Properties of isocyanate‐reactive waterborne polyurethane adhesives: Effect of cure reaction with various polyol and chain extender content

Three series of isocyanate‐reactive waterborne polyurethane adhesives were prepared with various contents of chain extender (4.25/8.25/12.50 mol %) and polyol (20.75/16.75/12.50 mol %). Each series had a fixed amount of excess (residual) NCO group (0.50–2.00 mol %). FTIR and ¹H‐NMR spectroscopy identified the formation of urea crosslink structure mainly above 80°C of various cure temperatures (20–120°C) with excess diisocyanate. The molecular weight, tensile strength, Young's modulus, and adhesive strength depend on excess NCO content and cure temperature and also varied with polyol and chain extender content. The optimum cure temperature was 100°C for all the samples. The tensile strength, Young's modulus, and adhesive strength increased with increasing cure temperature above 60°C up to the optimum temperature) (100°C) and then almost leveled off. Among all the samples, the maximum values of tensile strength, Young's modulus, and adhesive strength were found with 63.22 wt % polyol, 0.93 wt % chain extender, and 1.50 mol % excess (residual) NCO content at 100°C optimum cure temperature. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Thermally Pretreated 46% Pt/Vulcan XC72: Characterisation by TGA/DSC/TEM and Cyclic Voltammetry

We report a study of thermal stability and impact of thermal pretreatment procedures for 46% Pt/Vulcan XC72 (Tanaka) fuel cell catalyst. Stability in air and in inert gas (nitrogen, argon, helium) has been investigated by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), TGA‐mass spectrometry (TGA‐MS) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Two distinct low temperature mass loss processes (100–200 and 285–300 °C) were observed, each exhibiting unique pretreatment temperature dependencies. TGA‐MS data in helium show fragment ions that suggest the thermal degradation processes are associated with decomposition of materials such as processing aids. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) reveals a modest increase in average Pt nanoparticle size upon thermal pretreatment. After a pretreatment protocol based on TEM and thermal characterisation (300 °C/15 min, N₂), the electrochemically active surface area did not increase. At the kinetically controlled potential region (E >0.8 V) there was a small drop in current density for treated 46% Pt/C in comparison with as‐received catalyst. The slowing in ORR kinetics is significant. Apparently, the removal of organic components, which would improve mass transport, is negated by increased nanoparticle size.     

Parameter effect on photocatalytic degradation of phenol using TiO2-P25/activated carbon (AC)

P25 powder embedded and TiO₂ immobilized on activated carbon (TiO₂-P25/AC) was prepared by P25 powder modified sol-gel and dip-coated method. The photocatalysts were characterized by XRD, BET, SEM and their photocatalytic activities were evaluated through phenol degradation in a fluidized bed photoreactor. The addition of P25 in the photocatalysts could significantly enhance the photocatalytic activity, and the optimum loading of P25 was 3 g L^?1. The operating parameter results indicated that the optimum pH for phenol degradation was 5.2; the effect of air flow rate gave an optimal value of 2 L min^?1; the increasing of UV light intensity led to an increase of degradation efficiency due to more photons absorbed on the surface of the photocatalyst. The kinetics of the phenol degradation fitted well with the Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetics model. Finally, the photocatalytic ability of TiO₂-P25/AC was reduced only 10% after five cycles for phenol degradation.     

Casting properties of ASTM A128 Gr. E1 steel modified with Mn-alloying and titanium ladle treatment

This work aims to produce a high manganese steel with more refined austenite grains and better wear resistance without sacrificing the toughness and tensile properties by Mn alloying and Ti ladle treatment in comparision to ASTM A128 Gr. E1 steel (1.0C-13Mn) that is mostly used in the mining industry. The 1.0C-17Mn-xTi alloys (x=0, 0.05 and 0.1, in wt.%) were prepared. A relationship was established between the microstructures and mechanical properties of the as-cast and solution annealed alloys. Increasing Ti content increases the stable Ti(CN) phase on and beside the grain boundaries and decreases up to 37% the austenite grain size of the as-cast alloy with 0.10wt.% Ti. Correspondingly, after solution annealed, optimized titanium content (0.05wt.%) results in significant improvements in wear resistance, hardness, elongation, yield and tensile strengths by 44%, 31%, 30%, 8% and 12%, respectively, except 9% decrease in impact toughness compared to ASTM A 128 Gr. E1 steel without modification. These results show that 1.0C-17Mn-0.05Ti alloy can be used for parts exposed to high load wear and applied in conditions where relatively high tensile properties with sufficent ductility is needed.

