The influence of surface chemistry of nano-silica on microstructure,optical and mechanical properties of the nano-silica containing clear-coats

Different nano-silicas were incorporated in an automotive OEM clear-coat based on acrylic-melamine chemistry. The morphological characteristics of the heat-cured films were investigated using scanning electron microscopy. It was found that there is a close relationship between the interfacial interactions of binder-silica nano-particles and mechanical and optical properties of the baked films.     

Thermal and mechanical properties of polyurethane rigid foam/modified nanosilica composite

Surface modification of fumed nanosilica was performed by using n‐(2‐aminoethyl)‐3‐aminopropyltrimethoxysilane as a coupling agent. Then, modified nanosilica was utilized in the preparation of polyurethane rigid foam. The characterization and the study of properties were done by some techniques, such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, dynamic mechanical analysis, and thermomechanical analysis. Also, tensile test was examined to evaluate the static mechanical properties. With the increasing of modified nanosilica, thermal and static mechanical properties were enhanced, but dynamic mechanical behavior was different from static mechanical behavior because of the different properties of interfacial domain and bulk matrix. The presence of functional groups on the nanosilica surface affected stoichiometry and reduced hard phase formation in bulk polymer. The decrease in glass transition temperature (T_g) confirmed this statement. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2010. © 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Characteristics and Composition of Watermelon Seed Oil and Solvent Extraction Parameters Effects

Watermelon seed oil characteristics were evaluated to determine whether this oil could be exploited as an edible oil. Hexane extraction of watermelon seeds produced yields of 50% (w/w) oil. The refractive index, saponification and iodine value were 1.4712 (at 25 °C), 200 mg KOH/g and 156 g I/100 g, respectively. The acid and peroxide values were 2.4 mg KOH/g and 3.24 mequiv/kg, respectively. The induction time of the oil was also 5.14 h at 110 °C, which was measured for the first time. Total unsaturation contents of the oil was 81.6%, with linoleic acid (18:2) being the dominant fatty acid (68.3%). Considering that the watermelon seed oil was highly unsaturated, the relatively high induction time might indicate the presence of natural antioxidants. In addition, the influence of extraction parameters on extraction of oil from watermelon seed with hexane as a solvent was studied at several temperatures (40, 50, and 60 °C), times (1, 2, and 3 h) and solvent/kernel ratios (1:1, 2:1, and 3:1). The oil yield was primarily affected by the solvent/kernel ratio and then time and temperature, respectively. The protein content of the oil-free residue was 47%.     

Design of electronic sections for nano-displacement measuring system

Noncontact displacement measurement is generally based on the interferometry method.In the semiconductor industry,a technique for measuring small features is required as circuit integration becomes denser and the wafer size becomes larger.An interferometric system known as a three-longitudinal-mode heterodyne interferometer (TLMI) is made of two main parts:optical setup and electronic sections.In the optical part,the base and measurement signals having 500-MHz frequency are produced,resulting from interfering three longitudinal modes.The secondary beat frequency to measure the displacement in the TLMI is about 300kHz.To extract the secondary beat frequency,wide-band amplifiers,double-balanced mixers (DBMs),band-pass filters (BPFs),and low-pass filters (LPFs) are used.In this paper,we design the integrated circuit of a super-heterodyne interferometer with total gain of 56.9dB in size of 1030μm×1030μm.     

Band structure effect on the electron current oscillation in ultra-scaled GaSb Schottky MOSFET: tight-binding approach

This paper explores band structure effect on the quantum transport of a low-dimensional GaSb Schottky MOSFET (SBFET) for the implementation of III–V transistor with a low series resistance. Precise treatment of the full band structure is employed applying sp ³ d ⁵ s ^? tight-binding (TB) formalism. A remarkable distinction between the thickness dependent effective masses extracted from the TB and the bulk values imply that the quantum confinement modifies the device performance. Strong transverse confinement leads to the effective Schottky barrier height increment. Owing to the adequate enhanced Schottky barriers at low drain voltages, a double barrier gate modulated potential well is formed along the channel. The double barrier profile creates a longitudinal quantum confinement and induces drain current oscillation at low temperatures. Significant factors that may affect the current oscillation are thoroughly investigated. Current oscillation is gradually smoothed out as the gate length shrinks down in ultra scaled structure. The results in this paper are paving a way to clarify the feasibility of this device in nanoscale regime.     

