Techniques Employed

Many techniques can be employed in the analysis of compounds that can be used in the manufacture of explosives and explosive materials. Raman and infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), mass spectrometry, and gas chromatography can all be used in the analysis of this type of material. Hyphenated chromatographic techniques, such as GC-MS and LC-MS, can also be used. 

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In the standard method, the metal enclosure (called the air chamber) used to hold the hydrocarbon vapors is immersed in water before the test, then drained but not dried. This mode of operation, often designated as the wet bomb" is stipulated for all materials that are exclusively petroleum. But if the fuels contain alcohols or other organic products soluble in water, the apparatus must be dried in order that the vapors are not absorbed by the water on the walls. This technique is called the dry bomb" it results in RVP values higher by about 100 mbar for some oxygenated motor fuels. When examining the numerical results, it is thus important to know the technique employed. In any case, the dry bomb method is preferred. 

Another technique employs a database search. The calculation starts with a molecular structure and searches a database of known spectra to find those with the most similar molecular structure. The known spectra are then used to derive parameters for inclusion in a group additivity calculation. This can be a fairly sophisticated technique incorporating weight factors to account for how closely the known molecule conforms to typical values for the component functional groups. The use of a large database of compounds can make this a very accurate technique. It also ensures that liquid, rather than gas-phase, spectra are being predicted. 

A more recent experimental technique employs C as the isotopic label Instead of locating the position of a label by a laborious degradation procedure the NMR spectrum of the natural product is recorded The signals for the carbons that are enriched m are far more intense than those corresponding to carbons m which IS present only at the natural abundance level... 

Some of the processes that play a role in the deterioration of particular types of objects are understood (126). The principal techniques employed by conservators to reduce the rates at which these processes take place and, at least partially, undo the damage incurred are mentioned herein. 

Researchers at the MoneU Center (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) are using a variety of electrophysical and biochemical techniques to characterize the ionic currents produced in taste and olfactory receptor cells by chemical stimuli. These studies are concerned with the identification and pharmacology of the active ion channels and mode of production. One of the techniques employed by the MoneU researchers is that of "patch clamp." This method aUows for the study of the electrical properties of smaU patches of the ceU membrane. The program at MoneU has determined that odors stimulate intraceUular enzymes to produce cycUc adenosine 3, 5 -monophosphate (cAMP). This production of cAMP promotes opening of the ion channel, aUowing cations to enter and excite the ceU. MoneU s future studies wiU focus on the connection of cAMP, and the production of the electrical response to the brain. The patch clamp technique also may be a method to study the specificity of receptor ceUs to different odors, as weU as the adaptation to prolonged stimulation (3). 

Emissions During Processing. During the production of flexible PVC products plasticizers are exposed for up to several minutes to temperatures of - ISO C. The exact conditions depend on the processing technique employed, but it is evident that the loss of plasticizer by evaporation and degradation can be significant. 

A third technique employs monovalent aluminum. By bringing vapors of aluminum fluoride or aluminum chloride into contact with carbothermicahy reduced aluminum ahoy at 1000—1400°C, the fohowing reaction occurs... 

Several gas-Hquid chromatographic procedures, using electron-capture detectors after suitable derivatization of the aminophenol isomers, have been cited for the deterrnination of impurities within products and their detection within environmental and wastewater samples (110,111). Modem high pressure Hquid chromatographic separation techniques employing fluorescence (112) and electrochemical (113) detectors in the 0.01 pg range have been described and should meet the needs of most analytical problems (114,115). 

Viscosity can also be determined from the rising rate of an air bubble through a Hquid. This simple technique is widely used for routine viscosity measurements of Newtonian fluids. A bubble tube viscometer consists of a glass tube of a certain size to which Hquid is added until a small air space remains at the top. The tube is then capped. When it is inverted, the air bubble rises through the Hquid. The rise time in seconds may be taken as a measure of viscosity, or an approximate viscosity in mm /s may be calculated from it. In an older method that is commonly used, the rate of rise is matched to that of a member of a series of standards, eg, with that of the Gardner-Holdt bubble tubes. Unfortunately, this technique employs a nonlinear scale of letter designations and may be difficult to interpret. 

The electiomagnetic spectmm is conventionally divided into several energy regions characterized by the different experimental techniques employed and the various nuclear, atomic, and molecular processes that can be studied these are summarized in Table 1. 

