Umami taste components in chicken-spices blends and potential effect of aroma on umami taste intensity

In this study,umami taste intensity(UTI)and umami taste components in chicken breast(CB)and chickenspices blends were characterized using sensory and instrumental analysis.Our main objective was to assess the aroma-umami taste interactions in different food matrices and reconcile the aroma-taste perception to assist future product development.The impact of key aroma,including vegetable-note"2-pentylfuran",meaty"methional",green"hexanal",and spicy-note-estragole and caryophyllene"on UTI was evaluated in monosodium glutamate and chicken extract.We found that spices significantly decreased UTI and umami taste components in CB.Interestingly,the perceptually similar odorants and tastants exhibited the potential to enhance UTI in food matrices.Methional was able to increase the UTI,whereas spicy and green-note components could reduce the UTI significantly.This information would be valuable to food engineers and formulators in aroma selection to control the UTI perceived by consumers,thus,improving the quality and acceptability of the chicken products.

THERMAL BEHAVIOR OF THERMOTROPIC HYDROXYETHYL CELLULOSE ACETATE/POLYETHYLENE BLENDS

The thermal behavior of thermotropic hydroxyethyl cellulose acetate (HECA)/polyethylene (PE) blends has been studied by DSC. It is found that the blends of HECA and PE are immiscible but the crystallization of PE is affected by HECA chains in the blends with more than 50% HECA, which results in the subordinate crystallization of PE and the formation of imperfect structures in the PE crystals. The imperfection of PE crystals in the blends can be eliminated after annealing at 393K.

Study of Polymer Blends with Sub-cluster Theory Part 2 Comparison of PVC/ABS, PVC/SBS Blends

Series of PVC/ABS and PVC/SBS blends of composition 20/ 80. 40/ 60, 60 / 40 and 80 / 20were prepared in a screw extruder. The phase morphology, miscibility and rheological behaviour of two systems were investigated. The viscosity-composition plots were represented by sub-cluster equation, the various differences between two systems are interpreted with the equation parameters

IMPROVED PROPERTIES OF METALLOCENE-CATALYZED LINEAR LOW-DENSITY POLYETHYLENE/POLYPROPYLENE BLENDS DURING ULTRASONIC EXTRUSION

Metallocene-catalyzed linear low-density polyethylene/polypropylene （mLLDPE/PP） blends were prepared by ultrasonic extrusion in this work. Their extrusion processing behaviors were estimated by online measured data, such as the die pressure and flow rate. Crystallization and mechanical properties of the blends were also investigated. The results show that the addition of PP improves the processing behaviors of mLLDPE, but has little effect on its mechanical properties. On the other hand, the addition of mLLDPE improves the impact strength of PP, but has little effect on its processing behavior. The processing behaviors and mechanical properties of mLLDPE/PP blends get further improved due to the presence of ultrasonic oscillation during extrusion. Compared with PP-rich blends, the apparent viscosity drop of mLLDPE-rich blends is more sensitive to ultrasonic oscillation. The ultrasonic oscillation affects the crystal nucleation, while barely the other crystalline behaviors of the blends.

Preparation and emission characteristics of ethanol-diesel fuel blends

The preparation of ethanol-diesel fuel blends and their emission characteristics were investigated. Results showed the absolute ethanol can dissolve in diesel fuel at an arbitrary ratio and a small quantity of water(0.2%) addition can lead to the phase separation of blends. An organic additive was synthesized and it can develop the ability of resistance to water and maintain the stability of ethanol-diesel-trace amounts of water system. The emission characteristics of 10%, 20%, and 30% ethanol-diesel fuel blends, with or without additives, were compared with those of diesel fuel in a direct injection(DI) diesel engine. The experimental results indicated that the blend of ethanol with diesel fuel significantly reduced the concentrations of smoke, hydrocarbon(HC), and carbon monoxide(CO) in exhaust gas. Using 20% ethanol-diesel fuel blend with the additive of 2% of the total volume, the optimum mixing ratio was achieved, at which the bench diesel engine testing showed a significant decrease in exhaust gas. Bosch smoke number was reduced by 55%, HC emission by 70%, and CO emission by 45%, at 13 kW/1540 r/min. However, ethanol-diesel fuel blends produced a few ppm acetaldehydes and more ethanol in exhaust gas.

EFFECTS OF COMPATIBILIZERS ON THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF LOW DENSITY POLYETHYLENE/LIGNIN BLENDS

Low density polyethylene(LDPE)/lignin blends were prepared using melt blending.Two kinds of compatibilizers, ethylene-vinylacetate(EVA) which is softer than LDPE and polyethylene grafted with maleic anhydride(PE-g-MA) which is harder than LDPE were used to improve the interfacial adhesion.Scanning electron microscope(SEM) was used to investigate the dispersion of lignin in LDPE matrix.The results showed that both of the compatibilizers could improve the interaction between the low density polyethylene and l...

