Destructive Effects of Slag from Municipal Waste Incineration Plants on Cement Composites.

The increasing production of solid waste and the scarcity of natural aggregates as a matter of fact have made waste recycling a necessity. One such waste, which is generated in large quantities, is slag. However, slag from incineration plants may contain harmful elements that adversely affect the physical, chemical and mechanical properties of cement composites.

New Derivatives of Modified Starch for Food Technology.

The food industry extensively uses chemically modified starches and their hydrolysates, which is mainly due to their emulsification ability. Therefore, it becomes inevitable to develop new starch derivatives, including modified starch hydrolysates, and effective preparation methods to meet the increasing demands of producers, consumers, and technology. This study comprehensively researches the physical, chemical, and functional properties (such as the water-binding capacity, swelling power, solubility, and fat absorption capacity) of chemically modified biopolymers and their enzymatic hydrolysis products.

Starch Sodium Octenylsuccinate as a New Type of Stabilizer in the Synthesis of Catalytically Active Gold Nanostructures.

Here, starch derivatives, i.e., sodium starch octenylsuccinate (OSA starch, hereinafter referred to as OSA), were employed as both reducing and stabilizing agents for the unique, inexpensive, and simple synthesis of gold nanoparticles (OSA-AuNPs) in an aqueous solution with gold salt.

Influence of Modified Starch Admixtures on Selected Physicochemical Properties of Cement Composites.

The conducted research aimed to evaluate the influence of admixtures of various modified starches on the rheological properties of cement composites and their influence on the compressive strength of hardened cement mortars. The study involved 17 different modified starch admixtures. Using a rheometer, the values of viscosity and tangential stresses were determined depending on the shear rate, and were subsequently used to determine the yield point and plastic viscosity of cement slurries.

Unexpected cytosine-AuCl interaction under electrospray ionization mass spectrometry conditions-Formation of cytosine-Au(I) complexes.

The interaction of cytosine with AuCl, under electrospray ionization mass spectrometric conditions, is discussed. On the basis of respective full scan mass spectra and product ion spectra, obtained in positive and negative ion mode, it has been deduced that cytosine is very prone to form Au(I)-containing complexes. The complexes may be formed in the gas phase by decomposition of Au(III)-containing complexes and also in the electrospray ionization source as a result of the occurrence of redox process.

Synthesis of dextrin-stabilized colloidal silver nanoparticles and their application as modifiers of cement mortar.

Various commercial dextrins were used as reducing and stabilizing agents for a novel one-step synthesis of silver nanoparticles from ammonia complexes of silver ions. As a result, stable colloids of silver were formed during the reaction with the particle size being the function of the dextrin type. The obtained colloids were characterized by UV-vis spectrophotometry, size distribution (using Non-Invasive Backscatter optics) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

Lignosulfonate-stabilized selenium nanoparticles and their deposition on spherical silica.

We report a novel room-temperature synthesis of selenium nanoparticles, which for the first time uses lignosulfonate as a stabilizer. Various lignosulfonates obtained both from hardwood and softwood were tested. Selenium oxide was used as the precursor of zero-valent selenium.

Functionalization of organically modified silica with gold nanoparticles in the presence of lignosulfonate.

It is shown that lignosulfonate (LS) can be used as an effective reducing agent for gold ions and simultaneously as a stabilizing agent for gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). When organically modified silica is introduced to the reaction mixture, most of the AuNPs grow on the surface of the silica due to hydrophobic interactions between LS and organic layers covering the solid particles. It was also found that the structure of the organic layer is crucial for the effective deposition of gold nanoparticles onto silica spheres in terms of particle size and gold content in the final SiO2-LS-AuNPs composites.

Physicochemical properties of cross-linked and acetylated starches and products of their hydrolysis in continuous recycle membrane reactor.

The aim of the present work was to study the physicochemical properties of doubly modified, by cross-linking and acetylating, starches as well as the products of their enzymatic hydrolysis. A two step procedure of hydrolysis, including the batch and membrane reactors, were investigated. The second step of enzymatic processes were carried out in a continuous recycle membrane reactor (CRMR).