A novel method based on ultrastable foam and improved gelcasting for fabricating porous mullite ceramics with thermal insulation–mechanical property trade-off

Foam instability and long drying cycle limits the widespread use of foaming method. In this paper, a kind of porous mullite ceramic with thermal insulation–mechanical property trade-off were fabricated via novel ultrastable foam and improved gelcasting procedure. The solidification process and stability of foam slurry, as well as the thermal, mechanical property and pore structure of the porous mullite ceramics were investigated. The results showed that porous mullite ceramics with different bulk densities could be prepared via varying volume of foam which was stable enough to be maintained in slurry for a long time. The accelerated gelation rate as well as the gelation degree resulted in the improved gelcasting method led to a shortened period of drying and demould. The obtained pores, which were small, smooth, and unimodal distributed in size in porous mullite ceramics, contributed to achieving the trade-off between thermal insulation and mechanical property.     

Near net shape fabrication of porous cordierite by combination of foam gel-casting and freeze-drying

Near net shape fabrication of porous cordierite was successfully achieved through a combination of foam gel-casting, freeze-drying, and in situ synthesis. Environment friendly gelation was used as gel system, and the gelatin concentration influenced the drying shrinkage vastly. Combined with the volume expansion coming from phase transition and solid reaction during in situ synthesis of cordierite, the total linear shrinkage could be controlled around zero (−1.87% to 0.45%) by adjusting the gelation concentration and solid content in the slurry, meanwhile the prepared porous cordierite ceramics showed both high porosity (85.9%–91.1%) and high compressive strength (0.58–3.37 MPa). The sample with 0.05 g/ml gelatin concentration and 20 vol% solid content possessed excellent performance: total porosity of 89.1%, compressive strength of 1.36 MPa, and specific strength of 4.9 MPa/(g/cm³), showing the potential usage of filter carrier.     

Effect of Viscosity on Preparation of Foamed Silica Ceramics by a Rapid Gelation Foaming Method

An environmentally benign preparation method for silica foam (the rapid gelation foaming method) was developed by combining sol-gel reactions and mechanical foaming without using organic polymers or monomers, in order to generate less CO₂ and harmful gases from the decomposition of organic compounds contained in the raw material. The viscosity of the silica sol during foaming affects the porous properties of the silica foam, i.e. the porosity and average pore size decrease with increasing viscosity. The pore structure of the silica foams depend on the viscosity of silica sol, two types of pore structure being formed. An open-pore structure is obtained by foaming low-viscosity sols, while a closed-pore structure is obtained by foaming high-viscosity sols. Since the viscosity of the silica sol affects the stability and foaming ability of the foam, the porous properties of the product can be controlled by controlling the viscosity of the silica during foaming.     

Catalytic porous ceramic prepared in‐situ by sol‐gelation for butane‐to‐syngas processing in microreactors

In this study, a novel flow‐based method is presented to place catalytic nanoparticles into a reactor by sol‐gelation of a porous ceramic consisting of Rh/ceria/zirconia nanoparticles, silica sand, ceramic binder, and a gelation agent. This method allows for the placement of a liquid precursor containing the catalyst into the final reactor geometry without the need of impregnating or coating of a substrate with the catalytic material. The so generated foam‐like porous ceramic shows properties highly appropriate for use as catalytic reactor material, e.g., reasonable pressure drop due to its porosity, high thermal and catalytic stability, and excellent catalytic behavior. To investigate the catalytic activity, microreactors containing this foam‐like ceramic are employed for the production of hydrogen and carbon monoxide‐rich syngas from butane. The effect of operating parameters such as the inlet flow rate on the hydrocarbon processing is analyzed and the limitation of the reactor by diffusion mass transport is investigated. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2009     

基于泡沫金属的复合毛细芯的物性测试

为改进毛细芯的传热传质性能,以泡沫金属铜或镍为骨架,在其内部填充树形金属铜粉或镍粉,通过树形金属粉末调控泡沫金属内的孔隙结构及孔径分布,制备出一种以金属泡沫为基底的复合毛细芯,并对制备的复合毛细芯的孔隙率、抽吸性能、有效热导率及蒸发率进行研究。结果表明,这种结构的复合毛细芯孔隙率较高,有效热导率为4.1?9.8 W/(m?K)。从毛细芯毛细抽吸、有效热导率和蒸发率综合来看,以金属泡沫镍为骨架、树形镍粉末与造孔剂质量比为5:5的复合毛细芯性能最好。     

Gelation performance of poly(ethylene imine) crosslinking polymer–layered silicate nanocomposite gel system for potential water‐shutoff use in high‐temperature reservoirs

