Mixed Monomers Research Articles

Construction of Donor-Acceptor-Type Conjugated Microporous Polymers by Oxidative Coupling of Boranil-Carbazole Mixed Monomers for Enhanced Photocatalytic Oxidation.

Conjugated microporous polymers (CMPs), featuring photoactive structures, a high surface area, robust thermal stability, and facile modulation, provide a versatile platform for fabricating diverse heterogeneous photocatalysts. The incorporation of donor-acceptor (D-A) structures into CMPs to increase their charge separation potential and enhance the photocatalytic efficacy is a viable strategy. In this work, we designed and synthesized a unique set of D-A monomers, incorporating boranil dyes as electron-deficient moieties and carbazoles as electron-rich subunits. Subsequently, D-A CMPs were prepared via an economical and environmentally friendly oxidation coupling reaction, and their potential in photocatalytic oxidation reactions was investigated. Modulation of the polymer's photoelectronic properties and photocatalytic performance can be achieved by adjusting the boranil content in the monomer. The polymer pCZFB-3, with the highest content of boranil units, exhibited an optimal photocatalytic activity. This finding confirms that strengthening the D-A effect can significantly enhance a catalyst's photoelectronic properties and catalytic efficacy. This study presents insights into designing innovative heterogeneous photocatalysts based on boron-containing dyes.

Synthesis of well-defined poly(p-alkoxystyrene) by anionic polymerization in the presence of di-n-butylmagnesium

This study demonstrates the necessity of introducing di-n-butylmagnesium (n-Bu2Mg) additives to synthesize precisely controlled polymers through anionic polymerization of p-alkoxystyrene monomers at -40°C. Without additives, 4-tert-butoxystyrene (BSt) and 4-(1-ethoxy ethoxy)styrene (EESt) are polymerized using sec-butyllithium (s-BuLi) in tetrahydrofuran (THF) solvent, yielding a molecular weight distribution (MWD) of 1.36. However, the MWD is strictly controlled to 1.05–1.06 after adding n-Bu2Mg in more than 30 times the amount of s-BuLi, resulting in an accurately designed molecular weight. Therefore, n-Bu2Mg effectively suppresses side reactions that could occur at the polymerization temperature of -40°C in the Schlenk reactor. Interestingly, the polymerization reaction of styrene monomer proceeds when n-Bu2Mg is mixed in THF solvent at -40°C for an extended period, even without s-BuLi. This result suggests that, despite being a weak anionic initiator, n-Bu2Mg can initiate polymerization due to the lower electron density of the styrene double bond compared to BSt or EESt. Based on these results, a precise copolymer with a narrow molecular weight distribution can be synthesized by initiating polymerization with s-BuLi within 20 seconds of adding n-Bu2Mg to the mixed monomers of styrene and EESt.

Selective Copolymerization from Mixed Monomers of Phthalic Anhydride, Propylene Oxide and Lactide Using Nano-Sized Zinc Glutarate.

Selective polymerization with heterogeneous catalysts from mixed monomers remains a challenge in polymer synthesis. Herein, we describe that nano-sized zinc glutarate (ZnGA) can serve as a catalyst for the selective copolymerization of phthalic anhydride (PA), propylene oxide (PO) and lactide (LA). It was found that the ring-opening copolymerization (ROCOP) of PA with PO occurs firstly in the multicomponent polymerization. After the complete consumption of PA, the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of LA turns into the formation of block polyester. In the process, the formation of zinc-alkoxide bonds on the surface of ZnGA accounts for the selective copolymerization from ROCOP to ROP. These results facilitate the understanding of the heterogeneous catalytic process and offer a new platform for selective polymerization from monomer mixtures.

Preparation and properties of fluorinated VAc-VeoVa10 latex emulsified with allyl nonyl phenoxy propyl alcohol polyoxyethylene ether ammonium sulphate

