ABSTRACT
Thickness-sensitive, spectrally selective paints based on a silane treatment of pigments were prepared with different pigment-volume concentrations. The critical pigment-volume concentration was determined by means of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, while the pigment particle size distribution was determined with ultrasound spectroscopy. The selectivity versus thickness relation of a paint with a near-critical pigment-volume concentration was studied spectroscopically through performance criteria. Its nonlinearity was shown to be related to the surface topography. This relation was further supported by hydrophobicity measurements. Heat-gathering tests in a simulated solar collector supported the spectroscopic determination of an optimal dry-film thickness.
ABSTRACT
High solid (HS) alkyd resins with low amount of volatile organic compounds (VOC) were developed as the result of new VOC solvent directive that limit the amount of VOC in decorative paints. Due to specific chemical structure of HS alkyd resins and possible deterioration of some applicative properties the optimal combination of driers is an important subject of research. In our present work we studied the influence of iron (Fe) and cobalt (Co) surface driers with strontium (Sr) through drier on the film formation of HS alkyd coatings. The kinetics of autoxidation was analysed using FT-IR spectroscopy. Further, applicative properties like drying time and film hardness were examined. In the end, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was used to evaluate the quality of cured HS alkyd coating films after exposure in the humidity chamber. It was established that the addition of the Sr drier to surface driers accelerates the film formation process. As higher amounts of the Sr drier were added, final drying times were reduced and film hardness increased. The highest quality of cured films were observed for Co/Sr and Fe/Sr drier combination at 1:1 concentration ratio.
ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to be able to reversibly bind histidine-rich proteins to the surface of maghemite magnetic nanoparticles via coordinative bonding using Zn ions as the anchoring points. We showed that in order to adsorb Zn ions on the maghemite, the surface of the latter needs to be modified. As silica is known to strongly adsorb zinc ions, we chose to modify the maghemite nanoparticles with a nanometre-thick silica layer. This layer appeared to be thin enough for the maghemite nanoparticles to preserve their superparamagnetic nature. As a model the histidine-rich protein bovine serum albumin (BSA) was used. The release of the BSA bound to Zn-decorated silica-coated maghemite nanoparticles was analysed using sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). We demonstrated that the bonding of the BSA to such modified magnetic nanoparticles is highly reversible and can be controlled by an appropriate change of the external conditions, such as a pH decrease or the presence/supply of other chelating compounds.
