Mechanical properties and thermal stability of rice husk ash filled epoxy foams

Mechanical properties and thermal stability of epoxy foams filled with white and black rice husk ash were studied. Epoxy foams were prepared from a commercial system and filled with different amounts of both the ashes (0, 6.8, 12.8, 18.0, and 22.7 wt %). The incorporation of both the ashes modified the final morphology of the foam, decreasing the average cell size and increasing the number of cells per volume unit. For all filler percentages used, the specific modulus and strength results showed that the white ash is more effective as reinforcing agent than the black ash. The initial degradation temperature was not affected by the content and type of ash used as the filler. The integral procedure decomposition temperature, weight loss, and char residue results were related to the ash type and atmosphere used in the thermogravimetric analysis. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2006     

二甲基乙醇胺在高回弹聚氨酯泡沫中的应用

分别采用二甲基乙醇胺(DMEA)和二月桂酸二丁基锡(DBTL) 2种催化剂制备了高回弹聚氨酯(HRPU)泡沫塑料.探讨了DMEA和DBTL对HRPU泡沫组合料反应活性、流动性及制品物理性能、热稳定性的影响.结果表明,以DMEA作催化剂的HRPU泡沫物理性能、热老化性及工艺稳定性优于DBTL催化剂,DMEA可以替代DBTL应用于HRPU泡沫塑料.     

轨道车辆泡沫夹芯中顶板夹层设计与优化

轨道车辆的生产中大量采用平板铝合金或玻璃钢板件,产品质量偏重且材料容易出现下垂,满足不了车体轻量化与美观的需求。通过仿真与试验结合的方式研究酚醛泡沫、聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯(PET)泡沫、聚氯乙烯(PVC)泡沫夹芯中的面板厚度、芯材模量对中顶板质量及下垂挠度的影响,测试了不同复合夹芯板的平拉强度、平压强度以及弯曲强度。结果表明:经过芯材选型优化后,平拉强度≥2 MPa、平压强度≥2 MPa、弯曲强度≥25 MPa、面密度≤7.5 kg/m²、下垂挠度≤2 mm的泡沫夹芯为中顶板的最优结构组成。     

聚甲基丙烯酰亚胺(PMI)泡沫的进展

聚甲基丙烯酰亚胺(Polymethacrylimide,PMI)泡沫是当今夹层结构复合材料最主要的芯材,具有密度低、力学性能和耐热性能突出、易于机加工、与热固性树脂黏结良好、适应于热压罐固化工艺等突出优点,已经在航空航天、交通运输、风电叶片、医疗器械、电子通讯等领域获得较广泛应用。本文对PMI泡沫的发展历史、制备技术、结构与性能进行了综述,并提出了国内PMI泡沫进一步发展亟待解决的问题。     

Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) modifier to develop bimodal cell structure in polypropylene/TPU microcellular foam in presence of supercritical CO2

Currently, the fabrication of microcell and bimodal cell structures (BCS) in polymer foams by using supercritical fluids has become a hot as well as a challenging research area worldwide. In this work, an environmentally friendly, effective, facile, and CO₂-based foaming technique was presented to fabricate microcellular polypropylene (PP) foams with BCS via blending with thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). The toughness, thermal properties, rheological properties, and foamability of PP were systematically investigated with gradual incorporation of TPU. Representative sea-island structure was observed in the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images for the fracture surface of various PP/TPU samples. Rheological measurement results demonstrated that the viscoelasticity of various PP/TPU samples was improved remarkably compared with that of pure PP and pure TPU. The impact strength of various PP/TPU samples possessed the highest value as 12.4 kJ/m² with the TPU content of 15 wt%. After the addition of TPU, an ameliorative cellular morphology was observed in the SEM micrographs of various PP/TPU samples and their volume expansion ratio was enhanced significantly thanks to their improved melt elasticity. Moreover, it is worth noting that BCS appeared in various PP/TPU foams when the TPU content exceeded 5 wt%.     

