WorldWideScience

Sample records for porous polymer structures

  1. Immobilization of cellulase using porous polymer matrix

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kumakura, M.; Kaetsu, I.

    1984-01-01

    A new method is discussed for the immobilization of cellulase using porous polymer matrices, which were obtained by radiation polymerization of hydrophilic monomers. In this method, the immobilized enzyme matrix was prepared by enzyme absorbtion in the porous polymer matrix and drying treatment. The enzyme activity of the immobilized enzyme matrix varied with monomer concentration, cooling rate of the monomer solution, and hydrophilicity of the polymer matrix, takinn the change of the nature of the porous structure in the polymer matrix. The leakage of the enzymes from the polymer matrix was not observed in the repeated batch enzyme reactions

  2. Pore structure, mechanical properties and polymer characteristics of porous materials impregnated with methylmethacrylate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hastrup, K.

    1976-05-01

    The pore structure of porous materials plays a decisive role with regard to many properties of the materials. One therefore expects property improvement due to impregnation to be mostly brought about as a result of pore structure modification. This supposition formed the basis for the project here presented, which had the main aim of investigating polymer impregnation in relation to pore structure. Objectives were: 1) to examine the pore structure of hardened cement paste, beech wood and porous glass before and after gas-phase impregnation with methyl-methacrylate monomer and in situ polymerization, 2) to investigate the influence of the pore structure on the molecular weight of the polymer, 3) to investigate the influence of the degree of pore filling on the elastic modulus, damping coefficient and bending strength. (author)

  3. Photoluminescence studies on porous silicon/polymer heterostructure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mishra, J.K.; Bhunia, S.; Banerjee, S.; Banerji, P.

    2008-01-01

    Hybrid devices formed by filling porous silicon with MEH-PPV or poly [2-methoxy-5(2-ethylhexyloxy-p-phenylenevinylene)] have been investigated in this work. Analyses of the structures by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) demonstrated that the porous silicon layer was filled by the polymer with no significant change of the structures except that the polymer was infiltrated in the pores. The photoluminescence (PL) of the structures at 300 K showed that the emission intensity was very high as compared with that of the MEH-PPV films on different substrates such as crystalline silicon (c-Si) and indium tin oxide (ITO). The PL peak in the MEH-PPV/porous silicon composite structure is found to be shifted towards higher energy in comparison with porous silicon PL. A number of possibilities are discussed to explain the observations

  4. Manufacturing a Porous Structure According to the Process Parameters of Functional 3D Porous Polymer Printing Technology Based on a Chemical Blowing Agent

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoo, C. J.; Shin, B. S.; Kang, B. S.; Yun, D. H.; You, D. B.; Hong, S. M.

    2017-09-01

    In this paper, we propose a new porous polymer printing technology based on CBA(chemical blowing agent), and describe the optimization process according to the process parameters. By mixing polypropylene (PP) and CBA, a hybrid CBA filament was manufactured; the diameter of the filament ranged between 1.60 mm and 1.75 mm. A porous polymer structure was manufactured based on the traditional fused deposition modelling (FDM) method. The process parameters of the three-dimensional (3D) porous polymer printing (PPP) process included nozzle temperature, printing speed, and CBA density. Porosity increase with an increase in nozzle temperature and CBA density. On the contrary, porosity increase with a decrease in the printing speed. For porous structures, it has excellent mechanical properties. We manufactured a simple shape in 3D using 3D PPP technology. In the future, we will study the excellent mechanical properties of 3D PPP technology and apply them to various safety fields.

  5. Effect of aging and alkali activator on the porous structure of a geo-polymer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Steins, Prune; Poulesquen, Arnaud; Frizon, Fabien; Lambertin, David; Jestin, Jacques; Rossignol, Sylvie

    2014-01-01

    Nitrogen sorption and small- and wide-angle X-ray and neutron scattering techniques were used to study the porous structure of geo-polymers, inorganic polymers synthesized by reaction of a strongly alkaline solution and an aluminosilicate source (metakaolin). The effects of aging and the use of alkali activators (Na"+, K"+) of different sizes were investigated at room temperature. The influence of aging time on the microstructure of both geo-polymer matrixes was verified in terms of pore volume and specific surface area. The results suggested a refinement of the porosity and therefore a reduction in the pore volume over time. Regardless of the age considered, some characteristics of the porous network such as pore size, shape and distribution depend on the alkali activator used. Whatever the technique considered, the potassium geo-polymer has a greater specific surface area than the sodium geo-polymer. According to the scattering results, the refinement of the porosity can be associated with, first, a densification of the solid network and, secondly, a partial closure of the porosity at the nanometer scale. The kinetics are much slower for the sodium geo-polymer than for the potassium geo-polymer in the six months of observation. (authors)

  6. Preparation of micro-porous gel polymer for lithium ion polymer battery

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Je Young; Kim, Seok Koo; Lee, Seung-Jin; Lee, Sang Young; Lee, Hyang Mok; Ahn, Soonho

    2004-01-01

    We have developed a micro-porous gelling polymer layer which is formed on both the sides of support polyolefin separator with wet or dry processing technique. Morphologies of gel-coated layer are dependent on the compositions and process conditions, such as solvent/non-solvent combination and stretching ratios. The micro-porous gelling layer is used for the assembly of the lithium ion polymer battery of LG Chemical Ltd. The structure of battery is given elsewhere and the battery has excellent discharge performance with 94% of 2C discharge performance at room temperature

  7. Characteristics of porous polymer composite columns prepared by radiation cast-polymerization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kumakura, Minoru; Kaetsu, Isao; Asami, Kazuhiro; Suzuki, Shuichi

    1989-01-01

    Porous polymer composite columns having porous structure were prepared by radiation cast-polymerization of hydrophilic monomers at low temperature and their characteristics were studied. The porosity of the polymer increased with decreasing monomer concentration. The elution time of water in the polymer column increased with increasing monomer concentration and with decreasing irradiation temperature. The elution time was dependent on the degree of hydration of the polymer. The polymer with a degree of hydration of 0.2 to 0.4 gave the minimum elution time. The elution time decreased with the addition of porous inorganic substances. (author)

  8. Preparation of degradable porous structures based on 1,3-trimethylene carbonate and D,L-lactide (co)polymers for heart tissue engineering

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pego, AP; Siebum, B; Van Luyn, MJA; Van Seijen, XJGY; Poot, AA; Grijpma, DW; Feijen, J

    2003-01-01

    Biodegradable porous scaffolds for heart tissue engineering were prepared from amorphous elastomeric (co)polymers of 1,3-trimethylene carbonate (TMC) and D,L-lactide (DLLA). Leaching of salt from compression-molded polymer-salt composites allowed the preparation of highly porous structures in a

  9. Mechanical properties of polymer-modified porous concrete

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ariffin, N. F.; Jaafar, M. F. Md.; Shukor Lim, N. H. Abdul; Bhutta, M. A. R.; Hussin, M. W.

    2018-04-01

    In this research work, polymer-modified porous concretes (permeable concretes) using polymer latex and redispersible polymer powder with water-cement ratio of 30 %, polymer-cement ratios of 0 to 10 % and cement content of 300 kg/m3 are prepared. The porous concrete was tested for compressive strength, flexural strength, water permeability and void ratio. The cubes size of specimen is 100 mm ×100 mm × 100 mm and 150 mm × 150 mm × 150 mm while the beam size is 100 mm × 100 mm × 500 mm was prepared for particular tests. The tests results show that the addition of polymer as a binder to porous concrete gives an improvement on the strength properties and coefficient of water permeability of polymer-modified porous concrete. It is concluded from the test results that increase in compressive and flexural strengths and decrease in the coefficient of water permeability of the polymer-modified porous concrete are clearly observed with increasing of polymer-cement ratio.

  10. Porous polymer networks and ion-exchange media and metal-polymer composites made therefrom

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kanatzidis, Mercouri G.; Katsoulidis, Alexandros

    2016-10-18

    Porous polymeric networks and composite materials comprising metal nanoparticles distributed in the polymeric networks are provided. Also provided are methods for using the polymeric networks and the composite materials in liquid- and vapor-phase waste remediation applications. The porous polymeric networks, are highly porous, three-dimensional structures characterized by high surface areas. The polymeric networks comprise polymers polymerized from aldehydes and phenolic molecules.

  11. Effect of polymer and additive on the structure and property of porous stainless steel hollow fiber

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ma, Xiao-Hua; Bai, Yu; Cao, Yue; Xu, Zhen-Liang [East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai (China)

    2014-08-15

    Porous stainless steel hollow fiber has been widely used due to its high mechanical strength, excellent thermal conductivity and good sealing properties compared with other porous supports. We successfully prepared porous stainless steel hollow fibers using polyacrylonitrile (PAN) as polymer via dry-wet spinning followed by sintering through temperature programming method. The PAN concentration had an obvious impact on the structure and property of porous stainless steel hollow fiber even if it would be burned off during sintering. The results showed that the morphology could be tuned by adjusting the concentration of PAN. With increasing PAN concentration in casting solution for spinning, the viscosity was increased dramatically, resulting in much compact structures with high pure water flux (higher than 3x10{sup 5} L·m{sup -2}·h{sup -1}·Pa{sup -1}). A more dense structure could be obtained by adding additive polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as viscosity enhancer.

  12. Aerogels of 1D Coordination Polymers: From a Non-Porous Metal-Organic Crystal Structure to a Highly Porous Material

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adrián Angulo-Ibáñez

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The processing of an originally non-porous 1D coordination polymer as monolithic gel, xerogel and aerogel is reported as an alternative method to obtain novel metal-organic porous materials, conceptually different to conventional crystalline porous coordination polymer (PCPs or metal-organic frameworks (MOFs. Although the work herein reported is focused upon a particular kind of coordination polymer ([M(μ-ox(4-apy2]n, M: Co(II, Ni(II, the results are of interest in the field of porous materials and of MOFs, as the employed synthetic approach implies that any coordination polymer could be processable as a mesoporous material. The polymerization conditions were fixed to obtain stiff gels at the synthesis stage. Gels were dried at ambient pressure and at supercritical conditions to render well shaped monolithic xerogels and aerogels, respectively. The monolithic shape of the synthesis product is another remarkable result, as it does not require a post-processing or the use of additives or binders. The aerogels of the 1D coordination polymers are featured by exhibiting high pore volumes and diameters ranging in the mesoporous/macroporous regions which endow to these materials the ability to deal with large-sized molecules. The aerogel monoliths present markedly low densities (0.082–0.311 g·cm−3, an aspect of interest for applications that persecute light materials.

  13. Microfluidic devices and methods including porous polymer monoliths

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hatch, Anson V; Sommer, Gregory J; Singh, Anup K; Wang, Ying-Chih; Abhyankar, Vinay V

    2014-04-22

    Microfluidic devices and methods including porous polymer monoliths are described. Polymerization techniques may be used to generate porous polymer monoliths having pores defined by a liquid component of a fluid mixture. The fluid mixture may contain iniferters and the resulting porous polymer monolith may include surfaces terminated with iniferter species. Capture molecules may then be grafted to the monolith pores.

  14. Photoinitiated grafting of porous polymer monoliths and thermoplastic polymers for microfluidic devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frechet, Jean M. J. [Oakland, CA; Svec, Frantisek [Alameda, CA; Rohr, Thomas [Leiden, NL

    2008-10-07

    A microfluidic device preferably made of a thermoplastic polymer that includes a channel or a multiplicity of channels whose surfaces are modified by photografting. The device further includes a porous polymer monolith prepared via UV initiated polymerization within the channel, and functionalization of the pore surface of the monolith using photografting. Processes for making such surface modifications of thermoplastic polymers and porous polymer monoliths are set forth.

  15. Molecular Design for Preparation of Hexagonal-Ordered Porous Films Based on Side-chain Type Liquid-Crystalline Star Polymer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naka, Yumiko; Takayama, Hiromu; Koyama, Teruhisa; Le, Khoa V; Sasaki, Takeo

    2018-05-02

    Fabrication of regularly porous films by the breath-figure method has attracted much attention. The simple, low-cost technique uses the condensation of water droplets to produce these structures, but the phenomenon itself is complex, requiring control over many interacting parameters that change throughout the process. Developing a unified understanding for the molecular design of polymers to prepare ordered porous films is challenging, but required for further advancements. In this article, the effects of the chemical structure of polymers in the breath-figure technique were systematically explored using side-chain type liquid-crystalline (LC) star polymers. The formation of porous films was affected by the structure of the polymers. Although the entire film surface of poly(11-[4-(4-cyanobiphenyl)oxy]undecyl methacrylate) (P11CB) had a hexagonal ordered porous structure over a certain Mn value, regularly arranged holes did not easily form in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), even though the main chain of PMMA is similar to that of P11CB. Comparing P11CB and poly(11-[(1,1'-biphenyl)-4-yloxy]undecyl methacrylate) (P11B) (P11CB without cyano groups) showed that the local polar groups in hydrophobic polymers promoted the formation of ordered porous films. No holes formed in poly(4-cyanobiphenyl methacrylate) (P0CB) (P11CB without alkyl spacers) films due to its hydrophilicity. The introduction of alkyl chains in P0CB allowed the preparation of honeycomb-structured films by increasing the internal tension. However, alkyl chains in the side chain alone did not result in a porous structure, as in the case of poly(11-[(1,1'-biphenyl)-4-yloxy]undecyl methacrylate) (P11). Aromatic rings are also required to increase the Tg and improve film formability. In the present study, suitable molecular designs of polymers were found, specifically hydrophobic polymers with local polar groups, to form a regularly porous structure. Development of clear guidelines for the molecular

  16. POROUS MEMBRANE TEMPLATED SYNTHESIS OF POLYMER PILLARED LAYER

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Zhong-wei Niu; Dan Li; Zhen-zhong Yang

    2003-01-01

    The anodic porous alumina membranes with a definite pore diameter and aspect ratio were used as templates to synthesize polymer pillared layer structures. The pillared polymer was produced in the template membrane pores, and the layer on the template surfaces. Rigid cured epoxy resin, polystyrene and soft hydrogel were chosen to confirm the methodology. The pillars were in the form of either tubes or fibers, which were controlled by the alumina membrane pore surface wettability. The structural features were confirmed by scanning electron microscopy results.

  17. Facile preparation of hierarchically porous polymer microspheres for superhydrophobic coating

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Jiefeng; Wong, Julia Shuk-Ping; Hu, Mingjun; Li, Wan; Li, Robert. K. Y.

    2013-12-01

    A facile method, i.e., nonsolvent assisted electrospraying, is proposed to fabricate hierarchically porous microspheres. The pore size on the microsphere surface ranges from a few tens to several hundred nanometers. Thermally and nonsolvent induced phase separation as well as breath figure is responsible for the formation of the hierarchical structures with different nano-sized pores. The nonsolvent could not only induce phase separation, but also stabilize the interface between the droplet and air, which can prevent the droplet from strong deformation, and is therefore beneficial to the formation of regular and uniform microspheres. On the other hand, solvent evaporation, polymer diffusion and Coulomb fission during electrospraying influence the morphology of finally obtained products. In this paper, the influence of polymer concentration, the weight ratio between nonsolvent and polymer and the flowing rate on the morphology of the porous microsphere is carefully studied. The hierarchically porous microsphere significantly increases the surface roughness and thus the hydrophobicity, and the contact angle can reach as high as 152.2 +/- 1.2°. This nonsolvent assisted electrospraying opens a new way to fabricate superhydrophobic coating materials.A facile method, i.e., nonsolvent assisted electrospraying, is proposed to fabricate hierarchically porous microspheres. The pore size on the microsphere surface ranges from a few tens to several hundred nanometers. Thermally and nonsolvent induced phase separation as well as breath figure is responsible for the formation of the hierarchical structures with different nano-sized pores. The nonsolvent could not only induce phase separation, but also stabilize the interface between the droplet and air, which can prevent the droplet from strong deformation, and is therefore beneficial to the formation of regular and uniform microspheres. On the other hand, solvent evaporation, polymer diffusion and Coulomb fission during

  18. Porous polymer coatings on metal microneedles for enhanced drug delivery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ullah, Asad; Kim, Chul Min; Kim, Gyu Man

    2018-04-01

    We present a simple method to coat microneedles (MNs) uniformly with a porous polymer (PLGA) that can deliver drugs at high rates. Stainless steel (SS) MNs of high mechanical strength were coated with a thin porous polymer layer to enhance their delivery rates. Additionally, to improve the interfacial adhesion between the polymer and MNs, the MN surface was modified by plasma treatment followed by dip coating with polyethyleneimine, a polymer with repeating amine units. The average failure load (the minimum force sufficient for detaching the polymer layer from the surface of SS) recorded for the modified surface coating was 25 N, whereas it was 2.2 N for the non-modified surface. Calcein dye was successfully delivered into porcine skin to a depth of 750 µm by the porous polymer-coated MNs, demonstrating that the developed MNs can pierce skin easily without deformation of MNs; additional skin penetration tests confirmed this finding. For visual comparison, rhodamine B dye was delivered using porous-coated and non-coated MNs in gelatin gel which showed that delivery with porous-coated MNs penetrate deeper when compared with non-coated MNs. Finally, lidocaine and rhodamine B dye were delivered in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) medium by porous polymer-coated and non-coated MNs. For rhodamine B, drug delivery with the porous-coated MNs was five times higher than that with the non-coated MNs, whereas 25 times more lidocaine was delivered by the porous-coated MNs compared with the non-coated MNs.

  19. Grafting of functionalized polymer on porous silicon surface using Grignard reagent

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tighilt, F.-Z.; Belhousse, S.; Sam, S.; Hamdani, K.; Lasmi, K.; Chazalviel, J. N.; Gabouze, N.

    2017-11-01

    Recently, considerable attention has been paid to the manipulation and the control of the physicochemical properties of porous silicon surfaces because of their crucial importance to the modern microelectronics industry. Hybrid structures consisting of deposited polymer on porous silicon surfaces are important to applications in microelectronics, photovoltaics and sensors (Ensafi et al., 2016; Kashyout et al., 2015; Osorio et al.; 2015; Hejjo et al., 2002) [1-4]. In many cases, the polymer can provide excellent mechanical and chemical protection of the substrate, changes the electrochemical interface characteristics of the substrate, and provides new ways to the functionalization of porous silicon surfaces for molecular recognition and sensing. In this work, porous silicon surface was modified by anodic treatment in ethynylmagnesium bromide electrolyte leading to the formation of a polymeric layer bearing some bromine substituents. Subsequently, the formed polymer is functionalized with amine molecules containing functional groups (carboxylic acid or pyridine) by a substitution reaction between bromine sites and amine groups (Hofmann reaction). The chemical composition of the modified porous silicon surfaces was investigated and the grafting of polymeric chains and functional groups on the porous silicon surface was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) which displayed the principal characteristic peaks attributed to the different functional groups. Furthermore, the surface of the material was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

  20. Electrocatalysts using porous polymers and method of preparation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Di-Jia; Yuan, Shengwen; Goenaga, Gabriel A.

    2016-08-02

    A method of producing an electrocatalyst article using porous polymers. The method creates a porous polymer designed to receive transition metal groups disposed at ligation sites and activating the transition metals to form an electrocatalyst which can be used in a fuel cell. Electrocatalysts prepared by this method are also provided. A fuel cell which includes the electrocatalyst is also provided.

  1. Electrocatalysts using porous polymers and method of preparation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Di-Jia; Yuan, Shengwen; Goenaga, Gabriel A.

    2015-04-21

    A method of producing an electrocatalyst article using porous polymers. The method creates a porous polymer designed to receive transition metal groups disposed at ligation sites and activating the transition metals to form an electrocatalyst which can be used in a fuel cell. Electrocatalysts prepared by this method are also provided. A fuel cell which includes the electrocatalyst is also provided.

  2. Structural study on the gas adsorption phenomena in porous coordination polymers by synchrotron powder diffraction method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kubota, Yoshiki

    2017-01-01

    In situ synchrotron powder diffraction measurement of gas adsorption and crystal structure analysis for porous coordination polymers (PCPs) were performed. From the obtained accurate crystal structure in both atomic and charge density levels, not only the position and orientation of adsorbed gas molecules but also the interaction between the adsorbed gas molecule and host framework were found. The information enables us to understand the mechanism of gas adsorption phenomena and functions of PCPs. It will give us the guiding principles for the novel functional materials design. (author)

  3. Numerical modelling of porous cement-based materials by superabsorbent polymers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Viejo, Ismael; Esteves, Luis Pedro; Laspalas, Manuel

    2016-01-01

    The development of new cementitious materials raises new challenges with regard to structural design. One of the potential applications of superabsorbent polymers (SAP) is to deliver well-defined porosity to cement systems. This is particularly interesting for the development of porous cement...

  4. Systems and strippable coatings for decontaminating structures that include porous material

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fox, Robert V [Idaho Falls, ID; Avci, Recep [Bozeman, MT; Groenewold, Gary S [Idaho Falls, ID

    2011-12-06

    Methods of removing contaminant matter from porous materials include applying a polymer material to a contaminated surface, irradiating the contaminated surface to cause redistribution of contaminant matter, and removing at least a portion of the polymer material from the surface. Systems for decontaminating a contaminated structure comprising porous material include a radiation device configured to emit electromagnetic radiation toward a surface of a structure, and at least one spray device configured to apply a capture material onto the surface of the structure. Polymer materials that can be used in such methods and systems include polyphosphazine-based polymer materials having polyphosphazine backbone segments and side chain groups that include selected functional groups. The selected functional groups may include iminos, oximes, carboxylates, sulfonates, .beta.-diketones, phosphine sulfides, phosphates, phosphites, phosphonates, phosphinates, phosphine oxides, monothio phosphinic acids, and dithio phosphinic acids.

  5. Fabrication of polystyrene porous films with gradient pore structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yan Hongwei; Zhang Lin; Li Bo; Yin Qiang

    2010-01-01

    Silica opals and multilayer heterostructures were fabricated by vertical deposition technique. Polystyrene inverse opals and gradient porous structures were obtained by colloidal templating, in order to control the pore microstructure of polymer porous materials. As shown in the scanning electron microscopy images, the polystyrene porous structures are precise replicas of inverse structures of the original templates. After being infiltrated with the polystyrene, the photonic stop-band position of the opal composite is redshifted compared with the original template, and it is blueshifted after the opal template being removed. The filling ratio of polystyrene was calculated according to the Bragg formula. (authors)

  6. Porous Organic Polymers for CO2 Capture

    KAUST Repository

    Teng, Baiyang

    2013-05-01

    Carbon dioxide (CO2) has long been regarded as the major greenhouse gas, which leads to numerous negative effects on global environment. The capture and separation of CO2 by selective adsorption using porous materials proves to be an effective way to reduce the emission of CO2 to atmosphere. Porous organic polymers (POPs) are promising candidates for this application due to their readily tunable textual properties and surface functionalities. The objective of this thesis work is to develop new POPs with high CO2 adsorption capacities and CO2/N2 selectivities for post-combustion effluent (e.g. flue gas) treatment. We will also exploit the correlation between the CO2 capture performance of POPs and their textual properties/functionalities. Chapters Two focuses on the study of a group of porous phenolic-aldehyde polymers (PPAPs) synthesized by a catalyst-free method, the CO2 capture capacities of these PPAPs exceed 2.0 mmol/g at 298 K and 1 bar, while keeping CO2/N2 selectivity of more than 30 at the same time. Chapter Three reports the gas adsorption results of different hyper-cross-linked polymers (HCPs), which indicate that heterocyclo aromatic monomers can greatly enhance polymers’ CO2/N2 selectivities, and the N-H bond is proved to the active CO2 adsorption center in the N-contained (e.g. pyrrole) HCPs, which possess the highest selectivities of more than 40 at 273 K when compared with other HCPs. Chapter Four emphasizes on the chemical modification of a new designed polymer of intrinsic microporosity (PIM) with high CO2/N2 selectivity (50 at 273 K), whose experimental repeatability and chemical stability prove excellent. In Chapter Five, we demonstrate an improvement of both CO2 capture capacity and CO2/N2 selectivity by doping alkali metal ions into azo-polymers, which leads a promising method to the design of new porous organic polymers.

  7. Entropy-induced separation of star polymers in porous media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blavats'ka, V.; Ferber, C. von; Holovatch, Yu.

    2006-01-01

    We present a quantitative picture of the separation of star polymers in a solution where part of the volume is influenced by a porous medium. To this end, we study the impact of long-range-correlated quenched disorder on the entropy and scaling properties of f-arm star polymers in a good solvent. We assume that the disorder is correlated on the polymer length scale with a power-law decay of the pair correlation function g(r)∼r -a . Applying the field-theoretical renormalization group approach we show in a double expansion in ε=4-d and δ=4-a that there is a range of correlation strengths δ for which the disorder changes the scaling behavior of star polymers. In a second approach we calculate for fixed space dimension d=3 and different values of the correlation parameter a the corresponding scaling exponents γ f that govern entropic effects. We find that γ f -1, the deviation of γ f from its mean field value is amplified by the disorder once we increase δ beyond a threshold. The consequences for a solution of diluted chain and star polymers of equal molecular weight inside a porous medium are that star polymers exert a higher osmotic pressure than chain polymers and in general higher branched star polymers are expelled more strongly from the correlated porous medium. Surprisingly, polymer chains will prefer a stronger correlated medium to a less or uncorrelated medium of the same density while the opposite is the case for star polymers

  8. Measurement of creatinine in human plasma using a functional porous polymer structure sensing motif

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nanda, Sitansu Sekhar; An, Seong Soo A; Yi, Dong Kee

    2015-01-01

    In this study, a new method for detecting creatinine was developed. This novel sensor comprised of two ionic liquids, poly-lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium (BMIM) chloride, in the presence of 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA). PLGA and BMIM chloride formed a functional porous polymer structure (FPPS)-like structure. Creatinine within the FPPS rapidly hydrolyzed and released OH−, which in turn converted DCFH-DA to DCFH, developing an intense green color or green fluorescence. The conversion of DCFH to DCF+ resulted in swelling of FPPS and increased solubility. This DCF+-based sensor could detect creatinine levels with detection limit of 5 µM and also measure the creatinine in blood. This novel method could be used in diagnostic applications for monitoring individuals with renal dysfunction. PMID:26347475

  9. 21 CFR 888.3565 - Knee joint patellofemorotibial metal/polymer porous-coated uncemented prosthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Knee joint patellofemorotibial metal/polymer... Devices § 888.3565 Knee joint patellofemorotibial metal/polymer porous-coated uncemented prosthesis. (a) Identification. A knee joint patellofemorotibial metal/polymer porous-coated uncemented prosthesis is a device...

  10. Viscoelastic polymer flows and elastic turbulence in three-dimensional porous structures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mitchell, Jonathan; Lyons, Kyle; Howe, Andrew M; Clarke, Andrew

    2016-01-14

    Viscoelastic polymer solutions flowing through reservoir rocks have been found to improve oil displacement efficiency when the aqueous-phase shear-rate exceeds a critical value. A possible mechanism for this enhanced recovery is elastic turbulence that causes breakup and mobilization of trapped oil ganglia. Here, we apply nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) pulsed field gradient (PFG) diffusion measurements in a novel way to detect increased motion of disconnected oil ganglia. The data are acquired directly from a three-dimensional (3D) opaque porous structure (sandstone) when viscoelastic fluctuations are expected to be present in the continuous phase. The measured increase in motion of trapped ganglia provides unequivocal evidence of fluctuations in the flowing phase in a fully complex 3D system. This work provides direct evidence of elastic turbulence in a realistic reservoir rock - a measurement that cannot be readily achieved by conventional laboratory methods. We support the NMR data with optical microscopy studies of fluctuating ganglia in simple two-dimensional (2D) microfluidic networks, with consistent apparent rheological behaviour of the aqueous phase, to provide conclusive evidence of elastic turbulence in the 3D structure and hence validate the proposed flow-fluctuation mechanism for enhanced oil recovery.

  11. In silico design of porous polymer networks: high-throughput screening for methane storage materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, Richard L; Simon, Cory M; Smit, Berend; Haranczyk, Maciej

    2014-04-02

    Porous polymer networks (PPNs) are a class of advanced porous materials that combine the advantages of cheap and stable polymers with the high surface areas and tunable chemistry of metal-organic frameworks. They are of particular interest for gas separation or storage applications, for instance, as methane adsorbents for a vehicular natural gas tank or other portable applications. PPNs are self-assembled from distinct building units; here, we utilize commercially available chemical fragments and two experimentally known synthetic routes to design in silico a large database of synthetically realistic PPN materials. All structures from our database of 18,000 materials have been relaxed with semiempirical electronic structure methods and characterized with Grand-canonical Monte Carlo simulations for methane uptake and deliverable (working) capacity. A number of novel structure-property relationships that govern methane storage performance were identified. The relationships are translated into experimental guidelines to realize the ideal PPN structure. We found that cooperative methane-methane attractions were present in all of the best-performing materials, highlighting the importance of guest interaction in the design of optimal materials for methane storage.

  12. Porous Organic Polymers for CO2 Capture

    KAUST Repository

    Teng, Baiyang

    2013-01-01

    to reduce the emission of CO2 to atmosphere. Porous organic polymers (POPs) are promising candidates for this application due to their readily tunable textual properties and surface functionalities. The objective of this thesis work is to develop new POPs

  13. Fabrication and in vitro degradation of porous fumarate-based polymer/alumoxane nanocomposite scaffolds for bone tissue engineering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mistry, Amit S; Cheng, Stacy H; Yeh, Tiffany; Christenson, Elizabeth; Jansen, John A; Mikos, Antonios G

    2009-04-01

    In this work, the fabrication and in vitro degradation of porous fumarate-based/alumoxane nanocomposites were evaluated for their potential as bone tissue engineering scaffolds. The biodegradable polymer poly (propylene fumarate)/propylene fumarate-diacrylate (PPF/PF-DA), a macrocomposite composed of PPF/PF-DA and boehmite microparticles, and a nanocomposite composed of PPF/PF-DA and surface-modified alumoxane nanoparticles were used to fabricate porous scaffolds by photo-crosslinking and salt-leaching. Scaffolds then underwent 12 weeks of in vitro degradation in phosphate buffered saline at 37 degrees C. The presence of boehmite microparticles and alumoxane nanoparticles in the polymer inhibited scaffold shrinkage during crosslinking. Furthermore, the incorporation of alumoxane nanoparticles into the polymer limited salt-leaching, perhaps due to tighter crosslinking within the nanocomposite. Analysis of crosslinking revealed that the acrylate and overall double bond conversions in the nanocomposite were higher than in the PPF/PF-DA polymer alone, though these differences were not significant. During 12 weeks of in vitro degradation, the nanocomposite lost 5.3% +/- 2.4% of its mass but maintained its compressive mechanical properties and porous architecture. The addition of alumoxane nanoparticles into the fumarate-based polymer did not significantly affect the degradation of the nanocomposite compared with the other materials in terms of mass loss, compressive properties, and porous structure. These results demonstrate the feasibility of fabricating degradable nanocomposite scaffolds for bone tissue engineering by photo-crosslinking and salt-leaching mixtures of fumarate-based polymers, alumoxane nanoparticles, and salt microparticles. Copyright 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  14. 21 CFR 888.3358 - Hip joint metal/polymer/metal semi-constrained porous-coated uncemented prosthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Hip joint metal/polymer/metal semi-constrained... Devices § 888.3358 Hip joint metal/polymer/metal semi-constrained porous-coated uncemented prosthesis. (a) Identification. A hip joint metal/polymer/metal semi-constrained porous-coated uncemented prosthesis is a device...

  15. Conductive Polymer Porous Film with Tunable Wettability and Adhesion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuqi Teng

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available A conductive polymer porous film with tunable wettability and adhesion was fabricated by the chloroform solution of poly(3-hexylthiophene (P3HT and [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyricacid-methyl-ester (PCBM via the freeze drying method. The porous film could be obtained from the solution of 0.8 wt%, whose pore diameters ranged from 50 nm to 500 nm. The hydrophobic porous surface with a water contact angle (CA of 144.7° could be transferred into a hydrophilic surface with CA of 25° by applying a voltage. The water adhesive force on the porous film increased with the increase of the external voltage. The electro-controllable wettability and adhesion of the porous film have potential application in manipulating liquid collection and transportation.

  16. A hypercrosslinking-induced self-assembly strategy for preparation of advanced hierarchical porous polymers with customizable functional components.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Hongji; Wu, Jinlun; Zheng, Bingna; Mai, Weicong; Xu, Fei; Chen, Luyi; Liu, Hao; Fu, Ruowen; Wu, Dingcai; Matyjaszewski, Krzysztof

    2017-05-09

    The fabrication of advanced hierarchical porous polymers with a unique 3D nanonetwork structure composed of functional core-microporous shell nanoparticles was reported based on the development of a simple and efficient hypercrosslinking-induced self-assembly strategy.

  17. 21 CFR 888.3535 - Knee joint femorotibial (uni-compartmental) metal/polymer porous-coated uncemented prosthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Knee joint femorotibial (uni-compartmental) metal... Devices § 888.3535 Knee joint femorotibial (uni-compartmental) metal/polymer porous-coated uncemented prosthesis. (a) Identification. A knee joint femorotibial (uni-compartmental) metal/polymer porous-coated...

  18. Radiation polymerization and crosslinking: A viable alternative for synthesis of porous functional polymers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Safrany, Agnes, E-mail: a.safrany@iaea.or [Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, International Atomic Energy Agency, P.O. Box 100, A-1400 Vienna (Austria); Beiler, Barbara [Radiation Chemistry Department, Institute of Isotopes, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 77, H1525 Budapest (Hungary); Vincze, Arpad [Miklos Zrinyi National Defence University, Department of NBC Defence, Budapest 146, P.O. Box 15, H-1581 Budapest (Hungary)

    2010-04-15

    We have earlier shown the possibility of preparation of crosslinked porous polymers by ionizing radiation-initiated reactions, and here we give an overview of the irradiation conditions-porous properties relationship for several methacrylate type copolymers. We illustrate the possible applications by an environment-friendly chromatographic column using water as eluent and a chemically stable scintillating polymer with excellent ion-binding capacity for possible continuous monitoring of radioactivity in natural waters.

  19. Nitrogen-Rich Porous Polymers for Carbon Dioxide and Iodine Sequestration for Environmental Remediation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdelmoaty, Yomna H; Tessema, Tsemre-Dingel; Choudhury, Fatema Akthar; El-Kadri, Oussama M; El-Kaderi, Hani M

    2018-05-09

    The use of fossil fuels for energy production is accompanied by carbon dioxide release into the environment causing catastrophic climate changes. Meanwhile, replacing fossil fuels with carbon-free nuclear energy has the potential to release radioactive iodine during nuclear waste processing and in case of a nuclear accident. Therefore, developing efficient adsorbents for carbon dioxide and iodine capture is of great importance. Two nitrogen-rich porous polymers (NRPPs) derived from 4-bis-(2,4-diamino-1,3,5-triazine)-benzene building block were prepared and tested for use in CO 2 and I 2 capture. Copolymerization of 1,4-bis-(2,4-diamino-1,3,5-triazine)-benzene with terephthalaldehyde and 1,3,5-tris(4-formylphenyl)benzene in dimethyl sulfoxide at 180 °C afforded highly porous NRPP-1 (SA BET = 1579 m 2 g -1 ) and NRPP-2 (SA BET = 1028 m 2 g -1 ), respectively. The combination of high nitrogen content, π-electron conjugated structure, and microporosity makes NRPPs very effective in CO 2 uptake and I 2 capture. NRPPs exhibit high CO 2 uptakes (NRPP-1, 6.1 mmol g -1 and NRPP-2, 7.06 mmol g -1 ) at 273 K and 1.0 bar. The 7.06 mmol g -1 CO 2 uptake by NRPP-2 is the second highest value reported to date for porous organic polymers. According to vapor iodine uptake studies, the polymers display high capacity and rapid reversible uptake release for I 2 (NRPP-1, 192 wt % and NRPP-2, 222 wt %). Our studies show that the green nature (metal-free) of NRPPs and their effective capture of CO 2 and I 2 make this class of porous materials promising for environmental remediation.

  20. Trypsin immobilization in ordered porous polymer membranes for effective protein digestion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qiao, Juan; Kim, Jin Yong; Wang, Yuan Yuan; Qi, Li; Wang, Fu Yi; Moon, Myeong Hee

    2016-01-01

    Fast and effective protein digestion is a vital process for mass spectrometry (MS) based protein analysis. This study introduces a porous polymer membrane enzyme reactor (PPMER) coupled to nanoflow liquid chromatography-tandem MS (nLC-ESI-MS/MS) for on-line digestion and analysis of proteins. Poly (styrene-co-maleic anhydride) (PS-co-MAn) was fabricated by the breath figure method to make a porous polymer membrane in which the MAn group was covalently bound to enzyme. Based on this strategy, microscale PPMER (μPPMER) was constructed for on-line connection with the nLC-ESI-MS/MS system. Its capability for enzymatic digestion with bovine serum albumin (BSA) was evaluated with varied digestion periods. The on-line proteolysis of BSA and subsequent analysis with μPPMER-nLC-ESI-MS/MS revealed that peptide sequence coverage increased from 10.3% (digestion time 10 min) to 89.1% (digestion time 30 min). μPPMER can efficiently digest proteins due to the microscopic confinement effect, showing its potential application in fast protein identification and protease immobilization. Applications of on-line digestion using μPPMER with human plasma and urinary proteome samples showed that the developed on-line method yielded equivalent or better performance in protein coverage and identified more membrane proteins than the in-solution method. This may be due to easy accommodation of hydrophobic membrane proteins within membrane pores. - Highlights: • A porous polymer membrane enzyme reactor was developed. • Breath figure method was used for the fabrication of porous polymer membrane. • The enzyme reactor was coupled to nLC-ESI-MS/MS for proteins on-line digestion.

  1. Trypsin immobilization in ordered porous polymer membranes for effective protein digestion

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Qiao, Juan [Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 2 Zhongguancun Beiyijie, Beijing 100190 (China); Kim, Jin Yong [Department of Chemistry, Yonsei University, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of); Wang, Yuan Yuan [Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 2 Zhongguancun Beiyijie, Beijing 100190 (China); Qi, Li, E-mail: qili@iccas.ac.cn [Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 2 Zhongguancun Beiyijie, Beijing 100190 (China); Wang, Fu Yi [Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 2 Zhongguancun Beiyijie, Beijing 100190 (China); Moon, Myeong Hee, E-mail: mhmoon@yonsei.ac.kr [Department of Chemistry, Yonsei University, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-02-04

    Fast and effective protein digestion is a vital process for mass spectrometry (MS) based protein analysis. This study introduces a porous polymer membrane enzyme reactor (PPMER) coupled to nanoflow liquid chromatography-tandem MS (nLC-ESI-MS/MS) for on-line digestion and analysis of proteins. Poly (styrene-co-maleic anhydride) (PS-co-MAn) was fabricated by the breath figure method to make a porous polymer membrane in which the MAn group was covalently bound to enzyme. Based on this strategy, microscale PPMER (μPPMER) was constructed for on-line connection with the nLC-ESI-MS/MS system. Its capability for enzymatic digestion with bovine serum albumin (BSA) was evaluated with varied digestion periods. The on-line proteolysis of BSA and subsequent analysis with μPPMER-nLC-ESI-MS/MS revealed that peptide sequence coverage increased from 10.3% (digestion time 10 min) to 89.1% (digestion time 30 min). μPPMER can efficiently digest proteins due to the microscopic confinement effect, showing its potential application in fast protein identification and protease immobilization. Applications of on-line digestion using μPPMER with human plasma and urinary proteome samples showed that the developed on-line method yielded equivalent or better performance in protein coverage and identified more membrane proteins than the in-solution method. This may be due to easy accommodation of hydrophobic membrane proteins within membrane pores. - Highlights: • A porous polymer membrane enzyme reactor was developed. • Breath figure method was used for the fabrication of porous polymer membrane. • The enzyme reactor was coupled to nLC-ESI-MS/MS for proteins on-line digestion.

  2. Preparation of porous carbon particle with shell/core structure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    2007-05-01

    Full Text Available Porous carbon particles with a shell/core structure have been prepared successfully by controlled precipitation of the polymer from droplets of oil-in-water emulsion, followed by curing and carbonization. The droplets of the oil phase are composed of phenolic resin (PFR, a good solvent (ethyl acetate and porogen (Poly(methyl methacrylate, PMMA. The microstructure was characterized in detail by scanning electron microscopy (SEM, transmission electron microscopy (TEM, nitrogen adsorption, and thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA. The obtained carbon particles have a capsular structure with a microporous carbon shell and a mesoporous carbon core. The BET surface area and porous volume are calculated to be 499 m2g-1 and 0.56 cm3g-1, respectively. The effects of the amount of porogen (PMMA, co-solvent (acetone and surfactant on the resultant structure were studied in detail.

  3. Tough and strong porous bioactive glass-PLA composites for structural bone repair.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiao, Wei; Zaeem, Mohsen Asle; Li, Guangda; Bal, B Sonny; Rahaman, Mohamed N

    2017-08-01

    Bioactive glass scaffolds have been used to heal small contained bone defects but their application to repairing structural bone is limited by concerns about their mechanical reliability. In the present study, the addition of an adherent polymer layer to the external surface of strong porous bioactive glass (13-93) scaffolds was investigated to improve their toughness. Finite element modeling (FEM) of the flexural mechanical response of beams composed of a porous glass and an adherent polymer layer predicted a reduction in the tensile stress in the glass with increasing thickness and elastic modulus of the polymer layer. Mechanical testing of composites with structures similar to the models, formed from 13-93 glass and polylactic acid (PLA), showed trends predicted by the FEM simulations but the observed effects were considerably more dramatic. A PLA layer of thickness -400 µm, equal to -12.5% of the scaffold thickness, increased the load-bearing capacity of the scaffold in four-point bending by ~50%. The work of fracture increased by more than 10,000%, resulting in a non-brittle mechanical response. These bioactive glass-PLA composites, combining bioactivity, high strength, high work of fracture and an internal architecture shown to be conducive to bone infiltration, could provide optimal implants for healing structural bone defects.

  4. Redox-active porous coordination polymer based on trinuclear pivalate: Temperature-dependent crystal rearrangement and redox-behavior

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lytvynenko, Anton S. [L.V. Pisarzhevskii Institute of Physical Chemistry, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Prospekt Nauki 31, Kiev 03028 (Ukraine); Kiskin, Mikhail A., E-mail: mkiskin@igic.ras.ru [N.S. Kurnakov Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Prospect 31, GSP-1, 119991 Moscow (Russian Federation); Dorofeeva, Victoria N.; Mishura, Andrey M.; Titov, Vladimir E.; Kolotilov, Sergey V. [L.V. Pisarzhevskii Institute of Physical Chemistry, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Prospekt Nauki 31, Kiev 03028 (Ukraine); Eremenko, Igor L.; Novotortsev, Vladimir M. [N.S. Kurnakov Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Prospect 31, GSP-1, 119991 Moscow (Russian Federation)

    2015-03-15

    Linking of trinuclear pivalate Fe{sub 2}NiO(Piv){sub 6} (Piv=O{sub 2}CC(CH{sub 3}){sub 3}) by 2,6-bis(4-pyridyl)-4-(1-naphthyl)pyridine (L) resulted in formation of 1D-porous coordination polymer Fe{sub 2}NiO(Piv){sub 6}(L)·Solv, which was characterized in two forms: DMSO solvate Fe{sub 2}NiO(Piv){sub 6}(L)(DMSO)·2.5DMSO (1) or water solvate Fe{sub 2}NiO(Piv){sub 6}(L)(H{sub 2}O) (2). X-ray structure of 1 was determined. Crystal lattice of 1 at 160 K contained open channels, filled by captured solvent, while temperature growth to 296 K led to the crystal lattice rearrangement and formation of closed voids. Redox-behavior of 2 was studied by cyclic voltammetry for a solid compound, deposited on glassy-carbon electrode. Redox-activity of L preserved upon incorporation in the coordination polymer. The presence of pores in desolvated sample Fe{sub 2}NiO(Piv){sub 6}(L) was confirmed by the measurements of N{sub 2} and H{sub 2} adsorption at 77 K. Potential barriers of the different molecules diffusion through pores were estimated by the means of molecular mechanics. - Graphical abstract: Redox-behavior of 1D-porous coordination polymer Fe{sub 2}NiO(Piv){sub 6}(L)(H{sub 2}O) was studied by cyclic voltammetry in thin film, deposited on glassy-carbon electrode. Redox-activity of L preserved upon incorporation in the coordination polymer. Potential barriers of different molecules diffusion through pores were estimated by the means of molecular mechanics. - Highlights: • Porous 1D coordination polymer was synthesized. • Temperature growth led to pores closing due to crystal lattice rearrangement. • Redox-activity of ligand preserved upon incorporation into coordination polymer. • Redox-properties of solid coordination polymer were studied in thin film. • Diffusion barriers were evaluated by molecular mechanics.

  5. Cell-Culture Reactor Having a Porous Organic Polymer Membrane

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koontz, Steven L. (Inventor)

    2000-01-01

    A method for making a biocompatible polymer article using a uniform atomic oxygen treatment is disclosed. The substrate may be subsequently optionally grated with a compatibilizing compound. Compatibilizing compounds may include proteins, phosphory1choline groups, platelet adhesion preventing polymers, albumin adhesion promoters, and the like. The compatibilized substrate may also have a living cell layer adhered thereto. The atomic oxygen is preferably produced by a flowing afterglow microwave discharge, wherein the substrate resides in a sidearm out of the plasma. Also, methods for culturing cells for various purposes using the various membranes are disclosed as well. Also disclosed are porous organic polymers having a distributed pore chemistry (DPC) comprising hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions, and a method for making the DPC by exposing the polymer to atomic oxygen wherein the rate of hydrophilization is greater than the rate of mass loss.

  6. Hierarchical Porous Structures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Grote, Christopher John [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

    2016-06-07

    Materials Design is often at the forefront of technological innovation. While there has always been a push to generate increasingly low density materials, such as aero or hydrogels, more recently the idea of bicontinuous structures has gone more into play. This review will cover some of the methods and applications for generating both porous, and hierarchically porous structures.

  7. Three-dimensional iron(ii) porous coordination polymer exhibiting carbon dioxide-dependent spin crossover.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shin, Jong Won; Jeong, Ah Rim; Jeoung, Sungeun; Moon, Hoi Ri; Komatsumaru, Yuki; Hayami, Shinya; Moon, Dohyun; Min, Kil Sik

    2018-04-24

    We report a three-dimensional Fe(ii) porous coordination polymer that exhibits a spin crossover temperature change following CO2 sorption (though not N2 sorption). Furthermore, single crystals of the desolvated polymer with CO2 molecules at three different temperatures were characterised by X-ray crystallography.

  8. Preparation of interconnected highly porous polymeric structures by a replication and freeze-drying process

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hou, Q.; Grijpma, Dirk W.; Feijen, Jan

    2003-01-01

    Three-dimensional degradable porous polymeric structures with high porosities (93-98%) and well-interconnected pore networks have been prepared by freeze-drying polymer solutions in the presence of a leachable template followed by leaching of the template. Templates of the pore network were prepared

  9. High-performance supercapacitors of Cu-based porous coordination polymer nanowires and the derived porous CuO nanotubes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Meng-Ke; Zhou, Jiao-Jiao; Yi, Fei-Yan; Chen, Chen; Li, Yan-Li; Li, Qin; Tao, Kai; Han, Lei

    2017-12-12

    Electrode materials for supercapacitors with one-dimensional porous nanostructures, such as nanowires and nanotubes, are very attractive for high-efficiency storage of electrochemical energy. Herein, ultralong Cu-based porous coordination polymer nanowires (copper-l-aspartic acid) were used as the electrode material for supercapacitors, for the first time. The as-prepared material exhibits a high specific capacitance of 367 F g -1 at 0.6 A g -1 and excellent cycling stability (94% retention over 1000 cycles). Moreover, porous CuO nanotubes were successfully fabricated by the thermal decomposition of this nanowire precursor. The CuO nanotube exhibits good electrochemical performance with high rate capacity (77% retention at 12.5 A g -1 ) and long-term stability (96% retention over 1000 cycles). The strategy developed here for the synthesis of porous nanowires and nanotubes can be extended to the construction of other electrode materials for more efficient energy storage.

  10. Biocompatibility and bioactivity of porous polymer-derived Ca-Mg silicate ceramics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fiocco, L; Li, S; Stevens, M M; Bernardo, E; Jones, J R

    2017-03-01

    Magnesium is a trace element in the human body, known to have important effects on cell differentiation and the mineralisation of calcified tissues. This study aimed to synthesise highly porous Ca-Mg silicate foamed scaffolds from preceramic polymers, with analysis of their biological response. Akermanite (Ak) and wollastonite-diopside (WD) ceramic foams were obtained from the pyrolysis of a liquid silicone mixed with reactive fillers. The porous structure was obtained by controlled water release from selected fillers (magnesium hydroxide and borax) at 350°C. The homogeneous distribution of open pores, with interconnects of modal diameters of 160-180μm was obtained and maintained after firing at 1100°C. Foams, with porosity exceeding 80%, exhibited compressive strength values of 1-2MPa. In vitro studies were conducted by immersion in SBF for 21days, showing suitable dissolution rates, pH and ionic concentrations. Cytotoxicity analysis performed in accordance with ISO10993-5 and ISO10993-12 standards confirmed excellent biocompatibility of both Ak and WD foams. In addition, MC3T3-E1 cells cultured on the Mg-containing scaffolds demonstrated enhanced osteogenic differentiation and the expression of osteogenic markers including Collagen Type I, Osteopontin and Osteocalcin, in comparison to Mg-free counterparts. The results suggest that the addition of magnesium can further enhance the bioactivity and the potential for bone regeneration applications of Ca-silicate materials. Here, we show that the incorporation of Mg in Ca-silicates plays a significant role in the enhancement of the osteogenic differentiation and matrix formation of MC3T3-E1 cells, cultured on polymer-derived highly porous scaffolds. Reduced degradation rates and improved mechanical properties are also observed, compared to Mg-free counterparts, suggesting the great potential of Ca-Mg silicates as bone tissue engineering materials. Excellent biocompatibility of the new materials, in accordance to

  11. Polymer as permeability modifier in porous media for enhanced oil recovery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parsa, Shima; Weitz, David

    2017-11-01

    We use confocal microscopy to directly visualize the changes in morphology and mobilization of trapped oil ganglia within a 3D micromodel of porous media upon polymer flooding. Enhanced oil recovery is achieved in polymer flooding with large molecular weight at concentrations close or higher than a critical concentration of polymer. We also measure the fluctuations of the velocity of the displacing fluid and show that the velocities change upon polymer flooding in the whole medium. The changes in the fluid velocities are heterogeneous and vary in different pores, hence only providing enough pressure gradient across a few of the trapped oil ganglia and mobilize them. Our measurements show that polymer flooding is an effective method for enhancing oil recovery due to retention of polymer on the solid surfaces and changing the resistances of the available paths to water.

  12. Mechanisms of chain adsorption on porous substrates and critical conditions of polymer chromatography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cimino, Richard T; Rasmussen, Christopher J; Brun, Yefim; Neimark, Alexander V

    2016-11-01

    Polymer adsorption is a ubiquitous phenomenon with numerous technological and healthcare applications. The mechanisms of polymer adsorption on surfaces and in pores are complex owing to a competition between various entropic and enthalpic factors. Due to adsorption of monomers to the surface, the chain gains in enthalpy yet loses in entropy because of confining effects. This competition leads to the existence of critical conditions of adsorption when enthalpy gain and entropy loss are in balance. The critical conditions are controlled by the confining geometry and effective adsorption energy, which depends on the solvent composition and temperature. This phenomenon has important implications in polymer chromatography, since the retention at the critical point of adsorption (CPA) is chain length independent. However, the mechanisms of polymer adsorption in pores are poorly understood and there is an ongoing discussion in the theoretical literature about the very existence of CPA for polymer adsorption on porous substrates. In this work, we examine the mechanisms of chain adsorption on a model porous substrate using Monte Carlo (MC) simulations. We distinguish three adsorption mechanisms depending on the chain location: on external surface, completely confined in pores, and also partially confined in pores in so-called "flower" conformations. The free energies of different conformations of adsorbed chains are calculated by the incremental gauge cell MC method that allows one to determine the partition coefficient as a function of the adsorption potential, pore size, and chain length. We confirm the existence of the CPA for chain length independent separation on porous substrates, which is explained by the dominant contributions of the chain adsorption at the external surface, in particular in flower conformations. Moreover, we show that the critical conditions for porous and nonporous substrates are identical and depend only on the surface chemistry. The theoretical

  13. Porous-Hybrid Polymers as Platforms for Heterogeneous Photochemical Catalysis

    KAUST Repository

    Haikal, Rana R.

    2016-07-18

    A number of permanently porous polymers containing Ru(bpy)n photosensitizer or a cobaloxime complex, as a proton-reduction catalyst, were constructed via one-pot Sonogashira-Hagihara (SH) cross-coupling reactions. This process required minimal workup to access porous platforms with control over the apparent surface area, pore volume, and chemical functionality from suitable molecular building blocks (MBBs) containing the Ru or Co complexes, as rigid and multi-topic nodes. The cobaloxime molecular building block, generated through in situ metalation, afforded a microporous solid that demonstrated noticeable catalytic activity towards hydrogen-evolution reaction (HER) with remarkable recyclability. We further demonstrated, in two cases, the ability to affect the excited state lifetime of the covalently-immobilized Ru(bpy)3 complex attained through deliberate utilization of the organic linkers of variable dimensions. Overall, this approach facilitates construction of tunable porous solids, with hybrid composition and pronounced chemical and physical stability, based on the well-known Ru(bpy)nor the cobaloxime complexes.

  14. Porous-Hybrid Polymers as Platforms for Heterogeneous Photochemical Catalysis

    KAUST Repository

    Haikal, Rana R.; Wang, Xia; Hassan, Youssef S.; Parida, Manas R.; Banavoth, Murali; Mohammed, Omar F.; Pellechia, Perry J.; Fontecave, Marc; Alkordi, Mohamed H.

    2016-01-01

    A number of permanently porous polymers containing Ru(bpy)n photosensitizer or a cobaloxime complex, as a proton-reduction catalyst, were constructed via one-pot Sonogashira-Hagihara (SH) cross-coupling reactions. This process required minimal workup to access porous platforms with control over the apparent surface area, pore volume, and chemical functionality from suitable molecular building blocks (MBBs) containing the Ru or Co complexes, as rigid and multi-topic nodes. The cobaloxime molecular building block, generated through in situ metalation, afforded a microporous solid that demonstrated noticeable catalytic activity towards hydrogen-evolution reaction (HER) with remarkable recyclability. We further demonstrated, in two cases, the ability to affect the excited state lifetime of the covalently-immobilized Ru(bpy)3 complex attained through deliberate utilization of the organic linkers of variable dimensions. Overall, this approach facilitates construction of tunable porous solids, with hybrid composition and pronounced chemical and physical stability, based on the well-known Ru(bpy)nor the cobaloxime complexes.

  15. Data on bone marrow stem cells delivery using porous polymer scaffold

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ramasatyaveni Geesala

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Low bioavailability and/or survival at the injury site of transplanted stem cells necessitate its delivery using a biocompatible, biodegradable cell delivery vehicle. In this dataset, we report the application of a porous biocompatible, biodegradable polymer network that successfully delivers bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs at the wound site of a murine excisional splint wound model. In this data article, we are providing the additional data of the reference article “Porous polymer scaffold for on-site delivery of stem cells – protects from oxidative stress and potentiates wound tissue repair” (Ramasatyaveni et al., 2016 [1]. This data consists of the characterization of bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs showing the pluripotency and stem cell-specific surface markers. Image analysis of the cellular penetration into PEG–PU polymer network and the mechanism via enzymatic activation of MMP-2 and MMP-13 are reported. In addition, we provide a comparison of various routes of transplantation-mediated BMSCs engraftment in the murine model using bone marrow transplantation chimeras. Furthermore, we included in this dataset the engraftment of BMSCs expressing Sca-1+Lin−CD133+CD90.2+ in post-surgery day 10.

  16. Porous Silicon Structures as Optical Gas Sensors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levitsky, Igor A

    2015-08-14

    We present a short review of recent progress in the field of optical gas sensors based on porous silicon (PSi) and PSi composites, which are separate from PSi optochemical and biological sensors for a liquid medium. Different periodical and nonperiodical PSi photonic structures (bares, modified by functional groups or infiltrated with sensory polymers) are described for gas sensing with an emphasis on the device specificity, sensitivity and stability to the environment. Special attention is paid to multiparametric sensing and sensor array platforms as effective trends for the improvement of analyte classification and quantification. Mechanisms of gas physical and chemical sorption inside PSi mesopores and pores of PSi functional composites are discussed.

  17. Porous carbon derived via KOH activation of a hypercrosslinked porous organic polymer for efficient CO_2, CH_4, H_2 adsorptions and high CO_2/N_2 selectivity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Modak, Arindam; Bhaumik, Asim

    2015-01-01

    Microporous carbon having Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area of 2186 m"2 g"−"1 and micropore volume of 0.85 cm"3 g"−"1 has been synthesized via KOH induced high temperature carbonization of a non-conjugated hypercrosslinked organic polymer. Owing to the templating and activation by KOH, we have succeeded in making a microporous carbon from this porous polymer and the resultant carbon material showed high uptake for CO_2 (7.6 mmol g"−"1) and CH_4 (2.4 mmol g"−"1) at 1 atm, 273 K together with very good selectivity for the CO_2/N_2 (30.2) separation. Furthermore, low pressure (1 atm) H_2 (2.6 wt%, 77 K) and water uptake (57.4 wt%, 298 K) ability of this polymer derived porous activated carbon is noteworthy. - Graphical abstract: Microporous carbon with BET surface area of 2186 m"2 g"−"1 has been synthesized via KOH activation of a porous organic polymer and it showed high uptake for CO_2 (7.6 mmol g"−"1), CH_4 (2.4 mmol g"−"1) and H_2 (2.6 wt%) at 1 atm together with very good selectivity for CO_2. - Highlights: • Porous carbon from hypercrosslinked organic polymer. • KOH activated carbon with BET surface area 2186 m"2 g"−"1. • High CO2 uptake (7.6 mmol g"−"1) and CO_2/N_2 selectivity (30.2). • Porous carbon also showed high H_2 (2.6 wt%) and H_2O (57.4 wt%) uptakes.

  18. Liquid immersion thermal crosslinking of 3D polymer nanopatterns for direct carbonisation with high structural integrity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Da-Young; Kim, Cheolho; Park, Gyurim; Moon, Jun Hyuk

    2015-12-01

    The direct pyrolytic carbonisation of polymer patterns has attracted interest for its use in obtaining carbon materials. In the case of carbonisation of nanopatterned polymers, the polymer flow and subsequent pattern change may occur in order to relieve their high surface energies. Here, we demonstrated that liquid immersion thermal crosslinking of polymer nanopatterns effectively enhanced the thermal resistance and maintained the structure integrity during the heat treatment. We employed the liquid immersion thermal crosslinking for 3D porous SU8 photoresist nanopatterns and successfully converted them to carbon nanopatterns while maintaining their porous features. The thermal crosslinking reaction and carbonisation of SU8 nanopatterns were characterised. The micro-crystallinity of the SU8-derived carbon nanopatterns was also characterised. The liquid immersion heat treatment can be extended to the carbonisation of various polymer or photoresist nanopatterns and also provide a facile way to control the surface energy of polymer nanopatterns for various purposes, for example, to block copolymer or surfactant self-assemblies.

  19. Polyphosphazine-based polymer materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fox, Robert V.; Avci, Recep; Groenewold, Gary S.

    2010-05-25

    Methods of removing contaminant matter from porous materials include applying a polymer material to a contaminated surface, irradiating the contaminated surface to cause redistribution of contaminant matter, and removing at least a portion of the polymer material from the surface. Systems for decontaminating a contaminated structure comprising porous material include a radiation device configured to emit electromagnetic radiation toward a surface of a structure, and at least one spray device configured to apply a capture material onto the surface of the structure. Polymer materials that can be used in such methods and systems include polyphosphazine-based polymer materials having polyphosphazine backbone segments and side chain groups that include selected functional groups. The selected functional groups may include iminos, oximes, carboxylates, sulfonates, .beta.-diketones, phosphine sulfides, phosphates, phosphites, phosphonates, phosphinates, phosphine oxides, monothio phosphinic acids, and dithio phosphinic acids.

  20. Design, preparation, and application of ordered porous polymer materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Qingquan; Tang, Zhe; Ou, Baoli; Liu, Lihua; Zhou, Zhihua; Shen, Shaohua; Duan, Yinxiang

    2014-01-01

    Ordered porous polymer (OPP) materials have extensively application prospects in the field of separation and purification, biomembrane, solid supports for sensors catalysts, scaffolds for tissue engineering, photonic band gap materials owing to ordered pore arrays, uniform and tunable pore size, high specific surface area, great adsorption capacity, and light weight. The present paper reviewed the preparation techniques of OPP materials like breath figures, hard template, and soft template. Finally, the applications of OPP materials in the field of separation, sensors, and biomedicine are introduced, respectively. - Highlights: • Breath figures involve polymer casting under moist ambience. • Hard template employs monodisperse colloidal spheres as a template. • Soft template utilizes the etched block in copolymers as template

  1. A Mathematical Model of Repeated Impregnation of Porous Bodies with Solutions of Polymers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I. V. Glebov

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper describes basic methods of impregnating porous bodies with solutions of polymers and their use to manufacture prepregs. It also describes the existing methods of manufacturing multilayer prepregs to produce aerospace coating of the spacecraft "Soyuz". It is shown that these prepregs have to meet high requirements for the content of the polymer, as compared with other composite materials, about 35 - 40% of the mass. Methods used for their manufacturing are long-term and non-controllable. The assumption is made that using the vacuum impregnation technology of a woven material will allow to accelerate the manufacturing process of these prepregs and improve their quality.In reviewing the technical literature have been found works on modeling the processes of impregnation, but they are aimed only at studying the speed of the woven material impregnation by various fluids and determining the time of impregnation. There were no models found to define prepreg parameters during the process of multiple impregnations. The aim of this work is to develop the simple mathematical model, which enables us to predict the polymer content of volatile products in the prepreg after each cycle of multiple impregnation of woven material with a solution of the polymer.To consider the vacuum impregnation method are used the prepregs based on silica and silica-nylon stitch-bonding fabric and bakelite varnish LBS-4 containing 50 - 60% of phenol resin and the solvent with minor impurities of pure phenol and water, as an example. To describe the process of vacuum impregnation of the porous work-piece is developed a mathematical description of the process of filling the porous space of the material with a varnish. It is assumed that the varnish components fill the porous space of the material in the same proportion as they are contained in the varnish.It is shown that a single impregnation cannot ensure the content of phenol resin in the prepreg over 32%, which does

  2. Synthesis and characterization of porous microspheres bearing pyrrolidone units

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maciejewska, M., E-mail: mmacieje@umcs.pl; Kołodyńska, D.

    2015-01-15

    Porous microspheres of glycydyl methacrylate (GMA) cross-linked with trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate (TRIM) were prepared with toluene as porogen by suspension-emulsion polymerization. With increasing molar ratio of the functional monomer to cross-linker, the epoxy group content increases significantly whereas the parameters of porous structure (specific surface area and total pore volume) decreases. In order to obtain adsorbents bearing functional groups the porous methacrylate network was modified by subsequent reaction with pyrrolidone. The materials were studied using elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), attenuated total reflection (ATR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, thermal gravimetry. Additionally, polymers sorption capacity towards Cu(II) was investigated. - Highlights: • Porous microspheres with reactive epoxy group were synthesized. • Highly developed porous structure was created. • Pyrrolidone units were incorporated during ring–opening reaction. • Polymers sorption capacity towards Cu (II) was investigated.

  3. Utilizing of inner porous structure in injection moulds for application of special cooling method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seidl, M; Bobek, J; Habr, J; Běhálek, L; Šafka, J; Nováková, I

    2016-01-01

    The article is focused on impact evaluation of controlled inner structure of production tools and new cooling method on regulation of thermal processes for injection moulding technology. The mould inserts with porous structure were cooled by means of liquid CO 2 which is very progressive cooling method and enables very fast and intensive heat transfer among the plastic product, the production tool and cooling medium. The inserts were created using rapid prototype technology (DLSM) and they had a bi-component structure consisting of thin compact surface layer and defined porous inner structure of open cell character where liquid CO 2 was flowing through. This analyse includes the evaluation of cooling efficiency for different inner structures and different time profiles for dosing of liquid CO 2 into the porous structure. The thermal processes were monitored using thermocouples and IR thermal analyse of product surface and experimental device. Intensive heat removal influenced also the final structure and the shape and dimensional accuracy of the moulded parts that were made of semi-crystalline polymer. The range of final impacts of using intensive cooling method on the plastic parts was defined by DSC and dimensional analyses. (paper)

  4. Porous Polystyrene Monoliths and Microparticles Prepared from Core Cross-linked Star (CCS) Polymers-Stabilized Emulsions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Qijing; Shi, Ting; Han, Fei; Li, Zihan; Lin, Chao; Zhao, Peng

    2017-08-17

    A hydrophobic CCS polymer of poly(benzyl methacrylate) (PBzMA) was prepared in toluene by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT)-mediated dispersion polymerization. The CCS polymer, with poly(benzyl methacrylate) as the arm and crosslinked N, N'-bis(acryloyl)cystamine (BAC) as the core, was confirmed by characterization with gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Three kinds of oils (toluene, anisole and styrene) were chosen to study the emulsification properties of PBzMA CCS polymer. The oils can be emulsified by CCS polymer to form water-in-oil (w/o) emulsions. Moreover, w/o high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs) can be obtained with the increase of toluene and styrene volume fractions from 75% to 80%. Porous polystyrene monolith and microparticles were prepared from the emulsion templates and characterized by the scanning electronic microscopy (SEM). With the internal phase volume fraction increased, open-pore porous monolith was obtained.

