported oil, as well as contribute jobs and revenue to the agricultural economy and reduce the overall emissions of carbon to the atmosphere.« less

Calculation of equivalent friction coefficient for castor seed by single screw press

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, R.; Xiao, Z.; Li, C.; Zhang, L.; Li, P.; Li, H.; Zhang, A.; Tang, S.; Sun, F.

2017-08-01

Based on the traction angle and transportation rate equation, castor beans were pressed by application of single screw under different cake diameter and different screw speed. The results showed that the greater the cake diameter and screw rotation speed, the greater the actual transmission rate was. The equivalent friction coefficient was defined and calculated as 0.4136, and the friction coefficients between press material and screw, bar cage were less than the equivalent friction coefficient value.

Adaptable bioinspired special wetting surface for multifunctional oil/water separation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kavalenka, Maryna N.; Vüllers, Felix; Kumberg, Jana; Zeiger, Claudia; Trouillet, Vanessa; Stein, Sebastian; Ava, Tanzila T.; Li, Chunyan; Worgull, Matthias; Hölscher, Hendrik

2017-01-01

Inspired by the multifunctionality of biological surfaces necessary for the survival of an organism in its specific environment, we developed an artificial special wetting nanofur surface which can be adapted to perform different functionalities necessary to efficiently separate oil and water for cleaning accidental oil spills or separating industrial oily wastewater. Initial superhydrophobic nanofur surface is fabricated using a hot pulling method, in which nano- and microhairs are drawn out of the polymer surface during separation from a heated sandblasted steel plate. By using a set of simple modification techniques, which include microperforation, plasma treatment and subsequent control of storage environment, we achieved selective separation of either water or oil, variable oil absorption and continuous gravity driven separation of oil/water mixtures by filtration. Furthermore, these functions can be performed using special wetting nanofur made from various thermoplastics, including biodegradable and recyclable polymers. Additionally, nanofur can be reused after washing it with organic solvents, thus, further helping to reduce the environmental impacts of oil/water separation processes.

Viscoelastic effects on residual oil distribution in flows through pillared microchannels.

PubMed

De, S; Krishnan, P; van der Schaaf, J; Kuipers, J A M; Peters, E A J F; Padding, J T

2018-01-15

Multiphase flow through porous media is important in a number of industrial, natural and biological processes. One application is enhanced oil recovery (EOR), where a resident oil phase is displaced by a Newtonian or polymeric fluid. In EOR, the two-phase immiscible displacement through heterogonous porous media is usually governed by competing viscous and capillary forces, expressed through a Capillary number Ca, and viscosity ratio of the displacing and displaced fluid. However, when viscoelastic displacement fluids are used, elastic forces in the displacement fluid also become significant. It is hypothesized that elastic instabilities are responsible for enhanced oil recovery through an elastic microsweep mechanism. In this work, we use a simplified geometry in the form of a pillared microchannel. We analyze the trapped residual oil size distribution after displacement by a Newtonian fluid, a nearly inelastic shear thinning fluid, and viscoelastic polymers and surfactant solutions. We find that viscoelastic polymers and surfactant solutions can displace more oil compared to Newtonian fluids and nearly inelastic shear thinning polymers at similar Ca numbers. Beyond a critical Ca number, the size of residual oil blobs decreases significantly for viscoelastic fluids. This critical Ca number directly corresponds to flow rates where elastic instabilities occur in single phase flow, suggesting a close link between enhancement of oil recovery and appearance of elastic instabilities. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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

PubMed

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.

Polymer as Permeability Modifier in Porous Media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parsa, S.; Weitz, D.

2017-12-01

Polymer flow through porous media is of particular interest in applications such as enhanced oil recovery and ground water remediation. We measure the effects of polymer flow on the permeability and local velocity distribution of a single phase flow in 3D micromodel of porous media using confocal microscopy and bulk permeability measurement. Our measurements show considerable reduction in permeability and increased velocity fluctuations with fluid velocities being diverted in some pores after polymer flow. We also find that the average velocity in the medium at constant imposed flow rate scales with the inverse square root of permeability.

Analysis of active ricin and castor bean proteins in a ricin preparation, castor bean extract, and surface swabs from a public health investigation.

PubMed

Schieltz, David M; McGrath, Sara C; McWilliams, Lisa G; Rees, Jon; Bowen, Michael D; Kools, John J; Dauphin, Leslie A; Gomez-Saladin, Eduardo; Newton, Bruce N; Stang, Heather L; Vick, Michael J; Thomas, Jerry; Pirkle, James L; Barr, John R

2011-06-15

In late February 2008, law enforcement officials in Las Vegas, Nevada, discovered in a hotel room, a copy of The Anarchist Cookbook, suspected castor beans and a "white powder" thought to be a preparation of ricin. Ricin is a deadly toxin from the seed of the castor bean plant (Ricinus communis). The United States regulates the possession, use, and transfer of ricin and it is the only substance considered a warfare agent in both the Chemical and the Biological Weapons Conventions. Six samples obtained from the hotel room were analyzed by laboratories at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention using a panel of biological and mass spectrometric assays. The biological assays (real time-PCR, time resolved fluorescence and cytotoxicity) provided presumptive evidence of active ricin in each of the samples. This initial screen was followed by an in-depth analysis using a novel, state-of-the-art mass spectrometry-based ricin functional assay and high sensitivity tandem mass spectrometry for protein identification. Mass spectrometric analysis positively identified ricin and confirmed that in each of the samples it was enzymatically active. The tandem mass spectrometry analysis used here is the most selective method available to detect ricin toxin. In each sample, ricin was unequivocally identified along with other R. communis plant proteins, including the highly homologous protein RCA120. Although database searches using tandem mass spectra acquired from the samples indicated that additional controlled substances were not present in these samples, the mass spectrometric results did provide extensive detail about the sample contents. To the best of our knowledge following a review of the available literature, this report describes the most detailed analysis of a white powder for a public health or forensic investigation involving ricin. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Evaluation of the cadmium and lead phytoextraction by castor bean (Ricinus communis L.) in hydroponics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niu, Z. X.; Sun, L. N.

2017-06-01

Phytoextraction has been considered as an innovative method to remove toxic metals from soil; higher biomass plants such as castor bean (Ricinus communis L.) have already been considered as a hyperaccumulating candidate. In the present study, castor bean was used to accumulate the cadmium and lead in hydroponic culture, and the root exudates and biomass changes were analyzed. Results demonstrated that ratios of aerial biomass/ root biomass (AW/RW) in treatments declined with concentrations of Cd or Pb. Optical density (OD) at 190 nm and 280 nm of root exudates observed in Cd and Pb treatments were lower than the control. In single Cd or Pb treatments, bioconcentration factors (BCF) of Cd or Pb increased with time and decreased with concentrations, the highest BCFs appeared in Cd5 (14.36) and Pb50 (6.48), respectively. Cd-BCF or Pb-BCF showed positive correlations with AW/RW ratios and OD values, and they were negative correlated with Cd and Pb concentration. Results in this study may supply useful information for phytoremediation of soil contaminated with cadmium and lead in situ.

Detection of intact ricin in crude and purified extracts from castor beans using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Brinkworth, Craig S; Pigott, Eloise J; Bourne, David J

2009-02-15

Ricin is a highly toxic protein from the seeds of the castor bean plant. Crude extracts from castor beans are toxic by several routes, and there is international concern about the use of these extracts by terrorist organizations. Lethality in aerosolized form has spurred the development of methods for the rapid detection of this protein from air samples that is critical in determining the illicit use of this material. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) mass measurement with an automated laser firing sequence was used to detect intact ricin from solutions containing less than 4 microg/mL of ricin in the presence of other endogenous seed proteins. This sensitivity was attained with the addition of 0.01% Tween 80 to the extracts that greatly enhanced the ricin signal. Importantly, this treatment substantially reduces the interference from the castor bean seed storage proteins. Commonly the ricin signal can be completely obscured by the oligomers of seed storage proteins, and this treatment reveals the ricin molecular ion, allowing the analyst to make a judgment as to the ricin content of the extract. This method provides for sensitive and rapid identification of intact ricin from aqueous samples with little sample preparation and is amenable to automatic acquisition.

Topological and thermal properties of polypropylene composites based on oil palm biomass

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bhat, A. H., E-mail: aamir.bhat@petronas.com.my, E-mail: anie-yal88@yahoo.com; Dasan, Y. K., E-mail: aamir.bhat@petronas.com.my, E-mail: anie-yal88@yahoo.com

Roughness on pristine and polymer composite surfaces is of enormous practical importance for polymer applications. This study deals with the use of varying quantity of oil palm ash as a nanofiller in a polypropylene based matrix. The oil palm ash sample was preprocessed to break the particles into small diameter by using ultra sonication before using microfluidizer for further deduction in size and homogenization. The oil palm ash was made to undergo many passes through the microfluidizer for fine distribution of particles. Polypropylene based composites containing different loading percentage oil palm ash was granulated by twin screw extruder and thenmore » injection molded. The surface morphology of the OPA passed through microfluidizer was analyzed by Tapping Mode - Atomic Force Microscopy (TMAFM). Thermal analysis results showed an increase in the activation energy values. The thermal stability of the composite samples showed improvement as compared to the virgin polymer as corroborated by the on-set degradation temperatures and the temperatures at which 50% degradation occurred.« less

Evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of three irrigating solutions in teeth with pulpal necrosis.

PubMed

Ferreira, C M; Bonifácio, K C; Fröner, I C; Ito, I Y

1999-01-01

The antimicrobial activity of 0.4% papaine gel (FCF-USP), an antibacterial product derived from 3.3% castor oil (IQSC-USP), and 0.5% sodium hypochlorite (FORP-USP) was evaluated in teeth with radiographically visible pulpal necrosis and periapical lesion in vivo. After cavity access, under aseptic conditions, a first harvesting was performed. The 3 irrigating solutions were used for biomechanical preparation. After 72 hours, a second harvesting was performed, also under aseptic conditions. The number of colony forming units (cfu) was counted with a stereomicroscope under reflected light. Castor oil and 0.5% sodium hypochlorite presented similar antimicrobial activities for the reduction of the anaerobe number, S. mutans and streptococci; however, the papaine gel showed lower activity. We conclude that both castor oil and sodium hypochlorite are effective as antimicrobial agents and can be used in the treatment of root canals with pulpal necrosis.

Production of polyhydroxyalkanoates from spent coffee grounds oil obtained by supercritical fluid extraction technology.

PubMed

Cruz, Madalena V; Paiva, Alexandre; Lisboa, Pedro; Freitas, Filomena; Alves, Vítor D; Simões, Pedro; Barreiros, Susana; Reis, Maria A M

2014-04-01

Spent coffee grounds (SCG) oil was obtained by supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) extraction in a pilot plant apparatus, with an oil extraction yield of 90% at a 35kgkg(-1) CO2/SCG ratio. Cupriavidus necator DSM 428 was cultivated in 2L bioreactor using extracted SCG oil as sole carbon source for production of polyhydroxyalkanoates. The culture reached a cell dry weight of 16.7gL(-1) with a polymer content of 78.4% (w/w). The volumetric polymer productivity and oil yield were 4.7gL(-1)day(-1) and 0.77gg(-1), respectively. The polymer produced was a homopolymer of 3-hydroxybutyrate with an average molecular weight of 2.34×10(5) and a polydispersity index of 1.2. The polymer exhibited brittle behaviour, with very low elongation at break (1.3%), tensile strength at break of 16MPa and Young's Modulus of 1.0GPa. Results show that SCG can be a bioresource for polyhydroxyalkanoates production with interesting properties. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemistry and physical properties of estolides

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Estolides are a developing class of natural and synthetic compounds that have been synthesized from hydroxy oils, like castor and lesquerella, or by the condensation of fatty acids across the olefin of a second fatty acid. Castor and lesquerella estolides are derived from either their triglycerides...

Biotechnology for improved hHydroxy fatty acid production in oilseed lesquerella

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The conventional source of hydroxy fatty acid (HFA) is from castor (Ricinus communis), 90% of castor oil is ricinoleic acid (18:1OH). Ricinoleic acid and its derivatives are used as raw materials for numerous industrial products, such as lubricants, plasticizers and surfactants. The production of ca...

The role of viscosity estimation for oil-in-gelatin phantom in shear wave based ultrasound elastography.

PubMed

Zhu, Ying; Dong, Changfeng; Yin, Yin; Chen, Xin; Guo, Yanrong; Zheng, Yi; Shen, Yuanyuan; Wang, Tianfu; Zhang, Xinyu; Chen, Siping

2015-02-01

Shear wave based ultrasound elastography utilizes mechanical excitation or acoustic radiation force to induce shear waves in deep tissue. The tissue response is monitored to obtain elasticity information about the tissue. During the past two decades, tissue elasticity has been extensively studied and has been used in clinical disease diagnosis. However, biological soft tissues are viscoelastic in nature. Therefore, they should be simultaneously characterized in terms of elasticity and viscosity. In this study, two shear wave-based elasticity imaging methods, shear wave dispersion ultrasound vibrometry (SDUV) and acoustic radiation force impulsive (ARFI) imaging, were compared. The discrepancy between the measurements obtained by the two methods was analyzed, and the role of viscosity was investigated. To this end, four types of gelatin phantoms containing 0%, 20%, 30% and 40% castor oil were fabricated to mimic different viscosities of soft tissue. For the SDUV method, the shear elasticity μ1 was 3.90 ± 0.27 kPa, 4.49 ± 0.16 kPa, 2.41 ± 0.33 kPa and 1.31 ± 0.09 kPa; and the shear viscosity μ2 was 1.82 ± 0.31 Pa•s, 2.41 ± 0.35 Pa•s, 2.65 ± 0.13 Pa•s and 2.89 ± 0.14 Pa•s for 0%, 20%, 30% and 40% oil, respectively in both cases. For the ARFI measurements, the shear elasticity μ was 7.30 ± 0.20 kPa, 8.20 ± 0.31 kPa, 7.42 ± 0.21 kPa and 5.90 ± 0.36 kPa for 0%, 20%, 30% and 40% oil, respectively. The SDUV results demonstrated that the elasticity first increased from 0% to 20% oil and then decreased for the 30% and 40% oil. The viscosity decreased consistently as the concentration of castor oil increased from 0% to 40%. The elasticity measured by ARFI showed the same trend as that of the SDUV but exceeded the results measured by SDUV. To clearly validate the impact of viscosity on the elasticity estimation, an independent measurement of the elasticity and viscosity by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) was conducted on these four types of gelatin

Performance of dithiocarbamate-type flocculant in treating simulated polymer flooding produced water.

PubMed

Gao, Baoyu; Jia, Yuyan; Zhang, Yongqiang; Li, Qian; Yue, Qinyan

2011-01-01

Produced water from polymer flooding is difficult to treat due to its high polymer concentration, high viscosity, and emulsified characteristics. The dithiocarbamate flocculant, DTC (T403), was prepared by the amine-terminated polyoxypropane-ether compound known as Jeffamine-T403. The product was characterized by IR spectra and elemental analysis. The DTC agent chelating with Fe2+ produced a network polymer matrix, which captured and removed oil droplets efficiently. Oil removal by the flocculent on simulated produced water with 0, 200, 500, 900 mg/L of partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM) was investigated for aspects of effectiveness of DTC (T403) dosage and concentrations of HPAM and Fe2+ ions in the wastewater. Results showed that HPAM had a negative influence on oil removal efficiency when DTC (T403) dosage was lower than 20 mg/L. However, residual oil concentrations in tested samples with different concentrations of HPAM all decreased below 10 mg/L when DTC (T403) dosage reached 30 mg/L. The concentration of Fe2+ in the initial wastewater had a slight effect on oil removal at the range of 2-12 mg/L. Results showed that Fe3+ could not be used in place of Fe2+ as Fe3+ could not react with DTC under flocculated conditions. The effects of mineral salts ions were also investigated.

Study of the Thermal Polymerization of Linseed and Passion Fruit Oils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lopes, R. V. V.; Loureiro, N. P. D.; Fonseca, P. S.; Macedo, J. L.; Santos, M. L.; Sales, M. J.

2008-08-01

Researches involving ecofriendliness materials are growing up, as well as, a current interest in developing materials from inexpensive and renewable resources. Vegetable oils show a number of excellent properties, which could be utilized to produce valuable polymeric materials. In this work is described the synthesis of polymeric materials from linseed oil (Linum usitatissimum L.) and passion fruit oil (Passiflora edulis) and their characterization by thermogravimetry (TG), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Raman spectroscopy. The TG curve shows that those polymeric materials present two stages of decomposition. DSC plots of the vegetable oils showed some endothermic and exothermic transitions which are not present in the DSC curves corresponding to oil-based polymers. The Raman spectra of the polymers indicate declining of absorbance in the region of C = C stretching (˜1600 cm-1). This absorption was used to estimate the degree of polymerization (79% and 67.5% for linseed and passion fruit oils, respectively)

Phosphatidylcholine Synthesis in Castor Bean Endosperm 1

PubMed Central

Kinney, Anthony J.; Moore, Thomas S.

1987-01-01

Endosperm halves from 3-day-old castor bean (Ricinus communis var Hale) were incubated for 30 minutes with l-[14C]serine, after which label was observed in ethanolamine, choline, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, ethanolaminephosphate, and CDPethanolamine, but not in cholinephosphate or CDPcholine. Only later did significant amounts of isotope become incorporated into cholinephosphate and CDPcholine. The choline kinase inhibitor hemicholinium-3 prevented the incorporation of label from serine into cholinephosphate and CDPcholine, reduced the incorporation of [14C]choline into phosphatidylcholine by 65%, but inhibited the incorporation of label into phosphatidylcholine from serine by only 15%. The inhibitor did not prevent the incorporation of labeled methyl groups from S-adenosyl-l-methionine into phosphatidyldimethylethanolamine plus phosphatidylcholine. The amount of incorporation of label from the methyl donor was only 8% of that from choline into phosphatidylcholine. The implications of these results for the pathway and regulation of phosphatidylcholine synthesis from the water-soluble precursors are discussed. PMID:16665410

Use of oil-in-water emulsions to control fungal deterioration of strawberry jams.

