Yes / Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)/multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNT) nanocomposites were prepared by twin-screw extrusion and micro injection molding. The electrical conductivity of micro injection molded polymer nanocomposites exhibits a low value and uneven distribution in the micromolded samples. Real-time tracing of electrical conductivity was conducted to investigate the post thermal treatment on the electrical conductivity of microinjection molded composites. The results show that postmolding thermal treatment leads to a significant increase in the electrical conductivity by over three orders of magnitude for 5 wt % CNT-filled TPU composites. In-situ Transmission electron microscopy confirms the conductive CNT network does not change at the micron/sub-micron scale during thermal treatment. TEM image analysis by a statistical method was used to determine the spatial distribution of CNT in the sample and showed that the average distance between adjacent CNT reduced slightly at the nanometer scale after postmolding thermal treatment. A new conductive mechanism is proposed to explain the enhancement of electrical conductivity after thermal treatment, i.e. micro-contact reconstruction of adjacent CNT in the polymer matrix through annealing-induced relaxation of interfacial residual stress and strain. Raman spectra and small angle X-ray scattering curve of annealed samples provide supporting evidence for the proposed new conductive mechanism. The electron tunneling model was used to understand the effect of inter-particle distance on the conductivity of polymer composites. / Chinese Ministry of Education. Grant Number: 313036; National Natural Science Foundation of China. Grant Number: 51433006

No / The shear viscosity of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) melt is particularly investigated by using a twin-bore capillary rheometer at four temperatures of 210, 225, 240, and 255 degrees C with different capillary dies. Experimental results show that the geometrical dependence of shear viscosity is significantly dependent on melt pressure as well as melt temperature. The measured shear viscosity increases with the decrease of die diameter at lower temperatures (210 and 225 degrees C) but decreases with the decrease of die diameter at higher temperatures (240 and 255 degrees C). Based on the deviation of shear viscosity curves and Mooney method, negative slip velocity is obtained at low temperatures and positive slip velocity is obtained at high temperatures, respectively. Geometrical dependence and pressure sensitivity of shear viscosity as well as temperature effect are emphasized for this viscosity deviation. Moreover, shear viscosity curve at 210 degrees C deviates from the power law model above a critical pressure and then becomes less thinning. Mechanisms of the negative slip velocity at low temperatures are explored through Doolittle viscosity model and Barus equation, in which the pressure drop is used to obtain the pressure coefficient by curve fitting. Dependence of pressure coefficient on melt temperature suggests that the pressure sensitivity of shear viscosity is significantly affected by temperature. Geometrical dependence of shear viscosity can be somewhat weakened by increasing melt temperature. (c) 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 130: 3384-3394, 2013

