In this work, the chloride transport related properties of slag concrete have been studied. For this, traditional experiments and an innovative computational method were applied to novel mixes with a low carbon footprint. In part 1 combination of Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag and Steel Basic Oxygen Slag activated using ordinary Portland cement, waste cement industrial residues and recycled Plasterboard Gypsum were studied. In order to characterize these blended binders, the compressive strength, the volume stability, the mineralogical changes due to hydration and the setting times were measured. In part 2 the chloride penetration was simulated to study the transport properties using a multi-species model. In this, the ionic species flow is given by the Nernst– Planck equation; however, due to ion–ion interactions there are ionic fields that affect the final flux producing an additional voltage known as the membrane potential. In order to calculate the inputs of the model a neural network methodology was developed to find the fundamental properties of concrete including the diffusion coefficients In part 3 a range of traditional transport chloride related experimental tests were carried out on concrete mixtures developed in part 1. These tests were workability, compressive strength, open porosity, initial water absorption capacity (sorptivity), carbonation, chloride migration and self diffusion, electrical resistivity, water permeability, and corrosion. Additionally, the methods developed in part 2 were used to calculate the chloride transport related properties of those mixes.

Thesis (PhD (Chemistry and Polymer Science))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / Due to numerous accidents involving munitions, recent interest has focused on the development and use of insensitive munitions (IM). Polymeric materials are used in insensitive munitions as binders or plasticizers. Most of the polymeric binders used are based on polycondensation reaction via using urethane linkages. The main aim of this study was the synthesis and characterization of selected energetic thermoplastic elastomers binder based on utilizing controlled free radical polymerization. This was achieved by using hydroxyl terminated poly (epichlorohydrin) (PECH-diol) and hydroxyl terminated glycidyl azide polymer (GAP-diol) as starting materials, and the subsequent synthesis of different macroinitiators. These macro-initiators were used to polymerize methyl methacrylate (MMA) to obtain thermoplastic elastomers. PECH-diol was prepared by cationic ring-opening polymerization (CROP) based on using borontrifluoride etherate (BF3-etherate) as catalyst and a low molecular weight diol as initiator. GAP-diol was synthesized by the reaction of PECH-diol with sodium azide in organic solvent.. Poly(epichlorohydrin-methyl methacrylate) (PECH-PMMA) and poly(glycidyl azidemethyl methacrylate) (GAP-PMMA) block copolymers were prepared by free radical polymerization of MMA monomer in presence of PECH and GAP macro-azoinitiator (MAI). The MAIs were prepared by the polycondensation reaction of hydroxyl terminated groups of elastomer with 4,4' azobis (4-cyanopentanoyl chloride) (ACPC). The phase behavior of blends of amorphous PMMA/PECH-diol and PMMA/GAP-diol was also investigated. Poly(epichlorohydrin-methyl methacrylate) (PECH-PMMA) and poly(glycidyl azidemethyl methacrylate) (GAP-PMMA) graft copolymers were synthesized by photopolymerization of MMA in presence of PECH and GAP with pendant N,Ndiethyldithiocarbamate groups as macro-photoiniferters. . Photopolymerization of MMA proceeded in a controlled fashion. A macro RAFT agent, based on the reaction of PECH with pendent dithiobenzoate was prepared. The macro-RAFT agent was used in the controlled thermal bulk polymerization of methyl methacrylate. Finally, living/controlled radical polymerization of MMA with four different photoiniferters, namely benzyl diethyl dithiocarbamate (BDC), 2-(N,N-diethyldithiocarbamyl) propionic acid (PDC), 2-(N,Ndiethyldithiocarbamyl) isobutyric acid (DTCA), and diethyl dithiocarbamateepichlorohydrin was achieved.

