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Towards controlled release of a natural mosquito repellent from polymer matrices

Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2014.

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Other Authors: Focke, Walter Wilhelm
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: University of Pretoria 2015
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access_status_str Open Access
author2 Focke, Walter Wilhelm
author_browse Focke, Walter Wilhelm
author_facet Focke, Walter Wilhelm
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv © 2015 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria.
description Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2014.
format Thesis
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institution University of Pretoria (South Africa)
language English
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:37:26.754Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
publishDate 2015
publishDateRange 2015
publishDateSort 2015
publisher University of Pretoria
publisherStr University of Pretoria
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source_str UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
spelling oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/46236 Towards controlled release of a natural mosquito repellent from polymer matrices Focke, Walter Wilhelm Akhtar, Mohamed U. UCTD EVA Citronellal Organoclay Nanocomposite Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2014. Malaria is still the most important parasitic disease in humans with most cases occurring in Sub-Saharan Africa (90% cases). It is transmitted via anopheles mosquitoes. Several vector control methods are available, e.g. long lasting insecticidal mosquito nets (LLINs), insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS). However, they are effective only when a person is in-doors. Outdoor protection can be obtained for short periods (48-72 hours) using topical repellents. This preliminary study investigated the possibility to develop longer acting delivery forms based on polymer technology. The viability of two different approaches were considered for the controlled release of the natural repellent 3,7-dimethyloct-6-en-1-al (citronellal). The first idea was to dissolve the repellent in the polymer while controlling the rate of release by clay nanoplatelets dispersed in the matrix. Towards this, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer (18% VA) was modified with organically modified nanoclay. Release tests showed that this approach was not viable as only a small amount of repellent could be incorporated and it was lost within a day or two from thin polymer strands. The second approach targeted the use of a polymer in which the repellent is not soluble at ordinary temperature but where solubility is achieved at high temperatures. In this case polyethylene was used as host polymer. It was shown that large quantities of repellent can be trapped inside the polymer matrix using the temperature induced phase separation method (TIPS). Scanning electron microscopy revealed that a microporous co-continuous phase structure was obtained by shock cooling homogeneous mixtures to temperatures well below the spinodal phase boundary curve. The phase behaviour of the LLDPE-citronellal system was studied using cloud point determinations in a microscope fitted with a hot stage and by differential scanning calorimetry. The experimental data points on the bimodal phase envelope were used to fix parameter values of the Flory-Huggins equation. The latter was then used to predict the location of the spinodal lines. At 40 wt.% polymer the spinodal boundary is located at 96 C. However, experiments showed that quenching temperature of 5°C (i.e. the temperature of typical cooling baths used during filament extrusion) is sufficient to generate the desired microporous structure. tm2015 Chemical Engineering MSc Unrestricted 2015-07-02T11:08:23Z 2015-07-02T11:08:23Z 2015/04/14 2014 Dissertation Akhtar, MU 2014, Towards controlled release of a natural mosquito repellent from polymer matrices, MSc Dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd <http://hdl.handle.net/2263/46236> A2015 http://hdl.handle.net/2263/46236 en © 2015 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria
spellingShingle UCTD
EVA
Citronellal
Organoclay
Nanocomposite
Towards controlled release of a natural mosquito repellent from polymer matrices
title Towards controlled release of a natural mosquito repellent from polymer matrices
title_full Towards controlled release of a natural mosquito repellent from polymer matrices
title_fullStr Towards controlled release of a natural mosquito repellent from polymer matrices
title_full_unstemmed Towards controlled release of a natural mosquito repellent from polymer matrices
title_short Towards controlled release of a natural mosquito repellent from polymer matrices
title_sort towards controlled release of a natural mosquito repellent from polymer matrices
topic UCTD
EVA
Citronellal
Organoclay
Nanocomposite
url http://hdl.handle.net/2263/46236