Primary barriers

W. M. Partridge, Carrier mediated transport of thyroid hormones through the rat blood brain barrier. Primary role of albumin bound hormone, J. Clin. Invest. 64 145-154 (1979). 

Primary cell cultures of the airway epithelium are not as easy to maintain as cell lines, but they better represent the biological barrier. Primary cultured cells... 

It can be concluded that a series of overwraps will significantly extend the shelf life of, for example, a moisture-sensitive product as moisture permeation is considerably reduced and/or a low barrier primary material may give adequate protection. This counters any need for an improved pack as found under the ICH 40°C 75% RH conditions. 

Physical containment of biohazards is achieved through the use of primary and secondary barriers. Primary barriers, the first line of defense against the release of a biohazardous agent, are the measures used to contain the experimental material, and include both techniques and equipment. In the context of this chapter, however, they refer to the use of items of equipment, particularly safety cabinets. Primary barriers are used to provide physical separation of the worker and experimental materials to prevent injury to the worker, provide physical separation of the experimental work from the environment to prevent contamination of the work, and control the release of aerosols created by the work which could pose a hazard for the researcher. 

It has developed a real time method to compare successive non-destructive inspections of the steam generator tubes in nuclear power plants. Each tube provides a safety barrier between the primary and secondary coolant circuits. Each steam generator contains several thousands of tubes whose structural integrity must be ensured through the lifetime of the plant, Therefore, Laborelec performs extensive nondestructive tests after each plant outage. 

The charge on a droplet surface produces a repulsive barrier to coalescence into the London-van der Waals primary attractive minimum (see Section VI-4). If the droplet size is appropriate, a secondary minimum exists outside the repulsive barrier as illustrated by DLVO calculations shown in Fig. XIV-6 (see also Refs. 36-38). Here the influence of pH on the repulsive barrier between n-hexadecane drops is shown in Fig. XIV-6a, while the secondary minimum is enlarged in Fig. XIV-6b [39]. The inset to the figures contains t,. the coalescence time. Emulsion particles may flocculate into the secondary minimum without further coalescence. 

Parylene s use in the medical field is linked to electronics. Certain pacemaker manufacturers use it as a protective conformal coating on pacemaker circuitry (69). The coated circuitry is sealed in a metal can, so that the parylene coating serves only as a backup should the primary barrier leak. There is also interest in its use as an electrode insulation in the fabrication of miniature electrodes for long-term implantation to record or to stimulate neurons in the central or peripheral nervous system, as the "front end" of experimental neural prostheses (70). One report describes the 3-yr survival of functioning parylene-coated electrodes in the brain of a monkey (71). 

Some cast (unoriented) polypropylene film is produced. Its clarity and heat sealabiUty make it ideal for textile packaging and overwrap. The use of copolymers with ethylene improves low temperature impact, which is the primary problem with unoriented PP film. Orientation improves the clarity and stiffness of polypropylene film, and dramatically increases low temperature impact strength. BOPP film, however, is not readily heat-sealed and so is coextmded or coated with resins with lower melting points than the polypropylene shrinkage temperature. These layers may also provide improved barrier properties. 

Moisture Barrier. When impregnated with an asphaltic emulsion, geotextiles become impermeable and can then be used as moisture barriers. The primary appHcation for this type of geotextile is in pavement rehabiHtation (Fig. 8). 

One of the primary factors in the deterioration of a pavement stmcture is the intmsion of surface water into the support stmcture of the pavement. When rehabihtating a pavement, the installation of a moisture barrier between the old, existing pavement surface and the new overlain surface acts to retard moisture intmsion, thus prolonging the life of the overlay. 

Isolation of radioactive wastes for long periods to allow adequate decay is sought by the use of multiple barriers. These include the waste form itself, the primary containers made of resistant materials, overpacks as secondary layers, buffer materials, concrete vaults, and finally the host rock or sod. Barriers limit water access to the waste and minimize contamination of water suppHes. The length of time wastes must remain secure is dependent on the regulatory limit of the maximum radiation exposure of individuals in the vicinity of the disposal site. 

Specific barriers may serve to limit dmg distribution. The placental barrier is of obvious importance to dmg action in the fetus. Dmg transfers across the placenta primarily by Hpid solubiHty. Hence, this barrier is not particularly restrictive. Similarly, the Hpid solubiHty of a dmg is a primary deterrninant in access to the brain and cerebrospinal fluid. Generally, hydrophilic or charged dmgs can also penetrate to these latter areas, but the result is slow and incomplete. The blood brain barrier is composed of cells having tight junctions which are much less permeable to solutes than are the endotheHal cells of other tissues. 

The effect of copolymer composition on gas permeability is shown in Table 9. The inherent barrier in VDC copolymers can best be exploited by using films containing Htde or no plasticizers and as much VDC as possible. However, the permeabiUty of even completely amorphous copolymers, for example, 60% VDC—40% AN or 50% VDC—50% VC, is low compared to that of other polymers. The primary reason is that diffusion coefficients of molecules in VDC copolymers are very low. This factor, together with the low solubiUty of many gases in VDC copolymers and the high crystallinity, results in very low permeabiUty. PermeabiUty is affected by the kind and amounts of comonomer as well as crystallinity. A change from PVDC to 50 wt °/ VC or 40 wt % AN increases permeabiUty 10-fold, but has Httle effect on the solubiUty coefficient. 

The primary appHcation for barrier polymers is food and beverage packaging. Barrier polymers protect food from environmental factors that could compromise both taste and shelf life. They also help retain desirable flavors and aroma. Barrier polymers are also used for packaging medical products, agricultural products, cosmetics, and electronic components and in moldings, pipe, and tubing. 

The mechanism of ion polymerization in formaldehyde crystals proposed by Basilevskii et al. [1982] rests on Semenov s [1960] assumption that solid-phase chain reactions are possible when the arrangement of the reactants in the crystal prepares the configuration of the future chain. The monomer crystals capable of low-temperature polymerization fulfill this condition. In the initial equilibrium state the monomer molecules are located in the lattice sites and the creation of a chemical bond requires surmounting a high barrier. However, upon creation of the primary dimer cation, the active center shifts to the intersite, and the barrier for the addition of the next link... 

Contamination from Bearing Lubrication Oii. A barrier seal is required on the outboard side of the dry gas seal, between the gas seal and the compressor bearing. The primary function of the barrier seal, typically buffered with air or nitrogen, is to prohibit the flow of bearing lubrication oil into the gas seal. Contamination of the dry gas seal from lube oil can occur when the barrier seal fails to function as intended. 

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