Many painted objects within ethnographic collections suffer from paint loss. In the past, assumptions have been made that this phenomenon was caused by a low binder concentration, although binder presence had not been investigated, confirmed or it's type identified. Simple laboratory methods which can detect the presence of binders on a painted object are outlined. They are based on tests developed for the medical industry and modified by the author for routine use in conservation. Methods presented outline procedures to identify three broad chemical groups of binders used in the manufacture of traditional Australian Aboriginal painted objects : 1. lipids (fats and/or oils) using Sudan Black B Bromination test and the Sigma GCI Triglyceride test; 2. proteins (egg and blood) using Sulphosalicylic Acid test, Sigma GCI Protein test and the GCI Heme test; 3. carbohydrates (honey and orchid juice) using the Sigma GCI Glucose test. Close comparison was found between the reported binders used on certain object types and those identified. Literature findings based on anthropological information on binders and pigments are summarised. They indicated that fat or oil binders have higher binder concentrations than originally expected. Rapid lipid binder deterioration has lead to their present matte appearance. Compared to protein and carbohydrate binders, used as a paint vehicle or facilitator and/or for symbolic representation (blood), where used on a range of ceremonial objects with no long term expectancy and therefore no requirement to adhere or bind the pigment. The concept of "effective" binder concentration as opposed to low binder concentration is discussed. Implications of these findings of binder presence are discussed and considerations for preservation and conservation treatments, which involve consolidation are outlined.

Diamidines are small molecules that generally possess antiparasitic properties and bind preferentially to the minor groove of AT rich DNA. With the goal of getting a better understanding of the thermodynamic driving forces and binding affinities, a series of pentamidine analogs were investigated with various AT rich DNA by ITC, UV-Vis and fluorescence spectroscopic methods. Findings suggest that the substitution of the linker oxygen of pentamidine to a nitrogen slightly improves the binding affinity. All of the investigated compounds are entropically driven at 25 oC with non-alternating AT DNA. Additionally, the increased fluorescence of the nitrogen and sulfur linked analogs will enable future work to be done with fluorescence microscopy to help determine if and where these compounds accumulate in the target organism.

It has been shown that heterocyclic diamidines, a class of minor groove binders, are promising antimicrobial agents. These compounds bind none covalently to the minor groove of A/T rich regions of the kinetoplast DNA and kill the parasite. The mechanism of action of these compounds is not well understood, yet many hypotheses have been proposed. One of the methods that improve the specificity is cooperative binding. Since there are many binding sites available in k-DNA thus the cooperativity in adjacent binding sites is desirable. A library of compounds has been scanned and few of those compounds identified that are able to bind to two adjacent A/T binding sites separated by a single G. Many biophysical methods such as isothermal titration calorimetry, surface Plasmon resonance, circular dichroism and thermal melting have been used to explore the thermodynamic profiles and binding mode of these compounds. The pulsed field gradient NMR was used to investigate the structural changes to the DNA sequence upon binding of the minor groove binders and find a correlation between their biological difference and structural changes. The molecular dynamics was applied to look at the interaction of some of the heterocyclic diamidines to the DNA with more details and predict the unknown structures.

Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on Feb 18, 2010). The entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file. Thesis advisor: Dr. Stephen Lombardo. Includes bibliographical references.

Metal-organic framework (MOF) materials are a novel set of porous crystalline materials that have generated great scientific interest within the past two decades due to their attractive properties such as high porosity, surface areas and tunable pore structure. These properties have made them emerge as potential candidates suitable for a broad range of applications such as gas separations and storage, catalysis and drug delivery. Despite their fascinating properties, MOFs are often unsuitable for most industrial applications due to their instability when exposed to mechanical stress. The challenge therefore is to convert the MOFs to high strength materials capable of withstanding such stress while still maintaining their exciting properties. This thesis thus focuses on investigating the effects of different binders on a zirconium based metal-organic-framework, UiO-66, in an attempt to enhance the mechanical strength of the adsorbent samples. Three different binders, kaolinite, polyvinyl alcohol and tartaric acid, are mixed with the parent MOF material in different weight percents, pressed into solid disc pellets at different pressures and calcined at different temperatures. Properties such as changes in structure, density, porosity, surface area, radial crush strength, and the adsorption capacity with CO2 are measured and evaluated. Results gathered from this work reveal that polyvinyl alcohol is the most promising of the three binders due to the increase in the strength of pellets and the slight decrease in CO2 adsorption it offers. Recommendations for future research work aimed at driving these materials towards reaching their maximum application potentials are proposed.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Nevada, Reno, 2007. / "May, 2007." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 45-46). Online version available on the World Wide Web.

Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Auburn University, 2005. / Abstract. Includes bibliographic references (p.82-87).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on October 16, 2007) Vita. Includes bibliographical references.