In der Milchindustrie spielt die Auswahl der Starterkulturen eine wichtige Rolle bei der Herstellung fermentierter Produkte mit gewünschter Textur und entsprechenden sensorischen Eigenschaften. Milchsäurebakterien mit der Fähigkeit extrazelluläre Polysaccharide (EPS) zu synthetisieren sind von besonderem Interesse, da auf Grund der in situ gebildeten Hydrokolloide der Einsatz von Zusatzstoffen vermieden werden kann. Die Wirkung von EPS auf die Produkt-eigenschaften ist in der Literatur bereits mehrfach beschrieben, wird jedoch auf Grund der Vielzahl an unterschiedlichen Stämmen und Fermentationsparametern bzw. einer fehlenden Systematisierung immer noch sehr kontrovers diskutiert. Des Weiteren stellt die wissenschaftliche Aufklärung der komplexen Struktur-Funktionsbeziehungen und der Wechselwirkungen mit anderen Produktkomponenten eine große Herausforderung dar. Um die Zusammenhänge besser verstehen zu können, wurde in dieser Arbeit ein neuer Ansatz gewählt: isolierte und aufgereinigte EPS wurden der Milch vor der Säuerung zugesetzt und die daraus hergestellten Milchgele mit jenen mit in situ produzierten EPS verglichen. In Milchgelen aus Einzelstammkulturen von Streptococcus thermophilus oder Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus wurden EPS‑Gehalte von 40 - 150 mg/kg ermittelt. Die Gele unterschieden sich hinsichtlich ihrer Viskosität und ihres fadenziehenden Charakters, was erste Hinweise auf die Art der gebildeten EPS liefert. Die Synthese größerer Mengen an EPS zur Charakterisierung und Untersuchung ihrer Funktionalität erfolgte entkoppelt von der Produkt­herstellung mit ausgewählten Stämmen in Batch-Fermentationen mit konstantem pH in komplexen oder semidefinierten Medien. S. thermophilus ST‑143 produzierte ~ 300 mg/L fadenziehende EPS, die durch entsprechende Aufreinigungsschritte als drei EPS‑Fraktionen gewonnen werden konnten: freie EPS (EPSf), kapsuläre EPS (EPSk) und ein Gemisch aus beiden (EPSf+k). EPSf haben eine höhere Molekülmasse (M = 2,6 x 10^6 Da) und eine höhere intrinsische Viskosität (1,14 mL/mg) im Vergleich zu EPSk (M = 7,4 x 10^3 Da, 1,4 x 10^5 Da; intrinsische Viskosität = 0,06 mL/mg) und führten bereits in geringen Mengen zu rheologischen Veränderungen. Allerdings scheinen die EPSk Wechselwirkungen zwischen EPSf Molekülen zu unterstützen. In chemisch gesäuerten Milchgelen konnte durch den definierten Zusatz aufgereinigter Fraktionen von EPSf und EPSf+k vor der Säuerung (c = 0 - 0,35 mg/g) erstmals eine konzentrationsabhängige Wirkung aufgezeigt werden. Mit EPSf stieg der maximale Speichermodul der Milchgele als Maß für die Gelsteifigkeit linear an (457 - 722 Pa). EPSk zeigten hingegen keinen Einfluss. Als Modellpolysaccharid wurde vergleichend das gut beschriebene, ebenfalls ungeladene und nicht gelbildende Homopoly­saccharid Dextran herangezogen (c = 0 - 300 mg/g). EPSf und Dextran veränderten die Gelbildung, erhöhten die Steifigkeit stichfester Gele und die Viskosität gerührter Gele in ähnlichem Maße, es waren jedoch deutlich unterschiedliche Konzentrationen notwendig. Die in den Milchgelen beschriebenen Einflüsse können unter anderem auf Depletionseffekte zwischen gleichgeladenen Polymeren (hier Proteine und Polysaccharide) zurückgeführt werden. / The selection of suitable starter cultures for the production of fermented milk with a desired texture and corresponding sensory attributes is of great importance for the dairy industry. Lactic acid bacteria with the ability to synthesise extracellular polysaccharides (EPS) are of particular interest, because these in situ produced hydrocolloids may allow to omit the use of additives. Many effects of EPS on product properties are already described in the scientific literature, but are still discussed controversially because of the multitude of different strains and fermentation parameters and, hence, a lack of systematisation. Furthermore, research on the mechanisms behind the structure-function relationship and interactions with other product components is a challenging area. To obtain a deeper understanding of this complex system, a new approach was chosen for the present study: EPS were isolated, purified and added to the milk prior to acidification, and the respective milk gels were compared with those with in situ produced EPS. In milk gels acidified by single strains of Streptococcus thermophilus or Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus, EPS contents of 40 - 150 g/kg were determined. The gels differed in viscosity and their ropy character, which is a first indicator for the type of the EPS. To allow for their chemical and technofunctional characterisation, the synthesis of higher amounts of EPS was performed by batch-fermentation at constant pH and decoupled from the product manufacturing with selected strains in complex or semidefined media. S. thermophilus ST‑143 synthesised ~ 300 mg/L ropy EPS, which were isolated as three different EPS fractions by applying particular purification steps: free EPS (EPSf), capsular derived EPS (EPSk) and a mixture of both EPS (EPSf+k). EPSf had a higher molecular mass (M = 2.6 x 10^6 Da) and a higher intrinsic viscosity (1.14 mL/mg) compared to EPSk (M = 7.4 x 10^3 Da, 1.4 x 10^5 Da; intrinsic viscosity = 0.06 mL/mg) and affected the rheological properties of aqueous solutions already at low concentration. However, EPSk appear to support interactions between the EPSf molecules. In chemically acidified milk gels a concentration dependent impact of EPSf and EPSf+k, which were added to the milk prior to acidification (c = 0 - 0,35 mg/g), was described for the first time. The maximum of the storage modulus as a measure for stiffness of the milk gels linearly increased with EPSf content (457 - 722 Pa). With EPSk no effects were observed. For the purpose of comparison dextran, a well described also uncharged and non gelling homopolysaccharide, was used as a model polysaccharide (0 - 300 mg/g). EPSf and dextran affected the gelation, increased gel stiffness of set gels and viscosity of stirred gels to a similar way, but the concentrations needed for that found to be completely different. The effects described for milk gels can be ascribed among others to depletion interactions between similar charged polymers (here proteins and polysaccharides).

Yes / This paper describes some underlying principles of multicomponent and high entropy alloys, and gives some examples of these materials. Different types of multicomponent alloy and different methods of accessing multicomponent phase space are discussed. The alloys were manufactured by conventional and high speed solidification techniques, and their macroscopic, microscopic and nanoscale structures were studied by optical, X-ray and electron microscope methods. They exhibit a variety of amorphous, quasicrystalline, dendritic and eutectic structures.