Effect of RF magnetron sputtering parameters on the optimization of the discharge capacity of ternary lithium oxide thin films

Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics - The increasing demand for lithium-ion batteries has stimulated the investigation of new compounds in order to reduce the costs and the...     

Crosslinked,biodegradable polyurethanes for precision-porous biomaterials: Synthesis and properties

Crosslinked poly(ester urethane)s and their acrylate derivatives based on trifunctional polycaprolactone and trifunctional aliphatic isocyanates were synthesized. Biodegradable scaffolds with uniform, controlled micron-scale porosity were fabricated with these materials. Mechanical and swelling properties of monolithic and microporous materials were studied. Cytotoxicity, hydrolytic, and enzymatic degradation and their effects on mechanical properties of the biodegradable scaffolds were investigated. The polymer degradation products were found not to be cytotoxic at moderate concentrations and to permit cell attachment and spreading. Degradation rates and mechanical properties could be tuned to desired performance criteria for a given application by adjusting crosslink density and the ratio of hard segment to soft segment. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 137, 48943.     

Predicting the damage development in epoxy resins using an anisotropic damage model

For fiber-reinforced plastics, the strain-rate dependent response is governed by the matrix behavior. In this work, the Goldberg model is considered for the epoxy matrix constitutive material model. Moreover, the strain-rate dependency is achieved by direct influence on the elastic modulus, the inelastic strain, and the material strain to failure. In addition, an anisotropic damage response is implemented and extended through a strain-rate dependent definition. Since the constitutive model relies on nonphysical parameters, a parameter study is further performed. Additional numerical investigations using a micro-mechanical model are performed. Tension and shear loading conditions are evaluated and the influence of different strain rates is explored. Furthermore, the implemented anisotropic damage model is compared and discussed against an isotropic damage model.     

Physicochemical and physiological changes during the ripening of Banana (Musaceae) fruit grown in Colombia

The physicochemical and physiological attributes of three contrasting commercial varieties of Musaceae, Dominico Harton (plantain), Guineo (cooking banana) and Gros Michel (dessert banana), were evaluated and statistically analysed during post-harvest ripening. Quality attributes differed markedly among varieties, both in fresh fruits and during ripening. Variety (V) had a significant effect (P < 0.001) on all attributes except total soluble solids (TSS), carotenes and total chlorophyll. Storage time (ST) had a significant effect on all attributes except colour parameter b* and total carotenes. Starch levels decreased significantly (P < 0.001) during ripening, with nearly complete hydrolysis in Gros Michel, followed by Guineo and Dominico Harton. Discriminant analysis showed that central diameter, TSS of the pulp, colour parameter a* and total starch had the highest weight in the differentiation among varieties. These results point out which parameters may help improve current methods for monitoring ripening of bananas, in particular the commercially important varieties in this study.     

Polystyrene-poly(2-ethylhexylmethacrylate) block copolymers: Synthesis,bulk phase behavior,and thin film structure

Anionic polymerization was employed to synthesize well-defined diblock copolymers of polystyrene and poly(2-ethylhexylmethacrylate), PS-PEHMA. Diblock morphologies in bulk and in substrate-supported thin films were characterized by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), respectively. PS-PEHMA diblocks exhibited thermotropic order-disorder transitions; one diblock showed a thermoreversible transition between lamellae and a higher-temperature morphology assigned as perforated lamellae. Unlike PS-poly(alkylmethacrylate) diblocks where the alkyl group is n-butyl or n-pentyl, PS-PEHMA diblocks showed a typical decreasing Flory interaction parameter with increasing temperature. Thin films of PS-cylinder-forming PS-PEHMA diblocks showed a strong preference for the cylinders to lie in the plane of the film; films of incommensurate thickness readily formed terraces. Films of commensurate thickness were easily aligned over macroscopic areas through the application of mechanical shear.     