Polymer gels have been widely used for water shutoff in mature oil fields. In this paper, polyacrylamide (PAM)–montmorillonite (MMT) nanocomposites (NC) were prepared through in situ intercalative polymerization. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X‐ray diffraction were conducted to characterize the prepared PAM/MMT nanocomposites. The gelation performance of poly(ethylene imine) (PEI) crosslinking PAM/MMT nanocomposite gel system (NC/PEI gel system) was systematically investigated by bottle testing and viscosity measurement methods. The results showed that the gelation performance of the NC/PEI gel system was greatly affected by the total dissolved solids, PAM/MMT nanocomposite concentration, and PEI concentration. The NC/PEI gel system exhibited much better thermal stability and gelation performance than the PAM/PEI gel system at the same conditions. The gelation performance after flowing through porous media of the NC/PEI gel system before injection and that of the subsequently injected gel system was different. The gel strength decreased and the gelation time was delayed after the gel system before injection was flowed through porous media. However, the gel strength of the subsequently injected gel system did not decrease, and only the gelation time was delayed after flowing through porous media. This study suggests that the NC/PEI gel system can be used as a potential water‐shutoff agent in high‐temperature reservoirs. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 44243.     

单相流体通过多孔金属换热器换热性能的理论分析

泡沫金属具有非常大的比表面积和良好的导热性能,在强迫对流情况下,具有很强的换热能力.通过建立泡沫金属在强迫对流的情况下的换热模型,得到了泡沫金属高度、孔密度、孔隙率和空气流速的变化对其换热性能的影响.分析结果显示:增大泡沫金属换热器的高度、孔密度、空气流速和减小孔隙率,都能提高换热器的换热性能;当这4个参数各自变化到一...     

开孔泡沫金属换热性能的研究进展

介绍了开孔泡沫金属的结构特点和换热原理,重点从流动特性和传热特性两方面总结了国内外对开孔泡沫金属换热性能的研究进展,并且概述了迄今为止关于泡沫金属传热模型的研究情况,指出了今后开孔泡沫金属用于板式热交换器的研究方向。     

Wood-inspired polyacrylonitrile foam with hierarchically aligned porous structure for application in water purification

The main purpose of this study is to verify the excellent absorption efficiency of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) foam which has a hierarchically aligned porous structure similar to wood for water purification. Ice template and freeze drying method was employed to prepare the PAN foam, and the performance of the prepared sample was characterized by advanced technology. Experimental data revealed that the micromorphology, absorption efficiency, and mechanical properties were tunable by controlling the polymer concentration in solution. The PAN foam prepared at 7 wt% not only had excellent absorption efficiency, but also had great water flux. The highest absorption efficiency of the PAN foam prepared at 7 wt% for the model dye, methylene blue, reached 97.83%. Therefore, a new strategy for water purification by filtration using a scaffold with a hierarchically aligned porous structure is possible.     

多孔泡沫材料对二元体系气液相平衡的影响

多孔泡沫材料作为新型气液传质元件已被证明对精馏过程具有强化作用,但其强化作用的关键机制尚不清晰而亟待研究。已有研究从流体力学方面阐述多孔泡沫材料对气液传质的强化机理,多孔泡沫材料对热力学性能方面是否存在影响仍缺乏定论。本文设计了泡沫碳化硅对二元体系气液相平衡影响的实验,通过动态法的气液双循环相平衡釜装置测定了泡沫碳化硅以及刻蚀形成表面微孔的泡沫碳化硅存在时乙醇/乙酸乙酯、乙醇/环己烷二元体系的气液相平衡数据,旨在基于不同孔径的泡沫碳化硅构造曲率气液界面的理论探究多孔泡沫材料孔径大小对气液相平衡的影响。本文实验中多孔泡沫碳化硅材料对乙醇/乙酸乙酯、乙醇/环己烷体系的气液相平衡的影响在气液相图上的体现不明显,通过对实验过程与结果进行分析,反思了多孔材料下的气液相平衡实验存在的问题,并在现有实验技术条件下探究了泡沫碳化硅对气液组成的影响,进而对未来在多孔泡沫材料对二元体系气液相平衡影响的深入研究提出了建议与方向。     

水在开孔泡沫铜中的池沸腾传热特性

对常温、大气压下水在开孔泡沫铜中池沸腾的传热特性进行了试验研究,观察了开孔泡沫铜中汽泡的生长特性及其变化规律,并与水在光管加热面的池沸腾特性进行了对比。试验结果表明:水在泡沫铜中池沸腾时,汽泡脱离直径和汽泡脱离频率随热通量的增加而不断增大,泡沫铜对水的池沸腾传热具有很好的强化效果。根据试验结果,得到了水在开孔泡沫铜中池沸腾传热的传热系数拟合关联式,为进一步的研究提供了依据。     