  5. Porous Silicon Structures as Optical Gas Sensors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Igor A. Levitsky

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available We present a short review of recent progress in the field of optical gas sensors based on porous silicon (PSi and PSi composites, which are separate from PSi optochemical and biological sensors for a liquid medium. Different periodical and nonperiodical PSi photonic structures (bares, modified by functional groups or infiltrated with sensory polymers are described for gas sensing with an emphasis on the device specificity, sensitivity and stability to the environment. Special attention is paid to multiparametric sensing and sensor array platforms as effective trends for the improvement of analyte classification and quantification. Mechanisms of gas physical and chemical sorption inside PSi mesopores and pores of PSi functional composites are discussed.

  6. Modelling multiphase flow inside the porous media of a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Berning, Torsten; Kær, Søren Knudsen

    2011-01-01

    Transport processes inside polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFC’s) are highly complex and involve convective and diffusive multiphase, multispecies flow through porous media along with heat and mass transfer and electrochemical reactions in conjunction with water transport through...... an electrolyte membrane. We will present a computational model of a PEMFC with focus on capillary transport of water through the porous layers and phase change and discuss the impact of the liquid phase boundary condition between the porous gas diffusion layer and the flow channels, where water droplets can...

  7. Comparative study of Ta, TaN and Ta/TaN bi-layer barriers for Cu-ultra low-k porous polymer integration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, L.Y.; Zhang, D.H.; Li, C.Y.; Foo, P.D.

    2004-01-01

    Tantalum (Ta), TaN and bilayer Ta/TaN barriers deposited on ultra-low-k porous polymer (ULKPP) and the thermal stability of their structures are comparatively investigated using various techniques. The Ta/ultra-low-k polymer shows the smallest sheet resistance, but the poorest thermal stability, while TaN on the ultra-low-k polymer shows the highest resistance but the best thermal stability. The bi-layer Ta/TaN barrier takes the advantage of both Ta and TaN barriers and gives reasonable resistance and thermal stability. The electrical tests indicate that the Cu lines with the TaN and bi-layer Ta/TaN barriers exhibit the smaller leakage current and higher breakdown voltage compared with the Cu lines with the Ta barrier. The better thermal stability of the TaN and the bi-layer Ta/TaN barriers is mainly due to the amorphous/nanostructure and less grain boundaries of the barriers. In addition, the texture discontinuity at the Ta/TaN interfaces in the bi-layers barrier also plays an important role in reducing mutual diffusion of Ta atoms in the Ta barrier and some atoms in the ultra-low-k porous polymer

  8. A novel surface modification technique for forming porous polymer monoliths in poly(dimethylsiloxane).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burke, Jeffrey M; Smela, Elisabeth

    2012-03-01

    A new method of surface modification is described for enabling the in situ formation of homogenous porous polymer monoliths (PPMs) within poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) microfluidic channels that uses 365 nm UV illumination for polymerization. Porous polymer monolith formation in PDMS can be challenging because PDMS readily absorbs the monomers and solvents, changing the final monolith morphology, and because PDMS absorbs oxygen, which inhibits free-radical polymerization. The new approach is based on sequentially absorbing a non-hydrogen-abstracting photoinitiator and the monomers methyl methacrylate and ethylene diacrylate within the walls of the microchannel, and then polymerizing the surface treatment polymer within the PDMS, entangled with it but not covalently bound. Four different monolith compositions were tested, all of which yielded monoliths that were securely anchored and could withstand pressures exceeding the bonding strength of PDMS (40 psi) without dislodging. One was a recipe that was optimized to give a larger average pore size, required for low back pressure. This monolith was used to concentrate and subsequently mechanical lyse B lymphocytes.

  9. Methods for removing contaminant matter from a porous material

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fox, Robert V [Idaho Falls, ID; Avci, Recep [Bozeman, MT; Groenewold, Gary S [Idaho Falls, ID

    2010-11-16

    Methods of removing contaminant matter from porous materials include applying a polymer material to a contaminated surface, irradiating the contaminated surface to cause redistribution of contaminant matter, and removing at least a portion of the polymer material from the surface. Systems for decontaminating a contaminated structure comprising porous material include a radiation device configured to emit electromagnetic radiation toward a surface of a structure, and at least one spray device configured to apply a capture material onto the surface of the structure. Polymer materials that can be used in such methods and systems include polyphosphazine-based polymer materials having polyphosphazine backbone segments and side chain groups that include selected functional groups. The selected functional groups may include iminos, oximes, carboxylates, sulfonates, .beta.-diketones, phosphine sulfides, phosphates, phosphites, phosphonates, phosphinates, phosphine oxides, monothio phosphinic acids, and dithio phosphinic acids.

  10. Porous Polymer Drug-Eluting Coating Prepared by Radiation Induced Polymerization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Veres, M.; Beiler, B.; Himics, L.; Tóth, S.; Koós, M.

    2010-01-01

    Many areas of modern medicine are almost unimaginable without the use of different kinds of implants. They used as replacements, supports, auxiliary devices etc. for various parts or functions of the body. Their use has many advantages, however there could be some drawbacks too, like the possibility of rejection, inflammation and other side-effects. Many of these drawbacks are directly related to the materials used for the implant fabrication. Coatings are widely used to eliminate the unwanted effects appearing after the implantation. In addition to the protection and separation of tissues from the implant material they could also enhance the functionality and the acceptance of the artificial device and also promote the regeneration of the tissues after the intervention. Drug-eluting coatings are a good example for the latter. By delivery and controlled elution of drugs they could actively suppress inflammatory reactions, allergy and rejection of the implant, and their activity is localized to the place where these effects could mainly occur – to the region of the implant. This project is aimed to develop a drug-eluting porous polymer coating by radiation induced polymerization that can be used in different medical implants. The primary objects for this research are coronary stents however these porous layers could have perspective in other types of medical devices too. The main objectives are to develop a method for coating the surface of medical grade metallic alloy wires, plates and tubes with a porous polymer nanocomposite layer prepared by radiation induced polymerization and to characterize the obtained coatings

  11. Porous Polymer Drug-Eluting Coating Prepared by Radiation Induced Polymerization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Veres, M.; Beiler, B.; Himics, L.; Tóth, S.; Koós, M., E-mail: vm@szfki.hu [Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Research Institute for Solid State Physics and Optics, Department of Laser Applications, Konkoly Thege Miklós ut 29-33, 1121 Budapest, P.O. Box 49, 1525 Budapest (Hungary)

    2010-07-01

    Many areas of modern medicine are almost unimaginable without the use of different kinds of implants. They used as replacements, supports, auxiliary devices etc. for various parts or functions of the body. Their use has many advantages, however there could be some drawbacks too, like the possibility of rejection, inflammation and other side-effects. Many of these drawbacks are directly related to the materials used for the implant fabrication. Coatings are widely used to eliminate the unwanted effects appearing after the implantation. In addition to the protection and separation of tissues from the implant material they could also enhance the functionality and the acceptance of the artificial device and also promote the regeneration of the tissues after the intervention. Drug-eluting coatings are a good example for the latter. By delivery and controlled elution of drugs they could actively suppress inflammatory reactions, allergy and rejection of the implant, and their activity is localized to the place where these effects could mainly occur – to the region of the implant. This project is aimed to develop a drug-eluting porous polymer coating by radiation induced polymerization that can be used in different medical implants. The primary objects for this research are coronary stents however these porous layers could have perspective in other types of medical devices too. The main objectives are to develop a method for coating the surface of medical grade metallic alloy wires, plates and tubes with a porous polymer nanocomposite layer prepared by radiation induced polymerization and to characterize the obtained coatings.

  12. Heavy metal ion adsorption onto polypyrrole-impregnated porous carbon.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Moonjung; Jang, Jyongsik

    2008-09-01

    Polypyrrole-impregnated porous carbon was readily synthesized using vapor infiltration polymerization of pyrrole monomers. The results show that the functionalized polymer layer was successfully coated onto the pore surface of carbon without collapse of mesoporous structure. The modified porous carbon exhibited an improved complexation affinity for heavy metal ions such as mercury, lead, and silver ions due to the amine group of polypyrrole. The introduced polypyrrole layer could provide the surface modification to be applied for heavy metal ion adsorbents. Especially, polymer-impregnated porous carbon has an enhanced heavy metal ion uptake, which is 20 times higher than that of adsorbents with amine functional groups. Furthermore, the relationship between the coated polymer amount and surface area was also investigated in regard to adsorption capacity.

  13. Understanding interpenetrating-polymer-network-like porous nitrile butadiene rubber hybrids by their long-period miscibility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Jihua; Wang, Lifeng; Zhao, Yunfeng

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: • Hydrogen bonds are introduced into NBR to develop its IPN-like porous hybrids. • NBR is partly miscible with AO-60. • AO-60 possesses the viscoelastic behavior resembling that of polymers. • Phase separation aggravates and AO-60 crystallizes in the durations. • The porous hybrids may have potential damping applications. - Abstract: In this article, tetrakis [methylene-3-(3, 5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxy phenyl) propionyloxy] methane (AO-60) with hydrogen bonds was designed to interpenetrate into the chemical crosslinking bonds of nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) and then porous materials were prepared. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) images and dynamic mechanical analyses (DMA) demonstrate that NBR is partly miscible with AO-60 which induces the micro-pores and interpenetrating-polymer-network (IPN)-like phase morphology in the hybrids. The wide double tan δ peak in DMA curve displays that AO-60 possesses similar viscoelastic behaviors to polymers which come from supramolecular interactions between polar groups of NBR chains and hydroxyl (OH) groups of AO-60. To further understand the supramolecular abilities of AO-60 in the rubber, the long-period observations for their miscibility are conducted. With the increase of durations, the hydrogen bond network from AO-60 is weakened. The phase separation between AO-60 and NBR is aggravated and even extremely few AO-60 crystallizes which develops multi-scale porous morphology in the hybrids. It is believed that these findings can serve as a guide for the designs of the IPN-like hybrids with small molecule substances and their applications of damping materials

  14. Natural Gas Purification Using a Porous Coordination Polymer with Water and Chemical Stability

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Duan, J.; Jin, W.; Krishna, R.

    2015-01-01

    Porous coordination polymers (PCPs), constructed by bridging the metals or clusters and organic linkers, can provide a functional pore environment for gas storage and separation. But the rational design for identifying PCPs with high efficiency and low energy cost remains a challenge. Here, we

  15. Sensitization of nano-porous ZnO photo-anode by a conjugated conducting polymer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sirimanne, P.M. [Nano-Science Laboratory, Institute of Fundamental Studies, Hantana Road, Kandy (Sri Lanka); Environmental and Renewable Energy Systems Division, Graduate School of Engineering, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1193 (Japan); Premalal, E.V.A. [Nano-Science Laboratory, Institute of Fundamental Studies, Hantana Road, Kandy (Sri Lanka); Minoura, H. [Environmental and Renewable Energy Systems Division, Graduate School of Engineering, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1193 (Japan)

    2011-01-15

    Hybrid ZnO films are prepared via one-step electrochemical process. Extraction of organic component from hybrid films results tiny wires like ZnO columns perpendicular to the substrate. Visible light sensitive-conjugated polymer poly(2-methoxy-5-[2 ethylhexyloxy]-1-4-phenylenevinylene, MEH-PPV) was embedded in highly porous ZnO ceramic by a solvent vaporization technique. An attempt was made to fabricate polymer sensitized photovoltaic cell by coupling polymer embedded ZnO electrodes with an electrolyte. Maximum photovoltage of 490 mV is observed for the cell with the configuration of ZnO vertical stroke MEH-PPV vertical stroke I{sup -}/I{sub 3}{sup -} cell. (author)

  16. Microfluidic Fabrication of Porous Polymer Microspheres: Dual Reactions in Single Droplets

    KAUST Repository

    Gong, Xiuqing

    2009-06-16

    We report the microfluidic fabrication of macroporous polymer microspheres via the simultaneous reactions within single droplets, induced by LTV irradiation. The aqueous phase of the reaction is the decomposition of H 2O2 to yield oxygen, whereas the organic phase is the polymerization of NO A 61, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA), and tri (propylene glycol) diacrylate (TPGDA) precursors. We first used a liquid polymer precursor to encapsulate a multiple number of magnetic Fe3O 4 colloidal suspension (MCS) droplets in a core-shell structure, for the purpose of studying the number of such encapsulated droplets that can be reliably controlled through the variation of flow rates. It was found that the formation of one shell with one, two, three, or more encapsulated droplets is possible. Subsequently, the H2O2 solution was encapsulated in the same way, after which we investigated its decomposition under UV irradiation, which simultaneously induces the polymerization of the encapsulating shell. Because the H2O2 decomposition leads to the release of oxygen, porous microspheres were obtained from a combined H2O2 decomposition/polymer precursor polymerization reaction. The multiplicity of the initially encapsulated H2O 2 droplets ensures the homogeneous distribution of the pores. The pores inside the micrometer-sized spheres range from several micrometers to tens of micrometers, and the maximum internal void volume fraction can attain 70%, similar to that of high polymerized high internal phase emulsion (polyHIPE). © 2009 American Chemical Society.

  17. Porous membrane modifier as a new trend for deoiling process

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nermen H. Mohamed

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Porous membranes are prepared through micro phase separation of immiscible polymers consisting of hydrophobic polymer (polystyrene and hydrophilic polymer (poly(2-vinylpyridine. The greatest difficulties during petrolatum deoiling are related to the filtration stage for obtaining microcrystalline wax. The present study deals with the addition of porous membrane as modifier for the crystal structure of solid hydrocarbons, which will be the cornerstone in rearrangement and reformulation of new hard crystals in deoiling process. XRD and SEM photographs were used to evaluate the crystallinity and crystal sizes of the separated hard waxes.

  18. Cationic polymers and porous materials

    KAUST Repository

    Han, Yu

    2017-04-27

    According to one or more embodiments, cationic polymers may be produced which include one or more monomers containing cations. Such cationic polymers may be utilized as structure directing agents to form mesoporous zeolites. The mesoporous zeolites may include micropores as well as mesopores, and may have a surface area of greater than 350 m2/g and a pore volume of greater than 0.3 cm3/g. Also described are core/shell zeolites, where at least the shell portion includes a mesoporous zeolite material.

  19. Cationic polymers and porous materials

    KAUST Repository

    Han, Yu; Tian, Qiwei; Dong, Xinglong; Liu, Zhaohui; Basset, Jean-Marie; Saih, Youssef; Sun, Miao; Xu, Wei; Shaikh, Sohel

    2017-01-01

    According to one or more embodiments, cationic polymers may be produced which include one or more monomers containing cations. Such cationic polymers may be utilized as structure directing agents to form mesoporous zeolites. The mesoporous zeolites may include micropores as well as mesopores, and may have a surface area of greater than 350 m2/g and a pore volume of greater than 0.3 cm3/g. Also described are core/shell zeolites, where at least the shell portion includes a mesoporous zeolite material.

  20. Porous double-layer polymer tubing for the potential use in heterogeneous continuous flow reactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herwig, Gordon; Hornung, Christian H; Peeters, Gary; Ebdon, Nicholas; Savage, G Paul

    2014-12-24

    Functional polymer tubing with an OD of 1/16 or 1/8 in. was fabricated by a simple polymer coextrusion process. The tubing was made of an outer impervious polypropylene layer and an inner layer, consisting of a blend of a functional polymer, polyethylene-co-methacrylic acid, and a sacrificial polymer, polystyrene. After a simple solvent leaching step using common organic solvents, the polystyrene was removed, leaving behind a porous inner layer that contains functional carboxylic acid groups, which could then be used for the immobilization of target molecules. Solution-phase reactions using amines or isocyanates have proven successful for the immobilization of a series of small molecules and polymers. This flexible multilayered functional tubing can be easily cut to the desired length and connected via standard microfluidic fittings.

  1. Review on recent and advanced applications of monoliths and related porous polymer gels in micro-fluidic devices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vazquez, Mercedes; Paull, Brett

    2010-01-01

    This review critically summarises recent novel and advanced achievements in the application of monolithic materials and related porous polymer gels in micro-fluidic devices appearing within the literature over the period of the last 5 years (2005-2010). The range of monolithic materials has developed rapidly over the past decade, with a diverse and highly versatile class of materials now available, with each exhibiting distinct porosities, pore sizes, and a wide variety of surface functionalities. A major advantage of these materials is their ease of preparation in micro-fluidic channels by in situ polymerisation, leading to monolithic materials being increasingly utilised for a larger variety of purposes in micro-fluidic platforms. Applications of porous polymer monoliths, silica-based monoliths and related homogeneous porous polymer gels in the preparation of separation columns, ion-permeable membranes, preconcentrators, extractors, electrospray emitters, micro-valves, electrokinetic pumps, micro-reactors and micro-mixers in micro-fluidic devices are discussed herein. Procedures used in the preparation of monolithic materials in micro-channels, as well as some practical aspects of the micro-fluidic chip fabrication are addressed. Recent analytical/bioanalytical and catalytic applications of the final micro-fluidic devices incorporating monolithic materials are also reviewed.

  2. Characterization of long term field aging of polymer modified bitumen in porous asphalt

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vliet, D. van; Erkens, S.; Leegwater, G.A.

    2012-01-01

    The effect of long term field aging on different types of polymer modified binders used in two-layer porous asphalt is studied using different test methods. Chemical and rheological tests are performed on samples taken from road sections at different moments in time in search of trends in long term

  3. Smart release of doxorubicin loaded on polyetheretherketone (PEEK) surface with 3D porous structure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ouyang, Liping; Sun, Zhenjie; Wang, Donghui; Qiao, Yuqin; Zhu, Hongqin; Ma, Xiaohan; Liu, Xuanyong

    2018-03-01

    It is important to fabricate an implant possessing environment sensitive drug delivery. In this work, the construction of 3D porous structure on polyetheretherketone (PEEK) surface and pH sensitive polymer, chitosan, was introduced. The smart release of doxorubicin can be realized on the 3D porous surface of PEEK loading chitosan. We give a feasible explanation for the effect of chitosan on smart drug release according to Henderson-Hasselbalch equation. Furthermore, the intracellular drug content of the cell cultured on the samples with highest chitosan is significantly higher at pH 4.0, whereas lower at pH 7.4 than other samples. The smart release of doxorubicin via modification with chitosan onto 3D porous PEEK surface paves the way for the application of PEEK in drug loading platform for recovering bone defect caused by malignant bone tumor. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Effect of load on the repair of osteochondral defects using a porous polymer scaffold

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hannink, G.J.; de Mulder, E.L.; Tienen, T.G. van; Buma, P.

    2012-01-01

    The aim of the present study was to evaluate if a porous polymer scaffold, currently used for partial meniscal replacement in clinical practice, could initiate regeneration and repair of osteochondral defects, and if regeneration and repair were related to mechanical stimulation. Two equally sized

  5. Formation of nanosize poly(p-phenylene vinylene) in porous silicon substrate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Le Rendu, P.; Nguyen, T.P.; Cheah, K.; Joubert, P.

    2003-01-01

    We report the results of optical investigations in porous silicon (PS)/poly(p-phenylene vinylene) (PPV) systems obtained by filling the pores of silicon wafers with polymer. By scanning electron microscopy (SEM), IR, and Raman spectroscopy, we observed that the porous silicon layer was thoroughly filled by the polymer with no significant change in the structure of the materials. This suggests that there is no interaction between the components. On the other hand, the photoluminescence (PL) spectra of the devices investigated at different temperatures (from 11 to 290 K) showed that both materials are active at low temperatures. Porous silicon has a band located at 398 nm while PPV has two bands at 528 and 570 nm. As the temperature increases, the PL intensity of porous silicon decreases and that PPV is blue shifted. A new band emerging at 473 nm may indicate an energy transfer from the porous silicon to PPV, involving short segments of the polymer. The band of PPV located at 515 nm becomes more dominant and indicates that the nanosize polymer films are formed in the pores of the silicon layer, in agreement with the results obtained by SEM, IR, and Raman analyses

  6. Study on Mechanism of Viscoelastic Polymer Transient Flow in Porous Media

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Huiying Zhong

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Oil recovery, including conventional and viscous oil, can be improved significantly by flooding with polymer solutions. This chemical flooding method can increase oil production, and it can improve the macrodisplacement efficiency and microsweep efficiencies. In this study, we establish physical models that include the dead-end and complex models based on the pore-network pattern etched into glass, using the snappyHexMesh solver in OpenFOAM. These models capture the complexity and topology of porous media geometry. We establish a mathematical model for transient flows of viscoelastic polymers using computational fluid dynamics simulations, and we study the distributions of pressure and velocity for different elasticity scenarios and different flooding process. The results demonstrate that the pressure difference increases as the relaxation time decreases, before the flow reaches its steady state. For a steady flow, elasticity can give rise to an additional pressure difference, which increases with increasing elasticity. Thus, the characteristics of pressure difference vary before and after the flow becomes steady; this phenomenon is very important. Velocity contours become more widely spaced with elasticity increase. This suggests that elasticity of the polymer solutions contributes to the microsweep efficiency. The results of the study provide the necessary theoretical foundation for laboratory experiments and development of methods for polymer flooding and can be helpful for the design and selection of polymers for polymer flooding.

  7. Porous carbon derived via KOH activation of a hypercrosslinked porous organic polymer for efficient CO{sub 2}, CH{sub 4}, H{sub 2} adsorptions and high CO{sub 2}/N{sub 2} selectivity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Modak, Arindam; Bhaumik, Asim, E-mail: msab@iacs.res.in

    2015-12-15

    Microporous carbon having Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area of 2186 m{sup 2} g{sup −1} and micropore volume of 0.85 cm{sup 3} g{sup −1} has been synthesized via KOH induced high temperature carbonization of a non-conjugated hypercrosslinked organic polymer. Owing to the templating and activation by KOH, we have succeeded in making a microporous carbon from this porous polymer and the resultant carbon material showed high uptake for CO{sub 2} (7.6 mmol g{sup −1}) and CH{sub 4} (2.4 mmol g{sup −1}) at 1 atm, 273 K together with very good selectivity for the CO{sub 2}/N{sub 2} (30.2) separation. Furthermore, low pressure (1 atm) H{sub 2} (2.6 wt%, 77 K) and water uptake (57.4 wt%, 298 K) ability of this polymer derived porous activated carbon is noteworthy. - Graphical abstract: Microporous carbon with BET surface area of 2186 m{sup 2} g{sup −1} has been synthesized via KOH activation of a porous organic polymer and it showed high uptake for CO{sub 2} (7.6 mmol g{sup −1}), CH{sub 4} (2.4 mmol g{sup −1}) and H{sub 2} (2.6 wt%) at 1 atm together with very good selectivity for CO{sub 2}. - Highlights: • Porous carbon from hypercrosslinked organic polymer. • KOH activated carbon with BET surface area 2186 m{sup 2} g{sup −1}. • High CO2 uptake (7.6 mmol g{sup −1}) and CO{sub 2}/N{sub 2} selectivity (30.2). • Porous carbon also showed high H{sub 2} (2.6 wt%) and H{sub 2}O (57.4 wt%) uptakes.

  8. Macrocyclic receptors immobilized to monodisperse porous polymer particles by chemical grafting and physical impregnation for strontium capture: A comparative study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Song, Yang [Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing (China); Du, Yi [Department of Chemical Engineering, Laboratory for Advanced Materials, Tsinghua University, Beijing (China); Lv, Dachao [Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing (China); Ye, Gang, E-mail: yegang@tsinghua.edu.cn [Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing (China); Wang, Jianchen [Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing (China)

    2014-06-01

    Graphical abstract: Macrocyclic receptors grafted to monodisperse porous polymer particles for Sr(II) capture. - Highlights: • Synthesis of novel selective Sr adsorbent grafted with macrocyclic receptors. • New monodisperse porous polymer particles used to promote Sr adsorption. • Comparative study and discussion on adsorption behaviour and mechanism. • A chromatographic process proposed for Sr separation in simulated HLLW. - Abstract: Separation of strontium is of great significance for radioactive waste treatment and environmental remediation after nuclear accidents. In this work, a novel class of adsorbent (Crown-g-MPPPs) was synthesized by chemical grafting a macrocyclic ether receptor to monodisperse porous polymer particles (MPPPs) for strontium adsorption. Meanwhile, a counterpart material (Crown@MPPPs) with the receptor molecules immobilized to the MPPPs substrate by physical impregnation was prepared. To investigate how the immobilization manner and distribution of the receptors influence the adsorption ability, a comparative study on the adsorption behaviour of the two materials towards Sr(II) in HNO{sub 3} media was accomplished. Due to the shorter diffusion path and covalently-bonded structure, Crown-g-MPPPs showed faster adsorption kinetics and better stability for cycle use. While Crown@MPPPs had the advantages of facile synthesis and higher adsorption capacity, owing to the absence of conformational constraint to form complexation with Sr(II). Kinetic functions (Lagergren pseudo-first-order/pseudo-second-order functions) and adsorption isotherm models (Langmuir/Freundlich models) were used to fit the experimental data and examine the adsorption mechanism. On this basis, a chromatographic process was proposed by using Crown@MPPPs for an effective separation of Sr(II) (91%) in simulated high level liquid waste (HLLW)

  9. Development of porous structure simulator for multi-scale simulation of irregular porous catalysts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koyama, Michihisa; Suzuki, Ai; Sahnoun, Riadh; Tsuboi, Hideyuki; Hatakeyama, Nozomu; Endou, Akira; Takaba, Hiromitsu; Kubo, Momoji; Del Carpio, Carlos A.; Miyamoto, Akira

    2008-01-01

    Efficient development of highly functional porous materials, used as catalysts in the automobile industry, demands a meticulous knowledge of the nano-scale interface at the electronic and atomistic scale. However, it is often difficult to correlate the microscopic interfacial interactions with macroscopic characteristics of the materials; for instance, the interaction between a precious metal and its support oxide with long-term sintering properties of the catalyst. Multi-scale computational chemistry approaches can contribute to bridge the gap between micro- and macroscopic characteristics of these materials; however this type of multi-scale simulations has been difficult to apply especially to porous materials. To overcome this problem, we have developed a novel mesoscopic approach based on a porous structure simulator. This simulator can construct automatically irregular porous structures on a computer, enabling simulations with complex meso-scale structures. Moreover, in this work we have developed a new method to simulate long-term sintering properties of metal particles on porous catalysts. Finally, we have applied the method to the simulation of sintering properties of Pt on alumina support. This newly developed method has enabled us to propose a multi-scale simulation approach for porous catalysts

  10. Band structures in fractal grading porous phononic crystals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Kai; Liu, Ying; Liang, Tianshu; Wang, Bin

    2018-05-01

    In this paper, a new grading porous structure is introduced based on a Sierpinski triangle routine, and wave propagation in this fractal grading porous phononic crystal is investigated. The influences of fractal hierarchy and porosity on the band structures in fractal graidng porous phononic crystals are clarified. Vibration modes of unit cell at absolute band gap edges are given to manifest formation mechanism of absolute band gaps. The results show that absolute band gaps are easy to form in fractal structures comparatively to the normal ones with the same porosity. Structures with higher fractal hierarchies benefit multiple wider absolute band gaps. This work provides useful guidance in design of fractal porous phononic crystals.

  11. Effect of pore structure on anomalous behaviour of the lithium intercalation into porous V2O5 film electrode using fractal geometry concept

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jung, Kyu-Nam; Pyun, Su-Il

    2006-01-01

    The effect of pore structure on anomalous behaviour of the lithium intercalation into porous V 2 O 5 film electrode has been investigated in terms of fractal geometry by employing ac-impedance spectroscopy combined with N 2 gas adsorption method and atomic force microscopy (AFM). For this purpose, porous V 2 O 5 film electrodes with different pore structures were prepared by the polymer surfactant templating method. From the analysis of N 2 gas adsorption isotherms and the triangulation analysis of AFM images, it was found that porous V 2 O 5 surfaces exhibited self-similar scaling properties with different fractal dimensions depending upon amount of the polymer surfactant in solution and the spatial cut-off ranges. All the ac-impedance spectra measured on porous V 2 O 5 film electrodes showed the non-ideal behaviour of the charge-transfer reaction and the diffusion reaction, which resulted from the interfacial capacitance dispersion and the frequency dispersion of the diffusion impedance, respectively. From the comparison between the surface fractal dimensions by using N 2 gas adsorption method and AFM, and the analysis of ac-impedance spectra by employing a constant phase element (CPE), it is experimentally confirmed that the lithium intercalation into porous V 2 O 5 film electrode is crucially influenced by the pore surface irregularity and the film surface irregularity

  12. POROUS STRUCTURE OF ROAD CONCRETE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. K. Pshembaev

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Having a great number of concrete structure classifications it is recommended to specify the following three principal types: microstructure – cement stone structure; mesostructure – structure of cement-sand mortar in concrete; macrostucture – two-component system that consists of mortar and coarse aggregate. Every mentioned-above structure has its own specific features which are related to the conditions of their formation. Thus, microstructure of cement stone can be characterized by such structural components as crystal intergrowth, tobermorite gel, incompletely hydrated cement grains and porous space. The most important technological factors that influence on formation of cement stone microstructure are chemical and mineralogical cement composition, its grinding fineness, water-cement ratio and curing condition. Specific cement stone microstructure is formed due to interrelation of these factors. Cement stone is a capillary-porous body that consists of various solid phases represented predominantly by sub-microcrystals of colloidal dispersion. The sub-microcrystals are able adsorptively, osmotically and structurally to withhold (to bind some amount of moisture. Protection of road concrete as a capillary-porous body is considered as one of the topical issues. The problem is solved with the help of primary and secondary protection methods. Methods of primary protection are used at the stage of designing, preparation and placing of concrete. Methods of secondary protection are applied at the operational stage of road concrete pavement. The paper considers structures of concrete solid phase and characteristics of its porous space. Causes of pore initiation, their shapes, dimensions and arrangement in the concrete are presented in the paper. The highest hazard for road concrete lies in penetration of aggressive liquid in it and moisture transfer in the cured concrete. Water permeability of concrete characterizes its filtration factor which

  13. Microstructure and in vitro cellular response to novel soy protein-based porous structures for tissue regeneration applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olami, Hilla; Zilberman, Meital

    2016-02-01

    Interest in the development of new bioresorbable structures for various tissue engineering applications is on the rise. In the current study, we developed and studied novel soy protein-based porous blends as potential new scaffolds for such applications. Soy protein has several advantages over the various types of natural proteins employed for biomedical applications due to its low price, non-animal origin and relatively long storage time and stability. In the present study, blends of soy protein with other polymers (gelatin, pectin and alginate) were added and chemically cross-linked using the cross-linking agents carbodiimide or glyoxal, and the porous structure was obtained through lyophilization. The resulting blend porous structures were characterized using environmental scanning microscopy, and the cytotoxicity of these scaffolds was examined in vitro. The biocompatibility of the scaffolds was also evaluated in vitro by seeding and culturing human fibroblasts on these scaffolds. Cell growth morphology and adhesion were examined histologically. The results show that these blends can be assembled into porous three-dimensional structures by combining chemical cross-linking with freeze-drying. The achieved blend structures combine suitable porosity with a large pore size (100-300 µm). The pore structure in the soy-alginate scaffolds possesses adequate interconnectivity compared to that of the soy-gelatin scaffolds. However, porous structure was not observed for the soy-pectin blend, which presented a different structure with significantly lower porosities than all other groups. The in vitro evaluation of these porous soy blends demonstrated that soy-alginate blends are advantageous over soy-gelatin blends and exhibited adequate cytocompatibility along with better cell infiltration and stability. These soy protein scaffolds may be potentially useful as a cellular/acellular platform for skin regeneration applications. © The Author(s) 2015.

  14. Charged Porous Polymers using a Solid C-O Cross-Coupling Reaction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Pengfei; Jiang, Xueguang; Wan, Shun; Dai, Sheng

    2015-07-15

    Here in this paper, we report a green, fast, efficient mechanochemical strategy for charged porous polymers (CPPs). A cationic CPP with basic anions and an anionic CPP with Li+ cations were fabricated by solid grinding under solvent-free conditions. Compared with solution-based synthesis, mechanochemical grinding can shorten the reaction time from dozens of hours to several minutes (60–90 min) to form polymers possessing a high molecular mass and low polydispersity. During the construction of CPPs, a Pd-catalyzed solid polycondensation based on unactivated organic linkers was introduced. In particular, CPPs with basic phenolic or proline anions showed good activity and stability in SO2 capture, and Li+-functionalized CPPs can be post-modified to CPPs with other metal ions by ion exchange, highlighting the tailorable feature of ionic-modified CPPs.

  15. Charged Porous Polymers using a Solid C-O Cross-Coupling Reaction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Pengfei; Jiang, Xueguang; Wan, Shun; Dai, Sheng

    2015-07-15

    Herein, we report a green, fast, efficient mechanochemical strategy for charged porous polymers (CPPs). A cationic CPP with basic anions and an anionic CPP with Li+ cations were fabricated by solid grinding under solvent-free conditions. Compared with solution-based synthesis, mechanochemical grinding can shorten the reaction time from dozens of hours to several minutes (60–90 min) to form polymers possessing a high molecular mass and low polydispersity. During the construction of CPPs, a Pd-catalyzed solid polycondensation based on unactivated organic linkers was introduced. In particular, CPPs with basic phenolic or proline anions showed good activity and stability in SO2 capture, and Li+-functionalized CPPs can be post-modified to CPPs with other metal ions by ion exchange, highlighting the tailorable feature of ionic-modified CPPs.

  16. Sulfonate-grafted porous polymer networks for preferential CO(2) adsorption at low pressure

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lu, W.; Yuan, D.; Sculley, J.; Zhao, D.; Krishna, R.; Zhou, H.-C.

    2011-01-01

    A porous polymer network (PPN) grafted with sulfonic acid (PPN-6-SO3H) and its lithium salt (PPN-6-SO3Li) exhibit significant increases in isosteric heats of CO2 adsorption and CO2-uptake capacities. IAST calculations using single-component-isotherm data and a 15/85 CO2/N2 ratio at 295 K and 1 bar

  17. Deformation mechanisms of a porous structure of the poly(ethylene terephthalate) nuclear track membrane

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ovchinnikov, V.V.

    1989-01-01

    The deformation mechanisms of a porous structure of the nuclear track membrane made of poly(ethylene terephthalate) are investigated in the temperature range from 333 to 473 K. It is shown that the pore size of the membrane can both decrease and increase. The analytical equation based on the Alfrey mechanical approach to the relaxation deformation of polymers describes the experimental data satisfactorily over the whole range of temperatures and pore radii of the membranes. 21 refs.; 5 figs.; 3 tabs

  18. Tissue ingrowth polymers and degradation of two biodegradable porous with different porosities and pore sizes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Tienen, TG; Heijkants, RGJC; Buma, P; de Groot, JH; Pennings, AJ; Veth, RPH

    Commonly, spontaneous repair of lesions in the avascular zone of the knee meniscus does not occur. By implanting a porous polymer scaffold in a knee meniscus defect, the lesion is connected with the abundantly vascularized knee capsule and heating can be realized. Ingrowth of fibrovascular tissue

  19. Entropy driven spontaneous formation of highly porous films from polymer-nanoparticle composites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Korampally, Venumadhav; Yun, Minseong; Rajagopalan, Thiruvengadathan; Gangopadhyay, Keshab; Gangopadhyay, Shubhra; Dasgupta, Purnendu K

    2009-01-01

    Nanoporous materials have become indispensable in many fields ranging from photonics, catalysis and semiconductor processing to biosensor infrastructure. Rapid and energy efficient process fabrication of these materials is, however, nontrivial. In this communication, we describe a simple method for the rapid fabrication of these materials from colloidal dispersions of Polymethyl Silsesquioxane nanoparticles. Nanoparticle-polymer composites above the decomposition temperature of the polymer are examined and the entropic gain experienced by the nanoparticles in this rubric is harnessed to fabricate novel highly porous films composed of nanoparticles. Optically smooth, hydrophobic films with low refractive indices (as low as 1.048) and high surface areas (as high as 1325 m 2 g -1 ) have been achieved with this approach. In this communication we address the behavior of such systems that are both temperature and substrate surface energy dependent. The method is applicable, in principle, to a variety of nanoparticle-polymer systems to fabricate custom nanoporous materials.

  20. Highly Efficient Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reduction Reaction Based on 1D Ternary Doped Porous Carbons Derived from Carbon Nanotube Directed Conjugated Microporous Polymers

    KAUST Repository

    He, Yafei; Gehrig, Dominik; Zhang, Fan; Lu, Chenbao; Zhang, Chao; Cai, Ming; Wang, Yuanyuan; Laquai, Fré dé ric; Zhuang, Xiaodong; Feng, Xinliang

    2016-01-01

    © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.One-dimensional (1D) porous materials have shown great potential for gas storage and separation, sensing, energy storage, and conversion. However, the controlled approach for preparation of 1D porous materials, especially porous organic materials, still remains a great challenge due to the poor dispersibility and solution processability of the porous materials. Here, carbon nanotube (CNT) templated 1D conjugated microporous polymers (CMPs) are prepared using a layer-by-layer method. As-prepared CMPs possess high specific surface areas of up to 623 m2 g-1 and exhibit strong electronic interactions between p-type CMPs and n-type CNTs. The CMPs are used as precursors to produce heteroatom-doped 1D porous carbons through direct pyrolysis. As-produced ternary heteroatom-doped (B/N/S) 1D porous carbons possess high specific surface areas of up to 750 m2 g-1, hierarchical porous structures, and excellent electrochemical-catalytic performance for oxygen reduction reaction. Both of the diffusion-limited current density (4.4 mA cm-2) and electron transfer number (n = 3.8) for three-layered 1D porous carbons are superior to those for random 1D porous carbon. These results demonstrate that layered and core-shell type 1D CMPs and related heteroatom-doped 1D porous carbons can be rationally designed and controlled prepared for high performance energy-related applications.

  1. Highly Efficient Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reduction Reaction Based on 1D Ternary Doped Porous Carbons Derived from Carbon Nanotube Directed Conjugated Microporous Polymers

    KAUST Repository

    He, Yafei

    2016-10-11

    © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.One-dimensional (1D) porous materials have shown great potential for gas storage and separation, sensing, energy storage, and conversion. However, the controlled approach for preparation of 1D porous materials, especially porous organic materials, still remains a great challenge due to the poor dispersibility and solution processability of the porous materials. Here, carbon nanotube (CNT) templated 1D conjugated microporous polymers (CMPs) are prepared using a layer-by-layer method. As-prepared CMPs possess high specific surface areas of up to 623 m2 g-1 and exhibit strong electronic interactions between p-type CMPs and n-type CNTs. The CMPs are used as precursors to produce heteroatom-doped 1D porous carbons through direct pyrolysis. As-produced ternary heteroatom-doped (B/N/S) 1D porous carbons possess high specific surface areas of up to 750 m2 g-1, hierarchical porous structures, and excellent electrochemical-catalytic performance for oxygen reduction reaction. Both of the diffusion-limited current density (4.4 mA cm-2) and electron transfer number (n = 3.8) for three-layered 1D porous carbons are superior to those for random 1D porous carbon. These results demonstrate that layered and core-shell type 1D CMPs and related heteroatom-doped 1D porous carbons can be rationally designed and controlled prepared for high performance energy-related applications.

  2. Fabrication of interfacial functionalized porous polymer monolith and its adsorption properties of copper ions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Han, Jiaxi; Du, Zhongjie; Zou, Wei; Li, Hangquan; Zhang, Chen

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Interface functionalized PGMA porous monolith was fabricated. • The adsorption capacity of Cu 2+ was 35.3 mg/g. • The effects of porous structure on the adsorption of Cu 2+ were studied. • The adsorption behaviors of porous monolith were studied. - Abstract: The interfacial functionalized poly (glycidyl methacrylate) (PGMA) porous monolith was fabricated and applied as a novel porous adsorbent for copper ions (Cu 2+ ). PGMA porous material with highly interconnected pore network was prepared by concentrated emulsion polymerization template. Then polyacrylic acid (PAA) was grafted onto the interface of the porous monolith by the reaction between the epoxy group on PGMA and a carboxyl group on PAA. Finally, the porous monolith was interfacial functionalized by rich amount of carboxyl groups and could adsorb copper ions effectively. The chemical structure and porous morphology of the porous monolith were measured by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Moreover, the effects of pore size distribution, pH value, co-existing ions, contacting time, and initial concentrations of copper ions on the adsorption capacity of the porous adsorbents were studied

  3. Collagen-grafted porous HDPE/PEAA scaffolds for bone reconstruction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Chang-Shik; Jung, Kyung-Hye; Kim, Hun; Kim, Chan-Bong; Kang, Inn-Kyu

    2016-01-01

    After tumor resection, bone reconstruction such as skull base reconstruction using interconnected porous structure is absolutely necessary. In this study, porous scaffolds for bone reconstruction were prepared using heat-pressing and salt-leaching methods. High-density polyethylene (HDPE) and poly(ethylene-co-acrylic acid) (PEAA) were chosen as the polymer composites for producing a porous scaffold of high mechanical strength and having high reactivity with biomaterials such as collagen, respectively. The porous structure was observed through surface images, and its intrusion volume and porosity were measured. Owing to the carboxylic acids on PEAA, collagen was successfully grafted onto the porous HDPE/PEAA scaffold, which was confirmed by FT-IR spectroscopy and electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis. Osteoblasts were cultured on the collagen-grafted porous scaffold, and their adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation were investigated. The high viability and growth of the osteoblasts suggest that the collagen-grafted porous HDPE/PEAA is a promising scaffold material for bone generation.

  4. PVDF-HFP-based porous polymer electrolyte membranes for lithium-ion batteries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Miao, Ruiying; Liu, Bowen; Zhu, Zhongzheng

    2008-01-01

    As a potential electrolyte for lithium-ion batteries, a porous polymer electrolyte membrane based on poly(vinylidenefluoride-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) was prepared by a phase inversion method. The casting solution, effects of the solvent and non-solvent and addition of micron scale TiO2...... particles were investigated. The membranes were characterized by SEM, XRD, AC impedance, and charge/discharge tests. By using acetone as the solvent and water as the non-solvent, the prepared membranes showed good ability to absorb and retain the lithium ion containing electrolyte. Addition of micron TiO2...

  5. Porous polymeric materials for hydrogen storage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Luping; Liu, Di-Jia; Yuan, Shengwen; Yang, Junbing

    2013-04-02

    A porous polymer, poly-9,9'-spirobifluorene and its derivatives for storage of H.sub.2 are prepared through a chemical synthesis method. The porous polymers have high specific surface area and narrow pore size distribution. Hydrogen uptake measurements conducted for these polymers determined a higher hydrogen storage capacity at the ambient temperature over that of the benchmark materials. The method of preparing such polymers, includes oxidatively activating solids by CO.sub.2/steam oxidation and supercritical water treatment.

  6. Fabrication of interfacial functionalized porous polymer monolith and its adsorption properties of copper ions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Han, Jiaxi; Du, Zhongjie; Zou, Wei; Li, Hangquan; Zhang, Chen, E-mail: zhangch@mail.buct.edu.cn

    2014-07-15

    Highlights: • Interface functionalized PGMA porous monolith was fabricated. • The adsorption capacity of Cu{sup 2+} was 35.3 mg/g. • The effects of porous structure on the adsorption of Cu{sup 2+} were studied. • The adsorption behaviors of porous monolith were studied. - Abstract: The interfacial functionalized poly (glycidyl methacrylate) (PGMA) porous monolith was fabricated and applied as a novel porous adsorbent for copper ions (Cu{sup 2+}). PGMA porous material with highly interconnected pore network was prepared by concentrated emulsion polymerization template. Then polyacrylic acid (PAA) was grafted onto the interface of the porous monolith by the reaction between the epoxy group on PGMA and a carboxyl group on PAA. Finally, the porous monolith was interfacial functionalized by rich amount of carboxyl groups and could adsorb copper ions effectively. The chemical structure and porous morphology of the porous monolith were measured by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Moreover, the effects of pore size distribution, pH value, co-existing ions, contacting time, and initial concentrations of copper ions on the adsorption capacity of the porous adsorbents were studied.

  7. Additive Manufacturing of Hierarchical Porous Structures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Grote, Christopher John [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Materials Science and Technology Division. Polymers and Coatings

    2016-08-30

    Additive manufacturing has become a tool of choice for the development of customizable components. Developments in this technology have led to a powerful array of printers that t serve a variety of needs. However, resin development plays a crucial role in leading the technology forward. This paper addresses the development and application of printing hierarchical porous structures. Beginning with the development of a porous scaffold, which can be functionalized with a variety of materials, and concluding with customized resins for metal, ceramic, and carbon structures.

  8. Flash nano-precipitation of polymer blends: a role for fluid flow?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grundy, Lorena; Mason, Lachlan; Chergui, Jalel; Juric, Damir; Craster, Richard V.; Lee, Victoria; Prudhomme, Robert; Priestley, Rodney; Matar, Omar K.

    2017-11-01

    Porous structures can be formed by the controlled precipitation of polymer blends; ranging from porous matrices, with applications in membrane filtration, to porous nano-particles, with applications in catalysis, targeted drug delivery and emulsion stabilisation. Under a diffusive exchange of solvent for non-solvent, prevailing conditions favour the decomposition of polymer blends into multiple phases. Interestingly, dynamic structures can be `trapped' via vitrification prior to thermodynamic equilibrium. A promising mechanism for large-scale polymer processing is flash nano-precipitation (FNP). FNP particle formation has recently been modelled using spinodal decomposition theory, however the influence of fluid flow on structure formation is yet to be clarified. In this study, we couple a Navier-Stokes equation to a Cahn-Hilliard model of spinodal decomposition. The framework is implemented using Code BLUE, a massively scalable fluid dynamics solver, and applied to flows within confined impinging jet mixers. The present method is valid for a wide range of mixing timescales spanning FNP and conventional immersion precipitation processes. Results aid in the fabrication of nano-scale polymer particles with tuneable internal porosities. EPSRC, UK, MEMPHIS program Grant (EP/K003976/1), RAEng Research Chair (OKM), PETRONAS.

  9. Fabrication and in vitro degradation of porous fumarate-based polymer/alumoxane nanocomposite scaffolds for bone tissue engineering.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mistry, A.S.; Cheng, S.H.; Yeh, T.; Christenson, E.; Jansen, J.A.; Mikos, A.G.

    2009-01-01

    In this work, the fabrication and in vitro degradation of porous fumarate-based/alumoxane nanocomposites were evaluated for their potential as bone tissue engineering scaffolds. The biodegradable polymer poly (propylene fumarate)/propylene fumarate-diacrylate (PPF/PF-DA), a macrocomposite composed

  10. Porous Materials - Structure and Properties

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Anders

    1997-01-01

    The paper presents some viewpoints on the description of the pore structure and the modelling of the properties of the porous building materials. Two examples are given , where it has been possible to connect the pore structure to the properties: Shrinkage of autoclaved aerated concrete...

  11. Current-voltage characteristics of porous-silicon structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Diligenti, A.; Nannini, A.; Pennelli, G.; Pieri, F.; Fuso, F.; Allegrini, M.

    1996-01-01

    I-V DC characteristics have been measured on metal/porous-silicon structures. In particular, the measurements on metal/free-standing porous-silicon film/metal devices confirmed the result, already obtained, that the metal/porous-silicon interface plays a crucial role in the transport of any device. Four-contacts measurements on free-standing layers showed that the current linearly depends on the voltage and that the conduction process is thermally activated, the activation energy depending on the porous silicon film production parameters. Finally, annealing experiments performed in order to improve the conduction of rectifying contacts, are described

  12. Facile one-pot synthesis of porphyrin based porous polymer networks (PPNs) as biomimetic catalysts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zou, LF; Feng, DW; Liu, TF; Chen, YP; Fordham, S; Yuan, S; Tian, J; Zhou, HC

    2015-01-01

    Stable porphyrin based porous polymer networks, PPN-23 and PPN-24, have been synthesized through a facile one-pot approach by the aromatic substitution reactions of pyrrole and aldehydes. PPN-24(Fe) shows high catalytic efficiency as a biomimetic catalyst in the oxidation reaction of 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) in the presence of H2O2.

  13. Porous organic polymers with anchored aldehydes: A new platform for post-synthetic amine functionalization en route for enhanced CO2 adsorption properties

    KAUST Repository

    Guillerm, Vincent; Weselinski, Lukasz Jan; Al Kordi, Mohamed; Haja Mohideen, Mohamed Infas; Belmabkhout, Youssef; Cairns, Amy; Eddaoudi, Mohamed

    2014-01-01

    A novel porous organic polymer has been synthesized using the molecular building block approach to deliberately encompass aldehyde functionalities amenable to post functionalization. The resultant porous framework allows a facile, one-step quantitative and post-synthetic functionalization by amines, permitting enhanced CO2 sorption properties. © 2014 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

  14. Nano/macro porous bioactive glass scaffold

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Shaojie

    Bioactive glass (BG) and ceramics have been widely studied and developed as implants to replace hard tissues of the musculo-skeletal system, such as bones and teeth. Recently, instead of using bulk materials, which usually do not degrade rapidly enough and may remain in the human body for a long time, the idea of bioscaffold for tissue regeneration has generated much interest. An ideal bioscaffold is a porous material that would not only provide a three-dimensional structure for the regeneration of natural tissue, but also degrade gradually and, eventually be replaced by the natural tissue completely. Among various material choices the nano-macro dual porous BG appears as the most promising candidate for bioscaffold applications. Here macropores facilitate tissue growth while nanopores control degradation and enhance cell response. The surface area, which controls the degradation of scaffold can also be tuned by changing the nanopore size. However, fabrication of such 3D structure with desirable nano and macro pores has remained challenging. In this dissertation, sol-gel process combined with spinodal decomposition or polymer sponge replication method has been developed to fabricate the nano-macro porous BG scaffolds. Macropores up to 100microm are created by freezing polymer induced spinodal structure through sol-gel transition, while larger macropores (>200um) of predetermined size are obtained by the polymer sponge replication technique. The size of nanopores, which are inherent to the sol-gel method of glass fabrication, has been tailored using several approaches: Before gel point, small nanopores are generated using acid catalyst that leads to weakly-branched polymer-like network. On the other hand, larger nanopores are created with the base-catalyzed gel with highly-branched cluster-like structure. After the gel point, the nanostructure can be further modified by manipulating the sintering temperature and/or the ammonia concentration used in the solvent

  15. Fabrication of Porous Materials from Natural/Synthetic Biopolymers and Their Composites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Udeni Gunathilake T.M. Sampath

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Biopolymers and their applications have been widely studied in recent years. Replacing the oil based polymer materials with biopolymers in a sustainable manner might give not only a competitive advantage but, in addition, they possess unique properties which cannot be emulated by conventional polymers. This review covers the fabrication of porous materials from natural biopolymers (cellulose, chitosan, collagen, synthetic biopolymers (poly(lactic acid, poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid and their composite materials. Properties of biopolymers strongly depend on the polymer structure and are of great importance when fabricating the polymer into intended applications. Biopolymers find a large spectrum of application in the medical field. Other fields such as packaging, technical, environmental, agricultural and food are also gaining importance. The introduction of porosity into a biomaterial broadens the scope of applications. There are many techniques used to fabricate porous polymers. Fabrication methods, including the basic and conventional techniques to the more recent ones, are reviewed. Advantages and limitations of each method are discussed in detail. Special emphasis is placed on the pore characteristics of biomaterials used for various applications. This review can aid in furthering our understanding of the fabrication methods and about controlling the porosity and microarchitecture of porous biopolymer materials.

  16. Fabrication of Porous Materials from Natural/Synthetic Biopolymers and Their Composites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sampath, Udeni Gunathilake T M; Ching, Yern Chee; Chuah, Cheng Hock; Sabariah, Johari J; Lin, Pai-Chen

    2016-12-07

    Biopolymers and their applications have been widely studied in recent years. Replacing the oil based polymer materials with biopolymers in a sustainable manner might give not only a competitive advantage but, in addition, they possess unique properties which cannot be emulated by conventional polymers. This review covers the fabrication of porous materials from natural biopolymers (cellulose, chitosan, collagen), synthetic biopolymers (poly(lactic acid), poly(lactic- co -glycolic acid)) and their composite materials. Properties of biopolymers strongly depend on the polymer structure and are of great importance when fabricating the polymer into intended applications. Biopolymers find a large spectrum of application in the medical field. Other fields such as packaging, technical, environmental, agricultural and food are also gaining importance. The introduction of porosity into a biomaterial broadens the scope of applications. There are many techniques used to fabricate porous polymers. Fabrication methods, including the basic and conventional techniques to the more recent ones, are reviewed. Advantages and limitations of each method are discussed in detail. Special emphasis is placed on the pore characteristics of biomaterials used for various applications. This review can aid in furthering our understanding of the fabrication methods and about controlling the porosity and microarchitecture of porous biopolymer materials.

  17. Infill Optimization for Additive Manufacturing - Approaching Bone-like Porous Structures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wu, Jun; Aage, Niels; Westermann, Ruediger

    2018-01-01

    Porous structures such as trabecular bone are widely seen in nature. These structures exhibit superior mechanical properties whilst being lightweight. In this paper, we present a method to generate bone-like porous structures asl ightweight infill for additive manufacturing. Our method builds upon...

  18. High-strength porous carbon and its multifunctional applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wojtowicz, Marek A; Rubenstein, Eric P; Serio, Michael A; Cosgrove, Joseph E

    2013-12-31

    High-strength porous carbon and a method of its manufacture are described for multifunctional applications, such as ballistic protection, structural components, ultracapacitor electrodes, gas storage, and radiation shielding. The carbon is produced from a polymer precursor via carbonization, and optionally by surface activation and post-treatment.

  19. Porous media fluid transport and pore structure

    CERN Document Server

    Dullien, F A L

    1992-01-01

    This book examines the relationship between transport properties and pore structure of porous material. Models of pore structure are presented with a discussion of how such models can be used to predict the transport properties of porous media. Portions of the book are devoted to interpretations of experimental results in this area and directions for future research. Practical applications are given where applicable, and are expected to be useful for a large number of different fields, including reservoir engineering, geology, hydrogeology, soil science, chemical process engineering, biomedica

  20. Porous silicon-cyclodextrin based polymer composites for drug delivery applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hernandez-Montelongo, J; Naveas, N; Degoutin, S; Tabary, N; Chai, F; Spampinato, V; Ceccone, G; Rossi, F; Torres-Costa, V; Manso-Silvan, M; Martel, B

    2014-09-22

    One of the main applications of porous silicon (PSi) in biomedicine is drug release, either as a single material or as a part of a composite. PSi composites are attractive candidates for drug delivery systems because they can display new chemical and physical characteristics, which are not exhibited by the individual constituents alone. Since cyclodextrin-based polymers have been proven efficient materials for drug delivery, in this work β-cyclodextrin-citric acid in-situ polymerization was used to functionalize two kinds of PSi (nanoporous and macroporous). The synthesized composites were characterized by microscopy techniques (SEM and AFM), physicochemical methods (ATR-FTIR, XPS, water contact angle, TGA and TBO titration) and a preliminary biological assay was performed. Both systems were tested as drug delivery platforms with two different model drugs, namely, ciprofloxacin (an antibiotic) and prednisolone (an anti-inflammatory), in two different media: pure water and PBS solution. Results show that both kinds of PSi/β-cyclodextrin-citric acid polymer composites, nano- and macro-, provide enhanced release control for drug delivery applications than non-functionalized PSi samples. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Spatially isolated palladium in porous organic polymers by direct knitting for versatile organic transformations

    KAUST Repository

    Wang, Xinbo; Min, Shixiong; Das, Swapan Kumar; Fan, Wei; Huang, Kuo-Wei; Lai, Zhiping

    2017-01-01

    We report here a direct knitting Method for preparation of highly robust, effective while air- and moisture-tolerant, and readily recyclable three-dimensional (3D) porous polymer-Pd network (PPPd) from the widely used Pd(PPh3)4. Electro-beam induced Pd atom crystallization was observed for the first time in organic polymer and revealed the ultrafine dispersion of palladium atoms. Challenging types of Suzuki-Miyaura couplings, reductive coupling of aryl halides and oxidative coupling of arylboronic acid were successively catalyzed by PPPd in aqueous media. Also catalytically selective CH functionalization reactions were achieved with orders of magnitude more efficient than conventional Pd homogeneous catalysts. The strategy developed here provides a practical method for easy-to-make yet highly efficient heterogeneous catalysis.

  2. Spatially isolated palladium in porous organic polymers by direct knitting for versatile organic transformations

    KAUST Repository

    Wang, Xinbo

    2017-10-03

    We report here a direct knitting Method for preparation of highly robust, effective while air- and moisture-tolerant, and readily recyclable three-dimensional (3D) porous polymer-Pd network (PPPd) from the widely used Pd(PPh3)4. Electro-beam induced Pd atom crystallization was observed for the first time in organic polymer and revealed the ultrafine dispersion of palladium atoms. Challenging types of Suzuki-Miyaura couplings, reductive coupling of aryl halides and oxidative coupling of arylboronic acid were successively catalyzed by PPPd in aqueous media. Also catalytically selective CH functionalization reactions were achieved with orders of magnitude more efficient than conventional Pd homogeneous catalysts. The strategy developed here provides a practical method for easy-to-make yet highly efficient heterogeneous catalysis.

  3. Porous materials with gradient and biporous structure, methods of their production

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ilyuschenko, A.; Savich, V.; Pilinevich, L.; Rak, A.

    2001-01-01

    We have worked out the technology of production porous powder materials (PPMs) of bronze, nickel, corrosion resistant steel and titanium powders with gradient and (or) biporous structure: vibrating forming of metal powders (including in electromagnetic field); layer-by-layer forming of metal powders with pore-maker while different proportion of the latter in the layer; forming of powder polymer layer on the preliminary sintered metal PPM surface. We have worked out the technology of production biporous structure by the following methods: metal granules forming and sintering; forming and sintering of metal powder with granules (2-3 mm) and pores-forming powder (size of particles is 0,4-0,63 mm). The novelty is in creation of technological bases of pores sizes regulation from 5 mkm on one PPM surface to 120 mkm on the opposite PPM surface which thickness can be 2-6 mm. PPM porosity can be constant within 0,3-0,6 relative units. More effective are those PPM which pores sizes are changeable and also porosity (from 0,35 to 0,60) from one surface o the opposite one. Two-layer metal-polymer PPM have pores sizes of 20-40 mkm in polymer layer and porosity 0,4-0,5 and, correspondingly, in metal layer 80-100 mkm and 0,45-0,55. In biporous structures made of 2-3 mm metal granules the distance between granules is 300-600 mkm and in granules - 14-30 mkm. The integral porosity of such PPM is 0,55-0,70. The technology of forming and sintering metal powder with granules and pores-making powder (carbamide) enables to regulate the integral porosity within 0,7-0,8 and average pores sizes within 100-1000 mkm with average size of metal powder particles of 0,63-1,0 mm. (author)

  4. Cost-Effective Fabrication of Inner-Porous Micro/Nano Carbon Structures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Shulan; Shi, Tielin; Tang, Zirong; Xi, Shuang

    2018-03-01

    This paper reports the fabrication of a new micro/nano carbon architecture array which owns the characteristics of inner-porous, desired conductivity and large effective surface area. The micro/nano inner-porous carbon structures were fabricated for the first time, with ordinary and cost-effective processes, including photolithography, oxygen plasma etching and pyrolysis. Firstly, micro/nano hierarchical photoresist structures array was generated through photolithography and oxygen plasma etching processes. By introducing a critical thin-film spin-coating step, and followed with carefully pyrolyzing process, the micro/nano photoresist structures were converted into innerporous carbon architectures with good electric connection which connected the carbon structures array together. Probably the inner-porous property can be attributed to the shrinkage difference between positive thin film and negative photoresist structures during pyrolyzing process. It is demonstrated that the simple method is effective to fabricate inner-porous carbon structures with good electric connection and the carbon structures can be used as electrochemical electrodes directly and without the addition of other pyrolysis or film coating processes. The electrochemical property of the carbon structures has been explored by cyclic voltammetric measurement. Compared with solid carbon microstructures array, the cyclic voltammetry curve of inner-porous carbon structures shows greatly enhanced current and improved charge-storage capability, indicating great potential in micro energy storage devices and bio-devices.

  5. Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Heterogeneous Ceramic-Polymer Composite Using Interpenetrating Network

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eun-Hee, K.; Yeon-Gil, J.; Chang-Yong, J.

    2012-01-01

    Prepolymer, which can be polymerized by a photo, has been infiltrated into a porous ceramic to improve the addition effect of polymer into the ceramic, as a function of the functionality of prepolymer. It induces the increase in the mechanical properties of the ceramic. The porous alumina (Al 2 O 3 ) and the polyurethane acrylate (PUA) with a network structure by photo-polymerization were used as the matrix and infiltration materials, respectively. The porous Al 2 O 3 matrix without the polymer shows lower values in fracture strength than the composites, since the stress is transmitted more quickly via propagation of cracks from intrinsic defects in the porous matrix. However, in the case of composites, the distribution of stress between hetero phases results in the improved mechanical properties. In addition, the mechanical properties of composites, such as elastic modulus and fracture strength, are enhanced with increasing the functionality of prepolymer attributed to the crosslinking density of polymer.

  6. Confocal imaging of protein distributions in porous silicon optical structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    De Stefano, Luca; D'Auria, Sabato

    2007-01-01

    The performances of porous silicon optical biosensors depend strongly on the arrangement of the biological probes into their sponge-like structures: it is well known that in this case the sensing species do not fill the pores but instead cover their internal surface. In this paper, the direct imaging of labelled proteins into different porous silicon structures by using a confocal laser microscope is reported. The distribution of the biological matter in the nanostructured material follows a Gaussian behaviour which is typical of the diffusion process in the porous media but with substantial differences between a porous silicon monolayer and a multilayer such as a Bragg mirror. Even if semi-quantitative, the results can be very useful in the design of the porous silicon based biosensing devices

  7. Investigations on the porous resistance coefficients for fishing net structures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Chen, Hao; Christensen, Erik Damgaard

    2016-01-01

    The porous media model has been successfully applied to numerical simulation of current and wave interaction with traditional permeable coastal structures such as breakwaters. Recently this model was employed to simulate flow through and around fishing net structures, where the unknown porous...

  8. Porous palladium coated conducting polymer nanoparticles for ultrasensitive hydrogen sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Jun Seop; Kim, Sung Gun; Cho, Sunghun; Jang, Jyongsik

    2015-12-01

    Hydrogen, a clean-burning fuel, is of key importance to various industrial applications, including fuel cells and in the aerospace and automotive industries. However, hydrogen gas is odorless, colorless, and highly flammable; thus appropriate safety protocol implementation and monitoring are essential. Highly sensitive hydrogen leak detection and surveillance sensor systems are needed; additionally, the ability to maintain uniformity through repetitive hydrogen sensing is becoming increasingly important. In this report, we detail the fabrication of porous palladium coated conducting polymer (3-carboxylate polypyrrole) nanoparticles (Pd@CPPys) to detect hydrogen gas. The Pd@CPPys are produced by means of facile alkyl functionalization and chemical reduction of a pristine 3-carboxylate polypyrrole nanoparticle-contained palladium precursor (PdCl2) solution. The resulting Pd@CPPy-based sensor electrode exhibits ultrahigh sensitivity (0.1 ppm) and stability toward hydrogen gas at room temperature due to the palladium sensing layer.Hydrogen, a clean-burning fuel, is of key importance to various industrial applications, including fuel cells and in the aerospace and automotive industries. However, hydrogen gas is odorless, colorless, and highly flammable; thus appropriate safety protocol implementation and monitoring are essential. Highly sensitive hydrogen leak detection and surveillance sensor systems are needed; additionally, the ability to maintain uniformity through repetitive hydrogen sensing is becoming increasingly important. In this report, we detail the fabrication of porous palladium coated conducting polymer (3-carboxylate polypyrrole) nanoparticles (Pd@CPPys) to detect hydrogen gas. The Pd@CPPys are produced by means of facile alkyl functionalization and chemical reduction of a pristine 3-carboxylate polypyrrole nanoparticle-contained palladium precursor (PdCl2) solution. The resulting Pd@CPPy-based sensor electrode exhibits ultrahigh sensitivity (0.1 ppm

  9. Fabrication of a multifunctional nano-in-micro drug delivery platform by microfluidic templated encapsulation of porous silicon in polymer matrix.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Hongbo; Liu, Dongfei; Shahbazi, Mohammad-Ali; Mäkilä, Ermei; Herranz-Blanco, Bárbara; Salonen, Jarno; Hirvonen, Jouni; Santos, Hélder A

    2014-07-09

    A multifunctional nano-in-micro drug delivery platform is developed by conjugating the porous silicon nanoparticles with mucoadhesive polymers and subsequent encapsulation into a pH-responsive polymer using microfluidics. The multistage platform shows monodisperse size distribution and pH-responsive payload release, and the released nanoparticles are mucoadhesive. Moreover, this platform is capable of simultaneously loading and releasing multidrugs with distinct properties. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  10. Evaluation of charred porous polymers as a method of storm water pollution prevention for shipyards

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Clark, G.E.

