Investigation on sulphonated zinc oxide nanorod incorporated sulphonated poly (1,4-phenylene ether ether sulfone) nanocomposite membranes for improved performance of microbial fuel cell

Hydrothermally prepared zinc oxide nanorods are sulphonated (S–ZnO NR) and incorporated into 15% Sulphonated Poly (1,4-Phenylene Ether Ether Sulfone) (SPEES) to improve the hydrophilicity, water uptake and ion transfer capacity. Water uptake and ion transfer capacity increased to 34.6 ± 0.6% and 2.0 ± 0.05 meq g^?1 from 29.8 ± 0.3% and 1.4 ± 0.04 meq g^?1 by adding 7.5 wt% S–ZnO NR to SPEES. Morphological studies show the prepared S–ZnO NR is well dispersed in the polymer matrix. SPEES +7.5 wt% S–ZnO NR membrane exhibits optimum performance after three-weeks of continual operation in a fabricated microbial fuel cell (MFC) to produce a maximum power density of 142 ± 1.2 mW m^?2 with a reduced biofilm compared to plain SPEES (59 ± 0.8 mW m^?2), unsulphonated filler incorporated SPEES (SPEES + 7.5 wt% ZnO, 68 ± 1.1 mW m^?2) and Nafion (130 ± 1.5 mW m^?2) thereby suggesting its suitability as a sustainable and improved cation exchange membrane (CEM) for MFCs.     

Preparation and Characterization of Hydrophobic Bagasse Hemicellulose-based Films

To improve the hydrophobicity of bagasse hemicellulose-based films, glutaraldehyde was applied when preparing films of original and cationic bagasse hemicellulose with the addition of polyvinyl alcohol and sorbitol. The results showed that the cationic modification could increase the hydrophobicity of the hemicellulose-based film, and the hydrophobicity of hemicellulose-based films crosslinked with glutaraldehyde also increased. However, cationic modification of hemicellulose decreased the stress of the hemicellulose-based film. While crosslinking with glutaraldehyde increased the stress of both the original and cationic hemicellulose-based films. Macrophotography indicated that the film formability of the original hemicellulose was better than that of cationic hemicellulose. Through SEM observation, the degree of bonding of different components of the films was found to be increased due to crosslinking with glutaraldehyde. The crosslinking reaction between glutaraldehyde and hemicellulose was further confirmed by FT-IR spectroscopy.     

掺合料对超高性能水泥基装饰材料性能的影响

将重钙粉与偏高岭土以不同的比例混合并替代白水泥，制备超高性能水泥基装饰材料,研究两者掺入比例变化对超高性能水泥基装饰材料工作性能、力学性能及自收缩的影响，采用SEM扫描电镜观察28 d龄期后试件内部微观形貌，研究表明，随着重钙粉与偏高岭土比例的增大，试件的致密程度和强度先增后减，其中B9-9的28 d抗压与抗折强度可以达到120.6 MPa与42.9 MPa，且工作性、收缩性能良好、内部结构致密。     

Time and space dependence of large-scale synthesis of colloidal particle with special morphology and tuneable polymer film architecture

This paper describes a facile method to control the morphology of polymer colloids and the architecture of polymer film via miniemulsion polymerization. By taking advantage of cyclization between the symmetrical diacrylate cross-linker hexamethylene diacrylate (HDDA) and the pendent vinyl in colloidal particles, the morphology of polymer colloids and the architecture of the after-formed polymer film were able to be well controlled by tuning the loading of cross-linker HDDA and crosslinking time. Four kinds of polymer colloid morphologies and four kinds of film architecture (honeycomb, close-packed, loose-packed, and enhanced-honeycomb) were characterized by TEM. The film formation mechanisms behind them were proposed based on the special and interesting results including Z-average size of the colloidal particles, Mc (molecular weight between crosslinking points) and mechanical properties of polymer film. Our results highly suggested that the morphology of polymer colloids and the polymer film architecture together determine the adhesive properties of the colloidal polymer film. The best of 180°-peel resistance, T-peel resistance and shear resistance of the polymer films were 138.12 N/25 mm, 40.98 N/25 mm and 25.72 N/cm² at 2.0 phm, 2.0 phm and 0.4 phm with the same crosslinking time of 90 min, respectively. The proposed method is promising to be scaled up for industrial production due to its well adaptability.     

导热油在线再生装置的介绍与计算分析

聚酯工业中液相导热油在高温使用环境中会发生裂解甚至劣化的现象,从而影响导热油的使用性能。对劣化后的合成导热油的再生工艺流程进行了说明,提出了理论推导得到的导热油中低沸物质量分数、在线再生量、低沸物初始质量分数和再生批次之间的关系式。然后根据具体案例进行了导热油在线再生的计算分析,得出结论:导热油再生比更换导热油有较大的经济性优势;在导热油再生中确定合理的再生低沸物质量分数,能够以较小的能耗代价完成再生导热油的再生;另外选取适当大一点的单批次再生量,也有利于降低再生过程的能耗。     

Practical Application of the Probabilistic‐Statistical Model of the Suspension Separation in Hydrocyclones

An effective practical approach that allows not only a significant reduction in the scope of practical experiments in the course of studying suspension separation processes in hydrocyclones, but also makes it possible to assess the intensity of random components of the processes and define the interrelation between such components and hydrodynamics of flows in a hydrocyclone is presented. Within the frames of the developed probabilistic‐statistical model of suspension separation in hydrocyclones on the basis of statistical self‐similarity properties, a relationship was found between determined and random components of the processes. This allowed transitioning from three‐parameter probability density functions for suspension particles in hydrocyclones to two‐parameter functions; thus significantly improving the efficiency of practical application of the developed model.     

