CFD Simulation of Liquid Film Flow on Inclined Plates

A two‐phase flow CFD model using the volume of fluid (VOF) method is presented for predicting the hydrodynamics of falling film flow on inclined plates, corresponding to the surface texture of structured packing. Using the proposed CFD model the influence of the solid surface microstructure, liquid properties and gas flow rate on the flow behavior was investigated. From the simulated results it was shown that under the condition of no gas flow the liquid flow patterns are dependent on the microstructure of the plates, and proper microstructuring of the solid surface will improve the formation of a continuous liquid film. It was also found that liquid properties, especially surface tension, play an important role in determining the thin‐film pattern. However, there are very different liquid film patterns under the action of gas flow. Thinner liquid films break easily, but thicker liquid films can remain continuous even at higher gas flow rates, which demonstrates that all factors affecting the liquid film thickness will affect the liquid film patterns under conditions of counter‐current two‐phase flow.     

Electrooptic studies on polymer‐dispersed liquid‐crystal composite films. III. Poly(methyl methacrylate‐co‐butyl acrylate)/E7 and poly(methyl methacrylate‐co‐butyl acrylate)/E8 composites

Composite films composed of poly(methyl methacrylate‐co‐butyl acrylate) (PMMABA) and nematic‐type liquid crystals E7 and E8 (commercial products from E. Merck, Darmstadt, Germany) were prepared through solvent casting in chloroform. The morphology and electrooptic responses were studied. Scanning electron microscopy observations showed that the liquid‐crystal phase (E7 or E8), as larger, elongated, interconnected cavities, was continuously embedded in a spongelike PMMABA matrix. At a specific level of the liquid‐crystal (E7 or E8) loading (30/70 wt %), the effects of the voltage, temperature, and frequency of an applied alternating‐current electric field on the transmittance of the composite films were measured with a He–Ne laser (wavelength = 632.8 nm). The results were interpreted in terms of the aggregation structure, interfacial interaction, and solubility of the liquid crystal in the matrix polymer. The results indicated that, under these experimental conditions, the output could be controlled to a desired level by the selection of suitable liquid crystals to prepare polymer‐dispersed liquid‐crystal, electrooptic, active composite films with a response time of the order of only milliseconds or less. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2008     

Effect of temperature on the optical and electro-optical properties of poly(methyl methacrylate)/E7 polymer-dispersed liquid crystal composites

Experiments on the effect of temperature on the optical and electro-optical behaviors of polymer-dispersed liquid crystals (PDLCs) are considered. Composite films composed of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and the nematic-type liquid crystal (LC) E7 were prepared by solvent casting in chloroform. The PDLC film contained droplets of E7 from 10 to 80 wt % in a PMMA matrix. Morphological studies illustrated the formation of isolated droplets of LC due to phase separation, and their homogeneous distribution increased with increasing E7 content. Thermo-optical studies showed an increase in the nematic–isotropic transition temperature of composites, which indicated preferential solvation during the phase-separation process. The electro-optical characteristics were studied under the conditions of an externally applied square wave electric field with a He–Ne laser (λ = 632.8 nm) as a light source. The responses improved as the E7 content in PMMA increased. Semipermanent memory effects were noticed in composites at higher temperatures. Changes in the transmittance due to thermal variations provided the possibility of using such a device as a temperature sensor. The results obtained indicate that under these experimental conditions, the output can be controlled to the desired level by the selection of a suitable loading of LC to prepare PDLC electro-optically active composite films with a response time on the order of only a few milliseconds. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Correlation Between Structural and Optical Properties of Composite Polymer/Fullerene Films for Organic Solar Cells

We investigate thin poly(3‐hexylthiophene‐2,5‐diyl)/[6,6]‐phenyl C₆₁ butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT/PCBM) films, which are widely used as active layers in plastic solar cells. Their structural properties are studied by grazing‐incidence X‐ray diffraction (XRD). The size and the orientation of crystalline P3HT nanodomains within the films are determined. PCBM crystallites are not detected in thin films by XRD. Upon annealing, the P3HT crystallinity increases, leading to an increase in the optical absorption and spectral photocurrent in the low‐photon‐energy region. As a consequence, the efficiency of P3HT/PCBM solar cells is significantly increased. A direct relation between efficiency and P3HT crystallinity is demonstrated.     

Combustion of bulk density powder mixtures in a coflow of nitrogen gas: 3. The Ti-(Ti + 0.5C) layered system

Explored is the filtration combustion in Ti-(Ti + 0.5C) layered powder systems in a coflow of nitrogen gas. The presence/absence of nitrogen coflow through the layered system was found to drastically affect the character of wave propagation and structure/properties of product. The obtained data can be regarded as a basis for fabrication of new layered and composite materials in the mode of dynamic filtration combustion.      

