Low-temperature,chemical vapor deposition of thin-layer pyrolytic carbon coatings derived from camphor as a green precursor

Camphor, C₁₀H₁₆O, as a natural and renewable carbon precursor, can be pyrolyzed to pyrolytic carbon (PyC; pyrocarbon) with significant industrial applications from conducting electrodes to biomedical implant coatings. Here, a simple but controllable chemical vapor deposition setup, operating at low temperatures (650–800 °C) in nitrogen atmosphere at ambient pressure in the absence of catalyst, was used. According to XRD and Raman spectroscopy, nanocrystalline thin PyC films were obtained at this temperature range without a significant change in L _c and d ₀₀₂ values. When the deposition temperature increased from 700 to 800 °C, L _a and crystallinity percentage values were increased from 2.40 nm and 73.16% to 4.15 nm to 87.58%, respectively. SEM and AFM analyses showed smooth (Ra ≈ 1 nm) and shiny surface for the thin films with 10–500-nm range thickness. The films were hydrophilic on surface (water contact angle ≈ 72.45°) with surface free energy of ≈ 41 mN/m. Young’s modulus, hardness and friction coefficient of the thin PyC coatings were calculated using nanoindentation technique as ≈ 29.9, 3.5 GPa and 0.09, respectively. Resistivity of the films was 2.21 × 10^?5 Ωm, so it can be anticipated to repel the blood cells. Cytocompatibility screening in direct contact mode and in vitro biocompatibility findings supported cyto- and hemocompatible properties for the PyC specimens synthesized from camphor.     

Zero-rating Internet platforms formation: a game theoretic analysis

Telecommunication Systems - Zero-rating Internet is a term that is used for not counting data usage of end-users for accessing basic capabilities of some websites via mobile network operators....     

An Efficient Numerical Solution of Fractional Optimal Control Problems by using the Ritz Method and Bernstein Operational Matrix

This paper deals with the Ritz spectral method to solve a class of fractional optimal control problems (FOCPs). The developed numerical procedure is based on the function approximation by the Bernstein polynomials along with fractional operational matrix usage. The approximation method is computationally consistent and moreover, has a good flexibility in the sense of satisfying the initial and boundary conditions of the optimal control problems. We construct a new fractional operational matrix applicable in the Ritz method to estimate the fractional and integer order derivatives of the basis. As a result, we achieve an unconstrained optimization problem. Next, by applying the necessary conditions of optimality, a system of algebraic equations is obtained. The resultant problem is solved via Newton's iterative method. Finally, the convergence of the proposed method is investigated and several illustrative examples are added to demonstrate the effectiveness of the new methodology.     

Electrospun PVDF/MWCNT/OMMT hybrid nanocomposites: preparation and characterization

Electrospinning technique was employed to prepare neat PVDF, nanoclay-PVDF and carbon nanotube (MWCNT)-PVDF nanocomposites, and nanoclay-carbon nanotube-PVDF hybrid nanocomposites. A mixture of dimethyl formamide/acetone (60/40) was used to fluidize the polymer and nanofillers. Electrospinning process was conducted under optimized conditions. Maximum modification was achieved at 0.15 wt% nanofiller. Rheological measurements on the prepared solutions revealed decreased material functions in the presence of nanoclay, whereas the rheological properties of MWCNT-PVDF solution did not show any significant reduction compared with those of neat PVDF solution. The behaviors of the hybrid nanocomposite solutions, though dependent on their composition and their material functions, increased with MWCNT concentration. These differences, together with variations in electrical properties of nanoclay and MWCNT, led to changes in morphology of the fiber during electrospinning process. Under electrospinning conditions designed for neat PVDF solution, mats with beads and with the highest fiber diameter were produced. Meanwhile, incorporation of both nanoclay and MWCNT into the solutions resulted in bead-free fibers with thinner diameter. Fourier transformed infrared spectrophotometry (FTIR) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD) were used to measure the β-phase crystalline content in electrospun mats. Complete agreement was found between the FTIR and XRD results. The lowest and highest β-phase contents were obtained for neat PVDF mat and hybrid nanocomposite mat containing 0.1 wt% clay, respectively. The mixing procedure of nanofillers and the PVDF solution was also found to be important. In case of hybrid nanocomposites, more β-crystals were formed when the nanoclay was first mixed in the absence of MWCNT.     

A Scenario-Based Management of Water Resources and Supply Systems Using a Combined System Dynamics and Compromise Programming Approach

Water Resources Management - Long-term sustainability in water supply systems is a major challenge due to water resources depletion, climate change and population growth. This paper presents a...     