SUPER POLYOLEFIN BLENDS ACHIEVED VIA DYNAMIC PACKING INJECTION MOLDING:MORPHOLOGY AND PROPERTIES

As a long-term project aimed at developing super polyolefin blends, in this paper we summarize our work on themechanical reinforcement and phase morphology of polyolefin blends achieved by dynamic packing injection molding(DPIM). The main feature of this technology is that the specimen is forced to move repeatedly in the model by two pistonsthat move reversibly with the same frequency during cooling, which results in preferential orientation of the dispersed phaseas well as the matrix. The typical morphology of samples obtained via DPIM is a shear-induced morphology with a core inthe center, an oriented zone surrounding the core and a skin layer in the cross-section areas. Shear-induced phase dissolutionat a higher shear rate but phase separation at low shear rates is evident from AFM examination of LLDPE/PP (50/50) blends.The super polyolefin blends having high modulus (1.9-2.2 GPa), high tensile strength (100-120 MPa) and high impactstrength (6 times as that of pure HDPE) have been prepared by controlling the phase separation, molecular orientation andcrystal morphology.

Some Mechanical and Thermal Properties of PC/ABS Blends

A series of blends of Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene (ABS) and Polycarbonate (PC) were prepared and some of their thermal and mechanical properties were determined. The Young’s modulus changed gradually and monotonically with the polycarbonate content. This effect was tentatively explained as the antiplasticization of the PC which is ascribed to the chain mobility, which permits the PC chains to pack more tightly, to the secondary cross-linking between the PC chains, or to the secondary attachment of bulky side-chains to the PC, thus producing steric hindrance to the rotation of the PC main chains. The experimental values found for the impact strength were intermediate between those of the neat polymers, depending upon the dispersed rubber particles of butadiene in the matrix of SAN (Styrene-Acrylonitrile), and the dispersed PC particles which generally make the ABS more brittle. A maximum value of about 88 KJ/m2 for the impact strength was observed for the blend with 90% PC. This may be attributed to the strong polymer-polymer interactions for this particular composition. The variations in the heat deflection temperature HDT and the Vicat softening point with the blend composition were very similar, and allowed us to assume that the phase inversion between the matrices of the two polymers takes place at 50% PC. The morphology of the blends revealed by SEM observation, show a co-continuous structure.

RHEOLOGICAL BEHAVIOR OF POLYPHENYLENE SULFIDE/POLYAMIDE-66 BLENDS

Blends of polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) containing trace amounts of branching and/or cross-linking in chain and Polyamide-66 (PA-66) have been prepared by melt blending. The rheological behavior of PPS/PA-66 blends has been studied by means of capillary rheometer, and compared with PPS. The effects of shear rate, shear stress and temperature on the how of PPS/PA-66 blends and PPS are discussed. The non-Newtonian indexes and the activation energies of viscous how are obtained. The results show that the apparent viscosity of PPS/PA-66 blends is not sensitive to shear rate and stress, but decreases with the elevation of temperature. On the contrary, the apparent viscosity of the PPS decreases obviously with the increasing of shear rate and shear stress, but it is increased by the elevation of temperature.

Study of Polymer Blends with Sub-cluster Theory PartⅠ Essential Concepts and Equations of Sub-cluster Theory

Various viscosity-composition curves of polymer blends are summarized in eight groups. To represent these curves. 'sub-cluster equations' are derived on the basis of so called 'sub-cluster theoryThe essential concepts of sub-cluster theory and the derivation of those 'Sub-cluster equations' are briefly introduced.

MISCIBILITY AND MORPHOLOGY OF THIN FILMS OF BLENDS OF POLYSTYRENE WITH BROMINATED POLYSTYRENES: EFFECTS OF VARYING THE MOLECULAR WEIGHT, BROMINATION DEGREE AND ANNEALING

Thin films of incompatible polymer blends can form a variety of structures during preparation and subsequent annealing process. For the polymer blend system consisting of polystyrene and poly（styrene-co-p-bromo-styrene）, i.e., PS/PBrxS, its compatibility could be adjusted by varying the degree of bromination and the molecular weight of both components comprised. In this paper, surface chemical compositions of the cast and the annealing films were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS） and contact angle measurement; meanwhile, surface topographical changes are followed by atomic force microscopy （AFM）. In addition, substantial attention was paid to the effect of annealing on the morphologic variations induced by phase separation and/or dewetting of the thin film. Moreover, the influences of the molecular weight, Mw, as well as the brominated degree, x%, on the sample surface are explored systematically, and the corresponding observations are explained in virtue of the Flory-Huggins theory, along with the dewetting of the polymer thin film.