    1998-08-01

    Most shipyards have viable Best Management Practices (BMPs) in place to mitigate the transport of heavy metals to surface waters by storm water. Despite aggressive efforts to control storm water, shipyards have come under increased regulatory pressure to further reduce concentrations of heavy metals, such as copper and nickel, in storm water discharges. The tightening of regulatory requirements warrants research into additional BMPs. The objectives of this research project were to: (1) determine the feasibility of placing a replaceable cartridge of adsorbent material within a storm water collection system; and (2) evaluate two commercially available charred porous polymer adsorbents for the removal of heavy metals from storm water. The results indicated that there are commercially available storm water treatment components which could be adapted to house a cartridge of porous adsorbent material.

  11. POROUS POLYMER IMPLANTS FOR REPAIR OF FULL-THICKNESS DEFECTS OF ARTICULAR-CARTILAGE - AN EXPERIMENTAL-STUDY IN RABBIT AND DOG

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    JANSEN, HWB; VETH, RPH; NIELSEN, HKL; DEGROOT, JH; PENNINGS, AJ

    1992-01-01

    Full-thickness defects of articular cartilage were repaired by implantation of porous polymer implants in rabbits and dogs. The quality of the repair tissue was determined by collagen typing with antibodies. Implants with varying pore sizes and chemical composition were used. The effect of loading

  12. Embedding nano-Li{sub 4}Ti{sub 5}O{sub 12} in hierarchical porous carbon matrixes derived from water soluble polymers for ultra-fast lithium ion batteries anodic materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lan, Chun-Kai; Bao, Qi; Huang, Yao-Hui; Duh, Jenq-Gong, E-mail: jgd@mx.nthu.edu.tw

    2016-07-15

    Li{sub 4}Ti{sub 5}O{sub 12}/hierarchical porous carbon matrixes composites are successfully prepared by a facile and fast polymers assisted sol–gel method, aiming to promote both electronic and ionic conductivity. As indicated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis, three less expensive cost and available water soluble polymers (e.g. PAA, CMC, and SA) can homogeneously react with Li–Ti–O precursor to incorporate into interior of nano-scale lithium titanate and provide a continues conductive network after pyrolysis. In addition, the results of scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy also prove that the Li{sub 4}Ti{sub 5}O{sub 12} nanoparticles are firmly embedded in porous carbon matrix with no obvious agglomeration. EIS measurement and cyclic voltammetry further reveal that the facilitated electrode kinetics and better ionic transport of Li{sub 4}Ti{sub 5}O{sub 12}/hierarchical porous carbon matrixes composites than that of Li{sub 4}Ti{sub 5}O{sub 12}. The c-CMC-LTO exhibits a superior capacity of 92 mAh g{sup −1} and retains its initial value with no obviously capacity decay over 200 cycles under an ultra-high C rate (50 C). - Graphical abstract: Schematic illustrations of the formation process of embedding LTO into Carbon matrixes derived from water soluable polymers (upper) and the electrochemical reaction paths in LTO/Carbon composites during charging/discharging processes (lower). - Highlights: • Hierarchical porous carbon matrixes were used to improve the Li{sub 4}Ti{sub 5}O{sub 12} anodes. • Carbon matrixes could suppress the agglomeration of Li{sub 4}Ti{sub 5}O{sub 12} nanoparticles. • meso-nanoporous carbon structure was beneficial for filtration of electrolyte. • The c-CMC-LTO exhibited superior high rate capability and cycling durability.

  13. Porous γ-TiAl Structures Fabricated by Electron Beam Melting Process

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ashfaq Mohammad

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Porous metal structures have many benefits over fully dense structures for use in bio-implants. The designs of porous structures can be made more sophisticated by altering their pore volume and strut orientation. Porous structures made from biocompatible materials such as titanium and its alloys can be produced using electron-beam melting, and recent reports have shown the biocompatibility of titanium aluminide (γ-TiAl. In the present work, we produced porous γ-TiAl structures by electron-beam melting, incorporating varying pore volumes. To achieve this, the individual pore dimensions were kept constant, and only the strut thickness was altered. Thus, for the highest pore volume of ~77%, the struts had to be as thin as half a millimeter. To accomplish such fine struts, we used various beam currents and scan strategies. Microscopy showed that selecting a proper scan strategy was most important in producing these fine struts. Microcomputed tomography revealed no major gaps in the struts, and the fine struts displayed compressive stiffness similar to that of natural bone. The characteristics of these highly-porous structures suggest their promise for use in bio-implants.

  14. Porous rod-like MgO complex membrane with good anti-bacterial activity directed by conjugated linolenic acid polymer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Hua-Jie, E-mail: wanghuajie972001@163.com; Chen, Meng [Henan Normal University, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering (China); Mi, Li-Wei, E-mail: mlwzzu@163.com [Zhongyuan University of Technology, Center for Advanced Materials Research (China); Shi, Li-Hua [Anyang 101 Education Center (China); Cao, Ying, E-mail: caoying1130@sina.com [Zhongyuan University of Technology, Center for Advanced Materials Research (China)

    2016-02-15

    The problem of infection in the tissue engineering substitutes is driving us to seek new coating materials. We previously found that conjugated linolenic acid (CLnA) has well biocompatibility and excellent membrane-forming property. The objective of this study is to endow the anti-bacterial activity to CLnA membra ne by linking with MgO. The results showed that the CLnA polymer membrane can be loaded with porous rod-like MgO and such complex membrane showed anti-bacterial sensitivity against gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus) even at the low concentration (0.15 μg/mm{sup 2}). In the present study, the best zone of inhibition got to 18.2 ± 0.8 mm when the amount of MgO reach 2.42 ± 0.58 μg/mm{sup 2}. It was deduced that the porous rod-like structure of MgO was directed by CLnA in its polymerization process. Such CLnA/MgO complex membrane can be helpful in the tissue engineering, medicine, food engineering, food preservation, etc. on the basis of its good anti-bacterial activity.

  15. Suspensions of polymer-grafted nanoparticles with added polymers-Structure and effective pair-interactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chandran, Sivasurender; Saw, Shibu; Kandar, A K; Dasgupta, C; Sprung, M; Basu, J K

    2015-08-28

    We present the results of combined experimental and theoretical (molecular dynamics simulations and integral equation theory) studies of the structure and effective interactions of suspensions of polymer grafted nanoparticles (PGNPs) in the presence of linear polymers. Due to the absence of systematic experimental and theoretical studies of PGNPs, it is widely believed that the structure and effective interactions in such binary mixtures would be very similar to those of an analogous soft colloidal material-star polymers. In our study, polystyrene-grafted gold nanoparticles with functionality f = 70 were mixed with linear polystyrene (PS) of two different molecular weights for obtaining two PGNP:PS size ratios, ξ = 0.14 and 2.76 (where, ξ = Mg/Mm, Mg and Mm being the molecular weights of grafting and matrix polymers, respectively). The experimental structure factor of PGNPs could be modeled with an effective potential (Model-X), which has been found to be widely applicable for star polymers. Similarly, the structure factor of the blends with ξ = 0.14 could be modeled reasonably well, while the structure of blends with ξ = 2.76 could not be captured, especially for high density of added polymers. A model (Model-Y) for effective interactions between PGNPs in a melt of matrix polymers also failed to provide good agreement with the experimental data for samples with ξ = 2.76 and high density of added polymers. We tentatively attribute this anomaly in modeling the structure factor of blends with ξ = 2.76 to the questionable assumption of Model-X in describing the added polymers as star polymers with functionality 2, which gets manifested in both polymer-polymer and polymer-PGNP interactions especially at higher fractions of added polymers. The failure of Model-Y may be due to the neglect of possible many-body interactions among PGNPs mediated by matrix polymers when the fraction of added polymers is high. These observations point to the need for a new framework to

  16. Freeze-Casting of Porous Biomaterials: Structure, Properties and Opportunities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sylvain Deville

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available The freeze-casting of porous materials has received a great deal of attention during the past few years. This simple process, where a material suspension is simply frozen and then sublimated, provides materials with unique porous architectures, where the porosity is almost a direct replica of the frozen solvent crystals. This review focuses on the recent results on the process and the derived porous structures with regards to the biomaterials applications. Of particular interest is the architecture of the materials and the versatility of the process, which can be readily controlled and applied to biomaterials applications. A careful control of the starting formulation and processing conditions is required to control the integrity of the structure and resulting properties. Further in vitro and in vivo investigations are required to validate the potential of this new class of porous materials.

  17. Multilayer porous UHMWPE scaffolds for bone defects replacement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maksimkin, A V; Senatov, F S; Anisimova, N Yu; Kiselevskiy, M V; Zalepugin, D Yu; Chernyshova, I V; Tilkunova, N A; Kaloshkin, S D

    2017-04-01

    Reconstruction of the structural integrity of the damaged bone tissue is an urgent problem. UHMWPE may be potentially used for the manufacture of porous implants simulating as closely as possible the porous cancellous bone tissue. But the extremely high molecular weight of the polymer does not allow using traditional methods of foaming. Porous and multilayer UHMWPE scaffolds with nonporous bulk layer and porous layer that mimics cancellous bone architecture were obtained by solid-state mixing, thermopressing and washing in subcritical water. Structural and mechanical properties of the samples were studied. Porous UHMWPE samples were also studied in vitro and in vivo. The pores of UHMWPE scaffold are open and interconnected. Volume porosity of the obtained samples was 79±2%; the pore size range was 80-700μm. Strong connection of the two layers in multilayer UHMWPE scaffolds was observed with decreased number of fusion defects. Functionality of implants based on multilayer UHMWPE scaffolds is provided by the fixation of scaffolds in the bone defect through ingrowths of the connective tissue into the pores, which ensures the maintenance of the animals' mobility. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Influence of formulation parameters on the texturing and and the structural evolution of geo-polymers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Steins, Prune

    2014-01-01

    In the context of conditioning of nuclear waste, geo-polymers represent a potential alternative to conventional hydraulic binders. Currently, it is recognized that the formation of geo-polymer proceeds according to a mechanism of dissolution - restructuring - polymerization resulting in a solid material. Despite the availability of many studies to understand these mechanisms, the precise relationship between the chemical nature of the activating solution, the geo-polymerization process and the final microstructure should be determined from the point of view of the texturing and the structural evolution of the material. In this work, several parameters were studied: the nature of the alkali activator, the silica concentration and the addition of an aluminum source. It appears that the chemical environment of the silicate or aluminosilicate precursors is controlled by the activating solution composition. During the consolidation of the geo-polymer network, these precursors play an important role on the dissolution rate of meta kaolin, the size, the rearrangement and the aggregation of aluminosilicate oligomers involved in the porous solid network formation. Subsequently, some characteristics of the porous network which are controlled by the size and the rearrangement of oligomers vary slightly over time. The refinement of the porosity associated to first, a densification of the solid network, and secondly, a partial closure of the porosity at the nanometer scale leads to an increase in the pore size and a decrease of the pore volume. (author) [fr

  19. Preparation and performance of porous phase change polyethylene glycol/polyurethane membrane

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ke Guizhen; Xie Huifang; Ruan Ruping; Yu Weidong

    2010-01-01

    Based on the theory of clotty porous phase change materials, the porous membrane was prepared with the blend of polyurethane (PU) and two polyethylene glycol (PEG) systems. Studied by scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermo-gravimetric (TG) tests, the morphology structure, chemical composition, crystalline morphology, phase change behaviors and thermal stability of porous phase change membrane were investigated. The results showed that the PU/PEG membrane had obvious porous structural feature, suitable transition temperature and high transition enthalpy. It is a flexible membrane with good energy storage function. When it is between solid and liquid transfer state in microcosms, the membrane can still keep solid shape in macroscopic state at high temperature during phase transition processing. It means that porous membrane PCM can be regarded as functional polymer. This method solved the problem of low working materials content in phase change textile. It succeeded in introducing the porous technology into functional textile's formation, and developed a new way to improve the phase change enthalpy largely for adjustable textile.

  20. Porous silicon structures with high surface area/specific pore size

    Science.gov (United States)

    Northrup, M.A.; Yu, C.M.; Raley, N.F.

    1999-03-16

    Fabrication and use of porous silicon structures to increase surface area of heated reaction chambers, electrophoresis devices, and thermopneumatic sensor-actuators, chemical preconcentrates, and filtering or control flow devices. In particular, such high surface area or specific pore size porous silicon structures will be useful in significantly augmenting the adsorption, vaporization, desorption, condensation and flow of liquids and gases in applications that use such processes on a miniature scale. Examples that will benefit from a high surface area, porous silicon structure include sample preconcentrators that are designed to adsorb and subsequently desorb specific chemical species from a sample background; chemical reaction chambers with enhanced surface reaction rates; and sensor-actuator chamber devices with increased pressure for thermopneumatic actuation of integrated membranes. Examples that benefit from specific pore sized porous silicon are chemical/biological filters and thermally-activated flow devices with active or adjacent surfaces such as electrodes or heaters. 9 figs.

  1. "Thunderstruck": Plasma-Polymer-Coated Porous Silicon Microparticles As a Controlled Drug Delivery System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McInnes, Steven J P; Michl, Thomas D; Delalat, Bahman; Al-Bataineh, Sameer A; Coad, Bryan R; Vasilev, Krasimir; Griesser, Hans J; Voelcker, Nicolas H

    2016-02-01

    Controlling the release kinetics from a drug carrier is crucial to maintain a drug's therapeutic window. We report the use of biodegradable porous silicon microparticles (pSi MPs) loaded with the anticancer drug camphothecin, followed by a plasma polymer overcoating using a loudspeaker plasma reactor. Homogenous "Teflon-like" coatings were achieved by tumbling the particles by playing AC/DC's song "Thunderstruck". The overcoating resulted in a markedly slower release of the cytotoxic drug, and this effect correlated positively with the plasma polymer coating times, ranging from 2-fold up to more than 100-fold. Ultimately, upon characterizing and verifying pSi MP production, loading, and coating with analytical methods such as time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, thermal gravimetry, water contact angle measurements, and fluorescence microscopy, human neuroblastoma cells were challenged with pSi MPs in an in vitro assay, revealing a significant time delay in cell death onset.

  2. An Experimental Study of Micron-Size Zero-Valent Iron Emplacement in Permeable Porous Media Using Polymer-Enhanced Fluids

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Oostrom, Mart; Wietsma, Thomas W.; Covert, Matthew A.; Vermeul, Vince R.

    2005-12-22

    At the Hanford Site, an extensive In Situ Redox Manipulation (ISRM) permeable reactive barrier was installed to prevent chromate from reaching the Columbia River. However, chromium has been detected in several wells, indicating a premature loss of the reductive capacity in the aquifer. One possible cause for premature chromate breakthrough is associated with the presence of high-permeability zones in the aquifer. In these zones, groundwater moves relatively fast and is able to oxidize iron more rapidly. There is also a possibility that the high-permeability flow paths are deficient in reducing equivalents (e.g. reactive iron), required for barrier performance. One way enhancement of the current barrier reductive capacity can be achieved is by the addition of micron-scale zero-valent iron to the high-permeability zones within the aquifer. The potential emplacement of zero-valent iron (Fe0) into high-permeability Hanford sediments (Ringold Unit E gravels) using shear-thinning fluids containing polymers was investigated in three-dimensional wedge-shaped aquifer models. Polymers were used to create a suspension viscous enough to keep the Fe0 in solution for extended time periods to improve colloid movement into the porous media without causing a permanent detrimental decrease in hydraulic conductivity. Porous media were packed in the wedge-shaped flow cell to create either a heterogeneous layered system with a high-permeability zone in between two low-permeability zones or a high-permeability channel surrounded by low-permeability materials. The injection flow rate, polymer type, polymer concentration, and injected pore volumes were determined based on preliminary short- and long-column experiments.

  3. Electromechanical Response of Conductive Porous Structure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hye-Mi So

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Porous conductors with large surface-volume ratios have been applied to a variety of fields, including absorbents, flexible heaters, and electrodes for supercapacitors. In this study, we implemented sensitive pressure sensors using the mechanical and electrical characteristics of conductive porous structures manufactured by immersing sponges into a carbon nanotube solution and then measured the change in resistance. When pressure was applied to conductive sponges, carbon nanotubes were attached to each other and the resistance was reduced by up to 20%. The carbon nanotube sponges, which were soft and had superior elasticity, were quickly stabilized without any changes taking place in their shape, and they showed consistent change in resistance during experiments of repetitive pressure. The pressure devices based on conductive porous sponges were connected to single-walled carbon nanotube field effect transistors (SWCNT-FETs and changes in their characteristics were investigated according to external pressure.

  4. Infill Optimization for Additive Manufacturing-Approaching Bone-Like Porous Structures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Jun; Aage, Niels; Westermann, Rudiger; Sigmund, Ole

    2018-02-01

    Porous structures such as trabecular bone are widely seen in nature. These structures are lightweight and exhibit strong mechanical properties. In this paper, we present a method to generate bone-like porous structures as lightweight infill for additive manufacturing. Our method builds upon and extends voxel-wise topology optimization. In particular, for the purpose of generating sparse yet stable structures distributed in the interior of a given shape, we propose upper bounds on the localized material volume in the proximity of each voxel in the design domain. We then aggregate the local per-voxel constraints by their p-norm into an equivalent global constraint, in order to facilitate an efficient optimization process. Implemented on a high-resolution topology optimization framework, our results demonstrate mechanically optimized, detailed porous structures which mimic those found in nature. We further show variants of the optimized structures subject to different design specifications, and we analyze the optimality and robustness of the obtained structures.

  5. Porous stainless steel hollow fiber membranes via dry-wet spinning

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Luiten-Olieman, Maria W.J.; Winnubst, Aloysius J.A.; Nijmeijer, Arian; Wessling, Matthias; Benes, Nieck Edwin

    2011-01-01

    Porous stainless steel hollow fibers have been prepared via the dry–wet spinning process, based on phase inversion of a particle loaded polymer solution, followed by sintering. The morphology of the green fibers combines sponge like structures and macro voids, and is related to the dynamics of the

  6. Structural and optical properties of vapor-etched porous GaAs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Smida, A.; Laatar, F. [Photovoltaic Laboratory, Centre for Research and Technology Energy, Tourist Route Soliman, BP 95, 2050 Hammam-Lif (Tunisia); Hassen, M., E-mail: mhdhassen@yahoo.fr [Photovoltaic Laboratory, Centre for Research and Technology Energy, Tourist Route Soliman, BP 95, 2050 Hammam-Lif (Tunisia); Higher Institute of Applied Science and Technology of Sousse, City Taffala (Ibn Khaldun), 4003 Sousse (Tunisia); Ezzaouia, H. [Photovoltaic Laboratory, Centre for Research and Technology Energy, Tourist Route Soliman, BP 95, 2050 Hammam-Lif (Tunisia)

    2016-08-15

    This paper consists to present first results concerning the structure of porous GaAs layer (por-GaAs-L) prepared by using HF/HNO{sub 3} as acidic solution in vapor etching (VE) method. In order to clarify this method, we detail here its principle and explain how por-GaAs-Ls are formed, taking into account the influencing of the exposure time of the GaAs substrate to the acid vapor. The etched GaAs layers have been investigated by UV–visible and PL analysis. One porous layer was performed to be characterised by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), FTIR spectroscopy, and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). The porous structure was constituted by a nanocrystals with an average size about 6 nm. These nanocrystals were calculated from XRD peak using Scherrer's formula, AFM imaging, and also by using effective mass approximation model from effective band gap. - Highlights: • Porous GaAs layer was prepared by using Vapor etching (VE) method. • Effect of VE duration on the microstructural optical properties of the GaAs substrate • Porous structure of GaAs layer was demonstrated by using SEM and AFM microscopy.

  7. Structural and optical properties of vapor-etched porous GaAs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smida, A.; Laatar, F.; Hassen, M.; Ezzaouia, H.

    2016-01-01

    This paper consists to present first results concerning the structure of porous GaAs layer (por-GaAs-L) prepared by using HF/HNO 3 as acidic solution in vapor etching (VE) method. In order to clarify this method, we detail here its principle and explain how por-GaAs-Ls are formed, taking into account the influencing of the exposure time of the GaAs substrate to the acid vapor. The etched GaAs layers have been investigated by UV–visible and PL analysis. One porous layer was performed to be characterised by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), FTIR spectroscopy, and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). The porous structure was constituted by a nanocrystals with an average size about 6 nm. These nanocrystals were calculated from XRD peak using Scherrer's formula, AFM imaging, and also by using effective mass approximation model from effective band gap. - Highlights: • Porous GaAs layer was prepared by using Vapor etching (VE) method. • Effect of VE duration on the microstructural optical properties of the GaAs substrate • Porous structure of GaAs layer was demonstrated by using SEM and AFM microscopy.

  8. Porous polymer coatings as substrates for the formation of high-fidelity micropatterns by quill-like pens

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael Hirtz

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available We explored the potentials of microarray printing using quill-like microcantilevers onto solid supports that are typically used in microspot printing, including paper, polymeric nitrocellulose and nylon membranes. We compared these membranes with a novel porous poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate support (HEMA with narrow pore size distribution in the 150 nm range, which demonstrated advantages in pattern definition, spot homogeneity, and consistent spot delivery of different dyes (phloxine B and bromophenol blue with diameters of several micrometres. The bromophenol blue arrays on HEMA support were used to detect the presence of bovine serum albumin (BSA. In the presence of BSA, the fluorescence spectrum observed from the bromophenol blue microarray exhibited a significant red shift of the maximum emission wavelength. Our results show that the porous HEMA substrates can improve the fidelity and quality of microarrays prepared by using the quill-like microcantilevers. The presented method sets the stage for further studies using chemical and biochemical recognition elements, along with colorimetric and fluorometric sensors that can be spotted by this method onto flat porous polymer substrates.

  9. Porous silicon nanoparticles for target drag delivery: structure and morphology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spivak, Yu M; Belorus, A O; Somov, P A; Bespalova, K A; Moshnikov, V A; Tulenin, S S

    2015-01-01

    Nanoparticles of porous silicon were obtained by electrochemical anodic etching. Morphology and structure of the particles was investigated by means dynamic light scattering and scanning electron microscopy. The influence of technological conditions of preparation on geometrical parameters of the porous silicon particles (particle size distribution, pore shape and size, the specific surface area of the porous silicon) is discussed. (paper)

  10. Characterization of geo-polymer porosity: temporal evolution and study of the confined water

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Benavent, Virginie

    2016-01-01

    In this study, we have investigated the porous network of geo-polymers. The first step consisted in characterizing the structure of the porous network by the means of both intrusive experimental techniques (water porosimetry, gas sorption and mercury intrusion) and non-intrusive techniques (small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering). By the same time, the evolutions of the porous structure as well as the mechanical properties were followed over time. The second step was to determine the structure, the thermodynamics and the dynamics of water confined in the porosity by differential scanning calorimetry, quasi-elastic neutron scattering and migration tests. Geo-polymer pore structure is a complex multi-scale porosity, a meso- and macroporous network, essentially open and connected. It consists in a vermicular meso-porous network which connects the macro-pores. The meso-pore characteristic size depends on the formulation of the geo-polymer paste and is ranged between about 4 and 10 nm. Geo-polymer have a total pore volume comprised between 40 and 50 %, the meso-porous volume represents between 7 and 15 % of the material global volume. The majority of the pore volume is then attributed to macro-pores. a slight closure of porosity was observed with time and was attributed to a dissolution-precipitation mechanism occurring at pore wall interfaces. The mechanical properties reach a maximum within 10 days, and then are stable over time when the samples were kept from drying and carbonation and at the temperature of 20 C. Besides, three kinds of water were highlighted inside the porosity: (i) an interfacial water linked at the pore surfaces, (ii) free water inside the meso-pores and (iii) free water inside macro-pores. at local time scale, the mobility of water was found close to the one of free water, and at the macroscopic scale, a decrease in diffusion coefficient of one order of magnitude was observed, together with an effect of meso-pore size. (author) [fr

  11. Preparation of bioactive porous HA/PCL composite scaffolds

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhao, J.; Guo, L.Y.; Yang, X.B. [Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies of Materials (Ministry of Education), School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031 (China); Weng, J. [Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies of Materials (Ministry of Education), School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031 (China)], E-mail: jweng@swjtu.cn

    2008-12-30

    Porous hydroxyapatite (HA) bioceramic scaffold has been widely attracted the attention to act as a three-dimensional (3D) template for cell adhesion, proliferation, differentiation and thus promoting bone and cartilage regeneration because of its osteoinduction. However, the porous bioceramic scaffold is fragile so that it is not suitable to be applied in clinic for bone repair or replacement. Therefore, it is significant to improve the mechanical property of porous HA bioceramics while the interconnected structure is maintained for tissue ingrowth in vivo. In the present research, a porous composite scaffold composed of HA scaffold and polycaprolactone (PCL) lining was fabricated by the method of polymer impregnating to produce HA scaffold coated with PCL lining. Subsequently, the composite scaffolds were deposited with biomimetic coating for improving the bioactivity. The HA/PCL composite scaffolds with improved mechanical property and bioactivity is expected to be a promising bone substitute in tissue engineering applications.

  12. Preparation of bioactive porous HA/PCL composite scaffolds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao, J.; Guo, L.Y.; Yang, X.B.; Weng, J.

    2008-01-01

    Porous hydroxyapatite (HA) bioceramic scaffold has been widely attracted the attention to act as a three-dimensional (3D) template for cell adhesion, proliferation, differentiation and thus promoting bone and cartilage regeneration because of its osteoinduction. However, the porous bioceramic scaffold is fragile so that it is not suitable to be applied in clinic for bone repair or replacement. Therefore, it is significant to improve the mechanical property of porous HA bioceramics while the interconnected structure is maintained for tissue ingrowth in vivo. In the present research, a porous composite scaffold composed of HA scaffold and polycaprolactone (PCL) lining was fabricated by the method of polymer impregnating to produce HA scaffold coated with PCL lining. Subsequently, the composite scaffolds were deposited with biomimetic coating for improving the bioactivity. The HA/PCL composite scaffolds with improved mechanical property and bioactivity is expected to be a promising bone substitute in tissue engineering applications

  13. Absorption-desorption of drugs in porous polymers obtained by plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gonzalez T, M.

    2016-01-01

    A study about drug absorption and release in plasma polymers is presented in this work, these materials can be used as implants in the human body. In these applications the polymer should be biocompatible and/or biodegradable. Poly pyrroles and poly allylamine s synthesized by plasma have amine groups in their structure which makes them biocompatible with potential as drug carriers. In this function, the polymers were lyophilized to induce pores where the drug can be hosted. Drug-polymer mixtures with 1:10 ratio were prepared. The mixture morphology was studied by Scanning Electron Microscopy while their chemical structure was studied by Infrared Spectroscopy and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy. Two models were studied to assess drug release, dynamic and static, in two solutions: water and Krebs Ringer (Kr) using the UV characteristic absorbance of each drug. In the static model release, 5 mg of the mixture were placed in 10 ml of solution. In the dynamic model, the release was performed with 5 mg of the mixture in 10 ml of solution, 1.5 ml of release medium was removed for UV analysis and replaced with an equal volume of fresh medium. The results indicate that the morphology of the polymers was modified with the lyophilization, in Poly pyrrole pores were induced with diameter in the range of 0.7 to 19 μm, while in Polyallyl amine the surface changed from smooth to rough. Drugs were absorbed in Poly pyrrole by filling the pores first and then coating the polymer with a drug layer. In Poly allylamine the drugs adhered to the polymer surface. Analyzing the atomic orbitals of the mixtures, it was found that the drugs interacted with the polymer. The most affected orbital was S2p, whose separation between 1/2 and 3/2 sub orbitals increased from 0.9 eV in Dapsone and Heparin to 4 eV in the mixtures, where the oxidation state changed from valence 6 to 6 and 2 in the mixtures. This suggests physicochemical interaction between drug and polymer. The drugs were released

  14. PEG encapsulated by porous triamide-linked polymers as support for solid-liquid phase change materials for energy storage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andriamitantsoa, Radoelizo S.; Dong, Wenjun; Gao, Hongyi; Wang, Ge

    2017-03-01

    A series of porous triamide-linked polymers labeled as PTP were prepared by condensation of 1,3,5-benzenetricarbonyl trichloride with benzene-1,4-diamine (A), 4,4‧-methylenediamine (B) and 1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triamine (C) respectively. The as-synthesized polymers exhibit permanent porosity and high surface areas which guarantee to hold polyethylene glycol (PEG) molecules in their network for shape-stabilized phase change materials. They possess different effects on the phase change properties of the composite due to their different porosities. PTP-A have intrinsic well-ordered morphology, microstructure and good enough pores to keep the PCMs compared to PTP-B and PTP-C. PEG 2000 used as PCMs could be retained up to 85 wt% in PTP-A polymer materials and these composites were defined as form-stable composite PCMs without the leakage of melted PCM. The thermal study revealed a good storage effect of encapsulated polymer and the enthalpy of melting increases in the order PTP-C PCMs.

  15. Double polymer sheathed carbon nanotube supercapacitors show enhanced cycling stability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Wenqi; Wang, Shanshan; Wang, Chunhui; Wu, Shiting; Xu, Wenjing; Zou, Mingchu; Ouyang, An; Cao, Anyuan; Li, Yibin

    2015-12-01

    Pseudo-materials are effective in boosting the specific capacitance of supercapacitors, but during service their degradation may also be very strong, causing reduced cycling stability. Here, we show that a carbon nanotube sponge grafted by two conventional pseudo-polymer layers in sequence can serve as a porous supercapacitor electrode with significantly enhanced cycling stability compared with single polymer grafting. Creating conformal polymer coatings on the nanotube surface and the resulting double-sheath configuration are important structural factors leading to the enhanced performance. Combining different polymers as double sheaths as reported here might be a potential route to circumvent the dilemma of pseudo-materials, and to simultaneously improve the capacitance and stability for various energy storage devices.Pseudo-materials are effective in boosting the specific capacitance of supercapacitors, but during service their degradation may also be very strong, causing reduced cycling stability. Here, we show that a carbon nanotube sponge grafted by two conventional pseudo-polymer layers in sequence can serve as a porous supercapacitor electrode with significantly enhanced cycling stability compared with single polymer grafting. Creating conformal polymer coatings on the nanotube surface and the resulting double-sheath configuration are important structural factors leading to the enhanced performance. Combining different polymers as double sheaths as reported here might be a potential route to circumvent the dilemma of pseudo-materials, and to simultaneously improve the capacitance and stability for various energy storage devices. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr05978j

  16. Topology optimization of 3D shell structures with porous infill

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Clausen, Anders; Andreassen, Erik; Sigmund, Ole

    2017-01-01

    This paper presents a 3D topology optimization approach for designing shell structures with a porous or void interior. It is shown that the resulting structures are significantly more robust towards load perturbations than completely solid structures optimized under the same conditions. The study...... indicates that the potential benefit of using porous structures is higher for lower total volume fractions. Compared to earlier work dealing with 2D topology optimization, we found several new effects in 3D problems. Most notably, the opportunity for designing closed shells significantly improves...

  17. A novel processing approach for free-standing porous non-oxide ceramic supports from polycarbosilane and polysilazane precursors

    OpenAIRE

    Konegger, Thomas; Patidar, Rajesh; Bordia, Rajendra K.

    2015-01-01

    In this contribution, a low-pressure/low-temperature casting technique for the preparation of novel free-standing macrocellular polymer-derived ceramic support structures is presented. Preceramic polymers (polycarbosilane and poly(vinyl)silazane) are combined with sacrificial porogens (ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene microbeads) to yield porous ceramic materials in the Si?C or Si?C?N systems, exhibiting well-defined pore structures after thermal conversion. The planar-disc-type speci...

  18. Processing and properties of ceramic matrix-polymer composites for dental applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Hsuan Yao

    The basic composite structure of natural hard tissue was used to guide the design and processing of dental restorative materials. The design incorporates the methodology of using inorganic minerals as the main structural phase reinforced with a more ductile but tougher organic phase. Ceramic-polymer composites were prepared by slip casting a porous ceramic structure, heating and chemical treating the porous preform, infiltrating with monomer and then curing. The three factors that determined the mechanical properties of alumina-polymer composites were the type of polymer used, the method of silane treatments, and the type of bond between particles in the porous preforms. Without the use of silane coupling agents, the composites were measured to have a lower strength. The composite with a more "flexible" porous alumina network had a greater ability to plastically dissipate the energy of propagating cracks. However, the aggressive nature of the alumina particles on opposing enamel requires that these alumina-polymer composites have a wear compatible coating for practical application. A route to dense bioactive apatite wollastonite glass ceramics (AWGC)-polymer composites was developed. The problems associated with glass dissolution into the aqueous medium for slip casting were overcome with the use of silane. The role of heating rate and development of ceramic compact microstructure on composite properties was explored. In general, if isothermal heating was not applied, decreasing heating rate increased glass crystallinity and particle-particle fusion, but decreased pore volume. Also composite strength and fracture toughness decreased while modulus and hardness increased with decreasing heating rate. If isothermal heating was applied, glass crystallinity, pore content, and composite mechanical properties showed relatively little change regardless of the initial heating rate. The potential of AWGC-polymer composites for dental and implant applications was explored

  19. Bioinspired Surface Treatments for Improved Decontamination: Polymer Based SlipperyLiquid Infused Porous Surfaces (SLIPS)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2018-04-23

    Materials & Interfaces 6, 1502-1508 (2014). 2. M.A. Samaha; M. Gad-el-Hak, " Polymeric Slippery Coatings: Nature and Applications," Polymers 6, 1266...organic polymers producing chains that can serve to reinforce the overall structure. The POSS variants evaluated under this study included a cage structure...cage structures of silicon and oxygen that bind to organic polymers producing large chains that can act as a reinforcing fiber (Figure 1). They are

  20. Additive manufacturing of polymer-derived ceramics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eckel, Zak C.; Zhou, Chaoyin; Martin, John H.; Jacobsen, Alan J.; Carter, William B.; Schaedler, Tobias A.

    2016-01-01

    The extremely high melting point of many ceramics adds challenges to additive manufacturing as compared with metals and polymers. Because ceramics cannot be cast or machined easily, three-dimensional (3D) printing enables a big leap in geometrical flexibility. We report preceramic monomers that are cured with ultraviolet light in a stereolithography 3D printer or through a patterned mask, forming 3D polymer structures that can have complex shape and cellular architecture. These polymer structures can be pyrolyzed to a ceramic with uniform shrinkage and virtually no porosity. Silicon oxycarbide microlattice and honeycomb cellular materials fabricated with this approach exhibit higher strength than ceramic foams of similar density. Additive manufacturing of such materials is of interest for propulsion components, thermal protection systems, porous burners, microelectromechanical systems, and electronic device packaging.

  1. Visualization of monomer and polymer inside porous stones by using X-ray tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brunetti, Antonio; Princi, Elisabetta; Vicini, Silvia; Pincin, Silvia; Bidali, Simone; Mariani, Alberto

    2004-01-01

    Estimate of sorption of liquid materials inside porous stones is an important parameter in industrial material testing and cultural heritage conservation. In the latter case, a suitable polymer can be used for both consolidation and conservation, it being applied either in the final form or as its parent monomer, which is subsequently allowed to polymerize in situ by the classical method or by frontal polymerization. However, the sorption of such materials through the stone is often difficult because of their viscosity and/or stone porosity. For this reason, the amount of monomer (or polymer) is a parameter of great interest in order to determine the extent of protection reachable by the treatment. In this paper a new methodology based on X-ray tomography is presented. The methodology makes use of a contrast agent added to the monomer that does not interact with its propagation inside the stone and allows to increase the absorption coefficient and so to observe the monomer inside the sample, which is finally frontally polymerized

  2. Selective separation of lambdacyhalothrin by porous/magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers prepared by Pickering emulsion polymerization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hang, Hui; Li, Chunxiang; Pan, Jianming; Li, Linzi; Dai, Jiangdong; Dai, Xiaohui; Yu, Ping; Feng, Yonghai

    2013-10-01

    Porous/magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers (PM-MIPs) were prepared by Pickering emulsion polymerization. The reaction was carried out in an oil/water emulsion using magnetic halloysite nanotubes as the stabilizer instead of a toxic surfactant. In the oil phase, the imprinting process was conducted by radical polymerization of functional and cross-linked monomers, and porogen chloroform generated steam under the high reaction temperature, which resulted in some pores decorated with easily accessible molecular binding sites within the as-made PM-MIPs. The characterization demonstrated that the PM-MIPs were porous and magnetic inorganic-polymer composite microparticles with magnetic sensitivity (M(s) = 0.7448 emu/g), thermal stability (below 473 K) and magnetic stability (over the pH range of 2.0-8.0). The PM-MIPs were used as a sorbent for the selective binding of lambdacyhalothrin (LC) and rapidly separated under an external magnetic field. The Freundlich isotherm model gave a good fit to the experimental data. The adsorption kinetics of the PM-MIPs was well described by pseudo-second-order kinetics, indicating that the chemical process could be the rate-limiting step in the adsorption of LC. The selective recognition experiments exhibited the outstanding selective adsorption effect of the PM-MIPs for target LC. Moreover, the PM-MIPs regeneration without significant loss in adsorption capacity was demonstrated by at least four repeated cycles. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  3. Vapor Phase Polymerization Deposition Conducting Polymer Nanocomposites on Porous Dielectric Surface as High Performance Electrode Materials

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Ya jie Yang; Luning Zhang; Shibin Li; Zhiming Wang; Jianhua Xu; Wenyao Yang; Yadong Jiang

    2013-01-01

    We report chemical vapor phase polymerization(VPP) deposition of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)(PEDOT) and PEDOT/graphene on porous dielectric tantalum pentoxide(Ta2O5) surface as cathode films for solid tantalum electrolyte capacitors. The modified oxidant/oxidant-graphene films were first deposited on Ta2O5 by dip-coating, and VPP process was subsequently utilized to transfer oxidant/oxidant-graphene into PEDOT/PEDOT-graphene films. The SEM images showed PEDOT/PEDOT-graphene films was successfully constructed on porous Ta2O5 surface through VPP deposition, and a solid tantalum electrolyte capacitor with conducting polymer-graphene nano-composites as cathode films was constructed. The high conductivity nature of PEDOT-graphene leads to resistance decrease of cathode films and lower contact resistance between PEDOT/graphene and carbon paste. This nano-composite cathode films based capacitor showed ultralow equivalent series resistance(ESR) ca. 12 m? and exhibited excellent capacitance-frequency performance, which can keep 82% of initial capacitance at 500 KHz. The investigation on leakage current revealed that the device encapsulation process has no influence on capacitor leakage current, indicating the excellent mechanical strength of PEDOT/PEDOT-gaphene films. This high conductivity and mechanical strength of graphene-based polymer films shows promising future for electrode materials such as capacitors, organic solar cells and electrochemical energy storage devices.

  4. Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Heterogeneous Ceramic-Polymer Composite Using Interpenetrating Network

    OpenAIRE

    Kim, Eun-Hee; Jung, Yeon-Gil; Jo, Chang-Yong

    2012-01-01

    Prepolymer, which can be polymerized by a photo, has been infiltrated into a porous ceramic to improve the addition effect of polymer into the ceramic, as a function of the functionality of prepolymer. It induces the increase in the mechanical properties of the ceramic. The porous alumina (Al2O3) and the polyurethane acrylate (PUA) with a network structure by photo-polymerization were used as the matrix and infiltration materials, respectively. The porous Al2O3 matrix without t...

  5. Boiling phenomenon and heat transfer in bead-packed porous structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Xiaojie; ZHu Yanlei; Bai Bofeng; Yan Xiao; Xiao Zejun

    2009-01-01

    A visual study on pool boiling behavior and phase distribution was conducted on the porous structures made of staggered glass beads at atmospheric pressure. The bead-packed structure was heated on the bottom. The investigations were carried out respectively at different glass bead diameters which were 4 mm, 6 mm and 8 mm. The results show that during subcooled boiling, small isolated bubbles are formed on the heated surface and combine into main-bubbles, the dispersion frequency of the main-bubbles is low and the small bubbles scatter in the bead-packed porous structures. At the initial stage of saturated boiling, the bubble growth rate, the volume of main-bubbles and the range of continuous vapor phase increase. The dispersion frequency of main-bubbles increases with the increasing of heat flux. During film boiling, the heated surface is absolutely covered with vapor film and the porous structure is full of liquid. The larger the diameter of beads is, the higher heat flux is needed for the same phenomenon, and the higher maximum value of heat transfer coefficient will be. During the whole saturated boiling, and the heat transfer enhanced firstly and then weakened. Being opposite to that of the diameters of 4 mm and 8 mm, the heat transfer coefficient in the 6 mm-bead-packed porous structure decreases with the increasing of the heat flux. (authors)

  6. Porous Structure Characterization in Titanium Coating for Surgical Implants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M.V. Oliveira

    2002-09-01

    Full Text Available Powder metallurgy techniques have been used to produce controlled porous structures, such as the porous coatings applied for dental and orthopedic surgical implants, which allow bony tissue ingrowth within the implant surface improving fixation. This work presents the processing and characterization of titanium porous coatings of different porosity levels, processed through powder metallurgy techniques. Pure titanium sponge powders were used for coating and Ti-6Al7Nb powder metallurgy rods were used as substrates. Characterization was made through quantitative metallographic image analysis using optical light microscope for coating porosity data and SEM analysis for evaluation of the coating/substrate interface integrity. The results allowed optimization of the processing parameters in order to obtain porous coatings that meet the requirements for use as implants.

  7. Functionalization of alkyne-terminated thermally hydrocarbonized porous silicon nanoparticles with targeting peptides and antifouling polymers: effect on the human plasma protein adsorption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Chang-Fang; Mäkilä, Ermei M; Bonduelle, Colin; Rytkönen, Jussi; Raula, Janne; Almeida, Sérgio; Närvänen, Ale; Salonen, Jarno J; Lecommandoux, Sebastien; Hirvonen, Jouni T; Santos, Hélder A

    2015-01-28

    Porous silicon (PSi) nanomaterials combine a high drug loading capacity and tunable surface chemistry with various surface modifications to meet the requirements for biomedical applications. In this work, alkyne-terminated thermally hydrocarbonized porous silicon (THCPSi) nanoparticles were fabricated and postmodified using five bioactive molecules (targeting peptides and antifouling polymers) via a single-step click chemistry to modulate the bioactivity of the THCPSi nanoparticles, such as enhancing the cellular uptake and reducing the plasma protein association. The size of the nanoparticles after modification was increased from 176 to 180-220 nm. Dextran 40 kDa modified THCPSi nanoparticles showed the highest stability in aqueous buffer. Both peptide- and polymer-functionalized THCPSi nanoparticles showed an extensive cellular uptake which was dependent on the functionalized moieties presented on the surface of the nanoparticles. The plasma protein adsorption study showed that the surface modification with different peptides or polymers induced different protein association profiles. Dextran 40 kDa functionalized THCPSi nanoparticles presented the least protein association. Overall, these results demonstrate that the "click" conjugation of the biomolecules onto the alkyne-terminated THCPSi nanoparticles is a versatile and simple approach to modulate the surface chemistry, which has high potential for biomedical applications.

  8. Structure Optimization of Porous Dental Implant Based on 3D Printing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ji, Fangqiu; Zhang, Chunyu; Chen, Xianshuai

    2018-03-01

    In this paper, selective laser melting (SLM) technology is used to process complex structures. In combination with the theory of biomedicine, a porous implant with a porous structure is designed to induce bone cell growth. The mechanical strength advantage of SLM was discussed by observing the metallographic structure of SLM specimen with mechanical microscope and mechanical tensile test. The osseointegration of porous implants was observed and analyzed by biological experiments. By establishing a mechanical model, the mechanical properties of the bone implant combined with the jaw bone were studied by the simple mechanical analysis under static multi loading and the finite element mechanical analysis. According to the experimental observation and mechanical research, the optimization suggestions for the structure design of the implant made by SLM technology were put forward.

  9. Interpretation of electrokinetic measurements with porous films: role of electric conductance and streaming current within porous structure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yaroshchuk, Andriy; Luxbacher, Thomas

    2010-07-06

    It is shown that in tangential electrokinetic measurements with porous films the porous structure makes contribution not only to the cell electric conductance (as demonstrated previously) but also to the observed streaming current. Both of these contributions give rise to dependences of streaming-potential and streaming-current coefficients on the channel height. However, due to the combined contribution of two phenomena, the dependence of streaming-potential coefficient on the channel height may be rather complicated and not allow for simple extrapolation. At the same time, the dependences of streaming-current coefficient and cell electric conductance on the channel height turn out linear and can be easily extrapolated to zero channel heights. This enables one to determine separately the contributions of external surface of porous film and of its porous structure to the streaming current and of the channel and porous structure to the cell electric conductance. This procedure is illustrated by the measurements of tangential electrokinetic phenomena and electric conductance with Millipore mixed-cellulose membrane filters of various average pore sizes (from 0.025 to 5 mum) in the so-called adjustable-gap cell of SurPASS electrokinetic instrument (Anton Paar GmbH). The design of this cell allows for easy and quasi-continuous variation of channel height as well as accurate determination of cell electric conductance, streaming-current coefficient, and channel height (from the cell hydraulic permeability). The quality of linear fits of experimental data has been found to be very good, and thus, the extrapolation procedures were quite reliable and accurate. Zeta-potentials could be determined of both external film and internal pore surfaces. It is demonstrated that the porous structures make considerable contributions to both streaming-current coefficient and cell electric conductance especially in the case of filters with larger pores. It is also found that, rather

  10. Optical and structural properties of porous zinc oxide fabricated via electrochemical etching method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ching, C.G.; Lee, S.C.; Ooi, P.K.; Ng, S.S.; Hassan, Z.; Hassan, H. Abu; Abdullah, M.J.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: • Hillock like porous structure zinc oxide was obtained via electrochemical etching. • Anisotropic dominance etching process by KOH etchant. • Reststrahlen features are sensitive to multilayer porous structure. • Determination of porosity from IR reflectance spectrum. -- Abstract: We investigated the optical and structural properties of porous zinc oxide (ZnO) thin film fabricated by ultraviolet light-assisted electrochemical etching. This fabrication process used 10 wt% potassium hydroxide solution as an electrolyte. Hillock-like porous ZnO films were successfully fabricated according to the field emission scanning electron microscopy results. The cross-sectional study of the sample indicated that anisotropic-dominated etching process occurred. However, the atomic force microscopic results showed an increase in surface roughness of the sample after electrochemical etching. A resonance hump induced by the porous structure was observed in the infrared reflectance spectrum. Using theoretical modeling technique, ZnO porosification was verified, and the porosity of the sample was determined

  11. A highly efficient electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction: phosphorus and nitrogen co-doped hierarchically ordered porous carbon derived from an iron-functionalized polymer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Chengwei; Zhong, Hexiang; Li, Xianfeng; Yao, Lan; Zhang, Huamin

    2016-01-01

    Heteroatom-doped carbon materials have shown respectable activity for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in alkaline media. However, the performances of these materials are not satisfactory for energy conversion devices, such as fuel cells. Here, we demonstrate a new type of phosphorus and nitrogen co-doped hierarchically ordered porous carbon (PNHOPC) derived from an iron-functionalized mesoporous polymer through an evaporation-induced self-assembly process that simultaneously combines the carbonization and nitrogen doping processes. The soft template and the nitrogen doping process facilitate the formation of the hierarchically ordered structure for the PNHOPC. The catalyst possesses a large surface area (1118 cm2 g-1) and a pore volume of 1.14 cm3 g-1. Notably, it exhibits excellent ORR catalytic performance, superior stability and methanol tolerance in acidic electrolytes, thus making the catalyst promising for fuel cells. The correlations between the unique pore structure and the nitrogen and phosphorus configuration of the catalysts with high catalytic activity are thoroughly investigated.Heteroatom-doped carbon materials have shown respectable activity for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in alkaline media. However, the performances of these materials are not satisfactory for energy conversion devices, such as fuel cells. Here, we demonstrate a new type of phosphorus and nitrogen co-doped hierarchically ordered porous carbon (PNHOPC) derived from an iron-functionalized mesoporous polymer through an evaporation-induced self-assembly process that simultaneously combines the carbonization and nitrogen doping processes. The soft template and the nitrogen doping process facilitate the formation of the hierarchically ordered structure for the PNHOPC. The catalyst possesses a large surface area (1118 cm2 g-1) and a pore volume of 1.14 cm3 g-1. Notably, it exhibits excellent ORR catalytic performance, superior stability and methanol tolerance in acidic

  12. Porous hollow Co₃O₄ with rhombic dodecahedral structures for high-performance supercapacitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yi-Zhou; Wang, Yang; Xie, Ye-Lei; Cheng, Tao; Lai, Wen-Yong; Pang, Huan; Huang, Wei

    2014-11-06

    Porous hollow Co₃O₄ with rhombic dodecahedral structures were prepared by the calcination of ZIF-67 ([Co(mim)2; mim = 2-methylimidazolate]) rhombic dodecahedral microcrystals. A supercapacitor was successfully constructed by adopting the resulting porous hollow Co₃O₄ rhombic dodecahedral structure as the electrode material, which showed a large specific capacitance of 1100 F g(-1) and retained more than 95.1% of the specific capacitance after 6000 continuous charge-discharge cycles. The excellent capacitive properties and stability mark the porous hollow Co₃O₄ with the rhombic dodecahedral structure as one of the most promising electrode materials for high-performance supercapacitors.

  13. Know your facts on polymer floods

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mungan, N

    1967-06-01

    The influence of mobility ratio on the recovery of oil by waterflooding is reviewed in general. It is shown that, for mobility ratios more unfavorable than ten, additional oil recovery obtainable by polymer flooding may be too small to prove a profitable application. Polymers achieve the lower water mobilities by two mechanisms: (1) by reducing the permeability of the porous media through polymer trapping in the pores; and (2) by yielding a high solution viscosity, due to speudo-plastic nature of the polymer solutions. Adsorption, connate water saturation and reservoir heterogeneity are very important in the field use of polymers. Laboratory data is presented showing that for a given polymer solution oil recoveries are greatest where adsorption is reduced and when the porous medium is heterogeneous.

  14. Simplified method to solve sound transmission through structures lined with elastic porous material.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, J H; Kim, J

    2001-11-01

    An approximate analysis method is developed to calculate sound transmission through structures lined with porous material. Because the porous material has both the solid phase and fluid phase, three wave components exist in the material, which makes the related analysis very complicated. The main idea in developing the approximate method is very simple: modeling the porous material using only the strongest of the three waves, which in effect idealizes the material as an equivalent fluid. The analysis procedure has to be conducted in two steps. In the first step, sound transmission through a flat double panel with a porous liner of infinite extents, which has the same cross sectional construction as the actual structure, is solved based on the full theory and the strongest wave component is identified. In the second step sound transmission through the actual structure is solved modeling the porous material as an equivalent fluid while using the actual geometry of the structure. The development and validation of the method are discussed in detail. As an application example, the transmission loss through double walled cylindrical shells with a porous core is calculated utilizing the simplified method.

  15. Superficially porous particles with 1000Å pores for large biomolecule high performance liquid chromatography and polymer size exclusion chromatography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wagner, Brian M; Schuster, Stephanie A; Boyes, Barry E; Shields, Taylor J; Miles, William L; Haynes, Mark J; Moran, Robert E; Kirkland, Joseph J; Schure, Mark R

    2017-03-17

    To facilitate mass transport and column efficiency, solutes must have free access to particle pores to facilitate interactions with the stationary phase. To ensure this feature, particles should be used for HPLC separations which have pores sufficiently large to accommodate the solute without restricted diffusion. This paper describes the design and properties of superficially porous (also called Fused-Core ® , core shell or porous shell) particles with very large (1000Å) pores specifically developed for separating very large biomolecules and polymers. Separations of DNA fragments, monoclonal antibodies, large proteins and large polystyrene standards are used to illustrate the utility of these particles for efficient, high-resolution applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Incomparable hardness and modulus of biomimetic porous polyurethane films prepared by directional melt crystallization of a solvent

    Science.gov (United States)

    An, Suyeong; Kim, Byoungsoo; Lee, Jonghwi

    2017-07-01

    Porous materials with surprisingly diverse structures have been utilized in nature for many functional purposes. However, the structures and applications of porous man-made polymer materials have been limited by the use of processing techniques involving foaming agents. Herein, we demonstrate for the first time the outstanding hardness and modulus properties of an elastomer that originate from the novel processing approach applied. Polyurethane films of 100-μm thickness with biomimetic ordered porous structures were prepared using directional melt crystallization of a solvent and exhibited hardness and modulus values that were 6.8 and 4.3 times higher than those of the random pore structure, respectively. These values surpass the theoretical prediction of the typical model for porous materials, which works reasonably well for random pores but not for directional pores. Both the ordered and random pore structures exhibited similar porosities and pore sizes, which decreased with increasing solution concentration. This unexpectedly significant improvement of the hardness and modulus could open up new application areas for porous polymeric materials using this relatively novel processing technique.

  17. Multilayer porous UHMWPE scaffolds for bone defects replacement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maksimkin, A.V.; Senatov, F.S.; Anisimova, N.Yu.; Kiselevskiy, M.V.; Zalepugin, D.Yu.; Chernyshova, I.V.; Tilkunova, N.A.; Kaloshkin, S.D.

    2017-01-01

    Reconstruction of the structural integrity of the damaged bone tissue is an urgent problem. UHMWPE may be potentially used for the manufacture of porous implants simulating as closely as possible the porous cancellous bone tissue. But the extremely high molecular weight of the polymer does not allow using traditional methods of foaming. Porous and multilayer UHMWPE scaffolds with nonporous bulk layer and porous layer that mimics cancellous bone architecture were obtained by solid-state mixing, thermopressing and washing in subcritical water. Structural and mechanical properties of the samples were studied. Porous UHMWPE samples were also studied in vitro and in vivo. The pores of UHMWPE scaffold are open and interconnected. Volume porosity of the obtained samples was 79 ± 2%; the pore size range was 80–700 μm. Strong connection of the two layers in multilayer UHMWPE scaffolds was observed with decreased number of fusion defects. Functionality of implants based on multilayer UHMWPE scaffolds is provided by the fixation of scaffolds in the bone defect through ingrowths of the connective tissue into the pores, which ensures the maintenance of the animals' mobility - Highlights: • Porous UHMWPE scaffold mimics cancellous bone architecture, maintaining its flexibility. • Multilayer UHMWPE scaffold is able to simulate different types of bone tissue. • Fixation of scaffolds in the bone provides through ingrowths of the connective tissue into pores. • Multilayer UHMWPE scaffolds can be used for the formation of bone implants.

  18. Multilayer porous UHMWPE scaffolds for bone defects replacement

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maksimkin, A.V. [National University of Science and Technology “MISIS”, Moscow (Russian Federation); Senatov, F.S., E-mail: senatov@misis.ru [National University of Science and Technology “MISIS”, Moscow (Russian Federation); Anisimova, N.Yu.; Kiselevskiy, M.V. [National University of Science and Technology “MISIS”, Moscow (Russian Federation); N.N. Blokhin Russian Cancer Research Center, Moscow (Russian Federation); Zalepugin, D.Yu.; Chernyshova, I.V.; Tilkunova, N.A. [State Plant of Medicinal Drugs, Moscow (Russian Federation); Kaloshkin, S.D. [National University of Science and Technology “MISIS”, Moscow (Russian Federation)

    2017-04-01

    Reconstruction of the structural integrity of the damaged bone tissue is an urgent problem. UHMWPE may be potentially used for the manufacture of porous implants simulating as closely as possible the porous cancellous bone tissue. But the extremely high molecular weight of the polymer does not allow using traditional methods of foaming. Porous and multilayer UHMWPE scaffolds with nonporous bulk layer and porous layer that mimics cancellous bone architecture were obtained by solid-state mixing, thermopressing and washing in subcritical water. Structural and mechanical properties of the samples were studied. Porous UHMWPE samples were also studied in vitro and in vivo. The pores of UHMWPE scaffold are open and interconnected. Volume porosity of the obtained samples was 79 ± 2%; the pore size range was 80–700 μm. Strong connection of the two layers in multilayer UHMWPE scaffolds was observed with decreased number of fusion defects. Functionality of implants based on multilayer UHMWPE scaffolds is provided by the fixation of scaffolds in the bone defect through ingrowths of the connective tissue into the pores, which ensures the maintenance of the animals' mobility - Highlights: • Porous UHMWPE scaffold mimics cancellous bone architecture, maintaining its flexibility. • Multilayer UHMWPE scaffold is able to simulate different types of bone tissue. • Fixation of scaffolds in the bone provides through ingrowths of the connective tissue into pores. • Multilayer UHMWPE scaffolds can be used for the formation of bone implants.

  19. Simulation Analysis and Performance Study of CoCrMo Porous Structure Manufactured by Selective Laser Melting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guoqing, Zhang; Junxin, Li; Jin, Li; Chengguang, Zhang; Zefeng, Xiao

    2018-04-01

    To fabricate porous implants with improved biocompatibility and mechanical properties that are matched to their application using selective laser melting (SLM), flow within the mold and compressive properties and performance of the porous structures must be comprehensively studied. Parametric modeling was used to build 3D models of octahedron and hexahedron structures. Finite element analysis was used to evaluate the mold flow and compressive properties of the parametric porous structures. A DiMetal-100 SLM molding apparatus was used to manufacture the porous structures and the results evaluated by light microscopy. The results showed that parametric modeling can produce robust models. Square structures caused higher blood cell adhesion than cylindrical structures. "Vortex" flow in square structures resulted in chaotic distribution of blood elements, whereas they were mostly distributed around the connecting parts in the cylindrical structures. No significant difference in elastic moduli or compressive strength was observed in square and cylindrical porous structures of identical characteristics. Hexahedron, square and cylindrical porous structures had the same stress-strain properties. For octahedron porous structures, cylindrical structures had higher stress-strain properties. Using these modeling and molding results, an important basis for designing and the direct manufacture of fixed biological implants is provided.

  20. Simulation Analysis and Performance Study of CoCrMo Porous Structure Manufactured by Selective Laser Melting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guoqing, Zhang; Junxin, Li; Jin, Li; Chengguang, Zhang; Zefeng, Xiao

    2018-05-01

    To fabricate porous implants with improved biocompatibility and mechanical properties that are matched to their application using selective laser melting (SLM), flow within the mold and compressive properties and performance of the porous structures must be comprehensively studied. Parametric modeling was used to build 3D models of octahedron and hexahedron structures. Finite element analysis was used to evaluate the mold flow and compressive properties of the parametric porous structures. A DiMetal-100 SLM molding apparatus was used to manufacture the porous structures and the results evaluated by light microscopy. The results showed that parametric modeling can produce robust models. Square structures caused higher blood cell adhesion than cylindrical structures. "Vortex" flow in square structures resulted in chaotic distribution of blood elements, whereas they were mostly distributed around the connecting parts in the cylindrical structures. No significant difference in elastic moduli or compressive strength was observed in square and cylindrical porous structures of identical characteristics. Hexahedron, square and cylindrical porous structures had the same stress-strain properties. For octahedron porous structures, cylindrical structures had higher stress-strain properties. Using these modeling and molding results, an important basis for designing and the direct manufacture of fixed biological implants is provided.

  1. Structure and Dynamics of Polymer/Polymer grafted nanoparticle composite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Archer, Lynden

    Addition of nanoparticles to polymers is a well-practiced methodology for augmenting various properties of the polymer host, including mechanical strength, thermal stability, barrier properties, dimensional stability and wear resistance. Many of these property changes are known to arise from nanoparticle-induced modification of polymer structure and chain dynamics, which are strong functions of the dispersion state of the nanoparticles' and on their relative size (D) to polymer chain dimensions (e.g. Random coil radius Rg or entanglement mesh size a) . This talk will discuss polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) comprised of Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) tethered silica nanoparticles (SiO2-PEG) dispersed in polymers as model systems for investigating phase stability and dynamics of PNCs. On the basis of small-angle X-ray Scattering, it will be shown that favorable enthalpic interactions between particle-tethered chains and a polymer host provides an important mechanism for creating PNCs in which particle aggregation is avoided. The talk will report on polymer and particle scale dynamics in these materials and will show that grafted nanoparticles well dispersed in a polymer host strongly influence the host polymer relaxation dynamics on all timescales and the polymers in turn produce dramatic changes in the nature (from diffusive to hyperdiffusive) and speed of nano particle decorrelation dynamics at the polymer entanglement threshold. A local viscosity model capable of explaining these observations is discussed and the results compared with scaling theories for NP motions in polymers This material is based on work supported by the National Science Foundation Award Nos. DMR-1609125 and CBET-1512297.

  2. Preparation and characterization of monodisperse large-porous silica microspheres as the matrix for protein separation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xia, Hongjun; Wan, Guangping; Zhao, Junlong; Liu, Jiawei; Bai, Quan

    2016-11-04

    High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is a kind of efficient separation technology and has been used widely in many fields. Micro-sized porous silica microspheres as the most popular matrix have been used for fast separation and analysis in HPLC. In this paper, the monodisperse large-porous silica microspheres with controllable size and structure were successfully synthesized with polymer microspheres as the templates and characterized. First, the poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate) microspheres (P GMA-EDMA ) were functionalized with tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA) to generate amino groups which act as a catalyst in hydrolysis of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) to form Si-containing low molecular weight species. Then the low molecular weight species diffused into the functionalized P GMA-EDMA microspheres by induction force of the amino groups to form polymer/silica hybrid microspheres. Finally, the organic polymer templates were removed by calcination, and the large-porous silica microspheres were obtained. The compositions, morphology, size distribution, specific surface area and pore size distribution of the porous silica microspheres were characterized by infrared analyzer, scanning-electron microscopy, dynamic laser scattering, the mercury intrusion method and thermal gravimetric analysis, respectively. The results show that the agglomeration of the hybrid microspheres can be overcome when the templates were functionalized with TEPA as amination reagent, and the yield of 95.7% of the monodisperse large-porous silica microspheres can be achieved with high concentration of polymer templates. The resulting large-porous silica microspheres were modified with octadecyltrichlorosilane (ODS) and the chromatographic evaluation was performed by separating the proteins and the digest of BSA. The baseline separation of seven kinds of protein standards was achieved, and the column delivered a better performance when separating BSA digests

  3. Tensile behavior of porous scaffolds made from poly(para phenylene) - biomed 2013.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dirienzo, Amy L; Yakacki, Christopher M; Safranski, David L; Frick, Carl P

    2013-01-01

    The goal of this study was to fabricate and mechanically characterize a high-strength porous polymer scaffold for potential use as an orthopedic device. Poly(para-phenylene) (PPP) is an excellent candidate due to its exceptional strength and stiffness and relative inertness, but has never been explicitly investigated for use as a biomedical device. PPP has strength values 3 to 10 times higher and an elastic modulus nearly an order of magnitude higher than traditional polymers such as poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), polycaprolactone (PCL), ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), and polyurethane (PU) and is significantly stronger and stiffer than polyetheretherketone (PEEK). By utilizing PPP we can overcome the mechanical limitations of traditional porous polymeric scaffolds since the outstanding stiffness of PPP allows for a highly porous structure appropriate for osteointegration that can match the stiffness of bone (100-250 MPa), while maintaining suitable mechanical properties for soft-tissue fixation. Porous samples were manufactured by powder sintering followed by particle leaching. The pore volume fraction was systematically varied from 50–80 vol% for a pore sizes from150-500 µm, as indicated by previous studies for optimal osteointegration. The tensile modulus of the porous samples was compared to the rule of mixtures, and closely matches foam theory up to 70 vol%. The experimental modulus for 70 vol% porous samples matches the stiffness of bone and contains pore sizes optimal for osteointegration.

  4. PEGDA/PVdF/F127 gel type polymer electrolyte membranes for lithium secondary batteries

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Yan-Jie; Kim, Dukjoon [Department of Chemical Engineering, Polymer Technology Institute, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Kyunggi 440-746 (Korea)

    2007-03-30

    A novel porous gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) membrane based on poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA), poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVdF), and polyethylene oxide-co-polypropylene oxide-co-polyethylene oxide (PEO-PPO-PEO, F127) was fabricated by a phase inversion technique. The PEGDA cross-linking oligomer could be randomly mixed with unraveled PVdF polymer chains to form the interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) structure. Several experimental techniques including infrared (IR) spectra, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and potentiostat/galvanostat were employed to investigate the characteristics of the polymer membranes. PEGDA and F127 influenced the porous size and structure. The mechanical strength and flexibility of the membrane were controlled by its composition. The membrane with the composition of PEGDA/PVdF/F127 (0/4/4) showed the highest electrolyte uptake of 152.6% and the maximum ionic conductivity of 2.0 x 10{sup -3} S cm{sup -1} at room temperature. All GPEs prepared in this study were electrochemically stable up to 4.5 V. (author)

  5. Surface structure and adsorption properties of ultrafine porous carbon fibers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Song Xiaofeng; Wang Ce; Zhang Dejiang

    2009-01-01

    Ultrafine porous carbon fibers (UPCFs) were successfully synthesized by chemical activation of electrospun polyacrylonitrile fibers. In the current approach, potassium hydroxide was adopted as activation reagent. UPCFs were systematically evaluated by scanning electron microscope and nitrogen adsorption. The mass ratio of potassium hydroxide to preoxidized fibers, activation temperature and activation time are crucial for producing high quality UPCFs. The relationships between porous structure and process parameters are explored. UPCFs were applied as adsorbent for nitrogen monoxide to be compared with commercial porous carbon fibers.