Facile synthesis of ordered nanocrystalline alumina thin films with tunable mesopore structures

Mesoporous alumina layers have attracted attention for their potential use in ultrafiltration of salts, as a heterogeneous catalyst support, an adsorbent in environmental cleanup, and in petroleum refinement. The ability to control the fast hydrolysis rate of the inorganic precursors using simple and inexpensive routes is important for that potential to be realized. Herein, we introduce a novel and facile route to synthesize mesoporous alumina thin films from the combination of inexpensive and commercially available copolymer with aluminum chloride or nitrate (salts) in an EtOH–surfactant–NH₃ · H₂O–salts (EsNs) system through the evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) method. Mesoporous alumina layers obtained utilizing the EsNs system have ordered and tunable pore structures. The ability to easily control the mesophases of the alumina layers within a short time provides distinct advantages over previously reported synthesis procedures. Most importantly, we demonstrate that the binding of surfactant and NH₃ · H₂O for the formation of hydrogen bond between them in the EsNs system controls the fast hydrolysis rate of the inorganic species. This allows for the synthesis of nanocrystalline alumina layers via the aluminum oxo-clusters’ assembly with the surfactant. Such simple route may be applied in the synthesis of other non-silica mesostructured oxides.     

Conductivity enhancement in transparetn ZnO films via Al-dopping produced by CW-CO2 laser-induced evaporation

Highly conductive transparent aluminium-doped ZnO (ZnO:A1) films were successfully deposited by CW-CO₂ laser-induced evaporation. Optimisation of evaporation parameters was based on laser power, substrate temperature, O₂ partial pressure in the vacuum chamber and amount of Al in the ZnO source pellet. ZnO:A1 films with an electrical resistivity as low as 6.6 × 10⁻²Ω·cm and an optical transmission of 80% at 500nm were obtained at laser power of 15 W, substrate temperature of about 200°C, O₂ partial pressure of 6—7 × 10⁻⁴ Torr and 5wt.% Al. Conductivity of ZnO films can be increased one order via Al-doping in ZnO films. The films obtained by laser-induced evaporation have compared quite favorably with the high quality films obtained by sputtering.     

Water vapor and oxygen permeability of wax films

The water vapor (WVP) and oxygen (O₂P) permeabilities of beeswax (BW), candelilla wax (CnW), carnauba wax (CrW) and microcrystalline wax (MW), formed as freestanding films, were determined. CnW and CrW both had small values for O₂P (0.29 and 0.26 g·m⁻¹·sec⁻¹·Pa⁻¹ × 10⁻¹⁴, respectively), which are less than half the value for high-density polyethylene and about a decade greater than the value for polyethylene terephthalate. O₂P values for BW and MW were about 6−9× greater than those of CnW and CrW. WVP of CnW was 0.18 g·m⁻¹·sec⁻¹·Pa⁻¹ × 10⁻¹², which is about one-half the value for CrW and MW and about one-third the value for BW. The WVP of CnW was somewhat less than that of polypropylene and somewhat greater than that of high-density polyethylene. Differences in permeabilities among the wax films are attributed mainly to differences in chemical composition and crystal type as determined by X-ray diffraction.     

Properties of bioriented nylon 6 films related to film production technology

Four production steps, extrusion, blowing, stabilization, and finishing, are involved in the manufacture of biorented nylon 6 films. The films obtained after each step were studied by wide‐angle diffraction X‐rays, IR analysis, and density measurements. Orientation in the amorphous phase was evaluated by thermal retraction. Free volume was investigated by positron annihilation spectroscopy. Mechanical properties were tested by tensile tests, and permeability was tested with isopiestic permeameters. Quenching, after extrusion, generated an unstable γ crystalline phase and an amorphous phase. Blowing transformed the unstable γ phase into the thermodynamically stable α phase and increased the chain orientation; stabilization increased α phase crystals, favored hydrogen bond formation and, therefore, the mechanical properties, leaving unchanged the chain orientation; the final treatment increased the mechanical properties. The film permeabilities to O₂, N₂, and CO₂ were practically unchanged after each production step; this result may be explained by considering that the nanoholes, present in the films and responsible for the diffusion inside the polymer, maintained practically constant their radius, whereas their number concentration decreased slowly after thermomechanical treatments. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 86: 559–571, 2002     

Zinc Coated Steel/Epoxy Adhesive Systems: Investigation of the Interfacial Zone by FTIR Spectroscopy

The present study takes advantage of the ability of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) for the analysis of ultrathin organic films on metals. FTIR in the reflection mode (IRRAS) is used in order to study the interaction of ultrathin films of dicyandiamide (hardener of most one-pack epoxy resins) with various substrates, model ones such as gold or zinc and industrial ones such as steel and zinc-coated steels.

Pure zinc surfaces and, to a lesser extent, zinc-coated steels are shown to react with dicyandiamide after heating at 180°C, as evidenced by the frequency shift of the absorption band (at about 2200 cm^-1) characteristic for nitrile groups. As real systems consist of thick layers of a fully formulated adhesive cured onto a metallic substrate, the direct investigation of such a buried interphase is no longer possible by FTIR and by most of the known spectroscopies. Some mechanically tested specimens are then analysed, after failure, by FTIR microspectrometry. The spectra obtained, corresponding to the fracture initiation zone which is about 100 μm in diameter, advocate for the presence of an ultrathin layer of modified polymer still covering the substrate.