单晶硅表层机械力学特性的各向异性分析

为探究挠性筋结构单晶硅材料的各向异性特性以及KOH腐蚀工艺对其力学性能的影响规律,进行纳米压痕实验,并结合原子力显微镜观察单晶硅表层3个主晶面上压痕裂纹形貌随晶向的变化规律,分析单晶硅材料表层弹性模量、硬度、断裂韧性等机械力学特性参数在(001)、(110)及(111)3个主要晶面上沿各个晶向的变化规律;分析挠性筋结构单晶硅材料(001)晶面的KOH腐蚀工艺对其材料表面机械特性的影响规律.结果表明:挠性筋单晶硅在(001)晶面上弹性模量的各向异性变化幅度明显,硬度及断裂韧性各向异性的变化幅度不大;挠性筋单晶硅在(110)晶面弹性模量和断裂韧性的各向异性变化幅度明显,硬度各向异性变化幅度不大;挠性筋单晶硅在(111)晶面硬度值、弹性模量及断裂韧性参数的变化幅度幅值均较小;确定了单晶硅表层3个晶面裂纹最易扩展的晶向方向,KOH腐蚀工艺使得单晶硅表面质量降低,腐蚀后暴露的表面微裂纹、缺陷等会使得单晶硅(001)晶面表层硬度、断裂韧性降低,从而降低了挠性筋结构的实际断裂强度.     

Preparation of PEDOT-modified double-layered hollow carbon spheres as Pt catalyst support for methanol oxidation

In this paper, Pt nanoparticles (Pt NPs) deposited hybrid carbon support is prepared by modifying double-layered hollow carbon spheres（DLHCs）with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) and used as anode catalyst of methanol oxidation. The structure of nanocomposites is characterized by SEM, TEM, FT-IR, XRD and XPS, confirming the greatly enhanced synergistic effect between the PEDOT and DLHCs, and illustrating the uniform distribution of Pt NPs on the PEDOT/DLHCs composite surface with a small particle size (~2.63 nm). Cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry and impedance spectroscopy applied to determine the electrocatalytic activity of catalysts, it is found that the synthesized PEDOT/DLHCs/Pt possesses excellent characteristics such as large electrochemically active surface area and high mass activity of 59.45 m² g⁻¹ and 807 mA mg⁻¹ in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ containing 1 M methanol solution, which is almost 1.24 and 2.8 times greater than those of commercial Pt/C, and the catalyst exhibits superior stability after 500 durability cycles. The enhanced electrocatalytic behavior can be ascribed to the excellent electronic conductivity of PEDOT-modified DLHCs and the strong binding of PEDOT/DLHCs to Pt NPs, suggesting that the PEDOT/DLHCs/Pt is a promising electrocatalyst for direct methanol fuel cell.     

Performance investigation on a novel 3D wave flow channel design for PEMFC

Flow field structure can largely determine the output performance of Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell. Excellent channel configuration accelerates electrochemical reactions in the catalytic layer, effectively avoiding flooding on the cathode side. In present study, a three-dimensional, multi-phase model of PEMFC with a 3D wave flow channel is established. CFD method is applied to optimize the geometry constructions of three-dimensional wave flow channels. The results reveal that 3D wave flow channel is overall better than straight channel in promoting reactant gases transport, removing liquid water accumulated in microporous layer and avoiding thermal stress concentration in the membrane. Moreover, results show the optimal flow channel minimum depth and wave length of the 3D wave flow channel are 0.45 mm and 2 mm, respectively. Due to the periodic geometric characteristics of the wave channel, the convective mass transfer is introduced, improving gas flow rate in through-plane direction. Furthermore, when the cell output voltage is 0.4 V, the current density in the novel channel is 23.8% higher than that of conventional channel.     

Colostrum source and passive immunity transfer in dairy bull calves

Colostrum is essential for good neonate health; however, it is not known whether different calves absorb the nutrients from colostrum equally well. In this study, the absorption of protein, IgG, and γ-glutamyl transferase was compared in newborn dairy bull calves for 1 wk after feeding colostrum from different sources. Thirty-five Holstein-Friesian bull calves were randomly allocated into 3 groups and fed colostrum within 4 h after birth. Group A calves (n = 12) were bottle fed colostrum from their own dam for 3 d. Colostrum from these group A cows was also used as foster cow colostrum for the group B calves (n = 12), such that each group A and B calf pair received identical colostrum from each milking of the respective group A dam (10% of birth weight per day). The group C calves (n = 11) were fed 1 bottle (2 L) of pooled colostrum and transition milk (referred to as pooled colostrum), as was the standard practice on the dairy farm. The pooled colostrum was collected from the other dairy cows on the farm 0 to 4 d postpartum and stored at 4°C for less than 12 h. Blood was sampled from calves before the first feeding and at 1, 2, 3, and 7 d after birth. Levels of total solids, total protein, and IgG were higher in the dam colostrum than in the pooled colostrum. At birth, there were no differences between the calf groups for any measurements, and all calves had very low IgG levels. After receiving colostrum, the glucose, plasma γ-glutamyl transferase, serum total protein, and IgG concentrations increased significantly in all calves. There were no differences in any blood measurements at any time point between the pairs of group A and group B calves that received colostrum from the same cow except for the IgG concentration 2 d after birth. However, the group A calves had a higher total serum protein level and IgG concentration than the group C calves for all the time points after the first feeding. The group B calves had a higher IgG concentration than the group C calves on d 1, 2, and 7 after birth. Compared with groups A and B, there was no difference in the proportion of calves in group C that failed to have passive immunity transferred adequately based on the IgG threshold (<10 g/L). Thus, the calves receiving identical colostrum from the same cow had the same levels of IgG, and even the pooled colostrum provided sufficient transfer of IgG as the calves were fed within 4 h after birth.