  6. Polymeric molecular sieve membranes via in situ cross-linking of non-porous polymer membrane templates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiao, Zhen-An; Chai, Song-Hai; Nelson, Kimberly; Bi, Zhonghe; Chen, Jihua; Mahurin, Shannon M; Zhu, Xiang; Dai, Sheng

    2014-04-16

    High-performance polymeric membranes for gas separation are attractive for molecular-level separations in industrial-scale chemical, energy and environmental processes. Molecular sieving materials are widely regarded as the next-generation membranes to simultaneously achieve high permeability and selectivity. However, most polymeric molecular sieve membranes are based on a few solution-processable polymers such as polymers of intrinsic microporosity. Here we report an in situ cross-linking strategy for the preparation of polymeric molecular sieve membranes with hierarchical and tailorable porosity. These membranes demonstrate exceptional performance as molecular sieves with high gas permeabilities and selectivities for smaller gas molecules, such as carbon dioxide and oxygen, over larger molecules such as nitrogen. Hence, these membranes have potential for large-scale gas separations of commercial and environmental relevance. Moreover, this strategy could provide a possible alternative to 'classical' methods for the preparation of porous membranes and, in some cases, the only viable synthetic route towards certain membranes.

  7. Post-Synthesis Functionalization of Porous Organic Polymers for CO2 Capture

    KAUST Repository

    Al Otaibi, Mona S.

    2014-07-01

    Solid porous materials are network materials that contain space void. Porous Organic Polymers (POPs) are porous materials, which are constructed from organic building blocks and exhibit large surface area with low densities. Due to these characteristics, POPs have attracted attentions because of their potential use in application such as gas storage and chemical separation. This thesis presents a study of the synthesis of novel POP being a network based on 2,5- dibromobenzaldehyde and 1,3,5-triethynylbenzene linked together via Sonogashira- Hagihara (SH) coupling. This network showed a relatively good surface area of 770 m2/g and total pore volume of 0.59 cc/g. In addition, it proved to be chemically and thermally stable, maintaining the thermal stability up to 350oC. In addition to synthesize novel aldehyde-POP network, it was also possible to post synthetically modify a network via one-step post synthetic functionalization by amine. Ethelynediamine (EDA), Diethylenetriamine (DETA), and Tris(2-aminoethyl)amine (Tris-amine) are three different amines used for aldehyde-POP functionalization. The produced networks were aminated via different amine species substitution the aldehyde group present within the network. Modification to these networks resulted in a decrease in surface area from 770 m2.g-1 to 333 m2.g-1, 162 m2.g-1, and 211 m2.g-1 in respective to EDA, DETA, and Tris-amine. Although the surface areas were decreased, the CO2 adsorption was enhanced as evidenced by the increase of Qst (i.e., from 25 to 45 kJ.mol-1 for DETA at low coverage). Our findings are expected to strengthen existing research areas of the influence of different type of amines (e.g aromatic amine) on CO2 adsorption. Although amine grafting has been studied in other systems (e.g., PAFs and MOFs), we are the first to reported amine functionalized POPs using a novel one-step amine grafting PSM procedure. Future research might extend to study the interaction between CO2 and amine species under

  8. Photonic polymer-blend structures and method for making

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barnes, Michael D.

    2004-06-29

    The present invention comprises the formation of photonic polymer-blend structures having tunable optical and mechanical properties. The photonic polymer-blend structures comprise monomer units of spherical microparticles of a polymer-blend material wherein the spherical microparticles have surfaces partially merged with one another in a robust inter-particle bond having a tunable inter-particle separation or bond length sequentially attached in a desired and programmable architecture. The photonic polymer-blend structures of the present invention can be linked by several hundred individual particles sequentially linked to form complex three-dimensional structures or highly ordered two-dimensional arrays of 3D columns with 2D spacing.

  9. Functional porous composites by blending with solution-processable molecular pores.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, S; Chen, L; Briggs, M E; Hasell, T; Cooper, A I

    2016-05-25

    We present a simple method for rendering non-porous materials porous by solution co-processing with organic cage molecules. This method can be used both for small functional molecules and for polymers, thus creating porous composites by molecular blending, rather than the more traditional approach of supporting functional molecules on pre-frabricated porous supports.

  10. Topological representation of the porous structure and its evolution of reservoir sandstone under excavation-induced loads

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ju Yang

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The porous structure of a reservoir rock greatly influences its evolutive deformation and fracture behavior during excavation of natural resources reservoirs. Most numerical models for porous structures have been used to predict the quasi-static mechanical properties, but few are available to accurately characterize the evolution process of the porous structure and its influence on the macroscopic properties of reservoir rocks. This study reports a novel method to characterize the porous structure of sandstone using its topological parameters and to determine the laws that govern the evolutive deformation and failure of the topological structure under various uniaxial compressive loads. A numerical model of the porous sandstone was established based on the pore characteristics that were acquired using computed tomography imaging techniques. The analytical method that integrates the grassfire algorithm and the maximum inscribed sphere algorithm was proposed to create the 3-D topological model of the deformed porous structure, through which the topological parameters of the structure were measured and identified. The evolution processes of the porous structure under various loads were characterized using its equivalent topological model and parameters. This study opens a new way to characterize the dynamic evolution of the pore structure of reservoir sandstone under excavation disturbance.

  11. Structural health monitoring system/method using electroactive polymer fibers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scott-Carnell, Lisa A. (Inventor); Siochi, Emilie J. (Inventor)

    2013-01-01

    A method for monitoring the structural health of a structure of interest by coupling one or more electroactive polymer fibers to the structure and monitoring the electroactive responses of the polymer fiber(s). Load changes that are experienced by the structure cause changes in the baseline responses of the polymer fiber(s). A system for monitoring the structural health of the structure is also provided.

  12. Processing and characterization of ceramic superconductor/polymer composites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kander, R.G.; Namboodri, S.L.

    1993-01-01

    One way to more easily process a brittle high-temperature ceramic superconductor into a useful structure is to combine it with a polymer to form a composite material. Processing of polymer-based composites into complex shapes is well established and relatively easy when compared with traditional ceramic processing unit operations. In addition, incorporating a ceramic superconductor into a polymer matrix can improve mechanical performance as compared with a monolithic ceramic. Finally, because ceramic superconductors are susceptible to attack by moisture, a polymer-based composite structure can also provide protection from deleterious environmental effects. This paper focuses on the processing and subsequent characterization of ceramic superconductor/polymer composites designed primarily for electromagnetic shielding and diamagnetic applications. YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x [YBCO] ceramic superconductor is combined with poly(methyl methacrylate) [PMMA] to form novel composite structures. Composite structures have been molded with both a discontinuous superconducting phase (i.e., ceramic particulate reinforced polymers) and with a continuous superconducting phase (i.e., polymer infiltrated porous ceramics). Characterization of these composite structures includes the determination of diamagnetic strength, electromagnetic shielding effectiveness, mechanical performance, and environmental resistance. The goal of this program is to produce a composite structure with increased mechanical integrity and environmental resistance at liquid nitrogen temperatures without compromising the electromagnetic shielding and diamagnetic properties of the superconducting phase. Composites structures of this type are potentially useful in numerous magnetic applications including electromagnetic shielding, magnetic sensors, energy storage, magnetic levitation, and motor windings

  13. Dynamics of Nano-Chain Diffusing in Porous Media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Jiang-Xing; Zheng Qiang; Huang Chun-Yun; Xu Jiang-Rong; Ying He-Ping

    2015-01-01

    A coarse-grained model is proposed to study the dynamics of a nano-chain diffusing in porous media. The simulation utilizes a hybrid method which combines stochastic rotation dynamics with molecular dynamics. Solvent molecules are explicitly taken into account to represent the hydrodynamic interactions and random fluctuations. The conformation, relaxation, and diffusion properties of a polymer chain are investigated by changing the density degree of the obstacle matrix. It is found that the average size of the chain is a nonmonotonic function of the obstacle volume fraction ϕ. A dense environment may contribute to extending a linear chain, which can be characterized by larger exponents in the corresponding power law. The relaxation behavior of a stretched chain to a steady state shows dramatic crossover from exponent to power-law relaxation when the values of φ are increased. The dependence of the diffusion coefficient on the chain size is also studied. Various kinds of scaling properties are presented and discussed. The results can give additional insight into the density effect of porous media on polymer structure and dynamics. (paper)

  14. Design of 3D Graphene-Oxide Spheres and Their Derived Hierarchical Porous Structures for High Performance Supercapacitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Zhuangnan; Gadipelli, Srinivas; Yang, Yuchen; Guo, Zhengxiao

    2017-11-01

    Graphene-oxide (GO) based porous structures are highly desirable for supercapacitors, as the charge storage and transfer can be enhanced by advancement in the synthesis. An effective route is presented of, first, synthesis of three-dimensional (3D) assembly of GO sheets in a spherical architecture (GOS) by flash-freezing of GO dispersion, and then development of hierarchical porous graphene (HPG) networks by facile thermal-shock reduction of GOS. This leads to a superior gravimetric specific capacitance of ≈306 F g -1 at 1.0 A g -1 , with a capacitance retention of 93% after 10 000 cycles. The values represent a significant capacitance enhancement by 30-50% compared with the GO powder equivalent, and are among the highest reported for GO-based structures from different chemical reduction routes. Furthermore, a solid-state flexible supercapacitor is fabricated by constructing the HPG with polymer gel electrolyte, exhibiting an excellent areal specific capacitance of ≈220 mF cm -2 at 1.0 mA cm -2 with exceptional cyclic stability. The work reveals a facile but efficient synthesis approach of GO-based materials to enhance the capacitive energy storage. © 2017 The Authors. Published by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  15. Electroassembly of smart polymer structures (role of polyelectrolytes)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wallace, Gordon G.; Adeloju, Samuel B.; Shaw, Shannon J.

    1997-02-01

    Polymers are ubiquitous in nature, owing to their use as both structural and active components in dynamic, living systems. From a synthetic point of view man has utilized the excellent structural properties of polymers (light weight/high strength) for some decades now. However, the integration of active functional polymers into engineered systems and structures is a more recent endeavour with numerous challenges still to be overcome. Conducting electroactive polymers such as polypyrroles, polythiophenes and polyanilines are a fascinating group of functional polymers. They are electronic conductors and in addition they response to chemical or electrical stimuli in a number of ways. They are truly electrofunctional polymers. This unique combination of properties has led to the use of conducting polymers for electronic components, chemical sensors and biosensors, membranes for solution or gas separations, electromechanical actuators, electro-optical devices, biomaterials capable of controlled release of drugs or stimulation of biological processes, and for corrosion protection.

  16. Nanoporous thermosetting polymers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raman, Vijay I; Palmese, Giuseppe R

    2005-02-15

    Potential applications of nanoporous thermosetting polymers include polyelectrolytes in fuel cells, separation membranes, adsorption media, and sensors. Design of nanoporous polymers for such applications entails controlling permeability by tailoring pore size, structure, and interface chemistry. Nanoporous thermosetting polymers are often synthesized via free radical mechanisms using solvents that phase separate during polymerization. In this work, a novel technique for the synthesis of nanoporous thermosets is presented that is based on the reactive encapsulation of an inert solvent using step-growth cross-linking polymerization without micro/macroscopic phase separation. The criteria for selecting such a monomer-polymer-solvent system are discussed based on FTIR analysis, observed micro/macroscopic phase separation, and thermodynamics of swelling. Investigation of resulting network pore structures by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and small-angle X-ray scattering following extraction and supercritical drying using carbon dioxide showed that nanoporous polymeric materials with pore sizes ranging from 1 to 50 nm can be synthesized by varying the solvent content. The differences in the porous morphology of these materials compared to more common free radically polymerized analogues that exhibit phase separation were evident from SEM imaging. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that the chemical activity of the nanoporous materials obtained by our method could be tailored by grafting appropriate functional groups at the pore interface.

  17. High-capacity hollow porous dummy molecular imprinted polymers using ionic liquid as functional monomer for selective recognition of salicylic acid.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiang, Haiyan; Peng, Mijun; Li, Hui; Peng, Sheng; Shi, Shuyun

    2017-01-30

    The existence of strong intramolecular hydrogen bond in salicylic acid (SA) weakens its intermolecular hydrogen bonding with functional monomer, then it is a challenge work to fabricate molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) for SA recognition with high capacity and good selectivity. Here, hollow porous dummy MIPs (HPDMIPs) were prepared using benzoic acid (BA) as dummy template, ionic liquid (i.e. 1-vinyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride) as functional monomer, and MCM-48 as sacrificial support. Factors that affected adsorption, such as type of template and porogen, mole ratio of template-functional monomer-cross-linker and type of binding solvent, were optimized in detail. Multiple strong interactions between SA and ionic liquid in HPDMIPs deduced higher binding capacity (29.75mg/g), imprinting factor (5.61) and selectivity than any previously reported MIPs by traditional or surface imprinting technology. The large surface area (543.9m 2 /g) with hollow porous structure resulted in faster kinetic binding (25min). The equilibrium data fitted well to Freundlich equation and the adsorption process could be described by pseudo-second order model. Finally, HPDMIPs were successfully applied to selectively extract and enrich SA from Actinidia chinensis with a relatively high recovery (84.6-94.5%). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Porous hollow Co3O4 with rhombic dodecahedral structures for high-performance supercapacitors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yi-Zhou; Wang, Yang; Xie, Ye-Lei; Cheng, Tao; Lai, Wen-Yong; Pang, Huan; Huang, Wei

    2014-11-01

    Porous hollow Co3O4 with rhombic dodecahedral structures were prepared by the calcination of ZIF-67 ([Co(mim)2; mim = 2-methylimidazolate]) rhombic dodecahedral microcrystals. A supercapacitor was successfully constructed by adopting the resulting porous hollow Co3O4 rhombic dodecahedral structure as the electrode material, which showed a large specific capacitance of 1100 F g-1 and retained more than 95.1% of the specific capacitance after 6000 continuous charge-discharge cycles. The excellent capacitive properties and stability mark the porous hollow Co3O4 with the rhombic dodecahedral structure as one of the most promising electrode materials for high-performance supercapacitors.Porous hollow Co3O4 with rhombic dodecahedral structures were prepared by the calcination of ZIF-67 ([Co(mim)2; mim = 2-methylimidazolate]) rhombic dodecahedral microcrystals. A supercapacitor was successfully constructed by adopting the resulting porous hollow Co3O4 rhombic dodecahedral structure as the electrode material, which showed a large specific capacitance of 1100 F g-1 and retained more than 95.1% of the specific capacitance after 6000 continuous charge-discharge cycles. The excellent capacitive properties and stability mark the porous hollow Co3O4 with the rhombic dodecahedral structure as one of the most promising electrode materials for high-performance supercapacitors. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c4nr04782f

  19. Production of Poly(ε-Caprolactone)/Hydroxyapatite Composite Scaffolds with a Tailored Macro/Micro-Porous Structure, High Mechanical Properties, and Excellent Bioactivity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Jong-Woo; Shin, Kwan-Ha; Koh, Young-Hag; Hah, Min Jin; Moon, Jiyoung; Kim, Hyoun-Ee

    2017-09-22

    We produced poro-us poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL)/hydroxyapatite (HA) composite scaffolds for bone regeneration, which can have a tailored macro/micro-porous structure with high mechanical properties and excellent in vitro bioactivity using non-solvent-induced phase separation (NIPS)-based 3D plotting. This innovative 3D plotting technique can create highly microporous PCL/HA composite filaments by inducing unique phase separation in PCL/HA solutions through the non-solvent-solvent exchange phenomenon. The PCL/HA composite scaffolds produced with various HA contents (0 wt %, 10 wt %, 15 wt %, and 20 wt %) showed that PCL/HA composite struts with highly microporous structures were well constructed in a controlled periodic pattern. Similar levels of overall porosity (~78 vol %) and pore size (~248 µm) were observed for all the PCL/HA composite scaffolds, which would be highly beneficial to bone tissue regeneration. Mechanical properties, such as ultimate tensile strength and compressive yield strength, increased with an increase in HA content. In addition, incorporating bioactive HA particles into the PCL polymer led to remarkable enhancements in in vitro apatite-forming ability.

  20. Structural and elastic properties of porous silicon

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Matthai, C C [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Wales College of Cardiff, Cardiff CF2 3YB (United Kingdom); Gavartin, J L [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Wales College of Cardiff, Cardiff CF2 3YB (United Kingdom); Cafolla, A A [Department of Physics, Dublin City University, Dublin (Ireland)

    1995-01-15

    We have implemented a modified diffusion-limited aggregation model to simulate the porous silicon structure obtained by electrochemical dissolution. The resulting fractal structures were fully equilibrated using the molecular dynamics method. An analysis of the relaxed structure shows it to be quite stable with the presence of one-, two- and three-coordinated atoms as well as the four-coordinated atoms found in bulk silicon. It is suggested that the different substructures or nanocrystals might be responsible for the observed photoluminescence. ((orig.))

  1. Mechanical Properties of Porous Titanium Structure Fabricated by Investment Casting with Pressurization/Depressurization System

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kang, San; Lee, Ji-Woon; Hyun, Soong-Keun; Lee, Byong-Pil; Kim, Myoung-Gyun; Kim, Young-Jig

    2014-01-01

    A porous titanium structure was fabricated by investment casting with a pressurization/depressurization system, and its mechanical properties were studied. A Micro-Vickers hardness profile revealed that hardness gradually increased from the matrix to the metal/mold interface. A compression test was conducted on a single cell of the porous Ti structure. The theoretical and experimental values of yield strength were in good agreement. Such agreement suggested that the reaction layer did not affect the macro-mechanical properties of the porous Ti structure.

  2. Biocorrosion behavior and cell viability of adhesive polymer coated magnesium based alloys for medical implants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdal-hay, Abdalla; Dewidar, Montasser; Lim, Jae Kyoo

    2012-11-01

    The present study was ultimately aimed to design novel adhesive biodegradable polymer, poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc), coatings onto Mg based alloys by the dip-coating technique in order to control the degradation rate and enhance the biocompatibility of magnesium alloys. The influence of various solvents on PVAc surface topography and their protection of Mg alloys were dramatically studied in vitro. Electrochemical polarization, degradation, and PVAc film cytocompatibility were also tested. Our results showed that the solvent had a significant effect on coating quality. PVAc/dichloromethane solution showed a porous structure and solution concentration could control the porous size. The coatings prepared using tetrahydrofuran and dimethylformamide solvents are exceptional in their ability to generate porous morphology even at low polymer concentration. In general, the corrosion performance appears to be different on different PVAc-solvent system. Immersion tests illustrated that the porous morphology on PVAc stabilized corrosion rates. A uniform corrosion attack in artificial simulation body fluid was also exhibited. The cytocompatibility of osteoblast cells (MC3T3) revealed high adherence, proliferation, and survival on the porous structure of PVAc coated Mg alloy, which was not observed for the uncoated samples. This novel PVAc coating is a promising candidate for biodegradable implant materials, which might widen the use of Mg based implants.

  3. Experimental study of the retention properties of a cyclo olefin polymer pillar array column in reversed-phase mode.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Illa, Xavi; De Malsche, Wim; Gardeniers, Han; Desmet, Gert; Romano-Rodríguez, Albert

    2010-11-01

    Experimental measurements to study the retention capacity and band broadening under retentive conditions using micromachined non-porous pillar array columns fabricated in cyclo olefin polymer are presented. In particular, three columns with different depths but with the same pillar structure have been fabricated via hot embossing and pressure-assisted thermal bonding. Separations of a mixture of four coumarins using varying mobile phase compositions have been monitored to study the relation between the retention factor and the ratio of organic solvent in the aqueous mobile phase. Moreover, the linear relation between the retention and the surface/volume ratio predicted in theory has been observed, achieving retention factors up to k=2.5. Under the same retentive conditions, minimal reduced plate height values of h(min)=0.4 have been obtained at retention factors of k=1.2. These experimental results are compared with the case of non-porous and porous silicon pillars. Similar results for the plate heights are achieved while retention factors are higher than the non-porous silicon column and considerably smaller than the porous pillar column, given the non-porous nature of the used cyclo olefin polymer. The feasibility of using this polymer column as an alternative to the pillar array silicon columns is corroborated.

  4. Pore formation mechanism of porous poly(DL-lactic acid) matrix membrane

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Phaechamud, Thawatchai, E-mail: tphaechamud011@yahoo.com; Chitrattha, Sasiprapa, E-mail: sasi_toey@hotmail.com

    2016-04-01

    Porous PLA structure has been widely used in cell transplantation, drug carrier and wound dressing. The porous structure can be controlled depending on the choice of the polymer, solvent, nonsolvent and preparation parameters. In this study, the porous PLA matrix membranes were prepared by adding PEG 400 in PLA solution using dichloromethane (DCM) as solvent prior to casting. The influence of other liquids as co-solvent on pore formation and the structural change during membrane formation were evaluated. The co-solvents affected both porous topography and mechanical properties of PLA membrane. The porous matrix were produced when the non-solvent of PLA was used as co-solvent. Cryo-SEM micrographs revealed that PEG 400 still remained in the PLA porous matrix membrane. From the tracking of the structural change during film formation, the PLA–PEG solution changed into porous structure by liquid liquid phase separation and solidification processes, respectively. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed that PLA–PEG in DCM solution exhibited the two-step of weight loss, the first step occurred from DCM evaporation and the second step occurred from the degradation of PLA–PEG matrix. The liquid–liquid phase separation and solidification started when the amount of DCM was higher than PEG 400 for 2.67 folds and DCM amount was equal to that of PEG 400, respectively. These results could clarify the pore formation mechanism of porous PLA membrane and will be useful for the further investigation and application. - Highlights: • Pore formation mechanism of PLA matrix membrane inducing by PEG 400 addition was investigated. • Cryo-scanning electron microscopy revealed the embedded PEG 400 in matrix membrane. • Tracking of structural change during membrane formation with stereomicroscope and thermogravimetric analysis could explain the pore formation mechanism. • Liquid-liquid phase separation of PLA-PEG 400 solution started when the amount of dichloromethane remained 2

  5. Pore formation mechanism of porous poly(DL-lactic acid) matrix membrane

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Phaechamud, Thawatchai; Chitrattha, Sasiprapa

    2016-01-01

    Porous PLA structure has been widely used in cell transplantation, drug carrier and wound dressing. The porous structure can be controlled depending on the choice of the polymer, solvent, nonsolvent and preparation parameters. In this study, the porous PLA matrix membranes were prepared by adding PEG 400 in PLA solution using dichloromethane (DCM) as solvent prior to casting. The influence of other liquids as co-solvent on pore formation and the structural change during membrane formation were evaluated. The co-solvents affected both porous topography and mechanical properties of PLA membrane. The porous matrix were produced when the non-solvent of PLA was used as co-solvent. Cryo-SEM micrographs revealed that PEG 400 still remained in the PLA porous matrix membrane. From the tracking of the structural change during film formation, the PLA–PEG solution changed into porous structure by liquid liquid phase separation and solidification processes, respectively. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed that PLA–PEG in DCM solution exhibited the two-step of weight loss, the first step occurred from DCM evaporation and the second step occurred from the degradation of PLA–PEG matrix. The liquid–liquid phase separation and solidification started when the amount of DCM was higher than PEG 400 for 2.67 folds and DCM amount was equal to that of PEG 400, respectively. These results could clarify the pore formation mechanism of porous PLA membrane and will be useful for the further investigation and application. - Highlights: • Pore formation mechanism of PLA matrix membrane inducing by PEG 400 addition was investigated. • Cryo-scanning electron microscopy revealed the embedded PEG 400 in matrix membrane. • Tracking of structural change during membrane formation with stereomicroscope and thermogravimetric analysis could explain the pore formation mechanism. • Liquid-liquid phase separation of PLA-PEG 400 solution started when the amount of dichloromethane remained 2

  6. A review: fabrication of porous polyurethane scaffolds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Janik, H; Marzec, M

    2015-03-01

    The aim of tissue engineering is the fabrication of three-dimensional scaffolds that can be used for the reconstruction and regeneration of damaged or deformed tissues and organs. A wide variety of techniques have been developed to create either fibrous or porous scaffolds from polymers, metals, composite materials and ceramics. However, the most promising materials are biodegradable polymers due to their comprehensive mechanical properties, ability to control the rate of degradation and similarities to natural tissue structures. Polyurethanes (PUs) are attractive candidates for scaffold fabrication, since they are biocompatible, and have excellent mechanical properties and mechanical flexibility. PU can be applied to various methods of porous scaffold fabrication, among which are solvent casting/particulate leaching, thermally induced phase separation, gas foaming, emulsion freeze-drying and melt moulding. Scaffold properties obtained by these techniques, including pore size, interconnectivity and total porosity, all depend on the thermal processing parameters, and the porogen agent and solvents used. In this review, various polyurethane systems for scaffolds are discussed, as well as methods of fabrication, including the latest developments, and their advantages and disadvantages. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  7. Characteristics of Wave Reflection for Vertical and Slit Caissons with Porous Structures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tae-Hwa Jung

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Offshore structures are occasionally located at a relatively deep water region, the outside of breakwater. In this case, these structures may be damaged by the supposition of incident and reflected waves from a vertical breakwater. To prevent the damage, the reflected waves are controlled by installing porous structures at the face of the vertical breakwater. In this study, numerical experiments are carried out to identify the characteristics of wave reflection from the porous structures installing in front of a vertical or slit caisson.

  8. Porous polymer composite membrane based nanogenerator: A realization of self-powered wireless green energy source for smart electronics applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghosh, Sujoy Kumar; Sinha, Tridib Kumar; Mahanty, Biswajit; Jana, Santanu; Mandal, Dipankar

    2016-11-01

    An efficient, flexible and unvaryingly porous polymer composite membrane based nanogenerator (PPCNG) without any electrical poling treatment has been realised as wireless green energy source to power up smart electronic gadgets. Owing to self-polarized piezo- and ferro-electretic phenomenon of in situ platinum nanoparticles (Pt-NPs) doped porous poly(vinylidenefluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene)-membrane, a simple, inexpensive and scalable PPCNG fabrication is highlighted. The molecular orientations of the -CH2/-CF2 dipoles that cause self-polarization phenomenon has been realized by angular dependent near edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy. The square-like hysteresis loop with giant remnant polarization, Pr ˜ 68 μC/cm2 and exceptionally high piezoelectric charge coefficient, d33 ˜ - 836 pC/N promises a best suited ferro- and piezo-electretic membrane. The PPCNG exhibits a high electrical throughput such as, ranging from 2.7 V to 23 V of open-circuit voltage (Voc) and 2.9 μA to 24.7 μA of short-circuit current (Isc) under 0.5 MPa to 4.3 MPa of imparted stress amplitude by periodic human finger motion. The harvested mechanical and subsequent electrical energy by PPCNG is shown to transfer wirelessly via visible and infrared transmitter-receiver systems, where 17% and 49% of wireless power transfer efficiency, respectively, has been realized to power up several consumer electronics.

  9. Thermal-Conductivity Studies of Macro-porous Polymer-Derived SiOC Ceramics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiu, L.; Li, Y. M.; Zheng, X. H.; Zhu, J.; Tang, D. W.; Wu, J. Q.; Xu, C. H.

    2014-01-01

    A three-dimensional reticular macro-porous SiOC ceramics structure, made of spherical agglomerates, has been thermally characterized using a freestanding sensor-based method. The effective thermal conductivity of the macro-porous SiOC ceramics, including the effects of voids, is found to be to at room temperature, comparable with that of alumina aerogel or carbon aerogel. These results suggest that SiOC ceramics hold great promise as a thermal insulation material for use at high temperatures. The measured results further reveal that the effective thermal conductivity is limited by the low solid-phase volume fraction for the SiOC series processed at the same conditions. For SiOC ceramics processed under different pyrolysis temperatures, the contact condition between neighboring particles in the SiOC networks is another key factor influencing the effective thermal conductivity.

  10. Synthesis of hierarchical porous materials with ZSM-5 structures via template-free sol–gel method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wei Han et al

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available Interests are focused on preparation of hierarchical porous materials with zeolite structures by using soft or rigid templates in order to solve diffusion and mass transfer limitations resulting from the small pore sizes of zeolites. Here we develop a convenient template-free sol–gel method to synthesize hierarchical porous materials with ZSM-5 structures. This method involves hydrothermal recrystallization of the xerogel converted from uniform ZSM-5 sol by a vacuum drying process. By utilizing this method we can manipulate the size of zeolite nanocrystals as building units of porous structures based on controlling temperature of recrystallization, consequently obtain hierarchical porous materials with different intercrystalline pore sizes and ZSM-5 structures.

  11. PIV study of flow through porous structure using refractive index matching

    Science.gov (United States)

    Häfeli, Richard; Altheimer, Marco; Butscher, Denis; Rudolf von Rohr, Philipp

    2014-05-01

    An aqueous solution of sodium iodide and zinc iodide is proposed as a fluid that matches the refractive index of a solid manufactured by rapid prototyping. This enabled optical measurements in single-phase flow through porous structures. Experiments were also done with an organic index-matching fluid (anisole) in porous structures of different dimensions. To compare experiments with different viscosities and dimensions, we employed Reynolds similarity to deduce the scaling laws. One of the target quantities of our investigation was the dissipation rate of turbulent kinetic energy. Different models for the dissipation rate estimation were evaluated by comparing isotropy ratios. As in many other studies also, our experiments were not capable of resolving the velocity field down to the Kolmogorov length scale, and therefore, the dissipation rate has to be considered as underestimated. This is visible in experiments of different relative resolutions. However, being near the Kolmogorov scale allows estimating a reproducible, yet underestimated spatial distribution of dissipation rate inside the porous structure. Based on these results, the model was used to estimate the turbulent diffusivity. Comparing it to the dispersion coefficient obtained in the same porous structure, we conclude that even at the turbulent diffusivity makes up only a small part of mass transfer in axial direction. The main part is therefore attributed to Taylor dispersion.

  12. Molecular dynamics in porous media studied by nuclear magnetic resonance techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mattea, C.

    2006-01-01

    Field cycling NMR relaxometry was used to study dynamics of fluids under confinement in different scenarios: fluids flowing through porous media, fluids partially filling porous media and polymer melts in nanoscopic pores. Diffusion in partially filled porous media was also studied with the aid of an NMR diffusometry technique. It is shown that hydrodynamic flow influences the spin-lattice relaxation rate of water confined in mesoscopic porous media under certain conditions. The effect is predicted by an analytical theory and Monte Carlo simulations, and confirmed experimentally by field-cycling NMR relaxometry. Field-cycling NMR relaxometry has been applied to polar and non polar adsorbates in partially filled silica porous glasses. The dependence of the spin-lattice relaxation rate on the filling degree shows that limits for slow and fast exchange between different phases can be distinguished and identified depending on the pore size and polarity of the solvents. Diffusion in the same unsaturated systems was studied with the aid of NMR diffusometry technique. The effective diffusion coefficient of solvents with different polarities displays opposite tendencies as a function of the liquid content. A two-phase fast exchange model including Knudsen and ordinary diffusion and different effective tortuosities is presented accounting for these phenomena. In the case of polymer melts confined in narrow artificial tubes of a porous solid matrix with variable diameter (9 to 57 nm), the characteristics of reptation were experimentally verified using proton field cycling NMR relaxometry technique. This observation is independent of the molecular mass and pore size. In bulk, the same polymer melts show either Rouse or renormalized Rouse dynamics, depending on the molecular mass. The polymers under confinement show features specific for reptation even with a pore diameter 15 times larger than the Flory radius while bulk melts of the same polymers do not. (orig.)

  13. Preparation and performances of porous polyacrylonitrile-methyl methacrylate membrane for lithium-ion batteries

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhou, D.Y.; Wang, G.Z.; Tan, C.L.; Rao, M.M.; Liao, Y.H. [School of Chemistry and Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006 (China); Li, W.S.; Li, G.L. [School of Chemistry and Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006 (China); Key Lab of Technology on Electrochemical Energy Storage and Power Generation in Guangdong Universities, Guangzhou 510006 (China)

    2008-10-01

    A copolymer, polyacrylonitrile-methyl methacrylate P(AN-MMA), was synthesized by suspension polymerization with acrylonitrile (AN) and methyl methacrylate (MMA) as monomers. With this copolymer, polymer membrane was prepared by phase inversion. The performances of the polymer were characterized by FTIR, SEM, DSC/TG, EIS and LSV. The copolymer contains CH{sub 2}, CN and CO bonds, and shows its thermal stability up to 300 C. The polymer membrane has a porous structure with an average pore diameter of 0.5 {mu}m. The conductivity of the polymer electrolyte is 1.25 mS cm{sup -1} at room temperature, and it is electrochemically stable up to 5 V (vs. Li). Using the polymer electrolyte as the gel polymer electrolyte (GPE), the cell Li/GPE/LiCoO{sub 2} shows its cyclic stability as good as the cell with liquid electrolyte. (author)

  14. Control of Porosity in Ladder Polymers by Solvent-induced Aggregation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brady, Michael; Gamo, Eri; Wang, Cheng; Xia, Yan

    Porous polymers hold promise as materials for gas absorption, membranes, and organic electronics. In all of these applications, attaining in-plane ordering of backbones and thus porous free volume impacts the ability to adsorb gas, selectively filter molecules, and conduct charges. In this work, hard and soft x-ray scattering and soft x-ray spectroscopy are of focus to study the pore structure, induced by the solution-driven aggregation of ladder polymer thin films made of LP-1 and LP-2. Using GISAXS and AFM it is shown that thermal annealing drives the growth of crystallites in thin films. Due to the completely sp2nature of the ladder polymer backbones, it is expected that backbones are extremely stiff and thus preventing them from packing once left in a metastable state following casting. Therefore, the combination of GIWAXS and GISAXS will be shown to be critical in correctly understanding how pores develop in this 700 m2/g sorbent (N2). Finally, application in CO2/N2 separation membranes towards carbon sequestration will be presented that show gas selectivity is achieved through heteroatom incorporation and polymer blending. In this talk, focus will be placed on state-of-the-art x-ray scattering and spectroscopy, highlighting the importance of chemically sensitive structural information enabled by the combination of spectroscopy and scattering at play with the use of resonant soft x-rays.

  15. Pore-Network Modeling of Water and Vapor Transport in the Micro Porous Layer and Gas Diffusion Layer of a Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Qin, C.; Hassanizadeh, S.M.; van Oosterhout, L.M.

    2016-01-01

    In the cathode side of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC), a micro porous layer (MPL) added between the catalyst layer (CL) and the gas diffusion layer (GDL) plays an important role in water management. In this work, by using both quasi-static and dynamic pore-network models, water and vapor

  16. The development of a high-throughput gradient array apparatus for the study of porous polymer networks.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Majumdar, Partha (North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND); Lee, Elizabeth (North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND); Chisholm, Bret J. (North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND); Dirk, Shawn M.; Weisz, Michael (North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND); Bahr, James (North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND); Schiele, Kris (North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND)

    2010-01-01

    A gradient array apparatus was constructed for the study of porous polymers produced using the process of chemically-induced phase separation (CIPS). The apparatus consisted of a 60 element, two-dimensional array in which a temperature gradient was placed in the y-direction and composition was varied in the x-direction. The apparatus allowed for changes in opacity of blends to be monitored as a function of temperature and cure time by taking images of the array with time. The apparatus was validated by dispense a single blend composition into all 60 wells of the array and curing them for 24 hours and doing the experiment in triplicate. Variations in micron scale phase separation were readily observed as a function of both curing time and temperature and there was very good well-to-well consistency as well as trial-to-trial consistency. Poragen of samples varying with respect to cure temperature was removed and SEM images were obtained. The results obtained showed that cure temperature had a dramatic affect on sample morphology, and combining data obtained from visual observations made during the curing process with SEM data can enable a much better understanding of the CIPS process and provide predictive capability through the relatively facile generation of composition-process-morphology relationships. Data quality could be greatly enhanced by making further improvements in the apparatus. The primary improvements contemplated include the use of a more uniform light source, an optical table, and a CCD camera with data analysis software. These improvements would enable quantification of the amount of scattered light generated from individual elements as a function of cure time. In addition to the gradient array development, porous composites were produced by incorporating metal particles into a blend of poragen, epoxy resin, and crosslinker. The variables involved in the experiment were metal particle composition, primary metal particle size, metal concentration

  17. Band structures in Sierpinski triangle fractal porous phononic crystals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Kai; Liu, Ying; Liang, Tianshu

    2016-01-01

    In this paper, the band structures in Sierpinski triangle fractal porous phononic crystals (FPPCs) are studied with the aim to clarify the effect of fractal hierarchy on the band structures. Firstly, one kind of FPPCs based on Sierpinski triangle routine is proposed. Then the influence of the porosity on the elastic wave dispersion in Sierpinski triangle FPPCs is investigated. The sensitivity of the band structures to the fractal hierarchy is discussed in detail. The results show that the increase of the hierarchy increases the sensitivity of ABG (Absolute band gap) central frequency to the porosity. But further increase of the fractal hierarchy weakens this sensitivity. On the same hierarchy, wider ABGs could be opened in Sierpinski equilateral triangle FPPC; whilst, a lower ABG could be opened at lower porosity in Sierpinski right-angled isosceles FPPCs. These results will provide a meaningful guidance in tuning band structures in porous phononic crystals by fractal design.

  18. Band structures in Sierpinski triangle fractal porous phononic crystals

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Kai; Liu, Ying, E-mail: yliu5@bjtu.edu.cn; Liang, Tianshu

    2016-10-01

    In this paper, the band structures in Sierpinski triangle fractal porous phononic crystals (FPPCs) are studied with the aim to clarify the effect of fractal hierarchy on the band structures. Firstly, one kind of FPPCs based on Sierpinski triangle routine is proposed. Then the influence of the porosity on the elastic wave dispersion in Sierpinski triangle FPPCs is investigated. The sensitivity of the band structures to the fractal hierarchy is discussed in detail. The results show that the increase of the hierarchy increases the sensitivity of ABG (Absolute band gap) central frequency to the porosity. But further increase of the fractal hierarchy weakens this sensitivity. On the same hierarchy, wider ABGs could be opened in Sierpinski equilateral triangle FPPC; whilst, a lower ABG could be opened at lower porosity in Sierpinski right-angled isosceles FPPCs. These results will provide a meaningful guidance in tuning band structures in porous phononic crystals by fractal design.

  19. Spectroscopy of nanosized composites silicon-organic polymer/nanoporous silicas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ostapenko, N.; Kozlova, N.; Suto, S.; Watanabe, A.

    2006-01-01

    Fluorescence and excitation spectra (T=5-290 K) of nanosized silicon-organic polymers poly(di-n-hexylsilane) and poly(methyl(phenyl)silane) incorporated into porous silica materials MCM-41 and SBA-15 have been studied with varying pore diameter from 2.8 to 10 nm. The controlled variation of the pore diameter in a wide range (2.8-10 nm) permitted us, for the first time, to investigate the optical properties of the polymers on their transition from isolated macromolecules to a film. It is found that this transition depends on polymer type and occurs via the formation of new spatially independent structures of the polymers not observed in the spectra of the film, namely, via the formation of disordered and (or) ordered conformations of polymer chains and clusters

  20. Porous asymmetric SiO2-g-PMMA nanoparticles produced by phase inversion

    KAUST Repository

    Munirasu, Selvaraj

    2014-07-22

    A new kind of asymmetric organic-inorganic porous structure has been proposed. Asymmetric lattices of polymer grafted silica nanoparticles were manufactured by casting and phase inversion in water. Silica nanoparticles were first functionalized with 3-(dimethylethoxysilyl)propyl-2-bromoisobutyrate, followed by grafting of poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) segments, performed by atom-transfer radical polymerization. Mechanically stable self-standing films were prepared by casting a dispersion of functionalized nanoparticles in different solvents and immersion in water. The resulting asymmetrically porous morphology and nanoparticle assembly was characterized by scanning electron and atomic force microscopy. The PMMA functionalized SiO2 hybrid material in acetone or acetone/dioxane led to the best-assembled structures. Porous asymmetric membranes were prepared by adding free PMMA and PMMA terminated with hydrophilic hydroxyl group. Nitrogen flow of 2800 L m-2 h -1 was measured at 1.3 bar demonstrating the porosity and potential application for membrane technology. © 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York.

  1. Charge transport and structure in semimetallic polymers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rudd, Sam; Franco-Gonzalez, Juan F.; Kumar Singh, Sandeep

    2017-01-01

    Owing to changes in their chemistry and structure, polymers can be fabricated to demonstrate vastly different electrical conductivities over many orders of magnitude. At the high end of conductivity is the class of conducting polymers, which are ideal candidates for many applications in low......-cost electronics. Here, we report the influence of the nature of the doping anion at high doping levels within the semi-metallic conducting polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) on its electronic transport properties. Hall effect measurements on a variety of PEDOT samples show that the choice of doping...... that the chosen doping anion modifies the way PEDOT chains stack together. This link between structure and specific anion doping at high doping levels has ramifications for the fabrication of conducting polymer-based devices....

  2. In-syringe extraction using dissolvable layered double hydroxide-polymer sponges templated from hierarchically porous coordination polymers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghani, Milad; Frizzarin, Rejane M; Maya, Fernando; Cerdà, Víctor

    2016-07-01

    Herein we report the use of cobalt porous coordination polymers (PCP) as intermediates to prepare advanced extraction media based on layered double hydroxides (LDH) supported on melamine polymer foam. The obtained dissolvable Ni-Co LDH composite sponges can be molded and used as sorbent for the in-syringe solid-phase extraction (SPE) of phenolic acids from fruit juices. The proposed sorbent is obtained due to the surfactant-assisted self-assembly of Co(II)/imidazolate PCPs on commercially available melamine foam, followed by the in situ conversion of the PCP into the final dissolvable LDH coating. Advantageous features for SPE are obtained by using PCPs with hierarchical porosity (HPCPs). The LDH-sponge prepared using intermediate HPCPs (HLDH-sponge) is placed in the headspace of a glass syringe, enabling flow-through extraction followed by analyte elution by the dissolution of the LDH coating in acidic conditions. Three phenolic acids (gallic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid and caffeic acid) were extracted and quantified using high performance liquid chromatography. Using a 5mL sample volume, the obtained detection limits were 0.15-0.35μgL(-1). The proposed method for the preparation of HLDH-sponges showed a good reproducibility as observed from the intra- and inter-day RSD's, which were <10% for all analytes. The batch-to-batch reproducibility for three different batches of HLDH-sponges was 10.6-11.2%. Enrichment factors of 15-21 were obtained. The HLDH-sponges were applied satisfactorily to the determination of phenolic acids in natural and commercial fruit juices, obtaining relative recoveries among 89.7-95.3%. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Poly-functional porous-organic polymers to access functionality – CO 2 sorption energetic relationships

    KAUST Repository

    Alkordi, Mohamed H.; Haikal, Rana R.; Hassan, Youssef S.; Emwas, Abdul-Hamid M.; Belmabkhout, Youssef

    2015-01-01

    Herein, we report a facile approach towards the construction of poly-functional porous organic polymers (POPs). The functional groups employed were selected to span the range of Lewis-base to neutral to Lewis-acid character. Our results underline the effect of chemical functionality on the observed Q for CO adsorption inside the material, being largest for functional groups with electron donating O- and N-centered Lewis base sites. Our systematic investigation within a family of POPs revealed a wide range for CO heat of adsorption (23.8-53.8 kJ mol) that is clearly associated with the chemical nature of the functional groups present. In addition, post-synthetic modification of POPs reported herein demonstrated a facile pathway to dramatically enhance carbon dioxide uptake energetics.

  4. Poly-functional porous-organic polymers to access functionality – CO 2 sorption energetic relationships

    KAUST Repository

    Alkordi, Mohamed H.

    2015-09-21

    Herein, we report a facile approach towards the construction of poly-functional porous organic polymers (POPs). The functional groups employed were selected to span the range of Lewis-base to neutral to Lewis-acid character. Our results underline the effect of chemical functionality on the observed Q for CO adsorption inside the material, being largest for functional groups with electron donating O- and N-centered Lewis base sites. Our systematic investigation within a family of POPs revealed a wide range for CO heat of adsorption (23.8-53.8 kJ mol) that is clearly associated with the chemical nature of the functional groups present. In addition, post-synthetic modification of POPs reported herein demonstrated a facile pathway to dramatically enhance carbon dioxide uptake energetics.

  5. An agent-based method for simulating porous fluid-saturated structures with indistinguishable components

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kashani, Jamal; Pettet, Graeme John; Gu, YuanTong; Zhang, Lihai; Oloyede, Adekunle

    2017-10-01

    Single-phase porous materials contain multiple components that intermingle up to the ultramicroscopic level. Although the structures of the porous materials have been simulated with agent-based methods, the results of the available methods continue to provide patterns of distinguishable solid and fluid agents which do not represent materials with indistinguishable phases. This paper introduces a new agent (hybrid agent) and category of rules (intra-agent rule) that can be used to create emergent structures that would more accurately represent single-phase structures and materials. The novel hybrid agent carries the characteristics of system's elements and it is capable of changing within itself, while also responding to its neighbours as they also change. As an example, the hybrid agent under one-dimensional cellular automata formalism in a two-dimensional domain is used to generate patterns that demonstrate the striking morphological and characteristic similarities with the porous saturated single-phase structures where each agent of the ;structure; carries semi-permeability property and consists of both fluid and solid in space and at all times. We conclude that the ability of the hybrid agent to change locally provides an enhanced protocol to simulate complex porous structures such as biological tissues which could facilitate models for agent-based techniques and numerical methods.

  6. Analysis of fluid flow and heat transfer in a double pipe heat exchanger with porous structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Targui, N.; Kahalerras, H.

    2008-01-01

    A numerical study of flow and heat transfer characteristics is made in a double pipe heat exchanger with porous structures inserted in the annular gap in two configurations: on the inner cylinder (A) and on both the cylinders in a staggered fashion (B). The flow field in the porous regions is modelled by the Darcy-Brinkman-Forchheimer model and the finite volume method is used to solve the governing equations. The effects of several parameters such as Darcy number, porous structures thickness and spacing and thermal conductivity ratio are considered in order to look for the most appropriate properties of the porous structures that allow optimal heat transfer enhancement. It is found that the highest heat transfer rates are obtained when the porous structures are attached in configuration B especially at small spacing and high thicknesses

  7. Preparation of porous titania film and its application in solar cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Tianhui; Zhao, Suling; Piao, Lingyu; Xu, Zheng; Liu, Xiaodong; Kong, Chao; Xu, Xurong

    2011-11-01

    Polymer/nanocrystal bulk heterojunction photovoltaic cells have attracted substantial interest because the hybrid active layer combines the advantages of inorganic materials and polymers. In this work, a porous TiO2 was prepared via the sol-gel method with a polyethylene glycol 2000 (PEG2000) template. A kind of polymer/inorganic solar cell based on poly (3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT)/TiO2 was fabricated on the indium-tin-oxide (ITO) glass substrate and the structure of device was ITO/TiO2/P3HT/Au. The device showed the performance with a short circuit current (J(SC)) of 1.29 mA/cm2, an open circuit voltage (V(OC)) of 0.55 V and a fill factor (FF) of 28.7%.

  8. Porous structure analysis of radioactive spent resin cementation matrix

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou Yaozhong; Yun Guichun

    2004-01-01

    According to a cement product microstructure, a radioactive spent resin cementation matrix has the properties of porous matters. The distributing of the pore size and the pore microstructure stability are closely related to many crucial macro properties, including strength and permeability of the matrixes. By using a new computer-controlled Hg pressure test, a experiment methods of the matrix micro-properties was studied. By using porous structure analyses, it was found that the experimental method is useful for the future cementation research. In this test, it was also found that ASC cement matrixes of spent resin have superior microstructure to the OPC's. They have better pore size distribution, more stable structure and higher ability to hold the Hg in the matrixes than OPC's, and these properties are the important factors that make ASC cement matrixes have more stable macro-structure and lower leaching of nuclides. (authors)

  9. Phase equilibria and phase structures of polymer blends

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chalykh, Anatolii E; Gerasimov, Vladimir K

    2004-01-01

    Experimental, methodical and theoretical studies dealing with phase equilibria and phase structures of polymer blends are generalised. The general and specific features of the change in solubility of polymers with changes in the molecular mass and copolymer composition and upon the formation of three-dimensional cross-linked networks are described. The results of the effect of the prehistory on the phase structure and the non-equilibrium state of polymer blends are considered in detail.

  10. Sound transmission through stiffened double-panel structures lined with elastic porous materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mathur, Gopal P.; Tran, Boi N.; Bolton, J. S.; Shiau, Nae-Ming

    This paper presents transmission loss prediction models for a periodically stiffened panel and stiffened double-panel structures using the periodic structure theory. The inter-panel cavity in the double-panels structures can be modeled as being separated by an airspace or filled with an elastic porous layer in various configurations. The acoustic behavior of elastic porous layer is described by a theory capable of accounting fully for multi-dimensional wave propagation in such materials. The predicted transmission loss of a single stiffened panel is compared with the measured data.

  11. Formulation of porous poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) microparticles by electrospray deposition method for controlled drug release

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hao, Shilei; Wang, Yazhou; Wang, Bochu, E-mail: wangbc2000@126.com; Deng, Jia; Zhu, Liancai; Cao, Yang

    2014-06-01

    In the present study, the electrospray deposition was successfully applied to prepare the porous poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microparticles by one-step processing. Metronidazole was selected as the model drug. The porous PLGA microparticles had high drug loading and low density, and the porous structure can be observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The production time has been shortened considerably compared with that of the traditional multi-emulsion method. In addition, no chemical reaction occurred between the drug and polymer in the preparation of porous microparticles, and the crystal structure of drug did not change after entrapment into the porous microparticles. The porous microparticles showed a sustained release in the simulated gastric fluid, and the release followed non-Fickian or case II transport. Furthermore, porous microparticles showed a slight cytotoxicity in vitro. The results indicated that electrospray deposition is a good technique for preparation of porous microparticles, and the low-density porous PLGA microparticles has a potential for the development of gastroretentive systems or for pulmonary drug delivery. - Highlights: • The porous PLGA microparticles were successfully prepared by the electrospray deposition method at one step. • The porous microparticles had high loading capacity and low density. • The microparticle showed a sustained release in the simulated gastric liquid. • The microparticles showed a slight cytotoxicity in vitro.

  12. Formulation of porous poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) microparticles by electrospray deposition method for controlled drug release

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hao, Shilei; Wang, Yazhou; Wang, Bochu; Deng, Jia; Zhu, Liancai; Cao, Yang

    2014-01-01

    In the present study, the electrospray deposition was successfully applied to prepare the porous poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microparticles by one-step processing. Metronidazole was selected as the model drug. The porous PLGA microparticles had high drug loading and low density, and the porous structure can be observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The production time has been shortened considerably compared with that of the traditional multi-emulsion method. In addition, no chemical reaction occurred between the drug and polymer in the preparation of porous microparticles, and the crystal structure of drug did not change after entrapment into the porous microparticles. The porous microparticles showed a sustained release in the simulated gastric fluid, and the release followed non-Fickian or case II transport. Furthermore, porous microparticles showed a slight cytotoxicity in vitro. The results indicated that electrospray deposition is a good technique for preparation of porous microparticles, and the low-density porous PLGA microparticles has a potential for the development of gastroretentive systems or for pulmonary drug delivery. - Highlights: • The porous PLGA microparticles were successfully prepared by the electrospray deposition method at one step. • The porous microparticles had high loading capacity and low density. • The microparticle showed a sustained release in the simulated gastric liquid. • The microparticles showed a slight cytotoxicity in vitro

  13. Efficiently mapping structure-property relationships of gas adsorption in porous materials: application to Xe adsorption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaija, A R; Wilmer, C E

    2017-09-08

    Designing better porous materials for gas storage or separations applications frequently leverages known structure-property relationships. Reliable structure-property relationships, however, only reveal themselves when adsorption data on many porous materials are aggregated and compared. Gathering enough data experimentally is prohibitively time consuming, and even approaches based on large-scale computer simulations face challenges. Brute force computational screening approaches that do not efficiently sample the space of porous materials may be ineffective when the number of possible materials is too large. Here we describe a general and efficient computational method for mapping structure-property spaces of porous materials that can be useful for adsorption related applications. We describe an algorithm that generates random porous "pseudomaterials", for which we calculate structural characteristics (e.g., surface area, pore size and void fraction) and also gas adsorption properties via molecular simulations. Here we chose to focus on void fraction and Xe adsorption at 1 bar, 5 bar, and 10 bar. The algorithm then identifies pseudomaterials with rare combinations of void fraction and Xe adsorption and mutates them to generate new pseudomaterials, thereby selectively adding data only to those parts of the structure-property map that are the least explored. Use of this method can help guide the design of new porous materials for gas storage and separations applications in the future.

  14. CTAB-Assisted Hydrothermal Synthesis of WO3 Hierarchical Porous Structures and Investigation of Their Sensing Properties

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dan Meng

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available WO3 hierarchical porous structures were successfully synthesized via cetyltrimethylammonium bromide- (CTAB- assisted hydrothermal method. The structure and morphology were investigated using scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffractometer, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectra, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller nitrogen adsorption-desorption, and thermogravimetry and differential thermal analysis. The result demonstrated that WO3 hierarchical porous structures with an orthorhombic structure were constructed by a number of nanoparticles about 50–100 nm in diameters. The H2 gas sensing measurements showed that well-defined WO3 hierarchical porous structures with a large specific surface area exhibited the higher sensitivity compared with products without CTAB at all operating temperatures. Moreover, the reversible and fast response to H2 gas and good selectivity were obtained. The results indicated that the WO3 hierarchical porous structures are promising materials for gas sensors.

  15. Physico-chemistry characterization of sulfonated polyacrylamide polymers for use in polymer flooding

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rashidi, Masoud

    2010-07-01

    Hydrolyzed polyacrylamide polymer (HPAM) as a feasible and effective viscosifier has been fully studied and used for polymer flooding processes in several oil field, e.g. Daqing oil field. It has been shown that Hydrolyzed polyacrylamide polymers (HPAM) may be a good choice for high temperature condition with no oxygen and no divalent ions presence. At high temperature and high salinity conditions, polymer may precipitates and loss their viscosyfing properties. Also adsorption and retention of polymer in porous medium may change rheological properties of polymers. Thus, the viscosyfing property of polymers is influenced by several important parameters, e.g. salinity, hardness, temperature, adsorption, retention, polymer structure, and etc. By replacing some of carboxylate group of HPAM with another monomer, e.g. sodium salt of acrylic acid and 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPS), effect of high salinity/hardness and temperature seems to be reduced specially for the samples with higher percentage of AMPS co-monomer. The ultimate aim of this work is to develop an understanding of the sulfonated polyacrylamide copolymers with a range of different sulfonation and molecular weight at high salinity and high temperature conditions. Most of the work in this thesis deals with viscosity and adsorption/retention measurements of the sulfonated copolymers and HPAM. The factors which may affect the viscosity of the polymers and have been identified in this work as most likely influencing also adsorption and retention of the polymers are shear rate, polymer concentration, sulfonation degree, molecular weight, NaCl concentration, divalent ion concentration, and temperature. (Author)

  16. Colloid-templated multisectional porous polymeric fibers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Jung Hun; Kretzschmar, Ilona

    2008-10-07

    A fabrication method for porous polymeric fibers (PPFs) is reported. We show that a multisectional colloidal crystal can be assembled within a microcapillary by alternating dipping into colloidal solutions of varying size. Subsequent infiltration with curable polymer and washing with suitable solvents results in porous fibers with a cylindrical cross section. Along the length of the fiber, alternating sections of controlled length, pore size, and pore size distribution exist. These fibers present interesting materials for neural scaffolding, catalysis, and possibly photonics if produced with a high degree of crystallinity. The surface pores and bulk porosity of the fibers are characterized by variable-pressure scanning electron microscopy (vp-SEM). Careful analysis shows that the surface pores vary with the colloidal template diameter and polymer infiltration time.

  17. Heat Removal from Bipolar Transistor by Loop Heat Pipe with Nickel and Copper Porous Structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smitka, Martin; Malcho, Milan

    2014-01-01

    Loop heat pipes (LHPs) are used in many branches of industry, mainly for cooling of electrical elements and systems. The loop heat pipe is a vapour-liquid phase-change device that transfers heat from evaporator to condenser. One of the most important parts of the LHP is the porous wick structure. The wick structure provides capillary force to circulate the working fluid. To achieve good thermal performance of LHP, capillary wicks with high permeability and porosity and fine pore radius are expected. The aim of this work was to develop porous structures from copper and nickel powder with different grain sizes. For experiment copper powder with grain size of 50 and 100 μm and nickel powder with grain size of 10 and 25 μm were used. Analysis of these porous structures and LHP design are described in the paper. And the measurements' influences of porous structures in LHP on heat removal from the insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) have been made. PMID:24959622

  18. Effect of ball-milling time on the structural characteristics of biomedical porous Ti-Sn-Nb alloy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nouri, Alireza, E-mail: alireza_nouri@yahoo.com [CQM-Centro de Quimica da Madeira, MMRG, Universidade da Madeira, Campus Universitario da Penteada, 9000-390 Funchal (Portugal); Institute for Technology Research and Innovation, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria 3217 (Australia); Hodgson, Peter D. [Institute for Technology Research and Innovation, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria 3217 (Australia); Wen Cuie [IRIS, Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, 543-454 Burwood Road, Hawthorn, Victoria 3122 Australia (Australia)

    2011-07-20

    The structural characteristics of biomedical porous materials are crucial for bone tissue to grow into a porous structure and can also influence the fixation and remodeling between the implant and the human tissues. The current study has been investigating the effect of the ball-milling variable of time on the structural characteristics and pore morphology of a biomedical porous Ti-16Sn-4Nb (wt.%) alloy. The alloy was synthesized using high-energy ball milling for different periods of time, and the porous Ti-16Sn-4Nb alloy was fabricated by using a space holder sintering process. The resultant powder particles, bulk, and porous samples were characterized using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), laser particle-size analyzer, chemical analysis, X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), and the Vickers hardness test. The results indicated that the inner pore surface, pore wall architecture, degree of porosity, pore size and the inter-pore connectivity of the sintered porous alloy are all considerably affected by ball-milling time.

  19. A novel processing approach for free-standing porous non-oxide ceramic supports from polycarbosilane and polysilazane precursors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Konegger, Thomas; Patidar, Rajesh; Bordia, Rajendra K

    2015-09-01

    In this contribution, a low-pressure/low-temperature casting technique for the preparation of novel free-standing macrocellular polymer-derived ceramic support structures is presented. Preceramic polymers (polycarbosilane and poly(vinyl)silazane) are combined with sacrificial porogens (ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene microbeads) to yield porous ceramic materials in the Si-C or Si-C-N systems, exhibiting well-defined pore structures after thermal conversion. The planar-disc-type specimens were found to exhibit biaxial flexural strengths of up to 60 MPa. In combination with their observed permeability characteristics, the prepared structures were found to be suitable for potential applications in filtration, catalysis, or membrane science.

  20. The structure of steady shock waves in porous metals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Czarnota, Christophe; Molinari, Alain; Mercier, Sébastien

    2017-10-01

    The paper aims at developing an understanding of steady shock wave propagation in a ductile metallic material containing voids. Porosity is assumed to be less than 0.3 and voids are not connected (foams are not considered). As the shock wave is traveling in the porous medium, the voids are facing a rapid collapse. During this dynamic compaction process, material particles are subjected to very high acceleration in the vicinity of voids, thus generating acceleration forces at the microscale that influence the overall response of the porous material. Analyzing how stationary shocks are influenced by these micro-inertia effects is the main goal of this work. The focus is essentially on the shock structure, ignoring oscillatory motion of pores prevailing at the tail of the shock wave. Following the constitutive framework developed by Molinari and Ravichandran (2004) for the analysis of steady shock waves in dense metals, an analytical approach of steady state propagation of plastic shocks in porous metals is proposed. The initial void size appears as a characteristic internal length that scales the overall dynamic response, thereby contributing to the structuring of the shock front. This key feature is not captured by standard damage models where the porosity stands for the single damage parameter with no contribution of the void size. The results obtained in this work provide a new insight in the fundamental understanding of shock waves in porous media. In particular, a new scaling law relating the shock width to the initial void radius is obtained when micro-inertia effects are significant.

  1. A novel approach to fabrication of three-dimensional porous titanium with controllable structure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Dong; Li, Qiuyan; Xu, Mingqin; Jiang, Guofeng; Zhang, Yunxia [Shanghai Key Laboratory of Materials Laser Processing and Modification, and State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); He, Guo, E-mail: ghe@sjtu.edu.cn [Shanghai Key Laboratory of Materials Laser Processing and Modification, and State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Ship and Deep-Sea Exploration, Shanghai 200240 (China)

    2017-02-01

    A new approach to fabrication of porous titanium by using the molybdenum wire as space holder was developed, in which titanium liquid was cast into the entangled molybdenum wires in a vacuum environment, and followed by etching off the space holder material in an aqua regia solution. This infiltration casting and acid corrosion method fabricated the porous titanium with different porosities with a pore diameter of 0.4 mm. The porous titanium with the porosity of 32–47% exhibited the Young's modulus in the range of 23–62 GPa and the yielding strength in the range of 76–192 MPa. The adhesion and spreadability of the bovine osteoblast cells on the porous titanium were also evaluated in vitro. The porous titanium with 47% porosity has great potential for implant applications. - Highlights: • A new approach to fabrication of porous titanium was developed. • The 3D morphology of the interconnected porous structure can be exactly controlled. • The as-prepared porous titanium exhibits adequate yielding strength. • The elastic modulus of the porous titanium matches well with that of cortical bone. • The as-prepared porous titanium has great potential for implant applications.

  2. Synthesis of Nanoscale Lithium-Ion Battery Cathode Materials Using a Porous Polymer Precursor Method

    KAUST Repository

    Deshazer, H.D.

    2011-01-01

    Fine particles of metal oxides with carefully controlled compositions can be easily prepared by the thermal decomposition of porous polymers, such as cellulose, into which solutions containing salts of the desired cations have been dissolved. This is a simple and versatile method that can be used to produce a wide variety of materials with a range of particle sizes and carefully controlled chemical compositions. Examples of the use of this method to produce fine particles of LiCoO2 and Li(NiMnCo)1/3O2, which are used in the positive electrodes of lithium-ion batteries, are shown. Experiments have demonstrated that materials made using this method can have electrochemical properties comparable to those typically produced by more elaborate procedures. © 2011 The Electrochemical Society.

  3. Influence of the volume ratio of solid phase on carrying capacity of regular porous structure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Monkova Katarina

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Direct metal laser sintering is spread technology today. The main advantage of this method is the ability to produce parts which have a very complex geometry and which can be produced only in very complicated way by classical conventional methods. Special category of such components are parts with porous structure, which can give to the product extraordinary combination of properties. The article deals with some aspects that influence the manufacturing of regular porous structures in spite of the fact that input technological parameters at various samples were the same. The main goal of presented research has been to investigate the influence of the volume ratio of solid phase on carrying capacity of regular porous structure. Realized tests have indicated that the unit of regular porous structure with lower volume ratio is able to carry a greater load to failure than the unit with higher volume ratio.

  4. Diffusion in porous structures containing three fluid phases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Galani, A.N.; Kainourgiakis, M.E.; Stubos, A.K.; Kikkinides, E.S.

