A comparative study for petroleum removal capacities of the bacterial consortia entrapped in sodium alginate,sodium alginate/poly(vinyl alcohol),and bushnell haas agar

The purpose of this study was to identify and compare the degradation efficiencies of free and entrapped bacterial consortia(Staphylococcus capitis CP053957.1 and Achromobacter marplatensis MT078618.1)to different polymers such as Sodium Alginate(SA),Sodium Alginate/Poly(Vinyl Alcohol)(SA/PVA),and Bushnell Haas Agar(BHA).In addition to SA and SA/PVA,which are cost-effective,non-toxic and have different functional groups,BHA,which is frequently encountered in laboratory-scale studies but has not been used as an entrapment material until now.Based on these,the polymers with different surface morphologies and chemical compositions were analyzed by SEM and FT-IR.While the petroleum removal efficiency was higher with the entrapped bacterial consortia than with the free one,BHA-entrapped bacterial consortium enhanced the petroleum removal more than SA and SA/PVA.Accordingly,the degradation rate of bacterial consortia entrapped with BHA was 2.039 day^(-1),SA/PVA was 1.560,SA was 0.993,the half-life period of BHA-entrapped bacterial consortia is quite low(t_(1/2)=0.339)compared with SA(t_(1/2)=0.444)and SA/PVA(t_(1/2)=0.697).The effects of the four main factors such as:amount of BHA(0.5,1,1.5,2,2.5,3 g),disc size(4,5,6,7,8 mm),inoculum concentration(1,2.5,5,7.5,10 mL),and incubation period on petroleum removal were also investigated.The maximum petroleum removal(94.5%)was obtained at≥2.5 mL of bacterial consortium entrapped in 2 g BHA with a 7 mm disc size at 168 h and the results were also confirmed by statistical analysis.Although a decrease was observed during the reuse of bacterial consortium entrapped in BHA,the petroleum removal was still above 50%at 10th cycle.Based on GC-MS analysis,the removal capacity of BHA-entrapped consortium was over 90%for short-chain n-alkanes and 80%for medium-chain n-alkanes.Overall,the obtained data are expected to provide a potential guideline in cleaning up the large-scale oil pollution in the future.Since there has been no similar study investigating petroleum removal with the bacterial consortia entrapped with BHA,this novel entrapment material can potentially be used in the treatment of petroleum pollution in advanced remediation studies.

Effect of Added Poly (vinyl pyrrolidone) during Condensation on Properties of Poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide)Pulp

Poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide)(PPTA)pulp was prepared by polycondensation of the p-phenylene diamine(PPDA)with terephthaloyl chloride(TPC)in the completely anhydrous solvent system of N-methyl pyrrolidone(NMP)having calcium chloride,in the presence of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone)(PVP)having a viscosity average molecular weight lower than 40 000.It was confirmed that the polycondensation could be accelerated,the inherent viscosity of the polymer could be increased,and the polymers could be fibrillated more easily by the addition of the PVP.FTIR and X-ray spectra proved that PVP had not combined into molecular chains of the resultant PPTA pulps.The morphology of the resultant pulps,the effect of viscosity average molecular weight,amount and adding mode of PVP on inherent viscosity,specific surface area,and mean length of the resultant pulps were discussed in detail.And the friction and wear properties of the compound reinforced by the resultant pulps were simply investigated.

Kinetic hydrate inhibitor performance of new copolymer poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone-co-2-vinyl pyridine)s with TBAB

In oil and gas field, the application of kinetic hydrate inhibitors （KHIs） independently has remained problematic in high subcooling and high water-cut situation. One feasible method to resolve this problem is the combined use of KHIs and some synergists, which would enhance KHIs’ inhibitory effect on both hydrate nucleation and hydrate crystal growth. In this study, a novel kind of KHI copolymer poly（N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone-co-2-vinyl pyridine）s （HGs） is used in conjunction with TBAB to show its high performance on hydrate inhibition. The performance of HGs with different monomer ratios in structure II tetrahydrofuran （THF） hydrate is investigated using kinetic hydrate inhibitor evaluation apparatus by step-cooling method and isothermal cooling method. With the combined gas hydrate inhibitor at the concentration of 1.0 wt%, the induction time of 19 wt% THF solution could be prolonged to 8.5 h at a high subcooling of 6℃. Finally, the mechanism of HGs inhibiting the formation of gas hydrate is proposed.