PubMed

Ribes, Susana; Fuentes, Ana; Talens, Pau; Barat, José M

2016-11-15

This work aimed to control the fungal deterioration of strawberry jams. The antifungal activity of the clove, cinnamon leaf, lemon and mandarin essential oils and their effectiveness in oil-in-water emulsions were evaluated. According to the results obtained, only clove and cinnamon leaf oils were selected to prepare emulsions. All the tested emulsions were stable, independently the amount of polymer and essential oil used. Essential oil loss was affected by the amount of polymer employed to prepare the emulsions. The oil-in-water emulsions with 5.0mg/g xanthan gum, and with 0.55mg/g clove or 0.65mg/g cinnamon leaf essential oil, were used for the in vivo tests. The jams prepared with the oil-in-water emulsions showed a lower fungal decay compared with jams without emulsion. The present work demonstrated that emulsions can be employed to prevent strawberry jam mould spoilage. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Preparation of biopolymers from plant oils in green media

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The conversion of plant oils to polymers has attracted renewed attention in recent years to replace or augment the traditional petro-chemical based polymers and resins. This is because of concern for the environment, waste disposal, and depletion of fossil and non-renewable feedstocks. In this study...

Preparation of biopolymers from plant oils in green media

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Use of plant oils as starting materials to prepare polymers has attracted renewed attention in recent years to replace or augment the traditional petrochemical based polymers and resins. This is because of concern for the environment, waste disposal, and depletion of fossil and non renewable feedsto...

Synthesis of molecularly imprinted polymers by atom transfer radical polymerization for the solid-phase extraction of phthalate esters in edible oil.

PubMed

Chen, Ningning; He, Juan; Wu, Chaojun; Li, Yuanyuan; Suo, An; Wei, Hongliang; He, Lijun; Zhang, Shusheng

2017-03-01

Novel molecularly imprinted polymers of phthalate esters were prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization using methyl methacrylate as functional monomer, cyclohexanone as solvent, cuprous chloride as catalyst, 1-chlorine-1-ethyl benzene as initiator and 2,2-bipyridyl as cross-linker in the mixture of methanol and water (1:1, v/v). The effect of reaction conditions such as monomer ratio and template on the adsorption properties was investigated. The optimum condition was obtained by an orthogonal experiment. The obtained polymers were characterized using scanning electron microscopy. The binding property was studied with both static and dynamic methods. Results showed that the polymers exhibited excellent recognition capacity and outstanding selectivity for ten phthalate esters. Factors affecting the extraction efficiency of the molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction were systematically investigated. An analytical method based on the molecularly imprinted coupled with gas chromatography and flame ionization detection was successfully developed for the simultaneous determination of ten phthalate esters from edible oil. The method detection limits were 0.10-0.25 μg/mL, and the recoveries of spiked samples were 82.5-101.4% with relative standard deviations of 1.24-5.37% (n = 6). © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Oil-soluble hairy nanoparticles as lubricant additives

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhao, Bin

Oil-soluble polymer brush-grafted nanoparticles (hairy NPs) were synthesized by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization of lauryl methacrylate from initiator-functionalized silica nanoparticles and used as an additive for polyalphaolefin (PAO) for friction and wear reduction. Addition of 1 wt% hairy nanoparticles into PAO led to significant friction and wear reduction compared with PAO base oil.

Polymer-cement interactions towards improved wellbore cement fracture sealants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beckingham, B. S.; Iloejesi, C.; Minkler, M. J.; Schindler, A. K.; Beckingham, L. E.

2017-12-01

Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) in deep geologic formations is a promising means of reducing point source emissions of CO2. In these systems, CO2 is captured at the source and then injected to be utilized (eg. in enhanced oil recovery or as a working fluid in enhanced geothermal energy plants) or stored in geologic formations such as depleted oil and gas reservoirs or saline aquifers. While CCUS in subsurface systems could aid in reducing atmospheric CO2 emissions, the potential for CO2 leakage from these systems to overlying formations remains a major limitation and poses a significant risk to the security of injected CO2. Thus, improved materials for both initial wellbore isolation and repairing leakage pathways that develop over time are sought. One approach for the repair of cement fractures in wellbore (and other) systems is the injection of polymer materials into the fracture with a subsequent environmentally dependent (temperature, pressure, pH, etc.) densification or solidification. Here, we aim to investigate novel polymer materials for use to repair leaking wellbores in the context of CCUS. We synthesize and fully characterize a series of novel polymer materials and utilize a suite of analysis techniques to examine polymer-cement interactions at a range of conditions (namely temperature, pressure and pH). Initial findings will be leveraged to design novel polymer materials for further evaluation in polymer-cement composite cores, cement fracture healing, and the aging behavior of healed cements.

Adaptable bioinspired special wetting surface for multifunctional oil/water separation

PubMed Central

Kavalenka, Maryna N.; Vüllers, Felix; Kumberg, Jana; Zeiger, Claudia; Trouillet, Vanessa; Stein, Sebastian; Ava, Tanzila T.; Li, Chunyan; Worgull, Matthias; Hölscher, Hendrik

2017-01-01

Inspired by the multifunctionality of biological surfaces necessary for the survival of an organism in its specific environment, we developed an artificial special wetting nanofur surface which can be adapted to perform different functionalities necessary to efficiently separate oil and water for cleaning accidental oil spills or separating industrial oily wastewater. Initial superhydrophobic nanofur surface is fabricated using a hot pulling method, in which nano- and microhairs are drawn out of the polymer surface during separation from a heated sandblasted steel plate. By using a set of simple modification techniques, which include microperforation, plasma treatment and subsequent control of storage environment, we achieved selective separation of either water or oil, variable oil absorption and continuous gravity driven separation of oil/water mixtures by filtration. Furthermore, these functions can be performed using special wetting nanofur made from various thermoplastics, including biodegradable and recyclable polymers. Additionally, nanofur can be reused after washing it with organic solvents, thus, further helping to reduce the environmental impacts of oil/water separation processes. PMID:28051163

Polymerization of euphorbia oil in carbon dioxide media

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Boron trifluoride diethyl etherate (BF3•OEt2), Lewis acid, catalyzed ring-opening polymerization of euphorbia oil (EO), a natural epoxy oil, was conducted in carbon dioxide. The resulting polymers (RPEO) were characterized by FTIR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, solid state 13C-NMR spectroscopies, differential sc...

Preparation of microcapsules containing double-component lubricant and self-lubricating performance of polymer composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Haiyan; Shi, Nanqi; Ji, Jing; Wang, Huaiyuan

2018-05-01

Double-component microcapsules containing lubricant oil and SiO2 nanoparticles were prepared by solvent evaporation method. The synthesized microcapsules have the regular spherical structure with the mean diameter of 105 μm and wall thickness of 15 μm. The synthesized microcapsules have excellent thermal stability, and the lubricant oil content was 71.4 wt%. Self-lubricating polymer composites were fabricated by incorporating double-component microcapsules into epoxy matrix. When the SiO2 nanoparticles content was 3 wt% relative to the lubricant oil, 10 wt% microcapsules brought 60.8% and 93.3% decrease for epoxy composites in the friction coefficient and specific wear rate, respectively. The synergetic effect between lubricant oil and SiO2 nanoparticles play a positive role in improving the triboligical properties of polymer composites.

Forensic determination of ricin and the alkaloid marker ricinine from castor bean extracts.

PubMed

Darby, S M; Miller, M L; Allen, R O

2001-09-01

Liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/ MS) and matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) MS methods were developed for the presumptive identification of ricin toxin and the alkaloid marker ricinine from crude plant materials. Ricin is an extremely potent poison, which is of forensic interest due to its appearance in terrorism literature and its potential for use as a homicide agent. Difficulties arise in attempting to analyze ricin because it is a large heterogeneous protein with glycosylation. The general protein identification scheme developed uses LC/MS or MALDI-TOF for size classification followed by the use of the same instrumentation for the analysis of the tryptic digest. Fragments of the digest can be searched in an online database for tentative identification of the unknown protein and then followed by comparison to authentic reference materials. LC fractionation or molecular weight cutoff filtration was used for preparation of the intact toxin before analysis. Extracts from two types of castor beans were prepared using a terrorist handbook procedure and determined to contain 1% ricin. Additionally, a forensic sample suspected to contain ricin was analyzed using the presented identification scheme (data not shown). The identification of the alkaloid ricinine by GC/MS and LC/MS was shown to be a complementary technique for the determination of castor bean extracts.

Preparation methods for monodispersed garlic oil microspheres in water using the microemulsion technique and their potential as antimicrobials.

PubMed

Zheng, Hua Ming; Li, Hou Bin; Wang, Da Wei; Liu, Dun

2013-08-01

Garlic oil is considered as a natural broad-spectrum antibiotic because of its well-known antimicrobial activity. However, the characteristics of easy volatility and poor aqueous solubility limit the application of garlic oil in industry. The purpose of the present work is to develop and evaluate an oil-free microemulsion by loading garlic oil in microemulsion system. Microemulsions were prepared with ethoxylated hydrogenated castor (Cremophor RH40) as surfactant, n-butanol (or ethanol) as cosurfactant, oleic acid-containing garlic oil as oil phase, and ultrapure water as water phase. The effects of the ratio of surfactant to cosurfactant and different oil concentration on the area of oil-in-water (O/W) microemulsion region in pseudoternary phase diagrams were investigated. The particle size and garlic oil encapsulation efficiency of the formed microemulsions with different formulations were also investigated. In addition, the antimicrobial activity in vitro against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus was assessed. The experimental results show that a stable microemulsion region can be obtained when the mass ratio of surfactant to cosurfactant is, respectively, 1:1, 2:1, and 3:1. Especially, when the mixture surfactants of RH40/n-butanol 2/1 (w/w) is used in the microemulsion formulation, the area of O/W microemulsion region is 0.089 with the particle size 13.29 to 13.85 nm and garlic oil encapsulation efficiency 99.5%. The prepared microemulsion solution exhibits remarkable antibacterial activity against S. aureus. © 2013 Institute of Food Technologists®

Preparation of Soypolymers by Ring-opening Polymerization of Epoxdized Soybean Oil

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Ring opening polymerization of epoxidized soybean oil (ESO) initiated by boron trifluoride diethyl etherate in methylene chloride was conducted in an effort to develop useful biodegradable polymers. The resulting polymers (PESO) were characterized using Infrared (IR), differential scanning calorime...

Oil-based compositions as saliva substitutes: A pilot study to investigate in-mouth retention.

PubMed

Hanning, Sara M; Medlicott, Natalie J

2016-03-30

This pilot study aimed to compare the in-mouth retention of an oil-based saliva substitute (emulsion, consisting of rice bran oil, soy lecithin and water) with water and a 1% w/v methylcellulose suspension (polymer) in healthy volunteers. Each formulation was tagged with 1 mmol/L lithium and participants (n=30) rinsed their mouth with one randomly assigned formulation (emulsion, polymer or water) for 30s, before expectorating into a cup. Concentration of lithium expectorated was measured and amount of each formulation remaining in the mouth was estimated. Patient acceptability was investigated using questionnaires, and Fourier-Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to determine the presence of oil in expectorated samples. Immediately after rinsing, taste was rated lower in the emulsion group compared to the polymer or water groups (p>0.05), although variability was high. Mean retention was highest in the emulsion group, with a difference of 8.34 ± 2.71% (p=0.003) and 4.57 ± 2.71% (p=0.06) compared with the water and polymer groups, respectively. FTIR confirmed the presence of oil in all expectorated emulsion samples. The emulsion was not inferior to the polymer in terms of retention immediately after rinsing. The next step is to conduct larger clinical studies over longer time periods in participants with salivary hypofunction. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Main devices design of submarine oil-water separation system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Wen-Bin; Liu, Bo-Hong

2017-11-01

In the process of offshore oil production, in order to thoroughly separate oil from produced fluid, solve the environment problem caused by oily sewage, and improve the economic benefit of offshore drilling, from the perspective of new oil-water separation, a set of submarine oil-water separation devices were designed through adsorption and desorption mechanism of the polymer materials for crude oil in this paper. The paper introduces the basic structure of gas-solid separation device, periodic separation device and adsorption device, and proves the rationality and feasibility of this device.

Removal of boron from ceramic industry wastewater by adsorption-flocculation mechanism using palm oil mill boiler (POMB) bottom ash and polymer.

PubMed

Chong, Mei Fong; Lee, Kah Peng; Chieng, Hui Jiun; Syazwani Binti Ramli, Ili Izyan

2009-07-01

Boron is extensively used in the ceramic industry for enhancing mechanical strength of the tiles. The discharge of boron containing wastewater to the environment causes severe pollution problems. Boron is also dangerous for human consumption and causes organisms' reproductive impediments if the safe intake level is exceeded. Current methods to remove boron include ion-exchange, membrane filtration, precipitation-coagulation, biological and chemical treatment. These methods are costly to remove boron from the wastewater and hence infeasible for industrial wastewater treatment. In the present research, adsorption-flocculation mechanism is proposed for boron removal from ceramic wastewater by using Palm Oil Mill Boiler (POMB) bottom ash and long chain polymer or flocculant. Ceramic wastewater is turbid and milky in color which contains 15 mg/L of boron and 2000 mg/L of suspended solids. The optimum operating conditions for boron adsorption on POMB bottom ash and flocculation using polymer were investigated in the present research. Adsorption isotherm of boron on bottom ash was also investigated to evaluate the adsorption capacity. Adsorption isotherm modeling was conducted based on Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. The results show that coarse POMB bottom ash with particle size larger than 2 mm is a suitable adsorbent where boron is removed up to 80% under the optimum conditions (pH=8.0, dosage=40 g bottom ash/300 ml wastewater, residence time=1h). The results also show that KP 1200 B cationic polymer is effective in flocculating the suspended solids while AP 120 C anionic polymer is effective in flocculating the bottom ash. The combined cationic and anionic polymers are able to clarify the ceramic wastewater under the optimum conditions (dosage of KP 1200 B cationic polymer=100 mg/L, dosage of AP 120 C anionic polymer=50 mg/L, mixing speed=200 rpm). Under the optimum operating conditions, the boron and suspended solids concentration of the treated wastewater were

Characterization of a sustainable sulfur polymer concrete using activated fillers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moon, Juhyuk; Kalb, Paul D.; Milian, Laurence

Sulfur polymer concrete (SPC) is a thermoplastic composite concrete consisting of chemically modified sulfur polymer and aggregates. This study focused on the characterization of a new SPC that has been developed as a sustainable construction material. It is made from industrial by-product sulfur that is modified with activated fillers of fly ash, petroleum refinery residual oil, and sand. Unlike conventional sulfur polymer cements made using dicyclopentadiene as a chemical modifier, the use of inexpensive industrial by-products enables the new SPC to cost-effectively produce sustainable, low-carbon, thermoplastic binder that can compete with conventional hydraulic cement concretes. A series of characterization analysesmore » was conducted including thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction, and spatially-resolved Xray absorption spectroscopy to confirm the polymerization of sulfur induced from the presence of the oil. In addition, mechanical testing, internal pore structure analysis, and scanning electron microscope studies evaluate the performance of this new SPC as a sustainable construction material with a reduced environmental impact.« less

Characterization of a sustainable sulfur polymer concrete using activated fillers

DOE PAGES

Moon, Juhyuk; Kalb, Paul D.; Milian, Laurence; ...

2016-01-02

Sulfur polymer concrete (SPC) is a thermoplastic composite concrete consisting of chemically modified sulfur polymer and aggregates. This study focused on the characterization of a new SPC that has been developed as a sustainable construction material. It is made from industrial by-product sulfur that is modified with activated fillers of fly ash, petroleum refinery residual oil, and sand. Unlike conventional sulfur polymer cements made using dicyclopentadiene as a chemical modifier, the use of inexpensive industrial by-products enables the new SPC to cost-effectively produce sustainable, low-carbon, thermoplastic binder that can compete with conventional hydraulic cement concretes. A series of characterization analysesmore » was conducted including thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction, and spatially-resolved Xray absorption spectroscopy to confirm the polymerization of sulfur induced from the presence of the oil. In addition, mechanical testing, internal pore structure analysis, and scanning electron microscope studies evaluate the performance of this new SPC as a sustainable construction material with a reduced environmental impact.« less

Physical properties of sequential interpenetrating polymer networks produced from canola oil-based polyurethane and poly(methyl methacrylate).

PubMed

Kong, Xiaohua; Narine, Suresh S

2008-05-01

Sequential interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) were prepared using polyurethane (PUR) synthesized from canola oil-based polyol with terminal primary functional groups and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). The properties of the material were evaluated by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and modulated differential scanning calorimetry (MDSC), as well as tensile properties measurements. The morphology of the IPNs was investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and MDSC. A five-phase morphology, that is, sol phase, PUR-rich phase, PUR-rich interphase, PMMA-rich interphase, and PMMA-rich phase, was observed for all the IPNs by applying a new quantitative method based on the measurement of the differential of reversing heat capacity versus temperature from MDSC, although not confirmed by SEM, most likely due to resolution restrictions. NCO/OH molar ratios (cross-linking density) and compositional variations of PUR/PMMA both affected the thermal properties and phase behaviors of the IPNs. Higher degrees of mixing occurred for the IPN with higher NCO/OH molar ratio (2.0/1.0) at PUR concentration of 25 wt %, whereas for the IPN with lower NCO/OH molar ratio (1.6/1.0), higher degrees of mixing occurred at PUR concentration of 35 wt %. The mechanical properties of the IPNs were superior to those of the constituent polymers due to the finely divided rubber and plastic combination structures in these IPNs.

The mixture of cashew nut shell liquid and castor oil results in an efficient larvicide against Aedes aegypti that does not alter embryo-fetal development, reproductive performance or DNA integrity

PubMed Central

Vani, Juliana Miron; Monreal, Maria Tereza Ferreira Duenhas; Auharek, Sarah Alves; Cunha-Laura, Andréa Luiza; de Arruda, Eduardo José; Lima, Alessandra Ramos; da Silva, Cicera Maria; Antoniolli-Silva, Andréia Conceição Milan Brochado; de Lima, Dênis Pires; Beatriz, Adilson

2018-01-01

Dengue fever, chikungunya fever and Zika virus are epidemics in Brazil that are transmitted by mosquitoes, such as Aedes aegypti or Aedes albopictus. The liquid from shells of cashew nuts is attractive for its important biological and therapeutic activities, which include toxicity to mosquitoes of the genus Aedes. The present study evaluated the effects of a mixture of surfactants from natural cashew nutshell liquid and castor oil (named TaLCC-20) on the mortality of larvae and on the reproductive performance, embryonic and fetal development and genetic stability of Swiss mice. A total of 400 Ae. aegypti larvae (third larval stage) were treated with TaLCC-20 concentrations of 0.05 mg/L, 0.5 mg/L, or 5 mg/L (ppm). Twenty pregnant female mice were also orally administered TaLCC-20 at doses of 5 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg body weight (b.w.), and 10 animals were given only drinking water at 0.1 mL/10 g b.w. (orally). The results of a larvicide test demonstrated that 5 mg/mL TaLCC-20 killed 100% of larvae within three hours, which is comparable to the gold standard indicated by the Ministry of Health. Overall, these results show that TaLCC-20 is an efficient larvicide that does not induce genetic damage. In addition, changes in reproductive performance and embryo-fetal development appear positive, and the formulation is cost effective. Therefore, TaLCC-20 is an important product in the exploration of natural larvicides and can assist in fighting mosquitos as vectors for dengue fever, chikungunya fever and Zika virus, which are emerging/re-emerging and require proper management to ensure minimal harm to the human population. Therefore, TaLCC-20 can be considered a key alternative to commercial products, which are effective yet toxigenic. PMID:29554095

The mixture of cashew nut shell liquid and castor oil results in an efficient larvicide against Aedes aegypti that does not alter embryo-fetal development, reproductive performance or DNA integrity.