    2005-01-01

    In the present study, the tracer diffusion in porous media filled by three fluid phases (a non-wetting, an intermediate wetting and a wetting phase) is investigated. The disordered porous structure of porous systems like random sphere packing and the North Sea chalk, is represented by three-dimensional binary images. The random sphere pack is generated by a standard ballistic deposition procedure, while the chalk matrix by a stochastic reconstruction technique. Physically sound spatial distributions of the three phases filling the pore space are determined by the use of a simulated annealing algorithm, where those phases are initially randomly distributed in the pore space and trial-and-error swaps are performed in order to attain the global minimum of the total interfacial energy. The acceptance rule for a trial move during the annealing is modified properly improving the efficiency of the technique. The diffusivities of the resulting domains are computed by a random walk method. A parametric study with respect to the pore volume fraction occupied by each fluid phase and the ratio of the diffusivities in the fluid phases is performed. (authors)

  5. A study on improving mechanical properties of porous HA tissue engineering scaffolds by hot isostatic pressing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao Jing; Xiao Suguang; Lu Xiong; Wang Jianxin; Weng Jie

    2006-01-01

    Various interconnected porous hydroxyapatite (HA) ceramic scaffolds are universally used to induct the tissue growth for bone repair and replacement, and serve to support the adhesion, transfer, proliferation and differentiation of cells. Impregnation of polyurethane sponges with a ceramic slurry is adopted to produce highly porous HA ceramic scaffolds with a 3D interconnected structure. However, high porosity always accompanies a decrease in the strength of the HA ceramic scaffolds. Therefore, it is significant to improve the strength of the HA ceramic scaffolds with highly interconnected porosity so that they are more suitable in clinical applications. In this work, highly porous HA ceramic scaffolds are first produced by the polymer impregnation approach, and subsequently further sintered by hot isostatic pressing (HIP). The phase composition, macro- and micro-porous structure, sintering and mechanical properties of the porous HA scaffolds are investigated by x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), nanoindentation analysis and compressive test. The experimental results show that the nanohardness and compressive strength of HIP-sintered porous HA ceramics are higher than those of commonly sintered HA scaffolds. The HIP technique can effectively improve the sintering property and densification of porous HA ceramic scaffolds, so inducing an increase in the compression strength

  6. Structural modification of silicon during the formation process of porous silicon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martin-Palma, R.J.; Pascual, L.; Landa-Canovas, A.R.; Herrero, P.; Martinez-Duart, J.M.

    2005-01-01

    Direct examination of porous silicon (PS) by the use of high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) allowed us to perform a deep insight into the formation mechanisms of this material. In particular, the structure of the PS/Si interface and that of the silicon nanocrystals that compose porous silicon were analyzed in detail. Furthermore, image processing was used to study in detail the structure of PS. The mechanism of PS formation and lattice matching between the PS layer and the Si substrate is analyzed and discussed. Finally, a formation mechanism for PS based on the experimental observations is proposed

  7. Structure-Property Relationships in Polymer Derived Amorphous/Nano-Crystalline Silicon Carbide for Nuclear Applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zunjarrao, Suraj C.; Singh, Abhishek K.; Singh, Raman P.

    2006-01-01

    Silicon carbide (SiC) is a promising candidate for several applications in nuclear reactors owing to its high thermal conductivity, high melting temperature, good chemical stability, and resistance to swelling under heavy ion bombardment. However, fabricating SiC by traditional powder processing route generally requires very high temperatures for pressureless sintering. Polymer derived ceramic materials offer unique advantages such as ability to fabricate net shaped components, incorporate reinforcements and relatively low processing temperatures. Furthermore, for SiC based ceramics fabricated using polymer infiltration process (PIP), the microstructure can be tailored by controlling the processing parameters, to get an amorphous, nanocrystalline or crystalline SiC. In this work, fabrication of polymer derived amorphous and nano-grained SiC is presented and its application as an in-core material is explored. Monolithic SiC samples are fabricated by controlled pyrolysis of allyl-hydrido-poly-carbo-silane (AHPCS) under inert atmosphere. Chemical changes, phase transformations and microstructural changes occurring during the pyrolysis process are studied as a function of the processing temperature. Polymer cross-linking and polymer to ceramic conversion is studied using infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential thermal analysis (DTA) are performed to monitor the mass loss and phase change as a function of temperature. X-ray diffraction studies are done to study the intermediate phases and microstructural changes. Variation in density is carefully monitored as a function of processing temperature. Owing to shrinkage and gas evolution during pyrolysis, precursor derived ceramics are inherently porous and composite fabrication typically involves repeated cycles of polymer re-infiltration and pyrolysis. However, there is a limit to the densification that can be achieved by this method and porosity in the final materials presents

  8. Polymer sol-gel composite inverse opal structures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xiaoran; Blanchard, G J

    2015-03-25

    We report on the formation of composite inverse opal structures where the matrix used to form the inverse opal contains both silica, formed using sol-gel chemistry, and poly(ethylene glycol), PEG. We find that the morphology of the inverse opal structure depends on both the amount of PEG incorporated into the matrix and its molecular weight. The extent of organization in the inverse opal structure, which is characterized by scanning electron microscopy and optical reflectance data, is mediated by the chemical bonding interactions between the silica and PEG constituents in the hybrid matrix. Both polymer chain terminus Si-O-C bonding and hydrogen bonding between the polymer backbone oxygens and silanol functionalities can contribute, with the polymer mediating the extent to which Si-O-Si bonds can form within the silica regions of the matrix due to hydrogen-bonding interactions.

  9. Photonic porous silicon as a pH sensor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pace, Stephanie; Vasani, Roshan B; Zhao, Wei; Perrier, Sébastien; Voelcker, Nicolas H

    2014-01-01

    Chronic wounds do not heal within 3 months, and during the lengthy healing process, the wound is invariably exposed to bacteria, which can colonize the wound bed and form biofilms. This alters the wound metabolism and brings about a change of pH. In this work, porous silicon photonic films were coated with the pH-responsive polymer poly(2-diethylaminoethyl acrylate). We demonstrated that the pH-responsive polymer deposited on the surface of the photonic film acts as a barrier to prevent water from penetrating inside the porous matrix at neutral pH. Moreover, the device demonstrated optical pH sensing capability visible by the unaided eye.

  10. Combined use of polymer composites and metals in engineering structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoa, S.V.

    2002-01-01

    Polymer matrix composites have found many applications in the construction of light weight structures such as those in aircrafts, automobiles, sports equipment etc. This is because these materials possess high stiffness, high strength and low densities. In applications of polymer matrix composites in the light weight structures, the polymer composites are however, not used by themselves alone in most cases. Usually the polymer composites are used in conjunction with some metal components. The metal components are used either to provide means for joining the composite components or the composites are used to repair the cracked metal structures. The synergistic effect of both metals and composites can provide excellent performance with good economy. This paper presents a few applications where polymer composites are used in conjunction with metals in engineering structures. (author)

  11. Micro-patterning of self-supporting layers with conducting polymer wires for 3D-chip interconnection applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ackermann, J.; Videlot, C.; Nguyen, T.N.; Wang, L.; Sarro, P.M.; Crawley, D.; Nikolic, K.; Forshaw, M.

    2003-01-01

    Highly conducting polymers have attracted much interest because of their potential applications in sensors and electronic devices. By the use of templates like porous membranes during polymerization conducting molecular wires can be formed with highly anisotropic properties which can be used as interconnecting layers in a three-dimensional (3D)-chip stacking. We focussed on two electrochemical polymerization (ECP) techniques to produce molecular wires based on polypyrrole (PPy) embedded in isolating porous polycarbonate membranes as self-supporting layers. The growth of the polymer through the membrane pores was investigated in order to achieve a good conductivity through the pores, but with a small cross-talk between them. A new polymerization technique based on a structured cathode has been developed in order to control the polymerization locally. By that technique micro-patterned membranes with separated conducting polymer wires could be produced

  12. Epoxy-Functionalized Porous Organic Polymers via the Diels-Alder Cycloaddition Reaction for Atmospheric Water Capture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Byun, Yearin; Coskun, Ali

    2018-03-12

    The synthesis of highly microporous, epoxy-functionalized porous organic polymers (ep-POPs) by a one-pot, catalyst-free Diels-Alder cycloaddition polymerization is reported. The high oxygen content of ep-POPs offer efficient hydrogen-bonding sites for water molecules, thus leading to high water-uptake capacities up to 39.2-42.4 wt % under a wide temperature range of 5-45 °C, which covers the span of climatic conditions and manufacturing applications in which such materials might be used. Importantly, ep-POPs demonstrated regeneration temperatures as low as 55 °C, as well as excellent water stability, recyclability, and high specific surface areas up to 852 m 2  g -1 . © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  13. Multilayer porous structures of HVPE and MOCVD grown GaN for photonic applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Braniste, T.; Ciers, Joachim; Monaico, Ed.; Martin, D.; Carlin, J.-F.; Ursaki, V. V.; Sergentu, V. V.; Tiginyanu, I. M.; Grandjean, N.

    2017-02-01

    In this paper we report on a comparative study of electrochemical processes for the preparation of multilayer porous structures in hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) and metal organic chemical vapor phase deposition (MOCVD) grown GaN. It was found that in HVPE-grown GaN, multilayer porous structures are obtained due to self-organization processes leading to a fine modulation of doping during the crystal growth. However, these processes are not totally under control. Multilayer porous structures with a controlled design have been produced by optimizing the technological process of electrochemical etching in MOCVD-grown samples, consisting of five pairs of thin layers with alternating-doping profiles. The samples have been characterized by SEM imaging, photoluminescence spectroscopy, and micro-reflectivity measurements, accompanied by transfer matrix analysis and simulations by a method developed for the calculation of optical reflection spectra. We demonstrate the applicability of the produced structures for the design of Bragg reflectors.

  14. Preparation and characterization of porous carbon–titania nanocomposite films as solar selective absorbers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cheng, B.; Wang, K.K.; Wang, K.P.; Li, M.; Jiang, W.; Cong, B.J.; Song, C.L.; Jia, S.H.; Han, G.R.; Liu, Y.

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • The nanocomposites porous C/TiO 2 film were fabricated via PIPS method. • The HRTEM reveals the size of carbon nanoparticles is about 1.1 nm. • The PVP advantages residual carbon content but suppresses its crystallization. • The film exhibits high α (0.928–0.959) with low ε (0.074–0.105) for single layer. - Abstract: Newly proposed selective solar absorbers of porous carbon–titania nanocomposite films with a well-defined interconnected macropores structure were prepared via a polymer-assisted photopolymerization-induced phase-separation method. The microstructure and optical properties of as-deposited nanocomposite films were characterized and discussed in detail. The results show that non-ionic water-soluble polymer polyvinylpyrrolidone works as a sol modifier advantaging the mean size of the interconnected macropores, residual carbon content, and films thickness, but suppresses the order degree of the carbon remained in the films. The high-resolution transmission electron microscopy demonstrated that a small amount of graphite particles with size of around 1.1 nm embedded in the cavity of the porous while the wall of the porous consists of amorphous carbon and titania composites. The single layer of as-prepared porous C/TiO 2 nanocomposite films exhibits high solar absorptance (α = 0.928–0.959) with low thermal emittance (ε = 0.074–0.105), yielding an optimized photothermal conversion efficiency η = α − ε of 0.864 corresponding to a film thickness of around 338 nm, indication of such film is fair enough to serve as an excellent solar absorber

  15. Polymer Basics: Classroom Activities Manipulating Paper Clips to Introduce the Structures and Properties of Polymers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Umar, Yunusa

    2014-01-01

    A simple and effective hands-on classroom activity designed to illustrate basic polymer concepts is presented. In this activity, students build primary structures of homopolymers and different arrangements of monomers in copolymer using paper clips as monomers. The activity supports formation of a basic understanding of polymer structures,…

  16. Preparation and Characterization of Biomimetic Hydroxyapatite-Resorbable Polymer Composites for Hard Tissue Repair

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hiebner, Kristopher Robert

    Autografts are the orthopedic "gold standard" for repairing bone voids. Autografts are osteoconductive and do not elicit an immune response, but they are in short supply and require a second surgery to harvest the bone graft. Allografts are currently the most common materials used for the repair of segmental defects in hard tissue. Unlike autografts, allografts can cause an undesirable immune response and the possibility of disease transmission is a major concern. As an alternative to the above approaches, recent research efforts have focused on the use of composite materials made from hydroxyapatite (HA) and bioresorbable polymers, such as poly-L-lactide (PLLA). Recent results have shown that the surface hydroxides on HA can initiate the ring opening polymerization (ROP) of L-lactide and other lactones creating a composite with superior interfacial strength. This thesis demonstrates that the surface of porous biologically derived HA substrates, such as coralline HA and trabecular bone, can be used to initiate the ROP of L-lactide and other lactones from the vapor phase. This process increases the strength of the porous scaffold through the deposition of a thin, uniform polymer coating, while maintaining the porous structure. The kinetics of the chemical vapor deposition polymerization (CVDP) are described using a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). The reaction temperature and monomer vapor pressure are found to affect the rate of the polymerization. Also described in this thesis is the preparation of a porous polymer scaffold that mimics the structure of demineralized bone matrix (DBM). This demineralized bone matrix simulant (DBMS) is created using anorganic bovine bone as a template to initiate the polymerization of various lactones, followed by the removal of the HA scaffold. This material retained its shape and exhibits mechanical properties superior to DBM. Finally it is shown that HA can be used to initiate the ROP of a-caprolactam and the biocompatibility

  17. Heat Removal from Bipolar Transistor by Loop Heat Pipe with Nickel and Copper Porous Structures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patrik Nemec

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Loop heat pipes (LHPs are used in many branches of industry, mainly for cooling of electrical elements and systems. The loop heat pipe is a vapour-liquid phase-change device that transfers heat from evaporator to condenser. One of the most important parts of the LHP is the porous wick structure. The wick structure provides capillary force to circulate the working fluid. To achieve good thermal performance of LHP, capillary wicks with high permeability and porosity and fine pore radius are expected. The aim of this work was to develop porous structures from copper and nickel powder with different grain sizes. For experiment copper powder with grain size of 50 and 100 μm and nickel powder with grain size of 10 and 25 μm were used. Analysis of these porous structures and LHP design are described in the paper. And the measurements’ influences of porous structures in LHP on heat removal from the insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT have been made.

  18. An Extraordinary Sulfonated-Graphenal-Polymer-Based Electrolyte Separator for All-Solid-State Supercapacitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Xubo; Men, Chuanling; Zhang, Xiaohua; Li, Qingwen

    2016-09-01

    Sulfonated graphenal polymers can be assembled up by poly(vinyl alcohol) adhesion. The porous assembly structure results in a remarkably improved ionic conductivity and thus enhances electrochemical performances such as specific capacitance, capacitance retention, and cycling stability. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  19. Light Modulation and Water Splitting Enhancement Using a Composite Porous GaN Structure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Chao; Xi, Xin; Yu, Zhiguo; Cao, Haicheng; Li, Jing; Lin, Shan; Ma, Zhanhong; Zhao, Lixia

    2018-02-14

    On the basis of the laterally porous GaN, we designed and fabricated a composite porous GaN structure with both well-ordered lateral and vertical holes. Compared to the plane GaN, the composite porous GaN structure with the combination of the vertical holes can help to reduce UV reflectance and increase the saturation photocurrent during water splitting by a factor of ∼4.5. Furthermore, we investigated the underlying mechanism for the enhancement of the water splitting performance using a finite-difference time-domain method. The results show that the well-ordered vertical holes can not only help to open the embedded pore channels to the electrolyte at both sides and reduce the migration distance of the gas bubbles during the water splitting reactions but also help to modulate the light field. Using this composite porous GaN structure, most of the incident light can be modulated and trapped into the nanoholes, and thus the electric fields localized in the lateral pores can increase dramatically as a result of the strong optical coupling. Our findings pave a new way to develop GaN photoelectrodes for highly efficient solar water splitting.

  20. Formation of Porous Structure with Subspot Size under the Irradiation of Picosecond Laser Pulses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bin Liu

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available A study was presented in this paper on porous structure with microsize holes significantly smaller than laser spot on the stainless steel 304 target surface induced by a picosecond Nd:van regenerative amplified laser, operating at 1064 nm. The target surface variations were studied in air ambience. The estimated surface damage threshold was 0.15 J/cm2. The target specific surface changes and phenomena observed supported a complementary study on the formation and growth of the subspot size pit holes on metal surface with dependence of laser pulse number of 50–1000 and fluences of 0.8 and 1.6 J/cm2. Two kinds of porous structures were presented: periodic holes are formed from Coulomb Explosion during locally spatial modulated ablation, and random holes are formed from the burst of bubbles in overheated liquid during phase explosion. It can be concluded that it is effective to fabricate a large metal surface area of porous structure by laser scanning regime. Generally, it is also difficult for ultrashort laser to fabricate the microporous structures compared with traditional methods. These porous structures potentially have a number of important applications in nanotechnology, industry, nuclear complex, and so forth.

  1. Fabrication and excellent conductive performance of antimony-doped tin oxide-coated diatomite with porous structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Du Yucheng; Yan Jing; Meng Qi; Wang Jinshu; Dai Hongxing

    2012-01-01

    Graphical abstract: Antimony-doped tin oxide (ATO)-coated diatomite with porous structures are fabricated using the co-precipitation method. The porous ATO-coated diatomite material shows excellent conductive performance. Highlights: ► Sb-doped SnO 2 (ATO)-coated diatomite materials with porous structures are prepared. ► Sn/Sb ratio, ATO coating amount, pH value, and temperature influence resistivity. ► Porous ATO-coated diatomite materials show excellent conductive performance. ► The lowest resistivity of the porous ATO-coated diatomite sample is 10 Ω cm. - Abstract: Diatomite materials coated with antimony-doped tin oxide (ATO) were prepared by the co-precipitation method, and characterized by means of the techniques, such as X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, selected-area electron diffraction, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, and N 2 adsorption–desorption measurement. It was shown that the coated ATO possessed a tetragonal rutile crystal structure, and the ATO-coated diatomite materials had a multi-pore (micro- meso-, and macropores) architecture. The porous ATO-coated diatomite materials exhibited excellent electrical conductive behaviors. The best conductive performance (volume resistivity = 10 Ω cm) was achieved for the sample that was prepared under the conditions of Sn/Sb molar ratio = 5.2, Sn/Sb coating amount = 45 wt%, pH = 1.0, and reaction temperature = 50 °C. Such a conductive porous material is useful for the applications in physical and chemical fields.

  2. Sintering of Multilayered Porous Structures: Part I-Constitutive Models

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Olevsky, Eugene; Tadesse Molla, Tesfaye; Frandsen, Henrik Lund

    2013-01-01

    Theoretical analyses of shrinkage and distortion kinetics during sintering of bilayered porous structures are carried out. The developed modeling framework is based on the continuum theory of sintering; it enables the direct assessment of the cofiring process outcomes and of the impact of process...

  3. Highly porous polymer-derived wollastonite-hydroxycarbonate apatite ceramics for bone regeneration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fiocco, L; Li, S; Bernardo, E; Stevens, M M; Jones, J R

    2016-04-12

    A novel strategy was employed to synthesize highly porous wollastonite-hydroxycarbonate apatite ceramic scaffolds for bone regeneration. A commercial liquid preceramic polymer filled with micro-CaCO3 powders was foamed at low temperature (at 350 °C), using the decomposition of a hydrazine additive, and then converted into ceramic by a treatment at 700 °C. Hydroxycarbonate apatite was later developed by a phosphatization treatment of ceramized foams, in a P-rich solution, while wollastonite was obtained by a second firing, at 900 °C. The effectiveness of the method was proven by x-ray diffraction analysis, showing the presence of the two expected crystalline phases. Porosity, interconnect size distribution and mechanical strength were in the range that is thought to be suitable for bone regeneration in non-load bearing sites (compressive strength ≈ 3 MPa, porosity ≈ 90%, modal interconnect diameter ≈ 130-160 μm). In addition, bioactivity and ion release rate were assessed in simulated body fluid (SBF). MC3T3 osteoblast precursor cells were able to colonize the material in vitro through the pore architecture and expressed osteogenic markers.

  4. Studies of the influence of nonequilibrium plasma thermal exposure on the characteristics of the capillary-porous polymer material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Makhotkina, L Yu; Khristoliubova, V I

    2017-01-01

    Capillary-porous materials, which include natural macromolecular tanning material, are exposed to a number of factors during the treatment by a nonequilibrium plasma. Plasma particles exchange the charge and energy with the atoms of the material during the interaction of the plasma with the surface. The results of treatment are desorption of atoms and molecules from the body surface, sputtering and evaporation of material’s particles, changes of the structure and phase state. In real terms during the modification of solids by nonequilibrium low-temperature plasma thermal effect influences the process. The energy supplied from the discharge during the process with low pressure, which is converted into heat, is significantly less than during the atmospheric pressure, but the thermal stability of high-molecular compounds used in the manufacture of materials and products of the tanning industry, is very limited and depends on the duration of the effect of temperature. Even short heating of hydrophilic polymers (proteins) (100-180 °C) causes a change in their properties. It decreases the collagen ability to absorb water vapor, to swell in water, acids, alkalis, and thus decreases their durability. Prolonged heating leads to a deterioration of the physical and mechanical properties. Higher heating temperatures it leads to the polymer degradation. The natural leather temperature during plasma exposure does not rise to a temperature of collagen degradation and does not result in changes of physical phase of the dermis. However, the thermal plasma exposure must be considered, since the high temperatures influence on physical and mechanical properties. (paper)

  5. Microstructure and mechanical properties of porous titanium structures fabricated by electron beam melting for cranial implants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moiduddin, Khaja

    2018-02-01

    The traditional methods of metallic bone implants are often dense and suffer from adverse reactions, biomechanical mismatch and lack of adequate space for new bone tissue to grow into the implant. The objective of this study is to evaluate the customized porous cranial implant with mechanical properties closer to that of bone and to improve the aesthetic outcome in cranial surgery with precision fitting for a better quality of life. Two custom cranial implants (bulk and porous) are digitally designed based on the Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine files and fabricated using additive manufacturing. Initially, the defective skull model and the implant were fabricated using fused deposition modeling for the purpose of dimensional validation. Subsequently, the implant was fabricated using titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V extra low interstitial) by electron beam melting technology. The electron beam melting-produced body diagonal node structure incorporated in cranial implant was evaluated based on its mechanical strength and structural characterization. The results show that the electron beam melting-produced porous cranial implants provide the necessary framework for the bone cells to grow into the pores and mimic the architecture and mechanical properties closer to the region of implantation. Scanning electron microscope and micro-computed tomography scanning confirm that the produced porous implants have a highly regular pattern of porous structure with a fully interconnected network channel without any internal defect and voids. The physical properties of the titanium porous structure, containing the compressive strength of 61.5 MPa and modulus of elasticity being 1.20 GPa, represent a promising means of reducing stiffness and stress-shielding effect on the surrounding bone. This study reveals that the use of porous structure in cranial reconstruction satisfies the need of lighter implants with an adequate mechanical strength and structural characteristics

  6. Pool boiling with high heat flux enabled by a porous artery structure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bai, Lizhan; Zhang, Lianpei; Lin, Guiping; Peterson, G. P.

    2016-06-01

    A porous artery structure utilizing the concept of "phase separation and modulation" is proposed to enhance the critical heat flux of pool boiling. A series of experiments were conducted on a range of test articles in which multiple rectangular arteries were machined directly into the top surface of a 10.0 mm diameter copper rod. The arteries were then covered by a 2.0 mm thickness microporous copper plate through silver brazing. The pool wall was fabricated from transparent Pyrex glass to allow a visualization study, and water was used as the working fluid. Experimental results confirmed that the porous artery structure provided individual flow paths for the liquid supply and vapor venting, and avoided the detrimental effects of the liquid/vapor counter flow. As a result, a maximum heat flux of 610 W/cm2 over a heating area of 0.78 cm2 was achieved with no indication of dryout, prior to reaching the heater design temperature limit. Following the experimental tests, the mechanisms responsible for the boiling critical heat flux and performance enhancement of the porous artery structure were analyzed.

  7. Multiscale global identification of porous structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hatłas, Marcin; Beluch, Witold

    2018-01-01

    The paper is devoted to the evolutionary identification of the material constants of porous structures based on measurements conducted on a macro scale. Numerical homogenization with the RVE concept is used to determine the equivalent properties of a macroscopically homogeneous material. Finite element method software is applied to solve the boundary-value problem in both scales. Global optimization methods in form of evolutionary algorithm are employed to solve the identification task. Modal analysis is performed to collect the data necessary for the identification. A numerical example presenting the effectiveness of proposed attitude is attached.

  8. Applications of hierarchically structured porous materials from energy storage and conversion, catalysis, photocatalysis, adsorption, separation, and sensing to biomedicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Ming-Hui; Huang, Shao-Zhuan; Chen, Li-Hua; Li, Yu; Yang, Xiao-Yu; Yuan, Zhong-Yong; Su, Bao-Lian

    2016-06-13

    Over the last decade, significant effort has been devoted to the applications of hierarchically structured porous materials owing to their outstanding properties such as high surface area, excellent accessibility to active sites, and enhanced mass transport and diffusion. The hierarchy of porosity, structural, morphological and component levels in these materials is key for their high performance in all kinds of applications. The introduction of hierarchical porosity into materials has led to a significant improvement in the performance of materials. Herein, recent progress in the applications of hierarchically structured porous materials from energy conversion and storage, catalysis, photocatalysis, adsorption, separation, and sensing to biomedicine is reviewed. Their potential future applications are also highlighted. We particularly dwell on the relationship between hierarchically porous structures and properties, with examples of each type of hierarchically structured porous material according to its chemical composition and physical characteristics. The present review aims to open up a new avenue to guide the readers to quickly obtain in-depth knowledge of applications of hierarchically porous materials and to have a good idea about selecting and designing suitable hierarchically porous materials for a specific application. In addition to focusing on the applications of hierarchically porous materials, this comprehensive review could stimulate researchers to synthesize new advanced hierarchically porous solids.

  9. Temperature induced development of porous structure of bituminous coal chars at high pressure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Natalia Howaniec

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The porous structure of chars affects their reactivity in gasification, having an impact on the course and product distribution of the process. The shape, size and connections between pores determine the mechanical properties of chars, as well as heat and mass transport in thermochemical processing. In the study the combined effects of temperature in the range of 973–1273 °K and elevated pressure of 3 MPa on the development of porous structure of bituminous coal chars were investigated. Relatively low heating rate and long residence time characteristic for the in-situ coal conversion were applied. The increase in the temperature to 1173 °K under pressurized conditions resulted in the enhancement of porous structure development reflected in the values of the specific surface area, total pore volume, micropore area and volume, as well as ratio of the micropore volume to the total pore volume. These effects were attributed to the enhanced vaporization and devolatilization, as well as swelling behavior along the increase of temperature and under high pressure, followed by a collapse of pores over certain temperature value. This proves the strong dependence of the porous structure of chars not only on the pyrolysis process conditions but also on the physical and chemical properties of the parent fuel.

  10. Use of radiation-induced polymers as temporary or permanent diverting agent

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Knight, B.L.; Rhudy, J.S.; Gogarty, W.B.

    1975-01-01

    Temporary or permanent permeability reduction or plugging of porous medium to the flow of fluids is effected by treating, preferably by injecting under pressure into the pores, the porous medium with an aqueous solution containing a water-soluble polymer obtained as a product of radiation-induced polymerization of acrylamide and/or methacrylamide and acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, and/or alkali metal salts thereof. The polymer has sufficient properties to effect substantial permeability reduction of the porous medium. The polymerization is preferably carried out in 10 to 60 percent aqueous monomer solution with gamma radiation. A mixture of monomers, before radiation preferably contain 25 to 99 percent acrylamide and 75 to 1 percent sodium acrylate. Permeability can be restored by subsequently treating the porous medium with a chemical to break down the polymer, e.g., hydrazine hypochlorite solution, strong mineral acids, or bases. (U.S.)

  11. Prefunctionalized Porous Organic Polymers: Effective Supports of Surface Palladium Nanoparticles for the Enhancement of Catalytic Performances in Dehalogenation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhong, Hong; Liu, Caiping; Zhou, Hanghui; Wang, Yangxin; Wang, Ruihu

    2016-08-22

    Three porous organic polymers (POPs) containing H, COOMe, and COO(-) groups at 2,6-bis(1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)pyridyl (BTP) units (i.e., POP-1, POP-2, and POP-3, respectively) were prepared for the immobilization of metal nanoparticles (NPs). The ultrafine palladium NPs are uniformly encapsulated in the interior pores of POP-1, whereas uniform- and dual-distributed palladium NPs are located on the external surface of POP-2 and POP-3, respectively. The presence of carboxylate groups not only endows POP-3 an outstanding dispersibility in H2 O/EtOH, but also enables the palladium NPs at the surface to show the highest catalytic activity, stability, and recyclability in dehalogenation reactions of chlorobenzene at 25 °C. The palladium NPs on the external surface are effectively stabilized by the functionalized POPs containing BTP units and carboxylate groups, which provides a new insight for highly efficient catalytic systems based on surface metal NPs of porous materials. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  12. Hierarchical Fiber Structures Made by Electrospinning Polymers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reneker, Darrell H.

    2009-03-01

    A filter for water purification that is very thin, with small interstices and high surface area per unit mass, can be made with nanofibers. The mechanical strength of a very thin sheet of nanofibers is not great enough to withstand the pressure drop of the fluid flowing through. If the sheet of nanofibers is made thicker, the strength will increase, but the flow will be reduced to an impractical level. An optimized filter can be made with nanometer scale structures supported on micron scale structures, which are in turn supported on millimeter scale structures. This leads to a durable hierarchical structure to optimize the filtration efficiency with a minimum amount of material. Buckling coils,ootnotetextTao Han, Darrell H Reneker, Alexander L. Yarin, Polymer, Volume 48, issue 20 (September 21, 2007), p. 6064-6076. electrical bending coilsootnotetextDarrell H. Reneker and Alexander L. Yarin, Polymer, Volume 49, Issue 10 (2008) Pages 2387-2425, DOI:10.1016/j.polymer.2008.02.002. Feature Article. and pendulum coilsootnotetextT. Han, D.H. Reneker, A.L. Yarin, Polymer, Volume 49, (2008) Pages 2160-2169, doi:10.1016/jpolymer.2008.01.0487878. spanning dimensions from a few microns to a few centimeters can be collected from a single jet by controlling the position and motion of a collector. Attractive routes to the design and construction of hierarchical structures for filtration are based on nanofibers supported on small coils that are in turn supported on larger coils, which are supported on even larger overlapping coils. ``Such top-down'' hierarchical structures are easy to make by electrospinning. In one example, a thin hierarchical structure was made, with a high surface area and small interstices, having an open area of over 50%, with the thinnest fibers supported at least every 15 microns.

  13. Construction of porous covalent organic polymer as photocatalysts for RhB degradation under visible light

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Pingxiao Liu; Lingbao Xing; Hongtao Lin; Haining Wang; Ziyan Zhou; Zhongmin Su

    2017-01-01

    In the present work,a novel porous,and chemically stable amine-based covalent organic polymer (POP-1) was designed and synthesized under solvothermal conditions.The porosity,crystallinity,chemical stability,electrochemical properties,and diffuse reflectance of POP-1 were investigated via N2 sorption experiment,power X-ray diffraction,thermogravimetric analysis,cyclic voltammetry,and ultraviolet visible near infrared spectrometry,respectively.POP-1 exhibits good chemical stability in both acidic and alkaline aqueous solutions,as well as in organic solvents.Undoped POP-1 can be directly used as a photocatalyst for rhodamine B irradiation degradation under light-emitting diode and natural light.The Ea of POP-1 for RhB degradation is 82.37 kJ/mol.Furthermore,POP-1 can be reused as a catalyst in RhB degradation without degraded catalytic activity.

  14. Mechanochemistry-assisted synthesis of hierarchical porous carbons applied as supercapacitors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leistenschneider, Desirée; Jäckel, Nicolas; Hippauf, Felix; Presser, Volker

    2017-01-01

    A solvent-free synthesis of hierarchical porous carbons is conducted by a facile and fast mechanochemical reaction in a ball mill. By means of a mechanochemical ball-milling approach, we obtained titanium(IV) citrate-based polymers, which have been processed via high temperature chlorine treatment to hierarchical porous carbons with a high specific surface area of up to 1814 m2 g−1 and well-defined pore structures. The carbons are applied as electrode materials in electric double-layer capacitors showing high specific capacitances with 98 F g−1 in organic and 138 F g−1 in an ionic liquid electrolyte as well as good rate capabilities, maintaining 87% of the initial capacitance with 1 M TEA-BF4 in acetonitrile (ACN) and 81% at 10 A g−1 in EMIM-BF4. PMID:28781699

  15. Structure and properties of porous films based on aliphatic copolyamide developed for cellular technologies

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Dobrovol`skaya, I.P.; Popryadukhin, P.V.; Yudin, V. E.; Ivankova, E.M.; Elokhovskiy, V.Y.; Weishauptová, Zuzana; Balík, Karel

    2015-01-01

    Roč. 26, č. 1 (2015), article number 46 ISSN 0957-4530 Institutional support: RVO:67985891 Keywords : porous film * aliphatic copolyamide * structure * properties Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 2.272, year: 2015 http://www.stem-art.com/Library/Science/Structure%20and%20properties%20of%20porous%20films%20based%20on%20aliphatic%20copolyamide%20developed%20for%20cellular%20technologies.pdf

  16. Cryogenic EBSD reveals structure of directionally solidified ice–polymer composite

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Donius, Amalie E., E-mail: amalie.donius@gmail.com [Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, 14 Engineering Drive, Hanover, NH 03755 (United States); Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (United States); Obbard, Rachel W., E-mail: Rachel.W.Obbard@dartmouth.edu [Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, 14 Engineering Drive, Hanover, NH 03755 (United States); Burger, Joan N., E-mail: ridge.of.the.ancients@gmail.com [Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, 14 Engineering Drive, Hanover, NH 03755 (United States); Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (United States); Hunger, Philipp M., E-mail: philipp.m.hunger@gmail.com [Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, 14 Engineering Drive, Hanover, NH 03755 (United States); Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (United States); Baker, Ian, E-mail: Ian.Baker@dartmouth.edu [Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, 14 Engineering Drive, Hanover, NH 03755 (United States); Doherty, Roger D., E-mail: dohertrd@drexel.edu [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (United States); Wegst, Ulrike G.K., E-mail: ulrike.wegst@dartmouth.edu [Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, 14 Engineering Drive, Hanover, NH 03755 (United States)

    2014-07-01

    Despite considerable research efforts on directionally solidified or freeze-cast materials in recent years, little fundamental knowledge has been gained that links model with experiment. In this contribution, the cryogenic characterization of directionally solidified polymer solutions illustrates, how powerful cryo-scanning electron microscopy combined with electron backscatter diffraction is for the structural characterization of ice–polymer composite materials. Under controlled sublimation, the freeze-cast polymer scaffold structure is revealed and imaged with secondary electrons. Electron backscatter diffraction fabric analysis shows that the ice crystals, which template the polymer scaffold and create the lamellar structure, have a-axes oriented parallel to the direction of solidification and the c-axes perpendicular to it. These results indicate the great potential of both cryo-scanning electron microscopy and cryo-electron backscatter diffraction in gaining fundamental knowledge of structure–property–processing correlations. - Highlights: • Cryo-SEM of freeze-cast polymer solution reveals an ice-templated structure. • Cryo-EBSD reveals the ice crystal a-axis to parallel the solidification direction. • The honeycomb-like polymer phase favors columnar ridges only on one side. • Combining cryo-SEM with EBSD links solidification theory with experiment.

  17. Cryogenic EBSD reveals structure of directionally solidified ice–polymer composite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Donius, Amalie E.; Obbard, Rachel W.; Burger, Joan N.; Hunger, Philipp M.; Baker, Ian; Doherty, Roger D.; Wegst, Ulrike G.K.

    2014-01-01

    Despite considerable research efforts on directionally solidified or freeze-cast materials in recent years, little fundamental knowledge has been gained that links model with experiment. In this contribution, the cryogenic characterization of directionally solidified polymer solutions illustrates, how powerful cryo-scanning electron microscopy combined with electron backscatter diffraction is for the structural characterization of ice–polymer composite materials. Under controlled sublimation, the freeze-cast polymer scaffold structure is revealed and imaged with secondary electrons. Electron backscatter diffraction fabric analysis shows that the ice crystals, which template the polymer scaffold and create the lamellar structure, have a-axes oriented parallel to the direction of solidification and the c-axes perpendicular to it. These results indicate the great potential of both cryo-scanning electron microscopy and cryo-electron backscatter diffraction in gaining fundamental knowledge of structure–property–processing correlations. - Highlights: • Cryo-SEM of freeze-cast polymer solution reveals an ice-templated structure. • Cryo-EBSD reveals the ice crystal a-axis to parallel the solidification direction. • The honeycomb-like polymer phase favors columnar ridges only on one side. • Combining cryo-SEM with EBSD links solidification theory with experiment

  18. Fabrication and excellent conductive performance of antimony-doped tin oxide-coated diatomite with porous structure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Du Yucheng, E-mail: ychengdu@bjut.edu.cn [Key Lab of Advanced Functional Materials, Ministry of Education, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124 (China); Yan Jing; Meng Qi; Wang Jinshu [Key Lab of Advanced Functional Materials, Ministry of Education, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124 (China); Dai Hongxing, E-mail: hxdai@bjut.edu.cn [Laboratory of Catalysis Chemistry and Nanoscience, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Environmental and Energy Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124 (China)

    2012-04-16

    Graphical abstract: Antimony-doped tin oxide (ATO)-coated diatomite with porous structures are fabricated using the co-precipitation method. The porous ATO-coated diatomite material shows excellent conductive performance. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Sb-doped SnO{sub 2} (ATO)-coated diatomite materials with porous structures are prepared. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Sn/Sb ratio, ATO coating amount, pH value, and temperature influence resistivity. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Porous ATO-coated diatomite materials show excellent conductive performance. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The lowest resistivity of the porous ATO-coated diatomite sample is 10 {Omega} cm. - Abstract: Diatomite materials coated with antimony-doped tin oxide (ATO) were prepared by the co-precipitation method, and characterized by means of the techniques, such as X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, selected-area electron diffraction, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, and N{sub 2} adsorption-desorption measurement. It was shown that the coated ATO possessed a tetragonal rutile crystal structure, and the ATO-coated diatomite materials had a multi-pore (micro- meso-, and macropores) architecture. The porous ATO-coated diatomite materials exhibited excellent electrical conductive behaviors. The best conductive performance (volume resistivity = 10 {Omega} cm) was achieved for the sample that was prepared under the conditions of Sn/Sb molar ratio = 5.2, Sn/Sb coating amount = 45 wt%, pH = 1.0, and reaction temperature = 50 Degree-Sign C. Such a conductive porous material is useful for the applications in physical and chemical fields.

  19. Sound Transmission Through Multi-Panel Structures Lined with Elastic Porous Materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bolton, J. S.; Shiau, N.-M.; Kang, Y. J.

    1996-04-01

    Theory and measurements related to sound transmission through double panels lined with elastic porous media are presented. The information has application to the design of noise control barriers and to the optimization of aircraft fuselage transmission loss, for example. The major difference between the work described here and earlier research in this field relates to the treatment of the porous material that is used to line the cavity between the two panels of the double panel structure. Here we have used the porous material theory proposed by Biot since it takes explicit account of all the wave types known to propagate in elastic porous materials. As a result, it is possible to use the theory presented here to calculate the transmission loss of lined double panels at arbitrary angles of incidence; results calculated over a range of incidence angles may then be combined to yield the random incidence transmission loss. In this paper, the equations governing wave propagation in an elastic porous material are first considered briefly and then the general forms for the stresses and displacements within the porous material are given. Those solutions are expressed in terms of a number of constants that can be determined by application of appropriate boundary conditions. The boundary conditions required to model double panels having linings that are either directly attached to the facing panels or separated?!from them by air gaps are presented and discussed. Measurements of the random incidence transmission loss of aluminium double-panel structures lined with polyurethane foam are presented and have been found to be in good agreement with theoretical predictions. Both the theoretical predictions and the measured results have shown that the method by which an elastic porous lining material is attached to the facing panels can have a profound influence on the transmission loss of the panel system. It has been found, for example, that treatments in which the lining material

  20. Electrode structures of polymer-electrolyte fuel cells (PEFC). An electron microscopy approach to the characterization of the electrode structure of polymer electrolyte fuel cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Scheiba, Frieder

    2009-01-28

    Polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFC) have a complex electrode structure, which usually consists of a catalyst, a catalyst support, a polymer electrolyte and pores. The materials used are largely amorphous, have a strong defective structure or have particle diameter of only a few nanometers. In the electrode the materials form highly disordered aggregated structures. Both aspects complicate a systematic structural analysis significantly. However, thorough knowledge of the electrode structure, is needed for systematic advancement of fuel cell technology and to obtain a better understanding of mass and charge carrier transport processes in the electrode. Because of the complex structure of the electrode, an approach based on the examination of electrode thin-sections by electron microscopy was chosen in this work to depicting the electrode structure experimentally. The present work presents these studies of the electrode structure. Some fundamental issues as the influence of the polymer electrolyte concentration and the polarity of the solvent used in the electrode manufacturing process were addressed. During the analysis particular attention was payed to the distribution and structure of the polymer electrolyte. A major problem to the investigations, were the low contrast between the polymer electrolyte, the catalyst support material and the embedding resin. Therefore, dilerent techniques were investigated in terms of their ability to improve the contrast. In this context, a computer-assisted acquisition procedure for energy filtered transmission electron microscopy (EF-TEM) was developed. The acquisition procedure permits a significant extension of the imageable sample. At the same time, it was possible to substantially reduce beam damage of the specimen and to minimize drift of the sample considerably. This allowed unambiguous identification of the polymer electrolyte in the electrode. It could further be shown, that the polymer electrolyte not only coats the

  1. Redox-active porous coordination polymers prepared by trinuclear heterometallic pivalate linking with the redox-active nickel(II) complex: synthesis, structure, magnetic and redox properties, and electrocatalytic activity in organic compound dehalogenation in heterogeneous medium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lytvynenko, A S; Kolotilov, S V; Kiskin, M A; Cador, O; Golhen, S; Aleksandrov, G G; Mishura, A M; Titov, V E; Ouahab, L; Eremenko, I L; Novotortsev, V M

    2014-05-19

    Linking of the trinuclear pivalate fragment Fe2CoO(Piv)6 by the redox-active bridge Ni(L)2 (compound 1; LH is Schiff base from hydrazide of 4-pyridinecarboxylic acid and 2-pyridinecarbaldehyde, Piv(-) = pivalate) led to formation of a new porous coordination polymer (PCP) {Fe2CoO(Piv)6}{Ni(L)2}1.5 (2). X-ray structures of 1 and 2 were determined. A crystal lattice of compound 2 is built from stacked 2D layers; the Ni(L)2 units can be considered as bridges, which bind two Fe2CoO(Piv)6 units. In desolvated form, 2 possesses a porous crystal lattice (SBET = 50 m(2) g(-1), VDR = 0.017 cm(3) g(-1) estimated from N2 sorption at 78 K). At 298 K, 2 absorbed a significant quantity of methanol (up to 0.3 cm(3) g(-1)) and chloroform. Temperature dependence of molar magnetic susceptibility of 2 could be fitted as superposition of χMT of Fe2CoO(Piv)6 and Ni(L)2 units, possible interactions between them were taken into account using molecular field model. In turn, magnetic properties of the Fe2CoO(Piv)6 unit were fitted using two models, one of which directly took into account a spin-orbit coupling of Co(II), and in the second model the spin-orbit coupling of Co(II) was approximated as zero-field splitting. Electrochemical and electrocatalytic properties of 2 were studied by cyclic voltammetry in suspension and compared with electrochemical and electrocatalytic properties of a soluble analogue 1. A catalytic effect was determined by analysis of the catalytic current dependency on concentrations of the substrate. Compound 1 possessed electrocatalytic activity in organic halide dehalogenation, and such activity was preserved for the Ni(L)2 units, incorporated into the framework of 2. In addition, a new property occurred in the case of 2: the catalytic activity of PCP depended on its sorption capacity with respect to the substrate. In contrast to homogeneous catalysts, usage of solid PCPs may allow selectivity due to porous structure and simplify separation of product.

  2. Manufacturing of metallic porous structures to be used in capillary pumping systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eduardo Gonçalves Reimbrecht

    2003-12-01

    Full Text Available Sintered metallic porous structures have an application as capillary structures in two-phase heat transfer loops. In this work the manufacturing procedure of tubular porous structures for capillary pump application is discussed. The application of porous structures on capillary pumping systems requires porosity higher than 40% and pore size diameter lower than 20 µm. Carbonyl nickel powder with particle diameter between 3 and 7 µm and stainless steel AISI316L powder with particle diameter between 1 and 22 µm were used as raw material. Sintering under hydrogen atmosphere was performed both in a resistive furnace and in a plasma reactor. Temperature and time were the modified parameters to obtain suitable porosity and roundness on the samples. The porosity was measured using the Arquimedes Principle (MPIF-42, the roundness was evaluated using a simplified measurement technique of the sample diameter and the pore size distribution was determined by image analysis techniques. Images obtained by Scanning Electronic Microscopy were employed on the image analysis. The sintering parameters selected to manufacture nickel samples were 700 °C and 30 min resulting in a porosity of about 44%. The sintering parameters selected to manufacture stainless steel samples were 1000 °C and 30 min resulting in a porosity of about 40%.

  3. Modular Assembly of Hierarchically Structured Polymers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leophairatana, Porakrit

    The synthesis of macromolecules with complex yet highly controlled molecular architectures has attracted significant attention in the past few decades due to the growing demand for specialty polymers that possess novel properties. Despite recent efforts, current synthetic routes lack the ability to control several important architectural variables while maintaining low polydispersity index. This dissertation explores a new synthetic scheme for the modular assembly of hierarchically structured polymers (MAHP) that allows virtually any complex polymer to be assembled from a few basic molecular building blocks using a single common coupling chemistry. Complex polymer structures can be assembled from a molecular toolkit consisting of (1) copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC), (2) linear heterobifunctional macromonomers, (3) a branching heterotrifunctional molecule, (4) a protection/deprotection strategy, (5) "click" functional solid substrates, and (6) functional and responsive polymers. This work addresses the different challenges that emerged during the development of this synthetic scheme, and presents strategies to overcome those challenges. Chapter 3 investigates the alkyne-alkyne (i.e. Glaser) coupling side reactions associated with the atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) synthesis of alkyne-functional macromonomers, as well as with the CuAAC reaction of alkyne functional building blocks. In typical ATRP synthesis of unprotected alkyne functional polymers, Glaser coupling reactions can significantly compromise the polymer functionality and undermine the success of subsequent click reactions in which the polymers are used. Two strategies are reported that effectively eliminate these coupling reactions: (1) maintaining low temperature post-ATRP upon exposure to air, followed by immediate removal of copper catalyst; and (2) adding excess reducing agents post-ATRP, which prevents the oxidation of Cu(I) catalyst required by the Glaser coupling

  4. Structural optimization of interpenetrated pillared-layer coordination polymers for ethylene/ethane separation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kishida, Keisuke; Horike, Satoshi; Watanabe, Yoshihiro; Tahara, Mina; Inubushi, Yasutaka; Kitagawa, Susumu

    2014-06-01

    With the goal of achieving effective ethylene/ethane separation, we evaluated the gas sorption properties of four pillared-layer-type porous coordination polymers with double interpenetration, [Zn2(tp)2(bpy)]n (1), [Zn2(fm)2(bpe)]n (2), [Zn2(fm)2(bpa)]n (3), and [Zn2(fm)2(bpy)]n (4) (tp = terephthalate, bpy = 4,4'-bipyridyl, fm = fumarate, bpe = 1,2-di(4-pyridyl)ethylene and bpa = 1,2-di(4-pyridyl)ethane). It was found that 4, which contains the narrowest pores of all of these compounds, exhibited ethylene-selective sorption profiles. The ethylene selectivity of 4 was estimated to be 4.6 at 298 K based on breakthrough experiments using ethylene/ethane gas mixtures. In addition, 4 exhibited a good regeneration ability compared with a conventional porous material. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  5. Shape memory polymer cellular solid design for medical applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    De Nardo, L; Bertoldi, S; Tanzi, M C; Farè, S; Haugen, H J

    2011-01-01

    Shape memory polymers (SMPs) are an emerging class of active materials whose response can be easily tailored via modifications of the molecular parameters and optimization of the transformation processes. In this work, we originally demonstrated that a correct coupling of polymer transformation processes (co-extrusion with chemical blowing agents, salt co-extrusion/particulate leaching, solvent casting/particulate leaching) and SMPs allows one to obtain porous structures with a broad spectrum of morphological properties resulting in tunable thermo-mechanical and shape recovery properties. Such a wide range of properties could fulfil the specifications of medical applications in which the use of SMP-based foams can be envisaged

  6. Experimental study of the retention properties of a cyclo olefin polymer pillar array column in reversed-phase mode

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Illa, Xavi; de Malsche, Wim; Gardeniers, Johannes G.E.; Desmet, Gert; Romano-Rodriguez, Albert

    2010-01-01

    Experimental measurements to study the retention capacity and band broadening under retentive conditions using micromachined non-porous pillar array columns fabricated in cyclo olefin polymer are presented. In particular, three columns with different depths but with the same pillar structure have

  7. Dielectric electroactive polymers comprising an ionic supramolecular structure

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2014-01-01

    The present invention relates to an ionic interpenetrating polymer network comprising at least one elastomer and an ionic supramolecular structure comprising the reaction product of at least two chemical compounds wherein each of said compounds has at least two functional groups and wherein said ...... compounds are able to undergo Lewis acid-base reactions. The interpenetrating polymer network may be used as dielectric electroactive polymers (DEAPs) having a high dielectric permittivity....

  8. Structures and Elastic Moduli of Polymer Nanocomposite Thin Films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Hongyi; Karim, Alamgir; University of Akron Team

    2014-03-01

    Polymeric thin films generally possess unique mechanical and thermal properties due to confinement. In this study we investigated structures and elastic moduli of polymer nanocomposite thin films, which can potentially find wide applications in diverse areas such as in coating, permeation and separation. Conventional thermoplastics (PS, PMMA) and biopolymers (PLA, PCL) were chosen as polymer matrices. Various types of nanoparticles were used including nanoclay, fullerene and functionalized inorganic particles. Samples were prepared by solvent-mixing followed by spin-coating or flow-coating. Film structures were characterized using X-ray scattering and transmission electron microscopy. Elastic moduli were measured by strain-induced elastic buckling instability for mechanical measurements (SIEBIMM), and a strengthening effect was found in certain systems due to strong interaction between polymers and nanoparticles. The effects of polymer structure, nanoparticle addition and film thickness on elastic modulus will be discussed and compared with bulk materials.

  9. Development of porous materials for hydrogen storage

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shinji Oshima; Osamu Kato; Takeshi Kataoka; Yoshihiro Kobori; Michiaki Adachi [Hydrogen and New Energy Research Laboratory Nippon Oil Corporation 8, Chidoricho, Naka-ku, Yokohama, 231-0815 (Japan)

    2006-07-01

    To achieve hydrogen storage of more than 5 mass%, we are focusing on porous materials that consist of light elements. At WHEC 15, we reported that KOH-activated bamboo charcoal showed 0.79 mass% hydrogen uptake at 9.5 MPa and 303 K. After examining various carbon materials, we found that carbonized and KOH-activated polyacrylonitrile fibers showed 1.0 mass% hydrogen uptake at 9.5 MPa and 303 K. When the pressure was raised to 35 MPa, this material showed 1.5 mass% hydrogen uptake at 303 K. Besides porous carbon, other materials, such as coordination polymers, were examined. Since these materials contain elements other than carbon, different adsorption phenomena may be expected. Although the values of their hydrogen uptakes are still lower than those of carbon materials, a coordination polymer which showed 0.38 mass% hydrogen uptake at 9.5 MPa and 303 K was revealed to give an adsorption density of 47 kg/m{sup 3} at 0.1 MPa and 77 K, the highest value reported for a coordination polymer. (authors)

  10. Thermo-stabilized, porous polyimide microspheres prepared from nanosized SiO2 templating via in situ polymerization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Q. Liu

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available In this article, we addressed a feasible and versatile method of the fabrication of porous polyimide microspheres presenting excellent heat resistance. The preparation process consisted of two steps. Firstly, a novel polyimide/nano-silica composite microsphere was prepared via the self-assembly structures of poly(amic acid (PAA, precursor of PI/nanosized SiO2 blends after in situ polymerization, following the two-steps imidization. Subsequently, the encapsulated nanoparticles were etched away by hydrofluoric acid treatment, giving rise to the pores. It is found the composite structure of PI/SiO2 is a precondition of the formation of nanoporous structures, furthermore, the morphology of the resultant pore could be relatively tuned by changing the content and initial morphology of silica nano-particles trapped into PI matrix. The thermal properties of the synthesized PI porous spheres were studied, indicating that the introduction of nanopores could not effectively influence the thermal stabilities of PI microspheres. Moreover, the fabrication technique described here may be extended to other porous polymer systems.

  11. Enhanced Transdermal Permeability via Constructing the Porous Structure of Poloxamer-Based Hydrogel

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wen-Yi Wang

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available A major concern for transdermal drug delivery systems is the low bioavailability of targeted drugs primarily caused by the skin’s barrier function. The resistance to the carrier matrix for the diffusion and transport of drugs, however, is routinely ignored. This study reports a promising and attractive approach to reducing the resistance to drug transport in the carrier matrix, to enhance drug permeability and bioavailability via enhanced concentration-gradient of the driving force for transdermal purposes. This approach simply optimizes and reconstructs the porous channel structure of the carrier matrix, namely, poloxamer 407 (P407-based hydrogel matrix blended with carboxymethyl cellulose sodium (CMCs. Addition of CMCs was found to distinctly improve the porous structure of the P407 matrix. The pore size approximated to normal distribution as CMCs were added and the fraction of pore number was increased by over tenfold. Transdermal studies showed that P407/CMCs saw a significant increase in drug permeability across the skin. This suggests that P407/CMC with improved porous structure exhibits a feasible and promising way for the development of transdermal therapy with high permeability and bioavailability, thereby avoiding or reducing use of any chemical enhancers.

  12. A poly(vinyl alcohol)/sodium alginate blend monolith with nanoscale porous structure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Xiaoxia; Uyama, Hiroshi

    2013-10-04

    A stimuli-responsive poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/sodium alginate (SA) blend monolith with nanoscale porous (mesoporous) structure is successfully fabricated by thermally impacted non-solvent induced phase separation (TINIPS) method. The PVA/SA blend monolith with different SA contents is conveniently fabricated in an aqueous methanol without any templates. The solvent suitable for the fabrication of the present blend monolith by TINIPS is different with that of the PVA monolith. The nanostructural control of the blend monolith is readily achieved by optimizing the fabrication conditions. Brunauer Emmett Teller measurement shows that the obtained blend monolith has a large surface area. Pore size distribution plot for the blend monolith obtained by the non-local density functional theory method reveals the existence of the nanoscale porous structure. Fourier transform infrared analysis reveals the strong interactions between PVA and SA. The pH-responsive property of the blend monolith is investigated on the basis of swelling ratio in different pH solutions. The present blend monolith of biocompatible and biodegradable PVA and SA with nanoscale porous structure has large potential for applications in biomedical and environmental fields.

  13. Transition state analogue imprinted polymers as artificial amidases for amino acid p-nitroanilides: morphological effects of polymer network on catalytic efficiency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mathew, Divya; Thomas, Benny; Devaky, K S

    2017-11-13

    The morphology of the polymer network - porous/less porous - plays predominant role in the amidase activities of the polymer catalysts in the hydrolytic reactions of amino acid p-nitroanilides. Polymers with the imprints of stable phosphonate analogue of the intermediate of hydrolytic reactions were synthesized as enzyme mimics. Molecular imprinting was carried out in thermodynamically stable porogen dimethyl sulphoxide and unstable porogen chloroform, to investigate the morphological effects of polymers on catalytic amidolysis. It was found that the medium of polymerization has vital influence in the amidase activities of the enzyme mimics. The morphological studies of the polymer catalysts were carried out by scanning electron microscopy and Bruner-Emmett-Teller analysis. The morphology of the polymer catalysts and their amidase activities are found to be dependent on the composition of reaction medium. The polymer catalyst prepared in dimethyl sulphoxide is observed to be efficient in 1:9 acetonitrile (ACN)-Tris HCl buffer and that prepared in chloroform is noticed to be stereo specifically and shape-selectively effective in 9:1 ACN-Tris HCl buffer. The solvent memory effect in catalytic amidolysis was investigated using the polymer prepared in acetonitrile.

  14. Electrospinning of Nano-Porous Cellulose Acetate Fibers Under Humidified Condition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hamid Fattahi Juybari

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Electrospinning as a simple method was used to produce cellulose acetate porous fibers. Motivation for production of fibers with small diameter in the submicron and nano scales was to achieve the material with a large surfacearea with porosity formation in the structure of electrospun fibers. In this study, porous cellulose acetate (CA fibers were produced by electrospinning process from solution of CA/acetone/water. The porosity of the fiber was controlled by adjustment of the temperature and humidity of electrospinning chamber. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM and densitometry were employed to evaluate the morphology and porosity of the samples. The results showed that the morphology and porosity of cellulose acetate fibers depend on the polymer solution concentration and relative humidity of electrospinning atmosphere. Cellulose acetate fibers were electrospun best at the concentrations of 12 to 18 wt% and relative humidity range of 40 to 80%. The highest porosity was obtained at the relative humidity of 80% and concentration of 15 wt%. In addition, by increasing the relative humidity of electrospinning environment and polymer concentration, the average diameter of the fibers was increased. With increasing the polymer concentration, there was less likelihood in thermodynamic instability and phase separation. In contrast, increases in relative humidity led to diffusion of more water into the electrospinning jet, giving rise to phase separation. Our observations revealed that the skin of fibers was formed at the earlier stage of the process and prevented the stretch in electrospinning jet.

  15. Porous Fe-Mn-O nanocomposites: Synthesis and supercapacitor electrode application

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guoxing Zhu

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Transition metal oxide micro-/nanostructures demonstrate high potential applications in energy storage devices. Here, we report a facile synthesis of highly homogeneous oxide composites with porous structure via a coordination polymer precursor, which was prepared with the assistance of tartaric acid. The typical product, Fe-Mn-O composite was demonstrated here. The obtained Fe-Mn-O product was systemically characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, elemental mapping analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It was demonstrated that the Fe-Mn-O nanocomposite shows interconnected porous structure, in which iron, manganese, and oxygen are uniformly distributed. In addition, the Fe-Mn-O nanocomposite was then fabricated as capacitor electrodes. Operating in an aqueous neutral solution, the Fe-Mn-O composite electrodes showed an wide working potential window from −0.2 to 1.0 V (vs. SCE, and a specific capacitance of 86.7 Fg−1 or 0.4 Fcm−2 at a constant current density of 1 Ag−1 with good cycle life. This study offers a new precursor approach to prepare porous metal oxide composites, which would be applied in energy-storage/conversion devices, catalysts, sensors, and so on.

  16. Photo-patterning of porous hydrogels for tissue engineering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bryant, Stephanie J; Cuy, Janet L; Hauch, Kip D; Ratner, Buddy D

    2007-07-01

    Since pore size and geometry strongly impact cell behavior and in vivo reaction, the ability to create scaffolds with a wide range of pore geometries that can be tailored to suit a particular cell type addresses a key need in tissue engineering. In this contribution, we describe a novel and simple technique to design porous, degradable poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) hydrogel scaffolds with well-defined architectures using a unique photolithography process and optimized polymer chemistry. A sphere-template was used to produce a highly uniform, monodisperse porous structure. To create a patterned and porous hydrogel scaffold, a photomask and initiating light were employed. Open, vertical channels ranging in size from 360+/-25 to 730+/-70 microm were patterned into approximately 700 microm thick hydrogels with pore diameters of 62+/-8 or 147+/-15 microm. Collagen type I was immobilized onto the scaffolds to facilitate cell adhesion. To assess the potential of these novel scaffolds for tissue engineering, a skeletal myoblast cell line (C2C12) was seeded onto scaffolds with 147 microm pores and 730 microm diameter channels, and analyzed by histology and digital volumetric imaging. Cell elongation, cell spreading and fibrillar formation were observed on these novel scaffolds. In summary, 3D architectures can be patterned into porous hydrogels in one step to create a wide range of tissue engineering scaffolds that may be tailored for specific applications.

  17. Production of porous filter elements from PEUAPM nanocomposites and silver nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bizzo, M.A.; Hui, W.S.

    2014-01-01

    The production of filter elements for water based in polymers is widespread in the market, but has an undesirable characteristic: they are not efficient and able to retain or eliminate microorganisms at all times. This paper proposes to produce nanocomposite filters with biocidal properties composed of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene(UHMWPE) and silver nanoparticles, the UHMWPE is responsible for the uniform porous structure of the filters and the silver nanoparticles incorporated on the polymer are responsible for the biocide action. Particulate polymer that presents a different particle size curve was used for sintering the filters. Samples of filter elements obtained in this work were characterized by the techniques of X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and EDS microanalysis. The results indicated a porosity of approximately 49% in the filter, and the formation of the nanocomposite. key-words: nanocomposites, silver, UHMWPE, filter elements. (author)

  18. Study of the effect of external heating and internal temperature build-up during polymerization on the morphology of porous polymethacrylate adsorbent

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wei, Chan Yi, E-mail: vicchanyiwei@hotmail.com; Ongkudon, Clarence M., E-mail: clarence@ums.edu.my; Kansil, Tamar, E-mail: tamarkansil87@gmail.com [Biotechnology Research Institute, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah (Malaysia)

    2015-07-22

    Modern day synthesis protocols of methacrylate monolithic polymer adsorbent are based on existing polymerization blueprint without a thorough understanding of the dynamics of pore structure and formation. This has resulted in unproductiveness of polymer adsorbent consequently affecting purity and recovery of final product, productivity, retention time and cost effectiveness of the whole process. The problems magnified in monolith scaling-up where internal heat buildup resulting from external heating and high exothermic polymerization reaction was reflected in cracking of the adsorbent. We believe that through careful and precise control of the polymerization kinetics and parameters, it is possible to prepare macroporous methacrylate monolithic adsorbents with controlled pore structures despite being carried out in an unstirred mould. This research involved the study of the effect of scaling-up on pore morphology of monolith, in other words, porous polymethacrylate adsorbents that were prepared via bulk free radical polymerization process by imaging the porous morphology of polymethacrylate with scanning electron microscope.

  19. Optical performance of hybrid porous silicon-porous alumina multilayers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cencha, L. G.; Antonio Hernández, C.; Forzani, L.; Urteaga, R.; Koropecki, R. R.

    2018-05-01

    In this work, we study the optical response of structures involving porous silicon and porous alumina in a multi-layered hybrid structure. We performed a rational design of the optimal sequence necessary to produce a high transmission and selective filter, with potential applications in chemical and biosensors. The combination of these porous materials can be used to exploit its distinguishing features, i.e., high transparency of alumina and high refractive index of porous silicon. We assembled hybrid microcavities with a central porous alumina layer between two porous silicon Bragg reflectors. In this way, we constructed a Fabry-Perot resonator with high reflectivity and low absorption that improves the quality of the filter compared to a microcavity built only with porous silicon or porous alumina. We explored a simpler design in which one of the Bragg reflectors is replaced by the aluminium that remains bound to the alumina after its fabrication. We theoretically explored the potential of the proposal and its limitations when considering the roughness of the layers. We found that the quality of a microcavity made entirely with porous silicon shows a limit in the visible range due to light absorption. This limitation is overcome in the hybrid scheme, with the roughness of the layers determining the ultimate quality. Q-factors of 220 are experimentally obtained for microcavities supported on aluminium, while Q-factors around 600 are reached for microcavities with double Bragg reflectors, centred at 560 nm. This represents a four-fold increase with respect to the optimal porous silicon microcavity at this wavelength.

  20. A statistical method for predicting sound absorbing property of porous metal materials by using quartet structure generation set

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guan, Dong; Wu, Jiu Hui; Jing, Li

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • A random internal morphology and structure generation-growth method, termed as the quartet structure generation set (QSGS), has been utilized based on the stochastic cluster growth theory for numerical generating the various microstructures of porous metal materials. • Effects of different parameters such as thickness and porosity on sound absorption performance of the generated structures are studied by the present method, and the obtained results are validated by an empirical model as well. • This method could be utilized to guide the design and fabrication of the sound-absorption porous metal materials. - Abstract: In this paper, a statistical method for predicting sound absorption properties of porous metal materials is presented. To reflect the stochastic distribution characteristics of the porous metal materials, a random internal morphology and structure generation-growth method, termed as the quartet structure generation set (QSGS), has been utilized based on the stochastic cluster growth theory for numerical generating the various microstructures of porous metal materials. Then by using the transfer-function approach along with the QSGS tool, we investigate the sound absorbing performance of porous metal materials with complex stochastic geometries. The statistical method has been validated by the good agreement among the numerical results for metal rubber from this method and a previous empirical model and the corresponding experimental data. Furthermore, the effects of different parameters such as thickness and porosity on sound absorption performance of the generated structures are studied by the present method, and the obtained results are validated by an empirical model as well. Therefore, the present method is a reliable and robust method for predicting the sound absorption performance of porous metal materials, and could be utilized to guide the design and fabrication of the sound-absorption porous metal materials

  1. Morphology and characterization of 3D micro-porous structured chitosan scaffolds for tissue engineering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsieh, Wen-Chuan; Chang, Chih-Pong; Lin, Shang-Ming

    2007-06-15

    This research studies the morphology and characterization of three-dimensional (3D) micro-porous structures produced from biodegradable chitosan for use as scaffolds for cells culture. The chitosan 3D micro-porous structures were produced by a simple liquid hardening method, which includes the processes of foaming by mechanical stirring without any chemical foaming agent added, and hardening by NaOH cross linking. The pore size and porosity were controlled with mechanical stirring strength. This study includes the morphology of chitosan scaffolds, the characterization of mechanical properties, water absorption properties and in vitro enzymatic degradation of the 3D micro-porous structures. The results show that chitosan 3D micro-porous structures were successfully produced. Better formation samples were obtained when chitosan concentration is at 1-3%, and concentration of NaOH is at 5%. Faster stirring rate would produce samples of smaller pore diameter, but when rotation speed reaches 4000 rpm and higher the changes in pore size is minimal. Water absorption would reduce along with the decrease of chitosan scaffolds' pore diameter. From stress-strain analysis, chitosan scaffolds' mechanical properties are improved when it has smaller pore diameter. From in vitro enzymatic degradation results, it shows that the disintegration rate of chitosan scaffolds would increase along with the processing time increase, but approaching equilibrium when the disintegration rate reaches about 20%.