Purpose The traditional VeoVa10-VAc copolymer latex, which prepared via the emulsion polymerization of the mixed monomers of VAc and VeoVa10, has the poor water resistance and thermal stability because of the migration of the conventional emulsifier molecules and the low bond energy of C-C bond. The purpose of this work is that the fluorinated monomer is used to modify the latex. The film of the resultant latex has the C-F bond with high bond energy and low surface energy, which can effectively improve the heat resistance and water resistance of the resultant film. In addition, the reactive emulsifier is used to replace the conventional emulsifier. The drawbacks of the conventional emulsifier molecules migrate and desorb can be avoided when the polymer latex is stored, thereby also improving the water resistance. Design/methodology/approach The modified VAc-VeoVa10 latex has been successfully synthesized via the semi-continuous seeded emulsion polymerization, which VAc and VeoVa10 is used as the main monomers and HFMA was used as the functional monomer. KPS and reactive surfactants of SE-10 were used as the initiator and emulsifier, respectively. The structure of resultant latex film was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The latex films were tested by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and contact angle (CA). The particle size and its distribution of the latex were measured by the nano particle size analyzer. Findings The factors that had an influence on the properties of the latex and the film were investigated in detail. The stability of the resultant latex is good. The average particles of the latex and its distribution are small and uniform, respectively. In comparison with the conventional latex film, the thermal stability and hydrophobicity of the resultant latex film are improved obviously. Practical implications The resultant latex can be used in both the waterborne interior and exterior wall coatings, pickering stabilized waterborne polymer dispersions, polymer powders, environmentally friendly polymer-modified waterproof mortar and other fields, which can be satisfied with the high demand of thermal stability and hydrophobicity. Originality/value The modification of poly (VAc-VeoVa10) by reactive surfactant and fluorinated monomer is seldom reported. In this study, the fluorinated poly (VAC-VeoVa) latex is prepared via the reactive surfactants, which VAc and VeoVa10 is used as the main monomers and hexafluorobutyl methacrylate is used as the functional monomer. Potassium persulfate (KPS) and allyl nonyl phenoxy propyl alcohol polyoxyethylene ether ammonium sulfate are used as the initiator and emulsifier, respectively.

A green approach to synthesize polybutene lubricants from mixed C4 monomers using supported dendritic ionic liquids

Lubricants, composed of a base oil and various additives, reduce friction and abrasion between moving surfaces. High-performance lubricants, especially in the automotive and space industries, have driven advancements in synthetic oils like polyalphaolefins (PAOs), known for their high viscosity index and stability. Low molecular weight polyisobutylenes (PIBs) are used in multiple applications, including as viscosity improvers. PIBs are produced via cationic polymerization of isobutylene using Lewis acid initiators and co-initiators, often conducted at low temperatures with harmful substances like BF3. Efforts are being made to develop more eco-friendly processes, such as using AlCl3 and ionic liquids (ILs). In this research, boehmite-supported dendritic ILs (Gen1 and Gen2) were synthesized and tested as co-initiators in Raffinate-1 polymerization. The ILs improved the stability of the catalytic system, allowing for reduced AlCl3 usage, and produced PIBs with desirable molecular weight and viscosity characteristics. Density Functional Theory calculations unveiled the importance of the interaction of AlCl3 with the ionic liquids.

Biochar/poly(aniline-pyrrole) modified graphite electrode and electrochemical behavior for application in low-cost supercapacitor

An attempt is made to use biochar (BC), a carbon rich low-cost green material, as a platform to house conducting polymer for fabricating stable graphite electrodes for application in next generation supercapacitor devices. Here, BC is first prepared from sucrose solution using a simple hydrothermal method. The seeded chemical oxidative copolymerization of aniline and pyrrole is then carried out at identical comonomer weight ratio using BC as seed particles. Two different BC to mixed monomer (w/w) ratios (1:0.7 and 1:1) have been used and the prepared composites are named as BC/P(Ani-Py)1:0.7 and BC/P(Ani-Py)1:1 respectively. Independent of composition, both BC seed and composite particles are spherical. The smooth homogeneous surface of BC turned heterogeneous after composite formation. The average size of BC seed particles is 2.56 µm and those of composites prepared at weight ratios of 1:0.7 and 1:1.0 are 2.72 and 2.90 µm respectively. Cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charging discharging (GCD), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) are used to evaluate the electrochemical properties. Comparatively, the BC/P(Ani-Py)1:1 composite modified graphite electrode exhibited the highest capacitance value (274.27 F g−1 at a current density of 1.0 A/g) and is capable of acting as a supercapacitor electrode. A long-term cycling test of the BC/P(Ani-Py)1:1 modified electrode at a current density of 5.0 A/g displayed a capacitance retention of 96.6 % after 1000 cycles of charge and discharge, indicating a very good cycle stability.

