Influence of Ca/P ratio on the catalytic performance of hydroxyapatite for decarboxylation of itaconic acid to methacrylic acid

Methacrylic acid,an important organic chemical,is commercially manufactured starting from fossil feedstock.The decarboxylation of itaconic acid derived for biomass is a green route to the synthesis of methacrylic acid.In view of the problems existing in the researches on this route such as use of noble metal catalyst,harsh reaction conditions and low desired-product yield,we prepared a series of hydroxyapatite catalysts with different Ca/P molar ratios and evaluated their catalytic performance.The results showed that the hydroxyapatite catalyst with a Ca/P molar ratio of 1.58 had the best catalytic activity.The highest yield of MAA up to 61.2%was achieved with basically complete conversion of itaconic acid under the suitable reaction conditions of 1 equivalent of NaOH,2 MPa of N_(2),250℃,and 2 h.On this basis,a reaction network for the decarboxylation of itaconic acid to methacrylic acid catalyzed by hydroxyapatite was established.With the aid of catalyst characterization using X-ray powder diffraction,NH3/CO2 temperature-programmed desorption,N_(2)physisorption,inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry,and scanning electron microscopy,we found that the distribution of surface acid sites and basic sites,crystal growth orientation,texture properties and morphology of hydroxyapatite varied with the Ca/P molar ratio.Furthermore,the change of the crystal growth orientation and its influence on the surface acidity and alkalinity were clarified.

Liquid-phase esterification of methacrylic acid with methanol catalyzed by cation-exchange resin in a fixed bed reactor:Experimental and kinetic studies

The kinetic behavior of esterification between methacrylic acid and methanol catalyzed by NKC-9 resin was studied in a fixed bed reactor.The reaction was conducted in the temperature range of 323.15 to 368.15 K with the molar ratio of reactants from 0.8 to 1.4 under certain pressure.The measurement data were regression with the pseudo-homogeneous(P-H),Eley-Rideal(E-R),and Langmuir-Hinshelwood(L-H)heterogeneous kinetic models.Independent adsorption experiments were implemented to gain the adsorption equilibrium constants of four components.Among the above three models,the L-H model exhibited the best fitting results.The stability of NKC-9 was evaluated by long-term running with the yield of methyl methacrylate no decrease during 3000 h operation.The structure and physicochemical properties of the new and used catalyst were performed by several characterizations including thermogravimetric analysis(TG),scanning electron microscope(SEM),X-ray diffraction(XRD)and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR)and so on.

Process design and economic analysis of methacrylic acid extraction for three organic solvents

In this work,a techno-economic study for the solvent based extraction of methacrylic acid from an aqueous solution is presented.The involved phase equilibrium calculations in process design are verified by measured experimental data.First,experiments are conducted with different solvent candidates to measure LLE(liquid–liquid equilibrium)data and to establish the effects of extraction temperature and dosage of solvent.Next,the binary interaction parameters for the UNIQUAC model to be used for equilibrium calculations are fine-tuned with measured data.Then,a process for the solvent based extraction of methacrylic acid recovery is designed and verified through simulation with the regressed UNIQUAC model parameters.The optimal configuration of the process flowsheet is determined by minimizing the total annualized cost.Among the three solvent candidates considered-cyclohexane,hexane and toluene-the highest efficiency and the lowest total annualized cost is found with toluene as the solvent.

CONFORMATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF POLY(ACRYLIC ACID) AND POLY(METHACRYLIC ACID)

A full-relaxation optimization of molecule and the Dreiding force field are employed to obtain the geometry parameters and the conformational energy surfaces of meso or racemic dyad of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA). Three different carbonyl-bond orientations of side-groups resulted in the differences in depth of potential wells in their energetic contours for a meso or a racemic dyad. These discrepancies are interpreted as a result of various fine structures corresponding to grid search conformations as well as thereby different interactions. The analysis on the most stable conformations of PMAA confirmed that the ester groups are nearly perpendicular to the plane defined by the two adjacent skeletal bonds but may possibly change their relative orientations to meet the requirement of lower energy during the conformational state transition. For each polymer, two global energy maps of a meso and a racemic dyad were finally constructed from the superposition of energy data for the three kinds of side-group orientations by the Boltzmann factors. From an ensemble average, the proposed scheme with three rotational isomeric states (RIS) allowed us to access the experimentally unperturbed dimensions of PAA chain via the configurational statistical mechanics. Although the calculation was based on the short-range, local interactions, it was interested to note that the experimental characteristic ratios just fell within the range calculated for atactic chains.