Among the techniques employed to estimate the average molecular weight distribution of polymers are end-group analysis, dilute solution viscosity, reduction in vapor pressure, ebuUiometry, cryoscopy, vapor pressure osmometry, fractionation, hplc, phase distribution chromatography, field flow fractionation, and gel-permeation chromatography (gpc). For routine analysis of SBR polymers, gpc is widely accepted. Table 1 lists a number of physical properties of SBR (random) compared to natural mbber, solution polybutadiene, and SB block copolymer. 

During regeneration the coke is burned off the catalyst. The techniques employed are fairly sophisticated so as to maintain the platinum and any other active metals ia a well dispersed form and to restore the original catalyst activity. Regeneration usually takes several days. 

Precipitatioa (2,13—17) techniques employ a combination of nucleation and growth iaduced by adding a chemical precipitant, or by changing the temperature and/or pressure of the solution. Chemical homogeneity is controlled by controlling the rate of precipitation. FFeterogeneous precipitation iavolves the precipitation of a soHd of different composition from the solution, and the composition of the precipitate may change as precipitation continues. Coprecipitation iavolves the simultaneous precipitation of similar size cations ia a salt as a soHd solutioa. 

Characterization. Ceramic bodies are characterized by density, mass, and physical dimensions. Other common techniques employed in characterizing include x-ray diffraction (XRD) and electron or petrographic microscopy to determine crystal species, stmcture, and size (100). Microscopy (qv) can be used to determine chemical constitution, crystal morphology, and pore size and morphology as well. Mercury porosknetry and gas adsorption are used to characterize pore size, pore size distribution, and surface area (100). A variety of techniques can be employed to characterize bulk chemical composition and the physical characteristics of a powder (100,101). 

The main combustion pollutants are nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, carbon monoxide, unbumed hydrocarbons, and soot. Combustion pollutants can be reduced by three main methods depending on the location of thek appHcation before, after, or during the combustion. Techniques employed before and after combustion deal with the fuel or the burned gases. A thkd alternative is to modify the combustion process in order to minimise the emissions. 

Electrochemical polymeriza tion of heterocycles is useful in the preparation of conducting composite materials. One technique employed involves the electro-polymerization of pyrrole into a swollen polymer previously deposited on the electrode surface (148—153). This method allows variation of the physical properties of the material by control of the amount of conducting polymer incorporated into the matrix film. If the matrix polymer is an ionomer such as Nation (154—158) it contributes the dopant ion for the oxidized conducting polymer and acts as an effective medium for ion transport during electrochemical switching of the material. 

Coulometry (5) is not usually the technique employed. Even in the absence of kinetics, the several minutes required for the electrolysis seems excessive and destmction of the sample is not a desirable result. Furthermore, coulometric precision can be exceptionally poor at low concentration, and currents almost never decay to zero because of the trace contaminants present. One has to decide when zero current has been obtained. 

Small electrodes allow faster measurements and are therefore very popular with electrochemists. Large solution volumes are typically a few tens of milliliters, but electro analysis can be performed in drops as small as 10 p.L or less because 30 lm times 1 mm equals only 3% of a 10 p.L drop. Preferred analyte concentration ranges are anywhere from subpicomolar to maybe 10 millimolar, depending on the technique employed. 

Numerous variations exist in the electroless plating solutions, processes, and techniques employed both in laboratory and commercial form, to create a great variety of products (39). AH produce a layer of highly conductive copper in specified areas. Modem electroless copper films have a ductiHty and conductivity identical to that of electrolytic copper (40). The three basic classes of copper baths are... 

The Mancini and Ouchtedony techniques are the basis of the techniques employed in immunoelectrophoresis. A technique referred to as rockets (59) is named as such because of the appearance of a rocket-shaped antigen—antibody precipitin formed after an antigenic sample is electrophoresed through a gel-containing antibody (Fig. 3c). 

The diffusion coefficients of cations in metal oxides are usually measured through the use of radioactive isotopes. Because of the friable nature of oxides it is exU emely difficult to use the sectioning technique employed for metal samples. The need for this can be avoided by the application of radioisotopes which emit radiation having a well established absorption law in matter. Isotopes which emit y radiation are very useful when the cation has a relatively high diffusion coefficient because of the long-range peneU ation of y rays. The absorption law is... 

The decades since World War II have seen many improvements and a diversification of the experimental and diagnostic techniques employed in... 

Another important method of determining the Gruneisen ratio in the shock state is the measurement of sound speed behind the shock front. The techniques employing optical analyzers (McQueen et al., 1982) piezoresistive (Chap-... 

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