Characterization and applications of a new composite material obtained by green synthesis,through deposition of zinc oxide onto calcium carbonate precipitated in green seaweeds extract

Zinc oxide was deposited onto calcium carbonate precipitated using a template of polysaccharides from Ulva lactuca green seaweeds (Black Sea). The resulted composite material was characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, UV–vis and FTIR spectroscopy. The therapeutic effect of prepared composite material was assessed in vivo as a topical application for the burns treatment and compared with that of ZnO. An increased antioxidant activity by combining zinc oxide with calcium carbonate capped with polysaccharides from green seaweeds extract in a composite material was demonstrated.     

Thermal and electrical behaviour of some hybrid polyimide films containing barium and titanium oxides

Aromatic polyimides are high‐performance polymers used in applications demanding service at enhanced temperature while maintaining their structural integrity and excellent combination of chemical, physical and mechanical properties. The incorporation of various metallic additives into a polyimide matrix improves its properties, leading to materials required by specific applications. Hybrid polyimide films containing barium and titanium oxides having thicknesses in the range of tens of micrometres were prepared. These films were obtained using the sol–gel technique starting from a poly(amic acid) and a soluble precursor of metal oxides. They exhibited good thermal stability having an initial decomposition temperature above 460 °C, and a glass transition temperature in the range 217–238 °C. Two subglass transitions, γ and β, were evident from dynamic mechanical analysis and dielectric spectroscopy. A study of the thermal and electrical behaviour of some hybrid polyimide films containing barium and titanium oxides is presented. On increasing the concentration of metal oxides, an increase of dielectric constant and a decrease of thermal stability of the hybrid films were observed. The presence of metal oxides shifted the glass transition temperature and the temperature of the β transition to higher values. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Designing polylactide/clay nanocomposites for textile applications: Effect of processing conditions,spinning, and characterization

An experimental study was carried out to design polylactide (PLA)-clay nanocomposites for developing fibers. PLA and 1–10 wt % of a selected organomodified bentonite (Bentone® 104-B104) were melt mixed to examine the effect of processing conditions (temperature, shear, residence time) on the morphology of performed polymer nanocomposites (PNC). Because of a good compatibility with PLA matrix, the dispersion of B104 occurred under different conditions without difficulty, and a similar morphology was obtained. The results obtained showed that at low temperature of mixing, the shear stress exerted on polymer has a key role on the extent of intercalation and delamination. Upscale experiments were further performed using optimized conditions and 4 wt % B104 was added to PLA matrix by melt blending to produce PNC for spinning. Then, the recovered PNC were melt spun to produce multifilaments yarns, and it was demonstrated that surprisingly, it is not necessary to use a plasticizer to spin a blend with 4 wt % B104. The properties of the yarns have been studied in terms of clay dispersion as well as thermal, mechanical, and shrinkage properties. B104 could be added up to 4 wt % into PLA without detrimentally sacrificing the tensile strength of melt-spun filaments, especially at high draw ratio. Interestingly, the PNC-based multifilaments were knitted and the flammability studied using cone calorimeter at 35 kW/m². A strong decrease, up to 46%, of the heat release rate was measured. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Double Charge Transfer Dominates in Carrier Localization in Low Bandgap Sites of Heterogeneous Lead Halide Perovskites

Heterogeneous organic-inorganic halide perovskites possess inherent non-uniformities in bandgap that are sometimes engineered and exploited on purpose, like in quasi-2D perovskites. In these systems, charge carrier and excitation energy migration to lower-bandgap sites are key processes governing luminescence. The question, which of them dominates in particular materials and under specific experimental conditions, still remains unanswered, especially when charge carriers comprise excitons. In this study transient absorption (TA) and transient photoluminescence (PL) techniques are combined to address the excited state dynamics in quasi-2D and other heterogeneous perovskite structures in broad temperature range, from room temperature down to 15 K. The data provide clear evidence that charge carrier transfer rather than energy migration dominates in heterogeneous quasi-2D perovskite films.     