PubMed

Vani, Juliana Miron; Monreal, Maria Tereza Ferreira Duenhas; Auharek, Sarah Alves; Cunha-Laura, Andréa Luiza; de Arruda, Eduardo José; Lima, Alessandra Ramos; da Silva, Cicera Maria; Antoniolli-Silva, Andréia Conceição Milan Brochado; de Lima, Dênis Pires; Beatriz, Adilson; Oliveira, Rodrigo Juliano

2018-01-01

Dengue fever, chikungunya fever and Zika virus are epidemics in Brazil that are transmitted by mosquitoes, such as Aedes aegypti or Aedes albopictus. The liquid from shells of cashew nuts is attractive for its important biological and therapeutic activities, which include toxicity to mosquitoes of the genus Aedes. The present study evaluated the effects of a mixture of surfactants from natural cashew nutshell liquid and castor oil (named TaLCC-20) on the mortality of larvae and on the reproductive performance, embryonic and fetal development and genetic stability of Swiss mice. A total of 400 Ae. aegypti larvae (third larval stage) were treated with TaLCC-20 concentrations of 0.05 mg/L, 0.5 mg/L, or 5 mg/L (ppm). Twenty pregnant female mice were also orally administered TaLCC-20 at doses of 5 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg body weight (b.w.), and 10 animals were given only drinking water at 0.1 mL/10 g b.w. (orally). The results of a larvicide test demonstrated that 5 mg/mL TaLCC-20 killed 100% of larvae within three hours, which is comparable to the gold standard indicated by the Ministry of Health. Overall, these results show that TaLCC-20 is an efficient larvicide that does not induce genetic damage. In addition, changes in reproductive performance and embryo-fetal development appear positive, and the formulation is cost effective. Therefore, TaLCC-20 is an important product in the exploration of natural larvicides and can assist in fighting mosquitos as vectors for dengue fever, chikungunya fever and Zika virus, which are emerging/re-emerging and require proper management to ensure minimal harm to the human population. Therefore, TaLCC-20 can be considered a key alternative to commercial products, which are effective yet toxigenic.

Detoxification of castor bean residues and the simultaneous production of tannase and phytase by solid-state fermentation using Paecilomyces variotii.

PubMed

Madeira, Jose Valdo; Macedo, Juliana Alves; Macedo, Gabriela Alves

2011-08-01

In this work, we introduce a biological detoxification method that converts toxic waste from castor beans into animal feed material. This method simultaneously induces the production of tannase and phytase by Paecilomyces variotii; both enzymes have high levels of activity and have the potential to be used in feedstuffs because they decrease overall anti-nutritional factors. The maximum tannase and phytase activities obtained were 2600 and 260 U/g after 48 and 72 h, respectively. SDS-PAGE electrophoresis of the fermented castor cake extracts revealed a reduction in ricin bands during fermentation, and the bands were no longer visible after 48 h. The cytotoxicity of the extracts was evaluated by MTT testing on RAW cells, and a progressive increase in cellular viability was obtained, reaching almost 100% after 72 h of fermentation. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Preparation and rheological behavior of polymer-modified asphalts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

Anti-diarrhoeal and anti-microbial activity of Flos populi (male inflorescence of Populus tomentosa Carrière) aqueous extracts.

PubMed

Xu, Qianqian; Shen, Zhiqiang; Wang, Yubo; Guo, Shijin; Li, Feng; Wang, Yanping; Zhou, Chunfeng

2013-07-09

Flos populi (male inflorescence of Populus tomentosa Carrière) has been traditionally used in East Asian countries for the treatment of various inflammatory diseases, strengthening the spleen and stomach, anti-rheumatic, anti-tumor and anti-diarrhoeal. To evaluate the in vivo or in vitro anti-diarrhoeal and anti-microbial activity of Flos populi aqueous extract. Acute toxicity of Flos populi aqueous extract (FPAE) was investigated. Castor oil-induced diarrhoea method was used to evaluate the anti-diarrhoeal activity, inhibition of defecation and diarrhoea were determined in mice, effects on castor oil-induced enteropooling, intestinal transit and intestinal fluid secretion in rats or mice. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of FPAE against strains of three clinical bacterial isolates and one reference strain were used to test the anti-microbial activity. The FPAE reduced the frequency of diarrhoea episodes and decreased the propulsion of charcoal meal through the gastrointestinal tract in a dose dependent manner. FPAE (100-500 mg/kg, p.o.) produced dose-dependent and significant (P<0.01) protection of mice against castor oil-induced diarrhoea. FPAE, dose-dependently and significantly (P< 0.01) delayed the onset of castor-oil induced diarrhoea, decreased the frequency of defecation, and reduced the severity of diarrhoea. Compared with control animals, FPAE, dose-dependently and significantly (P< 0.01) decreased the volume of castor oil-induced intestinal fluid secretion, and reduced the number, weight and wetness of faecal droppings. There was no deaths or abnormalities in behaviour seen in the acute toxicity test. The aqueous extract displayed anti-microbial effects to three species of bacteria in anti-microbial test. The findings of this study indicate that FPAE possesses anti-diarrhoeal property in rats and mice and confirm the ethnomedicinal use of Flos Populi as a valuable natural remedy for the treatment

UCST-Type Thermoresponsive Polymers in Synthetic Lubricating Oil Polyalphaolefin (PAO)

DOE PAGES

Fu, Wenxin; Bai, Wei; Jiang, Sisi; ...

2018-02-20

Here, this article reports a family of UCST-type thermoresponsive polymers, poly(alkyl methacrylate)s with an appropriate alkyl pendant length, in an industrially important non-volatile organic liquid polyalphaolefin (PAO). The cloud point (CP) can be readily tuned over a wide temperature range by changing the alkyl pendant length; at a concentration of 1 wt% and similar polymer molecular weights, the CP varies linearly with the (average) number of carbon atoms in the alkyl pendant. PAO solutions of ABA triblock copolymers, composed of a PAO-philic middle block and thermoresponsive outer blocks with appropriate block lengths, undergo thermoreversible sol-gel transitions at sufficiently high concentrations.more » The discovery of thermoresponsive polymers in PAO makes it possible to explore new applications by utilizing PAO’s unique characteristics such as thermal stability, non-volatility, superior lubrication properties, etc. Lastly, two examples are presented: thermoresponsive physical gels for control of optical transmittance and injectable gel lubricants.« less

UCST-Type Thermoresponsive Polymers in Synthetic Lubricating Oil Polyalphaolefin (PAO)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fu, Wenxin; Bai, Wei; Jiang, Sisi

Here, this article reports a family of UCST-type thermoresponsive polymers, poly(alkyl methacrylate)s with an appropriate alkyl pendant length, in an industrially important non-volatile organic liquid polyalphaolefin (PAO). The cloud point (CP) can be readily tuned over a wide temperature range by changing the alkyl pendant length; at a concentration of 1 wt% and similar polymer molecular weights, the CP varies linearly with the (average) number of carbon atoms in the alkyl pendant. PAO solutions of ABA triblock copolymers, composed of a PAO-philic middle block and thermoresponsive outer blocks with appropriate block lengths, undergo thermoreversible sol-gel transitions at sufficiently high concentrations.more » The discovery of thermoresponsive polymers in PAO makes it possible to explore new applications by utilizing PAO’s unique characteristics such as thermal stability, non-volatility, superior lubrication properties, etc. Lastly, two examples are presented: thermoresponsive physical gels for control of optical transmittance and injectable gel lubricants.« less

Variation in emulsion stabilization behavior of hybrid silicone polymers with change in molecular structure: Phase diagram study.

PubMed

Mehta, Somil C; Somasundaran, P; Kulkarni, Ravi

2009-05-15

Silicone oils are widely used in cosmetics and personal care applications to improve softness and condition skin and hair. Being insoluble in water and most hydrocarbons, a common mode of delivering them is in the form of emulsions. Currently most applications use polyoxyethylene (non-ionic) modified siloxanes as emulsifiers to stabilize silicone oil emulsions. However, ionically grafted silicone polymers have not received much attention. Ionic silicones have significantly different properties than the non-ionic counterpart. Thus considerable potential exists to formulate emulsions of silicones with different water/silicone oil ratios for novel applications. In order to understand the mechanisms underlying the effects of hydrophilic modifications on the ability of hybrid silicone polymers to stabilize various emulsions, this article focuses on the phase diagram studies for silicone emulsions. The emulsifying ability of functional silicones was seen to depend on a number of factors including hydrophilicity of the polymer, nature of the functional groups, the extent of modification, and the method of emulsification. It was observed that the region of stable emulsion in a phase diagram expanded with increase in shear rate. At a given shear rate, the region of stable emulsion and the nature of emulsion (water-in-oil or oil-in-water) was observed to depend on hydrophilic-hydrophobic balance of the hybrid silicone emulsifier. At a fixed amount of modification, the non-ionically modified silicone stabilized an oil-in-water emulsion, whereas the ionic silicones stabilized inverse water-in-oil emulsions. This was attributed to the greater hydrophilicity of the polyoxyethylene modified silicones than the ionic counterparts. In general, it is postulated that with progressive increase in hydrophilicity of hybrid silicone emulsifiers, their tendency to stabilize water-in-oil emulsion decreases with corresponding increase in oil-in-water emulsion. Further, this behavior is

Phosphatidylglycerol synthesis in castor bean endosperm. [Ricinus communis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moore, T.S. Jr.

1974-01-01

The synthesis of phosphatidylglycerol in castor bean (Ricinus communis var. Hale) endosperm tissue was found to be located in both the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondrial fractions separated on sucrose density gradients. The enzyme of both fractions attained maximum activity at 5 mM Mn/sup 2 +/, 0.075 percent Triton X-100, and pH 7.3. The addition of dithiothreitol produced little effect, but sulfhydryl inhibitors reduced activity in both systems. Cytidine diphosphate-diglyceride exhibited an apparent Michaelis constant for the endoplasmic reticulum enzyme of 2.8 ..mu..M and for the mitochondrial enzyme of 2.0 ..mu..M; the maximum reaction rate was achieved at about 20 ..mu..M.more » For the second substrate, glycerol-phosphate, the apparent Michaelis constant for both fractions was about 50 ..mu..M and maximum velocity was reached at 400 ..mu..M. The specific activity of the mitochondrial enzyme was generally twice that of the endoplasmic reticulum.« less

Rapeseed Oil as Renewable Resource for Polyol Synthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stirna, Uldis; Fridrihsone, Anda; Misane, Marija; Vilsone, Dzintra

2011-01-01

Vegetable oils are one of the most important platform chemicals due to their accessibility, specific structure of oils and low price. Rapeseed oil (RO) polyols were prepared by amidization of RO with diethanolamine (DEA). To determine the kinetics of amidization reaction, experiments were carried out. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), amine (NH) value was determined. Group contribution method by Fedor‵s was used to calculate solubility parameters, van der Waals volume was calculated by Askadskii. Obtained polyol‵s OH and NH value are from 304 up to 415 mg KOH/g. RO polyols synthesis meets the criteria of "green chemistry". In the present study, reaction of RO amidization with DEA was investigated, as well as optimum conditions for polyol synthesis was established to obtain polyols for polyurethane production. Calculations of solubility parameter and cohesion energy density were calculated, as RO polyols will be used as side chains in polymers, and solubility parameter will be used to explain properties of polymers.

Recovery of different waste vegetable oils for biodiesel production: a pilot experience in Bahia State, Brazil.

PubMed

Torres, Ednildo Andrade; Cerqueira, Gilberto S; Tiago, M Ferrer; Quintella, Cristina M; Raboni, Massimo; Torretta, Vincenzo; Urbini, Giordano

2013-12-01

In Brazil, and mainly in the State of Bahia, crude vegetable oils are widely used in the preparation of food. Street stalls, restaurants and canteens make a great use of palm oil and soybean oil. There is also some use of castor oil, which is widely cultivated in the Sertão Region (within the State of Bahia), and widely applied in industry. This massive use in food preparation leads to a huge amount of waste oil of different types, which needs either to be properly disposed of, or recovered. At the Laboratorio Energia e Gas-LEN (Energy & Gas lab.) of the Universidade Federal da Bahia, a cycle of experiments were carried out to evaluate the recovery of waste oils for biodiesel production. The experiences were carried out on a laboratory scale and, in a semi-industrial pilot plant using waste oils of different qualities. In the transesterification process, applied waste vegetable oils were reacted with methanol with the support of a basic catalyst, such as NaOH or KOH. The conversion rate settled at between 81% and 85% (in weight). The most suitable molar ratio of waste oils to alcohol was 1:6, and the amount of catalyst required was 0.5% (of the weight of the incoming oil), in the case of NaOH, and 1%, in case of KOH. The quality of the biodiesel produced was tested to determine the final product quality. The parameters analyzed were the acid value, kinematic viscosity, monoglycerides, diglycerides, triglycerides, free glycerine, total glycerine, clearness; the conversion yield of the process was also evaluated. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

21 CFR 176.200 - Defoaming agents used in coatings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... alcohol tert-Butyl alcohol Butyl stearate Castor oil, sulfated, ammonium, potassium, or sodium salt Cetyl... palmitate Mineral oil Mustardseed oil, sulfated, ammonium, potassium, or sodium salt Myristyl alcohol... hydrocarbons As defined in § 178.3650 of this chapter. Oleic acid, sulfated, ammonium, potassium, or sodium...

21 CFR 176.200 - Defoaming agents used in coatings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... alcohol tert-Butyl alcohol Butyl stearate Castor oil, sulfated, ammonium, potassium, or sodium salt Cetyl... palmitate Mineral oil Mustardseed oil, sulfated, ammonium, potassium, or sodium salt Myristyl alcohol... hydrocarbons As defined in § 178.3650 of this chapter. Oleic acid, sulfated, ammonium, potassium, or sodium...

Metabolic Engineering for Improved Hydroxy Fatty Acid Production in Lesquerella

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Hydroxy fatty acids (HFA) from plant seed triacylglycerols (TAGs, oil molecule) are wildly used in manufacturing industrial products, such as lubricants, plasticizers and surfactants. Castor oil has 90% HFA which occupies all three sn positions of most TAGs, while lesquerella oil contains 60% HFA mo...

Polymer formulations for gettering hydrogen

DOEpatents

Shepodd, T.J.; Whinnery, L.L.

1998-11-17

A novel composition is described comprising organic polymer molecules having carbon-carbon double bonds, for removing hydrogen from the atmosphere within enclosed spaces. Organic polymers molecules containing carbon-carbon double bonds throughout their structures, preferably polybutadiene, polyisoprene and derivatives thereof, intimately mixed with an insoluble catalyst composition, comprising a hydrogenation catalyst and a catalyst support, preferably Pd supported on carbon, provide a hydrogen getter composition useful for removing hydrogen from enclosed spaces even in the presence of contaminants such as common atmospheric gases, water vapor, carbon dioxide, ammonia, oil mists, and water. The hydrogen getter composition disclosed herein is particularly useful for removing hydrogen from enclosed spaces containing potentially explosive mixtures of hydrogen and oxygen. 1 fig.

Polymer system for gettering hydrogen

DOEpatents

Shepodd, Timothy Jon; Whinnery, LeRoy L.

2000-01-01

A novel composition comprising organic polymer molecules having carbon-carbon double bonds, for removing hydrogen from the atmosphere within enclosed spaces. Organic polymers molecules containing carbon-carbon double bonds throughout their structures, preferably polybutadiene, polyisoprene and derivatives thereof, intimately mixed with an insoluble catalyst composition, comprising a hydrogenation catalyst and a catalyst support, preferably Pd supported on carbon, provide a hydrogen getter composition useful for removing hydrogen from enclosed spaces even in the presence of contaminants such as common atmospheric gases, water vapor, carbon dioxide, ammonia, oil mists, and water. The hydrogen getter composition disclosed herein is particularly useful for removing hydrogen from enclosed spaces containing potentially explosive mixtures of hydrogen and oxygen.

Polymer formulations for gettering hydrogen

DOEpatents

Shepodd, Timothy Jon; Whinnery, LeRoy L.

1998-11-17

A novel composition comprising organic polymer molecules having carbon-carbon double bonds, for removing hydrogen from the atmosphere within enclosed spaces. Organic polymers molecules containing carbon-carbon double bonds throughout their structures, preferably polybutadiene, polyisoprene and derivatives thereof, intimately mixed with an insoluble catalyst composition, comprising a hydrogenation catalyst and a catalyst support, preferably Pd supported on carbon, provide a hydrogen getter composition useful for removing hydrogen from enclosed spaces even in the presence of contaminants such as common atmospheric gases, water vapor, carbon dioxide, ammonia, oil mists, and water. The hydrogen getter composition disclosed herein is particularly useful for removing hydrogen from enclosed spaces containing potentially explosive mixtures of hydrogen and oxygen.

A modified, hypoallergenic variant of the Ricinus communis Ric c1 protein retains biological activity

PubMed Central

Pacheco-Soares, Thaís; de Oliveira Carvalho, André; da Silva Araújo, Jucélia; da Silva de Souza, Giliane; Machado, Olga L.T.

2018-01-01

Ric c1, an allergenic protein from castor oil plants (Ricinus communis), is an insect α-amylase inhibitor that has become an occupational allergen. Ric c1 can cross-react with allergens from wheat, soybean, peanut, shrimp, fish, gluten, house dust, tobacco and air fungus, thereby amplifying the concern and risks caused by castor oil plants (COP) allergens. Two continuous IgE-binding epitopes were identified in Ric c1, both containing glutamic acid residues involved in IgE-binding and allergic challenges. We produced recombinant Ric c1 (rRic c1) in Escherichia coli, using primers from foliar castor oil plant DNA, and a mutant (Glu-Leu) recombinant protein (mrRic c1) in the same system using synthetic genes. rRic c1 preserved both allergenic and α-amylase inhibitory properties, and mrRic c1 drastically reduced allergenic properties. These results can help to establish meaningful relationships between structure, defence and allergenicity, important steps for producing engineered plants and developing new approaches for immunotherapy. PMID:29444820

Titanium compounds as catalysts of higher alpha-olefin-based super-high-molecular polymers synthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konovalov, K. B.; Kazaryan, M. A.; Manzhay, V. N.; Vetrova, O. V.