High performance structured polymer barrier films obtained from compatibilized polypropylene/ethylene vinyl alcohol blends

The effects of different functionalized polypropylene (PP) and diethyl maleate (DEM) combined with styrene–ethylene–butene–styrene copolymer (SEBS) on various properties of extruded-stretched films of polypropylene/ethylene vinyl alcohol (PP/EVOH) blends were studied. The stretched films of the original PP/EVOH blends and those of the polymer-g-DEM modified blends showed lamellar-type morphology, whereas their maleic anhydride (MAH) functionalized counterparts showed fibrillar morphology. Such peculiar morphology resulted in a dramatic decrease of oxygen permeability as compared with the unmodified or MAH modified PP/EVOH blends. These spectacular improvements in barrier properties were obtained without much altering thermal and mechanical properties of the blend. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 47:1114–1121, 2007. © 2007 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Bordeaux-R interactions with surfactants: thermochromic investigations of proton ionisation in cationic, nonionic and anionic surfactant solutions

Apparent thermodynamic parameters for the hydroxy proton ionisation of Bordeaux-R were obtained in micellar solutions using the thermochromic method. The effect of addition of the surfactants CTAB, TX-100 and SDS was investigated in buffered solutions in the pH range of 6–13. Ionisation constants in water and in the presence of surfactants were determined spectrophotometrically and the p K ' of Bordeaux-R in water was found to be 10.90 in the absence of surfactant. However, at concentrations above critical micelle concentration, p K ' dropped to 10.14 with CTAB, increased to 11.29 with TX-100 but was insensitive to SDS addition. Standard enthalpies and entropies of ionisation were obtained using the thermochromic method. This method, in conjunction with p K and spectral measurements and comparison with different azo dyes, has been shown to provide detailed information on the mechanism of dye–surfactant interaction.     

An optimal fuzzy PI controller to capture the maximum power for variable-speed wind turbines

Wind energy conversion systems can work by fixed and variable speed using the power electronic converters. The variable-speed type is more desirable because of its ability to achieve maximum efficiency at all wind speeds. The main operational region for wind turbines according to wind speed is divided into partial load and full load. In the partial-load region, the main goal is to maximize the power captured from the wind. This goal can be achieved by controlling the generator torque such that the optimal tip speed ratio is tracked. Since the wind turbine systems are nonlinear in nature and due to modeling uncertainties, this goal is difficult to be achieved in practice. The proportional-integral (PI) controller, due to its robustness and simplicity, is very often used in practical applications, but finding its optimal gains is a challenging task. In this paper, to cope with nonlinearities and at the same time modeling uncertainties of wind turbines, a PI torque controller is proposed such that its optimal gains are derived via a novel scheme based on particle swarm optimization algorithm and fuzzy logic theory. The proposed method is applied to a 5-MW wind turbine model. The simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed method in capturing maximum power in the partial-load region while coping well with nonlinearities and uncertainties.     

Modeling of complex parison formation in extrusion blow molding: Effect of medium to large die heads and fuel tank geometry

This work presents the effect of die geometry and die gap opening on the extrudate swell phenomenon, in complex parison formation using the vertical wall distribution system (VWDS) and partial wall distribution system (PWDS). The BlowParison^© software from IMI is used to predict the parison formation for a combined VWDS/PWDS system, accounting for swell, sag, and nonisothermal effects. This software couples a fluid mechanics approach to represent the die flow, with a solid mechanics approach to represent the parison behavior outside the die, and a mathematical swell model to account for the pronounced elongational and shear stresses at high Weissenberg numbers. The emphasis is placed on experimental validation of the predicted parison dimensions using four diverging die geometries and different sets of VWDS/PWDS profiles. The experimental and predicted weight profiles for a dissected fuel tank are also presented. Both experimental and simulation results suggest a strong dependence of extrudate swell to the die geometry in the die land zone. The results also demonstrate the validity of the numerical predictions for part design purposes given the multitude of experimental validations presented in this work. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2009. Published by the Society of Plastics Engineers     

Sustainable GQDs for potential application in engineering using corn powder as green precursor

Abstract

An alternative way to produce Graphene Quantum Dots (GQDs) economically is proposed in this study where corn powder was used as a green precursor to fabricate GQDs in a hassle less one-step route. These GQDs showed a stable, size-dependent in aqueous solution. The size of GQDs obtained from this work is approximately measure from 0.21 to 5.20?nm. The XRD patterns showed a broad peak at 22?Å. Furthermore, the UV-vis absorption spectrum has a broad peak around the range of 250–350?nm which is ascribed to the typical absorption of n-π* transition of the carbonyl groups. The said sample also exhibited bright green photoluminescence under an UV light. The Raman spectra displayed a D band around 1375?cm^?1 and G band around 1578?cm^?1. The performed analysis confirms that the GQDs by this method has a similar result compared to the other methods. This suggests that corn powder as a precursor can be used to fabricate GQDs in a simplistic and environment-friendly way for potential application in sensors, very large scale integration and energy generation technology.