Comparison of Canola and Soy Flour with Added Isocyanate as Wood Adhesives

Canola is widely grown in the northern latitudes for its vegetable oil, generating large quantities of residual, low value canola flour used as animal feed. The common wood adhesive poly(diphenylmethylene diisocyanate) (pMDI) should react with the wide variety of functional groups in proteins. Therefore, it would seem that canola flour with added pMDI could be an effective adhesive. Two main questions are addressed in this study: How do the wood adhesive properties of canola flour compare to the better-studied soy flour? How well do proteins, which contain an abundance of functional groups, cure with the very reactive pMDI? These questions were addressed using the small-scale adhesive strength test ASTM D-7998, with various adhesive formulations and bonding conditions for canola flour plus pMDI compared to soy adhesives. The more challenging wet cohesive bond strength was emphasized because the dry strengths were usually very good. Generally, soy adhesives were better than canola ones, as was the polyamidoamine-epichlorohydrin cross-linker compared to pMDI, but these generalizations can be altered by the conditions selected. Three-ply plywood tests supported the small-scale test results.     

Plastic-containing materials as alternative reductants for base metal production

Shredder residue materials are produced after the removal of ferrous and non-ferrous fractions from end-of-life electronic equipment. Despite the high plastic content and metal value in the ash, high percentages of these materials are currently sent to landfills. In this study, the potential of utilising shredder residue material and other plastic-containing materials as reducing agents was studied. Plastic-containing materials were co-injected with coal into a zinc-fuming furnace in Boliden-Rönnskär smelter. The data obtained from the trial, such as the data from the chemical analysis of the slag and the steam production, are discussed. The observations indicate that plastic-containing material can replace up to 1?ton?h^?1 of coal without a significant decrease in the zinc reduction rate.     

Dispersion of chiral amino acid organomodified Cloisite Na in poly(vinyl alcohol) matrix for designing of novel bionanocomposite films

In this study the inorganic nanolayers of Cloisite Na⁺ was modified with ammonium salt of l-valine amino acid (Val) and then it was dispersed in poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) matrix. The PVA/Cloisite Na⁺/Val bionanocomposites (BNC)s were prepared by solution intercalation technique using ultrasonic irradiation. The reaction between this novel organically modified Cloisite Na⁺ and PVA occurred by the hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions. The basal spacing of the Cloisite Na⁺/Val was studied by X-ray diffraction. The thermal stability and optical clarity of PVA and PVA/Cloisite Na⁺/Val are also studied by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and UV–visible transmission spectra, respectively. TGA results show that using Cloisite Na⁺/Val in the PVA matrix improved the thermal stability property of the resulting BNC films. The morphological image of synthesized materials was studied by scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The nanocomposite structure study specified a coexistence of exfoliated and intercalated Cloisite Na⁺/Val layers in the PVA matrix.     

Leaching of a zinc ore and concentrate using the Geocoat™ technology

In this study, the Geocoat™ technology was used for the extraction of zinc from a mineral concentrate obtained from the Kooshk mine (Yazd, Iran) by a culture dominated by the mesophilic bacterium Acidithiobacillusferrooxidans in a packed column bioreactor. A low grade sphalerite ore was used as support for the concentrate coating. During the 100 days of leaching pH, Fe³⁺, Fe^total, microbial population density and zinc extraction were measured. The final zinc extraction from concentrate and low grade support was 97% and 78%, respectively, and it was found that leaching from the support does not proceed significantly before leaching from the coating is completed.     

Phase Equilibria in the Tl<Subscript>2</Subscript>Te-Tl<Subscript>5</Subscript>Te<Subscript>3</Subscript>-Tl<Subscript>9</Subscript>TmTe<Subscript>6</Subscript> Section of the Tl-Tm-Te System

Phase equilibria in the Tl₂Te-Tl₅Te₃-Tl₉TmTe₆ section of the Tl-Tm-Te ternary system were experimentally studied by using the powder x-ray diffraction technique, differential thermal analysis, as well as microhardness measurements applied to equilibrated alloys. Several isopleth sections and isothermal section at 680 K, as well as projections of the liquidus and solidus surfaces, were constructed. The Tl₅Te₃-Tl₉TmTe₆ section is characterized by the formation of continuous series of solid solutions (δ-phase) with Tl₅Te₃ tetragonal structure, which penetrate deep into the concentration triangle and occupy more than 90% of its area. A narrow area of solid solutions (α-phase) based on Tl₂Te was detected.     

Coagulation performance of cationic polyelectrolyte/TiO2 nanocomposites prepared under LED irradiation

A series of acrylic-based cationic polyelectrolyte nanocomposites including water-soluble monomers acrylamide (AAm) and 2-acryloyloxyethyltrimethylammonium chloride (DAC) with different mole percent of DAC (30, 40, and 45%) in feed were produced using TiO₂ nanoparticles (0.018, 0.037, and 0.11 wt%) as photoinitiator in the aqueous solution of monomers and named as p(ADT)_1–9. The LED light at 365 nm was used for photocatalysis activation of TiO₂ nanoparticles. Structure and morphology of the synthetic polyelectrolyte were characterized by FT-IR, NMR, TGA, FESEM-EDX, and TEM. The other properties of synthetic polyelectrolyte such as molecular weight, viscosity, charge density, AAm/DAC molar ratio in copolymers, reactivity ratio values for the AAm and DAC monomers, and polymerization degree were measured. Furthermore, coagulation performance of these polyelectrolytes was investigated in soil suspension (1,000 ml, initial turbidity = 1,715 NTU). The prepared nanocomposites enhanced the coagulation of soil suspension up to 99.5% in low dosages. The best turbidity removal efficiencies (TRE) between 99.5–99.77% were achieved by p(ADT)₃ conatining 30% DAC and 0.11 wt% TiO₂. Decreasing the temperature from room temperature to 0°C led to an increase in TRE from 98 to 99.8%. Also, increasing the pH from 4 to 12 led to a decrease in TRE from 99.86 to 94%.     