2016-01-01

The synthesis of polymers of 10 million or more molecular weight is a difficult task even in a chemical lab. Higher α-olefin-based polymer agents of such kind have found a narrow but quite important niche, the reduction of drag in the turbulent flow of hydrocarbon fluids such as oil and oil-products. In its turn, searching for a catalytic system capable to produce molecules of such a high length and to synthesize polymers of a low molecular-mass distribution is part of a global task of obtaining a high-quality product. In this paper we had observed a number of industrial catalysts with respect to their suitability for higher poly-α- olefins synthesis. A number samples representing copolymers of 1-hexene with 1-decene obtained on a previous generation catalyst, a microsphere titanium chloride catalytic agent had been compared to samples synthesized using a titanium-magnesium catalyst both in solution and in a polymer medium.

Physical and mechanical testing of essential oil-embedded cellulose ester films

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Polymer films made from cellulose esters are useful for embedding plant essential oils, either for food packaging or air freshener applications. Studies and testing were done on the physical and mechanical properties of cellulose ester-based films incorporating essential oils (EO) from lemongrass (C...

Catalytic modification of fats and oils to value-added biobased products

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Biobased materials derived from fats and oils can be relatively benign to the environment because they tend to have good biodegradability. Oils are used in a myriad of applications, including foods, cosmetics, paints, biodegradable lubricants and polymers, biodiesel, and more. For many of these ap...

Ricinus communis intoxications in human and veterinary medicine-a summary of real cases.

PubMed

Worbs, Sylvia; Köhler, Kernt; Pauly, Diana; Avondet, Marc-André; Schaer, Martin; Dorner, Martin B; Dorner, Brigitte G

2011-10-01

Accidental and intended Ricinus communis intoxications in humans and animals have been known for centuries but the causative agent remained elusive until 1888 when Stillmark attributed the toxicity to the lectin ricin. Ricinus communis is grown worldwide on an industrial scale for the production of castor oil. As by-product in castor oil production ricin is mass produced above 1 million tons per year. On the basis of its availability, toxicity, ease of preparation and the current lack of medical countermeasures, ricin has gained attention as potential biological warfare agent. The seeds also contain the less toxic, but highly homologous Ricinus communis agglutinin and the alkaloid ricinine, and especially the latter can be used to track intoxications. After oil extraction and detoxification, the defatted press cake is used as organic fertilizer and as low-value feed. In this context there have been sporadic reports from different countries describing animal intoxications after uptake of obviously insufficiently detoxified fertilizer. Observations in Germany over several years, however, have led us to speculate that the detoxification process is not always performed thoroughly and controlled, calling for international regulations which clearly state a ricin threshold in fertilizer. In this review we summarize knowledge on intended and unintended poisoning with ricin or castor seeds both in humans and animals, with a particular emphasis on intoxications due to improperly detoxified castor bean meal and forensic analysis.

Ricinus communis Intoxications in Human and Veterinary Medicine-A Summary of Real Cases

PubMed Central

Worbs, Sylvia; Köhler, Kernt; Pauly, Diana; Avondet, Marc-André; Schaer, Martin; Dorner, Martin B.; Dorner, Brigitte G.

2011-01-01

Accidental and intended Ricinus communis intoxications in humans and animals have been known for centuries but the causative agent remained elusive until 1888 when Stillmark attributed the toxicity to the lectin ricin. Ricinus communis is grown worldwide on an industrial scale for the production of castor oil. As by-product in castor oil production ricin is mass produced above 1 million tons per year. On the basis of its availability, toxicity, ease of preparation and the current lack of medical countermeasures, ricin has gained attention as potential biological warfare agent. The seeds also contain the less toxic, but highly homologous Ricinus communis agglutinin and the alkaloid ricinine, and especially the latter can be used to track intoxications. After oil extraction and detoxification, the defatted press cake is used as organic fertilizer and as low-value feed. In this context there have been sporadic reports from different countries describing animal intoxications after uptake of obviously insufficiently detoxified fertilizer. Observations in Germany over several years, however, have led us to speculate that the detoxification process is not always performed thoroughly and controlled, calling for international regulations which clearly state a ricin threshold in fertilizer. In this review we summarize knowledge on intended and unintended poisoning with ricin or castor seeds both in humans and animals, with a particular emphasis on intoxications due to improperly detoxified castor bean meal and forensic analysis. PMID:22069699

Stimuli-Responsive Polymer-Clay Nanocomposites under Electric Fields

PubMed Central

Piao, Shang Hao; Kwon, Seung Hyuk; Choi, Hyoung Jin

2016-01-01

This short Feature Article reviews electric stimuli-responsive polymer/clay nanocomposites with respect to their fabrication, physical characteristics and electrorheological (ER) behaviors under applied electric fields when dispersed in oil. Their structural characteristics, morphological features and thermal degradation behavior were examined by X-ray diffraction pattern, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis, respectively. Particular focus is given to the electro-responsive ER characteristics of the polymer/clay nanocomposites in terms of the yield stress and viscoelastic properties along with their applications. PMID:28787852

Breaking of the Bancroft rule for multiple emulsions stabilized by a single stimulable polymer.

PubMed

Besnard, L; Protat, M; Malloggi, F; Daillant, J; Cousin, F; Pantoustier, N; Guenoun, P; Perrin, P

2014-09-28

We investigated emulsions of water and toluene stabilized by (co)polymers consisting of styrene (S) and 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) monomer units with different compositions and structures such as a PDMAEMA homopolymer, a P(S-co-DMAEMA) random copolymer and various PS-b-PDMAEMA and PS-b-(S-co-DMAEMA) block copolymers. The model system is used to study the fundamental conditions under which the different kinds of polymer-stabilized emulsions (direct oil in water, inverse water in oil and multiple emulsions) are stabilized or destabilized by pH change (at constant temperature). Polymer properties like chain conformation at the toluene-water interface as probed by SANS and neutron reflectivity at the liquid-liquid interface, the oil-water partitioning of the polymer chains (Bancroft's rule of thumb) as determined by UV spectroscopy and interfacial tensions measured by the rising and spinning drop techniques are determined. Overall, results evidence that the curvature sign, as defined by positive and negative values as the chain segments occupy preferentially the water and toluene sides of the interface respectively, reliably predicts the emulsion kind. In contrast, the Bancroft rule failed at foreseeing the emulsion type. In the region of near zero curvature the crossover from direct to inverse emulsions occurs through the formation of either unstable coexisting direct and inverse emulsions (i) or multiple emulsions (ii). The high compact adsorption of the chains at the interface as shown by low interfacial tension values does not allow to discriminate between both cases. However, the toluene-water partitioning of the polymeric emulsifier is still a key factor driving the formation of (i) or (ii) emulsions. Interestingly, the stabilization of the multiple emulsions can be tuned to a large extent as the toluene-water polymer partitioning can be adjusted using quite a large number of physico-chemical parameters linked to polymer architecture like

Antidiarrhoeal activity of Psidium guajava Linn. (Myrtaceae) leaf aqueous extract in rodents.

PubMed

Ojewole, John A O; Awe, Emmanuel O; Chiwororo, Witness D H

2008-12-01

The leaf of Psidium guajava Linn. (family: Myrtaceae) is used traditionally in African folk medicine to manage, control and/or treat a plethora of human ailments, including diarrhoea. In this study, we examined the antidiarrhoeal activity of Psidium guajava leaf aqueous extract (PGE) on experimentally-induced diarrhoea in rodents. PGE (50-400 mg/kg p.o.) produced dose-dependent and significant (P<0.05-0.01) protection of rats and mice against castor oil-induced diarrhoea, inhibited intestinal transit, and delayed gastric emptying. Like atropine (1 mg/kg, p.o.), PGE produced dose-dependent and significant (P<0.05-0.01) antimotility effect, and caused dose-related inhibition of castor oil-induced enteropooling in the animals. Like loperamide (10 mg/kg, p.o.), PGE dose-dependently and significantly (P<0.05-0.01) delayed the onset of castor oil-induced diarrhoea, decreased the frequency of defaecation, and reduced the severity of diarrhoea in the rodents. Compared with control animals, PGE dose-dependently and significantly (P<0.05-0.01) decreased the volume of castor oil-induced intestinal fluid secretion, and reduced the number, weight and wetness of faecal droppings. PGE also produced concentration-related and significant (P<0.05-0.01) inhibitions of the spontaneous, rhythmic, pendular contractions of the rabbit isolated duodenum. The findings of this study indicate that PGE possesses antidiarrhoeal activity, and thus lend pharmacological credence to the suggested folkloric use of the plant as a natural remedy for the treatment, management and/or control of diarrhoea in some rural communities of southern Africa.

Design and development of molecularly imprinted polymers for the selective extraction of deltamethrin in olive oil: An integrated computational-assisted approach.

PubMed

Martins, Nuno; Carreiro, Elisabete P; Locati, Abel; Ramalho, João P Prates; Cabrita, Maria João; Burke, Anthony J; Garcia, Raquel

2015-08-28

This work firstly addresses the design and development of molecularly imprinted systems selective for deltamethrin aiming to provide a suitable sorbent for solid phase (SPE) extraction that will be further used for the implementation of an analytical methodology for the trace analysis of the target pesticide in spiked olive oil samples. To achieve this goal, a preliminary evaluation of the molecular recognition and selectivity of the molecularly imprinted polymers has been performed. In order to investigate the complexity of the mechanistic basis for template selective recognition in these polymeric matrices, the use of a quantum chemical approach has been attempted providing new insights about the mechanisms underlying template recognition, and in particular the crucial role of the crosslinker agent and the solvent used. Thus, DFT calculations corroborate the results obtained by experimental molecular recognition assays enabling one to select the most suitable imprinting system for MISPE extraction technique which encompasses acrylamide as functional monomer and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as crosslinker. Furthermore, an analytical methodology comprising a sample preparation step based on solid phase extraction has been implemented using this "tailor made" imprinting system as sorbent, for the selective isolation/pre-concentration of deltamethrin from olive oil samples. Molecularly imprinted solid phase extraction (MISPE) methodology was successfully applied for the clean-up of spiked olive oil samples, with recovery rates up to 94%. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Analytical Method to Estimate the Complex Permittivity of Oil Samples.

PubMed

Su, Lijuan; Mata-Contreras, Javier; Vélez, Paris; Fernández-Prieto, Armando; Martín, Ferran

2018-03-26

In this paper, an analytical method to estimate the complex dielectric constant of liquids is presented. The method is based on the measurement of the transmission coefficient in an embedded microstrip line loaded with a complementary split ring resonator (CSRR), which is etched in the ground plane. From this response, the dielectric constant and loss tangent of the liquid under test (LUT) can be extracted, provided that the CSRR is surrounded by such LUT, and the liquid level extends beyond the region where the electromagnetic fields generated by the CSRR are present. For that purpose, a liquid container acting as a pool is added to the structure. The main advantage of this method, which is validated from the measurement of the complex dielectric constant of olive and castor oil, is that reference samples for calibration are not required.

Role of Polymeric Coating on the Phosphate Availability as a Fertilizer: Insight from Phosphate Release by Castor Polyurethane Coatings.

PubMed

da Cruz, Diego Fernandes; Bortoletto-Santos, Ricardo; Guimarães, Gelton Geraldo Fernandes; Polito, Wagner Luiz; Ribeiro, Caue

2017-07-26

The coating of fertilizers with polymers is an acknowledged strategy for controlling the release of nutrients and their availability in soil. However, its effectiveness in the case of soluble phosphate fertilizers is still uncertain, and information is lacking concerning the chemical properties and structures of such coatings. Here, an oil-based hydrophobic polymer system (polyurethane) is proposed for the control of the release of phosphorus from diammonium phosphate (DAP) granules. This material was systematically characterized, with evaluation of the delivery mechanism and the availability of phosphate in an acid soil. The results indicated that thicker coatings can change the maximum nutrient availability toward longer periods, such as 4.5-7.5 wt % DAP coated, that presented the highest concentrations at 336 h, as compared to 168 h for uncoated DAP. In contrast, DAP treated with 9.0 wt % began to increase the concentration after 168 h until it results in maximum release at 672 h. These effects could be attributed to the homogeneity of the polymer and the porosity. The strategy successfully provided long-term availability of a phosphate source.

Heat- and light-induced thiol-ene oligomerization of soybean oil-based polymercaptan

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Polymercaptanized soybean oil (PMSO), the product of a thiol-ene reaction between soybean oil and hydrogen sulfide, is a material of interest as a lubricant additive and polymer precursor. We investigated with gel permeation chromatography, nuclear magnetic resonance (one-dimensional and two-dimensi...

Plants to Polyelectrolytes: Theophylline Polymers and Their Microsphere Synthesis.

PubMed

Guterman, Ryan; Antonietti, Markus; Yuan, Jiayin

2017-04-01

To extend fossil oil supplies, sustainable feed stocks for the production of useful reagents and polymers should be harnessed. In this regard, chemicals derived from plants are excellent candidates. While the vast majority of plant sources used for polymer science only contain C x H y O z , alkaloids such as caffeine, nicotine, and theophylline possess nitrogen functionality that can provide new functions for bioderived polymers and their synthesis. In this context, the chemistry of theophylline, a natural product found in chocolate and tea, is exploited to create a cationic "poly(theophylline)" in a straightforward fashion for the first time. This work demonstrates how this new polymer can be synthesized and used for the creation of narrowly disperse cationic microspheres. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Polyphosphazenes - New polymers with inorganic backbone atoms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allcock, H. R.

1976-01-01

Unique and useful properties of the class of nonhydrocarbon, nonhalocarbon, nonsilicone polymers known as polyphosphazenes are discussed at length. These polymers, with molecular weights to 4 million (degree of polymerization 15,000), can be fabricated as tubes, fibers, woven fabrics, flexible films, or plates, and many variants are stable to attack by water, bases, aqueous acids, jet fuels, oils, hydraulic fluids, gasoline, or other hydrocarbons. Rubbery polymers with these properties can be fashioned into flexible hose, fuel hose, gaskets, or O-rings. Since they do not provoke clotting reactions in blood, and reveal no carcinogenic effects to date, they are considered for internal prosthetic applications (replacement bone, temporary skin, heart valves), as biodegradable suturing material, as carriers for slow release of drugs, and as carriers for chemotherapeutic agents against cancers.

Mid-Infrared Spectroscopic Method for the Identification and Quantification of Dissolved Oil Components in Marine Environments.

PubMed

Stach, Robert; Pejcic, Bobby; Crooke, Emma; Myers, Matthew; Mizaikoff, Boris

2015-12-15

The use of mid-infrared sensors based on conventional spectroscopic equipment for oil spill monitoring and fingerprinting in aqueous systems has to date been mainly confined to laboratory environments. This paper presents a portable-based mid-infrared attenuated total reflectance (MIR-ATR) sensor system that was used to quantify a number of environmentally relevant hydrocarbon contaminants in marine water. The sensor comprises a polymer-coated diamond waveguide in combination with a room-temperature operated pyroelectric detector, and the analytical performance was optimized by evaluating the influence of polymer composition, polymer film thickness, and solution flow rate on the sensor response. Uncertainties regarding the analytical performance and instrument specifications for dissolved oil detection were investigated using real-world seawater matrices. The reliability of the sensor was tested by exposition to known volumes of different oils; crude oil and diesel samples were equilibrated with seawater and then analyzed using the developed MIR-ATR sensor system. For validation, gas chromatographic measurements were performed revealing that the MIR-ATR sensor is a promising on-site monitoring tool for determining the concentration of a range of dissolved oil components in seawater at ppb to ppm levels.

Polymeric materials from renewable resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frollini, Elisabete; Rodrigues, Bruno V. M.; da Silva, Cristina G.; Castro, Daniele O.; Ramires, Elaine C.; de Oliveira, Fernando; Santos, Rachel P. O.

2016-05-01

The goals of our studies have been the use of renewable raw materials in the preparation of polymeric materials with diversified properties. In this context, lignosulfonate, which is produced in large scale around the world, but not widely used in the production of polymeric materials, was used to replace phenol and polyols in the preparation of phenolic- (Ligno-PH) and polyurethane-type (Ligno-PU) polymers, respectively. These polymers were used to prepare composites reinforced with sisal lignocellulosic fibers. The use of lignosulfonate in the formulation of both types of polymers was beneficial, because in general composites with improved properties, specially impact strength, were obtained. Composites were also prepared from the so called "biopolyethylene" (HDPE), curaua lignocellulosic fiber, and castor oil (CO). All composites HDBPE/CO/Fiber exhibited higher impact strength, when compared to those of the corresponding HDBPE/Fiber. These results, combined with others (eg SEM images of the fractured surfaces) indicated that, in addition to acting as a plasticizer, this oil may have acted as a compatibilizer of the hydrophilic fiber with the hydrophobic polymer. The set of results indicated that (i) mats with nano (diameter ≤ 100nm) and/or ultrafine (submicron scale) fibers were produced, (ii) hybrid fibers were produced (bio-based mats composites), (iii) cellulosic pulp (CP) and/or lignin (Lig) can be combined with PET matrices to control properties such as stiffness and hydrophilicity of the respective mats. Materials with diversified properties were prepared from high content of renewable raw materials, thus fulfilling the proposed targets.

Property control of graphene aerogels by in situ growth of silicone polymer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Shuai; Zhou, Xiang; Hao, Gazi; Jiang, Wei; Wang, Tianhe

2018-05-01

Modulation of the density (from 3.5 to 64 mg cm-3), hydrophobicity and oil-uptake capability of graphene aerogels in extensive ranges were achieved by reacting (3-Mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysilane (MPS) with graphene oxide solutions under heating. The reaction allowed a characteristic silicone substructure to be formed on graphene and joint the graphene layers firmly together. With the increase of MPS concentrations (≤ca. 0.2 vol%), the nano silicone polymer grown on graphene functioned as a "linker" and "spacer", leading to a substantial decrease of the aerogel density. Because of the formation of silicone polymer and the characteristic nano-micro substructures on the backbones of graphene aerogels, the graphene aerogels exhibited a high hydrophobicity with the water contact angle consistently exceeding 142 degrees. Functionalized graphene aerogels with a density of 3.5 mg cm-3 were conveniently fabricated that displayed an extraordinary oil absorption capacity, 182 times for lubricating oil and 143 times for n-hexane of its own weight. Furthermore, the aerogels maintained their ultra-high absorption capability even after 20 absorption-distillation cycles, due to structural integrity held by the strong interfacial adhesion between graphene sheets and polymer chains of aerogels. This study offers a promising graphene aerogels and also provides a strategy for fabricating extra low dense functional materials.