One-pot fabrication of task specific magnetic adsorbent for the efficient isolation and capture of liquid-crystal monomers pollutants in waters prior to chromatographic quantification

BackgroundLiquid crystal monomers (LCMs) have been classified as emerging organic pollutants. Efficient isolation and extraction is a critical step in the determination, and then knowing the occurrence and distribution of LCMs in environmental waters. However, the reported sample preparation techniques still suffer some dilemmas such as using large amount of organic solvent, low extraction capacity, tedious operation procedure and employment of expensive extraction column. To circumvent the disadvantages, new extraction format and adsorbent with quickness, less consumption of organic solvent, superior extraction performance and low cost should be developed for the analysis of LCMs. ResultsUsing 1H,1H,2H,2H-heptadecafluorodecyl acrylate and 9-vinylanthracene as mixed functional monomers, a task specific magnetic adsorbent (TSMA) was prepared by one-pot hydrothermal technique for the highly efficient capture of LCMs under magnetic solid phase extraction (MSPE) format. Due to the abundant functional groups, the developed TSMA/MSPE presented satisfactory capture performance towards LCMs. Satisfactory enrichment factors (132–212) and high adsorption capacity (18 mg/g) were obtained. Additionally, the relevant adsorption mechanism was studied by the combination of density functional theory calculation and experiments about adsorption kinetics and adsorption isotherm. Under the beneficial conditions, a sensitive and reliable method for the monitoring of studied LCMs in environmental waters was established by the combination of TSMA/MSPE with HPLC equipped with diode array detector (DAD). The achieved limits of detection and spiked recoveries were 0.0025–0.0061 μg/L and 81.0–112 %, respectively. Finally, the developed method was employed to monitor LCMs levels in the North Creek watershed of Jiulong River. Significance and noveltyThe current study provided a new adsorbent for quick and efficient capture of LCMs at trace levels. In addition, a sensitive, reliable and anti-intereference method for the monitoring of trace LCMs in actual waters was established. Moreover, for the first, the contents, occurrence and distribution of LCMs in North Creek watershed was investigated based on the developed method.

Field isolation and capture of fluoroquinolones in waters with porous monolith-based multiple channels in-tip microextraction technique prior to HPLC quantification

Field isolation and capture is significant in the accuracy and reliable monitoring of fluoroquinolones (FQs) contents in environmental waters. For this purpose, a new porous monolith-based adsorbent (PMPA) was in-situ fabricated in pipette tip using 1-octyl-3-vinylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate and 1H,1H,2H,2H-heptadecafluorodecyl acrylate as mixed functional monomers. The PMPA prepared under the optimized parameters was characterized by various techniques. In addition, the prepared PMPA was employed as the adsorbent of home-developed multiple channels in-tip microextraction technique (MCIM) for the field sample preparation of FQs. Results revealed that the obtained PMPA exhibited satisfactory capture capability towards studied FQs, and the enrichment factors ranged from 128 to 203. Under the most beneficial extraction conditions, the developed PMPA/MCIM was employed to on-site extract trace FQs in a variety of aqueous samples and followed by quantification with HPLC equipped with fluorescence detector. The achieved limits of detection, precision and spiked recoveries were in the ranges of 0.22–0.78 ng/L, 1.4–9.9 % and 80.0–118 %, respectively. Furthermore, confirmation experiments with reported approach were utilized to evaluate method accuracy. In comparison with documented approaches, the current study exhibits some features such as high sensitivity, convenience, low cost and environmental friendliness. At the same time, the established method overcomes the dilemmas encountered in traditional lab-based sample preparation procedure.

Enantiomeric separation of tryptophan via novel chiral polyamide composite membrane.

The separation of chiral drugs continues to pose a significant challenge. However, in recent years, the emergence of membrane-based chiral separation has shown promising effectiveness due to its environmentally friendly, energy-efficient, and cost-effective characteristics. In this study, we prepared chiral composite membrane via interfacial polymerization (IP), utilizing β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) and piperazine (PIP) as mixed monomers in the aqueous phase. The chiral separation process was facilitated by β-CD, serving as a chiral selective agent. The resulting membrane were characterized using SEM, FT-IR, and XPS. Subsequently, the chiral separation performance of the membrane for DL-tryptophan (Trp) was investigated. Lastly, the water flux, dye rejection, and stability of the membrane were also examined. The results showed that the optimized chiral PIP0.5β-CD0.5 membrane achieved an enantiomeric excess percentage (ee%) of 43.0% for D-Trp, with a solute flux of 66.18 nmol·cm-2·h-1, and maintained a good chiral separation stability. Additionally, the membrane demonstrated positive performance in the selective separation of mixed dyes, allowing for steady operation over a long period of time. This study offers fresh insights into membrane-based chiral separations.