Nitroxide-Mediated Photo-Controlled/Living Radical Polymerization of Methacrylic Acid

The photo-controlled/living radical polymerization of methacrylic acid (MAA) was performed at room temperature by irradiation with a high-pressure mercury lamp using azo initiators and 4-methoxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl as the mediator in the presence of (4-tert-butylphenyl)diphenylsulfonium triflate (tBuS) as the accelerator. Whereas the bulk polymerization yielded polymers with a bimodal molecular weight distribution in both the absence and presence of tBuS, the solution polymerization in methanol produced unimodal polymers with the molecular weight distribution of 2.0 - 2.3 in the presence of tBuS. The molecular weight distribution of the resulting poly (MAA) decreased with an in- crease in tBuS. The dilution of the monomer concentration also reduced the molecular weight distribution. The use of the initiator with a low 10-h half-life temperature also effectively controlled the molecular weight. The livingness of the polymerization was confirmed by obtaining linear increases in the first-order conversion versus time, the molecular weight versus the conversion, and the molecular weight versus the reciprocal of the initiator concentration.

PROPERTIES AND SYNTHESIS OF NEW SUPPORTS FOR IMMOBILIZATION OF ENZYMES BY COPOLYMERIZATION OF VINYLENE CARBONATE AND METHACRYLIC ACID

Methacrylic acid first was neutralized with an aqueous solution of NaOH to pH = 6.0 similar to 7.0, vinylene carbonate (VCA) was added to the solution, then monomers were copolymerized in paraffin oil by means of reverse-phase suspension polymerization and hydrophilic copolymeric supports were prepared. The properties of the supports were determined using trypsin and results show that the amount of enzymes coupled to the supports and the specific activity of immobilized trypsin are related to the content of VCA structure units, reaction time and concentration of enzyme solution, etc.

Highly efficient Rod-shape Poly(methacrylic acid-co-styrene-codivinylbenzene)High-performance Liquid Chromatographic Column

A highly efficient copolymer (methacrylic acid - co - styrene - divinylbenzene) in situ making high-performance liquid chromatographic column was prepared and evaluated. The column efficiency calculated in terms of height equivalent to a theoretical plate was 25 mu m and rapid separations of small molecules such as substituted aromatic hydrocarbons and aromatic acids were achieved within five minutes.

The Effect of Methacrylic Acid and Maleic Acid on the Isothermal Kinetics of Acrylic Acid Crosslinking Co-polymerization under Conventional and Microwave heating

The kinetics of free-radical crosslinking co-polymerization(FRCCP)of acrylic acid(AA)with both methacrylic acid(MA)(PAMA hydrogel)and maleic acid(MAL)(PAMAL hydrogel)was investigated under the conditions of isothermal conventional heating(CH)and under the conditions of microwave heating(MWH)with controlled cooling.The kinetics curves of FRCCP of PAMA and PAMAL hydrogels under the conditions of CH are described with the kinetics model of second order chemical reaction,whereas the kinetics curves under the conditions of CH are described with the kinetics model of Polany-Winger.It is proved that MWH leads to the changes in the rate of FRCCP and to the changes in the values of the kinetic parameters activation energy(Ea)and pre-exponential factor(lnA).It was found the existence of relationship between the values of the kinetic parameters calculated for MWH and CH for PAMA and PAMAL hydrogel synthesis process,which is well-known as compensation effect.The effect of MWH on the kinetics of FRCCP for PAMA and PAMAL hydrogel formation were explained by applying the model of activation by selective energy transfer(SET).The changes in kinetics model,rate of FRCCP and kinetics parameters,caused with the MWH can found wide application in designing novel technologies for obtaining polymers and for synthesis of polymers with novel physico-chemical properties.The suggested mechanism of activation for polymerisation under the conditions of MWH also enables development of novel reaction systems and technologies for polymers productions.

SOLID PHASE GRAFT COPOLYMERIZATION OF POLYPROPYLENE AND METHACRYLIC ACID

The solid phase graft copolymerization of polypropylene (PP) andmethacrylic acid (MAA) was investigated. benzoyl peroxide(BPO) wasused as initia- tor. The influence of the reactive time,concentration of initiator and monomer on degree of graft and meltflow index of graft copolymer(PP-MAA) was discussed. The effect ofgraft copolymer on mechanical properties of The glass fibre (GF)reinforced PP composites was also Studied. It is proved that graftcopolymer could obviously Increase the interfacial adhesive strengthbetween PP and GF.