  2. Porous Graphene Microflowers for High-Performance Microwave Absorption

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Chen; Xi, Jiabin; Zhou, Erzhen; Peng, Li; Chen, Zichen; Gao, Chao

    2018-06-01

    Graphene has shown great potential in microwave absorption (MA) owing to its high surface area, low density, tunable electrical conductivity and good chemical stability. To fully realize graphene's MA ability, the microstructure of graphene should be carefully addressed. Here we prepared graphene microflowers (Gmfs) with highly porous structure for high-performance MA filler material. The efficient absorption bandwidth (reflection loss ≤ -10 dB) reaches 5.59 GHz and the minimum reflection loss is up to -42.9 dB, showing significant increment compared with stacked graphene. Such performance is higher than most graphene-based materials in the literature. Besides, the low filling content (10 wt%) and low density (40-50 mg cm-3) are beneficial for the practical applications. Without compounding with magnetic materials or conductive polymers, Gmfs show outstanding MA performance with the aid of rational microstructure design. Furthermore, Gmfs exhibit advantages in facile processibility and large-scale production compared with other porous graphene materials including aerogels and foams.

  3. Mechanochemistry-assisted synthesis of hierarchical porous carbons applied as supercapacitors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Desirée Leistenschneider

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available A solvent-free synthesis of hierarchical porous carbons is conducted by a facile and fast mechanochemical reaction in a ball mill. By means of a mechanochemical ball-milling approach, we obtained titanium(IV citrate-based polymers, which have been processed via high temperature chlorine treatment to hierarchical porous carbons with a high specific surface area of up to 1814 m2 g−1 and well-defined pore structures. The carbons are applied as electrode materials in electric double-layer capacitors showing high specific capacitances with 98 F g−1 in organic and 138 F g−1 in an ionic liquid electrolyte as well as good rate capabilities, maintaining 87% of the initial capacitance with 1 M TEA-BF4 in acetonitrile (ACN and 81% at 10 A g−1 in EMIM-BF4.

  4. Chain confinement, phase transitions, and lamellar structure in semicrystalline polymers, polymer blends and polymer nanocomposites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Huipeng

    Recent studies suggest that there are three phase fractions in semicrystalline polymers, the crystalline, the mobile amorphous and the rigid amorphous phases. Due to the distinct properties of the rigid amorphous fraction, RAF, it has been investigated for more than twenty years. In this thesis, a general method using quasi-isothermal temperature-modulated differential scaning calorimetry, DSC, is provided for the first time to obtain the temperature dependent RAF and the other two fractions, crystalline fraction and mobile amorphous fraction, MAF. For poly(ethylene terephthalate), PET, our results show RAF was vitrified during quasi-isothermal cooling after crystallization had been completed and became totally devitrified during quasi-isothermal heating before the start of melting. Several years after people initially discovered the existence of RAF, another issue arose relating to the physical location of RAF and mobile amorphous fraction, MAF, within a lamellar stack model. Two very different models to describe the location of RAF were proposed. In the Heterogeneous Stack Model, HET, RAF is located outside the lamellar stacks. In the Homogeneous Stack Model, HSM, RAF was located inside the lamellar stacks. To determine the lamellar structure of semicrystalline polymers comprising three phase, a general method is given in this thesis by using a combination of the DSC and small angle X-ray scattering, SAXS techniques. It has been applied to Nylon 6, isotactic polystyrene, iPS, and PET. It was found for all of these materials, the HSM model is correct to describe the lamellar structure. In addition to the determination of lamellar structures, this method can also provide the exact fraction of MAF inside and outside lamellar stacks for binary polymer blends. For binary polymer blends, MAF, normally is located partially inside and partially outside the lamellar stacks. However, the quantification of the MAF inside and outside the lamellar stacks has now been provided

  5. Pore structure and mechanical properties of directionally solidified porous aluminum alloys

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Komissarchuk Olga

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Porous aluminum alloys produced by the metal-gas eutectic method or GASAR process need to be performed under a certain pressure of hydrogen, and to carry over melt to a tailor-made apparatus that ensures directional solidification. Hydrogen is driven out of the melt, and then the quasi-cylindrical pores normal to the solidification front are usually formed. In the research, the effects of processing parameters (saturation pressure, solidification pressure, temperature, and holding time on the pore structure and porosity of porous aluminum alloys were analyzed. The mechanical properties of Al-Mg alloys were studied by the compressive tests, and the advantages of the porous structure were indicated. By using the GASAR method, pure aluminum, Al-3wt.%Mg, Al-6wt.%Mg and Al-35wt.%Mg alloys with oriented pores have been successfully produced under processing conditions of varying gas pressure, and the relationship between the final pore structure and the solidification pressure, as well as the influences of Mg quantity on the pore size, porosity and mechanical properties of Al-Mg alloy were investigated. The results show that a higher pressure of solidification tends to yield smaller pores in aluminum and its alloys. In the case of Al-Mg alloys, it was proved that with the increasing of Mg amount, the mechanical properties of the alloys sharply deteriorate. However, since Al-3%Mg and Al-6wt.%Mg alloys are ductile metals, their porous samples have greater compressive strength than that of the dense samples due to the existence of pores. It gives the opportunity to use them in industry at the same conditions as dense alloys with savings in weight and material consumption.

  6. Actuator device utilizing a conductive polymer gel

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chinn, Douglas A.; Irvin, David J.

    2004-02-03

    A valve actuator based on a conductive polymer gel is disclosed. A nonconductive housing is provided having two separate chambers separated by a porous frit. The conductive polymer is held in one chamber and an electrolyte solution, used as a source of charged ions, is held in the second chamber. The ends of the housing a sealed with a flexible elastomer. The polymer gel is further provide with electrodes with which to apply an electrical potential across the gel in order to initiate an oxidation reaction which in turn drives anions across the porous frit and into the polymer gel, swelling the volume of the gel and simultaneously contracting the volume of the electrolyte solution. Because the two end chambers are sealed the flexible elastomer expands or contracts with the chamber volume change. By manipulating the potential across the gel the motion of the elastomer can be controlled to act as a "gate" to open or close a fluid channel and thereby control flow through that channel.

  7. Robust hydrophobic polyurethane fibrous membranes with tunable porous structure for waterproof and breathable application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gu, Jiatai; Gu, Haihong; Cao, Jin; Chen, Shaojie; Li, Ni; Xiong, Jie

    2018-05-01

    In this work, novel nanofibrous membranes with waterproof and breathable (W&B) performance were successfully fabricated by the combination of electrospinning and surface modification technology. This fibrous membranes consisted of polyurethane (PU), NaCl, and fluoroalkylsilane (FAS). Firstly, The fibrous construction and porous structure of fibrous membranes were regulated by tuning the NaCl concentrations in PU solutions. Then, the obtained PU/NaCl fibrous membranes were further modified with fluoroalkylsilane (FAS) to improve hydrophobic property. The synergistic effect of porous structure and hydrophobicity on waterproof and breathable performance was investigated. Furthermore, the mechanical property of fibrous membranes was deeply analysed on the basis of macromolecule orientation and adhesive structure. Benefiting from the optimized porous structure and hydrophobic modification, the resultant fibrous membranes exhibited excellent waterproof (hydrostatic pressure of 1261 Mbar), breathable (water vapor transmission (WVT) rate of 9.06 kg m-2 d-1 and air permeability of 4.8 mm s-1) performance, as well as high tensile strength (breakage stress of 10.4 MPa), suggesting a promising candidate for various applications, especially in protective clothing.

  8. Functional Biomass Carbons with Hierarchical Porous Structure for Supercapacitor Electrode Materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Hao; Liu, Duo; Shen, Zhehong; Bao, Binfu; Zhao, Shuyan; Wu, Limin

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • We successfully prepared bamboo-derived porous carbon with B and N co-doping. • This novel carbon exhibits significantly enhanced specific capacitance and energy density. • The highest specific capacitance exceeds those of most similar carbon materials. • Asymmetric supercapacitor based on this carbon shows satisfactory capacitive performance. - Abstract: This paper presents nitrogen and boron co-doped KOH-activated bamboo-derived carbon as a porous biomass carbon with utility as a supercapacitor electrode material. Owing to the high electrochemical activity promoted by the hierarchical porous structure and further endowed by boron and nitrogen co-doping, electrodes based on the as-obtained material exhibit significantly enhanced specific capacitance and energy density relative to those based on most similar materials. An asymmetric supercapacitor based on this novel carbon material demonstrated satisfactory energy density and electrochemical cycling stability.

  9. Enrichment of steroid hormones in water with porous and hydrophobic polymer-based SPE followed by HPLC-UV determination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Yinfen; Zhang, Man; Tong, Changlun; Wu, Jianmin; Liu, Weiping

    2013-10-01

    There have been great concerns about the persistence of steroid hormones in surface water. Since the concentrations of these compounds in water samples are usually at a trace level, the efficient enrichment of steroid hormones is vital for further analysis. In this work, a porous and hydrophobic polymer was synthesized and characterized. The composition of solvent used as porogen in the synthetic process was shown to have an effect on the morphology of the polymer, which was successfully used as an SPE sorbent for simultaneously enriching steroid hormones in surface water samples. The recoveries of the steroid hormones on the custom-made polymer ranged from 93.4 to 106.2%, whereas those on commercialized ENVI-18, LC-18, and Oasis HLB ranged from 54.8 to 104.9, 66 to 93.6, and 77.2 to 106%, respectively. Five types of steroid hormones were simultaneously measured using HPLC-UV after they were enriched by the custom-made sorbent. Based on these findings, the SPE-HPLC method was developed. The LODs of this method for estriol, estradiol, estrone, androstenedione, progesterone were 0.07, 0.43, 0.61, 0.27, and 0.42 μg/L, respectively, while precision and reproducibility RSDs were <6.40 and 7.49%, respectively. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  10. Microfluidic assembly of monodisperse multistage pH-responsive polymer/porous silicon composites for precisely controlled multi-drug delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Dongfei; Zhang, Hongbo; Herranz-Blanco, Bárbara; Mäkilä, Ermei; Lehto, Vesa-Pekka; Salonen, Jarno; Hirvonen, Jouni; Santos, Hélder A

    2014-05-28

    We report an advanced drug delivery platform for combination chemotherapy by concurrently incorporating two different drugs into microcompoistes with ratiometric control over the loading degree. Atorvastatin and celecoxib were selected as model drugs due to their different physicochemical properties and synergetic effect on colorectal cancer prevention and inhibition. To be effective in colorectal cancer prevention and inhibition, the produced microcomposite contained hypromellose acetate succinate, which is insoluble in acidic conditions but highly dissolving at neutral or alkaline pH conditions. Taking advantage of the large pore volume of porous silicon (PSi), atorvastatin was firstly loaded into the PSi matrix, and then encapsulated into the pH-responsive polymer microparticles containing celecoxib by microfluidics in order to obtain multi-drug loaded polymer/PSi microcomposites. The prepared microcomposites showed monodisperse size distribution, multistage pH-response, precise ratiometric controlled loading degree towards the simultaneously loaded drug molecules, and tailored release kinetics of the loaded cargos. This attractive microcomposite platform protects the payloads from being released at low pH-values, and enhances their release at higher pH-values, which can be further used for colon cancer prevention and treatment. Overall, the pH-responsive polymer/PSi-based microcomposite can be used as a universal platform for the delivery of different drug molecules for combination therapy. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  11. Enhancement of aspirin capsulation by porous particles including iron hydrous oxide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saito, Kenji; Koishi, Masumi; Hosoi, Fumio; Makuuchi, Keizo.

    1986-01-01

    Polymer-coated porous particles containing aspirin as a drug were prepared and the release of rate of aspirin was studied. The impregnation of aspirin was carried out by post-graft polymerization, where methyl methacrylate containing aspirin was treated with porous particles including iron oxide, pre-irradiated with γ-ray form Co-60. Release of aspirin from modified particles was examined with 50 % methanol solution. The amount of aspirin absorbed in porous particles increased by grafting of methyl methacrylate. The particles treated with iron hydrous oxide sols before irradiation led to the increment of aspirin absorption. Diffusion of aspirin through the polymer matrix and the gelled layer was the limiting process in the aspirin release from particles. The rate of aspirin released from modified particles including iron hydrous oxide wasn't affected by the grafting of methyl methacrylate. (author)

  12. MULTILAYER POROUS COMPOSITE FROM WASTE GLASS FOR WATER FILTRATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. P. Aji

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Multilayer porous composite have been produced through the heating process at temperature T=700oC for 2.5 h. Single layered porous composite was made with a varied mass percentage of from PEG polymer  1% to 10%. Double-layered porous composite were made by the arrangement of porosity (4:3%, (4:2% and (3:2%, while the three-layers porous composite have an arrangement (4:3:2%. Performance of multilayer porous composite for water filtration with pollutants of methylene blue 100 ppm was estimated from the absorbance spectrum. Rejection of methylene blue pollutants from single layered porous composite increases when the fraction of PEG polymer tend to be smaller in the matrix. Meanwhile, the double layered porous composite has a degradation of methylene blue pollutants are better than one layer. Triple layered porous composite have good performance for the water filtration where all the pollutants of methylene blue be able to be filtered.   Komposit pori berlapis telah dihasilkan dengan proses pemanasan pada temperatur T=700oC selama 2.5 jam. Komposit pori satu lapis dibuat dengan variasi persen massa polimer PEG 1% hingga 10%. Komposit pori dua lapis dibuat dengan susunan porositas (4:3%, (4:2% dan (3:2%, sedangkan komposit pori tiga lapis memiliki susunan porositas (4:3:2%. Kinerja komposit pori berlapis untuk filter air dengan polutan methylene blue 100 ppm diestimasi dari spektrum absorbansi. Rejeksi polutan methylene blue dari komposit pori satu lapis meningkat saat fraksi polimer PEG cenderung lebih kecil dalam matrik komposit. Sedangkan, komposit pori dua lapis memiliki kemampuan untuk degradasi polutan methylene blue yang lebih baik dari satu lapis. Komposit pori tiga lapis memiliki kinerja yang baik untuk filter air dimana seluruh polutan methylene blue mampu disaring. 

  13. Improved Structural Design and CO2 Capture of Porous Hydroxy-Rich Polymeric Organic Frameworks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kidder, Michelle K. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Earl, Lyndsey D. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); de Almeida, Valmor F. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

    2016-04-16

    Polymeric organic frameworks (POFs) are tunable and robust porous materials with potential applications for gas capture, catalysis, and separations technologies. A series of new porous POFs have been synthesized from the reaction of phloroglucinol or resorcinol derivatives with aryl aldehyde precursors. The monomers have various molecular shapes including linear, bent, trigonal, and tetrahedral geometries. Depending on the size and geometric matching of the monomers, the polymers are dominantly microporous with some mesoporous character or they are non-porous. In addition to standard spectroscopic and surface characterization, the materials were screened as adsorbents for carbon dioxide capture at low pressure (0-1 bar). The best performing material (POF 1D) has a CO2 capture capacity of 9.0 wt. % (2.04 mmol g-1) at 298 K and 1 bar which is comparable to other polymeric organic frameworks. Isosteric heats of adsorption for POF 1A, POF 2A, and POF 2B were found to be dependent on the weight percent of CO2 adsorbed: this suggests there are both chemisorptive and physisorptive components of CO2 capture by the POFs.

  14. Lanthanide Organophosphate Spiro Polymers: Synthesis, Structure, and Magnetocaloric Effect in the Gadolinium Polymer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gupta, Sandeep K; Bhat, Gulzar A; Murugavel, Ramaswamy

    2017-08-07

    Spirocyclic lanthanide organophosphate polymers, {[Ln(dipp)(dippH)(CH 3 OH)(H 2 O) 2 ](CH 3 OH) 2 } n [Ln = La (1), Ce (2), Pr (3), Nd (4), Sm (5), Eu (6), Gd (7), Tb (8), Dy (9), Ho (10), Er (11)], have been prepared from the reaction of Ln(NO 3 ) 3 ·xH 2 O with sterically hindered 2,6-diisopropylphenyl phosphate (dippH 2 ) using aqueous NaOH as the base. The one-dimensional chainlike lanthanide (III) organophosphate coordination polymers have been characterized with the aid of analytical and spectroscopic methods. The single crystal structure determination of polymers (2-5 and 7-11) reveals that in these compounds the hydrophobic organic groups of the phosphate provide a protective coating for the inorganic lanthanide phosphate polymeric chain. The encapsulation of inorganic lanthanide phosphate core, which has very low solubility product, within the organic groups assists in the facile crystallization of the polymers. The di- and monoanionic organophosphate ligands dipp 2- and dippH - display [2.111] and [2.110] binding modes, respectively, in 2-5 and 7. However, they exhibit only [2.110] binding mode in the case of 8-11. This results in the formation of two different types of polymers. While the lighter rare-earth metal ions in 2-5 and 7 display eight coordinate biaugmented trigonal prismatic geometry, the heavier rare-earth metal ions in 9-11 exhibit a seven coordinate capped trigonal prismatic environment. The Tb(III) ion in 8 displays distorted pentagonal bipyramidal geometry. Magnetic studies reveal the presence of weak antiferromagnetic interactions between the Ln(III) ions through the organophosphate ligand. The isotropic Gd(III) polymer 7 exhibits a maximum entropy change of 17.83 J kg -1 K -1 for a field change of 7.0 T at 2.5 K, which is significant considering the high molecular weight of the organophosphate ligand. These polymers represent the first family of any structurally characterized rare-earth organophosphate polymers derived from monoesters

  15. Surface-selective laser sintering of thermolabile polymer particles using water as heating sensitizer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Antonov, E N; Krotova, L I; Minaev, N V; Minaeva, S A; Mironov, A V; Popov, V K [Institute on Laser and Information Technologies of the Russian Academy of Sciencies, Troitsk, Moscow (Russian Federation); Bagratashvili, V N [Department of Chemistry, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow (Russian Federation)

    2015-11-30

    We report the implementation of a novel scheme for surface-selective laser sintering (SSLS) of polymer particles, based on using water as a sensitizer of laser heating and sintering of particles as well as laser radiation at a wavelength of 1.94 μm, corresponding to the strong absorption band of water. A method of sintering powders of poly(lactide-co-glycolide), a hydrophobic bioresorbable polymer, after modifying its surface with an aqueous solution of hyaluronic acid is developed. The sintering thresholds for wetted polymer are by 3 – 4 times lower than those for sintering in air. The presence of water restricts the temperature of the heated polymer, preventing its thermal destruction. Polymer matrices with a developed porous structure are obtained. The proposed SSLS method can be applied to produce bioresorbable polymer matrices for tissue engineering. (interaction of laser radiation with matter. laser plasma)

  16. THE STRUCTURE ANALYTICAL RESEARCH OF POROUS PERMEABLE WIRE MATERIAL (in Russian

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrzej JAKUBOWSKI

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available The details of making technology of porous permeable material with use of wire are allowed to carry out the analytical research of structure and structural characteristics of wire winding body. Its permit for prognostication the final proper-ties of material, that is produced by the following deformation treatment (diameter reduction. Due to the regular orga-nized arrangement of wire, the coil of winding body is considered as a multispan continuous beam, but a contact of coils – as interaction of two cylinders. Possibility of exactly calculation of the contacts between coils is allowed to go over the single fragment displacements into deformation of whole winding body. During research of deformation processes in regards of winding body geometry and used wire mechanical properties, the structural characteristics of porous permea-ble wire material are expected. The optimal number of winding layers, eliminating the distortion of organized final struc-ture, is established. The material pressure–compactness relation is obtained in order to control the technological condi-tions of winding and drafting for guarantee the product required properties.

  17. The influence of supercritical foaming conditions on properties of polymer scaffolds for tissue engineering

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kosowska Katarzyna

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The results of experimental investigations into foaming process of poly(ε-caprolactone using supercritical CO2 are presented. The objective of the study was to explore the aspects of fabrication of biodegradable and biocompatible scaffolds that can be applied as a temporary three-dimensional extracellular matrix analog for cells to grow into a new tissue. The influence of foaming process parameters, which have been proven previously to affect significantly scaffold bioactivity, such as pressure (8-18 MPa, temperature (323-373 K and time of saturation (1-6 h on microstructure and mechanical properties of produced polymer porous structures is presented. The morphology and mechanical properties of considered materials were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM, x-ray microtomography (μ-CT and a static compression test. A precise control over porosity and morphology of obtained polymer porous structures by adjusting the foaming process parameters has been proved. The obtained poly(ε-caprolactone solid foams prepared using scCO2 have demonstrated sufficient mechanical strength to be applied as scaffolds in tissue engineering.

  18. Structure, composition and morphology of bioactive titanate layer on porous titanium surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jinshan; Wang, Xiaohua; Hu, Rui; Kou, Hongchao

    2014-07-01

    A bioactive coating was produced on pore surfaces of porous titanium samples by an amendatory alkali-heat treatment method. Porous titanium was prepared by powder metallurgy and its porosity and average size were 45% and 135 μm, respectively. Coating morphology, coating structure and phase constituents were examined by SEM, XPS and XRD. It was found that a micro-network structure with sizes of cells, and redundant Ca ion was detected in the titanate layer. The concentration distribution of Ti, O, Ca and Na in the coating showed a compositional gradient from the intermediate layer toward the outer surface. These compositional gradients indicate that the coating bonded to Ti substrate without a distinct interface. After immersion into the SBF solution for 3 days, a bone-like carbonate-hydroxylapatite showing a good biocompatibility was detected on the coating surface. And the redundant Ca advanced the bioactivity of the coating. Thus, the present modification is expected to allow the use of the bioactive porous titanium as artificial bones even under load-bearing conditions.

  19. Functional and Multifunctional Polymers: Materials for Smart Structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arnold, S.; Pratt, L. M.; Li, J.; Wuagaman, M.; Khan, I. M.

    1996-01-01

    The ultimate goal of the research in smart structures and smart materials is the development of a new generation of products/devices which will perform better than products/devices built from passive materials. There are a few examples of multilayer polymer systems which function as smart structures, e.g. a synthetic muscle which is a multilayer assembly of a poly(ethylene) layer, a gold layer, and a poly(pyrrole) layer immersed in a liquid electrolyte. Oxidation and reductions of the active pyrrole layer causes the assembly to reversibly deflect and mimic biological muscles. The drawback of such a setup is slow response times and the use of a liquid electrolyte. We have developed multifunctional polymers which will eliminate the use of a liquid electrolyte, and also because the functionalities of the polymers are within a few hundred angstroms, an improved response time to changes in the external field should be possible. Such multifunctional polymers may be classified as the futuristic 'smart materials.' These materials are composed of a number of different functionalities which work in a synergistic fashion to function as a device. The device performs on the application of an external field and such multifunctional polymers may be scientifically labeled as 'field responsive polymers.' Our group has undertaken a systematic approach to develop functional and multifunctional polymers capable of functioning as field responsive polymers. Our approach utilizes multicomponent polymer systems (block copolymers and graft copolymers), the strategy involves the preparation of block or graft copolymers where the functionalities are limited to different phases in a microphase separated system. Depending on the weight (or volume) fractions of each of the components, different microstructures are possible. And, because of the intimate contact between the functional components, an increase in the synergism between the functionalities may be observed. In this presentation, three

  20. Hierarchical Structure in Semicrystalline Polymers Tethered to Nanospheres

    KAUST Repository

    Kim, Sung A

    2014-01-28

    We report on structural and dynamic transitions of polymers tethered to nanoparticles. In particular, we use X-ray diffraction, vibrational spectroscopy, and thermal measurements to investigate multiscale structure and dynamic transitions of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) chains densely grafted to SiO2 nanoparticles. The approach used for synthesizing these hybrid particles leads to homogeneous SiO2-PEG composites with polymer grafting densities as high as 1.5 chains/nm2, which allows the hybrid materials to exist as self-suspended suspensions with distinct hierarchical structure and thermal properties. On angstrom and nanometer length scales, the tethered PEG chains exhibit more dominant TTG conformations and helix unit cell structure, in comparison to the untethered polymer. The nanoparticle tethered PEG chains are also reported to form extended crystallites on tens of nanometers length scales and to exhibit more stable crystalline structure on small dimensions. On length scales comparable to the size of each hybrid SiO 2-PEG unit, the materials are amorphous presumably as a result of the difficulty fitting the nanoparticle anchors into the PEG crystal lattice. This structural change produces large effects on the thermal transitions of PEG molecules tethered to nanoparticles. © 2014 American Chemical Society.

  1. Collapse of Telechelic Star Polymers to Watermelon Structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verso, Federica Lo; Likos, Christos N.; Mayer, Christian; Löwen, Hartmut

    2006-05-01

    Conformational properties of star-shaped polymer aggregates that carry attractive end groups, called telechelic star polymers, are investigated by simulation and analytical variational theory. We focus on the case of low telechelic star polymer functionalities, f≤5, a condition which allows aggregation of all attractive monomers on one site. We establish the functionality- and polymerization-number dependence of the transition temperature from the “star burst” to the “watermelon” macroparticle structure. Extensions to telechelic stars featuring partially collapsed configurations are also discussed.

  2. A statistical model for porous structure of rocks

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    JU Yang; YANG YongMing; SONG ZhenDuo; XU WenJing

    2008-01-01

    The geometric features and the distribution properties of pores in rocks were In-vestigated by means of CT scanning tests of sandstones. The centroidal coordl-nares of pores, the statistic characterristics of pore distance, quantity, size and their probability density functions were formulated in this paper. The Monte Carlo method and the random number generating algorithm were employed to generate two series of random numbers with the desired statistic characteristics and prob-ability density functions upon which the random distribution of pore position, dis-tance and quantity were determined. A three-dimensional porous structural model of sandstone was constructed based on the FLAC3D program and the information of the pore position and distribution that the series of random numbers defined. On the basis of modelling, the Brazil split tests of rock discs were carried out to ex-amine the stress distribution, the pattern of element failure and the inoaculation of failed elements. The simulation indicated that the proposed model was consistent with the realistic porous structure of rock in terms of their statistic properties of pores and geometric similarity. The built-up model disclosed the influence of pores on the stress distribution, failure mode of material elements and the inosculation of failed elements.

  3. A statistical model for porous structure of rocks

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    2008-01-01

    The geometric features and the distribution properties of pores in rocks were in- vestigated by means of CT scanning tests of sandstones. The centroidal coordi- nates of pores, the statistic characterristics of pore distance, quantity, size and their probability density functions were formulated in this paper. The Monte Carlo method and the random number generating algorithm were employed to generate two series of random numbers with the desired statistic characteristics and prob- ability density functions upon which the random distribution of pore position, dis- tance and quantity were determined. A three-dimensional porous structural model of sandstone was constructed based on the FLAC3D program and the information of the pore position and distribution that the series of random numbers defined. On the basis of modelling, the Brazil split tests of rock discs were carried out to ex- amine the stress distribution, the pattern of element failure and the inosculation of failed elements. The simulation indicated that the proposed model was consistent with the realistic porous structure of rock in terms of their statistic properties of pores and geometric similarity. The built-up model disclosed the influence of pores on the stress distribution, failure mode of material elements and the inosculation of failed elements.

  4. Facile Synthesis of Porous Silicon Nanofibers by Magnesium Reduction for Application in Lithium Ion Batteries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cho, Daehwan; Kim, Moonkyoung; Hwang, Jeonghyun; Park, Jay Hoon; Joo, Yong Lak; Jeong, Youngjin

    2015-12-01

    We report a facile fabrication of porous silicon nanofibers by a simple three-stage procedure. Polymer/silicon precursor composite nanofibers are first fabricated by electrospinning, a water-based spinning dope, which undergoes subsequent heat treatment and then reduction using magnesium to be converted into porous silicon nanofibers. The porous silicon nanofibers are coated with a graphene by using a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition for use as an anode material of lithium ion batteries. The porous silicon nanofibers can be mass-produced by a simple and solvent-free method, which uses an environmental-friendly polymer solution. The graphene-coated silicon nanofibers show an improved cycling performance of a capacity retention than the pure silicon nanofibers due to the suppression of the volume change and the increase of electric conductivity by the graphene.

  5. Preparation of open porous polycaprolactone microspheres and their applications as effective cell carriers in hydrogel system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Qingchun [Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering (China); Tan, Ke; Ye, Zhaoyang [State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Bioengineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237 China (China); Zhang, Yan, E-mail: zhang_yan@ecust.edu.cn [Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering (China); Tan, Wensong [State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Bioengineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237 China (China); Lang, Meidong, E-mail: mdlang@ecust.edu.cn [Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering (China)

    2012-12-01

    Common hydrogel, composed of synthetic polymers or natural polysaccharides could not support the adhesion of anchorage-dependent cells due to the lack of cell affinitive interface and high cell constraint. The use of porous polyester microspheres as cell-carriers and introduction of cell-loaded microspheres into the hydrogel system might overcome the problem. However, the preparation of the open porous microsphere especially using polycaprolactone (PCL) has been rarely reported. Here, the open porous PCL microspheres were fabricated via the combined emulsion/solvent evaporation and particle leaching method. The microspheres exhibited porous surface and inter-connective pore structure. Additionally, the pore structure could be easily controlled by adjusting the processing parameters. The surface pore size could be altered from 20 {mu}m to 80 {mu}m and the internal porosities were varied from 30% to 70%. The obtained microspheres were evaluated to delivery mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and showed the improved cell adhesion and growth when compared with the non-porous microspheres. Then, the MSCs loaded microspheres were introduced into agarose hydrogel. MSCs remained alive and sustained proliferation in microsphere/agarose composite in 5-day incubation while a decrement of MSCs viabilities was found in agarose hydrogel without microspheres. The results indicated that the microsphere/hydrogel composite had a great potential in cell therapy and injectable system for tissue regeneration. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The open porous polycaprolactone microspheres were fabricated using paraffin as a porogen. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The microspheres exhibited porous surface and inter-connective pore structure. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The surface and internal pore size and porosity of microsphere could be controlled. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The porous microspheres exhibited an improved cell adhesion and proliferation. Black

  6. Reversible Guest Binding in a Non-Porous FeII Coordination Polymer Host Toggles Spin Crossover

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lennartson, Anders; Southon, Peter; Sciortino, Natasha F.

    2015-01-01

    )4 CN)2 ](SbF6 )4 ( 2 ) are low spin at room temperature, as are those in the polymeric adiponitrile-linked acetone solvate polymer {[Fe(bpte)(μ2-NC(CH2)4CN)]-(BPh4)2⋅Me2CO} ( 3⋅ Me2 CO). On heating 3⋅ Me2CO to 80 °C, the acetone is abruptly removed with an accompanying purple to dull lavender colour...... change corresponding to a conversion to a high-spin compound. Cooling reveals that the desolvate 3 shows hysteretic and abrupt spin crossover (SCO) S=0↔S=2 behaviour centred at 205 K. Non-porous 3 can reversibly absorb one equivalent of acetone per iron centre to regenerate the same crystalline phase...

  7. Energy storage in ferroelectric polymer nanocomposites filled with core-shell structured polymer@BaTiO3 nanoparticles: understanding the role of polymer shells in the interfacial regions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Ming; Huang, Xingyi; Yang, Ke; Zhai, Xing; Zhang, Jun; He, Jinliang; Jiang, Pingkai

    2014-11-26

    The interfacial region plays a critical role in determining the electrical properties and energy storage density of dielectric polymer nanocomposites. However, we still know a little about the effects of electrical properties of the interfacial regions on the electrical properties and energy storage of dielectric polymer nanocomposites. In this work, three types of core-shell structured polymer@BaTiO3 nanoparticles with polymer shells having different electrical properties were used as fillers to prepare ferroelectric polymer nanocomposites. All the polymer@BaTiO3 nanoparticles were prepared by surface-initiated reversible-addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization, and the polymer shells were controlled to have the same thickness. The morphology, crystal structure, frequency-dependent dielectric properties, breakdown strength, leakage currents, energy storage capability, and energy storage efficiency of the polymer nanocomposites were investigated. On the other hand, the pure polymers having the same molecular structure as the shells of polymer@BaTiO3 nanoparticles were also prepared by RAFT polymerization, and their electrical properties were provided. Our results show that, to achieve nanocomposites with high discharged energy density, the core-shell nanoparticle filler should simultaneously have high dielectric constant and low electrical conductivity. On the other hand, the breakdown strength of the polymer@BaTiO3-based nanocomposites is highly affected by the electrical properties of the polymer shells. It is believed that the electrical conductivity of the polymer shells should be as low as possible to achieve nanocomposites with high breakdown strength.

  8. Brush-Coated Nanoparticle Polymer Thin Films: structure-mechanical-optical properties

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Green, Peter F. [Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States). Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering

    2014-08-15

    Our work was devoted to understanding the structure and properties of a class of thin film polymer nanocomposites (PNCs). PNCs are composed of polymer hosts into which nanoparticles (metallic nanoparticles, quantum dots, nanorods, C60, nanotubes) are incorporated. PNCs exhibit a diverse range of functional properties (optical, electronic, mechanical, biomedical, structural), determined in part by the chemical composition of the polymer host and the type of nanoparticle. The properties PNCs rely not only on specific functional, size-dependent, behavior of the nanoparticles, but also on the dispersion, and organizational order in some cases, inter-nanoparticle separation distances, and on relative interactions between the nanoparticles and the host. Therefore the scientific challenges associated with understanding the interrelations between the structure and function/properties of PNCs are far more complex than may be understood based only on the knowledge of the compositions of the constituents. The challenges of understanding the structure-function behavior of PNCs are further compounded by the fact that control of the dispersion of the nanoparticles within the polymer hosts is difficult; one must learn how to disperse inorganic particles within an organic host. The goal of this proposal was to develop an understanding of the connection between the structure and the thermal (glass transition), mechanical and optical properties of a specific class of PNCs. Specifically PNCs composed of polymer chain grafted gold nanoparticles within polymer hosts. A major objective was to understand how to develop basic principles that enable the fabrication of functional materials possessing optimized morphologies and combinations of materials properties.

  9. Structural analysis of porous rock reservoirs subjected to conditions of compressed air energy storage

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Friley, J.R.

    1980-01-01

    Investigations are described which were performed to assess the structural behavior of porous rock compressed air energy storage (CAES) reservoirs subjected to loading conditions of temperature and pressure felt to be typical of such an operation. Analyses performed addressed not only the nominal or mean reservoir response but also the cyclic response due to charge/discharge operation. The analyses were carried out by assuming various geometrical and material related parameters of a generic site. The objective of this study was to determine the gross response of a generic porous reservoir. The site geometry for this study assumed a cylindrical model 122 m in dia and 57 m high including thicknesses for the cap, porous, and base rock formations. The central portion of the porous zone was assumed to be at a depth of 518 m and at an initial temperature of 20/sup 0/C. Cyclic loading conditions of compressed air consisted of pressure values in the range of 4.5 to 5.2 MPa and temperature values between 143 and 204/sup 0/C.Various modes of structural behavior were studied. These response modes were analyzed using loading conditions of temperature and pressure (in the porous zone) corresponding to various operational states during the first year of simulated site operation. The results of the structural analyses performed indicate that the most severely stressed region will likely be in the wellbore vicinity and hence highly dependent on the length of and placement technique utilized in the well production length. Analyses to address this specific areas are currently being pursued.

  10. Pore structures and mechanical properties of porous titanium scaffolds by bidirectional freeze casting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, Leiming; Wu, Jisi; Zhang, Lei; Liu, Xinli; Zhou, Kechao; Su, Bo

    2017-06-01

    Porous titanium scaffolds with long-range lamellar structure were fabricated using a novel bidirectional freeze casting method. Compared with the ordinarily porous titanium materials made by traditional freeze casting, the titanium walls can offer the structure of ordered arrays with parallel to each other in the transverse cross-sections. And titanium scaffolds with different pore width, wall size and porosity can be synthesized in terms of adjusting the fabrication parameters. As the titanium content was increased from 15vol.% to 25vol.%, the porosity and pore width decreased from 67±3% to 50±2% and 80±10μm to 67±7μm, respectively. On the contrary, as the wall size was increased from 18±2μm to 30±3μm, the compressive strength and stiffness were increased from 58±8MPa to 162±10MPa and from 2.5±0.7GPa to 6.5±0.9GPa, respectively. The porous titanium scaffolds with long-range lamellar structure and controllable pore structure produced in present work will be capable of having potential application as bone tissue scaffold materials. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Modeling and Reconstruction of Micro-structured 3D Chitosan/Gelatin Porous Scaffolds Using Micro-CT

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gong, Haibo; Li, Dichen; He, Jiankang; Liu, Yaxiong; Lian, Qin; Zhao, Jinna

    2008-09-01

    Three dimensional (3D) channel networks are the key to promise the uniform distribution of nutrients inside 3D hepatic tissue engineering scaffolds and prompt elimination of metabolic products out of the scaffolds. 3D chitosan/gelatin porous scaffolds with predefined internal channels were fabricated and a combination of light microscope, laser confocal microscopy and micro-CT were employed to characterize the structure of porous scaffolds. In order to evaluate the flow field distribution inside the micro-structured 3D scaffolds, a computer reconstructing method based on Micro-CT was proposed. According to this evaluating method, a contrast between 3D porous scaffolds with and without predefined internal channels was also performed to assess scaffolds' fluid characters. Results showed that the internal channel of the 3D scaffolds formed the 3D fluid channel network; the uniformity of flow field distribution of the scaffolds fabricated in this paper was better than the simple porous scaffold without micro-fluid channels.

  12. Coupling Metallic Nanostructures to Thermally Responsive Polymers Allows the Development of Intelligent Responsive Membranes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Rubén Morones-Ramírez

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Development of porous membranes capable of controlling flow or changing their permeability to specific chemical entities, in response to small changes in environmental stimuli, is an area of appealing research, since these membranes present a wide variety of applications. The synthesis of these membranes has been mainly approached through grafting of environmentally responsive polymers to the surface walls of polymeric porous membranes. This synergizes the chemical stability and mechanical strength of the polymer membrane with the fast response times of the bonded polymer chains. Therefore, different composite membranes capable of changing their effective pore size with environmental triggers have been developed. A recent interest has been the development of porous membranes responsive to light, since these can achieve rapid, remote, noninvasive, and localized flow control. This work describes the synthesis pathway to construct intelligent optothermally responsive membranes. The method followed involved the grafting of optothermally responsive polymer-metal nanoparticle nanocomposites to polycarbonate track-etched porous membranes (PCTEPMs. The nanoparticles coupled to the polymer grafts serve as the optothermal energy converters to achieve optical switching of the pores. The results of the paper show that grafting of the polymer and in situ synthesis of the metallic particles can be easily achieved. In addition, the composite membranes allow fast and reversible switching of the pores using both light and heat permitting control of fluid flow.

  13. Functional Polymer Opals and Porous Materials by Shear-Induced Assembly of Tailor-Made Particles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gallei, Markus

    2018-02-01

    Photonic band-gap materials attract enormous attention as potential candidates for a steadily increasing variety of applications. Based on the preparation of easily scalable monodisperse colloids, such optically attractive photonic materials can be prepared by an inexpensive and convenient bottom-up process. Artificial polymer opals can be prepared by shear-induced assembly of core/shell particles, yielding reversibly stretch-tunable materials with intriguing structural colors. This feature article highlights recent developments of core/shell particle design and shear-induced opal formation with focus on the combination of hard and soft materials as well as crosslinking strategies. Structure formation of opal materials relies on both the tailored core/shell architecture and the parameters for polymer processing. The emphasis of this feature article is on elucidating the particle design and incorporation of addressable moieties, i.e., stimuli-responsive polymers as well as elaborated crosslinking strategies for the preparation of smart (inverse) opal films, inorganic/organic opals, and ceramic precursors by shear-induced ordering. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  14. Shape-Memory Hydrogels: Evolution of Structural Principles To Enable Shape Switching of Hydrophilic Polymer Networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Löwenberg, Candy; Balk, Maria; Wischke, Christian; Behl, Marc; Lendlein, Andreas

    2017-04-18

    The ability of hydrophilic chain segments in polymer networks to strongly interact with water allows the volumetric expansion of the material and formation of a hydrogel. When polymer chain segments undergo reversible hydration depending on environmental conditions, smart hydrogels can be realized, which are able to shrink/swell and thus alter their volume on demand. In contrast, implementing the capacity of hydrogels to switch their shape rather than volume demands more sophisticated chemical approaches and structural concepts. In this Account, the principles of hydrogel network design, incorporation of molecular switches, and hydrogel microstructures are summarized that enable a spatially directed actuation of hydrogels by a shape-memory effect (SME) without major volume alteration. The SME involves an elastic deformation (programming) of samples, which are temporarily fixed by reversible covalent or physical cross-links resulting in a temporary shape. The material can reverse to the original shape when these molecular switches are affected by application of a suitable stimulus. Hydrophobic shape-memory polymers (SMPs), which are established with complex functions including multiple or reversible shape-switching, may provide inspiration for the molecular architecture of shape-memory hydrogels (SMHs), but cannot be identically copied in the world of hydrophilic soft materials. For instance, fixation of the temporary shape requires cross-links to be formed also in an aqueous environment, which may not be realized, for example, by crystalline domains from the hydrophilic main chains as these may dissolve in presence of water. Accordingly, dual-shape hydrogels have evolved, where, for example, hydrophobic crystallizable side chains have been linked into hydrophilic polymer networks to act as temperature-sensitive temporary cross-links. By incorporating a second type of such side chains, triple-shape hydrogels can be realized. Considering the typically given light

  15. Performance of polymer nano composite membrane electrode assembly using Alginate as a dopant in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell [Journal of Physics. Conference Series (Online), v. 795(1)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mulijani, S.

    2017-01-01

    Polymer membrane and composite polymer for membrane electrode assembly (MEAs) are synthesized and studied for usage in direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). In this study, we prepared 3 type of MEAs, polystyrene (PS), sulfonated polystyrene (SPS) and composite polymer SPS-alginat membrane via catalyst hot pressed method. The performance and properties of prepared MEAs were evaluated and analyzed by impedance spectrometry and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The result showed that, water up take of MEA composite polymer SPS-alginate was obtained higher than that in SPS and PS. The proton conductivity of MEA-SPS-alginate was also higher than that PS and PSS. SEM characterization revealed that the intimate contact between the carbon catalyst layers (CL) and the membranes, and the uniformly porous structure correlate positively with the MEAs prepared by hot pressed method, exhibiting high performances for DMFC. (paper)

  16. Application of capacitively coupled rf discharge plasma for sterilization of polymer materials used in ophthalmology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abdullin, I.Sh.; Avetisov, S.E.; Lipatov, D.V.; Rybakova, E.G.; Bragin, V.E.; Bykanov, A.N.; Kamarentsev, E.N.

    1996-01-01

    The sterilization effect of capacitively coupled rf discharge plasma treatment of contact lenses was investigated. There were used two types of polymer: highly hydrophilic polymer with water content 76% (Navelen-76) and poly-methylmethacrylate (PMMA). There was demonstrated the possibility of effective sterilization by RF discharge plasma of a set of polymer materials used in ophthalmology. The best results were obtained for hard contact lenses. There was perfect sterilization in this case. There were not perfect sterilization in some cases of soft contact lenses treatment. It may be caused by porous structure of the external layers of this material and limited thickness of the sterilization layer. (author)

  17. Polymer-mediated formation of polyoxomolybdate nanomaterials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wan, Quan

    A polymer-mediated synthetic pathway to a polyoxomolybdate nanomaterial is investigated in this work. Block copolymers or homopolymers containing poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) are mixed with a MoO2(OH)(OOH) aqueous solution to form a golden gel or viscous solution. As revealed by synchrotron X-ray scattering measurements, electron microscopy, and other characterization techniques, the final dark blue polyoxomolybdate product is a highly ordered simple cubic network similar to certain zeolite structure but with a much larger lattice constant of ˜5.2 nm. The average size of the cube-like single crystals is close to 1 mum. Based on its relatively low density (˜2.2 g/cm3), the nanomaterial can be highly porous if the amount of the residual polymer can be substantially reduced. The valence of molybdenum is ˜5.7 based on cerimetric titration, representing the mixed-valence nature of the polyoxomolybdate structure. The self-assembled structures (if any) of the polymer gel do not have any correlation with the final polyoxomolybdate nanostructure, excluding the possible role of polymers being a structure-directing template. On the other hand, the PEO polymer stabilizes the precursor molybdenum compound through coordination between its ether oxygen atoms and molybdenum atoms, and reduces the molybdenum (VI) precursor compound with its hydroxyl group being a reducing agent. The rare simple cubic ordering necessitates the existence of special affinities among the polyoxomolybdate nanosphere units resulted from the reduction reaction. Our mechanism study shows that the acidified condition is necessary for the synthesis of the mixed-valence polyoxomolybdate clusters, while H2O2 content modulates the rate of the reduction reaction. The polymer degradation is evidenced by the observation of a huge viscosity change, and is likely through a hydrolysis process catalyzed by molybdenum compounds. Cube-like polyoxomolybdate nanocrystals with size of ˜40 nm are obtained by means of

  18. Influence of processing parameters on pore structure of 3D porous chitosan-alginate polyelectrolyte complex scaffolds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Florczyk, Stephen J; Kim, Dae-Joon; Wood, David L; Zhang, Miqin

    2011-09-15

    Fabrication of porous polymeric scaffolds with controlled structure can be challenging. In this study, we investigated the influence of key experimental parameters on the structures and mechanical properties of resultant porous chitosan-alginate (CA) polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) scaffolds, and on proliferation of MG-63 osteoblast-like cells, targeted at bone tissue engineering. We demonstrated that the porous structure is largely affected by the solution viscosity, which can be regulated by the acetic acid and alginate concentrations. We found that the CA PEC solutions with viscosity below 300 Pa.s yielded scaffolds of uniform pore structure and that more neutral pH promoted more complete complexation of chitosan and alginate, yielding stiffer scaffolds. CA PEC scaffolds produced from solutions with viscosities below 300 Pa.s also showed enhanced cell proliferation compared with other samples. By controlling the key experimental parameters identified in this study, CA PEC scaffolds of different structures can be made to suit various tissue engineering applications. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  19. Nonlinear interaction and wave breaking with a submerged porous structure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsieh, Chih-Min; Sau, Amalendu; Hwang, Robert R.; Yang, W. C.

    2016-12-01

    Numerical simulations are performed to investigate interactive velocity, streamline, turbulent kinetic energy, and vorticity perturbations in the near-field of a submerged offshore porous triangular structure, as Stokes waves of different heights pass through. The wave-structure interaction and free-surface breaking for the investigated flow situations are established based on solutions of 2D Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes equations in a Cartesian grid in combination with K-ɛ turbulent closure and the volume of fluid methodology. The accuracy and stability of the adopted model are ascertained by extensive comparisons of computed data with the existing experimental and theoretical findings and through efficient predictions of the internal physical kinetics. Simulations unfold "clockwise" and "anticlockwise" rotation of fluid below the trough and the crest of the viscous waves, and the penetrated wave energy creates systematic flow perturbation in the porous body. The interfacial growths of the turbulent kinetic energy and the vorticity appear phenomenal, around the apex of the immersed structure, and enhanced significantly following wave breaking. Different values of porosity parameter and two non-porous cases have been examined in combination with varied incident wave height to reveal/analyze the nonlinear flow behavior in regard to local spectral amplification and phase-plane signatures. The evolution of leading harmonics of the undulating free-surface and the vertical velocity exhibits dominating roles of the first and the second modes in inducing the nonlinearity in the post-breaking near-field that penetrates well below the surface layer. The study further suggests the existence of a critical porosity that can substantially enhance the wave-shoaling and interface breaking.

  20. Luminescence of porous silicon doped by erbium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bondarenko, V.P.; Vorozov, N.N.; Dolgij, L.N.; Dorofeev, A.M.; Kazyuchits, N.M.; Leshok, A.A.; Troyanova, G.N.

    1996-01-01

    The possibility of the 1.54 μm intensive luminescence in the silicon dense porous layers, doped by erbium, with various structures is shown. Low-porous materials of both porous type on the p-type silicon and porous silicon with wood-like structure on the n + type silicon may be used for formation of light-emitting structures

  1. Polymer nanoimprinting using an anodized aluminum mold for structural coloration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kikuchi, Tatsuya; Nishinaga, Osamu; Natsui, Shungo; Suzuki, Ryosuke O.

    2015-06-01

    Polymer nanoimprinting of submicrometer-scale dimple arrays with structural coloration was demonstrated. Highly ordered aluminum dimple arrays measuring 530-670 nm in diameter were formed on an aluminum substrate via etidronic acid anodizing at 210-270 V and subsequent anodic oxide dissolution. The nanostructured aluminum surface led to bright structural coloration with a rainbow spectrum, and the reflected wavelength strongly depends on the angle of the specimen and the period of the dimple array. The reflection peak shifts gradually with the dimple diameter toward longer wavelength, reaching 800 nm in wavelength at 670 nm in diameter. The shape of the aluminum dimple arrays were successfully transferred to a mercapto-ester ultra-violet curable polymer via self-assembled monolayer coating and polymer replications using a nanoimprinting technique. The nanostructured polymer surfaces with positively and negatively shaped dimple arrays also exhibited structural coloration based on the periodic nanostructure, and reflected light mostly in the visible region, 400-800 nm. This nanostructuring with structural coloration can be easily realized by simple techniques such as anodizing, SAM coating, and nanoimprinting.

  2. Structure-Property Relationships of Semiconducting Polymers for Flexible and Durable Polymer Field-Effect Transistors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Min Je; Jung, A-Ra; Lee, Myeongjae; Kim, Dongjin; Ro, Suhee; Jin, Seon-Mi; Nguyen, Hieu Dinh; Yang, Jeehye; Lee, Kyung-Koo; Lee, Eunji; Kang, Moon Sung; Kim, Hyunjung; Choi, Jong-Ho; Kim, BongSoo; Cho, Jeong Ho

    2017-11-22

    We report high-performance top-gate bottom-contact flexible polymer field-effect transistors (FETs) fabricated by flow-coating diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP)-based and naphthalene diimide (NDI)-based polymers (P(DPP2DT-T2), P(DPP2DT-TT), P(DPP2DT-DTT), P(NDI2OD-T2), P(NDI2OD-F2T2), and P(NDI2OD-Se2)) as semiconducting channel materials. All of the polymers displayed good FET characteristics with on/off current ratios exceeding 10 7 . The highest hole mobility of 1.51 cm 2 V -1 s -1 and the highest electron mobility of 0.85 cm 2 V -1 s -1 were obtained from the P(DPP2DT-T2) and P(NDI2OD-Se2) polymer FETs, respectively. The impacts of the polymer structures on the FET performance are well-explained by the interplay between the crystallinity, the tendency of the polymer backbone to adopt an edge-on orientation, and the interconnectivity of polymer fibrils in the film state. Additionally, we demonstrated that all of the flexible polymer-based FETs were highly resistant to tensile stress, with negligible changes in their carrier mobilities and on/off ratios after a bending test. Conclusively, these high-performance, flexible, and durable FETs demonstrate the potential of semiconducting conjugated polymers for use in flexible electronic applications.

  3. N-Doped Porous Carbon Nanofibers/Porous Silver Network Hybrid for High-Rate Supercapacitor Electrode.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meng, Qingshi; Qin, Kaiqiang; Ma, Liying; He, Chunnian; Liu, Enzuo; He, Fang; Shi, Chunsheng; Li, Qunying; Li, Jiajun; Zhao, Naiqin

    2017-09-13

    A three-dimensional cross-linked porous silver network (PSN) is fabricated by silver mirror reaction using polymer foam as the template. The N-doped porous carbon nanofibers (N-PCNFs) are further prepared on PSN by chemical vapor deposition and treated by ammonia gas subsequently. The PSN substrate serving as the inner current collector will improve the electron transport efficiency significantly. The ammonia gas can not only introduce nitrogen doping into PCNFs but also increase the specific surface area of PCNFs at the same time. Because of its large surface area (801 m 2 /g), high electrical conductivity (211 S/cm), and robust structure, the as-constructed N-PCNFs/PSN demonstrates a specific capacitance of 222 F/g at the current density of 100 A/g with a superior rate capability of 90.8% of its initial capacitance ranging from 1 to 100 A/g while applied as the supercapacitor electrode. The symmetric supercapacitor device based on N-PCNFs/PSN displays an energy density of 8.5 W h/kg with power density of 250 W/kg and excellent cycling stability, which attains 103% capacitance retention after 10 000 charge-discharge cycles at a high current density of 20 A/g, which indicates that N-PCNFs/PSN is a promising candidate for supercapacitor electrode materials.

  4. VOPcPhO:P3HT composite micro-structures with nano-porous surface morphology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Azmer, Mohamad Izzat [Low Dimensional Materials Research Centre (LDMRC), Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Ahmad, Zubair, E-mail: zubairtarar@qu.edu.qa [Center for Advanced Materials (CAM), Qatar University, P. O. Box 2713, Doha (Qatar); Sulaiman, Khaulah, E-mail: khaulah@um.edu.my [Low Dimensional Materials Research Centre (LDMRC), Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Touati, Farid [Department of Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering, Qatar University, P. O. Box 2713, Doha (Qatar); Bawazeer, Tahani M. [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Applied Science, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah (Saudi Arabia); Alsoufi, Mohammad S. [Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Engineering and Islamic Architecture, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah (Saudi Arabia)

    2017-03-31

    Highlights: • VOPcPhO:P3HT micro-structures with nano-porous surface morphology have been formed. • Multidimensional structures have been formed by electro-spraying technique. • The electro-sprayed films are very promising for the humidity sensors. - Abstract: In this paper, composite micro-structures of Vanadyl 2,9,16,23-tetraphenoxy-29H,31H-phthalocyanine) (VOPcPhO) and Poly (3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) complex with nano-porous surface morphology have been developed by electro-spraying technique. The structural and morphological characteristics of the VOPcPhO:P3HT composite films have been studied by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The multidimensional VOPcPhO:P3HT micro-structures formed by electro-spraying with nano-porous surface morphology are very promising for the humidity sensors due to the pore sizes in the range of micro to nano-meters scale. The performance of the VOPcPhO:P3HT electro-sprayed sensor is superior in term of sensitivity, hysteresis and response/recovery times as compared to the spin-coated one. The electro-sprayed humidity sensor exhibits ∼3 times and 0.19 times lower hysteresis in capacitive and resistive mode, respectively, as compared to the spin-coated humidity sensor.

  5. Hierarchical Structure in Semicrystalline Polymers Tethered to Nanospheres

    KAUST Repository

    Kim, Sung A; Archer, Lynden A.

    2014-01-01

    We report on structural and dynamic transitions of polymers tethered to nanoparticles. In particular, we use X-ray diffraction, vibrational spectroscopy, and thermal measurements to investigate multiscale structure and dynamic transitions of poly

  6. Quantitative structure-activity relationships for green algae growth inhibition by polymer particles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nolte, Tom M; Peijnenburg, Willie J G M; Hendriks, A Jan; van de Meent, Dik

    2017-07-01

    After use and disposal of chemical products, many types of polymer particles end up in the aquatic environment with potential toxic effects to primary producers like green algae. In this study, we have developed Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationships (QSARs) for a set of highly structural diverse polymers which are capable to estimate green algae growth inhibition (EC50). The model (N = 43, R 2  = 0.73, RMSE = 0.28) is a regression-based decision tree using one structural descriptor for each of three polymer classes separated based on charge. The QSAR is applicable to linear homo polymers as well as copolymers and does not require information on the size of the polymer particle or underlying core material. Highly branched polymers, non-nitrogen cationic polymers and polymeric surfactants are not included in the model and thus cannot be evaluated. The model works best for cationic and non-ionic polymers for which cellular adsorption, disruption of the cell wall and photosynthesis inhibition were the mechanisms of action. For anionic polymers, specific properties of the polymer and test characteristics need to be known for detailed assessment. The data and QSAR results for anionic polymers, when combined with molecular dynamics simulations indicated that nutrient depletion is likely the dominant mode of toxicity. Nutrient depletion in turn, is determined by the non-linear interplay between polymer charge density and backbone flexibility. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Fabrication of multilayered conductive polymer structures via selective visible light photopolymerization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cullen, Andrew T.; Price, Aaron D.

    2017-04-01

    Electropolymerization of pyrrole is commonly employed to fabricate intrinsically conductive polymer films that exhibit desirable electromechanical properties. Due to their monolithic nature, electroactive polypyrrole films produced via this process are typically limited to simple linear or bending actuation modes, which has hindered their application in complex actuation tasks. This initiative aims to develop the specialized fabrication methods and polymer formulations required to realize three-dimensional conductive polymer structures capable of more elaborate actuation modes. Our group has previously reported the application of the digital light processing additive manufacturing process for the fabrication of three-dimensional conductive polymer structures using ultraviolet radiation. In this investigation, we further expand upon this initial work and present an improved polymer formulation designed for digital light processing additive manufacturing using visible light. This technology enables the design of novel electroactive polymer sensors and actuators with enhanced capabilities and brings us one step closer to realizing more advanced electroactive polymer enabled devices.

  8. Stabilization and operation of porous silicon photonic structures from near-ultraviolet to near-infrared using high-pressure water vapor annealing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gelloz, Bernard; Koshida, Nobuyoshi

    2010-01-01

    The effects of high-pressure water vapor annealing (HWA), electrochemical oxidation, and substrate resistivity on the properties of porous silicon Bragg mirrors and photoluminescent cavities have been investigated. The photonic structures treated by HWA show very good stability upon ageing in air whereas as-formed structures exhibit significant drifts in their optical properties. Using HWA with lightly doped porous silicon, the structure transparency is enhanced sufficiently to enable the possible photonic operation in the near-ultraviolet. However, the index contrast achievable with these structures is very low in the visible and near-infrared. Useful index contrasts in this range can be achieved with either lightly doped porous silicon treated by electrochemical oxidation and HWA or heavily doped porous silicon treated by HWA.

  9. Micron-Size Zero-Valent Iron Emplacement in Porous Media Using Polymer Additives: Column and Flow Cell Ex-periments

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Oostrom, Mart; Wietsma, Thomas W.; Covert, Matthew A.; Vermeul, Vince R.

    2006-03-20

    At the Hanford Site, an extensive In Situ Redox Manipulation (ISRM) permeable reactive barrier was installed to prevent chromate from reaching the Columbia River. However, chromium has been detected in several wells, indicating a premature loss of the reductive capacity in the aquifer. Laboratory experiments have been conducted to investigate whether barrier reductive capacity can be enhanced by adding micron-scale zero-valent iron to the high-permeability zones within the aquifer using shear-thinning fluids containing polymers. Porous media were packed in a wedge-shaped flow cell to create either a heterogeneous layered system with a high-permeability zone between two low-permeability zones or a high-permeability channel sur-rounded by low-permeability materials. The injection flow rate, polymer type, polymer concentration, and injected pore volumes were determined based on preliminary short- and long-column experiments. The flow cell experiments indicated that iron concentration enhancements of at least 0.6% (w/w) could be obtained using moderate flow rates and injection of 30 pore volumes. The 0.6% amended Fe0 concentration would provide approximately 20 times the average reductive capacity that is provided by the dithionite-reduced iron in the ISRM barrier. Calculations show that a 1-m-long Fe0 amended zone with an average concentration of 0.6% w/w iron subject to a groundwater velocity of 1 m/day will have an estimated longevity of 7.2 years.

  10. Design and Structure-Function Characterization of 3D Printed Synthetic Porous Biomaterials for Tissue Engineering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelly, Cambre N; Miller, Andrew T; Hollister, Scott J; Guldberg, Robert E; Gall, Ken

    2018-04-01

    3D printing is now adopted for use in a variety of industries and functions. In biomedical engineering, 3D printing has prevailed over more traditional manufacturing methods in tissue engineering due to its high degree of control over both macro- and microarchitecture of porous tissue scaffolds. However, with the improved flexibility in design come new challenges in characterizing the structure-function relationships between various architectures and both mechanical and biological properties in an assortment of clinical applications. Presently, the field of tissue engineering lacks a comprehensive body of literature that is capable of drawing meaningful relationships between the designed structure and resulting function of 3D printed porous biomaterial scaffolds. This work first discusses the role of design on 3D printed porous scaffold function and then reviews characterization of these structure-function relationships for 3D printed synthetic metallic, polymeric, and ceramic biomaterials. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  11. Physical masking process for integrating micro metallic structures on polymer substrate

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Islam, Mohammad Aminul; Hansen, Hans Nørgaard

    2009-01-01

    plasmon devices need micro metallic structures on a polymer substrate with an uniform metal layer thickness in the nanometer range. A well known fabrication process to achieve such metallic surface pattern on polymer substrate is photolithography which involves an expensive mask and toxic chemicals......Integration of micro metallic structures in polymer devices is a broad multi-disciplinary research field, consisting of various combinations of mechanical, chemical and physical fabrication methods. Each of the methods has its specific advantages and disadvantages. Some applications like surface....... The current study shows a novel approach for fabricating thin micro metallic structures on polymer substrates using a simple physical mask and a PVD equipment. The new process involves fewer process steps, it is cost effective and suitable for high volume industrial production. Current study suggests...

  12. Planar, Polysilazane-Derived Porous Ceramic Supports for Membrane and Catalysis Applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Konegger, Thomas; Williams, Lee F; Bordia, Rajendra K

    2015-10-01

    Porous, silicon carbonitride-based ceramic support structures for potential membrane and catalysis applications were generated from a preceramic polysilazane precursor in combination with spherical, ultrahigh-molecular weight polyethylene microparticles through a sacrificial filler approach. A screening evaluation was used for the determination of the impact of both porogen content and porogen size on pore structure, strength, and permeability characteristics of planar specimens. By optimizing both the composition as well as cross-linking parameters, maximum characteristic biaxial flexural strengths of 65 MPa and porosities of 42% were achieved. The evolution of an interconnected, open-pore network during thermal porogen removal and conversion of the preceramic polymer led to air permeabilities in the order of 10 -14 m 2 . The materials were further exposed to long-term heat treatments to demonstrate the stability of properties after 100 h at 800°C in oxidizing, inert, and reducing environments. The determined performance, in combination with the versatile preparation method, illustrates the feasibility of this processing approach for the generation of porous ceramic support structures for applications at elevated temperatures in a variety of fields, including membrane and catalysis science.

  13. Surface Roughness and Morphology Customization of Additive Manufactured Open Porous Ti6Al4V Structures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martine Wevers

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Additive manufacturing (AM is a production method that enables the building of porous structures with a controlled geometry. However, there is a limited control over the final surface of the product. Hence, complementary surface engineering strategies are needed. In this work, design of experiments (DoE was used to customize post AM surface treatment for 3D selective laser melted Ti6Al4V open porous structures for bone tissue engineering. A two-level three-factor full factorial design was employed to assess the individual and interactive effects of the surface treatment duration and the concentration of the chemical etching solution on the final surface roughness and beam thickness of the treated porous structures. It was observed that the concentration of the surface treatment solution was the most important factor influencing roughness reduction. The designed beam thickness decreased the effectiveness of the surface treatment. In this case study, the optimized processing conditions for AM production and the post-AM surface treatment were defined based on the DoE output and were validated experimentally. This allowed the production of customized 3D porous structures with controlled surface roughness and overall morphological properties, which can assist in more controlled evaluation of the effect of surface roughness on various functional properties.

  14. Surface Roughness and Morphology Customization of Additive Manufactured Open Porous Ti6Al4V Structures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pyka, Grzegorz; Kerckhofs, Greet; Papantoniou, Ioannis; Speirs, Mathew; Schrooten, Jan; Wevers, Martine

    2013-10-22

    Additive manufacturing (AM) is a production method that enables the building of porous structures with a controlled geometry. However, there is a limited control over the final surface of the product. Hence, complementary surface engineering strategies are needed. In this work, design of experiments (DoE) was used to customize post AM surface treatment for 3D selective laser melted Ti6Al4V open porous structures for bone tissue engineering. A two-level three-factor full factorial design was employed to assess the individual and interactive effects of the surface treatment duration and the concentration of the chemical etching solution on the final surface roughness and beam thickness of the treated porous structures. It was observed that the concentration of the surface treatment solution was the most important factor influencing roughness reduction. The designed beam thickness decreased the effectiveness of the surface treatment. In this case study, the optimized processing conditions for AM production and the post-AM surface treatment were defined based on the DoE output and were validated experimentally. This allowed the production of customized 3D porous structures with controlled surface roughness and overall morphological properties, which can assist in more controlled evaluation of the effect of surface roughness on various functional properties.