Rational Synthesis of Cylindrical Silver Single-crystalline Nanowires via Poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) Reduction of AgCl

We presented a simple yet convenient hydrothermal approach for the large-scale synthesis of uniform cylindrical silver (Ag) single-crystalline nanowires with diameters of about 25 nm and lengths of 1-4 μm. Poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) was used as a reducing agent, and AgCl was used as a precursor to deliberately control [Ag^+] at a low degree in the overall reaction process through its dynamic equilibrium by directly reducing AgCl with PVP at a quasi-equilibrium growth condition. The as-obtained products were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), infrared spectra (IR) and Raman spectra. Factors such as [PVP], reaction temperature, time, and species of reducing agents and precursors were investigated to have strong influences on the morphologies and structures of the resultant Ag nanostructures. The wire diameter can conveniently be adjusted between 25 and 50 nm by simply adjusting [PVP], reaction temperature and reducing agent species. The as-synthesized silver nanowires can be self-assembled into perfect order arrays after being dried on tin foil due to the PVP coating on the surface, the circular cross-section and the uniform diameter of the Ag nanowires. These special silver nanowires with a core-shell structure as well as their spontaneous self-assembly of order arrays are expected to provide potential applications in flexible conductors, dielectric materials, electromagnetic shielding materials and nano-devices.

Thermo-Responsive Electrospun Nanofibers from Poly( N-isopropylacrylamide )/Polyvinyl Pyrrolidone Blends

A novel nanofiber composite poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)(PNIPAAm)/polyvinyl pyrrolidone(PVP)was successfully prepared by electrospinning.Analogous medicated fibers loaded with ketoprofen(KET)as a model drug were prepared.X-ray diffraction(XRD)demonstrated that the drug was presented in the fibers with an amorphous form.Both scanning and transmission electron microscopy showed that the fibers had an even diameter and smooth surface,and no phase separation was observed.The KET loaded nanofibers did not affect the morphology of the fibers,and no drug aggregation was separated from the polymer fibers.Water contact angle measurements proved that the PNIPAAm/PVP fibers switched from hydrophilic to hydrophobic when the temperature increased the lower critical solution temperature of 32℃.In vitro drug release studies were also undertaken and the result indicated that the PNIPAAm/PVP blend nanofiber presented the properties of the two polymers,having temperature-sensitive systems with sustained release properties.In addition,MTT assay demonstrated that the nanofiber film was non-toxic and suitable for cell growth.Thus,the nanofiber can be used as thermoresponsive carriers for sustained release of poor water soluble drugs.

Preparation and characterization of the antifouling porous membranes from poly(vinylidene fluoride)-graft-poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone) powders

Porous membranes were prepared using the phase inversion method from poly(vinylidene fluoride)-graftpoly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone)(PVDF-g-PVP) powders, which were synthesized via γ-ray induced graft polymerization(pre-irradiation). Chemical compositions, thermal behavior, morphology and hydrophilicity of the membranes were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, element analysis, thermalgravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscopy and contact angle measurements, respectively. Permeation experiments were conducted to evaluate the water flux,and the dynamic BSA fouling resistance performances were investigated, too. All the experimental results indicate that the PVDF-g-PVP membranes demonstrate better separation performances over the pristine PVDF membrane.

Separation Performance of Sodium Alginate/Poly(Vinyl Pyrrolidone)Membranes for Aqueous/Dimethylformamide Mixtures by Vapor Permeation and Vapor Permeation with Temperature Difference Methods

In this study sodium alginate (NaAlg)/poly (vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) blend membranes were prepared and crosslinked with CaCl2 (0.1 Molarity (M)) for the separation of aqueous/dimethylformamide (DMF) mixtures. Membranes were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and their performance was examined by varying experimental parameters such as feed composition (0 - 100 wt%), operating temperature (30℃ - 50℃) and membrane thickness (30 - 90 micrometer (μm)). Blending NaAlg with PVP, decreased separation factor whereas increased the permeation rate as the permeation temperature was increased in Vapor Permeation (VP) and Vapor Permeation with Temperature Difference (TDVP) methods. In the TDVP method, the separation factors increased and the permeation rates decreased as the temperature of the membrane surrounding is decreased. The highest separation factor of 60 was obtained in TDVP method for 90 wt% DMF concentration in the feed.