Synthesis,Characterization and Catalytic Application of H_3PW_(12)O_(40)/MCM-48 in the Esterification of Methacrylic Acid with n-butyl Alcohol

A novel environmental friendly catalyst, H3PW12O40/MCM-48, was prepared by impregnation method. The catalysts were characterized by means of XRD and FT-IR. The synthesis of n-butyl methacrylate catalyzed by H3PW12O40/MCM-48 was studied with methacrylic acid and n-butyl alcohol as reactants. H3PW12O40/MCM-48 is an excellent catalyst for synthesizing n-butyl methacrylate and Keggin structure of H3PW12O40 kept unchanged after being impregnated on surface of the molecular sieve support. Effects of n（methacrylic acid）：n（n-butyl alcohol）, catalyst dosage, cyclohexane（water-stripped reagent） and reaction time on yields of the product were investigated. The optimum conditions have been found, that is, molar ratio of acid to alcohol is 1：1.6, mass ratio of catalyst used to the reactants is 0.5% and reaction time is 2.0 h. Under these conditions, the yield of n-butyl methacrylate can reach 93.7%.

Ionic liquid-assisted preparation of hydroxyapatite and its catalytic performance for decarboxylation of itaconic acid

The synthesis of methacrylic acid from biomass-derived itaconic acid is a green route,for it can get rid of the dependence on fossil resource.In order to solve the problems on this route such as use of a preciousmetal catalyst and a corrosive homogeneous alkali,we prepared a series of hydroxyapatite catalysts by an ionic liquid-assisted hydrothermal method and evaluated their catalytic performance.The results showed that the ionic liquid[Bmim]BF_(4) can affect the crystal growth of hydroxyapatite,provide fluoride ion for fluorination of hydroxyapatite,and adjust the surface acidity and basicity,morphology,textural properties,crystallinity,and composition of hydroxyapatite.The[Bmim]BF4 dosage and hydrothermal temperature can affect the fluoride ion concentration in the hydrothermal system,thus changing the degree of fluoridation of hydroxyapatite.High fluoride-ion concentration can lead to the formation of CaF_(2) and thus significantly decrease the catalytic performance of hydroxyapatite.The hydrothermal time mainly affects the growth of hydroxyapatite crystals on the c axis,leading to different catalytic performance.The suitable conditions for the preparation of this fluoridized hydroxyapatite are as follows:a mass ratio of[Bmim]BF4 to calcium salt=0.2:1,a hydrothermal time of 12 h,and a hydrothermal temperature of 130℃.A maximal methacrylic acid yield of 54.7%was obtained using the fluoridized hydroxyapatite under relatively mild reaction conditions(250℃ and 2 MPa of N_(2))in the absence of a precious-metal catalyst and a corrosive homogeneous alkali.

Synthesis and Characterization of Poly Styrene-Co-Poly 2-Hydroxyethylmethacrylate (HEMA) Copolymer and an Investigation of Free-Radical Copolymerization Propagation Kinetics by Solvent Effects

A series of homo and copolymers of styrene (ST) and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) in three different media (bulk, tetrahydrofuran, and benzene) have been investigated by free radical polymerization method. The samples obtained from the synthesis were characterized by Fourier Transform-Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results show that the synthesis of the polymers is more feasible under neat conditions rather than solvent directed reaction. Moreover, the DSC data shows that the polystyrene obtained is amorphous in nature and therefore displayed only a glass transition signal rather than crystallization and melting peaks. In addition, this study indicates that homolopolymerization of styrene via free radical polymerization tends to be preferable in less polar solvents like THF than in non-polar solvents like benzene. Benzene might destabilize the formation of the reactive radicals leading to the formation of the products. In summary, the homolpolymerization of styrene is more feasible than the homopolymerization 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate under the experimental setup used. Styrene is more reactive than 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate than free radical polymerization reaction due in part of the generation of the benzylic radical intermediate which is more stable leading to the formation of products than alkyl radical which are less stable. Furthermore, polymerization of styrene under neat conditions is preferable in solvent-assisted environments. The choice of solvent for the synthesis of these polymers is crucial and therefore the selection of solvent that leads to the formation of a more stable reaction intermediate is more favorable. It is worth noting that the structure of the proposed copolymer consists of a highly polar and hydrophilic monomer, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate and a highly non-polar and hydrophobic monomer, styrene. These functionalities constitute an amphiphilic copolymer with diverse characteristics. A plausible explanation underlying our observations is that the reaction conditions employed in the synthesis of these copolymers might not be the right route required under free radical polymerization.

