Effect of Multi-Wall Carbon Nanotubes on the Mechanical Properties of Natural Rubber

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were used to prepare natural rubber (NR) nanocomposites. Our first efforts to achieve nanostructures in MWNTs/NR nanocomposites were formed by incorporating carbon nanotubes in a polymer solution and subsequently evaporating the solvent. Using this technique, nanotubes can be dispersed homogeneously in the NR matrix in an attempt to increase the mechanical properties of these nanocomposites. The properties of the nanocomposites such as tensile strength, tensile modulus, elongation at break and hardness were studied. Mechanical test results show an increase in the initial modulus for up to 12 times in relation to pure NR. In addition to mechanical testing, the dispersion state of the MWNTs into NR studied by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) in order to understand the morphology of the resulting system     

The Inhibition Performance of trans-Cinnamaldehyde as a Green Compound for Mild Steel in Acidic 1 M HCl Medium: Correlation between Experimental and Theoretical Studies

Protection of Metals and Physical Chemistry of Surfaces - Corrosion inhibition propriety of (2E)-3-phenylprop-2-enal, known as trans-cinnamaldehyde (TCA) for mild steel in 1 M HCl medium was...     

Intrinsic affinity of acid-activated bentonite towards hydrogen and carbon dioxide

The effect of acid activation on bentonite affinity toward carbon dioxide (CO₂) and hydrogen (H₂) was investigated at ambient conditions. Characterization through X-ray diffraction and fluorescence, thermal gravimetric analysis, nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms, Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry allowed correlating newly induced textural and structural features with adsorptive properties. Optimum acid treatment improved the specific surface area and porosity. The resulting decrease in dehydration temperature indicates decay in hydrophilic character. The affinity improvement towards hydrogen was due to Brønsted acidity suppression and surface basicity attenuation, which are essential requirements for adsorption on aluminosilicates (AS) via weak Lewis Acid-Base interactions, but excessive acid attack was detrimental. Low Si/Al surfaces should be suitable for CO₂ capture, while moderately acid-treated clays should be interesting candidates as hydrogen adsorbents. This allows envisaging promising prospects for low-cost AS-based materials intended for selective CO₂-free capture and storage of hydrogen without energy and safety constraints.     

Electrochemical properties of the MmNi3.55Mn0.4Al0.3Co0.4Fe0.35 compound

In this paper, the electrochemical properties of the MmNi_3.55Mn_0.4Al_0.3Co_0.4Fe_0.35 alloy used as a negative electrode in Ni–MH accumulators, have been investigated by different electrochemical methods such as cyclic voltammetry, chronopotentiometry, chronoamperometry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The experimental results indicate that the discharge capacity reaches a maximum value of 260 mAh g⁻¹ after 12 cycles and then decreases to about 200 mAh g⁻¹ after 70 cycles. The value of the mean diffusion coefficient D_H, determined by cyclic voltammetry, is about 3.44 × 10⁻⁹ cm² s⁻¹, whereas the charge transfer coefficient , determined by the same method, is about 0.5 which allows us to conclude that the electrochemical reaction is reversible. The hydrogen diffusion coefficients in this compound, corresponding to 10 and 100% of the charge state, determined by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, are, respectively, equal to 4.15 × 10⁻⁹ cm² s⁻¹ ( phase) and 2.15 × 10⁻⁹ cm² s⁻¹ (β phase). These values are higher, for the phase and less, for the β phase, than the mean value determined by cyclic voltammetry. We assume that this is related to the number of interstitial sites susceptible to accept the hydrogen atom, which are more numerous in the phase than in the β phase. The chronoamperometry shows that the average size of the particles involved in the electrochemical reaction is about 12 μm.     

Kinetic Monte Carlo and density functional study of hydrogen diffusion in magnesium hydride MgH2

In this work, we propose a model to investigate the hydrogen storage ab/desorption kinetic properties for the pure MgH₂ using Kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) simulations. To do such computations, the activation energies for different elementary processes have been estimated. Moreover, the different thermodynamical quantities of interest are determined by performing the ab-initio calculations. Then, we discuss the hydrogen diffusion in magnesium hydride (such as adsorption, diffusion and desorption). More precisely, we study the effect of each elementary mechanism on the diffusion that we characterize through the density distribution of hydrogen atoms including filling ratios, diffusion time, temperature and pressure. Among others, we show that all elementary mechanisms are needed to reproduce a behavior of ab/desorption which correlates well with the experimental results reported in literature. In particular, at high temperature and pressure, the results of simulations indicate that the studied material involves slow kinetics.     

Competitive biosorption of heavy metals from aqueous solutions onto <Emphasis Type="Italic">Streptomyces rimosus</Emphasis>

The aim of this study is the simultaneous biosorption of Cd⁺² and Ni⁺² on a dead biomass, Streptomyces rimosus pretreated with NaOH (0,1 M). Kinetic tests were carried out for the binary mixture (cadmium-nickel) during 6 hours contact time to ensure that balance was reached. The amounts adsorbed at equilibrium were 22.8 mg Ni²⁺/g and 9.86 mg Cd²⁺/g biomass, respectively. The biosorption depends mainly by some parameters, such as the pH, the initial concentration of metal and the initial concentration of biomass. The isotherm of adsorption according to two models, Langmuir and Freundlich, was carried out in our study. The results of the kinetics of adsorption show that the experimental values are well represented by the kinetic model of pseudo-second order. This enables us to determine the behavior of these adsorbents with respect to a real industrial effluent.     

Fabrication,microstructure and mechanical properties of novel bulk binderless (Ti0.8Zr0.2)C carbides prepared by mechanical alloying and spark plasma sintering

Nanocrystalline (Ti_0.8Zr_0.2)C powder consisting in grains of about 200 nm in diameter obtained by mechanical alloying was sintered by a spark plasma sintering (SPS) process without the addition of any binder phase. The microstructure, Vickers micro hardness and density in relation to the sintering time and temperature are carefully described. The most suitable sintering condition under pressure of 50 MPa is 1650 °C for 5 min. In this sintering condition, the hardness can reach 2760 Hv and the relative density can reach 98%.     

Effect of rancidity of Lupinus albus protein-concentrate-based diets on food intake and growth of Wistar rats

The organoleptic properties of a diet are influenced by technological processes and have to be taken into account in food intake studies. The authors studied the food intake suppression associated with rancidity occurring during the storage of diets based on casein or heated or lyophilised lupin protein concentrates, and with or without ascorbic acid supplementation in five groups of 10 weanling Wistar rats for 21 or 26 days. After 15 days of storage, the unsaturated fatty acids were oxidised in heated lupin-protein-based diet without ascorbic acid. Compared to casein, food intake was decreased slightly during the first 10, 16 or 20 days for, respectively, heated lupin protein diet without ascorbic acid, heated lupin protein diet with ascorbic acid, and lyophilised lupin protein diet with or without ascorbic acid. After these periods, food intake decreased strongly. Body weight gain variations did not exactly follow food intake variations. The storage at 20°C could induce first an accumulation of free radicals, which were not detectable in measurement of fatty acids but perceived by rats, and then a fast oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids that increased rancid smell, modified nutritional quality and caused a dramatic decrease of rat food intake. Supplementing ascorbic acid into the diet could diminish the formation of free radicals at the beginning of storage, and consequently could delay food intake decrease. © 1997 SCI.