Abstract:
There are provided herein selective membranes, such as composite membranes, and/or films and processes for their preparation. The membranes and/or films have a given morphology which may be stabilized, for example against swelling and chemical degradation, by covalent crosslinking and optionally, in addition, by hydrophobization. There is provided a membrane and/or film and a process for the preparation thereof, the membrane and/or film include an ionomer and/or polyelectrolyte crosslinked through aryl-aryl (—Ar—Ar—), aryl-ether-aryl (—Ar—O—Ar—) and/or aryl-sulfide-aryl (—Ar—S—Ar—) bonds.
Abstract:
Method for the preparation of nano- and mesosized particles consisting of a lipid layer comprising at least one amphiphile and a core of an inorganic compound and/or a metal, comprising: (i) dissolving in a common solvent at least one self-aggregating amphiphile with at least one inorganic, organometallic or metallorganic precursor of said inorganic compound or metal; and (ii) either injecting the resulting solution into an aqueous solution or drying the resulting solution and re-hydrating it, so as to form particles in which the precursor is encapsulated by the amphiphile(s) and is converted therein to said inorganic compound and/or metallic solid form.
Abstract:
A rotor for a threshing system of an agricultural combine and method for making the same, including a body of simplified, three part press fit construction including an inlet segment, a main body segment having threshing elements therearound, and a bulkhead to be connected to a drive mechanism. The inlet segment, main body segment and bulkhead are configured so as to facilitate press fit assembly thereof concentric about a rotational axis about which the rotor will be rotated during operation, while also minimizing eccentricities of those components. As a result, the manufacture of the rotor is simplified by the elimination of the need for an internal skeleton structure and associated welds and/or fasteners.
Abstract:
The present invention provides for a novel “green” agricultural formulation comprising at least one encapsulated volatile essential oil and a non-volatile vehicle in which said at least one encapsulated volatile essential oil is carried.
Abstract:
The invention provides a process for the preparation of essential oil microcapsules comprising dissolving a di- or polyisocyanate into an essential oil, emulsifying the resulting mixture in an aqueous solution containing a di- or polyamine, and or a di or polyhydroxy compound to effect encapsulation of said essential oil through interfacial polymerization, whereby there is formed a polyurea and/orpolyurethane film around the essential oil droplets which film enhances the stability of said essential oil, reduces its evaporation rate and controls its release rate when applied to a substrate.
Abstract:
An amphiphilic compound is provided capable of forming vesicles or liposomes, said amphiphilic compound having at least one headgroup containing a selectively cleavable group or moiety such as a residue of a choline or phenylalanine derivative, and at least one hydrogen-bonding group located either within said headgroup and/or in close proximity thereto. The cleavable group or moiety is cleaved under selective conditions including change of chemical, physical or biological environment and is preferably cleaved enzymatically in a biological environment such as the brain or the blood. Vesicles or liposomes made from said amphiphilic compounds are suitable for delivery of a therapeutic substance or a diagnostic agent specifically to a target organ or tissue, or for delivery of a nucleic acid for gene therapy.
Abstract:
A wear strip easily mountable on an outer surface of a support member or structure of a feeder of an agricultural combine, for preventing wear of the support member and a feeder chain movable thereover. The wear strip includes an elongate body of a molded plastics material having a longitudinal extending side to be positioned in facing relation to the chain and an opposite longitudinally extending mounting side to be mounted on the support member, the mounting side including at least one molded plastics mounting tab extending outwardly therefrom in a position for insertion into at least one hole through the support member, respectively. The mounting tab includes at least one resiliently displaceable or biasable projection spaced from the body and oriented so as to extend in a predetermined direction from the mounting tab, the projection defining a locking portion or detent for cooperatively engaging an edge of the hole or an inner surface of the support member for holding the tab in the hole with the mounting surface of the body in abutting relation to the outer surface of the support member while allowing limited longitudinal movement of the body relative to the support member.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to semipermeable mosaic polymer membranes of asymmetric structure and with a macroscopic distribution of the mosaic-forming anionic and cationic charges (sites). The membranes can be prepared by casting a polymer solution of an optionally charged matrix-forming polymer and at least one precursor polymer, incompatible with the matrix-forming polymer, in a selected solvent, into a film, forming a skin on one side of the film, precipitating the skinned film to form the asymmetric membrane and charging it by chemical reactions to introduce or complete their mosaic structure. These membranes have good permeability for electrolytes, such as salts of mono- or polyvalent inorganic acids, while retaining low molecular weight organic solutes.
Abstract:
A process and apparatus for the continuous separation of electrically charged macromolecular compounds, such as proteins, by forced-flow membrane electrophoresis is provided.Said process is conducted in an electrophoretic cell comprising a membrane compartment, divided by a micro- or ultrafiltration membrane into a feed and permeate cell, and electrode compartments being partitioned from the membrane compartment with ion-exchange membranes, which are impermeable to the macromolecular compounds, and have virtually no permeability to salts.The electrophoretic process comprises the steps of recycling a mixed solution of the charged compounds which are dissolved in a separation buffer through the feed cell, subjecting of the solution to a pressure-driven membrane separation, applying an electric field across the membranes and the solution to cause electrophoretic migration of the charged compound and to separate them, and withdrawing the charged compounds thus separated.The process achieves separation of charged compounds having differences of their isoelectric points in a range of as low as 0.1 to 0.2. The process is very useful to remove charged contaminants from the desired compounds.