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The feasibility of using oriented polymer technology in the design and manufacture of mechanical power transmission belts has been investigated. Working from an initial selection of polymers a die-drawing technique for orienting the polymers was devised, and the static and dynamic mechanical properties of the oriented polymers were investigated. These results indicated that PP, PBT, PPS and PEEK were suitable for further research. Of these 4 materials PBT was selected as the most appropriate material for belt manufacture based on cost, processability (drawing temperature, natural draw ratio) and limitations of laboratory equipment. A technique based on free-tensile drawing combined with simultaneous rotational motion was designed and used to manufacture oriented PBT flat belts from cylindrical injection moulded preforms. The technique used a tensile machine with two pulley-clamps, a fitted heated chamber and an electric motor to provide rotational motion to the belt during drawing. Two types of oriented PBT flat belts with different cross sections were produced successfully, termed 'thick' and 'thin'. These belts were tested on a purpose-built rig comprising two equal diameter pulleys, one driven by an electric motor and the other connected to a generator to provide load. The belt life and power transmission performance was investigated at various conditions of speed, transmitted torque and tension, and the results indicated that despite their smaller cross section 'thin' flat belts demonstrated up to 3 times longer life. However life was only 100 hours, which was very low compared with conventional flat belts that last for many thousands of hours at higher speeds and much greater power transmission capacity. Synchronous belts were then produced through the same manufacturing method used for flat belts. This aspect of the research concentrated on the initial pitch design and size, i. e. the timing. Initially a rectangular tooth profile was selected for its simplicity in terms of manufacture. The produced belts exhibited high pitch length variation as well as deformed teeth and were not usable for synchronous power transmission. An extra timing feature was included to control orientation; reducing the pitch length variation enabling consistent tooth production. It was observed that the areas between the extra timing feature and the tooth edges did not orient completely with some regions remaining undrawn. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) was used to predict the drawing behaviour of different shapes and dimensions of the timing features. The results suggested that a 4mm wide and 7mm long slot provided the highest possible extension and the minimum non-oriented regions on the groove. Whilst, the thickness and width of the drawn belt timing features showed differences to the FEA predictions, manufactured synchronous belts based on that design had much better controlled dimensions and the lowest achieved pitch length variation ( ±1%), compared to initial attempts. It is concluded that oriented polymers have the potential to be used in power transmission belts since they offer higher stiffness, tensile strength and creep resistance compared with isotropic polymers that are currently used in commercially available belts such as thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The main disadvantages were the lack of dimensional stability and number of cycle to failure. / Polymer IRC; The University of Bradford; The Gates Corporation

<p dir="ltr">A study on the impact of the position of the attachment of the photolabile, backbone amide linker, 4-formyl-3-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzoic acid, on the synthesis of a model cyclic pentapeptide was conducted. The peptide was synthesized on a solid support and cleaved photolytically. The crude product was analyzed for the effect of changing position by LC/MS, 1HNMR, and yield. The target peptide could not be identified convincingly by LC/MS or NMR. It was observed that attachment of the backbone amide linker to the N alpha of tyrosine provided the highest crude product yield.</p>

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and their metabolic derivatives are ubiquitous environmental contaminants. These compounds are of concern because of their persistence and bioaccumulation in nature. PCBs and the hydroxylated metabolites have shown endocrine-disrupting activity. A method of detection in surface water samples is important to identify and quantify the environmental contamination. In this research we have attempted to develop a method of detection. Six representative polychloromethoxybiphenyls (PCMBs) were prepared. The corresponding polychlorobiphenylols, hydroxylated PCB metabolites (OH-PCBs), were prepared from the PCMBs. A method coupling solid phase extraction with liquid chromatography, on-line electrospray ionization, and mass spectrometry (SPE-LC/ESI/MS) was developed for detection of the OH-PCBs in distilled and surface water samples.

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<p dir="ltr">Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is a frequently used technique in forensic chemistry for the identification of controlled substances and explosives. GC-MS can be coupled with solid-phase microextraction (SPME), in which a fiber with a sorptive coating is placed into the headspace above a sample or directly immersed in a liquid sample. Analytes are adsorbed onto the fiber which is then placed inside the heated GC inlet for desorption.</p><p dir="ltr">Illicit drugs are often found in the form of impure solids, mixed with other drugs, adulterants, and diluents. A simple method for the quick identification of drugs including methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and pharmaceutical tablets was developed. Headspace SPME methods were utilized with an elevated extraction temperature for the detection of various drugs in powder and tablet form. An extraction temperature of 120°C was used to encourage analytes into the headspace of the vial. A sample of the solid drug was placed in a headspace vial with no prior sample preparation or clean-up. This vial was then heated inside of an agitator where the sample was extracted. It was found that drugs in solid and tablet form can be detected using this high temperature headspace SPME method at the temperature of 120°C with no prior sample preparation. This method is simple, efficient, and cost effective for the detection of legal and illicit drugs in solid form.</p><p dir="ltr">Headspace SPME may also be used for the analysis of explosive materials. Canines trained at detecting hidden explosives should be trained using real explosive materials that have minimal contamination by other explosive odors to ensure accurate identification of potential threats. Therefore, the potential for cross-contamination between training aids is of importance. There are various storage methods in use by canine handlers such as plastic and cloth bags, but these can lead to cross-contamination between training aids during storage. Alternatively, odor-permeable membrane devices (OPMDs) may store training aides and be used as a delivery device. A membrane in the OPMD allows for volatile compounds from the training aids to be released during training while helping to prevent contaminants from entering the device. OPMDs were used in addition to traditional storage containers to monitor the contamination and degradation of 14 explosives used as canine training aids. Samples included explosives that contain highly volatile compounds like dynamite and explosives with less volatile compounds like RDX. Explosives were stored individually using traditional storage bags or inside of an OPMD at two locations, IUPUI and an Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. The police department actively used the training aids during canine trainings. Samples from each storage type at both locations were collected at 0, 3, 6, and 9 months and analyzed using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and GC-MS with SPME. FTIR analyses showed no signs of degradation of the training aids from any timepoint or location. GC-MS identified cross-contamination from ethylene glycol dinitrate and/or 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-dinitrobutane across almost all samples regardless of storage condition. The contamination was found to be higher among training aids that were stored in traditional ways and were in active use by canine teams. Additionally, Time 0 had the highest level of contamination, indicating that explosive training aids are received from the vendors with initial cross-contamination.</p><p dir="ltr">To test the initial cross-contamination levels of training aids, 11 explosive materials were ordered from three different vendors. A 1-gram sample of each was collected and analyzed using SPME with GC-MS. In several cases, explosive materials that are commercially available already exhibit elevated levels of contamination. This indicates that training aids must be acquiring contamination during manufacturing and/or storage at the vendor facility. The cross-contamination of explosive canine training aids stored in OPMDs was further evaluated and compared to traditional storage methods. This was done by storing various combinations of storage containers such as cloth bags, velcro bags, and OPMDs along with explosives and using activated charcoal strips to collect the volatile compounds such as 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-dinitrobutane and ethylene glycol dinitrate. Only one type of storage container, a velcro bag, showed evidence of contamination, indicating that OPMDs may not further prevent cross-contamination of explosive training aids.</p>