Graphene quantum dots doped poly(vinyl alcohol)hybrid membranes for desalination via pervaporation

Pervaporation desalination by highly hydrophilic materials such as poly(vinyl alcohol)(PVA)based separation membrane is a burgeoning technology of late years.However,the improvement of membrane flux in pervaporation desalination has been a difficult task.Here,a novel hybrid membrane with doped graphene oxide quantum dots(GOQDs)which is rich in hydrophilic groups and small size into the matrix of PVA was prepared to improve the membrane flux.The membranes structures were described by field emission scanning electron microscopy(FESEM),atomic force microscopy(AFM),Fourier transform infrared(FT-IR),differential scanning calorimetry(DSC),thermogravimetric analysis(TGA)and X-ray diffraction(XRD).And more,Water contact angle,swelling degree,and pervaporation properties were carried out to explore the effect of GOQDs in PVA matrix.In addition,GOQDs content in the hybrid membrane,NaCl concentration,and feed temperature were investigated accordingly.Moreover,the hydrogen bonds between PVA chains were weakened by the interaction between GOQDs and PVA chains.Significantly,the hybrid membrane with optimized doped GOQDs content,200 mg·L^(-1),displays a high membrane flux of 17.09 kg·m^(-2)·h^(-1)and the salt rejection is consistently greater than 99.6%.

Improving physical properties of poly(vinyl alcohol)/montmorillonite nanocomposite hydrogels via the Hofmeister effect

Hydrogel is a kind of three-dimensional crosslinked polymer material with high moisture content.However,due to the network defects of polymer gels,traditional hydrogels are usually brittle and fragile,which limits their practical applications.Herein,we present a Hofmeister effect-aided facile strategy to prepare high-performance poly(vinyl alcohol)/montmorillonite nanocomposite hydrogels.Layered montmorillonite nanosheets can not only serve as crosslinking agents to enhance the mechanical properties of the hydrogel but also promote the ion conduction.More importantly,based on the Hofmeister effect,the presence of(NH_(4))_(2)SO_(4)can endow nanocomposite hydrogels with excellent mechanical properties by affecting PVA chains'aggregation state and crystallinity.As a result,the as-prepared nanocomposite hydrogels possess unique physical properties,including robust mechanical and electrical properties.The as-prepared hydrogels can be further assembled into a high-performance flexible sensor,which can sensitively detect large-scale and small-scale human activities.The simple design concept of this work is believed to provide a new prospect for developing robust nanocomposite hydrogels and flexible devices in the future.

Innovative approach to boosting the chemical stability of AZ31 magnesium alloy using polymer-modified hybrid metal oxides

Meeting the demands of complex and advanced applications requires the development of high-performance hybrid materials with unique properties.However,the integration of polymeric frameworks with MgO/WO_(3) composite layers faces challenges due to the lack of understanding of the formation mechanism and the challenge of determining the impact of self-assembled architecture on anticorrosive properties.In this study,we aimed to enhance the corrosion resistance of the MgO layer produced by plasma electrolysis(PE)of AZ31 Mg alloy by incorporating WO_(3) with partially phosphorated poly(vinyl alcohol)(PPVA).Two types of porous MgO layers were produced using the PE process with an alkaline-phosphate electrolyte,one with and one without WO_(3) nanoparticles,which were subsequently immersed in an aqueous solution of PPVA.Incorporating PPVA into the WO_(3)-MgO layer resulted in hybrids being deposited in a fragmented manner,creating a“laminar reef-like structure”that sealed most of the structural defects in the layer.The PPVA-sealed WO_(3)-based coating exhibited superior corrosion resistance compared to the other samples.Computational analyses were employed to explore the mechanism underlying the formation of PPVA/WO_(3) hybrids on the MgO layer.These findings suggest that PPVA-WO_(3)-MgO hybrid coatings can potentially improve corrosion resistance in various fields.

Rare Earth Stearates as Thermal Stabilizers for Rigid Poly(vinyl chloride)

A series of stearates with different rare-earth ion were investigated as thermal stabilizers for rigid PVC at 180 ℃ in air. Their stabilizing efficiency was based on measuring the rate of dehydrochlorination. The resulted revealed the higher stabilizing efficiency of the investigated rare-earth stearates as thermal stabilizers for rigid PVC compared with the thermal stabilizers for industry: calcium stearate, zinc stearate, butyl stannum mercaptide, phosphite esters, β-diketone and epoxidized sunflower oil. This was well illustrated by longer incubation period (T_S) values and lower rate of dehydrochlorination. The stable efficiency was affected by the nature of rare-earth element's individual electronic shell. The mechanism for the stabilizing effect of rare-earth stearates was proposed. The result was experimentally proved based on IR spectrum.