Role of Macrophages and RhoA Pathway in Atherosclerosis

The development, progression, or stabilization of the atherosclerotic plaque depends on the pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory macrophages. The influx of the macrophages and the regulation of macrophage phenotype, inflammatory or anti-inflammatory, are controlled by the small GTPase RhoA and its downstream effectors. Therefore, macrophages and the components of the RhoA pathway are attractive targets for anti-atherosclerotic therapies, which would inhibit macrophage influx and inflammatory phenotype, maintain an anti-inflammatory environment, and promote tissue remodeling and repair. Here, we discuss the recent findings on the role of macrophages and RhoA pathway in the atherosclerotic plaque formation and resolution and the novel therapeutic approaches.     

Secondary Metabolic Profile as a Tool for Distinction and Characterization of Cultivars of Black Pepper (Piper nigrum L.) Cultivated in Pará State,Brazil

This study evaluated the chemical compositions of the leaves and fruits of eight black pepper cultivars cultivated in Pará State (Amazon, Brazil). Hydrodistillation and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry were employed to extract and analyze the volatile compounds, respectively. Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons were predominant (58.5–90.9%) in the cultivars “Cingapura”, “Equador”, “Guajarina”, “Iaçará”, and “Kottanadan”, and “Bragantina”, “Clonada”, and “Uthirankota” displayed oxygenated sesquiterpenoids (50.6–75.0%). The multivariate statistical analysis applied using volatile composition grouped the samples into four groups: γ-Elemene, curzerene, and δ-elemene (“Equador”/“Guajarina”, I); δ-elemene (“Iaçará”/“Kottanadan”/“Cingapura”, II); elemol (“Clonada”/“Uthirankota”, III) and α-muurolol, bicyclogermacrene, and cubebol (“Bragantina”, IV). The major compounds in all fruit samples were monoterpene hydrocarbons such as α-pinene, β-pinene, and limonene. Among the cultivar leaves, phenolics content (44.75–140.53 mg GAE·g⁻¹ FW), the enzymatic activity of phenylalanine-ammonia lyase (20.19–57.22 µU·mL⁻¹), and carotenoids (0.21–2.31 µg·mL⁻¹) displayed significant variations. Due to black pepper’s susceptibility to Fusarium infection, a molecular docking analysis was carried out on Fusarium protein targets using each cultivar’s volatile components. F. oxysporum endoglucanase was identified as the preferential protein target of the compounds. These results can be used to identify chemical markers related to the susceptibility degree of black pepper cultivars to plant diseases prevalent in Pará State.     

珠粒和工艺因素对消失模铸造模质量的影响

从珠粒因素和工艺因素两方面分别介绍了其对消失模铸造模质量的影响情况及在中国的研究现状,对其原因进行了分析,得出了珠粒粒度和发泡剂含量、发泡工艺和模密度、发泡工艺和成型工艺等都相互制约的结论,并提出,可以通过对以上关键因素正交优化达到控制模质量的目的.     

铸造用CO2硬化冷芯盒材料及工艺的发展

铸造用CO2硬化粘结剂系统具有气硬冷芯盒的优点,同时又具有环保方面的优势。主要介绍了水玻璃-CO2法、聚丙烯酸钠-CO2法、酚醛树脂-CO2法三种工艺。这些工艺方法近年来国内外研究较多,并且取得了很大进展。     

间作下根际微生物控制土传病害的研究进展

为了解根际微生物在间作模式下有效控制土传病害的作用和机理,综述了间作系统对于根际微生物群落结构和代谢功能的影响,介绍了间作作物组合、作物品种选择和间作方式对根际微生物群落的影响,并从养分和宿主感染位点竞争、生防微生物的拮抗作用、植物化感自毒作用的缓解以及植物诱导系统抗性四个方面总结了与根际微生物相关的间作抗病机理。最后,讨论了现阶段间作抗病研究的局限性并对今后的研究方向进行了展望。