Rheological Properties of Polymers: Structure and Morphology of Molten Polymer Blends

The article reviews a brief literature on the rheological properties of polymer melts and blends. Experimental results on polymer blends are summarized. Technically, vital types of multi-phase polymers such as compounds and blends are discussed. The importance of the rheological properties of polymer mixtures in the development of the phase structure is discussed. And the importance of considering the stress and/or strain history of a material sample in a rheological investigation is discussed. Finally, the outlook on the past, present and future developments in the field of polymer rheology are given. The review concludes with a brief discussion on the opportunities and challenges in the field of polymer blends and blend rheology.

Experimental investigation on DBD plasma reforming hydrocarbon blends

To improve the‘detonation-supporting’performance of fuel-rich catalytic combustion products,DBD plasma,stimulated by adjustable nanosecond pulse power supply,was used to further regulate the components and concentrations of the hydrocarbon blends.In this paper,the parameters including load voltage,frequency,rising(falling)edge,pulse width and feeding flow rate were changed respectively,and the corresponding concentration and proportion change of the components in blend gas were investigated.According to the experiment result,it was found that when the discharge frequency is low,the plasma mainly promotes the transformation of light gaseous substances,while it mainly promotes the conversion to heavy hydrocarbons when the frequency is larger.Increasing load voltage will strengthen this trend.The controlling and reforming effect of plasma on the blend gas will decrease with the increase of voltage rising(falling)edge and the feeding flow rate.The regulation effect will be strengthened with the increase of pulse width under 200 ns.With the increase of discharge intensity,the‘carbon’settles on the walls of the reactor,which will change the dielectric constant,leading to the loss of control of the discharge.

FRACTAL CHARACTER OF PHASE MORPHOLOGY OF HIGH IMPACT POLYSTYRENE/POLY(cis-BUTADIENE) RUBBER BLENDS

Evolution and fractal character of the phase morphology of high impact polystyrene/poly（cis-butadiene） rubber （HIPS/PcBR） blends during melting and mixing were investigated using scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. The characteristic length L was defined as the size of particles of the dispersed phase in blends. Different fractal dimensions, Df and Din, were introduced to study the distribution width of phase dimensions in the dimensionless region and the uniformity of the spatial distribution of particles, respectively. The results showed that the average characteristic length Lm and Df increase as the volume fraction of the dispersed phase increases, when the volume fraction of the dispersed phase is lower than 50%. In other words, the size of particles increases and their distribution in the dimensionless region becomes more uniform. Meanwhile, the uniformity of the spatial distribution becomes more perfect as the volume fraction increases. At a certain composition, Lm decreases in the initial stage of the mixing and levels off in the late stage. In the initial stage, Df becomes large rapidly with the process of blending, which means that the distribution of L in the dimensionless region becomes more uniform. Meanwhile, the spatial distribution tends to be ideal rapidly in the early stage and fluctuates in a definite range in the late stage of the mixing.

STUDY ON PHASE-SEPARATION OF PMMA/SAN BLENDS INDUCED BY GLASS BEADS THROUGH DYNAMIC RHEOLOGICAL MEASUREMENTS

Based on the premise that the addition of glass beads （GB） could hardly influence the linear viscoelasticity in low frequency （ω） region for homogeneous polymer systems, the dynamic rheological behaviors of unfilled and filled poly（methyl methyacrylate） （PMMA）/poly（styrene-co-acrylonitrile） （SAN） blends were studied in order to explore the effect of GB on the phase-separation of binary polymer matrix. Results show that GB has an induced effect on the phase-separation, which embodies that the phase-separation temperature （Ts） of PMMA/SAN blend filled with GB is lower than that of the unfilled system. The higher content of GB, the higher is the ＂secondary plateau＂ of ω in the terminal region of storage modulus （G＇） versus ω plot. The ＂secondary plateau＂ appearing in the terminal region is attributed to the phase-separation of PMMA/SAN blends and it becomes more fiat for filled polymer blends under the same conditions. However, it is suggested that this kind of ＂induced effect＂ is related to the GB content; the higher content of GB particles might enhance the interaction between the particles and polymer matrix. Moreover, it is found that the addition of GB also has an influence more or less on the morphology and domain size of polymer matrix. It is believed that the plot of dynamic viscosity （η＇） versus the loss viscosity （η＂） is sensitive to examine the effect induced by GB on the phase-separation of binary polymer matrix.

Color Matching of Pre-colored Fiber Blends Based on Two-Constant Kubelka-Munk Theory

Some modifications of two-constant Kubelka-Munk theory has been made for the color matching of pre-colored fiber blends. The scattering coefficients of three primaries are averaged and taken as initial coefficients in each wavelength. The unit sums of concentration in E-Allen’s Algorithm were removed in the case of pre-colored fiber blends. Predicted blend ratios and reflectance curves agree very well with measured ones and color differences are within the tolerant limit, showing satisfactory matching results.