Controlled delivery of ibuprofen from poly(vinyl alcohol)-poly(ethylene glycol) interpenetrating polymeric network hydrogels

Hydrogels composed of poly(vinyl alcohol)(PVA) and poly(ethylene glycol)(PEG) were synthesized using glutaraldehyde as crosslinker and investigated for controlled delivery of the common anti-inflammatory drug, ibuprofen(IBF). To regulate the drug delivery, solid inclusion complexes(ICs) of IBF in β–cyclodextrin(β–CD) were prepared and added to the hydrogels. The ICs were prepared by the microwave irradiation method, which is more environmentally benign. The formation of IC was confirmed by various analytical techniques and the synthesized hydrogels were also characterized. Controlled release of drug was achieved from the hydrogels containing the ICs in comparison to the rapid release from hydrogels containing free IBF.The preliminary kinetic analysis emphasized the crucial role of β–CD in the drug release process that influences the polymer relaxation, thereby leading to prolonged release. The cytotoxicity assay validated the hydrogels as non-toxic in nature and hence can be utilized for controlled delivery of IBF.

Creep Behaviour of Wood Flour/Poly(vinyl chloride) Composites

The experimental creep data were focused on wood-flour （WF）/poly vinyl chloride （PVC） composites with the variations in additive concentrations of wood flour, silane coupling agent, organomodified montmorillonite （OMMT） and nano-cacium carbonate （nano-CaCO3）. Their effects were analyzed using the Four-element Burger Model incorporating microscopic mechanisms. Total creep strain was low with increasing WF while elastic strain was high and plastic flow strain was low in modeling. Modification of WF with silane was beneficial to creep resistance, so did adding low ratio of OMMT （1.5 wt%） and nano-CaCO3 in composites. Thus, it was effective in reducing creep either by stiffening the PVC matrix using rigid nano-particles or by improving their adhesion with resin. However, superfluous quantity of any additament did not benefit the improvement owing to either earlier destruction of their agglomerates or stress-concentrated cracks in the over-incrassated interface.

A Hybrid Membrane of Poly(vinyl alcohol) and Phosphotungstic Acid for Fuel Cells

Proton conducting membranes composed of phosphotungstic acid (PWA) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)were prepared. Conductivity and Fourier transform infrared spectrometer(FTIR) measurements show that most ofthe acid embedded are stable in the PVA matrix when the membrane is immerged in water or methanol solution atroom temperature. Conductivity of the composite membranes scatters around 10-3 S.cm-1 at room temperature.The methanol crossover through the membranes is about an order of magnitude lower than that through Nafion117 membrane.

Compatibility and Properties of Biodegradable Blend Films with Gelatin and Poly(vinyl alcohol)

The blend films with gelatin and poly（vinyl alcohol） （PVA） were prepared by a solution casting method. The compatibility between gelatin and PVA in the blend films was investigated. The transmittance, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy （FTIR）, x-ray diffraction （XRD）, thermogravimetry analysis （TG）, and differential scanning calorimetry （DSC） were employed to characterize the resultant blend films. According to optic result, the opacity of the blend film at the ratio of 20/80 （w/w, Gel to PVA） was the lowest, indicating the best compatibility between Gel and PVA at the ratio. The results oflR, XRD, DSC, and TG revealed an intensive interaction and good compatibility between them in the blend film at the ratio. The mechanical properties and solubility showed that PVA content in the blend films obviously affected the elongation at break and solubility. The mechanical properties and water resistance of gelatin film may be improved by the introduetion of PVA.

Antiplasticizing Effect of MOCA on Poly(vinyl chloride)

An obvious antiplasticizing effect has been observed in PVC with small amount of MOCA, 3,3’-dichloro-4,4’-diamino-diphenylmethane. PVC-MOCA interaction and crystallization behavior of PVC/MOCA blends were investigated in detail to explain the mechanism of antiplasticization on the basis of a series of techniques including DMA, FTIR, and DSC. The results of mechanical properties tests show that the tensile strength of PVC with 5 phr of MOCA reaches a maximum value, 69.5 Mpa, which is about 23 % higher than that of pure PVC. The rise in tensile strength was attributed to an antiplasticizing effect of MOCA on PVC as confirmed by DMA measurements. The evidences from FTIR reveal that a strong hydrogen-bonding interaction takes place between the nitrogen atom of –NH2 groups in MOCA and the methine proton of PVC repeat units. The results of DSC analysis indicate that crystallization behavior of MOCA is suppressed completely and the crystallinity of PVC decreases with the increase of MOCA amount.

