Performance of porous European mix (PEM) pavements added with crumb rubbers in dry process

Crumb rubber modifier, made from scrap tires, has been introduced into the production of different types of hot mix asphalt in either wet or dry process. To determine if the rubberised asphalt mix performs as well as polymer-modified asphalt cement (PMAC), test sections of rubberised and control PMAC porous European mix (PEM) in Georgia were examined through a visual inspection and laboratory testing. The results indicated that the performance of rubberised PEM pavements from visual inspection was almost equal to that of PMAC PEM (as the controls) with no rutting or cracking being found, except that the Cantabro test showed a higher mass loss after 3 years' service. After 5 years' service in I-75 Perry, the rubberised PEM still performed a little better rutting resistance, although the rubberised section experienced about twice cumulative traffic as compared to the control; the other visual inspections remained the same.     

Dual‐Layer Hollow Fibers for Sulfur Removal from Fuels

Emission of sulfur compounds to the atmosphere is universally recognized as one key target to be reduced. For membrane pervaporation which is considered as a potential purification process of fuels, dual‐layer polyurethane (PU)/polyethersulfone hollow‐fiber membranes were prepared. A novel fabrication technique is proposed using a quadruple spinneret to produce the fiber with such morphology by simultaneous spinning of two polymer solutions in the presence of two corresponding precipitation media. Activated carbon was added into the PU solution to improve the transport properties of the selective layer. Resulting hollow‐fiber membranes showed very good adhesion between the selective layer and its support, in addition to an effective removal of a sulfur compound such as 2‐methyl thiophene from a typical model fuel, an indication of good prospects for both the fabrication technique and for sulfur removal by pervaporation of fuels.     

Influence of the weight ratio of polydimethylsiloxane modified gelatin to silicone rubber on the potential performance of asymmetric bilayer membranes as wound dressings

Asymmetric bilayer membranes have been regarded as ideal wound dressings for skin regeneration. Our previous work reported the potential advantages of polydimethylsiloxane modified gelatin/silicone rubber (PGE/SR) asymmetric bilayer membrane as a wound dressing. However, it is still unknown whether the proportion of the two components of the bilayer membrane has a prominent influence on its relevant performance. Herein, various PGE/SR membranes with different PGE:SR weight ratios (100:25, 100:50 and 100:100) were fabricated through a self‐stratification method driven by surface tension gradients. Subsequently, the effects of the PGE:SR ratios on the relevant performance (i.e. porous structure, mechanical properties, degradability and biocompatibility) of PGE/SR membranes were systematically investigated. The current results demonstrate that the separating force between the PGE and SR components was reduced significantly on increasing the content of SR, and in particular the PGE/SR1 membrane (100:25) exhibited a well‐defined asymmetric bilayer structure with high porosity, appropriate toughness, water uptake, swelling ratio and water permeability. Concomitantly, the maximum weight loss for the PGE/SR1 membrane was ca 70.65% after 9 days of enzymatic degradation, which met the typical healing period of a normal skin wound. In addition, both the original and degraded PGE/SR1 membrane possessed favorable cytocompatibility in vitro, suggesting its potential application as a wound dressing. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry     

Tailoring the hydrophilic and hydrophobic reaction fields of the electrode interface on single crystal Pt electrodes for hydrogen evolution/oxidation reactions

Interfacial hydrophobic/hydrophilic reaction fields significantly affect various reactions at the electrode surface. The hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) have been investigated on single crystal Pt electrodes modified with hydrophobic/hydrophilic cations and anion-exchange copolymers in alkaline solutions. In alkali metal hydroxide solutions, Pt (110) exhibits the highest HER/HOR activity in the low-index planes of Pt. On the low-index planes of Pt, the hydrophilicity of the alkali metal cation in the supporting electrolyte activates the HER/HOR depending on its hydration energy. Hydrophilic cations at the interface facilitate the extraction of hydrogen from the hydrated water. The modification of anion-exchange copolymers with a hydrophobic skeleton on Pt (110) further enhanced the HER/HOR activity. The hydrogen bonding network formed around the hydrophobic species facilitated the mobility of water molecules and the OH⁻ as the reactant/product of the HER/HOR. Appropriately forming hydrophilic and hydrophobic reaction fields at the interface improved the HER/HOR activity.     

Effect of transition metal doping on the sintering and electrochemical properties of GDC buffer layer in SOFCs

A dense Ce_0.9Gd_0.1O_2−d (GDC) interlayer is an essential component of the SOFCs to inhibit interfacial elemental diffusion between zirconia-based electrolytes (eg YSZ) and cathodes. However, the characteristic high sintering temperature of GDC (>1400°C) makes it challenging to fabricate an effective highly dense interlayer owing to the formation of more resistive (Zr,Ce)O₂ interfacial solid solutions with YSZ at those temperatures. To fabricate a useful GDC interlayer, we studied the influence of transition metal (TM) (Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, & Zn) doping on the sintering and electrochemical properties of GDC. Dilatometry data showed dramatic drops in the necking and final sintering temperatures for the TM-doped GDCs, improving the densification of the GDC in the order of Fe > Co > Mn > Cu > Zn. However, the electrochemical impedance data showed that among various transition metal dopants, Mn doping resulted in the best electrochemical properties. Anode supported SOFCs with Mn-doped, nano, and commercial-micron GDC interlayers were compared with regard to their performance and stability levels. Although all of the SOFCs showed stable performance, the SOFC with the Mn-doped GDC interlayer showed the highest power density of 1.14 W cm⁻² at 750°C. Hence, Mn-doped GDC is suggested for application as an effective diffusion barrier layer in SOFCs.     