Expression of castor LPAT2 enhances ricinoleic acid content at the sn-2 position of triacylglycerols in lesquerella seed

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Lesquerella (Physaria fendelri) is a potential crop for hydroxy fatty acid (HFA) production. Its seed triacylglcerols (TAGs) contain 55–60% lesquerolic acid (20:1OH), mostly at the sn-1 and the sn-3 positions of TAG. Castor (Ricinus communis) TAGs contain 90% of ricinoleic acid (18:1OH) which is est...

Analysis of Carbohydrate and Fatty Acid Marker Abundance in Ricin Toxin Preparations for Forensic Information

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Colburn, Heather A.; Wunschel, David S.; Kreuzer-Martin, Helen W.

2010-07-15

One challenge in the forensic analysis of ricin samples is determining the method and extent of sample preparation. Ricin purification from the source castor seeds is essentially a protein purification through removal of the non-protein fractions of the seed. Two major, non-protein constituents in the seed are the castor oil and carbohydrates. Ricinoleic acid is a relatively unique fatty acid in nature and is the most abundant component of castor oil, which comprises roughly half the seed weight. The carbohydrate component comprises roughly half of the remaining “mash” left after oil and hull removal. We used derivatization of carbohydrate andmore » fatty acid markers followed by identification and quantification using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) to assess compositional changes in ricin samples purified by different methods. The loss of ricinoleic acid indicated steps for oil removal had occurred. Changes to the carbohydrate content of the sample were also observed following protein precipitation. The differential loss of arabinose relative to mannose indicated removal of the major carbohydrate fraction of the seed and enrichment of the protein content. Taken together, these changes in fatty acid and carbohydrate abundance are indicative of the preparation method used for each sample.« less

A review of polymer nanofibres by electrospinning and their application in oil-water separation for cleaning up marine oil spills.

PubMed

Sarbatly, Rosalam; Krishnaiah, Duduku; Kamin, Zykamilia

2016-05-15

The growths of oil and gas exploration and production activities have increased environmental problems, such as oil spillage and the resulting pollution. The study of the methods for cleaning up oil spills is a critical issue to protect the environment. Various techniques are available to contain oil spills, but they are typically time consuming, energy inefficient and create secondary pollution. The use of a sorbent, such as a nanofibre sorbent, is a technique for controlling oil spills because of its good physical and oil sorption properties. This review discusses about the application of nanofibre sorbent for oil removal from water and its current developments. With their unique physical and mechanical properties coupled with their very high surface area and small pore sizes, nanofibre sorbents are alternative materials for cleaning up oil spills. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Semisolid matrix filled capsules: an approach to improve dissolution stability of phenytoin sodium formulation.

PubMed

El Massik, M A; Abdallah, O Y; Galal, S; Daabis, N A

2003-05-01

Seven semisolid fill bases were selected for the formulation of 24 capsule formulations, each containing 100 mg of phenytoin sodium. The fill materials were selected based on the water absorption capacity of their mixtures with phenytoin sodium. The fill matrices included lipophilic bases (castor oil, soya oil, and Gelucire (G) 33/01), amphiphilic bases (G 44/14 and Suppocire BP), and water-soluble bases (PEG 4000 and PEG 6000). The drug:base ratio was 1:2. Excipients such as lecithin, docusate sodium, and poloxamer 188 were added to some formulations. The dissolution rate study indicated that formulations containing lipophilic and amphiphilic bases showed the best release profiles. These are F4 (castor oil-1% docusate sodium); F10 (castor oil-3% poloxamer 188); F14 (G33/01-10% lecithin); F17 (G33/01-1% docusate sodium), and F20 (Suppocire BP). Further, the dissolution stability of the five formulations above was assessed by an accelerated stability study at 30 degrees C and 75% RH using standard Epanutin capsules for comparison. The study included the test and standard capsules either packed in the container of marketed Epanutin capsules (packed) or removed from their outer pack (unpacked). Release data indicated superior release rates of castor oil based formulations (F4 and F10) relative to standard capsules in both the unpacked and packed forms. For instance, the extent of drug release at 30 min after 1 month was 91% for F4 and F10 and 20% for standard capsules. Drug release from packed capsules after 6 months storage was 88% for both formulations F4 and F10 and 35% for standard capsules. In conclusion, the pharmaceutical quality of phenytoin sodium capsules can be improved by using a semisolid lipophilic matrix filled in hard gelatin capsules.

A review on applications of nanotechnology in the enhanced oil recovery part B: effects of nanoparticles on flooding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheraghian, Goshtasp; Hendraningrat, Luky

2016-11-01

Chemical flooding is of increasing interest and importance due to high oil prices and the need to increase oil production. Research in nanotechnology in the petroleum industry is advancing rapidly, and an enormous progress in the application of nanotechnology in this area is to be expected. The nanotechnology has been widely used in several other industries, and the interest in the oil industry is increasing. Nanotechnology has the potential to profoundly change enhanced oil recovery and to improve mechanism of recovery, and it is chosen as an alternative method to unlock the remaining oil resources and applied as a new enhanced oil recovery method in last decade. This paper therefore focuses on the reviews of the application of nanotechnology in chemical flooding process in oil recovery and reviews the applications of nanomaterials for improving oil recovery that have been proposed to explain oil displacement by polymer flooding within oil reservoirs, and also this paper highlights the research advances of polymer in oil recovery. Nanochemical flooding is an immature method from an application point of view.

Ultrastructure Processing of Ordered Polymers

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-01-18

from regenerated cellulose , then from synthetic polymer consisting of chemical raw materials derived from oils and coal. Since then, some scientists have...ordered crystal- line material, crystallite, throughout the fiber, which is composed of microfibrils and fibrils. The small crystallites are regularly...these flat ribbons appears to consist of smaller " microfibrils " of lateral dimension varying from 50-80 A, as described before(Figs. 15 and 16). These

Shale Oil Value Enhancement Research

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

James W. Bunger

2006-11-30

Raw kerogen oil is rich in heteroatom-containing compounds. Heteroatoms, N, S & O, are undesirable as components of a refinery feedstock, but are the basis for product value in agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, surfactants, solvents, polymers, and a host of industrial materials. An economically viable, technologically feasible process scheme was developed in this research that promises to enhance the economics of oil shale development, both in the US and elsewhere in the world, in particular Estonia. Products will compete in existing markets for products now manufactured by costly synthesis routes. A premium petroleum refinery feedstock is also produced. The technology is nowmore » ready for pilot plant engineering studies and is likely to play an important role in developing a US oil shale industry.« less

Control of Macromolecular Architectures for Renewable Polymers: Case Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Chuanbing

The development of sustainable polymers from nature biomass is growing, but facing fierce competition from existing petrochemical-based counterparts. Controlling macromolecular architectures to maximize the properties of renewable polymers is a desirable approach to gain advantages. Given the complexity of biomass, there needs special consideration other than traditional design. In the presentation, I will talk about a few case studies on how macromolecular architectures could tune the properties of sustainable bioplastics and elastomers from renewable biomass such as resin acids (natural rosin) and plant oils.

Vegetable Oil-Based Hyperbranched Thermosetting Polyurethane/Clay Nanocomposites

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

The highly branched polyurethanes and vegetable oil-based polymer nanocomposites have been showing fruitful advantages across a spectrum of potential field of applications.Mesua ferreaL. seed oil-based hyperbranched polyurethane (HBPU)/clay nanocomposites were prepared at different dose levels by in situ polymerization technique. The performances of epoxy-cured thermosetting nanocomposites are reported for the first time. The partially exfoliated structure of clay layers was confirmed by XRD and TEM. FTIR spectra indicate the presence of H bonding between nanoclay and the polymer matrix. The present investigation outlines the significant improvement of tensile strength, scratch hardness, thermostability, water vapor permeability, and adhesive strength without much influencing impact resistance, bending, and elongation at break of the nanocomposites compared to pristine HBPU thermoset. An increment of two times the tensile strength, 6 °C of melting point, and 111 °C of thermo-stability were achieved by the formation of nanocomposites. An excellent shape recovery of about 96–99% was observed for the nanocomposites. Thus, the formation of partially exfoliated clay/vegetable oil-based hyperbranched polyurethane nanocomposites significantly improved the performance. PMID:20596546

Vegetable Oil-Based Hyperbranched Thermosetting Polyurethane/Clay Nanocomposites.

PubMed

Deka, Harekrishna; Karak, Niranjan

2009-04-25

The highly branched polyurethanes and vegetable oil-based polymer nanocomposites have been showing fruitful advantages across a spectrum of potential field of applications. Mesua ferrea L. seed oil-based hyperbranched polyurethane (HBPU)/clay nanocomposites were prepared at different dose levels by in situ polymerization technique. The performances of epoxy-cured thermosetting nanocomposites are reported for the first time. The partially exfoliated structure of clay layers was confirmed by XRD and TEM. FTIR spectra indicate the presence of H bonding between nanoclay and the polymer matrix. The present investigation outlines the significant improvement of tensile strength, scratch hardness, thermostability, water vapor permeability, and adhesive strength without much influencing impact resistance, bending, and elongation at break of the nanocomposites compared to pristine HBPU thermoset. An increment of two times the tensile strength, 6 degrees C of melting point, and 111 degrees C of thermo-stability were achieved by the formation of nanocomposites. An excellent shape recovery of about 96-99% was observed for the nanocomposites. Thus, the formation of partially exfoliated clay/vegetable oil-based hyperbranched polyurethane nanocomposites significantly improved the performance.

Synthesis and characterization of novel polymers from non-petroleum sources for use in enhanced oil recovery. Progress report, July 1,1981-June 30, 1982. [Starch-g-polyacrylamide; polysaccharides and acrylamides; Schardinger-. beta. -dextrin and acrylamide

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Butler, G.B.; Hogen-Esch, T.E.

1982-01-01

Annual progress reports are presented for the following tasks: (1) synthesis and structural characterization of polysaccharide-based graft copolymers for use in tertiary oil recovery; (2) determination of physical properties of the polymers and their solutions, and screening of the polymers to determine their utility in oil recovery. Over the past year synthesis and characterization studies have continued in the following five areas: (1) starch-g-polyacrylamide (ST-g-PAM) copolymers; (2) graft copolymers of other polysaccharides (gum arabic, yellow dextrin, pectin, okra polysaccharide, and guar gum) and acrylamides; (3) a naturally occurring polysaccharide extracted from okra (Akro); (4) graft copolymers of Schardinger-..beta..-dextrin and acrylamidemore » (SD-g-PAM); (5) chemical degradation of ST-g-PAM and SD-g-PAM copolymers. For physical properties studies, the following areas were investigated: (1) characterization of copolymers by ultracentrifugation, size exclusion chromatography and nucleophore membrane filtration; (2) rheological studies on copolymers; and (3) statistical analysis of variables in graft copolymerization. (ATT)« less

A Study of Oil Viscosity Mental Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albaiti; Liliasari; Sumarna, Omay; Abdulkadir Martoprawiro, Muhamad

2017-02-01

There is no study regarding on how to learn viscosity of the liquid (e.g. oil) by interconnecting macroscopic, sub-microscopic and symbolic levels. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to study the mental model of the oil viscosity. Intermolecular attractive force of oil constituent on the sub-microscopic level is depicted in the form of mental models. In this research, the viscosity data for some types of oil was measured by using Hoppler method. Viscosity of mineral oil SAE 20W-50, mineral oil SAE 15W-40 and synthetic oil SAE 10W-40 were 1.75, 1.31, and 1.03 Pa s, and the densities of these oils were 908.64, 885.04, and 877.02 kg/m3, respectively. The results showed that the greater density of the mineral oil that is assumed to be composed of linear chains of hydrocarbons, the longer the chain of hydrocarbon linear. Consequently, there are stronger the London force and greater the oil viscosity. The density and viscosity of synthetic oil are lower than that of both mineral oils. Synthetic oil structurally forms polymers with large branching. This structure affects a lower synthetic oil viscosity. This study contributes to construct a mental model of pre-service chemistry teachers.

NMR-based metabolomics approach to study the chronic toxicity of crude ricin from castor bean kernels on rats.

PubMed

Guo, Pingping; Wang, Junsong; Dong, Ge; Wei, Dandan; Li, Minghui; Yang, Minghua; Kong, Lingyi

2014-07-29

Ricin, a large, water soluble toxic glycoprotein, is distributed majorly in the kernels of castor beans (the seeds of Ricinus communis L.) and has been used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) or other folk remedies throughout the world. The toxicity of crude ricin (CR) from castor bean kernels was investigated for the first time using an NMR-based metabolomic approach complemented with histopathological inspection and clinical chemistry. The chronic administration of CR could cause kidney and lung impairment, spleen and thymus dysfunction and diminished nutrient intake in rats. An orthogonal signal correction partial least-squares discriminant analysis (OSC-PLSDA) of metabolomic profiles of rat biofluids highlighted a number of metabolic disturbances induced by CR. Long-term CR treatment produced perturbations on energy metabolism, nitrogen metabolism, amino acid metabolism and kynurenine pathway, and evoked oxidative stress. These findings could explain well the CR induced nephrotoxicity and pulmonary toxicity, and provided several potential biomarkers for diagnostics of these toxicities. Such a (1)H NMR based metabolomics approach showed its ability to give a systematic and holistic view of the response of an organism to drugs and is suitable for dynamic studies on the toxicological effects of TCM.

Polymer/reduced graphene oxide functionalized sponges as superabsorbents for oil removal and recovery.

PubMed

Periasamy, Arun Prakash; Wu, Wen-Ping; Ravindranath, Rini; Roy, Prathik; Lin, Guan-Lin; Chang, Huan-Tsung

2017-01-30

Polyurethane dish-washing (PU-DW) sponges are functionalized sequentially with polyethylenimine (PEI) and graphene oxide (GO) to form PEI/reduced graphene oxide (RGO) PU-DW sponges. The PEI/RGO PU-DW sponge consists of PEI/RGO sheets having numerous pores, with diameters ranging from 236 to 254nm. To further enhance hydrophobicity and absorption capacity of oil, PEI/RGO PU-DW sponge is further coated with 20% phenyltrimethoxysilane (PTMOS). The PTMOS/PEI/RGO PU-DW sponge absorbs various oils within 20s, with maximum absorption capacity values of 880% and 840% for bicycle chain oil and motorcycle engine oil, respectively. The absorbed oils were released completely by squeezing or immersed in hexane. The PTMOS/PEI/RGO PU-DW sponge efficiently separates oil/water mixtures through a flowing system. Having the advantages of faster absorption rate, reusability, and low cost, the PTMOS/PEI/RGO PU-DW sponge holds great potential as a superabsorbent for efficient removal and recovery of oil spills as well as for the separation of oil/water mixtures. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reactive coating of soybean oil-based polymer on nanofibrillated cellulose film for water vapor barrier packaging.

PubMed

Lu, Peng; Xiao, Huining; Zhang, Weiwei; Gong, Glen

2014-10-13

Nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) easily forms a high strength film but is unable to withstand the influence of water vapor when used in high moisture situations. The water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) of a NFC film was as high as 5088 g/m(2)24h (38 °C, 90% RH). The addition of beeswax latex in a NFC casting film (NFX) lowered the WVTR to 3918 g/m(2)24h. To further reduce the WVTR, a coating agent comprised of acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (AESO) and 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTS) was applied onto the NFX film using a rod coater. A combination of the suitable AESO/APTS ratio, initiator dosing, curing time and temperature could reduce the WVTR to 188 g/m(2) 24h when the coat weight was 5 g/m(2). Moreover, the coated NFX film was highly hydrophobic along with the improved transparency and thermal stability. This biodegradable polymer-coated NFC film can be used as potential packaging barrier in certain areas. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Novel polymeric materials from vegetable oils and vinyl monomers: preparation, properties, and applications.

PubMed

Lu, Yongshang; Larock, Richard C

2009-01-01

Veggie-based products: Vegetable-oil-based polymeric materials, prepared by free radical, cationic, and olefin metathesis polymerizations, range from soft rubbers to ductile or rigid plastics, and to high-performance biocomposites and nanocomposites. They display a wide range of thermophysical and mechanical properties and may find promising applications as alternatives to petroleum-based polymers.Vegetable oils are considered to be among the most promising renewable raw materials for polymers, because of their ready availability, inherent biodegradability, and their many versatile applications. Research on and development of vegetable oil based polymeric materials, including thermosetting resins, biocomposites, and nanocomposites, have attracted increasing attention in recent years. This Minireview focuses on the latest developments in the preparation, properties, and applications of vegetable oil based polymeric materials obtained by free radical, cationic, and olefin metathesis polymerizations. The novel vegetable oil based polymeric materials obtained range from soft rubbery materials to ductile or rigid plastics and to high-performance biocomposites and nanocomposites. These vegetable oil based polymeric materials display a wide range of thermophysical and mechanical properties and should find useful applications as alternatives to their petroleum-based counterparts.

Polymer damage mitigation---predictive lifetime models of polymer insulation degradation and biorenewable thermosets through cationic polymerization for self-healing applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hondred, Peter Raymond

repairing damage before the damage causes a failure in the polymer's function. In this work, the healing agent (adhesive) is developed using bio-renewable oils instead of solely relying on petroleum based feedstocks. Several bio-renewable thermosetting polymers were successfully prepared from tung oil through cationic polymerization for the use as the healing agent in self-healing microencapsulated applications. Modifications to both the monomers in the resin and the catalyst for polymerization were made and the subsequent changes to mechanical, thermal, and structural properties were identified. Furthermore, compressive lap shear testing was used to confirm that the adhesive properties would be beneficial for self-healing applications. Finally, scanning electron microscopy of the crack plane was used to study the fracture mechanism of the crack.

Mitigating oil spills in the water column

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Barry, Edward; Libera, Joseph A.; Mane, Anil U.

The scale and scope of uncontrolled oil spills can be devastating. Diverse marine environments and fragile ecologies are some of the most susceptible to the many ill effects, while the economic costs can be crippling. A notoriously difficult challenge with no known technological solution is the successful removal of oil dispersed in the water column. Here, we address this problem through cheap and reusable oil sorbents based on the chemical modification of polymer foams. Interfacial chemistry was optimized and subsequently tested in a simulated marine environment at the National Oil Spill Response Research & Renewable Energy Test Facility, Ohmsett. Wemore » find favorable performance for surface oil mitigation and, for the first time, demonstrate the advanced sorbent's efficiency and efficacy at pilot scale in extraction of crude oil and refined petroleum products dispersed in the water column. As a result, this is a potentially disruptive technology, opening a new field of environmental science focused on sub-surface pollutant sequestration.« less

Mitigating oil spills in the water column

DOE PAGES

Barry, Edward; Libera, Joseph A.; Mane, Anil U.; ...