Cerium Methacrylate Assisted Preparation of Highly Thermally Conductive and Anticorrosive Multifunctional Coatings for Heat Conduction Metals Protection

Preparing polymeric coatings with well corrosion resistance and high thermal conductivity(TC)to prolong operational life and ensure service reliability of heat conductive metallic materials has long been a substantive and urgent need while a difficult task.Here we report a multifunctional epoxy composite coating(F-CB/CEP)by synthesizing cerium methacrylate and ingeniously using it as a novel curing agent with corrosion inhibit for epoxy resin and modifier for boron nitride through"cation-π"interaction.The prepared F-CB/CEP coating presents a high TC of 4.29 W m^(−1)K^(−1),which is much higher than other reported anti-corrosion polymer coatings and thereby endowing metal materials coated by this coating with outstanding thermal management performance compared with those coated by pure epoxy coating.Meanwhile,the low-frequency impedance remains at 5.1×10^(11)Ωcm^(2)even after 181 days of immersion in 3.5 wt%NaCl solution.Besides,the coating also exhibits well hydrophobicity,self-cleaning properties,temperature resistance and adhesion.This work provides valuable insights for the preparation of high-performance composite coatings with potential to be used as advanced multifunctional thermal management materials,especially for heat conduction metals protection.

Fabrication and Characterization of PMMA/MWCNTs Composite Materials

In order to improve the mechanical properties and thermal conductivity of polymethyl methacrylate(PMMA),multi-walled carbon nanotubes(MWCNTs)were used as reinforcement through in situ polymerization method to prepare PMMA/MWCNTs composites by changing the reaction time,polymerization temperature and the content of MWCNTs.The effects of different reaction conditions on the properties of the composites were studied.The results show that the mechanical properties,thermal/electrical conductivity and thermal stability of the composites are improved compared with the PMMA matrix.The tensile strength of the composites is increased by up to 24%.The bending strength of the composite material increases from20.41 to 68.04 MPa,and the maximum increase is 233%.Meanwhile,when the content of MWCNTs is 3 wt%,the thermal conductivity of the composite is 0.335 W/(m·K),which increases by138%,and the electrical conductivity is 3.94 S/m.The thermal stability of the composite has been significantly enhanced.The modified PMMA will be widely used in medicine,communications,electronics and other fields.

Surface Characterization and Tribology Behavior of PMMA Processed by Excimer Laser

Polyoxymethylene methacrylate (PMMA) is widely used in ophthalmic biomaterials. Misuse of PMMA in extreme environments is likely to damage the ocular surface and intraocular structures. The surface characterization and tribological behavior of PMMA processed using an excimer laser were investigated in this study by contrasting diferent lubrication conditions and friction cycles. The results show that the roughness of the material surface increases with laser processing, which changes its physical structure. Under lubrication, the laser-treated PMMA exhibits better hydrophilicity, especially during the use of eye drops. No obvious relationship exists between the laser-processing time and friction behavior. However, the laser treatment may contribute to the formation of friction and wear mechanisms of PMMA materials. Laser-treated PMMA in saline solution exhibits better abrasive resistance by showing a lower wear rate than that in eye drops, although it has a higher friction coefcient. In this study, the diferent friction stages in laser-treated PMMA were clarifed under two lubrication conditions. The wear rates of the laser-treated PMMA were found to decrease with the number of cycles, and the friction coefcient has a similar variation tendency. The wear behavior of the laser-treated PMMA is dominated by the main abrasive wear and secondary transferred flm formation. This study provides a theoretical basis for the development and application of ophthalmic biomaterials in complex environments by examining the material surface interface behavior and wear mechanism after laser processing using PMMA as the research matrix.

