José A. Lopes-da-Silva

TL;DR: In this paper, the effect of pressure treatments of 100 and 200MPa (10 and 20min) and of thermal blanching at 70°C, 80°C and 98°C (1 and 2.5min), on sweet green and red bell peppers was compared.

Abstract: This study describes the preparation and characterization of nanofibrous mats obtained by electrospinning poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) solutions in trifluoroacetic acid/dichloromethane (TFA/DCM). Special attention was paid to the effect of polymer concentration and solvent properties on the morphology, structure, and mechanical and thermal properties of the electrospun nonwovens. The results show that the spinnable concentration of PET solution in TFA/DCM solvents is above 10 wt %. Mats have nanofibrous morphology with fibers having an average diameter in the range of 200–700 nm (depending on polymer concentration and solvent composition) and an interconnected pore structure. Higher solution concentration favors the formation of uniform fibers without beads and with higher diameter. Morphology and fiber assembly changed with the solvent properties. Solvent mixtures rich in TFA, i.e., those with higher dielectric constant and lower surface tension, originated fibers with small diameter. However, due to the lower volatility, those solvent mixtures also produced more branched and crosslinking fibers, with less morphologic uniformity. Mechanical properties (Young's modulus, ultimate strength, and elongation at break) and thermal properties (glass transition, crystallization, and melting) have been studied for the PET electrospun nanomats and compared with those of the original polymer. Solvent effect on fiber crystallinity was not significant, but a complex effect was observed on the mechanical properties of the electrospun mats, as a consequence of the different structural organization of the fibers within the mat network. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 46: 460–471, 2008

TL;DR: In this article, four thermophysical properties, specifically, density, viscosity, refractive index, and surface tension, were determined for five acetate-based ionic liquids, and additional properties, such as the isobaric thermal expansion coefficient, the surface entropy and enthalpy, and the critical temperature, were further estimated.

TL;DR: In this paper, a reverse phase HPLC was used to identify some common phenolic compounds, such as verbascoside, rutin, caffeoyl-quinic acid, luteolin-4-glucoside and 11-methyl-oleoside.

TL;DR: In this paper, the capability to produce blend chitosan-whey protein films at acidic pH, carrying a high amount of protein, was demonstrated, even though under these conditions a pure whey protein film could not be obtained.