Effects of mixed amines on the microstructure and performance of PVDF LNF membranes by Co-deposition via IP

Selective recovery of recyclables is a major challenge when treating textile wastewater. For this reason, there is an urgent need to develop nanofiltration membranes with high permeability and selective filtration. In response, a novel composite PVDF loose nanofiltration membrane was developed by combining two different mixed amines system/dopamine (DA) followed by interfacial polymerization with benzoyl chloride (TMC). The two different amines systems were a mixture of GAZ and PEI and a mixture of PIP and PEI, respectively. The effects of GAZ/PEI and PIP/PEI on the microstructure was characterized by SEM, AFM, FTIR and XPS and performance of the membrane was also investigated. The effects of GAZ/PEI and PIP/PEI on the microstructure and the selective layer of membranes were different. The results stated that with the increase of GAZ/PEI the thickness of the selective layer, surface roughness decreased, while the fluxes of pure water and dye wastewater increased. However, with increasing PIP/PEI, surface nodules and roughness both increased. Contrarily, the thickness of the selective layer and PEG800 rejection first decreased and then increased, while the flux of pure water and the dye wastewater first increased and then decreased. The optimal GAZ/PEI and PIP/PEI were 9/91 and 50/50, respectively. When the GAZ/PEI was 9/91, the pure water flux and the RB5 wastewater flux were 20.7 L∙(m2∙h)−1 and 11.5 L∙(m2∙h)−1. The dye (RB5) retention rate was 94.3% and salt retention rate was 2.1%. However, when the PIP/PEI was 50/50, the pure water flux and RB5 wastewater flux were 26.6 L∙(m2∙h)−1 and 17.1 L∙(m2∙h)−1 increased by 87.3% and 134.2% respectively. The retention rates of RB5 and NaCl were 96.3% and 1.7%. The above results indicate that the composite PVDF LNF membranes prepared with mixed amine monomers instead of single amine monomers have good selective filtration performance.

Investigation on Feasibility of Utilizing Coffee-Husk Ash as an Alkaline Activator in Geopolymer Concrete

Cement production is the major source of global warming which induces 7% of total greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing the use of cement in construction industry needs to be adopted by any of the alternates. One of the best alternates to reduce the impact caused by the cement production process is geopolymer concrete which can completely replace the usage of cement. Geopolymer is trending technology which possess numerous advantages than ordinary Portland cement concrete technology. Geopolymer is produced by the mixing of solid precursor and monomer. Most widely used solid precursors are waste industrial byproducts such as fly ash, GGBS, metakaolin etc., and monomers are alkaline activators like sodium hydroxide and Na2SiO3. Meanwhile, the properties of geopolymer concrete are decided by the various parameters such as quantity of aluminosilicate source in precursor, ratio of NaO/SiO2, SiO2/Al2O3, NaOH/NaSiO3, solution to binder ratio, concentration of NaOH etc., The alkaline activators mostly used are chemical activators which is harmful to humans. Hence, there is a need of finding an alternate for chemical activators in the geopolymer concrete. In this proposed methodology, the chemical alkaline activators have been completely replaced by the waste residue product named coffee husk. Coffee husk is a residue produced from the coffee powder production industry. A total of 18.29 MMT of coffee husk ash has been produced every year. Coffee husk has an inbuilt composition of potassium which is one of the alkaline activators. However, the coffee husk ash needs to be calcinated by the use of oven before to use. In this research, an attempt has been made to utilize the Coffee husk ash (CA), as an alkaline activator and efficient activation mechanism of CA will be examined.

A library of vinyl phosphonate anions dimerize with cyanostars, form supramolecular polymers and undergo statistical sorting.

Supramolecular dimers are elementary units allowing the build-up of multi-molecule architectures. New among these are cyanostar-stabilized dimers of phosphate and phosphonate anions. While the anion dimerization at the heart of these assemblies is reliable, the covalent synthesis leading to this class of designer anions serves as a bottleneck in the pathway to supramolecular assemblies. Herein, we demonstrate the reliable synthesis of 14 diverse anionic monomers by Heck coupling between vinyl phosphonic acid and aryl bromide compounds. When this synthesis is combined with reliable anion dimerization, we show formation of supramolecular dimers and polymers by co-assembly with cyanostar macrocycles. The removal of the covalent bottleneck opened up a seamless synthetic route to iterate through three monomers affording the solubility needed to characterize the mechanism of supramolecular polymerization. We also test the idea that the small size of these vinyl phosphonates provide identical dimer stabilities across the library by showing how mixtures of anions undergo statistical (social) self-sorting. We exploit this property by preparing soluble copolymers from the mixing of different monomers. This multi-anion assembly shows the utility of a library for programming properties.

