1. Production of polycarbonate Polycarbonate (PC) is an amorphous, thermoplastic and transparent plastic. Current annual production of polycarbonates amounts to two million tons worldwide and expected to increase about 5-10% annually (Ref [1],[2]). At present, PC is made mainly by a phosgene-based technique. Phosgene is highly toxic and considered a serious pollutant. DMC can provide an environ...

The widespread application of thermoplastic polymers in different aspects of industries has motivated researchers and companies to improve and upgrade their forming, joining and assembling processes to overcome their limitations. One of the newest joining methods of thermoplastics is friction stir welding which is based on frictional heat generated through contact between a rotating tool and th...

The first enzyme-based biosensors capable of determining glycolic acid in various complex matrixes, such as cosmetics, instant coffee, and urine, are presented in this paper. Two separate designs, both based on a three-membrane configuration consisting of an inner cellulose acetate membrane (CA) and an outer polycarbonate membrane (PC), which sandwich a membrane bearing the biomolecule(s), are ...

Mechanofluorescent polymer probes were used to visualize stresses and bond scission in polystyrene polycarbonate. Sonication of with a molar mass 1.1 × 105 g·mol–1 solution resulted 30% activation after 1 h, while shorter showed lower percentages. Single-asperity sliding friction tests performed on mechanophore-containing polycarbonate films. Polystyrene clearly visible crack formation correlat...

More than 1.2 million people worldwide require regular hemodialysis therapy to treat end stage renal failure. Current hemodialysis systems are too expensive to support at-home hemodialysis where more frequent and longer duration treatment can lead to better patient outcomes. The key cost driver for hemodialysers is the cost of the hemodialysis membrane. Microchannel hemodialysers are smaller pr...

Human corneal fibroblasts (HCF) and corneal stromal stem cells (CSSC) each secrete and organize a thick stroma-like extracellular matrix in response to different substrata, but neither cell type organizes matrix on tissue-culture polystyrene. This study compared cell differentiation and extracellular matrix secreted by these two cell types when they were cultured on identical substrata, polycar...

Over 6 billion pounds per year of the estrogenic monomer bisphenol A (BPA) are used to manufacture polycarbonate plastic products, in resins lining metal cans, in dental sealants, and in blends with other types of plastic products. The ester bond linking BPA molecules in polycarbonate and resins undergoes hydrolysis, resulting in the release of free BPA into food, beverages, and the environment...

Quantifying bacterial abundance and biomass is fundamental to many microbiological studies. Directly counting via epifluorescence microscopy has become the method of choice, especially for environmental samples, and conventional techniques require filtration of cells onto black polycarbonate membrane filters. We investigated the utility of instead capturing stained bacterial suspensions on bioa...

In view of the proliferating applications involving membrane-based separation, inevitable membrane fouling phenomenon is well-studied. However, influence foulant shape on remained incompletely understood. Therefore, goal this study was to investigate behaviors by three different shapes latex particles (namely, peanut, pear and sphere) with similar mean diameters in range 3.5–3.8 ?m. External in...

In this paper, atomic force microscopy was employed to study the harmful algal bloom species Prorocentrum donghaiense for first time. Cells were immobilized in pores of polycarbonate membrane keep moist and acquire images P. at different scales. Typical ultrastructures, such as knob-like spines valve pores, observed on cell surfaces. These structures had similar characteristics those scanning e...