Cross-linked polyvinyl amidoxime fiber: a highly selective and recyclable adsorbent of gallium from Bayer liquor

Gallium, a scarce metal produced mainly from Bayer liquor, is widely used in semiconductors. Ion-exchange method is currently considered as the most effective method to recover gallium from Bayer liquor. In this article, fibrous amidoxime adsorbents are introduced to recover gallium from Bayer liquor. In addition, hydrazine cross-linked polyvinyl amidoxime (HPAO) fibers have been prepared. The structure of the as-prepared fibers was ascertained by FTIR, elemental analysis and weight gain rate. The adsorption kinetics, adsorption isotherm and recycling performance were investigated by batch method. Cross-linking duration was studied and it turned out to be an important factor to optimize the adsorption capacity and recycling performance. After 1.5 h cross-linking time, the fiber showed the highest gallium adsorption capacity of 14.83 mg/g in Bayer liquor. After 3 h cross-linking time, the fiber showed the best recycling performance, which retained 82.9% of the initial adsorption ability after four cycles. Adsorption capacity of vanadium was lower than 1 mg/g for all samples. HPAO displayed very fast adsorption kinetics with an equilibrium at 60 min. The EDS results confirmed the low extraction of aluminum and vanadium provided by HPAO fibers. The gallium-loaded fiber could be effectively eluted by acidified thiourea. With proper control of the cross-linking duration by hydrazine, HPAO fiber with high selectivity towards gallium, high adsorption capacity and good recycle performance could be obtained, which is promising for recovering gallium needed for industrial applications.     

Electrodeposition of nano-nickel in deep eutectic solvents for hydrogen evolution reaction in alkaline solution

The electrodeposition of nano-Ni films on a Cu substrate from NiCl₂ precursors in choline chloride (ChCl)/urea or ethylene glycol (EG) based deep eutectic solvent (DES) was illustrated. Voltammetric study demonstrates that the electrodeposition of Ni(Ⅱ) in both ChCl/urea and ChCl/EG systems is a simple one-step reaction process, and the electrochemical process is a typical diffusion-controlled irreversible process. The obtained Ni films can be controlled to form nanostructures depending on the DES and the electrodeposition conditions. The nanostructured Ni films were investigated as electrodes for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in an alkaline medium. The enhanced catalytic activity toward the HER was confirmed, which is mainly attributed to the formation of needles morphology and the improved electrochemical surface area. The result reveals that the electrodeposition process may provide a promising strategy for the production of nano-Ni at low temperature for HER.     

Why do individuals engage in collective actions against major construction projects? —An empirical analysis based on Chinese data

Collective actions against major construction projects are becoming common because of the public’s increasing civil rights awareness and environmental consciousness. Thus, it is important to explore the critical factors responsible for collective actions against major construction projects. This study initially developed 25 indicators inducing collective actions based on a comprehensive literature review. An empirical study with 127 samples was conducted using questionnaire surveys and semi-structured interviews from projects located in Central China. Furthermore, ranking analysis and factor analyses were implemented to conclude that collective actions in major construction projects can be explained by a six-dimension critical factor system: benefits to the public, characteristics of project performers, layout of projects, living quality of the public, perceptions of the public, and influence from the authority. This study contributes to government administration for collective actions against major construction projects and serves as a useful reference for further studies of this type.     

Influence of Ionic Liquid-Based Metal–Organic Hybrid on Thermal Degradation,Flame Retardancy,and Smoke Suppression Properties of Epoxy Resin Composites

