Effect of particle size on the surface properties and morphology of ground flax.

Flax fibers were ground with a ball-mill and four fractions with different size ranges were collected by sieving. These were tested for water sorption, degree of polymerization (DP), copper number, hydroxyl number and analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and inverse gas chromatography (IGC). Significant differences were found between the properties of the flax fiber and those of the ground versions, including fragmentation of fibers, increase of water sorption, copper number, hydroxyl number and surface O/C ratio, and decrease of DP, crystallite size and dispersive component of surface energy (γs(d)). Some parameters depended on the particle size: O/C ratio and hydroxyl number had local maxima at 315-630 µm, while γs(d) increased steadily with the decrease of particle size. These relationships were explained by fiber disintegration, destruction of waxy surface layer, exposure of cellulosic components, increase of surface area and crystalline imperfections.

Critical evaluation of sequential leaching procedures for the determination of Ni and Mn species in welding fumes.

In this work, welding fume samples were collected in a welding plant, where corrosion-resistant steel and unalloyed structural steel were welded by gas metal arc welding (GMAW) and manual metal arc welding (MMAW) techniques. The welding fumes were sampled with a fixed-point sampling strategy applying Higgins-Dewell cyclones. The following solutions were used to dissolve the different species of Ni and Mn: ammonium citrate solution [1.7% (m/v) diammonium hydrogen citrate and 0.5% (m/v) citric acid monohydrate] for 'soluble' Ni, 50:1 methanol-bromine solution for metallic Ni, 0.01 M ammonium acetate for soluble Mn, 25% acetic acid for Mn(0) and Mn(2+) and 0.5% hydroxylammonium chloride in 25% acetic acid for Mn(3+) and Mn(4+). 'Insoluble' Ni and Mn contents of the samples were determined after microwave-assisted digestion with the mixture of concentrated (cc). HNO(3), cc. HCl and cc. HF. The sample solutions were analysed by inductively coupled plasma quadrupole mass spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. The levels of total Ni and Mn measured in the workplace air were different because of significant differences of the fume generation rates and the distributions of the components in the welding fumes between the welding processes. For quality control of the leaching process, dissolution of the pure stoichiometric Mn and Ni compounds and their mixtures weighing was investigated using the optimized leaching conditions. The results showed the adequacy of the procedure for the pure metal compounds. Based on the extraction procedures, the predominant oxidation states of Ni and Mn proved to be very different depending on the welding techniques and type of the welded steels. The largest amount of Mn in GMAW fumes were found as insoluble Mn (46 and 35% in case of corrosion-resistant steel and unalloyed structural steel, respectively), while MMAW fumes contain mainly soluble Mn, Mn(0) and Mn(2+) (78%) and Mn(3+) and Mn(4+) (54%) in case of corrosion-resistant steel and unalloyed structural steel, respectively. According to the results of the leaching procedures, GMAW fumes are rich in oxidic Ni (79%), while Ni compounds in welding fumes generated during MMAW are mainly in easily soluble form (44%). The crystalline phases were identified in each welding fume by X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) technique as well. From the XRPD spectra, it is clear that GMAW fumes contain predominantly magnetite (FeFe(2)O(4)). In case of structural steel welding, there was a little amount of ferrite (alpha-Fe) also found. Welding fume generated during MMAW of structural steel contained a complex alkali-alkali earth fluoride phase (KCaF(3)-CaF(2)) and some magnetite and jakobsite (MnFe(2)O(4)). The XRPD results did not fully confirm the ones obtained from the extraction experiments. However, some results, for example the rate of soluble Ni and Mn compounds compared to the total, can be useful for further investigations of welding fumes.

Sites of ammonia addition to tubular fluid in rats with chronic metabolic acidosis.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine in which nephron segments ammonia was added to or removed from the lumenal fluid of the rat. Ammonium was measured in proximal and distal tubular fluid samples obtained by micropuncture and in collecting duct fluid samples obtained by microcatheterization. Water abstraction was assessed by examining the tubular fluid-to-plasma inulin concentration, (TF/P)In. In normal or acidotic rats, the vast bulk of the final urine ammonium appeared in the proximal tubular fluid samples. Most of this ammonia was lost, however, in transit from the proximal to the distal tubule so that only 20 to 30% of the excreted ammonium was present at the distal site. Ammonia reentered the lumenal fluid primarily in the cortical collecting duct in acidotic rats and in the medullary collecting duct in normal rats. Although the pattern was qualitatively similar in both groups of rats, the absolute quantity of ammonium in each nephron segment of normal rats was about 10 to 20% of that in acidotic animals.

Vinblastine inhibition of microtubule assembly in vitro.

The effect of vinblastine on the in vitro polymerization of tubulin was investigated. It has been shown that the presence of VLB prevents the assembly of tubulin in rat brain extracts, and the addition of VLB to assembled microtubules results in their rapid depolymerization. The polymerization was monitored by viscometry and electron microscopy.

Rapid analysis of fertilizers by the direct-reading thermometric method.

The authors have developed rapid methods for the determination of the main components of fertilizers, namely phosphate, potassium and nitrogen fixed in various forms. In the absence of magnesium ions phosphate is precipitated with magnesia mixture; in the presence of magnesium ions ammonium phosphomolybdate is precipitated and the excess of molybdate is reacted with hydrogen peroxide. Potassium is determined by precipitation with silico-fluoride. For nitrogen fixed as ammonium salts the ammonium ions are condensed in a basic solution with formalin to hexamethylenetetramine; for nitrogen fixed as carbamide the latter is decomposed with sodium nitrite; for nitrogen fixed as nitrate the latter is reduced with titanium(III). In each case the temperature change of the test solution is measured. Practically all essential components of fertilizers may be determined by direct-reading thermometry; with this method and special apparatus the time of analysis is reduced to at most about 15 min for any determination.

Kinetic titration with differential thermometric determination of the end-point.

A method has been described for the determination of concentrations below 10(-4)M by applying catalytic reactions and using thermometric end-point determination. A reference solution, identical with the sample solution except for catalyst, is titrated with catalyst solution until the rates of reaction become the same, as shown by a null deflection on a galvanometer connected via bridge circuits to two opposed thermistors placed in the solutions.

Rapid analysis of plating baths by a direct-reading thermometric method.

Methods are described for the rapid analysis of plating baths by measurement of the heat evolved in a reaction between the reagent and the component to be determined. The novel feature of the method is the use of reagents which have zero heat of mixing, so that the temperature scale can be directly calibrated in concentration units for a particular determination. A determination takes only 5 min and the precision is equal to that of the classical methods. Procedures are given for the analysis of nickel and chromium plating baths.