Preparation,Rheological Properties and Primary Cytocompatibility of TPU/PLA Blends as Biomedical Materials

A polymer blends containing thermoplastic polyurethane（TPU） and poly（lactic acid）（PLA） as a biomedical material were prepared by a process of modifying thermally induced phase separation（MTIPS） and melt blending.The influences of composition,shear frequency,and temperature on the rheological behaviors of the blends were investigated by small amplitude oscillatory shear rheology.The results revealed that the addition of TPU into PLA significantly decreased the non-Newtonian index of the blends,and increased the sensitivity of the blends on shear rate,suggesting that optimization of the shear rate and temperature could improve the flowability of the blend melts in the extrusion process.In addition,the results of SEM images revealed that TPU distributed well into PLA matrix and showed good compatibility between the TPU and PLA,which made the blends with good toughness.The primary cytocompatibility of the blends was evaluated using C2C12 cells.The results suggested that the TPU/PLA blends did not affect cell growth,showing no cytotoxicity.In short,the TPU/PLA blends with excellent toughness had potential application as biomedical devices.

Melt Rheology of Poly(Lactic Acid)/Low Density Polyethylene Polymer Blends

In this work, rheological properties of poly (lactic acid) (PLA), low density polyethylene (LDPE) polymer blends were investigated in the molten state. The experiments were carried on a capillary rheometer. The effect of shear stress, temperature and blending ratio on the flow activation energy at a constant shear stress and melt viscosity of the blends are described. The results showed that the PLA/LDPE polymer blends are pseudo plastic in nature, where there viscosity decreases with increasing shear stress. Also it was found the melt viscosity of the blends decreases with increasing PLA content in the blend.

Preparation and Characterization of Subsurface Silver Particulate Films on Polymer Blends of Polystyrene/Poly(2-vinylpyridine)/Poly(vinylpyrollidone)/Poly(4-vinylpyridine)

Silver particulate thin films on softened polymer blends of Polystyrene (PS)/Poly(2-vinyl pyridine) (P2VP), PS/Poly(4-vinylpyridine) (P4VP), and Poly(vinylpyrollidone) (PVP)/P4VP at a rate of 0.4 nm/s held at a temperature of 457 K in vacuum of 8 × 10-6 Torr by evaporation are deposited. These silver films were characterized by their electrical behavior, optical properties and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Silver films deposited on softened PS, and PVP give rise to a very high room temperature resistance approaching that of the substrate resistance due to the formation of a highly agglomerated structure. On the other hand, silver films on softened P2VP and P4VP give rise to a room temperature resistance in the range of tens to a few hundred MΩ/ which is desirable for device applications. Silver films on the composites of PS/P2VP, PS/P4VP and PVP/P4VP show resistances at room temperature. The optical and plasmonic response of Ag nanoparticles onto thin layers of blends shows encapsulation of nanoparticles. The electrical properties and SEM of silver nanoparticles on the thin layers of polymer blends indicate the formation of much smaller, narrower dispersion and wide size distribution.

Thermal Behavior of Coal and Biomass Blends in Inert and Oxidizing Gaseous Environments

Oxy-fuel combustion and gasification (pre-combustion) may have potential for capturing carbon dioxide at lower costs for power generation. Oxy-co-firing and co-gasifying coal with biomass could further reduce effective CO2 emissions and utilize renewable energy resources. A key feature of these two approaches is that they process fuel in concentrated CO2 or O2/CO2 instead of N2 or O2/N2. Accurate predictive models of these processes using blends of coal and biomass can be used in process simulation and could aid in the development and implementation of these technologies. To develop these accurate predictive models, it is important to understand the conversion routes and thermal behavior of these fuels in appropriate gas environments. The objectives of this study are to investigate the impact of inert and oxidative gaseous environments on thermal behavior and reactivity of coal and biomass blends and to study the effect of biomass percentage on coal/biomass blend co-utilization. Fuel samples included a Powder River Basin (PRB) sub-bituminous coal, yellow pine wood sawdust pellets, and mixtures of 10 and 20 weight percent wood in coal. The samples were tested under N2, CO2, and 10% O2 in CO2 by volume using a non-isothermal thermogravimetric method for temperatures up to 1000℃. Fuel weight losses of both coal and wood are essentially the same in CO2 as in N2 in the low temperature range, but higher in 10% O2 in CO2 compared to N2 and CO2. However, total weight losses at 1000℃ under CO2 and 10% O2 in CO2 are similar and higher than in N2 due to char gasification by the CO2 and combustion by O2. The char combustion in 10% O2 in CO2 takes place at lower temperature than char gasification in CO2. Coal and wood blends have higher reactivity compared to coal alone in the lower temperature range due to the high volatile matter content of wood. Interactions of wood and coal in these gas environments and blend percentage are discussed.