α钛富氧层增厚动力学模型

为了实现在工业化生产中对α钛富氧层厚度预测和控制,通过实验研究α钛富氧层在高温空气环境中的形成及增厚过程,讨论热处理温度和时间的影响作用,建立高温(750~850℃)空气环境下关于温度、时间的富氧层增厚动力学模型。结果表明:当恒温热处理温度为750~850℃时,α钛富氧层厚度x与保温时间t0.5呈正比例关系,且升高热处理温度可显著提高富氧层增厚速度。在此温度范围内,氧原子的扩散激活能约为203473 J/mol,计算曲线与实验数据吻合性较好。结合文献中已有的扩散系数方程和实验测得的富氧层厚度数据,推导得到5个富氧层增厚动力学方程,其中3个方程的计算曲线与实验数据吻合性较好,可为实际生产中预估富氧层厚度提供理论支持。     

Hall current impacts on unsteady MHD free convective flow past an infinite vertical porous surface

In this paper, the magnetohydrodynamic free convective flow of an incompressible electrically conducting fluid over a vertical plate embedded in a porous medium is considered. A homogeneous transverse magnetic field is applied in the presence of a heat source and chemical reaction in a rotating frame, taking Hall current effects into account. The momentum equations for the fluid flow in a porous medium were determined by Brinkman modeling. At the undisturbed state, both the plate and fluid have an rigid body rotation due to the constant angular velocity, perpendicular to the infinite vertical plane surface. The vertical surface is subject to the homogeneous constant suction and the heat on the surface vary by time about a nonzero constant rate whereas the temperature of free stream is engaged to be constant. The accurate solutions for the velocity, temperature, and concentration distributions were acquired systematically using the perturbation method. The consequences of an assortment of governing flow parameters on the velocity, temperature, and concentration were analyzed through graphical profiles. The computational results for the skin friction, Nusselt number, and Sherwood number in a tabular format were also examined.     

Hydrogen mixing augmentation mechanism induced by the vortex generator and oblique shock wave in a scramjet engine

The mixing process between the fuel and the incoming air is extremely important for the engineering implementation of the scramjet engine. In the current study, the vortex generator coupled with the oblique shock wave is utilized to promote the hydrogen mixing process in a supersonic crossflow. The configurations of the vortex generator are put into investigation, namely typical ramp, split ramp and ramp vane. Some parameters are provided to evaluate the flow field properties quantitatively. The obtained results predicted by the three-dimensional Reynolds-average Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations show that the method of shock wave/jet shear layer interaction coupled with the vortex generator can effectively improve the mixing efficiency. Different vortex generator structures all have great effect, especially for Case SR (split ramp), with the mixing efficiency raised by 36.27%. The streamwise vorticity plays an important role in the mixing process.     

Toward a continuous synthesis of porous carbon xerogel beads

A continuous process for producing porous carbon xerogel beads has been developed. It consists in injecting a pre‐cured aqueous solution of resorcinol and formaldehyde on top of a column filled with hot oleic acid. The latter is pumped on the top of the column and fed at the bottom, generating an upward flow that can be adjusted to match the terminal velocity of the settling beads. Thus, the bead residence time in the column can be adjusted to match the gelation time, allowing the beads to solidify before reaching the bottom of the vessel. The obtained beads are subsequently dried and pyrolyzed. The developed experimental setup proved the continuous synthesis of porous carbon beads is possible. Nevertheless, the shaping process caused various texture changes of the porous carbon, which mainly yields macropores instead of micro and mesopores. This process also leads to the build‐up of a denser skin around the beads. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 64: 1049–1058, 2018     

Photocurable ceramic/monomer feedstocks containing terpene crystals as sublimable porogen for UV curing-assisted 3D plotting

This study presents a novel strategy to construct ceramic structures comprised of microporous filaments using photocurable ceramic/monomer feedstocks containing terpene crystals as sublimable porogens for UV curing-assisted 3D plotting technique. The biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) feedstock, composed of frozen terpene crystals surrounded by BCP/UDMA walls, could be favorably extruded through a fine nozzle and then effectively photopolymerized by UV light. Thus, green filaments with high shape retention could be obtained. In addition, a number of pores could be created in BCP filaments after removing terpene crystals via freeze-drying and the porosity could be tailored by adjusting terpene content in BCP feedstocks. This approach allowed for the construction of dual-scale porous structures comprising microporous filaments in a periodic pattern, with tailored overall porosities and compressive strengths. Several types of self-supporting structures were also successfully constructed using our approach.