2017-10-05

The scale and scope of uncontrolled oil spills can be devastating. Diverse marine environments and fragile ecologies are some of the most susceptible to the many ill effects, while the economic costs can be crippling. A notoriously difficult challenge with no known technological solution is the successful removal of oil dispersed in the water column. Here, we address this problem through cheap and reusable oil sorbents based on the chemical modification of polymer foams. Interfacial chemistry was optimized and subsequently tested in a simulated marine environment at the National Oil Spill Response Research & Renewable Energy Test Facility, Ohmsett. Wemore » find favorable performance for surface oil mitigation and, for the first time, demonstrate the advanced sorbent's efficiency and efficacy at pilot scale in extraction of crude oil and refined petroleum products dispersed in the water column. As a result, this is a potentially disruptive technology, opening a new field of environmental science focused on sub-surface pollutant sequestration.« less

Genome-wide comparative analysis of papain-like cysteine protease family genes in castor bean and physic nut.

PubMed

Zou, Zhi; Huang, Qixing; Xie, Guishui; Yang, Lifu

2018-01-10

Papain-like cysteine proteases (PLCPs) are a class of proteolytic enzymes involved in many plant processes. Compared with the extensive research in Arabidopsis thaliana, little is known in castor bean (Ricinus communis) and physic nut (Jatropha curcas), two Euphorbiaceous plants without any recent whole-genome duplication. In this study, a total of 26 or 23 PLCP genes were identified from the genomes of castor bean and physic nut respectively, which can be divided into nine subfamilies based on the phylogenetic analysis: RD21, CEP, XCP, XBCP3, THI, SAG12, RD19, ALP and CTB. Although most of them harbor orthologs in Arabidopsis, several members in subfamilies RD21, CEP, XBCP3 and SAG12 form new groups or subgroups as observed in other species, suggesting specific gene loss occurred in Arabidopsis. Recent gene duplicates were also identified in these two species, but they are limited to the SAG12 subfamily and were all derived from local duplication. Expression profiling revealed diverse patterns of different family members over various tissues. Furthermore, the evolution characteristics of PLCP genes were also compared and discussed. Our findings provide a useful reference to characterize PLCP genes and investigate the family evolution in Euphorbiaceae and species beyond.

Lesquerella seed yield estimation using color image segmentation to track flowering dynamics under water and nitrogen limitation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Seed oil from lesquerella (Physaria fendleri (Gray) O'Kane & Al-Shehbaz) can potentially supplement castor oil as a non-petroleum-based chemical feedstock in the production of many industrial products. However, before lesquerella will become commercially viable, further efforts are needed to address...

Polymers prepared from plant oils in liquid carbon dioxide

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Recently, attention has been focused on the preparation of polymers in environmentally friendly media. Supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) is a promising candidate. The low toxicity of CO2 and lack of toxic solvent residues in the final products make CO2 an attractive medium for the synthesis of ...

Plasma polymer facilitated magnetic technology for removal of oils from contaminated waters.

PubMed

Wahono, Satriyo Krido; Cavallaro, Alex; Vasilev, Krasimir; Mierczynska, Agnieszka

2018-05-16

Oil pollution of waters is one of the most serious environmental problems globally. The long half-life and persistence within the environment makes oil particularly toxic and difficult to remediate. There is a significant need for efficient and cost-effective oil recovery technologies to be brought in to practice. In this study, we developed a facile and efficient magnetic separation method. The surface of 316L stainless steel nanoparticles was modified by plasma deposition of 1,7-octadiene and perfluorooctane, producing relatively hydrophobic coatings having water contact angles of 86 and 100°, respectively. Both coatings had high oil removal efficiency (ORE) of >99%. The captured oil could be easily separated by applying an external magnetic force. The ease of material preparation and separation from the water after the oil is captured, and its high ORE is a compelling argument for further development and optimization of the technology to possible utilization into practice. Furthermore, the capacity of plasma polymerization to deliver desired surface properties can extend the application of the technology to removing other chemical and biological contaminants from polluted waters. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Molecular imprinting solid phase extraction for selective detection of methidathion in olive oil.

PubMed

Bakas, Idriss; Oujji, Najwa Ben; Moczko, Ewa; Istamboulie, Georges; Piletsky, Sergey; Piletska, Elena; Ait-Ichou, Ihya; Ait-Addi, Elhabib; Noguer, Thierry; Rouillon, Régis

2012-07-13

A specific adsorbent for extraction of methidathion from olive oil was developed. The design of the molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was based on the results of the computational screening of the library of polymerisable functional monomers. MIP was prepared by thermal polymerisation using N,N'-methylene bisacrylamide (MBAA) as a functional monomer and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as a cross-linker. The polymers based on the itaconic acid (IA), methacrylic acid (MAA) and 2-(trifluoromethyl)acryl acid (TFMAA) functional monomers and one control polymer which was made without functional monomers with cross-linker EGDMA were also synthesised and tested. The performance of each polymer was compared using corresponding imprinting factor. As it was predicted by molecular modelling the best results were obtained for the MIP prepared with MBAA. The obtained MIP was optimised in solid-phase extraction coupled with high performance liquid chromatography (MISPE-HPLC-UV) and tested for the rapid screening of methidathion in olive oil. The proposed method allowed the efficient extraction of methidathion for concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 9 mg L(-1) (r(2)=0.996). The limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) in olive oil were 0.02 mg L(-1) and 0.1 mg L(-1), respectively. MIPs extraction was much more effective than traditional C18 reverse-phase solid phase extraction. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A review on applications of nanotechnology in the enhanced oil recovery part A: effects of nanoparticles on interfacial tension

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheraghian, Goshtasp; Hendraningrat, Luky

2016-01-01

Chemical enhanced oil recovery is another strong growing technology with the potential of a step change innovation, which will help to secure future oil supply by turning resources into reserves. While Substantial amount of crude oil remains in the reservoir after primary and secondary production, conventional production methods give access to on average only one-third of original oil in place, the use of surfactants and polymers allows for recovery of up to another third of this oil. Chemical flooding is of increasing interest and importance due to high oil prices and the need to increase oil production. Research in nanotechnology in the petroleum industry is advancing rapidly and an enormous progress in the application of nanotechnology in this area is to be expected. Nanotechnology has the potential to profoundly change enhanced oil recovery and to improve mechanism of recovery. This paper, therefore, focuses on the reviews of the application of nano technology in chemical flooding process in oil recovery and reviews the application nano in the polymer and surfactant flooding on the interfacial tension process.

Preparation of the Pt/CNTs Catalyst and Its Application to the Fabrication of Hydrogenated Soybean Oil Containing a Low Content of Trans Fatty Acids Using the Solid Polymer Electrolyte Reactor.

PubMed

Zheng, Huanyu; Ding, Yangyue; Xu, Hui; Zhang, Lin; Cui, Yueting; Han, Jianchun; Zhu, Xiuqing; Yu, Dianyu; Jiang, Lianzhou; Liu, Lilai

2018-08-01

Pt/CNTs were synthesized with an ethylene glycol reduction method, and the effects of carboxyl functionalization, ultrasonic power and the concentration of chloroplatinic acid on the catalytic activity of Pt/CNTs were investigated. The optimal performance of the Pt/CNTs catalyst was obtained when the ultrasonic power was 300 W and the concentration of chloroplatinic acid was 40 mg/mL. The durability and stability of the Pt/CNTs catalyst were considerably better compared to Pt/C, as shown by cyclic voltammetry measurement results. The trans fatty acids content of the obtained hydrogenated soybean oil (IV: 108.4 gl2/100 g oil) using Pt/CNTs as the cathode catalyst in a solid polymer electrolyte reactor was only 1.49%. The IV of hydrogenated soybean oil obtained using CNTs as carrier with Pt loading 0.1 mg/cm2 (IV: 108.4 gl2/100 g oil) was lower than carbon with a Pt loading of 0.8 mg/cm2 (IV: 109.9 gl2/100 g oil). Thus, to achive the same IV, the usage of Pt was much less when carbon nanotubes were selected as catalyst carrier compared to traditional carbon carrier. The changes of fatty acid components and the hydrogenated selectivity of octadecenoic acid were also discussed.

Diversity of plant oil seed-associated fungi isolated from seven oil-bearing seeds and their potential for the production of lipolytic enzymes.

PubMed

Venkatesagowda, Balaji; Ponugupaty, Ebenezer; Barbosa, Aneli M; Dekker, Robert F H

2012-01-01

Commercial oil-yielding seeds (castor, coconut, neem, peanut, pongamia, rubber and sesame) were collected from different places in the state of Tamil Nadu (India) from which 1279 endophytic fungi were isolated. The oil-bearing seeds exhibited rich fungal diversity. High Shannon-Index H' was observed with pongamia seeds (2.847) while a low Index occurred for coconut kernel-associated mycoflora (1.018). Maximum Colonization Frequency (%) was observed for Lasiodiplodia theobromae (176). Dominance Index (expressed in terms of the Simpson's Index D) was high (0.581) for coconut kernel-associated fungi, and low for pongamia seed-borne fungi. Species Richness (Chao) of the fungal isolates was high (47.09) in the case of neem seeds, and low (16.6) for peanut seeds. All 1279 fungal isolates were screened for lipolytic activity employing a zymogram method using Tween-20 in agar. Forty isolates showed strong lipolytic activity, and were morphologically identified as belonging to 19 taxa (Alternaria, Aspergillus, Chalaropsis, Cladosporium, Colletotrichum, Curvularia, Drechslera, Fusarium, Lasiodiplodia, Mucor, Penicillium, Pestalotiopsis, Phoma, Phomopsis, Phyllosticta, Rhizopus, Sclerotinia, Stachybotrys and Trichoderma). These isolates also exhibited amylolytic, proteolytic and cellulolytic activities. Five fungal isolates (Aspergillus niger, Chalaropsis thielavioides, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Lasiodiplodia theobromae and Phoma glomerata) exhibited highest lipase activities, and the best producer was Lasiodiplodia theobromae (108 U/mL), which was characterized by genomic sequence analysis of the ITS region of 18S rDNA.

Lignin-based monomers: Utilization in high-performance polymers and the effects of their structures on polymer properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stanzione, Joseph F., III

With the uncertainty of petroleum reserves and future crude oil prices, lignocellulosic biomass is becoming an increasingly valuable resource for the sustainable development of fuels, chemicals, and materials, including vinyl ester resins (VERs). Petroleum-based VERs are used to produce polymer composites for a wide variety of commercial applications. Although possessing relatively high moduli, strengths, and glass transition temperatures, commercial VERs typically contain high concentrations of a reactive diluent, such as styrene. However, these reactive diluents are often considered hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and anticipated carcinogens. Moreover, bisphenol-A, which has gained considerable attention due to potential associated health-related issues, is utilized as a precursor in the synthesis of VERs. A green chemistry and engineering approach in the development of new VERs and renewable reactive diluents that are based on lignin is presented in this dissertation. Lignin, which is currently an abundant, renewable waste product of the paper and pulping industry, is primarily burned as a low value fuel. However, lignin has the potential to be a low cost feedstock in future lignocellulosic biorefineries that could yield highly valuable aromatic chemicals (lignin model compounds, LMCs) when strategically depolymerized. The incorporation of aromaticity in a resin's chemical structure is known to improve overall polymer composite performance and the high aromatic content found in lignin is ideal for novel resin development. Highlighted in this dissertation are three projects: (1) the synthesis and characterization of a lignin-based bio-oil resin/reactive diluent, (2) the use of functionalized LMCs as styrene replacements in VERs, and (3) the synthesis and characterization of a vanillin-based resin. Through the use of traditional and new polymer theory coupled with spectroscopic, thermal, and mechanical techniques, structure

Lipid oxidation in base algae oil and water-in-algae oil emulsion: Impact of natural antioxidants and emulsifiers.

PubMed

Chen, Bingcan; Rao, Jiajia; Ding, Yangping; McClements, David Julian; Decker, Eric Andrew

2016-07-01

The impact of natural hydrophilic antioxidants, metal chelators, and hydrophilic antioxidant/metal chelator mixture on the oxidative stability of base algae oil and water-in-algae oil emulsion was investigated. The results showed that green tea extract and ascorbic acid had greatest protective effect against algae oil oxidation and generated four day lag phase, whereas rosmarinic acid, grape seed extract, grape seed extract polymer, deferoxamine (DFO), and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) had no significant protective effect. Besides, there was no synergistic effect observed between natural antioxidants and ascorbic acid. The emulsifiers are critical to the physicochemical stability of water-in-algae oil emulsions. Polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR) promoted the oxidation of emulsion. Conversely, the protective effect on algae oil oxidation was appreciated when defatted soybean lecithin (PC 75) or defatted lyso-lecithin (Lyso-PC) was added. The role of hydrophilic antioxidants in emulsion was similar to that in algae oil except EDTA which demonstrated strong antioxidative effect in emulsion. The results could provide information to build up stable food products containing polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

From zero to hero - production of bio-based nylon from renewable resources using engineered Corynebacterium glutamicum.

PubMed

Kind, Stefanie; Neubauer, Steffi; Becker, Judith; Yamamoto, Motonori; Völkert, Martin; Abendroth, Gregory von; Zelder, Oskar; Wittmann, Christoph

2014-09-01

Polyamides are important industrial polymers. Currently, they are produced exclusively from petrochemical monomers. Herein, we report the production of a novel bio-nylon, PA5.10 through an integration of biological and chemical approaches. First, systems metabolic engineering of Corynebacterium glutamicum was used to create an effective microbial cell factory for the production of diaminopentane as the polymer building block. In this way, a hyper-producer, with a high diaminopentane yield of 41% in shake flask culture, was generated. Subsequent fed-batch production of C. glutamicum DAP-16 allowed a molar yield of 50%, a productivity of 2.2gL(-1)h(-1), and a final titer of 88gL(-1). The streamlined producer accumulated diaminopentane without generating any by-products. Solvent extraction from alkalized broth and two-step distillation provided highly pure diaminopentane (99.8%), which was then directly accessible for poly-condensation. Chemical polymerization with sebacic acid, a ten-carbon dicarboxylic acid derived from castor plant oil, yielded the bio-nylon, PA5.10. In pure form and reinforced with glass fibers, the novel 100% bio-polyamide achieved an excellent melting temperature and the mechanical strength of the well-established petrochemical polymers, PA6 and PA6.6. It even outperformed the oil-based products in terms of having a 6% lower density. It thus holds high promise for applications in energy-friendly transportation. The demonstration of a novel route for generation of bio-based nylon from renewable sources opens the way to production of sustainable bio-polymers with enhanced material properties and represents a milestone in industrial production. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kreuzer, Helen W.; West, Jason B.; Ehleringer, James

Seeds of the castor plant Ricinus communis, also known as castor beans, are of forensic interest because they are the source of the poison ricin. We have tested whether stable isotope ratios of castor seeds and ricin prepared by various methods can be used as a forensic signature. We collected over 300 castor seed samples from locations around the world and measured the C, N, O, and H stable isotope ratios of the whole seeds, oil, and three types of ricin preparations. Our results demonstrate that N isotope ratios can be used to correlate ricin prepared by any of thesemore » methods to source seeds. Further, stable isotope ratios distinguished >99% of crude and purified ricin protein samples in pair-wise comparison tests. Stable isotope ratios therefore constitute a valuable forensic signature for ricin preparations.« less

Polymer-Cement Composites with Self-Healing Ability for Geothermal and Fossil Energy Applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Childers, M. Ian; Nguyen, Manh-Thuong; Rod, Kenton A.

Sealing of wellbores in geothermal and tight oil/gas reservoirs by filling the annulus with cement is a well-established practice. Failure of the cement as a result of physical and/or chemical stress is a common problem with serious environmental and financial consequences. Numerous alternative cement blends have been proposed for the oil and gas industry. Most of these possess poor mechanical properties, or are not designed to work in high temperature environments. This work reports on a novel polymer-cement composite with remarkable self-healing ability that maintains the required properties of typical wellbore cements and may be stable at most geothermal temperatures.more » We combine for the first time experimental analysis of physical and chemical properties with density functional theory simulations to evaluate cement performance. The thermal stability and mechanical strength are attributed to the formation of a number of chemical interactions between the polymer and cement matrix including covalent bonds, hydrogen bonding, and van der Waals interactions. Self-healing was demonstrated by sealing fractures with 0.3–0.5 mm apertures, 2 orders of magnitude larger than typical wellbore fractures. This polymer-cement composite represents a major advance in wellbore cementing that could improve the environmental safety and economics of enhanced geothermal energy and tight oil/gas production.« less

Essential oil based polymeric patch development and evaluating its repellent activity against mosquitoes.

PubMed

Chattopadhyay, Pronobesh; Dhiman, Sunil; Borah, Somi; Rabha, Bipul; Chaurasia, Aashwin Kumar; Veer, Vijay

2015-07-01

Essential oil based insect repellents are environment friendly and provide dependable personal protection against the bites of mosquitoes and other blood-sucking insects. In the present study, optimized mixture of three essential oils was embedded into the ethylcellulose (EC) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP K-30) polymers to develop essential oils based patch type mosquito repellent formulation. The developed formulation was characterized for various physico-chemical properties, oil release efficiency and essential oil-polymer interaction. Repellent activity of the formulation was evaluated against Ae. (S) albopictus mosquitoes and compared with commercially available synthetic insecticide based mosquito repellent cream Odomos(®) in the laboratory. The developed patches were 100% flat and there was no interaction between oil components and the excipients. Patches were smooth, homogenous and provided excellent mosquito repellent activity comparable to Odomos(®) under laboratory condition. Morphological and physico-chemical characterization indicated that the formulation was stable and suitable with the polymeric combination. The patch formulation did not show any inhalation toxicity in experimental Wistar rat. The repellent patches developed and evaluated currently, may provide a suitable, eco-friendly, acceptable and safe alternative to the existing synthetic repellent formulations for achieving protection against mosquitoes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

VERUCLAY – a new type of photo-adsorbent active in the visible light range: modification of montmorillonite surface with organic surfactant

EPA Science Inventory

Montmorillonite K10 was treated with VeruSOL-3, a biodegradable and food-grade surfactant mixture of coconut oil, castor oil and citrus extracts, to manufacture a benign catalytic adsorbent that is active in the visible light. Veruclay was characterized by SEM, XRD, TGA, UVDRS, a...