A new multifunctional ionic liquid-based metal–organic hybrid (PMAIL) was synthesized by anion exchange between as-synthesized phosphonate-based ionic liquid and phosphomolybdic acid and applied to epoxy resin (EP) as an efficient flame retardant. As expected, with only 1 wt% addition of PMAIL, the char yield of EP-PMAIL1 composite at 700 °C was significantly improved by 108.3% from 12.0% for neat epoxy resin to 25.0%, demonstrating the outstanding catalytic charring effect of PMAIL. Meanwhile, EP-PMAIL6 composite (6 wt% addition) can reach V-0 rating in the UL-94 vertical burning tests easily, and its peak heat release rate and total smoke production of EP-PMAIL6 were dropped by 31.0 and 15.4%, respectively, compared with neat EP. Moreover, the results from cone calorimetry tests showed that the char yield of EP-PMAIL6 was enhanced by 162% from 9.5 to 24.9% compared with neat EP, resulting in a strong intumescent char layer structure with outstanding fire retardance and mechanical properties. The thermo-oxidative stable protective layer retarded the transfer of heat and flammable volatiles during combustion and protected the epoxy matrix from further degradation. In conclusion, our results might provide a new perspective for producing composites with excellent flame retardancy and smoke suppression properties using ionic liquid-based metal–organic hybrid.     

A simple permanent deformation model of rockfill materials

Existing experimental results have shown that using a semi-log linear relationship between the permanent volumetric strain and cyclic number underestimates the volumetric deformation of rockfill materials with a large cyclic number, and that the error increases with the confining pressure. The existing permanent deformation models are not suitable for the seismic safety analysis of high dams during strong earthquakes. In this study, a series of large-scale triaxial cyclic loading tests of rockfill materials were performed, and a new permanent deformation model of rockfill materials was developed and validated with three kinds of rockfill materials. The results show that the proposed model can properly reflect the general features of the permanent deformation of rockfill materials. The main features of the model are as follows: (1) relations between the cyclic number and permanent volumetric/shear strain are described by hyperbolic functions, which can avoid underestimating the volumetric deformation occurring during strong earthquakes; (2) the model can capture the effect of the mean effective stress on the permanent volumetric strain, with greater confining pressure correlating to greater permanent volumetric deformation, and the permanent volumetric strain under low confining pressure near the dam crest can be well represented; and (3) the model can reflect the effect of the consolidation stress ratio on the permanent shear strain.     

Damage propagation and strength prediction of a single-lap interference-fit laminate structure

Frontiers of Mechanical Engineering - Experimental and finite element research was conducted on the bolted interference fit of a single-lap laminated structure to reveal the damage propagation...     

采用图像分析技术对球形Ti-6Al-4V粉末粒形的定量分析

采用图像分析技术对4种不同方法制备的球形Ti-6Al-4V粉末进行粒形的定量分析,分别测量了粉末的球形度、椭圆率、赘生物指数及粗糙度。结果表明:4种方法制备的粉末平均球形度均在90%以上。等离子旋转电极雾化法(PREP)、等离子火炬雾化法(PA)、等离子惰性气体雾化法(PIGA)、电极感应熔炼气雾化法(EIGA)制得粉末球形度依次降低,粗糙度依次增加。PREP、PA、EIGA、PIGA法制得粉末的表面卫星球粘附依次增加。对于PREP法制得粉末,粉末粒径范围越细,球形度越高,平均粗糙度越小。粉末粒形指标的差异与其制备方法的原理有关。采用图像分析技术可以实现对金属粉末粒形指标的科学定量分析。     

Development and energy evaluation of phase change material composite for building energy‐saving

Phase change materials (PCMs) contributed to building energy‐saving and thermal comfort through increasing the thermal capacity of building envelopes. In this study, a phase change material composite was developed by using the PCMs mixture of capric acid (CA) and lauric acid (LA) as the primary phase change energy storage agent and using the solid waste fly ash as a carrier material. The results showed that for Guangdong, the ideal PCMs mixture should have a transition temperature of 25.5^oC, which could be obtained by using a mass ratio of CA/LA of 4:6. Then, experiment results also indicate that the optimum adsorption ratio of 2:1 (FA/PCMs) was detected for the synthesis of this FA/PCMs composite, which has the latent heat of 45.38 J/g and exists excellent thermal reliability. Moreover, simulation results by using EnergyPlus show that the proposed composite has a good building energy‐saving effect.