Multifractal analysis of Mg-doped ZnO thin films deposited by sol–gel spin coating method

A multifractal analysis has been performed on the 3D (three-dimensional) surface microtexture of magnesium-doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Mg) thin films with doping concentration of 0, 2, 4, and 5%. Thin films were deposited onto the glass substrates via the sol–gel spin coating method. The effect of magnesium doping, on the crystal structure, morphology, and band gap for ZnO:Mg thin films has been analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and UV–Vis spectroscopy. It has been observed that the surface of ZnO thin films is multifractal in nature. However, multifractality and complexity observed to decrease with increasing content of Mg in ZnO thin films due to formation of islands on the surface in accordance with Volmer–Weber growth mechanism. The investigations revealed that crystallinity, microtexture, morphology, and optical properties of the thin films can be tuned by controlling the Mg content within the ZnO lattice. In particular, their optical band gap energies were 3.27, 3.31, 3.34, and 3.33 eV at 0, 2, 4, and 5%, respectively. The prepared thin films of ZnO:Mg with tuned characteristics would have promising applications in optoelectronic devices.     

Investigation of the Effect of DOP on Polyaniline and Polyaniline/Polystyrene Nanocomposites

Polyaniline nanocomposite was prepared in aqueous media by polymerization of aniline using ((NH₄)₂S₂O₈) as an oxidant in the presence of dioctyl phthalate (DOP). Also polyaniline/polystyrene (PAn/PS) nanocomposite was prepared in the aqueous solution by polymerization of styrene and aniline using potassium iodate (KIO₃) and ammonium peroxy disulfate ((NH₄)₂S₂O₈) as oxidant in the presence of dioctyl phthalate (DOP). The PAn and PAn/PS nanocomposites were characterized in terms of morphology, chemical structure and glass transition temperature. The chemical structure, morphology and glass transition temperature of product were studied by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).     

A comparative study on different concentration methods of extracts obtained from two raspberries (Rubus idaeus L.) cultivars: evaluation of anthocyanins and phenolics contents and antioxidant activity

The effects of conventional (CV) and microwave (MW) heating on total soluble solid (TSS) content, total anthocyanin content (TAC), total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity of raspberry juice obtained from two cultivars of Amol (AM) and Siyahkal (SK) were scrutinised. Antioxidant activity of the juices was measured by 2,2 diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging capacity and expressed as EC₅₀ value. In the both methods, the concentration rate constant for the juices was significantly decreased by increasing operational pressure from 12 to 100 kPa (P < 0.05). A first‐order reaction kinetic model was successfully fitted for the degradation of monomeric anthocyanins at all operating pressures. The results also showed that thermal treatment of MW compared CV in both SK and AM cultivars caused a lower decrease in the TAC, TPC and antioxidant activity. Moreover, the changes in trend of the antioxidant activities due to the thermal treatment were positively correlated with the TPC (r = 0.74, P < 0.05) and TAC (r = 0.61, P < 0.05).     

Preparation of shish‐kebab and nanofiber polyethylene with chromium/Santa Barbara amorphous silica‐15 catalysts

Cr/SBA‐15 catalysts were prepared by the grafting of chromium nitrate nonahydrate [Cr(NO₃)₃·9H₂O] complexes onto SBA‐15 mesoporous materials. Shish‐kebab and nanofiber polyethylenes (PEs) were prepared under different temperatures via ethylene extrusion polymerization with the Cr(NO₃)₃·9H₂O catalytic system. The diameter of a single nanofiber was 100–250 nm. Scanning electron microscopy images showed that the polymer obtained from the SBA‐15‐supported catalyst under different polymerization temperatures produced nanofiber and/or shish‐kebab morphologies. X‐ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry were used to characterize microstructures of the materials. Polymers obtained with all of the catalysts showed a melting temperature, bulk density, and high load melt index; this indicated the formation of linear high‐density PE. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010