Laxative overdose

MedlinePlus

Below are specific laxative drugs, with some brand names: Bisacodyl (Dulcolax) Cascara sagrada Castor oil Docusate (Colace) Docusate and phenolphthalein (Correctol) Glycerin suppositories Lactulose (Duphalac) Magnesium ...

Synthesis of Size-Tunable CO2-Philic Imprinted Polymeric Particles (MIPs) for Low-Pressure CO2 Capture Using Oil-in-Oil Suspension Polymerization.

PubMed

Nabavi, Seyed Ali; Vladisavljević, Goran T; Zhu, Yidi; Manović, Vasilije

2017-10-03

Highly selective molecularly imprinted poly[acrylamide-co-(ethylene glycol dimethacrylate)] polymer particles (MIPs) for CO 2 capture were synthesized by suspension polymerization via oil-in-oil emulsion. Creation of CO 2 -philic, amide-decorated cavities in the polymer matrix led to a high affinity to CO 2 . At 0.15 bar CO 2 partial pressure, the CO 2 /N 2 selectivity was 49 (corresponding to 91% purity of the gas stream after regeneration), and reached 97 at ultralow CO 2 partial pressures. The imprinted polymers showed considerably higher CO 2 uptakes compared to their nonimprinted counterparts, and the maximum equilibrium CO 2 capture capacity of 1.1 mmol g -1 was achieved at 273 K. The heat of adsorption was below 32 kJ mol -1 and the temperature of onset of intense thermal degradation was 351-376 °C. An increase in monomer-to-cross-linker molar ratio in the dispersed phase up to 1:2.5 led to a higher affinity toward CO 2 due to higher density of selective amide groups in the polymer network. MIPs are a promising option for industrial packed and fluidized bed CO 2 capture systems due to large particles with a diameter up to 1200 μm and irregular oblong shapes formed due to arrested coalescence during polymerization, occurring as a result of internal elasticity of the partially polymerized semisolid drops.

Suppression of the Saffman-Taylor instability through injection of a finite slug of polymer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beeson-Jones, Timothy H.; Woods, Andrew W.

2014-11-01

During secondary oil recovery, relatively mobile water can channel through oil owing to the Saffman-Taylor instability. Injection of a finite slug of polymer solution from a central well prior to the water flood suppresses the growth of the instability by reducing the adverse mobility ratio at the leading interface. A linear stability analysis of an axisymmetric base state identifies how perturbations on the leading and trailing interfaces become coupled. It also reveals the dependence of the long-time algebraic growth of each mode on the mobility ratios across the two interfaces. The viscosity of the polymer solution which minimizes the growth rate of the instability is identified, and the impact of different slug sizes on this growth is described. Funded by EPSRC & BP.

Hybrid Nanoparticles as Oil Lubricant Additives for Friction and Wear Reduction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhao, Bin; Dai, Sheng; Qu, Jun

A new class of organic-inorganic/metallic hybrid nanoparticles (NPs), including oil-soluble polymer brush-grafted metal oxide NPs and organic-modified metallic NPs, was developed and used as oil lubricant additives for friction and wear reduction to improve engine energy efficiency. The tribological properties of these hybrid NPs in polyalphaolefin (PAO) base oil were investigated by high contact stress ball-on-flat reciprocating sliding tribological tests at 100 oC. Using surface-initiated “living”/controlled radical polymerization from initiator- or chain transfer agent-functionalized metal oxide (silica and titania) NPs, we synthesized a series of hairy NPs and systematically studied the effects of molecular weight and chemical composition of graftedmore » polymer brushes on oil dispersibility, stability, and lubrication properties of hairy NPs in PAO. In addition, several types of organic-modified metallic NPs, including silver and palladium NPs, were synthesized by using thiol compounds and ionic liquids (ILs) as ligands. Significant reductions in friction (up to 40%) and wear volume (up to 90%) were achieved by using PAO mixed with hairy NPs or organic-modified metal NPs compared to PAO base oil. Moreover, a positive effect on lubricating performance was observed when oil-soluble hairy silica NPs and an IL were used simultaneously as additives for PAO for friction reduction. The lubrication mechanisms of these hybrid NPs were elucidated by both experimental and simulation studies.« less

Electrospinning chitosan/poly(ethylene oxide) solutions with essential oils: Correlating solution rheology to nanofiber formation.

PubMed

Rieger, Katrina A; Birch, Nathan P; Schiffman, Jessica D

2016-03-30

Electrospinning hydrophilic nanofiber mats that deliver hydrophobic agents would enable the development of new therapeutic wound dressings. However, the correlation between precursor solution properties and nanofiber morphology for polymer solutions electrospun with or without hydrophobic oils has not yet been demonstrated. Here, cinnamaldehyde (CIN) and hydrocinnamic alcohol (H-CIN) were electrospun in chitosan (CS)/poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) nanofiber mats as a function of CS molecular weight and degree of acetylation (DA). Viscosity stress sweeps determined how the oils affected solution viscosity and chain entanglement (Ce) concentration. Experimentally, the maximum polymer:oil mass ratio electrospun was 1:3 and 1:6 for CS/PEO:CIN and:H-CIN, respectively; a higher chitosan DA increased the incorporation of H-CIN only. The correlations determined for electrospinning plant-derived oils could potentially be applied to other hydrophobic molecules, thus broadening the delivery of therapeutics from electrospun nanofiber mats. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) is apparently not a host to blood parasites in Norway.

PubMed

Cross, Hannah B; Campbell-Palmer, Róisín; Girling, Simon; Rosell, Frank

2012-11-23

Parasites can alter the physiology and behaviour of host species and negatively impact on their fitness thus affecting population densities. This is the first investigation into the presence of blood parasites in the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber); a species that has been the subject of many translocation and reintroduction programmes. Two hundred and seventy blood slides prepared from the blood of 27 beavers from southern Norway were microscopically analysed for the presence of blood parasites. This study reports an absence of blood parasites in the Norwegian Eurasian beavers sampled. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Behaviors of Polymer Additives Under EHL and Influences of Interactions Between Additives on Friction Modification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sakurai, T.

1984-01-01

Polymer additives have become requisite for the formulation of multigrade engine oils. The behavior of polymethacrylate (PMA)-thickened oils as lubricants in concentrated contacts under nominal rolling and pure sliding conditions was investigated by conventional optical interferometry. The PMA thickened oils behaved differently from the base oil in the formation of elastohydrodynamic (EHL) films. The higher the elastohydrodynamic molecular weight of the PMA contained in the lubricant, the thinner was the oil film under EHL conditions. The film thickness of shear-degraded PMA-thickened oils was also investigated. The behavior of graphite particles dispersed in both the base oil and the PMA-thickened oil was studied under pure sliding by taking photomicrographs. Many kinds of additives are contained in lubricating oil and the interactions between additives are considered. The interactions of zinc-organodithiophosphates (ZDP) with other additives is discussed.

Proficiency feasibility of multi-walled carbon nanotubes in the presence of polymeric surfactant on enhanced oil recovery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nezhad, Javad Razavi; Jafari, Arezou; Abdollahi, Mahdi

2018-01-01

Enhanced heavy oil recovery methods are widely utilized to increase oil recovery. For this purpose, polymer and surfactant flooding have been used extensively. Recently, polymeric surfactant flooding has become an attractive alternative to sole polymer flooding due to their capability of providing an increase in solution viscosity and a decrease in interfacial tension, which are both beneficial for efficiency of the process. Applying nanoparticles as an additive to polymer solutions is a method to improve viscosity and alter rock wettability. Therefore, in this research, multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) was mixed with a polymeric surfactant of polyacrylamide-graft-lignin copolymer (PAM-g-L) synthesized via radical grafting reaction. Moreover, several solutions with different concentrations of nanoparticles with PAM-g-L were prepared. The solutions were injected into a micromodel to evaluate the PAM-g-L flooding efficiency in presence of the multi-walled carbon nanotubes. The results of micromodel flooding showed that increasing MWCNT concentration results in lower sweep efficiencies; and consequently, oil production will decrease. Therefore, MWCNT along with PAM-g-L has an unacceptable performance in enhanced heavy oil recovery. But data of wettability tests revealed that MWCNT can change the wettability from oil-wet to water-wet. In addition, the combination of the PAM-g-L and MWCNT in a solution will cause more water-wet condition.

Rheological Properties of a Biological Thermo-Hydrogel Produced from Soybean Oil Polymers

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The rheological properties of a newly developed biological thermo-hydrogel made from vegetable oil were investigated. The material named HPSO-HG is a hydrolytic product of polymerized soybean oil (PSO). HPSO-HG exhibited viscoelastic behavior above 2% (wt.%) at room temperature and viscous fluid b...

Highly Destructive Polymer-Contained Neutralizing Skin Protectants

DTIC Science & Technology

1997-06-01

compound derived by reaction with a polymer or monomer. Our Phase I experiments have identified and proved out the feasibility of at least 3 metal...neutralizing agents are incorporated into a base cream, containing a mixture of perfluorinated polyether oil and Teflon particulates as thickener, for...reaction. PURPOSE The ultimate purpose of this research effort was to develop neutralizing compounds , which when incorporated into a base cream, provide a

Estimates of underwater and aerial visual acuity in the European beaver Castor fiber L. based on morphological data.

PubMed

Mass, A M; Supin, A Ya

2017-03-01

The eye optics and topographic distribution of ganglion cells were studied using whole mount preparations from European beaver Castor fiber L. The beaver eye optics provides emmetropia in air and hypermetropia in water. The optometrical measurements predict retinal resolution of the beaver eye around 17' in air and 9' in water. In air, retinal resolution corresponds to the real visual acuity, whereas in water, visual acuity is below the retinal resolution because of the non-precise focusing.

Laying Waste to Mercury: Inexpensive Sorbents Made from Sulfur and Recycled Cooking Oils

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Worthington, Max J. H.; Kucera, Renata L.; Albuquerque, Inês S.

Mercury pollution threatens the environment and human health across the globe. This neurotoxic substance is encountered in artisanal gold mining, coal combustion, oil and gas refining, waste incineration, chloralkalai plant operation, metallurgy, and areas of agriculture in which mercuryrich fungicides are used. Thousands of tonnes of mercury are emitted annually through these activities. With the Minamata Convention on Mercury entering force this year, increasing regulation of mercury pollution is imminent. It is therefore critical to provide inexpensive and scalable mercury sorbents. The research herein addresses this need by introducing low-cost mercury sorbents made solely from sulfur and unsaturated cooking oils.more » A porous version of the polymer was prepared by simply synthesising the polymer in the presence of a sodium chloride porogen. The resulting material is a rubber that captures liquid mercury metal, mercury vapour, inorganic mercury bound to organic matter, and highly toxic alkylmercury compounds. Mercury removal from air, water and soil was demonstrated. Because sulfur is a by-product of petroleum refining and spent cooking oils from the food industry are suitable starting materials, these mercury-capturing polymers can be synthesised entirely from waste and supplied on multi-kilogram scales. This study is therefore an advance in waste valorisation and environmental chemistry.« less

Laying Waste to Mercury: Inexpensive Sorbents Made from Sulfur and Recycled Cooking Oils

DOE PAGES

Worthington, Max J. H.; Kucera, Renata L.; Albuquerque, Inês S.; ...

2017-08-30

Mercury pollution threatens the environment and human health across the globe. This neurotoxic substance is encountered in artisanal gold mining, coal combustion, oil and gas refining, waste incineration, chloralkalai plant operation, metallurgy, and areas of agriculture in which mercuryrich fungicides are used. Thousands of tonnes of mercury are emitted annually through these activities. With the Minamata Convention on Mercury entering force this year, increasing regulation of mercury pollution is imminent. It is therefore critical to provide inexpensive and scalable mercury sorbents. The research herein addresses this need by introducing low-cost mercury sorbents made solely from sulfur and unsaturated cooking oils.more » A porous version of the polymer was prepared by simply synthesising the polymer in the presence of a sodium chloride porogen. The resulting material is a rubber that captures liquid mercury metal, mercury vapour, inorganic mercury bound to organic matter, and highly toxic alkylmercury compounds. Mercury removal from air, water and soil was demonstrated. Because sulfur is a by-product of petroleum refining and spent cooking oils from the food industry are suitable starting materials, these mercury-capturing polymers can be synthesised entirely from waste and supplied on multi-kilogram scales. This study is therefore an advance in waste valorisation and environmental chemistry.« less

Laying Waste to Mercury: Inexpensive Sorbents Made from Sulfur and Recycled Cooking Oils

PubMed Central

Worthington, Max J. H.; Kucera, Renata L.; Albuquerque, Inês S.; Gibson, Christopher T.; Sibley, Alexander; Slattery, Ashley D.; Campbell, Jonathan A.; Alboaiji, Salah F. K.; Muller, Katherine A.; Young, Jason; Adamson, Nick; Gascooke, Jason R.; Jampaiah, Deshetti; Sabri, Ylias M.; Bhargava, Suresh K.; Ippolito, Samuel J.; Lewis, David A.; Quinton, Jamie S.; Ellis, Amanda V.; Johs, Alexander; Bernardes, Gonçalo J. L.

2017-01-01

Abstract Mercury pollution threatens the environment and human health across the globe. This neurotoxic substance is encountered in artisanal gold mining, coal combustion, oil and gas refining, waste incineration, chloralkali plant operation, metallurgy, and areas of agriculture in which mercury‐rich fungicides are used. Thousands of tonnes of mercury are emitted annually through these activities. With the Minamata Convention on Mercury entering force this year, increasing regulation of mercury pollution is imminent. It is therefore critical to provide inexpensive and scalable mercury sorbents. The research herein addresses this need by introducing low‐cost mercury sorbents made solely from sulfur and unsaturated cooking oils. A porous version of the polymer was prepared by simply synthesising the polymer in the presence of a sodium chloride porogen. The resulting material is a rubber that captures liquid mercury metal, mercury vapour, inorganic mercury bound to organic matter, and highly toxic alkylmercury compounds. Mercury removal from air, water and soil was demonstrated. Because sulfur is a by‐product of petroleum refining and spent cooking oils from the food industry are suitable starting materials, these mercury‐capturing polymers can be synthesised entirely from waste and supplied on multi‐kilogram scales. This study is therefore an advance in waste valorisation and environmental chemistry. PMID:28763123

Chemical systems for improved oil recovery: Phase behavior, oil recovery, and mobility control studies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Llave, F.; Gall, B.; Gao, H., Scott, L., Cook, I.

Selected surfactant systems containing a series of ethoxylated nonionic surfactants in combination with an anionic surfactant system have been studied to evaluate phase behavior as well as oil recovery potential. These experiments were conducted to evaluate possible improved phase behavior and overall oil recovery potential of mixed surfactant systems over a broad range of conditions. Both polyacrylamide polymers and Xanthan biopolymers were evaluated. Studies were initiated to use a chemical flooding simulation program, UTCHEM, to simulate oil recovery for laboratory and field applications and evaluate its use to simulate oil saturation distributions obtained in CT-monitoring of oil recovery experiments. Themore » phase behavior studies focused on evaluating the effect of anionic-nonionic surfactant proportion on overall phase behavior. Two distinct transition behaviors were observed, depending on the dominant surfactant in the overall system. The first type of transition corresponded to more conventional behavior attributed to nonionic-dominant surfactant systems. This behavior is manifested by an oil-water-surfactant system that inverts from a water-external (highly conducting) microemulsion to an oil-external (nonconducting) one, as a function of temperature. The latter type which inverts in an opposite manner can be attributed to the separation of the anionic-nonionic mixtures into water- and oil-soluble surfactants. Both types of transition behavior can still be used to identify relative proximity to optimal areas. Determining these transition ranges provided more insight on how the behavior of these surfactant mixtures was affected by altering component proportions. Efforts to optimize the chemical system for oil displacement experiments were also undertaken. Phase behavior studies with systems formulated with biopolymer in solution were conducted.« less

Engineering cell factories for producing building block chemicals for bio-polymer synthesis.

PubMed

Tsuge, Yota; Kawaguchi, Hideo; Sasaki, Kengo; Kondo, Akihiko

2016-01-21

Synthetic polymers are widely used in daily life. Due to increasing environmental concerns related to global warming and the depletion of oil reserves, the development of microbial-based fermentation processes for the production of polymer building block chemicals from renewable resources is desirable to replace current petroleum-based methods. To this end, strains that efficiently produce the target chemicals at high yields and productivity are needed. Recent advances in metabolic engineering have enabled the biosynthesis of polymer compounds at high yield and productivities by governing the carbon flux towards the target chemicals. Using these methods, microbial strains have been engineered to produce monomer chemicals for replacing traditional petroleum-derived aliphatic polymers. These developments also raise the possibility of microbial production of aromatic chemicals for synthesizing high-performance polymers with desirable properties, such as ultraviolet absorbance, high thermal resistance, and mechanical strength. In the present review, we summarize recent progress in metabolic engineering approaches to optimize microbial strains for producing building blocks to synthesize aliphatic and high-performance aromatic polymers.

Gas chromatographic, mass spectrometric and stable carbon isotopic investigations of organic residues of plant oils and animal fats employed as illuminants in archaeological lamps from Egypt.

PubMed

Copley, M S; Bland, H A; Rose, P; Horton, M; Evershed, R P

2005-06-01

Man's use of illuminants in lamps or as torches to extend the working day and range of environments accessible to him would have been a major technological advance in human civilisation. The most obvious evidence for this in the archaeological record comes from pottery and stone vessels showing sooting due to the use of a wick in conjunction with a lipid-based fuel or illuminant. A wide range of potential fuels would have been exploited depending upon availability and burning requirements. Reported herein are the results of chemical investigations of a number of lamps recovered from excavations of the site of Qasr Ibrim, Egypt. Gas chromatographic, mass spectrometric and stable carbon isotopic analyses of both free (solvent extractable) and 'bound'(released from solvent extracted pottery by base treatment) lipids have revealed a wide range of saturated fatty acids, hydroxy fatty acids and alpha, omega-dicarboxylic acids. Examination of the distributions of compounds and comparisons with the fatty acid compositions of modern plant oils have allowed a range of fats and oils to be recognised. Specific illuminants identified include Brassicaceae (Cruciferae) seed oil (most likely radish oil, Raphanus sativus), castor oil (from Ricinus communis), animal fat, with less diagnostic distributions and delta(13)C values being consistent with low stearic acid plant oils, such as linseed (Linum usitatissimum) or sesame (Sesamum indicum) oils. The identifications of the various oils and fats are supported by parallel investigations of illuminant residues produced by burning various oils in replica pottery lamps. The findings are entirely consistent with the classical writers including Strabo, Pliny and Theophrastrus.