  15. Fabrication of highly porous biodegradable biomimetic nanocomposite as advanced bone tissue scaffold

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abdalla Abdal-hay

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Development of bioinspired or biomimetic materials is currently a challenge in the field of tissue regeneration. In-situ 3D biomimetic microporous nanocomposite scaffold has been developed using a simple lyophilization post hydrothermal reaction for bone healing applications. The fabricated 3D porous scaffold possesses advantages of good bonelike apatite particles distribution, thermal properties and high porous interconnected network structure. High dispersion bonelike apatite nanoparticles (NPs rapidly nucleated and deposited from surrounding biological minerals within chitosan (CTS matrices using hydrothermal technique. After that, freeze-drying method was applied on the composite solution to form the desired porous 3D architecture. Interestingly, the porosity and pore size of composite scaffold were not significantly affected by the particles size and particles content within the CTS matrix. Our results demonstrated that the compression modulus of porous composite scaffold is twice higher than that of plain CTS scaffold, indicating a maximization of the chemical interaction between polymer matrix and apatite NPs. Cytocompatibility test for MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblasts cell line using MTT-indirect assay test showed that the fabricated 3D microporous nanocomposite scaffold possesses higher cell proliferation and growth than that of pure CTS scaffold. Collectively, our results suggest that the newly developed highly porous apatite/CTS nanocomposite scaffold as an alternative of hydroxyapatite/CTS scaffold may serve as an excellent porous 3D platform for bone tissue regeneration.

  16. Synthesis of dual porous structured germanium anodes with exceptional lithium-ion storage performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwon, Dohyoung; Ryu, Jaegeon; Shin, Myungsoo; Song, Gyujin; Hong, Dongki; Kim, Kwang S.; Park, Soojin

    2018-01-01

    Dual-porous Ge nanostructures are synthesized via two straightforward steps. Compared with conventional approaches related to porous Ge materials, different types of pores can be readily generated by adjusting the relative ratio of the precursor amounts for GeO2 and SiO2. Unlike using hard templates with different sizes for introducing secondary pores, this system makes a uniformly blended structure of porogen and active sites in the nanoscale range. When GeO2 is subjected to zincothermic reduction, it is selectively converted to pure Ge still connected to unreacted SiO2. During the reduction process, primary pores (larger than 50 nm) are formed by eliminating zinc oxide by-products, while inactive SiO2 with respect to zinc metal could contribute to retaining the overall structure. Finally, the HF treatment completely leaches remaining SiO2 and formed secondary pores (micro/mesopores) to complete the dual-porous Ge structure. The resulting Ge structure is tested as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries. The Ge electrode exhibits an outstanding reversibility and an exceptional cycling stability corresponding to a capacity retention of 100% after 100 cycles at C/5 and of 94.4% after 300 cycles at C/2. Furthermore, multi-scale pores facilitate a facile Li-ion accessibility, resulting in an excellent rate capability delivering ∼740 mAh g-1 at 5C.

  17. Syntheses, crystal structures and properties of series of 4d–4f ln(III)–Ag(I) heterometallic coordination polymers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ran, Xing-Rui [School of Chemistry and Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006 (China); Wang, Ning [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798 (Singapore); Xie, Wei-Ping; Xiong, Yan-Ju; Cheng, Qian [School of Chemistry and Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006 (China); Long, Yi [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798 (Singapore); Yue, Shan-Tang, E-mail: yuesht@scnu.edu.cn [School of Chemistry and Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006 (China); Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Materials for Energy Conversion and Storage, Guangzhou (China); Liu, Ying-Liang [College of Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642 (China)

    2015-05-15

    By control of the experimental parameters such as ligands, pH value and reacting temperature, series of three-dimensional (3D) 4d–4f Ln(III)–Ag(I) porous coordination polymers (PCPs) with interesting chain-layer construction, namely, ([Ln{sup III}Ag{sup I}(na)(ina)(ox)]·2(H{sub 2}O)){sub n} [Ln=Sm(1), Eu(2), Gd(3), Tb(4), Dy(5), Ho(6), Y(7), Yb(8)], have been successfully synthesized under hydrothermal conditions and structurally characterized. All the complexes are characterized by elemental analyses, FT-IR spectroscopy, Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and thermogravimetric analyses (TGA). Furthermore, the luminescence properties of compounds 2 and 4 and the magsnetic properties of complexes 3 and 5 were also investigated in detail. - Graphical abstract: Series of three-dimensional (3D) 4d–4f Ln(III)–Ag(I) porous coordination polymers (PCPs) with interesting chain-layer construction which are featured by tetranuclear Ln{sub 2}Ag{sub 2} and ‘non-linear’ N–Ag–N linkages. - Highlights: • Complexes 1–8 are first built by three kinds of organic ligands based on nicotinic acid and isonicotinic acid. • PCPs 1–8 are featured by tetranuclear Ln{sub 2}Ag{sub 2} and ‘non-linear’ N–Ag–N linkages. • The total solvent-accessible volume of PCP 2 comprises 11.6% of the crystal volume after dislodging the free water molecules. • Complexes 2 and 4 exhibit characteristic lanthanide-centered luminescence, while compounds 3 and 5 show antiferromagnetic behaviors.

  18. Biodegradable polymer for sealing porous PEO layer on pure magnesium: An in vitro degradation study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alabbasi, Alyaa; Mehjabeen, Afrin; Kannan, M. Bobby; Ye, Qingsong; Blawert, Carsten

    2014-01-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Poly(L-lactide) was used to seal the porous PEO layer on Mg. • The dual-layer coating improved the in vitro degradation resistance of Mg. • Localized degradation was inhibited in the dual-layer coated Mg. - Abstract: An attempt was made to seal the porous silicate-based plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) layer on pure magnesium (Mg) with a biodegradable polymer, poly(L-lactide) (PLLA), to delay the localized degradation of magnesium-based implants in body fluid for better in-service mechanical integrity. Firstly, a silicate-based PEO coating on pure magnesium was performed using a pulsed constant current method. In order to seal the pores in the PEO layer, PLLA was coated using a two-step spin coating method. The performance of the PEO–PLLA Mg was evaluated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and potentiodynamic polarization. The EIS results showed that the polarization resistance (R p ) of the PEO–PLLA Mg was close to two orders of magnitude higher than that of the PEO Mg. While the corrosion current density (i corr ) of the pure Mg was reduced by 65% with the PEO coating, the PEO–PLLA coating reduced the i corr by almost 100%. As expected, the R p of the PEO–PLLA Mg decreased with increase in exposure time. However, it was noted that the R p of the PEO–PLLA Mg even after 100 h was six times higher than that of the PEO Mg after 48 h exposure, and did not show any visible localized attack

  19. Biodegradable polymer for sealing porous PEO layer on pure magnesium: An in vitro degradation study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alabbasi, Alyaa; Mehjabeen, Afrin [Biomaterials and Engineering Materials (BEM) Laboratory, James Cook University, Townsville 4811, Queensland (Australia); Kannan, M. Bobby, E-mail: bobby.mathan@jcu.edu.au [Biomaterials and Engineering Materials (BEM) Laboratory, James Cook University, Townsville 4811, Queensland (Australia); Ye, Qingsong [Discipline of Dentistry, James Cook University, Townsville 4811, Queensland (Australia); Blawert, Carsten [Magnesium Innovation Centre, Institute of Materials Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Geesthacht 21502 (Germany)

    2014-05-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Poly(L-lactide) was used to seal the porous PEO layer on Mg. • The dual-layer coating improved the in vitro degradation resistance of Mg. • Localized degradation was inhibited in the dual-layer coated Mg. - Abstract: An attempt was made to seal the porous silicate-based plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) layer on pure magnesium (Mg) with a biodegradable polymer, poly(L-lactide) (PLLA), to delay the localized degradation of magnesium-based implants in body fluid for better in-service mechanical integrity. Firstly, a silicate-based PEO coating on pure magnesium was performed using a pulsed constant current method. In order to seal the pores in the PEO layer, PLLA was coated using a two-step spin coating method. The performance of the PEO–PLLA Mg was evaluated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and potentiodynamic polarization. The EIS results showed that the polarization resistance (R{sub p}) of the PEO–PLLA Mg was close to two orders of magnitude higher than that of the PEO Mg. While the corrosion current density (i{sub corr}) of the pure Mg was reduced by 65% with the PEO coating, the PEO–PLLA coating reduced the i{sub corr} by almost 100%. As expected, the R{sub p} of the PEO–PLLA Mg decreased with increase in exposure time. However, it was noted that the R{sub p} of the PEO–PLLA Mg even after 100 h was six times higher than that of the PEO Mg after 48 h exposure, and did not show any visible localized attack.

  20. Chemical synthesis of porous web-structured CdS thin films for photosensor applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gosavi, S.R., E-mail: srgosavi.taloda@gmail.com [C. H. C. Arts, S. G. P. Commerce, and B. B. J. P. Science College, Taloda, Dist., Nandurbar 425413, M. S. (India); Nikam, C.P. [B.S.S.P.M.S. Arts, Commerce and Science College, Songir, Dist., Dhule 424309, M. S. (India); Shelke, A.R.; Patil, A.M. [Department of Physics, Shivaji University, Kolhapur 416004, M.S. (India); Ryu, S.-W. [Department of Physics, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 500-757 (Korea, Republic of); Bhat, J.S. [Department of Physics, Karnatak University, Dharwad 580003 (India); Deshpande, N.G., E-mail: nicedeshpande@yahoo.co.in [Department of Physics, Shivaji University, Kolhapur 416004, M.S. (India)

    2015-06-15

    The photo-activity of chemically deposited cadmium sulphide (CdS) thin film has been studied. The simple chemical route nucleates the CdS films with size up to the mean free path of the electron. Growth Kinematics of crystalline hexagonal CdS phase in the thin film form was monitored using X-ray diffraction. The time limitation set for the formation of the amorphous/nano-crystalline material is 40 and 60 min. Thereafter enhancement of the crystalline orientation along the desired plane was identified. Web-like porous structured surface morphology of CdS thin film over the entire area is observed. With decrease in synthesis time, increase of band gap energy i.e., a blue spectral shift was seen. The activation energy of CdS thin film at low and high temperature region was examined. It is considered that this activation energy corresponds to the donor levels associated with shallow traps or surface states of CdS thin film. The photo-electrochemical performance of CdS thin films in polysulphide electrolyte showed diode-like characteristics. Exposure of light on the CdS electrode increases the photocurrent. This suggests the possibility of production of free carriers via excited ions and also the light harvesting mechanism due to porous web-structured morphology. These studies hint that the obtained CdS films can work as a photosensor. - Highlights: • Photoactivity of chemically synthesized cadmium sulphide (CdS) thin films was studied. • Web-like porous structured surface morphology of CdS thin film over the entire area was observed. • Blue spectral shift with lowering of the synthesis time suggests films can act as a window layer over the absorber layer. • Porous web-structured CdS thin films can be useful in light harvesting.

  1. Chemical synthesis of porous web-structured CdS thin films for photosensor applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gosavi, S.R.; Nikam, C.P.; Shelke, A.R.; Patil, A.M.; Ryu, S.-W.; Bhat, J.S.; Deshpande, N.G.

    2015-01-01

    The photo-activity of chemically deposited cadmium sulphide (CdS) thin film has been studied. The simple chemical route nucleates the CdS films with size up to the mean free path of the electron. Growth Kinematics of crystalline hexagonal CdS phase in the thin film form was monitored using X-ray diffraction. The time limitation set for the formation of the amorphous/nano-crystalline material is 40 and 60 min. Thereafter enhancement of the crystalline orientation along the desired plane was identified. Web-like porous structured surface morphology of CdS thin film over the entire area is observed. With decrease in synthesis time, increase of band gap energy i.e., a blue spectral shift was seen. The activation energy of CdS thin film at low and high temperature region was examined. It is considered that this activation energy corresponds to the donor levels associated with shallow traps or surface states of CdS thin film. The photo-electrochemical performance of CdS thin films in polysulphide electrolyte showed diode-like characteristics. Exposure of light on the CdS electrode increases the photocurrent. This suggests the possibility of production of free carriers via excited ions and also the light harvesting mechanism due to porous web-structured morphology. These studies hint that the obtained CdS films can work as a photosensor. - Highlights: • Photoactivity of chemically synthesized cadmium sulphide (CdS) thin films was studied. • Web-like porous structured surface morphology of CdS thin film over the entire area was observed. • Blue spectral shift with lowering of the synthesis time suggests films can act as a window layer over the absorber layer. • Porous web-structured CdS thin films can be useful in light harvesting

  2. Quantifying Contributions to Transport in Ionic Polymers Across Multiple Length Scales

    Science.gov (United States)

    Madsen, Louis

    Self-organized polymer membranes conduct mobile species (ions, water, alcohols, etc.) according to a hierarchy of structural motifs that span sub-nm to >10 μm in length scale. In order to comprehensively understand such materials, our group combines multiple types of NMR dynamics and transport measurements (spectroscopy, diffusometry, relaxometry, imaging) with structural information from scattering and microscopy as well as with theories of porous media,1 electrolytic transport, and oriented matter.2 In this presentation, I will discuss quantitative separation of the phenomena that govern transport in polymer membranes, from intermolecular interactions (<= 2 nm),3 to locally ordered polymer nanochannels (a few to 10s of nm),2 to larger polymer domain structures (10s of nm and larger).1 Using this multi-scale information, we seek to give informed feedback on the design of polymer membranes for use in, e . g . , efficient batteries, fuel cells, and mechanical actuators. References: [1] J. Hou, J. Li, D. Mountz, M. Hull, and L. A. Madsen. Journal of Membrane Science448, 292-298 (2013). [2] J. Li, J. K. Park, R. B. Moore, and L. A. Madsen. Nature Materials 10, 507-511 (2011). [3] M. D. Lingwood, Z. Zhang, B. E. Kidd, K. B. McCreary, J. Hou, and L. A. Madsen. Chemical Communications 49, 4283 - 4285 (2013).

  3. Characterization of glass filter micromodels used for polymer EOR flooding experiments

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Foedisch, H.; Wegner, J.; Hincapie-Reina, R.; Ganzer, L. [Technische Univ. Clausthal, Clausthal-Zellerfeld (Germany). ITE

    2013-08-01

    This work is conducted as part of the research project DGMK 746 - ''Experimental and Numerical Analysis of Polymer Flooding Processes Using Micromodels - From Pore Scale to Continuum Scale''. The industry standard to assess polymer flood performance is through flooding experiments with cores or plugs. A complement to flooding experiments in cores is represented by micromodels such as glass filters, which resemble real porous media through their porous structures. In this way, an almost unlimited number of equivalent samples can be produced. Moreover, compared to cores the micromodels enable visual access to the flooding process enabling a detailed process description. The sintered glass filters used in this work represent one way to make displacement processes inside artificial structures visible. However, challenges exist to transfer the results obtained from models composed of glass to real plugs or rock sections. Therefore, this study focuses on the comparison of glass filter micromodels and real rock samples composed of Bentheimer sandstone. We determine water permeability and oil-water relative permeability endpoints with flooding experiments, compare capillary pressure functions of the glass models obtained from mercury porosimetry analysis with results from Bentheimer sandstone, and characterize the glass filter with respect of connate water saturation using NMR-spectroscopy and porosity obtained from pycnometer measurements. (orig.)

  4. Extraction of Lanthanide and Actinide Ions from Aqueous Mixtures Using a Carboxylic Acid-Functionalized Porous Aromatic Framework

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-01-01

    Porous aromatic frameworks (PAFs) incorporating a high concentration of acid functional groups possess characteristics that are promising for use in separating lanthanide and actinide metal ions, as required in the treatment of radioactive waste. These materials have been shown to be indefinitely stable to concentrated acids and bases, potentially allowing for multiple adsorption/stripping cycles. Additionally, the PAFs combine exceptional features from MOFs and inorganic/activated carbons giving rise to tunable pore surfaces and maximum chemical stability. Herein, we present a study of the adsorption of selected metal ions, Sr2+, Fe3+, Nd3+, and Am3+, from aqueous solutions employing a carbon-based porous aromatic framework, BPP-7 (Berkeley Porous Polymer-7). This material displays high metal loading capacities together with excellent adsorption selectivity for neodymium over strontium based on Langmuir adsorption isotherms and ideal adsorbed solution theory (IAST) calculations. Based in part upon X-ray absorption spectroscopy studies, the stronger adsorption of neodymium is attributed to multiple metal ion and binding site interactions resulting from the densely functionalized and highly interpenetrated structure of BPP-7. Recyclability and combustibility experiments demonstrate that multiple adsorption/stripping cycles can be completed with minimal degradation of the polymer adsorption capacity. PMID:27163056

  5. Preparation of porous polymer monoliths featuring enhanced surface coverage with gold nanoparticles

    KAUST Repository

    Lv, Yongqin

    2012-10-01

    A new approach to the preparation of porous polymer monoliths with enhanced coverage of pore surface with gold nanoparticles has been developed. First, a generic poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate) monolith was reacted with cystamine followed by the cleavage of its disulfide bonds with tris(2-carboxylethyl)phosphine, which liberated the desired thiol groups. Dispersions of gold nanoparticles with sizes varying from 5 to 40. nm were then pumped through the functionalized monoliths. The materials were then analyzed using both energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. We found that the quantity of attached gold was dependent on the size of nanoparticles, with the maximum attachment of more than 60. wt% being achieved with 40. nm nanoparticles. Scanning electron micrographs of the cross sections of all the monoliths revealed the formation of a non-aggregated, homogenous monolayer of nanoparticles. The surface of the bound gold was functionalized with 1-octanethiol and 1-octadecanethiol, and these monolithic columns were used successfully for the separations of proteins in reversed phase mode. The best separations were obtained using monoliths modified with 15, 20, and 30. nm nanoparticles since these sizes produced the most dense coverage of pore surface with gold. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.

  6. Polymer matrix nanocomposites for automotive structural components

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naskar, Amit K.; Keum, Jong K.; Boeman, Raymond G.

    2016-12-01

    Over the past several decades, the automotive industry has expended significant effort to develop lightweight parts from new easy-to-process polymeric nanocomposites. These materials have been particularly attractive because they can increase fuel efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, attempts to reinforce soft matrices by nanoscale reinforcing agents at commercially deployable scales have been only sporadically successful to date. This situation is due primarily to the lack of fundamental understanding of how multiscale interfacial interactions and the resultant structures affect the properties of polymer nanocomposites. In this Perspective, we critically evaluate the state of the art in the field and propose a possible path that may help to overcome these barriers. Only once we achieve a deeper understanding of the structure-properties relationship of polymer matrix nanocomposites will we be able to develop novel structural nanocomposites with enhanced mechanical properties for automotive applications.

  7. Porous Polymeric Films from Microbubbles Generated Using a T-Junction Microfluidic Device.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elsayed, M; Kothandaraman, A; Edirisinghe, M; Huang, J

    2016-12-20

    In this work, a simple microfluidic junction with a T geometry and coarse (200 μm diameter) capillaries was used to generate monodisperse microbubbles with an alginate polymer shell. Subsequently, these bubbles were used to prepare porous alginate films with good control over the pore structure. The lack of pore size, shape, and surface control in scalable forming of polymeric films is a major application-limiting drawback at present. Controlling the thinning process of the shell of the bubbles to tune the surface of the resulting structures was also explored. Films were prepared with nanopatterned surfaces by controlling the thinning of the bubble shell, with the aid of surfactants, to induce efficient bursting (fragmentation) of bubbles to generate nanodroplets, which become embedded within the film surface. This novel feature greatly expands and enhances the use of hydrophilic polymers in a wide range of biomedical applications, particularly in drug delivery and tissue engineering, such as studying cellular responses to different morphological surfaces.

  8. Improved Modeling Approaches for Constrained Sintering of Bi-Layered Porous Structures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tadesse Molla, Tesfaye; Frandsen, Henrik Lund; Esposito, Vincenzo

    2012-01-01

    Shape instabilities during constrained sintering experiment of bi-layer porous and dense cerium gadolinium oxide (CGO) structures have been analyzed. An analytical and a numerical model based on the continuum theory of sintering has been implemented to describe the evolution of bow and densificat...

  9. Biocorrosion behavior and cell viability of adhesive polymer coated magnesium based alloys for medical implants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Abdal-hay, Abdalla [Departmentt of Bionano System Engineering, College of Engineering, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju 561-756 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Mechanical Design Engineering, Advanced wind power system research institute, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju 561-756 (Korea, Republic of); Dewidar, Montasser [Department of Materials and Mechanical Design, Faculty of Energy Engineering, South Valley University, Aswan (Egypt); Lim, Jae Kyoo, E-mail: jklim@jbnu.ac.kr [Department of Mechanical Design Engineering, Advanced wind power system research institute, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju 561-756 (Korea, Republic of)

    2012-11-15

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The corrosion behavior of magnesium for orthopedic applications is extremely poor. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The solvent (DCM, THF and DMF) had a strong effect on the coatings performance. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Mg bar alloy coated with PVAc/DCM layers provided an excellent bonding strength. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Treated samples indicated significant damping for the degradation rate. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Cytocompatibility on MC3T3 cells of the PVAc/DCM samples revealed a good behavior. - Abstract: The present study was ultimately aimed to design novel adhesive biodegradable polymer, poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc), coatings onto Mg based alloys by the dip-coating technique in order to control the degradation rate and enhance the biocompatibility of magnesium alloys. The influence of various solvents on PVAc surface topography and their protection of Mg alloys were dramatically studied in vitro. Electrochemical polarization, degradation, and PVAc film cytocompatibility were also tested. Our results showed that the solvent had a significant effect on coating quality. PVAc/dichloromethane solution showed a porous structure and solution concentration could control the porous size. The coatings prepared using tetrahydrofuran and dimethylformamide solvents are exceptional in their ability to generate porous morphology even at low polymer concentration. In general, the corrosion performance appears to be different on different PVAc-solvent system. Immersion tests illustrated that the porous morphology on PVAc stabilized corrosion rates. A uniform corrosion attack in artificial simulation body fluid was also exhibited. The cytocompatibility of osteoblast cells (MC3T3) revealed high adherence, proliferation, and survival on the porous structure of PVAc coated Mg alloy, which was not observed for the uncoated samples. This novel PVAc coating is a promising candidate for biodegradable implant materials, which might

  10. Biocorrosion behavior and cell viability of adhesive polymer coated magnesium based alloys for medical implants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abdal-hay, Abdalla; Dewidar, Montasser; Lim, Jae Kyoo

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► The corrosion behavior of magnesium for orthopedic applications is extremely poor. ► The solvent (DCM, THF and DMF) had a strong effect on the coatings performance. ► Mg bar alloy coated with PVAc/DCM layers provided an excellent bonding strength. ► Treated samples indicated significant damping for the degradation rate. ► Cytocompatibility on MC3T3 cells of the PVAc/DCM samples revealed a good behavior. - Abstract: The present study was ultimately aimed to design novel adhesive biodegradable polymer, poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc), coatings onto Mg based alloys by the dip-coating technique in order to control the degradation rate and enhance the biocompatibility of magnesium alloys. The influence of various solvents on PVAc surface topography and their protection of Mg alloys were dramatically studied in vitro. Electrochemical polarization, degradation, and PVAc film cytocompatibility were also tested. Our results showed that the solvent had a significant effect on coating quality. PVAc/dichloromethane solution showed a porous structure and solution concentration could control the porous size. The coatings prepared using tetrahydrofuran and dimethylformamide solvents are exceptional in their ability to generate porous morphology even at low polymer concentration. In general, the corrosion performance appears to be different on different PVAc–solvent system. Immersion tests illustrated that the porous morphology on PVAc stabilized corrosion rates. A uniform corrosion attack in artificial simulation body fluid was also exhibited. The cytocompatibility of osteoblast cells (MC3T3) revealed high adherence, proliferation, and survival on the porous structure of PVAc coated Mg alloy, which was not observed for the uncoated samples. This novel PVAc coating is a promising candidate for biodegradable implant materials, which might widen the use of Mg based implants.

  11. Structural Ordering of Semiconducting Polymers and Small-Molecules for Organic Electronics

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Hara, Kathryn Allison

    Semiconducting polymers and small-molecules can be readily incorporated into electronic devices such as organic photovoltaics (OPVs), thermoelectrics (OTEs), organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), and organic thin film transistors (OTFTs). Organic materials offer the advantage of being processable from solution to form flexible and lightweight thin films. The molecular design, processing, and resulting thin film morphology of semiconducting polymers drastically affect the optical and electronic properties. Charge transport within films of semiconducting polymers relies on the nanoscale organization to ensure electronic coupling through overlap of molecular orbitals and to provide continuous transport pathways. While the angstrom-scale packing details can be studied using X-ray scattering methods, an understanding of the mesoscale, or the length scale over which smaller ordered regions connect, is much harder to achieve. Grain boundaries play an important role in semiconducting polymer thin films where the average grain size is much smaller than the total distance which charges must traverse in order to reach the electrodes in a device. The majority of semiconducting polymers adopt a lamellar packing structure in which the conjugated backbones align in parallel pi-stacks separated by the alkyl side-chains. Only two directions of transport are possible--along the conjugated backbone and in the pi-stacking direction. Currently, the discussion of transport between crystallites is centered around the idea of tie-chains, or "bridging" polymer chains connecting two ordered regions. However, as molecular structures become increasingly complex with the development of new donor-acceptor copolymers, additional forms of connectivity between ordered domains should be considered. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) is a powerful tool for directly imaging the crystalline grain boundaries in polymer and small-molecule thin films. Recently, structures

  12. A novel approach for the fabrication of carbon nanofibre/ceramic porous structures

    KAUST Repository

    Walter, Claudia

    2013-11-01

    This paper describes the fabrication of hybrid ceramic/carbon scaffolds in which carbon nanofibres and multi-walled carbon nanotubes fully cover the internal walls of a microporous ceramic structure that provides mechanical stability. Freeze casting is used to fabricate a porous, lamellar ceramic (Al2O3) structure with aligned pores whose width can be controlled between 10 and 90μm. Subsequently, a two step chemical vapour deposition process that uses iron as a catalyst is used to grow the carbon nanostructures inside the scaffold. This catalyst remains in the scaffold after the growth process. The formation of the alumina scaffold and the influence of its structure on the growth of nanofibres and tubes are investigated. A set of growth conditions is determined to produce a dense covering of the internal walls of the porous ceramic with the carbon nanostructures. The limiting pore size for this process is located around 25μm. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

  13. Solid polymer electrolyte composite membrane comprising plasma etched porous support

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Han; LaConti, Anthony B.

    2010-10-05

    A solid polymer electrolyte composite membrane and method of manufacturing the same. According to one embodiment, the composite membrane comprises a rigid, non-electrically-conducting support, the support preferably being a sheet of polyimide having a thickness of about 7.5 to 15 microns. The support has a plurality of cylindrical pores extending perpendicularly between opposing top and bottom surfaces of the support. The pores, which preferably have a diameter of about 0.1 to 5 microns, are made by plasma etching and preferably are arranged in a defined pattern, for example, with fewer pores located in areas of high membrane stress and more pores located in areas of low membrane stress. The pores are filled with a first solid polymer electrolyte, such as a perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) polymer. A second solid polymer electrolyte, which may be the same as or different than the first solid polymer electrolyte, may be deposited over the top and/or bottom of the first solid polymer electrolyte.

  14. Solid polymer electrolyte composite membrane comprising laser micromachined porous support

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Han [Waltham, MA; LaConti, Anthony B [Lynnfield, MA; Mittelsteadt, Cortney K [Natick, MA; McCallum, Thomas J [Ashland, MA

    2011-01-11

    A solid polymer electrolyte composite membrane and method of manufacturing the same. According to one embodiment, the composite membrane comprises a rigid, non-electrically-conducting support, the support preferably being a sheet of polyimide having a thickness of about 7.5 to 15 microns. The support has a plurality of cylindrical pores extending perpendicularly between opposing top and bottom surfaces of the support. The pores, which preferably have a diameter of about 5 microns, are made by laser micromachining and preferably are arranged in a defined pattern, for example, with fewer pores located in areas of high membrane stress and more pores located in areas of low membrane stress. The pores are filled with a first solid polymer electrolyte, such as a perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) polymer. A second solid polymer electrolyte, which may be the same as or different than the first solid polymer electrolyte, may be deposited over the top and/or bottom of the first solid polymer electrolyte.

  15. Characterization of the porous structures of the green body and sintered biomedical titanium scaffolds with micro-computed tomography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Arifvianto, B., E-mail: b.arifvianto@tudelft.nl; Leeflang, M.A.; Zhou, J.

    2016-11-15

    The present research was aimed at gaining an understanding of the porous structure changes from the green body through water leaching and sintering to titanium scaffolds. Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) was performed to generate 3D models of titanium scaffold preforms containing carbamide space-holding particles and sintered scaffolds containing macro- and micro-pores. The porosity values and structural parameters were determined by means of image analysis. The result showed that the porosity values, macro-pore sizes, connectivity densities and specific surface areas of the titanium scaffolds sintered at 1200 °C for 3 h did not significantly deviate from those of the green structures with various volume fractions of the space holder. Titanium scaffolds with a maximum specific surface area could be produced with an addition of 60–65 vol% carbamide particles to the matrix powder. The connectivity of pores inside the scaffold increased with rising volume fraction of the space holder. The shrinkage of the scaffolds prepared with > 50 vol% carbamide space holder, occurring during sintering, was caused by the reductions of macro-pore sizes and micro-pore sizes as well as the thickness of struts. In conclusion, the final porous structural characteristics of titanium scaffolds could be estimated from those of the green body. - Highlights: •Porous structures of green body and sintered titanium scaffolds was studied. •Porous structures of both samples were quantitatively characterized with micro-CT. •Porous structures of scaffolds could be controlled from the green body. •Shrinkage mechanisms of titanium scaffolds during sintering was established.

  16. Universal size properties of a star-ring polymer structure in disordered environments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haydukivska, K.; Blavatska, V.

    2018-03-01

    We consider the complex polymer system, consisting of a ring polymer connected to the f1-branched starlike structure, in a good solvent in the presence of structural inhomogeneities. In particular cases f1=1 and f1=2 , such a system restores the synthesized tadpole-shaped polystyrenes [Doi et al., Macromolecules 46, 1075 (2013), 10.1021/ma302511j]. We assume that structural defects are correlated at large distances x according to a power law x-a. Applying the direct polymer renormalization approach, we evaluate the universal size characteristics such as the ratio of the radii of gyration of star-ring and star topologies, and compare the effective sizes of single arms in complex structures and isolated polymers of the same total molecular weight. The nontrivial impact of disorder on these quantities is analyzed.

  17. Effects of Artificial Ligaments with Different Porous Structures on the Migration of BMSCs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chun-Hui Wang

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Polyethylene terephthalate- (PET- based artificial ligaments (PET-ALs are commonly used in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL reconstruction surgery. The effects of different porous structures on the migration of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs on artificial ligaments and the underlying mechanisms are unclear. In this study, a cell migration model was utilized to observe the migration of BMSCs on PET-ALs with different porous structures. A rabbit extra-articular graft-to-bone healing model was applied to investigate the in vivo effects of four types of PET-ALs, and a mechanical test and histological observation were performed at 4 weeks and 12 weeks. The BMSC migration area of the 5A group was significantly larger than that of the other three groups. The migration of BMSCs in the 5A group was abolished by blocking the RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway with Y27632. The in vivo study demonstrated that implantation of 5A significantly improved osseointegration. Our study explicitly demonstrates that the migration ability of BMSCs can be regulated by varying the porous structures of the artificial ligaments and suggests that this regulation is related to the RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway. Artificial ligaments prepared using a proper knitting method and line density may exhibit improved biocompatibility and clinical performance.

  18. Hydrothermal synthesis and characteristics of 3-D hydrated bismuth oxalate coordination polymers with open-channel structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Xinxiang; Cao Yanning; Zhang Hanhui; Chen Yiping; Chen Xuehuan; Chai Xiaochuan

    2008-01-01

    Two new 3-D porous bismuth coordination polymers, (C 5 NH 6 ) 2 [Bi 2 (H 2 O) 2 (C 2 O 4 ) 4 ].2H 2 O 1 and (NH 4 )[Bi(C 2 O 4 ) 2 ].3H 2 O 2, have been hydrothermally synthesized and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Compound 1 crystallizes in the monoclinic symmetry, P2 1 /c space group with a=10.378(2) A, b=17.285(3) A, c=16.563(5) A, α=90 deg., β=119.66(2) deg., γ=90 deg., V=2581.8(10) A 3 , Z=4, R 1 =0.0355 and wR 2 =0.0658 for unique 4713 reflections I >2σ(I). Compound 2 crystallizes in the tetragonal symmetry, I4 1 /amd space group with a=11.7026(17) A, b=11.7026(17) A, c=9.2233(18) A, α=90 deg., β=90 deg., γ=90 deg., V=1263.1(4) A 3 , Z=32, R 1 =0.0208 and wR 2 =0.0518 for unique 359 reflections I> 2σ(I). Compounds 1 and 2 are 3-D open-framework structures with a 6 6 uniform net, which consist of honeycomb-like layers connected to each other by oxalate units. While different guest molecules fill in their cavities of honeycomb-like layers, study of ultrasonic treatment on 2 indicates the replacement of NH 4 + by K + on potassium ion exchange. Thermogravimetric analysis indicates that the open-channel frameworks are thermally stable up to 200 deg. C, and other characterizations are also described by elemental analysis, IR and ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectionintegral spectrum (UV-Vis DRIS). - Graphical abstract: Two novel 3-D extended porous coordination polymers have been synthesized by hydrothermal method. Both compounds are 3-D open-framework structures with a 6 6 uniform net, which consist of honeycomb-like layers connected to each other by oxalate units. While different guest molecules fill in their cavities of honeycomb-like layers. Study of ultrasonic treatment on 2 indicates the replacement of NH 4 + by K + on potassium ion exchange

  19. Osteoblast growth behavior on porous-structure titanium surface

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tian Yuan; Ding Siyang; Peng Hui; Lu Shanming; Wang Guoping [Research Institute of Stomatology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029 (China); Xia Lu, E-mail: shelueia@yahoo.com.cn [Research Institute of Stomatology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029 (China); Wang Peizhi, E-mail: wangpzi@sina.com [Research Institute of Stomatology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029 (China)

    2012-11-15

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Micro-arc oxidation technology formed a porous feature on titanium surface. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer This porous surface accelerated adhesion, proliferation and differentiation compared with smooth surface. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Osteogenesis-related proteins and genes were up regulated by this porous surface. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer It is anticipated that micro-arc oxidation surface could enhance osteoblastic activity and bone regeneration. - Abstract: A bioavailable surface generated by nano-technology could accelerate implant osteointegration, reduce healing time and enable implants to bear early loading. In this study, a nano-porous surface of titanium wafers was modified using micro-arc oxidation technique; surface of smooth titanium was used as control group. Surface characteristic was evaluated by investigating morphology, roughness and hydrophilicity of titanium wafers. In vitro studies, osteoblastic adhesion, proliferation and ALP activity, as well as gene and protein expressions relative to mineralization were assayed. Our results showed that a crater-liked nano-porous surface with greater roughness and better hydrophilicity were fabricated by micro-arc oxidation. It was further indicated that nano-porous surface could enhance adhesion, proliferation and ALP activity of osteoblasts compared with smooth surfaces. In addition, gene and protein expression of collagen-I, osteocalcin and osteopontin were also obviously increased. In summary, micro-arc oxidized techniques could form an irregular nano-porous morphology on implant surface which is favorable to improve osteoblastic function and prospected to be a potent modification of dental implant.

  20. Osteoblast growth behavior on porous-structure titanium surface

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tian Yuan; Ding Siyang; Peng Hui; Lu Shanming; Wang Guoping; Xia Lu; Wang Peizhi

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Micro-arc oxidation technology formed a porous feature on titanium surface. ► This porous surface accelerated adhesion, proliferation and differentiation compared with smooth surface. ► Osteogenesis-related proteins and genes were up regulated by this porous surface. ► It is anticipated that micro-arc oxidation surface could enhance osteoblastic activity and bone regeneration. - Abstract: A bioavailable surface generated by nano-technology could accelerate implant osteointegration, reduce healing time and enable implants to bear early loading. In this study, a nano-porous surface of titanium wafers was modified using micro-arc oxidation technique; surface of smooth titanium was used as control group. Surface characteristic was evaluated by investigating morphology, roughness and hydrophilicity of titanium wafers. In vitro studies, osteoblastic adhesion, proliferation and ALP activity, as well as gene and protein expressions relative to mineralization were assayed. Our results showed that a crater-liked nano-porous surface with greater roughness and better hydrophilicity were fabricated by micro-arc oxidation. It was further indicated that nano-porous surface could enhance adhesion, proliferation and ALP activity of osteoblasts compared with smooth surfaces. In addition, gene and protein expression of collagen-I, osteocalcin and osteopontin were also obviously increased. In summary, micro-arc oxidized techniques could form an irregular nano-porous morphology on implant surface which is favorable to improve osteoblastic function and prospected to be a potent modification of dental implant.

  1. "Chameleon" Macromolecules: Synthesis, Structures and Applications of Stimulus Responsive Polymers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sui, Xiaofeng

    2012-01-01

    This thesis describes the preparation and characterization of addressable responsive polymer structures and their versatile applications. Stimuli responsive polymer chains including temperature responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), PNIPAM, pH responsive poly(methacrylic acid), PMAA and redox

  2. A primer on polymer nomenclature: Structure-based, sourced-based and trade names

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polymer nomenclature is important because it is part of the language of polymer science and is needed for polymer identification, reference, and documentation. A primer on polymer nomenclature is provided herein for people new to the field or for instructional use. Both structure-based and source-...

  3. Understanding the peculiarities of the piezoelectric effect in macro-porous BaTiO3.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roscow, James I; Topolov, Vitaly Yu; Bowen, Christopher R; Taylor, John; Panich, Anatoly E

    2016-01-01

    This work demonstrates the potential of porous BaTiO 3 for piezoelectric sensor and energy-harvesting applications by manufacture of materials, detailed characterisation and application of new models. Ferroelectric macro-porous BaTiO 3 ceramics for piezoelectric applications are manufactured for a range of relative densities, α  = 0.30-0.95, using the burned out polymer spheres method. The piezoelectric activity and relevant parameters for specific applications are interpreted by developing two models: a model of a 3-0 composite and a 'composite in composite' model. The appropriate ranges of relative density for the application of these models to accurately predict piezoelectric properties are examined. The two models are extended to take into account the effect of 90° domain-wall mobility within ceramic grains on the piezoelectric coefficients [Formula: see text]. It is shown that porous ferroelectrics provide a novel route to form materials with large piezoelectric anisotropy [Formula: see text] at 0.20 ≤ α ≤ 0.45 and achieve a high squared figure of merit [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text]. The modelling approach allows a detailed analysis of the relationships between the properties of the monolithic and porous materials for the design of porous structures with optimum properties.

  4. Crystal structure and thin film morphology of BBL ladder polymer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Song, H H [Department of Macromolecular Science, Han Nam University, Taejon (Korea, Republic of); Fratini, A V [Department of Chemistry, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH (United States); Chabinyc, M [Department of Chemistry, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH (United States); Price, G E [University of Dayton Research, Dayton, OH (United States); Agrawal, A K [Systran Corporation, Dayton, OH (United States); Wang, C S [University of Dayton Research, Dayton, OH (United States); Burkette, J [University of Dayton Research, Dayton, OH (United States); Dudis, D S [Materials Directorate, Wright Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH (United States); Arnold, F E [Materials Directorate, Wright Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH (United States)

    1995-03-01

    Crystal structure and morphology of poly[7-oxo-7H-benz(d,e)imidazo(4`,5`:5,6)-benzimidazo(2,1-a)isoquinoline-3,4:10,11-tetrayl-10-carbonyl] (BBL) ladder-like polymer were studied. The polymer forms a two-dimensional lattice of nematic liquid crystalline structure. An orthorhombic unit cell with cell parameters of a=7.87 b=3.37 c=11.97A was determined from the fiber diffraction pattern. In thin films, the rigid chains spontaneously form a layered structure across the film thickness, but in a very unusual manner, i.e. the very large molecular plane is standing perpendicularly to the film surface plane. The results are identical to our recent results of poly(p-phenylene benzobisthiazole) (PBT) film [7]. The polymer, however, lost its anisotropic order upon extrusion into a film and resulted in a fiber-like structure. (orig.)

  5. Modification of near-wall coherent structures in polymer drag reduced flow: simulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dubief, Yves; White, Christopher; Shaqfeh, Eric; Moin, Parviz; Lele, Sanjiva

    2002-11-01

    Polymer drag reduced flows are investigated through direct numerical simulations of viscoelastic flows. The solver for the viscoelastic model (FENE-P) is based on higher-order finite difference schemes and a novel implicit time integration method. Its robustness allows the simulation of all drag reduction (DR) regimes from the onset to the maximum drag reduction (MDR). It also permits the use of realistic polymer length and concentration. The maximum polymer extension in our simulation matches that of a polystyrene molecule of 10^6 molecular weight. Two distinct regimes of polymer drag reduced flows are observed: at low drag reduction (LDR, DR< 40-50%), the near-wall structure is essentially similar to Newtonian wall turbulence whereas the high drag reduction regime (HDR, DR from 40-50% to MDR) shows significant differences in the organization of the coherent structures. The 3D information provided by numerical simulations allows the determination of the interaction of polymers and near-wall coherent structures. To isolate the contribution of polymers in the viscous sublayer, the buffer and the outer region of the flow, numerical experiments are performed where the polymer concentration is varied in the wall-normal direction. Finally a mechanism of polymer drag reduction derived from our results and PIV measurements is discussed.

  6. Selective removal of heavy metal ions by disulfide linked polymer networks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ko, Dongah [Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Miljøvej 113, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby (Denmark); Lee, Joo Sung [Graduate School of EEWS, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141 (Korea, Republic of); Patel, Hasmukh A. [Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208 (United States); Jakobsen, Mogens H. [Department of Micro and Nano technology, Technical University of Denmark, Ørsteds Plads, 345B, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby (Denmark); Hwang, Yuhoon [Department of Environmental Engineering, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, 232 Gongreung-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul 01811 (Korea, Republic of); Yavuz, Cafer T. [Graduate School of EEWS, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141 (Korea, Republic of); Hansen, Hans Chr. Bruun [Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg C (Denmark); Andersen, Henrik R., E-mail: henrik@ndersen.net [Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Miljøvej 113, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby (Denmark)

    2017-06-15

    Highlights: • Disulfide/thiol polymer networks are promising as sorbent for heavy metals. • Rapid sorption and high Langmuir affinity constant (a{sub L}) for stormwater treatment. • Selective sorption for copper, cadmium, and zinc in the presence of calcium. • Reusability likely due to structure stability of disulfide linked polymer networks. - Abstract: Heavy metal contaminated surface water is one of the oldest pollution problems, which is critical to ecosystems and human health. We devised disulfide linked polymer networks and employed as a sorbent for removing heavy metal ions from contaminated water. Although the polymer network material has a moderate surface area, it demonstrated cadmium removal efficiency equivalent to highly porous activated carbon while it showed 16 times faster sorption kinetics compared to activated carbon, owing to the high affinity of cadmium towards disulfide and thiol functionality in the polymer network. The metal sorption mechanism on polymer network was studied by sorption kinetics, effect of pH, and metal complexation. We observed that the metal ions–copper, cadmium, and zinc showed high binding affinity in polymer network, even in the presence of competing cations like calcium in water.

  7. Porous carbons

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    R. Narasimhan (Krishtel eMaging) 1461 1996 Oct 15 13:05:22

    Abstract. Carbon in dense as well as porous solid form is used in a variety of applications. Activated porous carbons are made through pyrolysis and activation of carbonaceous natural as well as synthetic precursors. Pyrolysed woods replicate the structure of original wood but as such possess very low surface areas and ...

  8. Preparation of porous carboxymethyl chitosan grafted poly (acrylic acid) superabsorbent by solvent precipitation and its application as a hemostatic wound dressing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, Yu, E-mail: cylsy@163.com [School of Material Science and Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081 (China); Zhang, Yong [School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081 (China); Wang, Fengju [School of Material Science and Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081 (China); Meng, Weiwei; Yang, Xinlin [School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081 (China); Li, Peng [School of Material Science and Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081 (China); Jiang, Jianxin [State Key Laboratory of Trauma Burns and Combined Injury, The Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400042 (China); Tan, Huimin [School of Material Science and Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081 (China); Zheng, Yongfa [Guangdong Fuyang Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Heyuan, Guangdong 517000 (China)

    2016-06-01

    The volume phase transition of a hydrogel initiated by shrinking may result in complex patterns on its surface. Based on this unique property of hydrogel, we have developed a novel solvent precipitation method to prepare a kind of novel superabsorbent polymers with excellent hemostatic properties. A porous carboxymethyl chitosan grafted poly (acrylic acid) (CMCTS-g-PAA) superabsorbent polymer was prepared by precipitating CMCTS-g-PAA hydrogel with ethanol. Its potential application in hemostatic wound dressing was investigated. The results indicate that the modified superabsorbent polymer is non-cytotoxic. It showed a high swelling capacity and better hemostatic performance in the treatments of hemorrhage model of ear artery, arteria cruralis and spleen of the New Zealand white rabbit than the unmodified polymer and other commonly used clinic wound dressings. The hemostatic mechanism of the porous CMCTS-g-PAA polymer was also discussed. - Highlights: • The novel solvent precipitation method was developed to prepare the porous superabsorbent polymer. • The swelling rate was promoted and the harmful residual monomer was leached after modification. • The modified polymer showed good biological safety. • It showed good hemostasis to arterial hemorrhage model of the animal. • The hemostatic mechanism of the modified superabsorbent polymer was discussed.

  9. Effect of pore structure on capillary condensation in a porous medium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deinert, M R; Parlange, J-Y

    2009-02-01

    The Kelvin equation relates the equilibrium vapor pressure of a fluid to the curvature of the fluid-vapor interface and predicts that vapor condensation will occur in pores or irregularities that are sufficiently small. Past analyses of capillary condensation in porous systems with fractal structure have related the phenomenon to the fractal dimension of the pore volume distribution. Recent work, however, suggests that porous systems can exhibit distinct fractal dimensions that are characteristic of both their pore volume and the surfaces of the pores themselves. We show that both fractal dimensions have an effect on the thermodynamics that governs capillary condensation and that previous analyses can be obtained as limiting cases of a more general formulation.

  10. Light emitting structures porous silicon-silicon substrate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Monastyrskii, L.S.; Olenych, I.B.; Panasjuk, M.R.; Savchyn, V.P.

    1999-01-01

    The research of spectroscopic properties of porous silicon has been done. Complex of photoluminescence, electroluminescence, cathodoluminescence, thermostimulated depolarisation current analyte methods have been applied to study of geterostructures and free layers of porous silicon. Light emitting processes had tendency to decrease. The character of decay for all kinds of luminescence were different

  11. Crystal Engineering: Synthesis and Structural Analysis of Coordination Polymers with Wavelike Properties

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matasebia T. Munie

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Supramolecular coordination polymers with wavelike structures have been synthesized by self-assembly and their structures analyzed using the sine trigonometric function. Slow evaporation of a methylene chloride-methanol solution of a 1:1 molar mixture of [M(tmhd2], where M = Co or Ni, and quinoxaline; a 1:2:1 molar mixture of [M(acac2], where M = Co or Ni, 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptadione and quinoxaline; or a 1:2:1 molar mixture of [Co(acac2], dibenzoylmethane, and quinoxaline, yielded the crystalline coordination polymers. In the presence of the nitrogenous base, ligand scrambling occurs yielding the most insoluble product. The synthesis and structures of the following wavelike polymers are reported: trans-[Co(DBM2(qox]n·nH2O (2, trans-[Co(tmhd2(qox]n (3, trans-[Ni(tmhd2(qox]n (4, where DBM− = dibenzoylmethanate, tmhd− = 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptadionate, and qox = quinoxaline. The wavelike structures are generated by intramolecular steric interactions and crystal packing forces between the chains. Some of the tert-butyl groups show a two-fold disorder. The sine function, φ = A sin 2πx/λ, where φ = distance (Ǻ along the polymer backbone, λ = wavelength (Ǻ, A = amplitude (Ǻ, x = distance (Ǻ along the polymer axis, provides a method to approximate and visualize the polymer structures.

  12. Improvements in or relating to method of preparing porous material/synthetic polymer composites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hills, P.R.; McGahan, D.J.

    1976-01-01

    A method for preparing a composite material is described comprising polymerising a monoethylenically unsaturated monomer of a mixture of copolymerisable monoethylenically unsaturated monomers in a porous material, excluding a porous natural cellulosic fibre material, the polymerisable liquid being admixed in the porous material with a saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon or a halogen derivative thereof. It is preferable that the polymerisable liquid and the hydrocarbon or halogen derivative are present in the porous material. Impregnation may be carried out by a vacuum technique or by simple immersion. The monomers that may be used are listed, but a mixture of styrene and acrylonitrile is preferred in the proportions 60 : 40 by volume. Polymerisation may be effected by irradiation, preferably with 60 Co γ-radiation. Suitable porous materials include concrete, stone, and fibreboard. If concrete is used the composite material may be used for pressure pipes and other articles normally made of steel. Examples of the application of the process are given. (U.K.)

  13. Critical evaluation on structural stiffness of porous cellular structure of cobalt chromium alloy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abd Malek, N. M. S.; Mohamed, S. R.; Che Ghani, S. A.; Harun, W. S. Wan

    2015-12-01

    In order to improve the stiffness characteristics of orthopedic devices implants that mimic the mechanical behavior of bone need to be considered. With the capability of Additive layer manufacturing processes to produce orthopedic implants with tailored mechanical properties are needed. This paper discusses finite element (FE) analysis and mechanical characterization of porous medical grade cobalt chromium (CoCr) alloy in cubical structures with volume based porosity ranging between 60% to 80% produced using direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) process. ANSYS 14.0 FE modelling software was used to predict the effective elastic modulus of the samples and comparisons were made with the experimental data. The effective mechanical properties of porous samples that were determined by uniaxial compression testing show exponential decreasing trend with the increase in porosity. Finite element model shows good agreement with experimentally obtained stress-strain curve in the elastic regions. The models prove that numerical analysis of actual prosthesis implant can be computed particularly in load bearing condition

  14. Critical evaluation on structural stiffness of porous cellular structure of cobalt chromium alloy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abd Malek, N M S; Mohamed, S R; Che Ghani, S A; Wan Harun, W S

    2015-01-01

    In order to improve the stiffness characteristics of orthopedic devices implants that mimic the mechanical behavior of bone need to be considered. With the capability of Additive layer manufacturing processes to produce orthopedic implants with tailored mechanical properties are needed. This paper discusses finite element (FE) analysis and mechanical characterization of porous medical grade cobalt chromium (CoCr) alloy in cubical structures with volume based porosity ranging between 60% to 80% produced using direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) process. ANSYS 14.0 FE modelling software was used to predict the effective elastic modulus of the samples and comparisons were made with the experimental data. The effective mechanical properties of porous samples that were determined by uniaxial compression testing show exponential decreasing trend with the increase in porosity. Finite element model shows good agreement with experimentally obtained stress-strain curve in the elastic regions. The models prove that numerical analysis of actual prosthesis implant can be computed particularly in load bearing condition (paper)

  15. Porous organic cages

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tozawa, Tomokazu; Jones, James T. A.; Swamy, Shashikala I.; Jiang, Shan; Adams, Dave J.; Shakespeare, Stephen; Clowes, Rob; Bradshaw, Darren; Hasell, Tom; Chong, Samantha Y.; Tang, Chiu; Thompson, Stephen; Parker, Julia; Trewin, Abbie; Bacsa, John; Slawin, Alexandra M. Z.; Steiner, Alexander; Cooper, Andrew I.

    2009-12-01

    Porous materials are important in a wide range of applications including molecular separations and catalysis. We demonstrate that covalently bonded organic cages can assemble into crystalline microporous materials. The porosity is prefabricated and intrinsic to the molecular cage structure, as opposed to being formed by non-covalent self-assembly of non-porous sub-units. The three-dimensional connectivity between the cage windows is controlled by varying the chemical functionality such that either non-porous or permanently porous assemblies can be produced. Surface areas and gas uptakes for the latter exceed comparable molecular solids. One of the cages can be converted by recrystallization to produce either porous or non-porous polymorphs with apparent Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface areas of 550 and 23m2g-1, respectively. These results suggest design principles for responsive porous organic solids and for the modular construction of extended materials from prefabricated molecular pores.

  16. Biofluidic Transport and Molecular Recognition in Polymer Microdevices

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Davis, Robert H; Anseth, Kristi S; Bowman, Christopher N

    2005-01-01

    .... Key accomplishments include specific cell adhesion and cytocompatibility demonstrated with grafted surfaces, a fluid-responsive polymer micropump integrated on a device and characterized, a porous...

  17. Hydrazine reduction of metal ions to porous submicro-structures of Ag, Pd, Cu, Ni, and Bi

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang Yue; Shi Yongfang; Chen Yubiao [State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002 (China); Wu Liming, E-mail: liming_wu@fjirsm.ac.cn [State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002 (China)

    2012-07-15

    Porous submicro-structures of Ag, Pd, Cu, Ni, and Bi with high surface area have been prepared by the reduction of hydrazine in glycerol-ethanol solution at room temperature or 120-180 Degree-Sign C. Phase purity, morphology, and specific surface area have been characterized. The reactions probably undergo three different mechanisms: simple reduction for Ag and Pd, coordination-then-reduction for Cu and Ni, and hydrolysis-then-reduction for Bi. The reductant hydrazine also plays an important role to the formation of the porous submicro-structure. The reaction temperature influences the size of the constituent particles and the overall architecture of the submicro-structure so as to influence the surface area value. The as-prepared porous metals have shown the second largest surface area ever reported, which are smaller than those made by the reduction of NaBH{sub 4}, but larger than those made by hard or soft template methods. - Graphical abstract: Porous submicro-structures of Ag, Pd, Cu, Ni, and Bi with high surface area have been prepared by the reduction of hydrazine in the glycerol-ethanol solution at room temperature or 120-180 Degree-Sign C. The reactions undergo different mechanisms: simple reduction for Ag and Pd, coordination-then-reduction for Cu and Ni, and hydrolysis-then-reduction for Bi. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Syntheses of porous Ag, Pd, Cu, Ni, and Bi with high surface area. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Ag and Pd undergo simple reduction. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Cu and Ni undergo coordination-then-reduction. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Bi undergoes hydrolysis-then-reduction. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The as-prepared metals have shown the second largest surface area ever reported.

  18. Adsorbed Polymer Nanolayers on Solids: Mechanism, Structure and Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sen, Mani Kuntal

    In this thesis, by combining various advanced x-ray scattering, spectroscopic and other surface sensitive characterization techniques, I report the equilibrium polymer chain conformations, structures, dynamics and properties of polymeric materials at the solid-polymer melt interfaces. Following the introduction, in chapter 2, I highlight that the backbone chains (constituted of CH and CH2 groups) of the flattened polystyrene (PS) chains preferentially orient normal to the weakly interactive substrate surface via thermal annealing regardless of the initial chain conformations, while the orientation of the phenyl rings becomes randomized, thereby increasing the number of surface-segmental contacts (i.e., enthalpic gain) which is the driving force for the flattening process of the polymer chains even onto a weakly interactive solid. In chapter 3, I elucidate the flattened structures in block copolymer (BCP) thin films where both blocks lie flat on the substrate, forming a 2D randomly phase-separated structure irrespective of their microdomain structures and interfacial energetics. In chapter 4, I reveal the presence of an irreversibly adsorbed BCP layer which showed suppressed dynamics even at temperatures far above the individual glass transition temperatures of the blocks. Furthermore, this adsorbed BCP layer plays a crucial role in controlling the microdomain orientation in the entire film. In chapter 5, I report a radically new paradigm of designing a polymeric coating layer of a few nanometers thick ("polymer nanolayer") with anti-biofouling properties.

  19. Enhanced Dissolution of a Porous Carrier-Containing Ternary Amorphous Solid Dispersion System Prepared by a Hot Melt Method.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hanada, Masataka; Jermain, Scott V; Williams, Robert O

    2018-01-01

    The focus of our study was to employ a solvent-free, thermal process to evaluate the use of a porous carrier in a drug-polymer-porous carrier ternary formulation containing a high drug load (e.g., ≥50% w/w). The purpose of the study was to improve the dissolution properties of the biopharmaceutical classification system class II drug, indomethacin, in the ternary formulation. The effect that the selected polymer has on properties of the formulation was studied, and the formulation characteristics of hypromellose (AF15), copovidone (VA64), and polyvinyl alcohol-polyethylene glycol graft copolymer was evaluated to understand differences in dissolution rates and drug adsorption onto the porous carrier. The ternary formulations were manufactured using a thermal technique that relied on heating and mixing, without the necessity of mechanical shear. All thermally processed granules that employed the porous carrier exhibited immediate release compared with crystalline indomethacin and physical mixtures. In addition, the ternary formulations maintained supersaturation compared with the binary formulations without polymer. The results of this study indicated that the thermally processed ternary formulations containing a porous carrier demonstrated a much improved dissolution profile in nonsink conditions. Copyright © 2018 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Metrology challenges for high-rate nanomanufacturing of polymer structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mead, Joey; Barry, Carol; Busnaina, Ahmed; Isaacs, Jacqueline

    2012-10-01

    The transfer of nanoscience accomplishments into commercial products is hindered by the lack of understanding of barriers to nanoscale manufacturing. We have developed a number of nanomanufacturing processes that leverage available high-rate plastics fabrication technologies. These processes include directed assembly of a variety of nanoelements, such as nanoparticles and nanotubes, which are then transferred onto a polymer substrate for the fabrication of conformal/flexible electronic materials, among other applications. These assembly processes utilize both electric fields and/or chemical functionalization. Conducting polymers and carbon nanotubes have been successfully transferred to a polymer substrate in times less than 5 minutes, which is commercially relevant and can be utilized in a continuous (reel to reel/roll to roll) process. Other processes include continuous high volume mixing of nanoelements (CNTs, etc) into polymers, multi-layer extrusion and 3D injection molding of polymer structures. These nanomanufacturing processes can be used for wide range of applications, including EMI shielding, flexible electronics, structural materials, and novel sensors (specifically for chem/bio detection). Current techniques to characterize the quality and efficacy of the processes are quite slow. Moreover, the instrumentation and metrology needs for these manufacturing processes are varied and challenging. Novel, rapid, in-line metrology to enable the commercialization of these processes is critically needed. This talk will explore the necessary measurement needs for polymer based nanomanufacturing processes for both step and continuous (reel to reel/roll to roll) processes.

  1. Biomimetic alginate/polyacrylamide porous scaffold supports human mesenchymal stem cell proliferation and chondrogenesis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Guo, Peng [Department of ENT-Head and Neck Surgery, EENT Hospital, Shanghai 200031 (China); Shanghai Medical School, Fudan University, 210029 (China); Yuan, Yasheng, E-mail: yuanyasheng@163.com [Department of ENT-Head and Neck Surgery, EENT Hospital, Shanghai 200031 (China); Shanghai Medical School, Fudan University, 210029 (China); Eaton-Peabody Laboratory, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114 (United States); Chi, Fanglu [Department of ENT-Head and Neck Surgery, EENT Hospital, Shanghai 200031 (China); Shanghai Medical School, Fudan University, 210029 (China)

    2014-09-01

    We describe the development of alginate/polyacrylamide (ALG/PAAm) porous hydrogels based on interpenetrating polymer network structure for human mesenchymal stem cell proliferation and chondrogenesis. Three ALG/PAAm hydrogels at molar ratios of 10/90, 20/80, and 30/70 were prepared and characterized with enhanced elastic and rubbery mechanical properties, which are similar to native human cartilage tissues. Their elasticity and swelling properties were also studied under different physiological pH conditions. Finally, in vitro tests demonstrated that human mesenchymal stem cells could proliferate on the as-synthesized hydrogels with improved alkaline phosphatase activities. These results suggest that ALG/PAAm hydrogels may be a promising biomaterial for cartilage tissue engineering. - Highlights: • ALG/PAAm hydrogels were prepared at different molar ratios for cartilage tissue engineering. • ALG/PAAm hydrogels feature an interpenetrating polymer network structure. • ALG/PAAm hydrogels demonstrate strengthened elastic and rubbery mechanical properties. • hMSCs could be cultured on the ALG/PAAm hydrogels for proliferation and chondrogenesis.

  2. Biomimetic alginate/polyacrylamide porous scaffold supports human mesenchymal stem cell proliferation and chondrogenesis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guo, Peng; Yuan, Yasheng; Chi, Fanglu

    2014-01-01

    We describe the development of alginate/polyacrylamide (ALG/PAAm) porous hydrogels based on interpenetrating polymer network structure for human mesenchymal stem cell proliferation and chondrogenesis. Three ALG/PAAm hydrogels at molar ratios of 10/90, 20/80, and 30/70 were prepared and characterized with enhanced elastic and rubbery mechanical properties, which are similar to native human cartilage tissues. Their elasticity and swelling properties were also studied under different physiological pH conditions. Finally, in vitro tests demonstrated that human mesenchymal stem cells could proliferate on the as-synthesized hydrogels with improved alkaline phosphatase activities. These results suggest that ALG/PAAm hydrogels may be a promising biomaterial for cartilage tissue engineering. - Highlights: • ALG/PAAm hydrogels were prepared at different molar ratios for cartilage tissue engineering. • ALG/PAAm hydrogels feature an interpenetrating polymer network structure. • ALG/PAAm hydrogels demonstrate strengthened elastic and rubbery mechanical properties. • hMSCs could be cultured on the ALG/PAAm hydrogels for proliferation and chondrogenesis

  3. Synthesis of Porous and Mechanically Compliant Carbon Aerogels Using Conductive and Structural Additives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlos Macias

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available We report the synthesis of conductive and mechanically compliant monolithic carbon aerogels prepared by sol-gel polycondensation of melamine-resorcinol-formaldehyde (MRF mixtures by incorporating diatomite and carbon black additives. The resulting aerogels composites displayed a well-developed porous structure, confirming that the polymerization of the precursors is not impeded in the presence of either additive. The aerogels retained the porous structure after etching off the siliceous additive, indicating adequate cross-linking of the MRF reactants. However, the presence of diatomite caused a significant fall in the pore volumes, accompanied by coarsening of the average pore size (predominance of large mesopores and macropores. The diatomite also prevented structural shrinkage and deformation of the as-prepared monoliths upon densification by carbonization, even after removal of the siliceous framework. The rigid pristine aerogels became more flexible upon incorporation of the diatomite, favoring implementation of binderless monolithic aerogel electrodes.

  4. Hybrid solar cells composed of perovskite and polymer photovoltaic structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phaometvarithorn, Apatsanan; Chuangchote, Surawut; Kumnorkaew, Pisist; Wootthikanokkhan, Jatuphorn

    2018-06-01

    Organic/inorganic lead halide perovskite solar cells have recently attracted much attention in photovoltaic research, due to the devices show promising ways to achieve high efficiencies. The perovskite devices with high efficiencies, however, are typically fabricated in tandem solar cell which is complicated. In this research work, we introduce a solar cell device with the combination of CH3NH3PbI3-xClx perovskite and bulk heterojunction PCDTBT:PC70BM polymer without any tandem structure. The new integrated perovskite/polymer hybrid structure of ITO/PEDOT:PSS/perovskite/PCDTBT:PC70BM/PC70BM/TiOx/Al provides higher power conversion efficiency (PCE) of devices compared with conventional perovskite cell structure. With the optimized PCDTBT:PC70BM thickness of ∼70 nm, the highest PCE of 11.67% is achieved. Variation of conducting donor polymers in this new structure is also preliminary demonstrated. This study provides an attractively innovative structure and a promising design for further development of the new-generation solar cells.

  5. Using ion-selective electrodes to study the drug release from porous cellulose matrices

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vakili, Hossein; Genina, Natalja; Ehlers, Henrik

    2012-01-01

    -polymer solutions were prepared with the model drugs, using different blend ratios of ethylcellulose (EC) and hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC). Two different solid dosage forms were used. Polymer films were produced by solvent casting method and drug containing porous cellulose samples were prepared by depositing...... the drug-polymer solutions onto filter paper substrates. The quality of the electrodes and the release profile of Pr+ and Ld+ were investigated with \\r\

  6. Porous matrix structures for alkaline electrolyte fuel cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vine, R. W.; Narsavage, S. T.

    1975-01-01

    A number of advancements have been realized by a continuing research program to develop higher chemically stable porous matrix structures with high bubble pressure (crossover resistance) for use as separators in potassium hydroxide electrolyte fuel cells. More uniform, higher-bubble-pressure asbestos matrices were produced by reconstituting Johns-Manville asbestos paper; Fybex potassium titanate which was found compatible with 42% KOH at 250 F for up to 3000 hr; good agreement was found between bubble pressures predicted by an analytical study and those measured with filtered structures; Teflon-bonded Fybex matrices with bubble pressures greater than 30 psi were obtained by filtering a water slurry of the mixture directly onto fuel cell electrodes; and PBI fibers have satisfactory compatibility with 42% KOH at 250 F.

  7. Sol-gel derived porous bioactive nanocomposites: Synthesis and in vitro bioactivity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shankhwar, Nisha; Kothiyal, G. P.; Srinivasan, A.