Influence of Annealing and Additives on the Crystallization Behavior and Properties of Poly(vinyl chloride)

Acetanilide （AC）, adipic acid （AA） and potassium hydrogen phthalate （PHP） were chosen as additives to accelerate PVC crystallization and improve its mechanical properties. The influences of the additives and annealing on the crystallization behavior, micromorphology and the tensile properties were investigated by the thermal analysis, scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and the tensile test. Based on the analysis results, it was concluded that the melting peaks ranging from 110 to 200 ℃ and 200 to 240 ℃ were caused by the fusion of the fringed micelle crystals and chain-folded crystals respectively. AC advanced the fringed micelle crystal to develop, while AA and PHP promoted obviously the chain-folded crystal to grow. The addition of the foreign additives did not change the growth pattern ofPVC crystallites, the growth of the micelle crystal was favorable at 110 ℃, and the chain-folded crystal was developed at higher temperature. For PVC/ AA and PVC/PHP, when annealed at 110 ℃, a regular nest like network was formed, the crystallinity and the crystallite size were increased as well, and as a result, the tensile strength, Young＇s modulus and the elongation at break point were improved simultaneously and greatly.

Structures of LDHs Intercalated with Ammonia and the Thermal Stability for Poly(vinyl chloride)

MgAl-NH3 LDHs (layered double hydroxides), ZnAl-LDHs and ZnAl-NH3 LDHs with different molar ratio of Al/ammonia were synthesized by co-precipitation method. The synthetic LDHs samples were characterized by XRD, FT-IR, TGA-DTG and SEM techniques and tested by Congo red method. In addition, after PVC (Poly vinyl chloride) and DOP (Dioctylphthalate) were added to LDHs, the thermal stability for PVC was characterized by TGA-DTG. The results indicated that LDHs intercalated with ammonia improved thermal stability for PVC significantly, MgAl-NH3 LDHs (Mg2+:Al3+: NH3·H2O = 3:1:0.5) and ZnAl-NH3 LDHs (Zn2+:Al3+:NH3·H2O=2:1:1.5) showed the best thermal stability for PVC, interlayered space of LDHs became larger by intercalating ammonia.

Research on the Long Time Swelling Properties of Poly (vinyl alcohol)/Hydroxylapatite Composite Hydrogel

Poly(vinyl alcohol)/hydroxylapatite(PVA/HA)composite hydrogel was prepared by repeated freezing and thawing.The water loss properties of the resultant hydrogel were investigated by using optical microscope.Long time immersion tests of PVA/HA composite hydrogel were carried out in the diluted calf serum solution to study the change laws of swelling properties with the freezing-thawing cycles and HA content.The micro-morphologies of PVA/HA composite hydrogel after long time immersion were observed by means of the high-accuracy 3D profiler.The results show that the swelling process of PVA/HA composite hydrogel is the converse process of its water loss.Long time swelling ratio curves of PVA/HA composite hydrogel in the calf serum solution are manifested as four stages of quick increase,decrease,slow decrease and stable balance,and its equilibrium swelling ratio decreases with the increase of freezing-thawing cycles and HA content.It is revealed that the network structure of the composite hydrogel immersed for a long period is significantly improved with the increase of HA content. Perfect network structures of PVA/HA composite hydrogel as well as full and equilibrium tissues after swelling equilibrium are obtained when the HA content is 3% and the number of freezing-thawing cycles is 7.

Preparation and Swelling Behavior of Physically Crosslinked Hydrogels Composed of Poly(vinyl alcohol) and Chitosan

The physically crosslinked poly（vinyl alcohol）/chitosan （CS） composite hydrogels were prepared by cyclic freezing/thawing techniques, and the microstructure and swelling behavior of the hydrogels in the simulated gastric （pH 1.0） and intestinal （pH 7.4） media were investigated. The experimental results of infrared spectra （IR）, scanning electron microscope （SEM） and differential scanning calorimetry （DSC） demonstrated that poly（vinyl alcohol） and chitosan had good miscibility in the composite hydrogels, and the addition of chitosan perturbed the formation of poly（vinyl alcohol） crystallites. The swelling kinetics results indicated that the composite hydrogels had good pH sensitive properties to the acidic environments, and with the increase of chitosan content in the blend, the maximum swelling degreed and the swelling rate both increased, but it led to more dissolution at pH 1.0. And the composite hydrogels also exhibited good reversible swelling behavior with pH value of the swelling medium altering between 1.0 and 7.4. In addition, the higher freezing/thawing cycle times resulted in the lower swelling rate. Therefore, the swelling behavior of the composite hydrogels could be adjusted by changing the chitosan contents and the freezing/thawing cycle times.