Bubble growth in reaction injection molded parts foamed by ultrasonic excitation

Processing of microcellular foam was studied for polyurethane. Assuming that the bubble growth is controlled by diffusion, theoretical prediction was carried out numerically to understand the bubble growth mechanism in the cavity during mold filling. Final bubble sizes were also predicted by considering the gelation time and the diffusion boundary. Viscosity change of the mixed polyurethane resin during polymerization reaction was predicted by considering reaction kinetics. The gelation time was determined to terminate the numerical calculation. The diffusion boundary was predicted based on the number of nucleated bubbles that had been determined both theoretically and experimentally. For processing of polyurethane foam by reaction injection molding, ultrasonic excitation was applied to the mixture of polyol and isocyanate. The polyol resin was supersaturated with nitrogen gas at an elevated pressure and ultrasonic excitation was applied to the mixture after impingement mixing of two components of the selected polyurethane system. Bubble nucleation was induced by the ultrasonic excitation and the bubbles were grown as the gas was supplied to the bubble from the resin.     

Highly porous SiH containing hybrids prepared by a novel process: rapid gelation of hydrogensilsesquioxane under ambient pressure

A novel fast gelation route for the preparation of highly porous materials is described. Commercially available hydrogensilsesquioxane was used as the precursor in this approach, leading through a simple, single step process to gels, within minutes. This novel approach relied on increase of wet gel pore radius (r_p) to reduce the capillary pressure upon drying. The increment of r_p was achieved by the evolution of hydrogen gas during the gelation step, which was triggered by the use of activating agents. NH₄OH, formamide, and polyethylene glycol were used as activating agents for this purpose. The resulting porosity in fast gelation derived porous materials was much broader than those in the conventional aerogels, with macropores up to several hundred nm, along with mesopores. Systematic studies of this novel fast gelation process were carried out through careful variation of the experimental conditions to gain control in the mesopore region. NH₄OH was unable to control the amount of SiH conversion into SiOH during the fast gelation process, trace amount of NH₄OH (0.036%) was sufficient to convert all of the SiH functions. The resulting porous materials derived by this activating agent showed a broad distribution covering the entire mesopore region. Polyethylene glycol and formamide showed better control over SiH to SiOH conversion, with a higher amount of activating agents giving higher conversions. Similar trends of both activating agents level onto total pore volume in the resulting porous materials were observed through the porosity evaluations, with the mid range concentration leading to the highest total pore volume. Mesopores with a narrow size distribution between 30 and 50 Å were observed in porous materials generated by the lower concentration in both series.     

Proposed Model to Match the Experimental Results for Oil Displaced by Externally Generated Foam

A mathematical model was developed to predict the performance of the oil displaced by water foam in porous media. In this model, the diffusivity equations of both water foam (the displacing phase) and oil (the displaced phase) were combined in a single equation, which was solved numerically by a finite difference method, using the implicit-explicit method. The proposed model was compared with Poiseueille's model which represents the porous media by straight capillary tubes. It was found that the proposed model is superior to that of Poiseueille, because the Poiseueille model does not take into account the variations in foam properties along the sand pack. The production data used for the proposed model were obtained experimentally from the displacement of oil by water foam of different qualities (externally generated foam). The plastic viscosity of the water foam was measured experimentally for four foam quality ranges using capillary tubes of different sizes. The effective viscosity of the water foam determined from the plastic viscosity was used in the proposed model. Foam viscosity was found to increase as the quality increases, and the water foam obeys a Bingham plastic fluid model. The porous medium was represented by a sand pack whose length was 36 cm and diameter was 6.3 cm. Its absolute permeability was 341 md and porosity was 22.8%. The foam consisted of tap water, surfactant, and nitrogen gas.     

Enhanced mechanical properties of SiC reticulated porous ceramics via adjustment of residual stress within the strut

Silicon carbide reticulated porous ceramics (SiC RPCs) with multi‐layered struts were fabricated by polymer replica technique with SiC slurry, followed by infiltrating alumina slurries containing andalusite under vacuum condition. The effects of andalusite addition on the microstructure and mechanical properties of SiC RPCs were investigated, also the residual stress within the multi‐layered strut was predicted. Theoretical calculations showed that the residual tensile stress generated in the outer layer of SiC RPCs because of its larger thermal expansion coefficient of infiltration slurry than that of SiC slurry at elevated temperature. Furthermore, the addition of andalusite reduced the thermal expansion coefficient and Young's modulus of infiltration slurries, thereby significantly reducing the residual stress of the outer layer in multi‐layered struts. The reduced residual tensile stress within the outer layer was beneficial to eliminate surface cracks on the struts, thus improving the mechanical properties and thermal shock resistance of SiC RPCs.     

