A Bacillus sp. which is capable of degrading dimethylphthalate (DMP) was immobilized in calcium alginate and polyurethane foam for efficient and long term degradation of DMP. Freely suspended cells (10(12) cfu ml-1) degraded a maximum of 20 mM DMP. Whereas, alginate-(10(12)cfu g-1 beads) and polyurethane foam-entrapped (0.34 x 10(6-9) cfu g-1 foam cubes) cells degraded a maximum of 40 mM DMP wi...

In this study, a simple and versatile synthetic approach was developed to prepare bactericidal polyurethane coatings. For this purpose, introduction of both quaternary ammonium salts (QASs), with well-known antibacterial activity, and reactive hydroxyl groups on to the backbone of soybean oil was considered. Epoxidized soybean oil was reacted with diethylamine and the intermediate tertiary amin...

A bacterium capable of degrading pendimethalin was isolated from the contaminated soil samples and identified as Bacillus lehensis XJU based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. 6-Aminopendimethalin and 3,4-dimethyl 2,6-dinitroaniline were identified as the metabolites of pendimethalin degradation by the bacterium. The biodegradation of pendimethalin by freely suspended and the immobilized cells...

Cell attractive or non-attractive surface properties of polyurethane devices can be controlled by treating them with zirconium tetra(tert-butoxide). This gives reactive interfacial zirconium complex species that can be used subsequently to bond cell attractive peptides such as arg-gly-asp (RGD) or cell non-attractive organics such as polyethylene glycol (PEG) to the device surface. Control of t...

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) functionalized with amine and carboxyl groups were used to prepare polyurethane/ MWCNT nanocomposites in two distinct concentrations: a lower value of 1 mass% (spray coating) and a higher one of ~50 mass% (buckypaper based). The MWCNT-NH 2 sample contained only 0.5 mass% of amine groups, whereas MWCNT-COOH contained 5 mass% of carboxyl groups. The MWCNT fu...

Thermosetting polyurethane polymers are staples of adhesive and sealant formulations used in a variety of industrial applications. Polyurethane materials generally provide reliable service under most application conditions, but the long-term performance and durability of some polyurethanes can be compromised by direct and prolonged contact with bulk water or high ambient humidity. The Dow Chemi...

In this research, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and clay nanoparticles were incorporated into poly (butylene terephthalate) (PBT) to improve the impact and tensile properties. The PBT/TPU (90/10, 80/20 and 70/30) samples were prepared by melt mixing using a co-rotating twin-screw extruder followed by injection molding. At the next stage, clay nanoparticles of different weight fractions were ...

Indoor residential pesticide applications present the potential for human exposures, particularly for small children. Personal contact with target and nontarget surfaces can result in transfer of pesticides to the skin, but the magnitude of such transfer is uncertain. This research compared surface sampling techniques [wipe and polyurethane foam (PUF) roller] with the removal ability of human s...

A fast and sensitive on-line procedure for the determination of zinc in water and biological samples was developed. Zinc was preconcentrated in a mini-column packed with polyurethane foam (PUF) chemically modified with zincon via -N=N- bonding. The optimal conditions for preconcentration were pH 8.5 and sample flow rate of 4.0 mL min(-1). Quantitative desorption of Zn(II) was obtained by 0.1 mo...

The process of removing indium ions from aqueous solutions by applying capacitive deionization (CDI) is reported in this manuscript. First, a modified carbon material was prepared incorporating titanium dioxide (TiO2) into activated (AC). A microwave-assisted ionothermal synthesis (MAIS) method used to produce evenly distributed nanostructured anatase TiO2 on the surface AC. polyurethane (PU) e...