In this work, SiO2‐like films have been deposited in a capacitive coupled parallel plate reactor using low pressure, pulsed O2/VTMS plasmas. The influence of the duty cycle and of the period on the structure of films at fixed gas feed composition are shown. It has been demonstrated that the chemical process developed depends very much on the modulation parameters, and that the OFF time significantly contributes to the overall process kinetics. Furthermore, some indication have been obtained on the possibility of getting multistack gas barrier coatings by alternating organic and inorganic layers, in which the inorganic layer is deposited by means of modulated plasma processes based on vinyltrimethylsilane feeds.magnified image
Radio‐frequency glow discharges fed with vinyltrimethylsilane have been studied for the deposition of barrier coatings onto polymer substrates as single or multiple layers. The deposition process has been investigated considering both the chemistry of the coatings and the spectroscopic analysis of the gas phase. It has been shown that RF power and oxygen addition allow one to switch from organosilane films to silica‐like inorganic, dense, barrier films. A deposition mechanism is suggested for the interpretation of the deposition kinetics. Furthermore, it has been shown that vinyltrimethylsilane can be conveniently exploited as single monomer for the deposition of organic/inorganic multistacks with high barrier performances.
Recently, the customs chemistry laboratory of Bari, Italy, initiated a project to organize activities for students, with the purpose of promoting awareness of its role and services in the Apulia region, as well as to encourage students to study chemistry. This paper aims to show how the project can be an effective way to introduce students to the role of chemical analysis in the evaluation and valorization of one of the more-exported Italian products, by means of a 2 h lab-integrated lecture. Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) was the product chosen as it is one of the more widely known symbols in the world of being "made in Italy". Great attention has been devoted to the importance of the sensorial analysis of EVOO. Through this activity, students are introduced to the richness of their own sensory skills in the context of the official custom regulations. Evidence collected from the postactivity student survey responses indicates that this integrated lab− lecture was extremely successful at accomplishing the aims identified, and that students particularly appreciated the multidisciplinary approach.
Background: Adulteration of diesel fuel by the addition of vegetable oil is a problem that touches several countries around the world and bypasses the complexity of the specifications regarding the automotive diesel fuel distinguishing between customs, fiscal, and commercial–environmental specifications. At an international level, the adoption of the same analysis methods is important for the harmonization processes and the fluidity of the market. In this context, we assist to the diffusion of the same fraud touching several countries or continents since the limit of the same methods are common to many specifications. For several European countries, the revenue lost as a result of this adulteration consists of billions of euros per year. This enormous amount of illicit money feeds organized criminal networks with huge social and environmental damages. Objective: This work presents a GC method to quantify vegetable oils in the range of 0.2–7% (w/w) in adulterated diesel fuel, intended for use as motor fuel, with or without extraneous heavy mineral oil. Methods: Our study was realized on 100 fraudulent samples collected by the Italian fiscal police in regular oil stations and by the Italian fiscal police and customs officers as a consequence of controls on trucks transporting, in suspicious circumstances, “oil” often declared “antistick and anticorrosion oil” or “protective oil.” Conclusions and Highlights: High reliability of results, external validity, ease of replication, simple instrumentation, and sample preparation make this method well suited for a new “smart” protocol for diesel fuels analysis for customs, fiscal, and antifraud purposes.
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