Advanced controlling of anaerobic digestion by means of hierarchical neural networks

In this work several feed-forward back propagation neural networks (FFBP) were trained in order to model, and subsequently control, methane production in anaerobic digesters. To produce data for the training of the neural nets, four anaerobic continuous stirred tank reactors were operated in steady-state conditions at organic loading rates (Br) of about 2 kg m(-3) d(-1) chemical oxygen demand, and disturbed by pulse-like increase of the organic loading rate. For the pulses additional carbon sources like flour, sucrose, 1,2-diethylen glycol or vegetable oil were added to the basic feed, which consisted of surplus and primary sludge of a local waste-water treatment plant, to increase the chemical oxygen demand. Measured parameters were: gas composition, methane production rate, volatile fatty acid concentration, pH, redox potential, volatile suspended solids and chemical oxygen demand of feed and effluent. A hierarchical system of nets was developed and embedded in a decision support system to find out which is the best feeding profile for the next time steps in advance. A 3-3-1 FFBP simulated the pH with a regression coefficient of 0.82. A 9-3-3 FFBP simulated the volatile fatty acid concentration in the sludge with a regression coefficient of 0.86. And a 9-3-2 FFBP simulated the gas production and gas composition with a regression coefficient of 0.90 and 0.80, respectively. A lab-scale anaerobic continuous stirred tank reactor controlled by this tool was able to maintain a methane concentration of about 60% at a rather high gas production rate of between 5 and 5.6 m3 m(-3) d(-1).     

Quality assessment of bed sediments of the Po River (Italy)

Comprehensive and contemporary evaluations of physical, chemical and toxicological endpoints have been performed on bed sediments of the Po River, the major Italian watercourse. Two extensive sampling campaigns were conducted in summer and winter low-flow conditions. Composite sediment samples were collected from ten reaches of the main river: the first was located in the upper region (ambient control), and the others downstream of the confluences of nine principal tributaries. The two sampling programs were paralleled by contemporary investigations on the macroinvertebrate community. The particle-size composition along the Po River showed a relatively uniform distribution of fine sand, a progressive downstream decrease of coarse sands and a corresponding increase of fine materials. The levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), extractable organo halides (EOX), Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn were determined in sediment fine particles (< 63 microm), and showed marked changes across the ten river reaches. Their longitudinal trends, as those of organic carbon and total nitrogen, were very similar and largely independent of the survey season. Sediment quality benchmarks were used to evaluate sediment chemistry, and, although the overall level of contamination was from moderate to low, the reaches located downstream of the tributaries Dora Riparia, Dora Baltea, Lambro and Oglio were considered to be at risk. Sediments were tested for toxicity on Oncorhynchus mykiss, Ceriodaphnia dubia, Raphidocelis subcapitata and Vibrio fischeri. The toxicity tests were conducted both with sediment extracts and whole samples. Sediment extracts showed toxic potentials that were consistent with the spatial distribution of contaminants. Whole-sediment toxicity showed moderate/low effects which also included false positives and negatives. Alterations of the macroinvertebrate community were found for many kilometers downstream of Dora Riparia, and with a seasonal dependence, also in other reaches of the Italian river. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to describe the longitudinal and temporal changes of the Po River, and allowed the selection of the most useful and discriminating indicators.     

Method for testing sliding frictional response of lubricious thin films used in plastic medical syringes

Lubricious thin films are used in plastic medical syringes in order to reduce the frictional forces between the syringe barrel and the rubber plunger. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) liquid films are the current accepted technology for reducing the friction forces in plastic medical syringes. However, major issues with these PDMS films exist, including interactions of the film with the stored injectable drugs and variations in the frictional response as the syringes are aged over time. A new silicon based, lubricious octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (L-OMCTS) thin film solid lubricant has been developed as a replacement for PDMS that provides acceptable and stable frictional responses without interacting with injectable drugs. A novel test method has been developed that can be used to successfully characterise the sliding frictional response of the L-OMCTS thin films at the syringe barrel and plunger interface. This test method will be used to provide future insight into how the frictional response of the L-OMCTS thin films is affected by various system parameters. This paper will mainly discuss the design of this new test method and provide some preliminary frictional response data.     

On the use of ball milling to develop PHBV–graphene nanocomposites (I)—Morphology,thermal properties,and thermal stability

In the first part of this work, novel nanocomposites based on poly (3‐hydroxybutyrate co‐3‐hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) and functionalized graphene nanosheets (FGS) were prepared through ball milling. As revealed by morphological characterization, this blending methodology was able to allow proper nanofiller dispersion and distribution into the matrix. Thermal properties were studied under non‐isothermal and isothermal conditions and the addition of FGS into PHBV matrix, although no changes in crystallization mechanism were observed, it modified the crystallization kinetics leading to increased crystallinity. Thermal stability analysis revealed that FGS affected the mechanism of oxidative thermal degradation and had no effect on thermal degradation by pyrolysis. Furthermore, an analysis of isothermal degradation kinetics showed that FGS speeded up the degradation rate. The Sestak‐Berggren model was used as a model to explain the isothermal degradation behavior of the obtained materials in good agreement with the experimental data. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42101.