Experimental investigation of far-field human cough airflows from healthy and influenza-infected subjects

Seasonal influenza epidemics have been responsible for causing increased economic expenditures and many deaths worldwide. Evidence exists to support the claim that the virus can be spread through the air, but the relative significance of airborne transmission has not been well defined. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) and hot-wire anemometry (HWA) measurements were conducted at 1 m away from the mouth of human subjects to develop a model for cough flow behavior at greater distances from the mouth than were studied previously. Biological aerosol sampling was conducted to assess the risk of exposure to airborne viruses. Throughout the investigation, 77 experiments were conducted from 58 different subjects. From these subjects, 21 presented with influenza-like illness. Of these, 12 subjects had laboratory-confirmed respiratory infections. A model was developed for the cough centerline velocity magnitude time history. The experimental results were also used to validate computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models. The peak velocity observed at the cough jet center, averaged across all trials, was 1.2 m/s, and an average jet spread angle of θ = 24° was measured, similar to that of a steady free jet. No differences were observed in the velocity or turbulence characteristics between coughs from sick, convalescent, or healthy participants.     

Improved stability in P3HT:PCBM photovoltaics by incorporation of well‐designed polythiophene/graphene compositions

Morphological and photovoltaic stabilities of poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT):phenyl‐C₆₁‐butyric acid methyl ester (PC₇₁BM) solar cells were investigated in pristine and modified states. To this end, four types of patterned/assembled nanostructures, namely reduced graphene oxide (rGO)‐g‐poly(3‐dodecylthiophene)/P3HT patched‐like pattern, rGO–polythiophene/P3HT/PC₇₁BM nanofiber, rGO‐g‐P3HT/P3HT cake‐like pattern and supra(polyaniline (PANI)‐g‐rGO/P3HT), were designed on the basis of rGO and various conjugated polymers. Intermediately covered rGO nanosheets by P3HT crystals (supra(PANI‐g‐rGO/P3HT)) performed better than sparsely (patched‐like pattern) and fully (cake‐like pattern) covered ones in P3HT:PC₇₁BM solar cell systems. Supra(PANI‐g‐rGO/P3HT) nanohybrids largely phase‐separated in active layers (root mean square = 0.88 nm) and also led to the highest performance (power conversion efficiency of 5.74%). The photovoltaic characteristics demonstrated decreasing trends during air aging for all devices, but with distinct slopes. The steepest decreasing plots were obtained for the unmodified P3HT:PC₇₁BM devices (from 1.77% to 0.28%). The two supramolecules with the most ordered structures, that is, cake‐like pattern (10.12 mA cm^?2, 51%, 0.58 V, 2.2 × 10^?6 cm² V^?1 s^?1, 4.3 × 10^?5 cm² V^?1 s^?1, 0.69 nm and 2.99%) and supra(PANI‐g‐rGO/P3HT) (12.51 mA cm^?2, 57%, 0.63 V, 1.2 × 10^?5 cm² V^?1 s^?1, 3.4 × 10^?4 cm² V^?1 s^?1, 0.82 nm and 4.49%), strongly retained morphological and photovoltaic stabilities in P3HT:PC₇₁BM devices after 1 month of air aging. According to the morphological, optical, photovoltaic and electrochemical results, the supra(PANI‐g‐rGO/P3HT) nanohybrid was the best candidate for stabilizing P3HT:PC₇₁BM solar cells. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry     

Electroactive polythiophene/polystyrene bottlebrushes as morphology compatibilizers in photovoltaic systems

Poly(3‐thiophene ethanol) (P3ThEt)‐graft‐polystyrene (PSt) bottlebrushes were synthesized and applied in active layers of poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT):phenyl‐C71‐butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM) solar cells as morphology compatibilizers. In the presence of 15 wt% of P3ThEt‐graft‐PSt bottlebrush compatibilizers, the P3HT crystallite dimensions (D₍₁₀₀₎ = 45.67 nm and D₍₀₂₀₎ = 30.12 nm) and R_mean (38.96 nm) of PCBM clusters were the largest and the layer spacings were all the smallest (d₍₁₀₀₎ = 1.054 nm, d₍₀₂₀₎ = 0.301 nm and d_(PCBM) = 0.406 nm). These dimensional properties led to better hole (1.9 × 10^?3 cm² V^?1 s^?1) and electron (1.2 × 10^?2 cm² V^?1 s^?1) mobilities. The content of bottlebrushes was optimized at 15 wt%, and thereby the best photovoltaic results including the maximum cell efficiency of 5.37% were obtained for this turning point (12.75 mA cm^?2, 61%, 0.69 V). On exceeding the optimum weight percentage, all photovoltaic parameters decreased markedly and reached even less than that of pristine devices (1.92% versus 2.24%). After an optimum weight percentage of compatibilizers, further enhancement in bottlebrush content in active layers saturated and finally oversaturated the system and, consequently, the cell parameters significantly decreased. Accumulation of bottlebrushes in interfaces and donor/acceptor phases ruined the system function even with large and packed P3HT crystallites and PC71BM clusters. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry