Experimental investigation of particle contact time at the wall of gas fluidized beds

The contact time of particles at the walls of gas fluidized beds has been studied using a radioactive particle tracking technique to monitor the position of a radioactive tracer. The solids used were sand or FCC particles fluidized by air at room temperature and atmospheric pressure at various superficial velocities, covering both bubbling and turbulent regimes of fluidization. Based on the analysis of tracer positions, the motion of individual particles near the walls of the fluidized bed was studied. The contact time, contact distance and contact frequency of the particles at the wall were evaluated from these experimental data. It was found that in a bed of sand particles, the mean wall contact time of the fluidized bed of sand particles decreases by increasing the gas velocity in the bubbling and increases in the turbulent fluidization. In other words, the particle-wall contact time is minimum at the onset of turbulent fluidization in the bed of sand particles. However, the mean wall contact time is almost constant in both regimes of fluidization in the bed of FCC particles. All the existing models in the literature predict a decreasing contact time when the gas velocity in the bed is increased. It was also shown that the contact distance increases monotonously by increasing the gas velocity in the bed of sand particles, while it is almost constant for the bed of FCC particles. Contact frequency has a trend similar to that of the contact time for both sand and FCC particles.     

Cell Membrane-Cloaked Nanotherapeutics for Targeted Drug Delivery

Cell membrane cloaking technique is bioinspired nanotechnology that takes advantage of naturally derived design cues for surface modification of nanoparticles. Unlike modification with synthetic materials, cell membranes can replicate complex physicochemical properties and biomimetic functions of the parent cell source. This technique indeed has the potential to greatly augment existing nanotherapeutic platforms. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of engineered cell membrane-based nanotherapeutics for targeted drug delivery and biomedical applications and discuss the challenges and opportunities of cell membrane cloaking techniques for clinical translation.     

Ultrathin buffer layer at organic/organic interface for managing the recombination profile in organic light‐emitting diodes: Metal versus dielectric buffer

We report on the utilization of an ultrathin buffer layer at the organic/organic (O/O) interface to enhance device efficiency in organic light‐emitting diodes. Two different kinds of buffer layers are examined: metal and dielectric. It is shown that employment of an ultrathin Ag layer with a thickness of 1–2 nm enhances the device performance, while a MgF₂ dielectric buffer cannot affect the device properties considerably. In particular, the turn‐on voltage of the device with an appropriate buffer layer is reduced about 3 V, its current efficiency increases by a factor of more than three, and the power efficiency increases by a factor of more than five in comparison to the control device when a Ag buffer layer is introduced at the O/O interface. By employment of the buffer layer at the interface, an accumulation of current carriers appears within the device that redistribute the recombination profile toward the interior part of the emissive layer. Also, morphological examinations reveal that distinguishable phase segregation occurs in the blend of the hole‐transport layer. In particular, the polymer component remains at the surface and facilitates the hole transport into the successive layers. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43894.     

Future directions in physiochemical modeling of the thermodynamics of polyelectrolyte coacervates

We review theories of polyelectrolyte (PE) coacervation, which is the spontaneous association of oppositely charged units of PEs and phase separation into a polymer-dense phase in aqueous solution. The simplest theories can be divided into “physics-based” and “chemistry-based” approaches. In the former, PEs are treated as charged, long-chain, molecules, defined by charge level, chain length, and chain flexibility, but otherwise lacking chemical identity, with electrostatic interactions driving coacervation. The “chemistry-based” approaches focus on the local interactions between the species for which chemical identity is critical, and describe coacervation as the result of competitive local binding interactions of monomers and salts. In this article, we show how these approaches complement each other by presenting recent approaches that take both physical and chemical effects into account. Finally, we suggest future directions toward producing theories that are made quantitatively predictive by accounting for both long range electrostatic and local chemically specific interactions.     

Synergistic effect of salt ions and water-soluble amphiphilic compounds of acidic crude oil on surface and interfacial tension

This study investigated the effect of solubility of amphiphilic compounds of acidic crude oil in water on the surface and interfacial tension (IFT) with NaCl, MgCl₂, CaCl₂, and Na₂SO₄ salts. Accordingly, distilled water, along with the salts mentioned in zero ionic strength up to 2 mol were put in contact with crude oil to become saturated with amphiphilic compounds. The effects of these compounds were investigated on the properties of contact water by pH, total organic carbon (TOC), FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy), water-air surface tension (ST), and water-n-decane IFT tests. The results showed that some of the organic components of crude oil, especially acidic and basic compounds, are present or soluble in water, which have a significant effect on reducing the surface and IFT. The IFT reduction of water-n-decane was greater than the water-air ST system. Also, the observations showed that for both NaCl and Na₂SO₄ salt water, with increasing ionic strength of water, there was an optimum salinity within the range of 0.1-0.25 mol/L for both salts with the amount of surface and IFT minimized at this point. In the other two salts, this point was delayed upon elevation of ionic strength and was observed at high salinity. In this case, divalent cations reduce tension rate compared to monovalent cations. Due to solubility of acidic and basic groups in water, pH of salt water illustrates an acidic trend. Results of the FTIR test confirmed solubility of these compounds as well.     

Effect of a coalescing aid on the earliest stages of polymer diffusion in poly(butyl acrylate-co-methyl methacrylate) latex films

In this article we use fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) to investigate how a classic coalescing aid, such as 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,3-pentanediol monoisobutyrate (Texanol?) (TX), acts on the earliest stages of polymer diffusion as the latex film is still drying. In our approach, we temporarily arrest the drying process of a partially wet latex film by sealing it in an airtight chamber previously cooled to near the latex T_g. At these conditions, we are able to effectively stop the drying process and the polymer diffusion. FRET measurements at various locations on such a sample provide us information about the mechanism operating at the initial stages of polymer diffusion as the latex film is still drying. We complete our study with FRET measurements carried out at longer aging times on predried latex films. We analyze our diffusion data in terms of free volume theory and propose a mechanism that can account for the results obtained.     

Multilayered Electrospun/Electrosprayed Polyvinylidene Fluoride+Zinc Oxide Nanofiber Mats with Enhanced Piezoelectricity

Electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) nanofibers have been widely used in the fabrication of flexible piezoelectric sensors and nanogenerators, due to their excellent mechanical properties. However, their relatively low piezoelectricity is still a critical issue. Herein, a new and effective route to enhance the piezoelectricity of PVDF nanofiber mats by electrospraying zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles between layers of PVDF nanofibers is demonstrated. As compared to the conventional way of dispersing ZnO nanoparticles into PVDF solution for electrospinning nanofiber mats, this approach results in multilayered PVDF+ZnO nanofiber mats with significantly increased piezoelectricity. For example, 6.2 times higher output is achieved when 100% of ZnO (relative to PVDF quantity) is electrosprayed between PVDF nanofibers. Moreover, this new method enables higher loading of ZnO without having processing challenges and the maximum peak voltage of ≈3 V is achieved, when ZnO content increases up to 150%. Additionally, it is shown that the samples with equal amount of material but consisting of different number of layers have no significant difference. This work demonstrates that the proposed multilayer design provides an alternative strategy to enhance the piezoelectricity of PVDF nanofibers, which can be readily scaled up for mass production.     

Refractory concretes uniaxial compression behaviour under high temperature testing conditions

Two refractory concretes with the same matrix composition, one based on andalusite aggregate and the other on bauxite aggregate, have been studied at temperatures ranging from room temperature to 1200 °C maximal temperature. Samples dried at 110 °C during 24 h to create dried standard specimens and others, fired at different temperatures, were subjected to several uniaxial compression test conditions conducted at various temperatures. The evolution of the materials’ global behaviour from quasi-brittle to viscous was evidenced and correlated to their microstructure evolution. Loading/unloading, creep, and strain rate jump tests helped define the damageable and viscoplastic nature of the behaviour. The influence of the firing temperature and duration on the materials’ behaviour is also reported and discussed. In conclusion, potential constitutive equations that are able to fit the material recorded behaviour are suggested.     

Theoretical challenges in understanding the inhibition mechanism of aluminum corrosion in basic media in the presence of some p-phenol derivatives

Using quantum electrochemical/thermodynamical approaches based on coupled cluster/polarized continuum models and density functional theory (CM/PCM–DFT), we investigated the corrosion inhibition mechanism of Al/NaOH system in the presence of some p-phenol derivatives. The influencing parameters on inhibitory action, i.e. charges on oxygen and hydrogen atoms of hydroxyl group, charge transfer, interaction energy, molecular activity and softness, electric dipole moment and de-solvation free energy, were determined for both neutral and deprotonated species at metal|solution interface. A good correlation was observed between these parameters and inhibition efficiency data reported in the literature. By introducing an appropriate thermodynamic procedure, we also determined the proton-loss tendency of the molecules nearby interface. The results were amazing and revealed a complicated protonation/deprotonation cycle for inhibitor species inside electrical double layer; the corrosive agents in the vicinity of metal surface become locally neutralized and pushed away.     

Pomegranate seed oil as a functional ingredient in beverages

Pomegranate seeds are by‐products of pomegranate juice industry. Since the seeds contain valuable oil that has nutritional and medicinal properties, they can be useful for food applications (especially in juice and beverage industries) as a functional agent. In this study, the possibility of producing a stable pomegranate‐seed‐oil‐in‐water emulsion to be used as a base formula for a new functional beverage was investigated. The influence of gum Arabic (GA) concentration (10.0, 12.5, and 15.0%, w/w) with a constant oil phase content (6.0% w/w) on the turbidity loss rate, emulsion stability index, and droplet size distribution was investigated. Turbidity loss rate was inversely proportional to the GA concentration for all the formulations studied here. Compared to other emulsions, emulsion with 15.0% w/w GA did not show a discernible cream layer during 42 days of storage. Emulsion with 15.0% w/w GA indicated the smallest polydispersity index during this period. The results of this study showed that it was possible to produce a relatively stable pomegranate‐seed‐oil‐in‐water emulsion for use as a functional agent in beverages.