     

Effect of Boronizing on Operating Stability of Steel AISI 304L under Erosion Impact of Hard Particles

Metal Science and Heat Treatment - The effect of solid boronizing at 950°C for 2 and 4 h on the phase composition, microstructure, hardness and abrasive wear of steel AISI 304L is studied...     

Novel EDM deep hole drilling strategy using tubular electrode with orifice

Fabrication of deep holes (depth to diameter ratio >10) using electrical discharge drilling (EDD) has gained momentum in the areas of aerospace, automotive and biomedical industries. However, formation of recirculation zones in flushing channel causes accumulation of debris particles at higher depths of drilling. This leads to secondary discharges within the flushing channel resulting in excessive tool wear, dimensional inaccuracy and hole tapering. The present paper proposes a novel tool geometry having orifices at the bottom end of tool electrode with an aim to improve debris evacuation. The effectiveness of proposed method is established through CFD simulations and experiments.     

Therapeutic Effects of Hydrogen Gas Inhalation on Trimethyltin-Induced Neurotoxicity and Cognitive Impairment in the C57BL/6 Mice Model

Oxidative stress (OS) is one of the causative factors in the pathogenesis of various neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and cognitive dysfunction. In the present study, we investigated the effects of hydrogen (H₂) gas inhalation in trimethyltin (TMT)-induced neurotoxicity and cognitive dysfunction in the C57BL/6 mice. First, mice were divided into the following groups: mice without TMT injection (NC), TMT-only injection group (TMT only), TMT injection + lithium chloride-treated group as a positive control (PC), and TMT injection + 2% H₂ inhalation-treated group (H₂). The TMT injection groups were administered a single dosage of intraperitoneal TMT injection (2.6 mg/kg body weight) and the H₂ group was treated with 2% H₂ for 30 min once a day for four weeks. Additionally, a behavioral test was performed with Y-maze to test the cognitive abilities of the mice. Furthermore, multiple OS- and AD-related biomarkers such as reactive oxygen species (ROS), nitric oxide (NO), calcium (Ca²⁺), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase, inflammatory cytokines, apolipoprotein E (Apo-E), amyloid β (Aβ)-40, phospho-tau (p-tau), Bcl-2, and Bcl-2- associated X (Bax) were investigated in the blood and brain. Our results demonstrated that TMT exposure alters seizure and spatial recognition memory. However, after H₂ treatment, memory deficits were ameliorated. H₂ treatment also decreased AD-related biomarkers, such as Apo-E, Aβ-40, p-tau, and Bax and OS markers such as ROS, NO, Ca²⁺, and MDA in both serum and brain. In contrast, catalase and GPx activities were significantly increased in the TMT-only group and decreased after H₂ gas treatment in serum and brain. In addition, inflammatory cytokines such as granulocyte colony-stimulating factors (G-CSF), interleukin (IL)-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) were found to be significantly decreased after H₂ treatment in both serum and brain lysates. In contrast, Bcl-2 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression levels were found to be enhanced after H₂ treatment. Taken together, our results demonstrated that 2% H₂ gas inhalation in TMT-treated mice exhibits memory enhancing activity and decreases the AD, OS, and inflammatory-related markers. Therefore, H₂ might be a candidate for repairing neurodegenerative diseases with cognitive dysfunction. However, further mechanistic studies are needed to fully clarify the effects of H₂ inhalation on TMT-induced neurotoxicity and cognitive dysfunction.     

Application of discrete element method simulation for studying fluidization of nanoparticle agglomerates

The usefulness of discrete element method simulation for studying fluidization of nanoparticle agglomerates is explored. Nanoparticle agglomerates were simulated by using solid particles of equivalent sizes and densities. Validity of the present simulation was assessed through comparisons of simulation results and experimental observations of bed expansion, characteristic fluidization behaviour, and dense‐bed settling. The simulation was then used to investigate initial bed expansion and bed uniformity under particulate fluidization conditions. The role of inter‐agglomerate interparticle force in fluidization of nanoparticle agglomerates was examined. A stability analysis originally developed for addressing the transition from particulate to bubbling fluidization for conventional particles was used for predicting the start of bubbling in fluidized beds of nanoparticle agglomerates.