Easy access to amphiphilic nitrogenous block copolymers via switchable catalysis.

A key challenge in polymer synthesis is to develop new methods that enable block copolymers to be prepared from mixed monomer feedstock. The emerging switchable polymerization catalysis can generate block copolymers with well-defined structures and tunable properties from monomer mixtures. However, constrained by the reactivity of monomers and the incompatibility of different polymerization mechanisms, this method is usually confined to oxygenated monomers. In this work, the switchable polymerization was successfully applied to nitrogenous monomers for the first time, achieving the efficient copolymerization of N-substituted N-carboxyanhydrides (NNCAs) with epoxides and cyclic anhydrides. This leads to easy access towards amphiphilic nitrogenous copolymers, such as polyester-b-polypeptoids. Density functional theory calculations demonstrated that the reaction of cyclic anhydrides with the alkoxide terminal is thermodynamically more favorable than that of NNCAs. Characterization, using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, size exclusion chromatography and in situ infrared spectroscopy, has confirmed the well-defined block structure of the obtained copolymers. This switchable polymerization strategy is applicable to a range of monomer mixtures with different oxygenated monomers and NNCAs, providing a highly efficient synthetic route towards nitrogenous block copolymers. Most importantly, the easily accessed amphiphilic polyester-b-polypeptoids demonstrated excellent anti-protein adsorption capabilities and barely any cytotoxicity, showing great potential in the field of biomedicine.

Switchable copolymerization of mixed monomers catalyzed by imidazolium ionic liquids

A metal-free and switchable route to synthesize block polyesters from monomer mixtures was developed using imidazolium ionic liquids.

Photo-crosslinked composite hydrogels with silver-deposited polymeric carbon nitride for boosting antibacterial activity

Rational design of antibacterial hydrogels is an important link to promote the multi-scenario application of this promising soft material. Herein, acrylamide and sodium alginate were selected as mixed monomers, silver-deposited polymeric carbon nitride nanosheets were used as a photoinitiator, pre-gelation was achieved under UV irradiation, and then a composite hydrogel was obtained through calcium ion crosslinking. The composite hydrogels exhibit good mechanical stability, structural stability in water and degradability under simulated physiological conditions. The composite hydrogels have the activity of killing Escherichia coli with or without light. The visible light response and surface plasmon resonance effect of the silver-deposited polymeric carbon nitride boosted the photocatalytic antibacterial activity of the composite hydrogels, and the bactericidal rate of the optimal sample reached 95.5% after 120 min of visible light irradiation. This work provides a constructive and green roadmap for the design of composite dual-network photoresponsive antibacterial hydrogels.

Multiblock Poly-ε-Caprolactones: One-Step Synthesis toward Programmable Properties.

Control of monomer sequence enables predictable structure-property relationships in versatile polymeric materials. The facile synthesis of multiblock copolymers (MBCPs) with controlled chain structure is highly challenging, particularly for those prepared via one-pot copolymerization of mixed monomers. Herein, poly-ε-caprolactone MBCPs, a series of thermoplastic elastomers with tailored thermal, mechanical, rheological, and degradable properties, are synthesized by Janus polymerization. Melting temperature, tensile strength, ductility, viscosity, and enzymatic degradability are governed by block length which is in turn dictated by the monomer-to-catalyst feed ratio. The relationships between the physicochemical properties and the architectures are investigated in detail.

Formation of polymerizable layer on a photo-alignment layer of liquid crystal cell and its image sticking characteristics

The effect for polymerizable layer on a vertical-type photo-alignment layer was investigated from the point of image sticking characteristics. Fabrication process of the polymerizable layer is followings; photo-alignment treatment is firstly carried out by exposing polarized ultraviolet (UV) from the oblique direction. After construction of the liquid crystal (LC) cell, the LC material including monomers is injected, and unpolarized UV is exposed for formation of the polymerizable layer. For avoiding pretilt angle shift during the exposure, fast rate constant of polymerization is necessary, and mixed monomers 4,4’-dimethacryloyl-oxy-biphenyl (4,4’-DMABiph) and 4,4’-dimethacryloyl-oxy-benzilketal (4,4’-DMABzk) are appropriate for obtaining small level of image sticking parameters. As the image sticking parameters, residual direct current voltage (V rDC) and difference in pretilt angle (Δtilt) before and after application of alternate current voltage were evaluated, and the results of V rDC and Δtilt indicated that 6% 4,4’-DMABzk in the mixed monomers 4,4’-DMABiph and 4,4’-DMABzk would be useful for obtaining the small level of image sticking.