Processing of Particle-Stabilized Wet Foams Into Porous Ceramics

Direct foaming of colloidal suspensions is a simple and versatile approach for the fabrication of macroporous ceramic materials. Wet foams produced by this method can be stabilized by long-chain surfactants or by colloidal particles. In this work, we investigate the processing of particle-stabilized wet foams into crack-free macroporous ceramics. The processing steps are discussed with particular emphasis on the consolidation and drying process of wet foams. Macroporous alumina ceramics prepared using different consolidation and drying methods are compared in terms of their final microstructure, porosity, and compressive strength. Consolidation of the wet foam by particle coagulation before drying resulted in porous alumina with a closed-cell structure, a porosity of 86.5%, an average cell size of 35 μm, and a remarkable compressive strength of 16.3 MPa. On the other hand, wet foams consolidated via gelation of the liquid within the foam lamella led to porous structures with interconnected cells in the size range from 100 to 150 μm. The tailored microstructure and high mechanical strength of the macroporous ceramics can be of interest for the manufacture of bio-scaffolds, thermal insulators, impact absorbers, separation membranes, and light weight ceramics.     

Fabrication of low-density foam shells from resorcinol-formaldehyde aerogel

Resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF) aerogel chemistry has been used with encapsulation techniques to fabricate low-density, transparent, foam shells. To accomplish this, the gelation time was reduced from several hours to several minutes by the addition of acid following base-catalyzed RF particle growth. However, additional “annealing” of the gel for at least 20 h was needed to maximize crosslinking and minimize swelling in exchange solvents. Increasing the molar ratio of formaldehyde to resorcinol from 2 to 3 also helped to increase crosslinking. Densification of the foam shells due to dehydration during curing was greatly reduced by judicious choice of immiscible oil phases and by saturating the exterior oil phase during the annealing stage. Shells have been produced with diameters of about 2 mm, wall thicknesses ranging from 100 to 200 μm and foam densities approaching 50 mg/cc. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 65: 2111–2122, 1997     

孔隙随机结构对非均质多孔泡沫导热性能的影响

多孔泡沫是一类低密度、高比表面积、具有独特性能的新型功能材料。实际多孔泡沫材料通常是非均质的,即其孔隙结构分布是随机的。为研究非均质多孔泡沫材料的导热性能,提出用孔隙均匀度作为表征孔隙结构分布随机性的参数,以多孔石墨泡沫为例,分析孔隙均匀度对多孔泡沫有效热导率的影响。数值计算结果表明：孔隙结构分布越不均匀,多孔泡沫材料的导热性能越差。根据计算结果提出了非均质石墨泡沫相对有效热导率的预测式,并与现有文献报道的结果进行了比较,发现当前结果呈现了孔隙结构随机性对材料有效热导率的影响,与ORNL实验结果更吻合。     

红柱石及其引入方式对铝硅质浇注料性能的影响

为充分发挥红柱石在铝硅质浇注料中的优异性能,分别以特级矾土、棕刚玉为主要原料配以红柱石制备铝硅质浇注料.检测试样在不同温度下的抗折强度及体积密度、显气孔率及线膨胀率,并对烧后试样的物相组成及显微结构进行表征,以研究红柱石及其引入方式对不同配置的铝硅质浇注料性能的影响.研究结果表明:红柱石以细粉形式引入的铝硅质浇注料,在高温下莫来石反应及二次莫来石化较为充分,试样体积密度、高温抗折强度相对较高,线膨胀率相对较低;相比棕刚玉配置的浇注料,红柱石对矾土配置浇注料性能的改善更为明显,红柱石分解及二次莫来石化相对较为容易,产生的莫来石将矾土熟料紧密连接,有效改善试样的物理性能.     

大孔二氧化硅膜上纳米碳纤维层结构化催化剂载体的制备

1 INTRODUCTION Fast gas-liquid phase reactions over solid cata- lysts easily cause concentration gradient in reactors and catalysts because of relatively slow diffusion as well as the frequent occurrence of low concentration when gasses are dissolved. Such concentration gradi- ent caused by the limitation of mass transfer influ- ences the reaction rate as well as selectivity. Conven- tional strategies for gas-liquid-solid phase catalytic reactions comprise slurry reactors and trickle bed r…