Development and evaluation of spherical molecularly imprinted polymer beads.

PubMed

Kempe, Henrik; Kempe, Maria

2006-06-01

The majority of studies on molecularly imprinted polymers has until now been carried out on irregularly shaped particles prepared by grinding of polymer monoliths. The preparation procedures are time- and labor-consuming and produce particles of wide size distributions. To answer the need for fast and straightforward routes to spherical molecularly imprinted polymer beads, we have developed a method comprising the formation of droplets of pre-polymerization solution directly in mineral oil by vigorous mixing followed by transformation of the droplets into solid spherical beads by photoinduced free-radical polymerization. No detergents or stabilizers were required for the droplet formation. Factors influencing the bead synthesis have been investigated and are detailed here. The beads were evaluated in parallel with corresponding irregularly shaped particles prepared from polymer monoliths. Conditions for the synthesis of propranolol-imprinted poly(methacrylic acid-co-trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate) beads in the size range of 1-100 microm in almost quantitative yield are described. The beads were applied as the recognition element in a 96-well plate format radioligand assay of propranolol in human serum.

Toxic and repellent activity of selected monoterpenoids (thymol, carvacrol and linalool) against the castor bean tick, Ixodes ricinus (Acari: Ixodidae).

PubMed

Tabari, Mohaddeseh Abouhosseini; Youssefi, Mohammad Reza; Maggi, Filippo; Benelli, Giovanni

2017-10-15

The castor bean tick, Ixodes ricinus, is a species of medical and veterinary importance. The use of synthetic acaricides for tick control has led to development of resistance, residues in the environment and animal products, and public health concerns. In this regard, plant essential oils and their main constituents represent an appealing alternative strategy to combat ticks. The phenols thymol and carvacrol and the alcohol linalool are monoterpenoids occurring in essential oils of several aromatic and medicinal plants, such as thyme, oregano, savory, lavender and coriander. Recent studies have shown toxicity of these monoterpenoids against selected mosquito vectors and other arthropod pests. However, information on their bioactivity on I. ricinus is not available. On this basis, here we evaluated the ovicidal, larvicidal and repellency effects of these compounds against I. ricinus. Concentrations of 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2 and 5% were sprayed on the egg masses, then hatching rates were noted. Larvicidal assays were conducted on unengorged larvae, following the larval packet technique. The repellency was determined by measuring the vertical migration behavior of ticks in laboratory conditions. Carvacrol and thymol at all concentrations tested led to a significant hatching decrease, showing an efficacy higher than permethrin, whereas linalool did not cause any significant effect. In the larvae treated with carvacrol and thymol (1, 2 and 5%), mortality rates reached 100% after 24h, showing a larvicidal efficacy higher than permethrin, whereas no effect was seen in the larval groups treated with linalool. Carvacrol and thymol at all concentrations tested showed >90% repellency on I. ricinus. Linalool was scarcely effective (50.24% repellency) only at the concentration of 5%. Overall, based on these results, the phenols carvacrol and thymol can be considered as candidate ingredients for the development of novel acaricidal formulations to control the populations of I. ricinus

β-Cyclodextrin associated polymeric systems: Rheology, flow behavior in porous media and enhanced heavy oil recovery performance.

PubMed

Wei, Bing

2015-12-10

This proof of concept research evaluates an approach to improve the enhanced heavy oil recovery performance of conventional polymers. Three associated polymeric systems, based on hydrolyzed polyacrylamide, xanthan gum, and a novel hydrophobic copolymer, were proposed in this work. The results of the theoretically rheology study indicate that these systems offer superior viscoelasticity and pronounced shear-thinning behavior due to the "interlocking effect". As a result of the surfactant collaboration, the dynamic interfacial tension between oil and polymer solution can be reduced by two orders of magnitude. Sandpack flooding tests demonstrated the capacity of the developed systems in mobility control during propagating in porous media, and the adsorption behavior was represented by the thickness of the adsorbed layer. The relationship between microscopic efficiency and capillary number indicated that the associated systems can significantly reduce the residual oil saturation due to the synergistic effect of the mobility reduction and surface activity, and the overall recovery efficiency was raised by 2-20% OOIP compared to the baseline polymers. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improved oil recovery using bacteria isolated from North Sea petroleum reservoirs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Davey, R.A.; Lappin-Scott, H.

1995-12-31

During secondary oil recovery, water is injected into the formation to sweep out the residual oil. The injected water, however, follows the path of least resistance through the high-permeability zones, leaving oil in the low-permeability zones. Selective plugging of these their zones would divert the waterflood to the residual oil and thus increase the life of the well. Bacteria have been suggested as an alternative plugging agent to the current method of polymer injection. Starved bacteria can penetrate deeply into rock formations where they attach to the rock surfaces, and given the right nutrients can grow and produce exo-polymer, reducingmore » the permeability of these zones. The application of microbial enhanced oil recovery has only been applied to shallow, cool, onshore fields to date. This study has focused on the ability of bacteria to enhance oil recovery offshore in the North Sea, where the environment can be considered extreme. A screen of produced water from oil reservoirs (and other extreme subterranean environments) was undertaken, and two bacteria were chosen for further work. These two isolates were able to grow and survive in the presence of saline formation waters at a range of temperatures above 50{degrees}C as facultative anaerobes. When a solution of isolates was passed through sandpacks and nutrients were added, significant reductions in permeabilities were achieved. This was confirmed in Clashach sandstone at 255 bar, when a reduction of 88% in permeability was obtained. Both isolates can survive nutrient starvation, which may improve penetration through the reservoir. Thus, the isolates show potential for field trials in the North Sea as plugging agents.« less

Monitoring oil displacement processes with k-t accelerated spin echo SPI.

PubMed

Li, Ming; Xiao, Dan; Romero-Zerón, Laura; Balcom, Bruce J

2016-03-01

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a robust tool to monitor oil displacement processes in porous media. Conventional MRI measurement times can be lengthy, which hinders monitoring time-dependent displacements. Knowledge of the oil and water microscopic distribution is important because their pore scale behavior reflects the oil trapping mechanisms. The oil and water pore scale distribution is reflected in the magnetic resonance T2 signal lifetime distribution. In this work, a pure phase-encoding MRI technique, spin echo SPI (SE-SPI), was employed to monitor oil displacement during water flooding and polymer flooding. A k-t acceleration method, with low-rank matrix completion, was employed to improve the temporal resolution of the SE-SPI MRI measurements. Comparison to conventional SE-SPI T2 mapping measurements revealed that the k-t accelerated measurement was more sensitive and provided higher-quality results. It was demonstrated that the k-t acceleration decreased the average measurement time from 66.7 to 20.3 min in this work. A perfluorinated oil, containing no (1) H, and H2 O brine were employed to distinguish oil and water phases in model flooding experiments. High-quality 1D water saturation profiles were acquired from the k-t accelerated SE-SPI measurements. Spatially and temporally resolved T2 distributions were extracted from the profile data. The shift in the (1) H T2 distribution of water in the pore space to longer lifetimes during water flooding and polymer flooding is consistent with increased water content in the pore space. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

21 CFR 177.1200 - Cellophane.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

.... Castor oil, sulfonated, sodium salt Cellulose acetate butyrate Cellulose acetate propionate Cetyl alcohol... trimethylenediamine (alkyl C16 to C18) Oleic acid, sulfonated, sodium salt Oleyl palmitamide N,N′-Oleoyl...

A soluble star-shaped silsesquioxane-cored polymer-towards novel stabilization of pH-dependent high internal phase emulsions.

PubMed

Xing, Yuxiu; Peng, Jun; Xu, Kai; Gao, Shuxi; Gui, Xuefeng; Liang, Shengyuan; Sun, Longfeng; Chen, Mingcai

2017-08-30

A well-defined pH-responsive star-shaped polymer containing poly(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (PDMA) arms and a cage-like methacryloxypropyl silsesquioxane (CMSQ-T 10 ) core was used as an interfacial stabilizer for emulsions consisting of m-xylene and water. We explored the properties of the CMSQ/PDMA star-shaped polymer using the characteristic results of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, size exclusion chromatography (SEC), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and zeta potential and conductivity measurements. The interfacial tension results showed that the CMSQ/PDMA star-shaped polymer reduced the interfacial tension between water and oil in a pH-dependent manner. Gelled high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs) including o/w and w/o types were formed in the pH ranges of 1.2-5.8 and 9.1-12.3 with the CMSQ/PDMA star-shaped polymer as a stabilizer, when the oil fractions were 80-90 vol% and 10-20 vol%, respectively. The soluble star-shaped polymer aggregated spontaneously to form a microgel that adsorbed to the two immiscible phases. Images of the fluorescently labeled polymers demonstrated that there was a star-shaped polymer in the continuous phase, and the non-Pickering stabilization based on the percolating network of the star-shaped polymer also contributed to the stabilization of the HIPE. This pH-dependent HIPE was prepared with a novel stabilization mechanism consisting of microgel adsorption and non-Pickering stabilization. Moreover, the preparation of HIPEs provided the possibility of their application in porous materials and responsive materials.

Polymer loaded microemulsions: Changeover from finite size effects to interfacial interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuttich, B.; Ivanova, O.; Grillo, I.; Stühn, B.

2016-10-01

Form fluctuations of microemulsion droplets are observed in experiments using dielectric spectroscopy (DS) and neutron spin echo spectroscopy (NSE). Previous work on dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate based water in oil microemulsions in the droplet phase has shown that adding a water soluble polymer (Polyethylene glycol M = 1500 g mol-1) modifies these fluctuations. While for small droplet sizes (water core radius rc < 37 Å) compared to the size of the polymer both methods consistently showed a reduction in the bending modulus of the surfactant shell as a result of polymer addition, dielectric spectroscopy suggests the opposite behaviour for large droplets. This observation is now confirmed by NSE experiments on large droplets. Structural changes due to polymer addition are qualitatively independent of droplet size. Dynamical properties, however, display a clear variation with the number of polymer chains per droplet, leading to the observed changes in the bending modulus. Furthermore, the contribution of structural and dynamical properties on the changes in bending modulus shifts in weight. With increasing droplet size, we initially find dominating finite size effects and a changeover to a system, where interactions between the confined polymer and the surfactant shell dominate the bending modulus.

High-Temperature Capacitor Polymer Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Daniel; Zhang, Lili; Chen, Qin; Irwin, Patricia

2014-12-01

Film capacitor technology has been under development for over half a century to meet various applications such as direct-current link capacitors for transportation, converters/inverters for power electronics, controls for deep well drilling of oil and gas, direct energy weapons for military use, and high-frequency coupling circuitry. The biaxially oriented polypropylene film capacitor remains the state-of-the-art technology; however, it is not able to meet increasing demand for high-temperature (>125°C) applications. A number of dielectric materials capable of operating at high temperatures (>140°C) have attracted investigation, and their modifications are being pursued to achieve higher volumetric efficiency as well. This paper highlights the status of polymer dielectric film development and its feasibility for capacitor applications. High-temperature polymers such as polyetherimide (PEI), polyimide, and polyetheretherketone were the focus of our studies. PEI film was found to be the preferred choice for high-temperature film capacitor development due to its thermal stability, dielectric properties, and scalability.

Antidiarrhoeal activity of leaf methanolic extract of Rauwolfia serpentina.

PubMed

Ezeigbo, I I; Ezeja, M I; Madubuike, K G; Ifenkwe, D C; Ukweni, I A; Udeh, N E; Akomas, S C

2012-06-01

To evaluate the antidiarrhoeal property of methanol extract of the leaves of Rauwolfia serpentina (R. serpentina) in experimental diarrhoea induced by castor oil in mice. Doses of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg R. serpentina leaf methanol extracts were administered to castor oil induced diarrhoea mice to determine its antidiarrhoeal activity. All doses of the extract and the reference drug atropine sulphate (3 mg/kg, i.p.) produced a dose-dependent reduction in intestinal weight and fluid volume. The extracts also significantly reduced the intestinal transit in charcoal meal test when compared to diphenoxylate Hcl (5 mg/kg, p.o.). The results show that the extract of R. serpentina leaves has a significant antidiarrhoeal activity and supports its traditional uses in herbal medicine.

Study on improving viscosity of polymer solution based on complex reaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, G.; Li, D.; Zhang, D.; Xu, T. H.

2018-05-01

The current status of polymer flooding Technology on high salinity oil reservoir is not ideal. A method for increasing the viscosity of polymer solutions is urgently needed. This paper systematically studied the effect of ions with different mass concentrations on the viscosity of polymer solutions. Based on the theory of complex reaction, a countermeasure of increasing viscosity of polymer solution under conditions of high salinity reservoir was proposed. The results show that Ca2+ and Mg2+ have greater influence on the solution viscosity than K+ and Na+. When the concentration of divalent ions increases from 0 mg/L to 80 mg/L, the viscosity of the polymer solution decreases from 210 mPa·s to 38.6 mPa·s. The viscosity of the polymer solution prepared from the sewage treated with the Na2C2O4 increased by 25.3%. Atomic force microscopy test results show that Na2C2O4 can effectively shield the divalent metal ions, so that the polymer molecules in the solution stretch more, thereby increasing the solution viscosity. Atomic force microscopy test results show that Na2C2O4 can effectively shield the divalent metal ions, so that the polymer molecules in the solution stretch more, thereby increasing the solution viscosity.

Bayesian Integration of Isotope Ratio for Geographic Sourcing of Castor Beans

PubMed Central

Webb-Robertson, Bobbie-Jo; Kreuzer, Helen; Hart, Garret; Ehleringer, James; West, Jason; Gill, Gary; Duckworth, Douglas

2012-01-01

Recent years have seen an increase in the forensic interest associated with the poison ricin, which is extracted from the seeds of the Ricinus communis plant. Both light element (C, N, O, and H) and strontium (Sr) isotope ratios have previously been used to associate organic material with geographic regions of origin. We present a Bayesian integration methodology that can more accurately predict the region of origin for a castor bean than individual models developed independently for light element stable isotopes or Sr isotope ratios. Our results demonstrate a clear improvement in the ability to correctly classify regions based on the integrated model with a class accuracy of 60.9 ± 2.1% versus 55.9 ± 2.1% and 40.2 ± 1.8% for the light element and strontium (Sr) isotope ratios, respectively. In addition, we show graphically the strengths and weaknesses of each dataset in respect to class prediction and how the integration of these datasets strengthens the overall model. PMID:22919270

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

PubMed

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.

Structural and oxidative stabilization of spray dried fish oil microencapsulates with gum arabic and sage polyphenols: Characterization and release kinetics.

PubMed

Binsi, P K; Nayak, Natasha; Sarkar, P C; Jeyakumari, A; Muhamed Ashraf, P; Ninan, George; Ravishankar, C N

2017-03-15

The synergistic efficacy of gum arabic and sage polyphenols in stabilising capsule wall and protecting fish oil encapsulates from heat induced disruption and oxidative deterioration during spray drying was assessed. The emulsions prepared with sodium caseinate as wall polymer, gum arabic as wall co-polymer and sage extract as wall stabiliser was spray dried using a single fluid nozzle. Fish oil encapsulates stabilised with gum arabic and sage extract (SOE) exhibited significantly higher encapsulation efficiency compared to encapsulates containing gum arabic alone (FOE). Scanning electron microscopic and atomic force microscopic images revealed uniform encapsulates with good sphericity and smooth surface for SOE, compared to FOE powder. In vitro oil release of microencapsulates indicated negligible oil release in buffered saline whereas more than 80% of the oil loaded in encapsulates were released in simulated GI fluids. The encapsulates containing sage extract showed a lower rate of lipid oxidation during storage. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nanoencapsulation of Rose-Hip Oil Prevents Oil Oxidation and Allows Obtainment of Gel and Film Topical Formulations.

PubMed

Contri, Renata V; Kulkamp-Guerreiro, Irene C; da Silva, Sheila Janine; Frank, Luiza A; Pohlmann, Adriana R; Guterres, Silvia S

2016-08-01

The rose-hip oil holds skin regenerating properties with applications in the dermatological and cosmetic area. Its nanoencapsulation might favor the oil stability and its incorporation into hydrophilic formulations, besides increasing the contact with the skin and prolonging its effect. The aim of the present investigation was to develop suitable rose-hip-oil-loaded nanocapsules, to verify the nanocapsule effect on the UV-induced oxidation of the oil and to obtain topical formulations by the incorporation of the nanocapsules into chitosan gel and film. The rose-hip oil (500 or 600 μL), polymer (Eudragit RS100®, 100 or 200 mg), and acetone (50 or 100 mL) contents were separately varied aiming to obtain an adequate size distribution. The results led to a combination of the factors acetone and oil. The developed formulation showed average diameter of 158 ± 6 nm with low polydispersity, pH of 5.8 ± 0.9, zeta potential of +9.8 ± 1.5 mV, rose-hip oil content of 54 ± 1 μL/mL and tendency to reversible creaming. No differences were observed in the nanocapsules properties after storage. The nanoencapsulation of rose-hip oil decreased the UVA and UVC oxidation of the oil. The chitosan gel and film containing rose-hip-oil-loaded nanocapsules showed suitable properties for cutaneous use. In conclusion, it was possible to successfully obtain rose-hip-oil-loaded nanocapsules and to confirm the nanocapsules effect in protecting the oil from the UV rays. The chitosan gel and film were considered interesting alternatives for incorporating the nanoencapsulated rose-hip oil, combining the advantages of the nanoparticles to the advantages of chitosan.

Utilization of microbial oil obtained from crude glycerol for the production of polyol and its subsequent conversion to polyurethane foams.

PubMed

Uprety, Bijaya K; Reddy, Jayanth Venkatarama; Dalli, Sai Swaroop; Rakshit, Sudip K

2017-07-01

We have demonstrated possible use of microbial oil in biopolymer industries. Microbial oil was produced from biodiesel based crude glycerol and subsequently converted into polyol. Fermentation of crude glycerol in a batch bioreactor using Rhodosporidium toruloides ATCC 10788 produced 18.69g/L of lipid at the end of 7days. The microbial oil was then chemically converted to polyol and characterized using FT-IR and 1 H NMR. For comparison, canola oil and palm oil were also converted into their respective polyols. The hydroxyl numbers of polyols from canola, palm and microbial oil were found to be 266.86, 222.32 and 230.30 (mgKOH/g of sample) respectively. All the polyols were further converted into rigid and semi-rigid polyurethanes (maintaining the molar -NCO/-OH ratio of 1.1) to examine their suitability in polymer applications. Conversion of microbial lipid to polyurethane foam also provides a new route for the production of polymers using biodiesel based crude glycerol. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.