Effect of Different Chemical Surface Treatments on the Shear Bond Strength of Acrylic Teeth With Different High-Impact Denture Base Resins.

Introduction The debonding of acrylic teeth from the denture base, particularly in cases of prominent ridges, is a common problem faced by clinicians and patients. The present study was conducted to assess the effects of various chemical treatments on the shear bond strength (SBS) of acrylic teeth bonded to different high-impact denture base materials. Materials and methods The present in vitro study was conducted on 80 wax specimens with acrylic teeth bonded to two high-impact denture base materials (DPI Tuff (DPI Dental Products of India Ltd, Mumbai) and Trevalon HI (Trevalon HI, Dentsply, Karnataka)). The two main groups were further divided into four subgroups of 10 specimens each, depending on the chemical treatment at the ridge lap area of the tooth: control group without any chemical treatment, chemical surface treatment (CST) with dichloromethane and monomer mix, CST with ethyl acetate, and CST with acrylic adhesive cyanoacrylate. The SBS was tested using a universal testing machine (UTM). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post-hoc Tukey tests were used for statistical analyses. Results The mean SBS of Group A (DPI Tuff) was 111.75 Nas compared to 118 N in Group B (Trevalon HI). The differences were statistically significant (p<0.05). ANOVA and post-hoc Tukey's tests revealed significant differences between subgroups. The highest mean SBS was noted with a dichloromethane and monomer mix (1:1 volume), followed by the ethyl acetate, control, and cyanoacrylate subgroups. Conclusion The cross-linked acrylic teeth treated with a dichloromethane and monomer mixture (1:1 by volume), processed with Trevalon HI high-impact denture base resin had the highest SBS and thus were indicated for bonding teeth with the suggested denture base.

A facile method to prepare phosphoric polymer networks with high proton conductivity

Phosphoric polymers have good proton conductivity. However, their high hydrophilicity and even water solubility have limited application in proton exchange membranes. In present study, a facile method to prepare phosphoric polymer networks with high proton conductivity is proposed. By adjusting the feeding ratio of P2O5 and hydroxyethyl methacrylate, a series of mixed monomers with different ratios of bis[2-(methacryloyloxy) ethyl] phosphate (BMEP) and 2-(methacryloyloxy) ethyl phosphate (MEP) can be obtained. After copolymerization of BMEP and MEP, the membranes based on the copolymer network exhibit corresponding improved properties (such as increment of mechanical properties and IEC values) with increasing content of BMEP. The highest proton conductivity of the membranes is up to 1.06 × 10−1 S/cm under hydrated state and 7.30 × 10−4 S/cm under anhydrous state.

Mixing Properties of Cu-Mg Liquid Alloy Using Exponential Model

The Redlich-Kister (R-K) polynomial has been generally used to model the mixing properties of binary and higher order alloys. The interaction energy parameters of the R-K polynomial are assumed to be either linear or exponentially temperature-dependent. When these parameters are assumed to be linear temperature-dependent, the computed thermodynamic functions sometimes show unusual trends. But when they are assumed to be exponential temperature-dependent, such trends do not appear in the theoretical calculations. Therefore, the mixing properties of Cu-Mg liquid alloy have been studied using the exponential temperature-dependent parameters of the above-mentioned model. These parameters for excess Gibb’s free energy of mixing have been optimised using the experimental values of enthalpy of mixing and excess entropy of mixing. The study of thermodynamic properties involves the measurement of excess Gibb’s free energy of mixing, enthalpy of mixing and activities of monomers at different temperatures. Likewise, the assessment of surface property includes surface tension and surface concentration. Similarly, the structural properties have been studied by computing concentration fluctuation in long wave-length limit and short-range order parameter at different temperatures. The investigation revealed that the exponential model can explain mixing behavior of Cu-Mg liquid alloy and the system is found to have strong compound forming tendency at its melting temperature. This mixing tendency has been observed to decrease with the increase in temperature above its melting temperature.