Preparation and Thermo-Responsive Properties of Poly(Oligo(Ethylene Glycol)Methacrylate)Copolymers with Hydroxy-Terminated Side Chain

Thermo-responsive random copolymers,poly(2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethoxyethyl methacrylate-co-(ethylene glycol)methyl ether methacrylate)(P(EO_(2)-co-EO_(4/5)))and poly(2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethoxyethyl methacrylate-co-ethylene glycol methacrylate(P(EO2-co-EG4/5))are synthesized via atom transfer radical polymerization(ATRP).The successful synthesis and the narrow polydispersity index(PDI)of two copolymers are indicated by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance(1H-NMR)and gel permeation chromatography(GPC)analyses.The transition behaviors of polymers in the aqueous solution are demonstrated by changes in turbidity and particle sizes.The transition behavior of P(EO2-co-EG4/5)is found to be milder than that of P(EO2-co-EO4/5).Moreover,the presence of hydrogen bonds without thermo-responsive properties established by hydroxyl groups in the end-side chain of P(EO_(2)-co-EG_(4/5))hinders the dehydration at the transition temperature(TT).Attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectrometry(ATR-FTIR)analysis along with contact angle measurements reveals that both P(EO_(2)-co-EO_(4/5))and P(EO_(2)-co-EG_(4/5))films undergo phase transitions from hydrophilicity to hydrophobicity above TT.By examining the swelling and collapse behaviors of the polymer films during phase transitions,it can be concluded that the end hydroxyl groups may establish hydrogen bonds with neighboring ether groups within the films,which remain intact throughout the phase transition process due to their strong bonding interactions.This leads to an increase in steric hindrance within swollen films thereby impeding dehydration processes and inducing hysteresis during phase transitions.

Influence of Carboxyl Groups on the Particle Size and Rheological Properties of Polyacrylate Latices

The PAL was synthesized with BA,MMA and some monomers containing carboxyl groups（for example,acrylic acid（AA） and methacrylic acid（MAA）） as co-monomers by semi-continuous seeded emulsion polymerization technique.The influences of alkalinization temperature,the feeding manner of AA or MAA on the particles size,rheological properties and carboxyl distribution of the latex were discussed,and the rheological mechanism was analyzed.The experimental results show that the PAL system has preferable viscosity and particle size when the alkalinization temperature is 50 ℃.Different distribution of carboxyl group in the particles and different resultant rheological properties are obtained by different feeding manner of AA or MAA into the system.The TEM images show that the particle is a smooth globe with carboxyl group concentrating on the surface and stabilized with electric double layer and nonionic adsorbed layer.The concentration of carboxyl functional group on the surface of particles can be achieved by the specific polymerization technique.The rheologyical properties are determined by accretion of particle volume and variation of the two phase volume ratio resulted from the carboxyl group spreading layer.

Effects of Cs-substitution and partial reduction on catalytic performance of Keggin-type phosphomolybdic polyoxometalates for selective oxidation of isobutane

The catalytic performance of Cs-substituted phosphomolybdic salts was studied for selective oxidation of isobutane. The results of activity tests revealed that 360 °C was the optimal reaction temperature. It was demonstrated that oxidizing sites not only took dominating part in the activation of isobutane, but also influenced the product distribution. Besides, appropriate Cs addition led to moderate acidity of catalysts, favoring the selectivity to desired products. Furthermore, to obtain partially reduced catalysts, different calcination atmospheres were investigated and certain proportion of Mo^（5＋） produced during calcination was crucial for the redox reaction. The catalyst calcined in N2 showed the highest yield of MAA（7.0%）. Fe-substitution enhanced the activity of catalysts by rapid reoxidation of Mo^（5＋）.

Selective Oxidation of Isobutene over CsFeCoBiMnMoO_x Mixed Oxide Catalyst

Mixed oxide catalyst Cs0.1Fe2Co6BiMnMo12Ox was prepared by the coprecipitation method. Selective oxidation of isobutene was carried out in a fixed-bed reactor over Cs0.1Fe2Co6BiMnMo12Ox. The results showed that the catalyst had high catalytic activity. Under the optimum reaction conditions (n(i-C4=):n(O2)=1:2-1:4, space velocity=180 h-1, T=360℃), the yields of methacrolein and methacrylic acid can reach 80% and 8%, respectively. The total yield of liquid products (methacrolein, methacrylic acid and acetic acid) can reach about 90%.

ESR STUDY ON RADIATION GRAFTING REACTION OF INORGANIC OXIDES

In this paper Al2O3 and MgO were studied as targets for the radiation grafting of MAA by electron beams. The reaction conditions and materials were characterized by IR spectroscopy, Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction methods. It is concluded that grafting copolymerization of inorganic oxides and organic monomers has been confirmed. We focus our attention on using ESR spectrum to study the effects of ionizing radiation on inorganic oxides and the properties of initiating active centers. In addition, the radiation grafting mechanism of inorganic oxides and organic monomers has been primarily investigated.