Volumetric strain measurement of polymeric materials subjected to uniaxial tension

A novel method for measuring and calculating volumetric strain in circular cylindrical uniaxial tension samples made from polymeric materials is proposed. It is shown that special considerations must be taken when calculating volumetric strain when a sample is in a postnecking state. Solely based on surface data, the key feature of the proposed correction is that it allows for an inhomogeneous distribution of longitudinal strain through the diameter of the sample, where a more traditional approach would be to assume a homogeneous distribution. These two approaches are evaluated by applying them to data from a close‐to‐incompressible steel sample. Whereas the proposed method indicates only a small positive increase in volume, the assumption of a homogeneous distribution results in substantial negative volumetric strains. Applying the two methods to tension samples made from HDPE and PVC, where plastic dilatation is nonlinear, again shows an initial negative volumetric strain for HDPE with the assumption of a homogeneous longitudinal strain. The proposed method predicts close‐to‐zero early‐stage volumetric strain for the same test. The differences are more subtle for samples of PVC. Micrographs obtained with scanning electron microscope show that the dilatation of PVC is related to voiding of the material around filler particles, while the underlying mechanism for HDPE is less clear. The results indicate that earlier reports of negative volumetric strain in polymers subjected to uniaxial tension might be artefacts of the implicit assumption made when calculating the volumetric strain.     

Quality driven distribution of intelligent containers in cold chain logistics networks

The ‘intelligent container’ represents a novel transport system with the ability to make autonomous decisions regarding the condition of its transported goods. For example, fruit in cold chain logistics networks is very sensitive to mould and tends to perish. This can cause huge losses during transport, because the state-of-the-art reefer containers are able to control the temperature but not in relation to the fruit condition. The ‘intelligent container’ is able to precisely monitor the condition of fruit, as well as track its geographical position. Thus, the transport losses can be reduced due to better climate control and enhanced distribution strategies. This paper focuses on the development of a new scheduling method for distribution by applying principles of quality-driven customer order decoupling corridors (qCODC). Such corridors allow the dynamic change of allocations of container to customer order assignments. These corridors increase the flexibility of the decision-making process. Therefore, a simulation model will be developed and used in order to evaluate the potential of the new scheduling method based on the concept of the ‘intelligent container’ and qCODC.     

Integrated fuel cell APU based on a compact steam reformer for diesel and a PEMFC

This paper presents experimental results of a diesel steam reforming fuel processor operated in conjunction with a gas cleanup module and coupled operation with a PEM fuel cell. The fuel processor was operated with two different precious-metal based reformer catalysts, using diesel surrogate with a sulfur content of less than 2 ppmw as fuel. The first reformer catalyst entails an increasing residual hydrocarbon concentration for increasing reformer fuel feed. The second reformer catalyst exhibits a significantly lower residual hydrocarbon concentration in the reformate gas.     

Individualized Follow-up of Pregnant Women with Asymptomatic Autoimmune Thyroid Disease

Maternal hormones are essential for the normal fetal development during pregnancy. Autoimmune thyroid disease is a frequent pathology in our iodine replete region. The aim of this study is to evaluate the occurrence of subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) in cases with known autoimmune thyroid disease, which were in a euthyroid state prior to pregnancy, and to assess the association between supplemental treatments administered and the outcome of the pregnancy. The study is a prospective interventional controlled study. The two cohorts comprise the interventional group, consisting of 109 pregnant women with known autoimmune asymptomatic thyroid disease, without any levothyroxine (LT4) treatment and an aged-matched control group, with an unknown thyroid disease. After the pregnancy, a monthly evaluation of TSH, FT3, and FT4 was performed. Offspring evaluation was made at birth time. 88.8% of the women developed SCH in the first four weeks of pregnancy. Average LT4 doses increased as the pregnancy progressed. The monthly adjustment was 12.5 or 25 μg. All SCH cases developed in the first trimester of pregnancy. There was no significant difference regarding the gestational week, weight, or length at birth between the interventional group and controls, when TSH values were in the optimal range, during the whole pregnancy. Premature birth was described in one case in the interventional group.