    2013-06-01

    Porous bioactive composites consisting of SiO2-CaO-Na2O-P2O5 bioactive glass-ceramic and synthetic water soluble polymer Polyvinylpyrrolidone [PVP (C6H9NO)n, MW˜40000 g/mol] have been synthesized by sol-gel route. As-prepared polymeric composites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique. Two major bone mineral phases, viz., hydroxyapatite [Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2] and wollastonite [calcium silicate (CaSiO3)] have been identified in the XRD patterns of the composites. Presence of these bone minerals indicates the bioactive nature of the composites. In vitro bioactivity tests confirm bioactivity in the porous composites. The flexibility offered by these bioactive polymer composites is advantageous for its application as implant material.

  8. Electrical investigation of the Au/n+–GaAs and Au/n-porous GaAs structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saghrouni, H.; Hannachi, R.; Jomni, S.; Beji, L.

    2013-01-01

    The electrical properties of Au/n + –GaAs and Au/n-porous GaAs metal–semiconductor structures were investigated using room temperature current–voltage I(V) and capacitance–voltage C(V) measurements. The electrical parameters of these structures such as ideality factor, barrier height potential, series resistance have been calculated. The obtained parameters of Au/n-porous GaAs structure were discussed and compared to those of Au/n + –GaAs structure. The series resistances and ideality factors of the two structures were seen to have approximately the same values. Furthermore, the shunt resistance and the barrier height potential values for the Au/n-porous GaAs structure were found to be different than the ones of Au/n + –GaAs structure. Furthermore the two structures showed a non-ideal I(V) behavior with an ideality factor greater than unity. Such non ideal behavior was suggested to be due to the existence of high density of trap and the forward I(V) characteristics which were governed by space charge limited conductivity, characterized by single and exponential trapping levels in both structures (SCLC). A model based upon TFE tunneling of carriers at reverse current was used to explain the non-saturation of reverse current of the structures. The high frequency C(V) characteristics of the structure reveal the presence of an anomalous behavior at the forward bias. Though the capacitance reaches a peak, it remarkably decreases with an increasing bias voltage suggested by the presence of interface states. Furthermore, the energy distribution of interface density in the structures was determined by the forward bias C(V) measurement as well as using ideality factor and barrier height potential values obtained from forward bias I(V) and reverse bias C −2 (V) characteristics, respectively. An estimated energy band diagram for the Au/n + –GaAs and Au/n-porous GaAs structures are presented

  9. Bio-safe processing of polylactic-co-caprolactone and polylactic acid blends to fabricate fibrous porous scaffolds for in vitro mesenchymal stem cells adhesion and proliferation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Salerno, Aurelio, E-mail: asalerno@unina.it [Centre for Advanced Biomaterials for Health Care, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Largo Barsanti e Matteucci 53, 80125 Napoli (Italy); Institute of Materials Science of Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC), Campus de la UAB s/n, Bellaterra 08193 (Spain); Guarino, Vincenzo; Oliviero, Olimpia; Ambrosio, Luigi [Institute of Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials, National Research Council of Italy, V.le Kennedy 54, Pad 20, Mostra d' Oltremare, 80125 Naples (Italy); Domingo, Concepción [Institute of Materials Science of Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC), Campus de la UAB s/n, Bellaterra 08193 (Spain)

    2016-06-01

    In this study, the design and fabrication of porous scaffolds, made of blends of polylactic-co-caprolactone (PLC) and polylactic acid (PLA) polymers, for tissue engineering applications is reported. The scaffolds are prepared by means of a bio-safe thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) approach with or without the addition of NaCl particles used as particulate porogen. The scaffolds are characterized to assess their crystalline structure, morphology and mechanical properties, and the texture of the pores and the pore size distribution. Moreover, in vitro human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) culture tests have been carried out to demonstrate the biocompatibility of the scaffolds. The results of this study demonstrate that all of the scaffold materials processed by means of TIPS process are semi-crystalline. Furthermore, the blend composition affected polymer crystallization and, in turn, the nano and macro-structural properties of the scaffolds. Indeed, neat PLC and neat PLA crystallize into globular and randomly arranged sub micro-size scale fibrous conformations, respectively. Concomitantly, the addition of NaCl particles during the fabrication route allows for the creation of an interconnected network of large pores inside the primary structure while resulted in a significant decrease of scaffolds mechanical response. Finally, the results of cell culture tests demonstrate that both the micro and macro-structure of the scaffold affect the in vitro hMSCs adhesion and proliferation. - Highlights: • Porous scaffolds are prepared by polymer blending, phase separation and NaCl leaching. • The process avoids the use of toxic solvents. • Blend composition dictates polymer crystallization and scaffold properties. • Scaffolds are provided of a sub micro-scale fibers structure and interconnected macropores. • Stem cells adhesion and proliferation depend on scaffolds composition and structure.

  10. Facile Control of the Porous Structure of Larch-Derived Mesoporous Carbons via Self-Assembly for Supercapacitors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xin Zhao

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Mesoporous carbons have been successfully synthesized via self-assembly using larch-based resins as precursors and triblock copolymers as soft templates. The porous structure of mesoporous carbons can be tailored by adjusting the ratio of hydrophilic/hydrophobic (EO/PO units owing to interfacial curvature. Interestingly, the porous structures show a distinct change from vortex-like to worm-like pores, to stripe-like pores, and to ordered two-dimensional hexagonal pores as the ratio of hydrophilic/hydrophobic units increases, indicating the significant effect of EO/PO ratio on the porous structure. The mesoporous carbons as supercapacitor electrodes exhibit superior electrochemical capacitive performance and a high degree of reversibility after 2000 cycles for supercapacitors due to the well-defined mesoporosity of the carbon materials. Meanwhile, the superior carbon has a high specific capacitance of 107 F·g−1 in 6 M KOH at a current density of 10 A·g−1.

  11. Development of porous structures in GaSb by ion irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jacobi, C.C.; Steinbach, T.; Wesch, W.

    2012-01-01

    Ion irradiation of GaSb causes not only defect formation but also leads to the formation of a porous structure. To study the behaviour of this structural modification, GaSb was irradiated with 6 MeV Iodine ions and ion fluences from 5 × 10 12 to 6 × 10 15 ions/cm 2 . The samples were investigated by step height measurements and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Experiments were performed with two different procedures: (CI) Continuous Irradiation of samples followed by measurements of the step height in air and (SI) Stepwise Irradiation of samples with measurements of the step height in air between subsequent irradiations. Samples irradiated continuously, show a linear increase of the step height with increasing ion fluence up to 1.5 × 10 14 ions/cm 2 followed by a steeper, linear increase for higher ion fluences up to a step height of 32 μm. This swelling is induced by a formation of voids, and the two different slopes can be explained by a transformation from isolated voids to a rod like structure. For samples irradiated accordingly to procedure (SI), the step height shows the same behaviour up to an ion fluence of 1.5 × 10 14 ions/cm 2 resulting in a step height of ≈3 μm but then decreases with further irradiation. The latter effect is caused by a compaction of the porous structure.

  12. Characterization of Creases in Polymers for Adaptive Origami Structures (Postprint)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-10-01

    in space. Shape change is seen in origami when a flat sheet of paper is folded into a complex geometry or model. Origami is not limited to artistic...AFRL-RX-WP-JA-2015-0036 CHARACTERIZATION OF CREASES IN POLYMERS FOR ADAPTIVE ORIGAMI STRUCTURES (POSTPRINT) Philip R. Buskohl UES, Inc. Richard...From – To) 08 June 2011 – 08 September 2014 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE CHARACTERIZATION OF CREASES IN POLYMERS FOR ADAPTIVE ORIGAMI STRUCTURES

  13. Porous silicon technology for integrated microsystems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wallner, Jin Zheng

    With the development of micro systems, there is an increasing demand for integrable porous materials. In addition to those conventional applications, such as filtration, wicking, and insulating, many new micro devices, including micro reactors, sensors, actuators, and optical components, can benefit from porous materials. Conventional porous materials, such as ceramics and polymers, however, cannot meet the challenges posed by micro systems, due to their incompatibility with standard micro-fabrication processes. In an effort to produce porous materials that can be used in micro systems, porous silicon (PS) generated by anodization of single crystalline silicon has been investigated. In this work, the PS formation process has been extensively studied and characterized as a function of substrate type, crystal orientation, doping concentration, current density and surfactant concentration and type. Anodization conditions have been optimized for producing very thick porous silicon layers with uniform pore size, and for obtaining ideal pore morphologies. Three different types of porous silicon materials: meso porous silicon, macro porous silicon with straight pores, and macro porous silicon with tortuous pores, have been successfully produced. Regular pore arrays with controllable pore size in the range of 2mum to 6mum have been demonstrated as well. Localized PS formation has been achieved by using oxide/nitride/polysilicon stack as masking materials, which can withstand anodization in hydrofluoric acid up to twenty hours. A special etching cell with electrolytic liquid backside contact along with two process flows has been developed to enable the fabrication of thick macro porous silicon membranes with though wafer pores. For device assembly, Si-Au and In-Au bonding technologies have been developed. Very low bonding temperature (˜200°C) and thick/soft bonding layers (˜6mum) have been achieved by In-Au bonding technology, which is able to compensate the potentially

  14. Enhanced catalytic activity through the tuning of micropore environment and supercritical CO2 processing: Al(porphyrin)-based porous organic polymers for the degradation of a nerve agent simulant.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Totten, Ryan K; Kim, Ye-Seong; Weston, Mitchell H; Farha, Omar K; Hupp, Joseph T; Nguyen, SonBinh T

    2013-08-14

    An Al(porphyrin) functionalized with a large axial ligand was incorporated into a porous organic polymer (POP) using a cobalt-catalyzed acetylene trimerization strategy. Removal of the axial ligand afforded a microporous POP that is catalytically active in the methanolysis of a nerve agent simulant. Supercritical CO2 processing of the POP dramatically increased the pore size and volume, allowing for significantly higher catalytic activities.

  15. Assembly of core–shell structured porous carbon–graphene composites as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guo, Rong; Zhao, Li; Yue, Wenbo

    2015-01-01

    As potential anode materials for lithium-ion batteries, mesoporous carbons such as CMK-3 and CMK-8 usually show stable cycling performances but only slightly higher reversible capacities than commercial graphite. Graphene has much higher theoretical capacity than that of graphite in theory. However, its electrochemical behavior is not as good as expected due to the aggregation of graphene nanosheets. Herein we describe a novel strategy for the preparation of core–shell structured porous carbon–graphene composites. Compared to pure porous carbons or pure graphene nanosheets, these novel composites exhibit superior electrochemical performances including higher reversible capacities and better cycle/rate performances. This core–shell structure can avoid the aggregation of graphene nanosheets as well as may stabilize the mesostructure of porous carbon, which is beneficial to improving the electrochemical performances of the composites

  16. Cellulose nanocrystal: electronically conducting polymer nanocomposites for supercapacitors

    OpenAIRE

    Liew, Soon Yee

    2012-01-01

    This thesis describes the use of cellulose nanocrystals for the fabrication of porous nanocomposites with electronic conducting polymers for electrochemical supercapacitor applications. The exceptional strength and negatively charged surface functionalities on cellulose nanocrystals are utilised in these nanocomposites. The negatively charged surface functionalities on cellulose nanocrystals allow their simultaneous incorporation into electropolymerised, positively charged conducting polymer ...

  17. On-demand Antimicrobial Treatment with Antibiotic-Loaded Porous Silicon Capped with a pH-Responsive Dual Plasma Polymer Barrier.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vasani, Roshan B; Szili, Endre J; Rajeev, Gayathri; Voelcker, Nicolas H

    2017-07-04

    Chronic wounds are a major socio-economic problem. Bacterial infections in such wounds are a major contributor to lack of wound healing. An early indicator of wound infection is an increase in pH of the wound fluid. Herein, we describe the development of a pH-responsive drug delivery device that can potentially be used for wound decontamination in situ and on-demand in response to an increase in the pH of the wound environment. The device is based on a porous silicon film that provides a reservoir for encapsulation of an antibiotic within the pores. Loaded porous silicon is capped with dual plasma polymer layers of poly(1,7-octadiene) and poly(acrylic acid), which provide a pH-responsive barrier for on-demand release of the antibiotic. We demonstrate that release of the antibiotic is inhibited in aqueous buffer at pH 5, whereas the drug is released in a sustainable manner at pH 8. Importantly, the released drug was bacteriostatic against the Pseudomonas aeruginosa wound pathogen. In the future, incorporation of the delivery device into wound dressings could potentially be utilized for non-invasive decontamination of wounds. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  18. Small-angle and surface scattering from porous and fractal materials.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sinha, S. K.

    1998-09-18

    We review the basic theoretical methods used to treat small-angle scattering from porous materials, treated as general two-phase systems, and also the basic experimental techniques for carrying out such experiments. We discuss the special forms of the scattering when the materials exhibit mass or surface fractal behavior, and review the results of recent experiments on several types of porous media and also SANS experiments probing the phase behavior of binary fluid mixtures or polymer solutions confined in porous materials. Finally, we discuss the analogous technique of off-specular scattering from surfaces and interfaces which is used to study surface roughness of various kinds.

  19. Influence of the molecular structure on indentation size effect in polymers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Han, Chung-Souk

    2010-01-01

    Size dependent deformation of polymers has been observed by various researchers in various experimental settings including micro beam bending, foams and indentation testing. Here in this article the indentation size effect in polymers is examined which manifests itself in increased hardness at decreasing indentation depths. Based on previously suggested rationale of size dependent deformation and depth dependent hardness model the depth dependent hardness of various polymers are analyzed. It is found that polymers containing aromatic rings in their molecular structure exhibit depth dependent hardness above the micron length scale. For polymers not containing aromatic rings polymers the indentation size effect starts at smaller indentation depths if they are present at all.

  20. A poroplastic model of structural reorganisation in porous media of biomechanical interest

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grillo, Alfio; Prohl, Raphael; Wittum, Gabriel

    2016-03-01

    We present a poroplastic model of structural reorganisation in a binary mixture comprising a solid and a fluid phase. The solid phase is the macroscopic representation of a deformable porous medium, which exemplifies the matrix of a biological system (consisting e.g. of cells, extracellular matrix, collagen fibres). The fluid occupies the interstices of the porous medium and is allowed to move throughout it. The system reorganises its internal structure in response to mechanical stimuli. Such structural reorganisation, referred to as remodelling, is described in terms of "plastic" distortions, whose evolution is assumed to obey a phenomenological flow rule driven by stress. We study the influence of remodelling on the mechanical and hydraulic behaviour of the system, showing how the plastic distortions modulate the flow pattern of the fluid, and the distributions of pressure and stress inside it. To accomplish this task, we solve a highly nonlinear set of model equations by elaborating a previously developed numerical procedure, which is implemented in a non-commercial finite element solver.

  1. Development and Characterization of Novel Porous 3D Alginate-Cockle Shell Powder Nanobiocomposite Bone Scaffold

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B. Hemabarathy Bharatham

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available A novel porous three-dimensional bone scaffold was developed using a natural polymer (alginate/Alg in combination with a naturally obtained biomineral (nano cockle shell powder/nCP through lyophilization techniques. The scaffold was developed in varying composition mixture of Alg-nCP and characterized using various evaluation techniques as well as preliminary in vitro studies on MG63 human osteoblast cells. Morphological observations using SEM revealed variations in structures with the use of different Alg-nCP composition ratios. All the developed scaffolds showed a porous structure with pore sizes ideal for facilitating new bone growth; however, not all combination mixtures showed subsequent favorable characteristics to be used for biological applications. Scaffolds produced using the combination mixture of 40% Alg and 60% nCP produced significantly promising results in terms of mechanical strength, degradation rate, and increased cell proliferation rates making it potentially the optimum composition mixture of Alg-nCP with future application prospects.

  2. Associating Polymer Networks Based on Cyclodextrin Inclusion Compounds for Heavy Oil Recovery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xi Li

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available This work evaluates an approach to improve the enhanced heavy oil recovery performance of hydrophobic associating polymer. A polymeric system based on water-soluble hydrophobic associating polymer (WSHAP and cyclodextrin (CD polymer was proposed in this work. Addition of CD polymer to WSHAP forms interpolymer bridges by inclusion of CD groups with hydrophobic tails, and thereby the network structure is strengthened. The proposed system offers good viscoelasticity, pronounced shear thinning, and interesting viscosity-temperature relations. Sand pack tests indicated that the proposed system can build high resistance factor during the propagation in porous media, and its moderate adsorption phenomenon was represented by the thickness of the adsorbed layer. The relationship between effective viscosity and oil recovery increment indicated that the proposed system can significantly reduce the residual oil saturation due to the “piston-like” propagation. The overall oil recovery was raised by 5.7 and 24.5% of the original oil in place compared with WSHAP and partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM, respectively.

  3. Boiling process in oil coolers on porous elements

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Genbach Alexander A.

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Holography and high-speed filming were used to reveal movements and deformations of the capillary and porous material, allowing to calculate thermo-hydraulic characteristics of boiling liquid in the porous structures. These porous structures work at the joint action of capillary and mass forces, which are generalised in the form of dependences used in the calculation for oil coolers in thermal power plants (TPP. Furthermore, the mechanism of the boiling process in porous structures in the field of mass forces is explained. The development process of water steam formation in the mesh porous structures working at joint action of gravitational and capillary forces is investigated. Certain regularities pertained to the internal characteristics of boiling in cells of porous structure are revealed, by means of a holographic interferometry and high-speed filming. Formulas for calculation of specific thermal streams through thermo-hydraulic characteristics of water steam formation in mesh structures are obtained, in relation to heat engineering of thermal power plants. This is the first calculation of heat flow through the thermal-hydraulic characteristics of the boiling process in a reticulated porous structure obtained by a photo film and holographic observations.

  4. Structure, entanglements and dynamics of polymer nanocomposites containing spherical nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Karatrantos, A; Clarke, N; Composto, R J; Winey, K I

    2014-01-01

    We investigate the effect of nanoparticles on polymer structure, nanoparticle dynamics and topological constraints (entanglements) in polymer melts for nanoparticle loading above percolation threshold as high as 40.9% using stochastic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. An increase in the number of entanglements (decrease of N e with 40.9% volume fraction of nanoparticles dispersed in the polymer matrix) in the nanocomposites is observed as evidenced by larger contour lengths of the primitive paths. Attraction between polymers and nanoparticles affects the entanglements in the nanocomposites and alters the primitive path. The diffusivity of small sized nanoparticles deviates significantly from the Stokes- Einstein relation

  5. Synthesis and evaluation of tetracycline encapsulated in poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) on porous titania formed by using plasma electrolytic oxidation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moon, Seung-Kyun; Kang, Min-Kyung; Im, Su-Yeon; Kim, Kyoung-Nam; Kwon, Jae-Sung

    2012-01-01

    Despite a relatively high success rate in treating bacterial infection, it is still the major complication following dental implant surgery. Many attempts have been carried out to produce antibacterial effects on implant metals, and there have included coating of antibiotics encapsulated in polymers by using the electro-spray deposition (ESD) method. However, remnant polymer following full release of the medication, resulting in delamination between the surface layers of the implant and newly formed bone, has been a major problem. Hence, different organic polymer of poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) were used in this study. Commercially pure titanium was used in this experiment and was anodized to improve biocompatibility. The PLGA was dissolved in dichloromethane along with tetracycline, and the fabricated tetracycline encapsulated in PLGA was then coated on a porous oxide layer of titanium by using the ESD method. The surface characteristics were analyzed, and the antibacterial effects of the specimen were assessed using bacteria of Staphylococcus aereus. Finally, the cytotoxicity and cell proliferation on the surface was evaluated. The results indicated that such titanium formed by a coating of tetracycline encapsulated in PLGA on a porous titania structure exhibited antibacterial effects and was both non-cytotoxic and biocompatible. Also, PLGA seemed to be an ideal candidate as the medium to encapsulate antibiotics or other medications such as growth factors due to its rapid degradation compared to other organic polymer. From this experiment, we conclude that porous titania coated by tetracycline encapsulated in PLGA by using ESD method is appropriate for use in dental or medical implants to prevent the major complication of surgery, infection.

  6. Synthesis and evaluation of tetracycline encapsulated in poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) on porous titania formed by using plasma electrolytic oxidation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Moon, Seung-Kyun; Kang, Min-Kyung; Im, Su-Yeon; Kim, Kyoung-Nam; Kwon, Jae-Sung [Yonsei University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2012-03-15

    Despite a relatively high success rate in treating bacterial infection, it is still the major complication following dental implant surgery. Many attempts have been carried out to produce antibacterial effects on implant metals, and there have included coating of antibiotics encapsulated in polymers by using the electro-spray deposition (ESD) method. However, remnant polymer following full release of the medication, resulting in delamination between the surface layers of the implant and newly formed bone, has been a major problem. Hence, different organic polymer of poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) were used in this study. Commercially pure titanium was used in this experiment and was anodized to improve biocompatibility. The PLGA was dissolved in dichloromethane along with tetracycline, and the fabricated tetracycline encapsulated in PLGA was then coated on a porous oxide layer of titanium by using the ESD method. The surface characteristics were analyzed, and the antibacterial effects of the specimen were assessed using bacteria of Staphylococcus aereus. Finally, the cytotoxicity and cell proliferation on the surface was evaluated. The results indicated that such titanium formed by a coating of tetracycline encapsulated in PLGA on a porous titania structure exhibited antibacterial effects and was both non-cytotoxic and biocompatible. Also, PLGA seemed to be an ideal candidate as the medium to encapsulate antibiotics or other medications such as growth factors due to its rapid degradation compared to other organic polymer. From this experiment, we conclude that porous titania coated by tetracycline encapsulated in PLGA by using ESD method is appropriate for use in dental or medical implants to prevent the major complication of surgery, infection.

  7. Formation and thermodynamic stability of (polymer + porphyrin) supramolecular structures in aqueous solutions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Costa, Viviana C.P. da; Hwang, Barrington J.; Eggen, Spencer E.; Wallace, Megan J.; Annunziata, Onofrio

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Thermodynamic stability of a (polymer + porphyrin) supramolecular structure was characterized. • Isothermal titration calorimetry provided two ways to determine reaction enthalpies. • Exothermic (polymer + porphyrin) binding competes with porphyrin self-association. • (Polymer + porphyrin) binding is entropically favored with respect to porphyrin self-association. • Spectral shifts show importance of porphyrin central hydrogens in polymer binding. - Abstract: Optical properties of porphyrins can be tuned through (polymer + porphyrin) (host + guest) binding in solution. This gives rise to the formation of supramolecular structures. In this paper, the formation, thermodynamic stability and spectroscopic properties of (polymer + porphyrin) supramolecular structures and their competition with porphyrin self-association were investigated by both isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and absorption spectroscopy. Specifically, reaction enthalpies and equilibrium constants were measured for meso-tetrakis(4-sulfonatophenyl) porphyrin (TPPS) self-association and TPPS binding to the polymer poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP, 40 kg/mol) in aqueous solutions at pH 7 and three different temperatures (12, 25 and 37 °C). ITC, compared to spectroscopic techniques, provides two independent means to determine reaction enthalpies: direct measurements and Van’t Hoff plot. This was used as a criterion to assess that (1) self-association of TPPS is limited to the formation of dimers and (2) TPPS binds to PVP in its monomeric state only. The formation of TPPS dimers and (PVP + TPPS) supramolecular structures are both enthalpically driven. However, (polymer + porphyrin) binding was found to be entropically favored compared to dimerization. Furthermore, the reaction enthalpies of these two processes significantly depend on temperature. This behavior was attributed to hydrophobic interactions. Finally, the limiting absorption spectra of monomeric, dimeric and polymer

  8. Extraction of uranium by hydroxybenzamide type polymers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sakuragi, Masako; Ichimura, Kunihiro; Suda, Yoshio; Marumo, Tomofuyu; Iwaki, Takao; Abe, Yoshimoto; Misono, Takahisa.

    1985-01-01

    Polyethyleneimine crosslinked with N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide was treated with substituted phenyl hydroxybenzoates to give the polymers having corresponding hydroxybenzamide groups. In these polymers I-V, polymer having 2-hydroxybenzamide group (I) and that having 2,4-dihydroxybenzamide group (II) showed the adsorption abilities of 45 and 87 μg-U/g in 4 days in seawater, respectively. The polymers having 2-hydroxybenzamide group in concentration from 1 to 20 mol % were prepared and the adsorption property for uranium was examined. Three mol % is most suitable concentration for treatment for 2-4 days, while 20 mol % is suitable for treatment for 30 days. The polymer prepared from porous polyethyleneimine bead showed higher adsorption ability than usual ones. (J.P.N.)

  9. Composite Polymer Electrolytes: Nanoparticles Affect Structure and Properties

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wei Wang

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Composite polymer electrolytes (CPEs can significantly improve the performance in electrochemical devices such as lithium-ion batteries. This review summarizes property/performance relationships in the case where nanoparticles are introduced to polymer electrolytes. It is the aim of this review to provide a knowledge network that elucidates the role of nano-additives in the CPEs. Central to the discussion is the impact on the CPE performance of properties such as crystalline/amorphous structure, dielectric behavior, and interactions within the CPE. The amorphous domains of semi-crystalline polymer facilitate the ion transport, while an enhanced mobility of polymer chains contributes to high ionic conductivity. Dielectric properties reflect the relaxation behavior of polymer chains as an important factor in ion conduction. Further, the dielectric constant (ε determines the capability of the polymer to dissolve salt. The atom/ion/nanoparticle interactions within CPEs suggest ways to enhance the CPE conductivity by generating more free lithium ions. Certain properties can be improved simultaneously by nanoparticle addition in order to optimize the overall performance of the electrolyte. The effects of nano-additives on thermal and mechanical properties of CPEs are also presented in order to evaluate the electrolyte competence for lithium-ion battery applications.

  10. How methylhydroxyethylcellulose (MHEC) influences drying in porous media

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Faiyas, A.P.A.; Erich, S.J.F.; van Soestbergen, M.; Huinink, H.P.; Adan, O.C.G.; Nijland, T.G.

    2015-01-01

    This article presents both an experimental as well as a theoretical study on the effect of MethylHydroxyEthylCellulose (MHEC) on drying in porous materials using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging (NMR). MHEC, a water soluble polymer, is normally added to glue mortars as a water retention agent in

  11. Biogenic Cracks in Porous Rock

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hemmerle, A.; Hartung, J.; Hallatschek, O.; Goehring, L.; Herminghaus, S.

    2014-12-01

    Microorganisms growing on and inside porous rock may fracture it by various processes. Some of the mechanisms of biofouling and bioweathering are today identified and partially understood but most emphasis is on chemical weathering, while mechanical contributions have been neglected. However, as demonstrated by the perseverance of a seed germinating and cracking up a concrete block, the turgor pressure of living organisms can be very significant. Here, we present results of a systematic study of the effects of the mechanical forces of growing microbial populations on the weathering of porous media. We designed a model porous medium made of glass beads held together by polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), a curable polymer. The rheological properties of the porous medium, whose shape and size are tunable, can be controlled by the ratio of crosslinker to base used in the PDMS (see Fig. 1). Glass and PDMS being inert to most chemicals, we are able to focus on the mechanical processes of biodeterioration, excluding any chemical weathering. Inspired by recent measurements of the high pressure (~0.5 Mpa) exerted by a growing population of yeasts trapped in a microfluidic device, we show that yeast cells can be cultured homogeneously within porous medium until saturation of the porous space. We investigate then the effects of such an inner pressure on the mechanical properties of the sample. Using the same model system, we study also the complex interplay between biofilms and porous media. We focus in particular on the effects of pore size on the penetration of the biofilm within the porous sample, and on the resulting deformations of the matrix, opening new perspectives into the understanding of life in complex geometry. Figure 1. Left : cell culture growing in a model porous medium. The white spheres represent the grains, bonds are displayed in grey, and microbes in green. Right: microscopy picture of glass beads linked by PDMS bridges, scale bar: 100 μm.

  12. LASER INDUCED SELECTIVE ACTIVATION UTILIZING AUTO-CATALYTIC ELECTROLESS PLATING ON POLYMER SURFACE

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhang, Yang; Nielsen, Jakob Skov; Tang, Peter Torben

    2009-01-01

    . Characterization of the deposited copper layer was used to select and improve laser parameters. Several types of polymers with different melting points were used as substrate. Using the above mentioned laser treatment, standard grades of thermoplastic materials such as ABS, SAN, PE, PC and others have been......This paper presents a new method for selective micro metallization of polymers induced by laser. An Nd: YAG laser was employed to draw patterns on polymer surfaces using a special set-up. After subsequent activation and auto-catalytic electroless plating, copper only deposited on the laser tracks....... Induced by the laser, porous and rough structures are formed on the surface, which favours the palladium attachment during the activation step prior to the metallization. Laser focus detection, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and other instruments were used to analyze the topography of the laser track...

  13. Activated Porous Carbon Spheres with Customized Mesopores through Assembly of Diblock Copolymers for Electrochemical Capacitor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Jing; Wang, Jie; Shrestha, Lok Kumar; Hossain, Md Shahriar A; Alothman, Zeid Abdullah; Yamauchi, Yusuke; Ariga, Katsuhiko

    2017-06-07

    A series of porous carbon spheres with precisely adjustable mesopores (4-16 nm), high specific surface area (SSA, ∼2000 m 2 g -1 ), and submicrometer particle size (∼300 nm) was synthesized through a facile coassembly of diblock polymer micelles with a nontoxic dopamine source and a common postactivation process. The mesopore size can be controlled by the diblock polymer, polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene oxide) (PS-b-PEO) templates, and has an almost linear dependence on the square root of the degree of polymerization of the PS blocks. These advantageous structural properties make the product a promising electrode material for electrochemical capacitors. The electrochemical capacitive performance was studied carefully by using symmetrical cells in a typical organic electrolyte of 1 M tetraethylammonium tetrafluoroborate/acetonitrile (TEA BF 4 /AN) or in an ionic liquid electrolyte of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (EMIMBF 4 ), displaying a high specific capacitance of 111 and 170 F g -1 at 1 A g -1 , respectively. The impacts of pore size distribution on the capacitance performance were thoroughly investigated. It was revealed that large mesopores and a relatively low ratio of micropores are ideal for realizing high SSA-normalized capacitance. These results provide us with a simple and reliable way to screen future porous carbon materials for electrochemical capacitors and encourage researchers to design porous carbon with high specific surface area, large mesopores, and a moderate proportion of micropores.

  14. Employment of the porous particles for preparation of the capsules containing aspirin and drug release property

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hosoi, Fumio; Makuuchi, Keizo; Saito, Kenji; Koishi, Masumi.

    1985-01-01

    Polymer-coated porous particles containing aspirin as a drug were prepared and the rate of release of aspirin was studied. The impregnation of aspirin was carried out by post-graft polymerization, where methyl methacrylate or methacrylic acid was treated with porous particles, pre-irradiated with γ-ray from 60 Co, in the presence of aspirin. Release of aspirin from modified particles was tested with 50 % methanol solution and/or pH 5.2 buffer solution of acetic acid. The amount of aspirin released from capsules increased with time and reached a constant values after 140 h. The amount of aspirin absorbed in porous particles was increased with graft polymerization. In addition, absorption of aspirin in porous particles was significantly enhanced by treating the particle surface with TiO 2 before irradiation. The amount of aspirin released was linearly to the square root of time. It was concluded that the diffusion of aspirin through the polymer matrix was the rate limiting step. (author)

  15. Molecular motion in polymer electrolytes. An investigation of methods for improving the conductivity of solid polymer electrolytes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Webster, Mark Ian

    2002-01-01

    Three methods were explored with a view to enhancing the ionic conductivity of polymer electrolytes; namely the addition of an inert, inorganic filler, the addition of a plasticizer and the incorporation of the electrolyte in the pores of silica matrices. There have been a number of reports, which suggest the addition of nanocrystalline oxides to polymer electrolytes increases the ionic conductivities by about a factor of two. In this thesis studies of the polymer electrolyte NaSCN.P(EO) 8 with added nanocrystalline alumina powder are reported which show no evidence of enhanced conductivity. The addition of a plasticizer to polymer electrolytes will increase the ionic conductivity. A detailed study was made of the polymer electrolytes LiT.P(EO) 10 and LiClO 4 .P(EO) 10 with added ethylene carbonate plasticizer. The conductivities showed an enhancement, however this disappeared on heating under vacuum. The present work suggests that the plasticised system is not thermodynamically stable and will limit the applications of the material. A series of samples were prepared from the polymer electrolyte LiT.P(EO) 8 and a range of porous silicas. The silicas were selected to give a wide range of pore size and included Zeolite Y, ZSM5, mesoporous silica and a range of porous glasses. This gave pore sizes from less than one nm to 50 nm. A variety of experiments, including X-ray diffraction, DSC and NMR, showed that the polymer electrolyte entered to pores of the silica. As a result the polymer was amorphous and the room temperature conductivity was enhanced. The high temperature conductivity was not increased above that for the pure electrolyte. The results suggest that this could be employed in applications, however would require higher conducting electrolytes to be of practical benefit. (author)

  16. Ionochromic effects and structures of metalated poly(p-phenylenevinylene) polymers incorporating 2,2'-bipyridines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, L.X.; Jager, W.J.H.; Gosztola, D.J.; Niemczyk, M.P.; Wasielewski, M.R.

    2000-01-01

    The effects of metal ion chelation to the 2,2'-bipyridine (bpy) groups on the photophysics and exciton dynamics of two conjugated polymers 1 and 2 in solution are investigated. The structures of polymers 1 and 2 have 2,2'-bipyridyl-5-vinylene units that alternate with one and three 2,5-bis(n-decyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene monomer units, respectively. The photophysics and exciton dynamics of metalated polymers 1 and 2 are compared to those of the metal-free polymers (Chen et al. J. Phys. Chem. A 1999, 103, 4341-4351). The origins of ionochromic effects due the metal ion chelation were studied using both steady-state and transient optical spectroscopy, and the results indicate that both conformational flattening and participation of Jr electrons from the metal in the π-conjugation of the polymer backbone play important roles in metal ion binding induced red shifts in absorption and photoluminescence spectra. The photoluminescence properties of the metalated polymers are determined by the metal ion electronic structures, where the closed shell Zn 2+ -bound polymer 2 has an increased photoluminescence quantum yield and the corresponding open shell Ni 2+ - or Fe 3+ -bound polymers have quenched photoluminescence due to spin-orbit coupling. The dual character of metalated polymer 2 as a conjugated polymer and as a metal-bpy complex is discussed. In addition, the structures of metal ion binding sites are studied via X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) and are related to the photophysical properties of the metalated polymers

  17. Accounting for porous structure in effective thermal conductivity calculations in a pebble bed reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Antwerpen, W. van; Rousseau, P.G.; Toit, C.G. du

    2009-01-01

    A proper understanding of the mechanisms of heat transfer, flow and pressure drop through a packed bed of spheres is of utmost importance in the design of a high temperature pebble bed reactor. A thorough knowledge of the porous structure within the packed bed is important to any rigorous analysis of the transport phenomena, as all the heat and flow mechanisms are influenced by the porous structure. In this paper a new approach is proposed to simulate the effective thermal conductivity employing a combination of new and existing correlations for randomly packed beds. More attention is given to packing structure based on coordination number and contact angles, resulting in a more rigorous differentiation between the bulk and near-wall regions. The model accounts for solid conduction, gas conduction, contact area, surface roughness as well as radiation. (author)

  18. Porous-shaped silicon carbide ultraviolet photodetectors on porous silicon substrates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Naderi, N., E-mail: naderi.phd@gmail.com [Nano-Optoelectronics Research Laboratory, School of Physics, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 USM, Penang (Malaysia); Hashim, M.R. [Nano-Optoelectronics Research Laboratory, School of Physics, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 USM, Penang (Malaysia)

    2013-03-05

    Highlights: ► Porous-shaped silicon carbide thin film was deposited on porous silicon substrate. ► Thermal annealing was followed to enhance the physical properties of samples. ► Metal–semiconductor-metal ultraviolet detectors were fabricated on samples. ► The effect of annealing temperature on electrical performance of devices was studied. ► The efficiency of photodetectors was enhanced by annealing at elevated temperatures. -- Abstract: A metal–semiconductor-metal (MSM) ultraviolet photodetector was fabricated based on a porous-shaped structure of silicon carbide (SiC). For increasing the surface roughness of SiC and hence enhancing the light absorption effect in fabricated devices, porous silicon (PS) was chosen as a template; SiC was deposited on PS substrates via radio frequency magnetron sputtering. Therefore, the deposited layers followed the structural pattern of PS skeleton and formed a porous-shaped SiC layer on PS substrate. The structural properties of samples showed that the as-deposited SiC was amorphous. Thus, a post-deposition annealing process with elevated temperatures was required to convert its amorphous phase to crystalline phase. The morphology of the sputtered samples was examined via scanning electron and atomic force microscopies. The grain size and roughness of the deposited layers clearly increased upon an increase in the annealing temperature. The optical properties of sputtered SiC were enhanced due to applying high temperatures. The most intense photoluminescence peak was observed for the sample with 1200 °C of annealing temperature. For the metallization of the SiC substrates to fabricate MSM photodetectors, two interdigitated Schottky contacts of Ni with four fingers for each electrode were deposited onto all the porous substrates. The optoelectronic characteristics of MSM UV photodetectors with porous-shaped SiC substrates were studied in the dark and under UV illumination. The electrical characteristics of fabricated

  19. Porous-shaped silicon carbide ultraviolet photodetectors on porous silicon substrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Naderi, N.; Hashim, M.R.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► Porous-shaped silicon carbide thin film was deposited on porous silicon substrate. ► Thermal annealing was followed to enhance the physical properties of samples. ► Metal–semiconductor-metal ultraviolet detectors were fabricated on samples. ► The effect of annealing temperature on electrical performance of devices was studied. ► The efficiency of photodetectors was enhanced by annealing at elevated temperatures. -- Abstract: A metal–semiconductor-metal (MSM) ultraviolet photodetector was fabricated based on a porous-shaped structure of silicon carbide (SiC). For increasing the surface roughness of SiC and hence enhancing the light absorption effect in fabricated devices, porous silicon (PS) was chosen as a template; SiC was deposited on PS substrates via radio frequency magnetron sputtering. Therefore, the deposited layers followed the structural pattern of PS skeleton and formed a porous-shaped SiC layer on PS substrate. The structural properties of samples showed that the as-deposited SiC was amorphous. Thus, a post-deposition annealing process with elevated temperatures was required to convert its amorphous phase to crystalline phase. The morphology of the sputtered samples was examined via scanning electron and atomic force microscopies. The grain size and roughness of the deposited layers clearly increased upon an increase in the annealing temperature. The optical properties of sputtered SiC were enhanced due to applying high temperatures. The most intense photoluminescence peak was observed for the sample with 1200 °C of annealing temperature. For the metallization of the SiC substrates to fabricate MSM photodetectors, two interdigitated Schottky contacts of Ni with four fingers for each electrode were deposited onto all the porous substrates. The optoelectronic characteristics of MSM UV photodetectors with porous-shaped SiC substrates were studied in the dark and under UV illumination. The electrical characteristics of fabricated

  20. Characterization of Ge Nano structures Embedded Inside Porous Silicon for Photonics Application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rahim, A.F.A.; Hashim, M.R.; Rahim, A.F.A.; Ali, N.K.

    2011-01-01

    In this work we prepared germanium nano structures by means of filling the material inside porous silicon (PS) using conventional and cost effective technique, thermal evaporator. The PS acts as patterned substrate. It was prepared by anodization of silicon wafer in ethanoic hydrofluoric acid (HF). A Ge layer was then deposited onto the PS by thermal evaporation. This was followed by deposition of Si layer by thermal evaporation and anneal at 650 degree Celsius for 30 min. The process was completed by Ni metal deposition using thermal evaporator followed by metal annealing of 400 degree Celsius for 10 min to form metal semiconductor metal (MSM) photodetector. Structural analysis of the samples was performed using energy dispersive x-ray analysis (EDX), scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy (RS). EDX spectrum suggests the presence of Ge inside the pores structure. Raman spectrum showed that good crystalline structure of Ge can be produced inside silicon pores with a phase with the diamond structure by (111), (220) and (400) reflections. Finally current-voltage (I-V) measurement of the MSM photodetector was carried out and showed lower dark currents compared to that of Si control device. Interestingly the device showed enhanced current gain compared to Si device which can be associated with the presence of Ge nano structures in the porous silicon. (author)

  1. Investigation of porous asphalt microstructure using optical and electron microscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poulikakos, L D; Partl, M N

    2010-11-01

    Direct observations of porous asphalt concrete samples in their natural state using optical and electron microscopy techniques led to useful information regarding the microstructure of two mixes and indicated a relationship between microstructure and in situ performance. This paper presents evidence that suboptimal microstructure can lead to premature failure thus making a first step in defining well or suboptimal performing pavements with a bottom-up approach (microstructure). Laboratory and field compaction produce different samples in terms of the microstructure. Laboratory compaction using the gyratory method has produced more microcracks in mineral aggregates after the binder had cooled. Well-performing mixes used polymer-modified binders, had a more homogeneous void structure with fewer elongated voids and better interlocking of the aggregates. Furthermore, well-performing mixes showed better distribution of the mastic and better coverage of the aggregates with bitumen. Low vacuum scanning electron microscopy showed that styrene butadiene styrene polymer modification in binder exists in the form of discontinuous globules and not continuous networks. A reduction in the polymer phase was observed as a result of aging and in-service use. © 2010 The Authors Journal compilation © 2010 The Royal Microscopical Society.

  2. Hierarchical porous structured zeolite composite for removal of ionic contaminants from waste streams and effective encapsulation of hazardous waste

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Al-Jubouri, Sama M. [Chemical Engineering & Analytical Science, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL (United Kingdom); Curry, Nicholas A. [Materials Science, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL (United Kingdom); Holmes, Stuart M., E-mail: stuart.holmes@manchester.ac.uk [Chemical Engineering & Analytical Science, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL (United Kingdom)

    2016-12-15

    A hierarchical structured composite made from clinoptilolite supported on date stones carbon is synthesized using two techniques. The composites are manufactured by fixing a natural zeolite (clinoptilolite) to the porous surface of date stones carbon or by direct hydrothermal synthesis on to the surface to provide a supported high surface area ion-exchange material for metal ion removal from aqueous streams. The fixing of the clinoptilolite is achieved using sucrose and citric acid as a binder. The composites and pure clinoptilolite were compared to test the efficacy for the removal of Sr{sup 2+} ions from an aqueous phase. The encapsulation of the Sr{sup 2+} using either vitrification or a geo-polymer addition was tested to ensure that the hazardous waste can be made safe for disposal. The hierarchical structured composites were shown to achieve a higher ion exchange capacity per gram of zeolite than the pure clinoptilolite (65 mg/g for the pure natural clinoptilolite and 72 mg/g for the pure synthesized clinoptilolite) with the synthesized composite (160 mg/g) having higher capacity than the natural clinoptilolite composite (95 mg/g). The rate at which the equilibria were established followed the same trend showing the composite structure facilitates diffusion to the ion-exchange sites in the zeolite.

  3. Recent development of antifouling polymers: structure, evaluation, and biomedical applications in nano/micro-structures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Lingyun; Li, Wenchen; Liu, Qingsheng

    2014-01-01

    Antifouling polymers have been proven to be vital to many biomedical applications such as medical implants, drug delivery, and biosensing. This review covers the major development of antifouling polymers in the last 2 decades, including the material chemistry, structural factors important to antifouling properties, and how to challenge or evaluate the antifouling performances. We then discuss the applications of antifouling polymers in nano/micro-biomedical applications in the form of nanoparticles, thin coatings for medical devices (e.g., artificial joint, catheter, wound dressing), and nano/microscale fibers. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  4. Synthesis of nickel-incorporated larch-based carbon membranes with controllable porous structure for gas separation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhao, Xin; Li, Wei; Huang, Zhanhua; Liu, Shouxin, E-mail: chemist@126.com, E-mail: liushouxin@126.com [Northeast Forestry University, College of Material Science and Engineering (China)

    2015-11-15

    Ni-incorporated larch-based carbon membranes have been synthesized by introducing the Ni(NO{sub 3}){sub 2} into the liquefied larch using liquefied larch sawdust as precursors and F127 as the soft template. The porous structure can be tailored by the amount of Ni(NO{sub 3}){sub 2}, and the Ni and NiO nanoparticles with a size of 10 nm incorporated in the carbon frameworks. The increase in Ni(NO{sub 3}){sub 2} content can lead to the formation of disordered porous structure and shrinkage of carbon frameworks. The Ni-incorporated carbon membranes with largest pores possess highest gas permeation for N{sub 2}, CO{sub 2}, and O{sub 2} of 37.5, 19.8, and 55.5 m{sup 3} cm/m{sup 2} h kPa, which is larger than that of the pure carbon membranes, respectively. However, the poor ordered porous structure caused by adding large amount of Ni(NO{sub 3}){sub 2} can reduce the gas separation performance, which is attributed to the weaken of the molecular sieve function. The results indicate that the incorporation of few nanoparticles into larch-based carbon membranes can improve molecular sieve function.Graphical abstractNi-incorporated larch-based carbon membranes have been synthesized by introducing the Ni(NO{sub 3}){sub 2} into the liquefied larch. The porous structure can be tailored by the amount of Ni(NO{sub 3}){sub 2}, and the Ni and NiO nanoparticles incorporated in the carbon frameworks. The Ni-incorporated carbon membranes with largest pores possess highest gas permeation and gas permseparation.

  5. Introduction of Functional Structures in Nano-Scales into Engineering Polymer Films Using Radiation Technique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maekawa, Y., E-mail: maekawa.yasunari@jaea.go.jp [Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), Quantum Beam Science Directorate, High Performance Polymer Group, 1233 Watanuki-Machi, Takasaki, Gunma-ken 370-1292 (Japan)

    2010-07-01

    Introduction of functional regions in nanometer scale in polymeric films using γ-rays, EB, and ion beams are proposed. Two approaches to build nano-scale functional domains in polymer substrates are proposed: 1) Radiation-induced grafting to transfer nano-scale polymer crystalline structures (morphology), acting as a nano-template, to nano-scale graft polymer regions. The obtained polymers with nano structures can be applied to high performance polymer membranes. 2) Fabrication of nanopores and functional domains in engineering plastic films using ion beams, which deposit the energy in very narrow region of polymer films. Hydrophilic grafting polymers are introduced into hydrophobic fluorinated polymers, cross-linked PTFE (cPTFE) and aromatic hydrocarbon polymer, poly(ether ether ketone (PEEK), which is known to have lamella and crystallite in the polymer films. Then, the hierarchical structures of graft domains are analyzed by a small angle neutron scattering (SANS) experiment. From these analyses, the different structures and the different formation of graft domains were observed in fluorinated and hydrocarbon polymer substrates. the grafted domains in the cPTFE film, working as an ion channel, grew as covering the crystallite and the size of domain seems to be similar to that of crystallite. On the other hand, the PEEK-based PEM has a smaller domain size and it seems to grow independently on the crystallites of PEEK substrate. For nano-fabrication of polymer films using heavy ion beams, the energy distribution in radial direction, which is perpendicular to ion trajectory, is mainly concerned. For penumbra, we re-estimated effective radius of penumbra, in which radiation induced grafting took place, for several different ion beams. We observed the different diameters of the ion channels consisting of graft polymers. The channel sizes were quite in good agreement with the effective penumbra which possess the absorption doses more than 1 kGy. (author)

  6. Introduction of Functional Structures in Nano-Scales into Engineering Polymer Films Using Radiation Technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maekawa, Y.

    2010-01-01

    Introduction of functional regions in nanometer scale in polymeric films using γ-rays, EB, and ion beams are proposed. Two approaches to build nano-scale functional domains in polymer substrates are proposed: 1) Radiation-induced grafting to transfer nano-scale polymer crystalline structures (morphology), acting as a nano-template, to nano-scale graft polymer regions. The obtained polymers with nano structures can be applied to high performance polymer membranes. 2) Fabrication of nanopores and functional domains in engineering plastic films using ion beams, which deposit the energy in very narrow region of polymer films. Hydrophilic grafting polymers are introduced into hydrophobic fluorinated polymers, cross-linked PTFE (cPTFE) and aromatic hydrocarbon polymer, poly(ether ether ketone (PEEK), which is known to have lamella and crystallite in the polymer films. Then, the hierarchical structures of graft domains are analyzed by a small angle neutron scattering (SANS) experiment. From these analyses, the different structures and the different formation of graft domains were observed in fluorinated and hydrocarbon polymer substrates. the grafted domains in the cPTFE film, working as an ion channel, grew as covering the crystallite and the size of domain seems to be similar to that of crystallite. On the other hand, the PEEK-based PEM has a smaller domain size and it seems to grow independently on the crystallites of PEEK substrate. For nano-fabrication of polymer films using heavy ion beams, the energy distribution in radial direction, which is perpendicular to ion trajectory, is mainly concerned. For penumbra, we re-estimated effective radius of penumbra, in which radiation induced grafting took place, for several different ion beams. We observed the different diameters of the ion channels consisting of graft polymers. The channel sizes were quite in good agreement with the effective penumbra which possess the absorption doses more than 1 kGy. (author)

  7. CORRIDOR-TYPE BAFFLED MIXING BASIN WITH CROSS POROUS BARRIERS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. M. Epoyan

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. The paper hightlights the increase in operational efficiency of corridor-type baffled mixing basin by installing of cross porous barriers made of gravel (or other materials and epoxy resin, grade ED-20 (ED-16 with the hardener polyethylenepolyamine (PEPA, approved by Ukrainian Ministry of Health in systems of utility and drinking water supply. Methodology. The first stage of the experiments was performed on the model of the proposed mixer in scale 1:4 in order to determine the local resistance of the porous barrier, which is made of gravel with a size of 10-15 mm (average diameter 12.5 mm and thickness of 50 mm. The local resistance of the barrier was measured using piezometers installed before and after the porous barrier. The velocity of water motion in the corridor of the mixer was determined depending on the water consumption, incoming on the mixer accordingly to the water meter and by the volumetric method. Findings. In accordance with researches when the water flows at a velocity of 0.1 m/s in the corridor of the mixer, the head losses in the porous barrier is 17 cm (0.17 m, and at a velocity of 0.2 m/s–0.68 m. The resistance coefficient (ξ, which is equal to 333.2 for the investigated barrier, was determined experimentally. It allows determining the head losses in the porous barrier at other velocities of water motion. When the velocity of water motion in the corridors of the mixer is from 0.7 up to 0.5 m/s, head losses increase almost fourfold. The conducted researches allowed to develop a calculation methodology for corridor-type baffled mixing basin with porous polymer-concrete barriers. Originality. Authors developed and investigated the corridor-type baffled mixing basin with porous polymer-concrete barriers. These barriers allow increasing and regulating the intensity and time of reagents mixing with the initial water exactly in the barriers, improving the distribution of the flow through the section of the mixer

  8. Improved osteoblasts growth on osteomimetic hydroxyapatite/BaTiO_3 composites with aligned lamellar porous structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Beilei; Chen, Liangjian; Shao, Chunsheng; Zhang, Fuqiang; Zhou, Kechao; Cao, Jun; Zhang, Dou

    2016-01-01

    Osteoblasts growing into bone substitute is an important step of bone regeneration. This study prepared porous hydroxyapatite (HA)/BaTiO_3 piezoelectric composites with porosity of 40%, 50% and 60% by ice-templating method. Effects of HA/BaTiO_3 composites with different porosities, with and without polarizing treatment on adhesion, proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts were investigated in vitro. Results revealed that cell densities of the porous groups were significantly higher than those of the dense group (p 0.05). The absence of mechanical loading on the polarized samples may account for this. The results indicated that hierarchically porous HA/BaTiO_3 played a favorable part in osteoblasts proliferation, differentiation and adhesion process and is a promising bone substitute material. - Graphical abstract: Aligned porous structure of HA/BaTiO_3 piezoelectric composites prepared by ice-templating method was similar to the lamellar Haversian system in bone tissue. When co-cultured with human osteosarcoma cells (MG63), porous HA/BaTiO_3 composites exhibited remarkable biological activity in promoting proliferation, differentiation and adhesion of MG63 cells. - Highlights: • The aligned porous structure of HA/BaTiO_3 composite was similar to the lamellar Haversian system in bone tissue. • The piezoelectric d_3_3 coefficient of HA/BaTiO_3 with porosity of 50% was 5.0 pC/N, much higher than that of natural bone. • HA/BaTiO_3 with porosity of 50% promoted proliferation, differentiation and adhesion of MG63 cells remarkably.

  9. Macrocyclic receptors immobilized to monodisperse porous polymer particles by chemical grafting and physical impregnation for strontium capture: a comparative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Yang; Du, Yi; Lv, Dachao; Ye, Gang; Wang, Jianchen

    2014-06-15

    Separation of strontium is of great significance for radioactive waste treatment and environmental remediation after nuclear accidents. In this work, a novel class of adsorbent (Crown-g-MPPPs) was synthesized by chemical grafting a macrocyclic ether receptor to monodisperse porous polymer particles (MPPPs) for strontium adsorption. Meanwhile, a counterpart material (Crown@MPPPs) with the receptor molecules immobilized to the MPPPs substrate by physical impregnation was prepared. To investigate how the immobilization manner and distribution of the receptors influence the adsorption ability, a comparative study on the adsorption behaviour of the two materials towards Sr(II) in HNO3 media was accomplished. Due to the shorter diffusion path and covalently-bonded structure, Crown-g-MPPPs showed faster adsorption kinetics and better stability for cycle use. While Crown@MPPPs had the advantages of facile synthesis and higher adsorption capacity, owing to the absence of conformational constraint to form complexation with Sr(II). Kinetic functions (Lagergren pseudo-first-order/pseudo-second-order functions) and adsorption isotherm models (Langmuir/Freundlich models) were used to fit the experimental data and examine the adsorption mechanism. On this basis, a chromatographic process was proposed by using Crown@MPPPs for an effective separation of Sr(II) (91%) in simulated high level liquid waste (HLLW). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Synthesis of nickel-incorporated larch-based carbon membranes with controllable porous structure for gas separation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Xin; Li, Wei; Huang, Zhanhua; Liu, Shouxin

    2015-11-01

    Ni-incorporated larch-based carbon membranes have been synthesized by introducing the Ni(NO3)2 into the liquefied larch using liquefied larch sawdust as precursors and F127 as the soft template. The porous structure can be tailored by the amount of Ni(NO3)2, and the Ni and NiO nanoparticles with a size of 10 nm incorporated in the carbon frameworks. The increase in Ni(NO3)2 content can lead to the formation of disordered porous structure and shrinkage of carbon frameworks. The Ni-incorporated carbon membranes with largest pores possess highest gas permeation for N2, CO2, and O2 of 37.5, 19.8, and 55.5 m3 cm/m2 h kPa, which is larger than that of the pure carbon membranes, respectively. However, the poor ordered porous structure caused by adding large amount of Ni(NO3)2 can reduce the gas separation performance, which is attributed to the weaken of the molecular sieve function. The results indicate that the incorporation of few nanoparticles into larch-based carbon membranes can improve molecular sieve function.

  11. Morphology and structure of polymer layers protecting dental enamel against erosion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beyer, Markus; Reichert, Jörg; Sigusch, Bernd W; Watts, David C; Jandt, Klaus D

    2012-10-01

    Human dental erosion caused by acids is a major factor for tooth decay. Adding polymers to acidic soft drinks is one important approach to reduce human dental erosion caused by acids. The aim of this study was to investigate the thickness and the structure of polymer layers adsorbed in vitro on human dental enamel from polymer modified citric acid solutions. The polymers propylene glycol alginate (PGA), highly esterified pectin (HP) and gum arabic (GA) were used to prepare polymer modified citric acids solutions (PMCAS, pH 3.3). With these PMCAS, enamel samples were treated for 30, 60 and 120s respectively to deposit polymer layers on the enamel surface. Profilometer scratches on the enamel surface were used to estimate the thickness of the polymer layers via atomic force microscopy (AFM). The composition of the deposited polymer layers was investigated with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). In addition the polymer-enamel interaction was investigated with zeta-potential measurements and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It has been shown that the profilometer scratch depth on the enamel with deposited polymers was in the range of 10nm (30s treatment time) up to 25nm (120s treatment time). Compared to this, the unmodified CAS-treated surface showed a greater scratch depth: from nearly 30nm (30s treatment time) up to 60nm (120s treatment time). Based on XPS measurements, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and zeta-potential measurements, a model was hypothesized which describes the layer deposited on the enamel surface as consisting of two opposing gradients of polymer molecules and hydroxyapatite (HA) particles. In this study, the structure and composition of polymer layers deposited on in vitro dental enamel during treatment with polymer modified citric acid solutions were investigated. Observations are consistent with a layer consisting of two opposing gradients of hydroxyapatite particles and polymer molecules. This leads to reduced erosive effects of

  12. Photocatalytic evaluation of self-assembled porous network structure of ferric oxide film fabricated by dry deposition process

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Park, Yunchan; Kim, Hyungsub; Lee, Geon-Yong; Pawar, Rajendra C.; Lee, Jai-Sung; Lee, Caroline Sunyong, E-mail: sunyonglee@hanyang.ac.kr

    2016-09-15

    Ferric oxide powder in the alpha phase (α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}) was deposited on an aluminum oxide (Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}) substrate by a nanoparticle deposition system using the dry deposition method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) images confirmed that the phase of the deposited α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} did not change. The deposited α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} was characterized in terms of its microstructure using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A porous network microstructure formed when small agglomerates of Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} (SAF) were deposited. The deposition and formation mechanism of the microstructure were investigated using SEM and three-dimensional (3D) profile analysis. First, a dense coating layer formed when the film was thinner than the particle size. After that, as the film thickness increased to over 5 μm, the porous network structure formed by excavating the surface of the coating layer as it was bombarded by particles. Rhodamine B (RhB) was degraded after 6 h of exposure to the Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} coating layer with SAF, which has good photocatalytic activity and a high porous network structure. The kinetic rate constants of the SAF and large agglomerates of Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} (LAF) were calculated to be 0.197(h{sup −1}) and 0.128(h{sup −1}), respectively, based on the absorbance results. Using linear sweep voltammetry, we confirmed that the photoelectric effect occurred in the coating layer by measuring the resulting current under illuminated and dark conditions. - Graphical abstract: Self-assembled porous photocatalytic film fabricated by dry deposition method for water purification. - Highlights: • Different sizes of Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} agglomerates were used to form porous network structure. • Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} agglomerate particles were deposited using solvent-free process. • Self-assembled porous network microstructure formed better with small agglomerates of Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}. • Fabricated porous network structure showed its potential to be used

  13. Characterization and microstructure of porous lead zirconate titanate ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Unknown

    need to have porous piezoelectric materials. These can be made by combining a PZT ceramic with a passive polymer or air phase. These materials greatly extend the range of properties offered by conventional PZT ceramics. More- over, porosity in the materials could reduce the effective acoustical impedance leading to an ...

  14. Porous calcium polyphosphate bone substitutes: additive manufacturing versus conventional gravity sinter processing-effect on structure and mechanical properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Youxin; Shanjani, Yaser; Toyserkani, Ehsan; Grynpas, Marc; Wang, Rizhi; Pilliar, Robert

    2014-02-01

    Porous calcium polyphosphate (CPP) structures proposed as bone-substitute implants and made by sintering CPP powders to form bending test samples of approximately 35 vol % porosity were machined from preformed blocks made either by additive manufacturing (AM) or conventional gravity sintering (CS) methods and the structure and mechanical characteristics of samples so made were compared. AM-made samples displayed higher bending strengths (≈1.2-1.4 times greater than CS-made samples), whereas elastic constant (i.e., effective elastic modulus of the porous structures) that is determined by material elastic modulus and structural geometry of the samples was ≈1.9-2.3 times greater for AM-made samples. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that samples made by either method displayed the same crystal structure forming β-CPP after sinter annealing. The material elastic modulus, E, determined using nanoindentation tests also showed the same value for both sample types (i.e., E ≈ 64 GPa). Examination of the porous structures indicated that significantly larger sinter necks resulted in the AM-made samples which presumably resulted in the higher mechanical properties. The development of mechanical properties was attributed to the different sinter anneal procedures required to make 35 vol % porous samples by the two methods. A primary objective of the present study, in addition to reporting on bending strength and sample stiffness (elastic constant) characteristics, was to determine why the two processes resulted in the observed mechanical property differences for samples of equivalent volume percentage of porosity. An understanding of the fundamental reason(s) for the observed effect is considered important for developing improved processes for preparation of porous CPP implants as bone substitutes for use in high load-bearing skeletal sites. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  15. Graphene/polyaniline composite sponge of three-dimensional porous network structure as supercapacitor electrode

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jiang Jiu-Xing; Zhang Xu-Zhi; Wang Zhen-Hua; Xu Jian-Jun

    2016-01-01

    As a supercapacitor electrode, the graphene/polyaniline (PANI) composite sponge with a three-dimensional (3D) porous network structure is synthesized by a simple three-step method. The three steps include an in situ polymerization, freeze-drying and reduction by hydrazine vapor. The prepared sponge has a large specific surface area and porous network structure, so it is in favor of spreading the electrolyte ion and increasing the charge transfer efficiency of the system. The process of preparation is simple, easy to operate and low cost. The composite sponge shows better electrochemical performance than the pure individual graphene sponge while PANI cannot keep the shape of a sponge. Such a composite sponge exhibits specific capacitances of 487 F·g −1 at 2 mV/s compared to pristine PANI of 397 F·g −1 . (paper)

  16. Structure analysis of adsorbed star-like polymers with GISAS and SFM

    CERN Document Server

    Wolkenhauer, M; Wunnicke, O; Stamm, M; Roovers, J; Krosigk, G V; Cubitt, R

    2002-01-01

    The lateral structures of dried adsorbed binary mixtures of star polymers were investigated. Blends of protonated and deuterated polybutadiene stars were prepared from cyclohexane solutions and adsorbed onto silicon substrates. The number of arms and the molecular weight of the arms was varied. With grazing incidence small angle scattering techniques (GISAS) and scanning force microscopy (SFM), different dominant in-plane length scales were determined. The morphology of these structures is dominated by blob-like structures created from single stars or agglomerates of star polymers. (orig.)

  17. Electrical investigation of the Au/n{sup +}–GaAs and Au/n-porous GaAs structures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Saghrouni, H.; Hannachi, R. [Université de Sousse. Laboratoire Energie-Matériaux. Equipe de recherche caractérisations optoélectronique et spectroscopique des matériaux et nanomatériaux pour les télécommunications et capteurs, ISITCOM, 4011 Hammam Sousse (Tunisia); Jomni, S. [Laboratoire Matériaux, Organization et Propriétés, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis (Tunisia); Beji, L., E-mail: lotbej_fr@yahoo.fr [Université de Sousse. Laboratoire Energie-Matériaux. Equipe de recherche caractérisations optoélectronique et spectroscopique des matériaux et nanomatériaux pour les télécommunications et capteurs, ISITCOM, 4011 Hammam Sousse (Tunisia)

    2013-08-01

    The electrical properties of Au/n{sup +}–GaAs and Au/n-porous GaAs metal–semiconductor structures were investigated using room temperature current–voltage I(V) and capacitance–voltage C(V) measurements. The electrical parameters of these structures such as ideality factor, barrier height potential, series resistance have been calculated. The obtained parameters of Au/n-porous GaAs structure were discussed and compared to those of Au/n{sup +}–GaAs structure. The series resistances and ideality factors of the two structures were seen to have approximately the same values. Furthermore, the shunt resistance and the barrier height potential values for the Au/n-porous GaAs structure were found to be different than the ones of Au/n{sup +}–GaAs structure. Furthermore the two structures showed a non-ideal I(V) behavior with an ideality factor greater than unity. Such non ideal behavior was suggested to be due to the existence of high density of trap and the forward I(V) characteristics which were governed by space charge limited conductivity, characterized by single and exponential trapping levels in both structures (SCLC). A model based upon TFE tunneling of carriers at reverse current was used to explain the non-saturation of reverse current of the structures. The high frequency C(V) characteristics of the structure reveal the presence of an anomalous behavior at the forward bias. Though the capacitance reaches a peak, it remarkably decreases with an increasing bias voltage suggested by the presence of interface states. Furthermore, the energy distribution of interface density in the structures was determined by the forward bias C(V) measurement as well as using ideality factor and barrier height potential values obtained from forward bias I(V) and reverse bias C{sup −2}(V) characteristics, respectively. An estimated energy band diagram for the Au/n{sup +}–GaAs and Au/n-porous GaAs structures are presented.

  18. Effect of porosity and tortuosity of electrodes on carbon polymer soft actuators

    Science.gov (United States)

    S, Sunjai Nakshatharan; Punning, Andres; Johanson, Urmas; Aabloo, Alvo

    2018-01-01

    This work presents an electro-mechanical model and simulation of ionic electroactive polymer soft actuators with a porous carbon electrode, polymer membrane, and ionic liquid electrolyte. An attempt is made to understand the effects of specific properties of the porous electrodes such as porosity and tortuosity on the charge dynamics and mechanical performance of the actuator. The model uses porous electrode theory to study the electrochemical response of the system. The mechanical response of the whole laminate is attributed to the evolution of local stresses caused by diffusion of ions (diffusion-induced stresses or chemical stresses). The model indicates that in actuators with porous electrode, the diffusion coefficient of ions, conductivity of the electrodes, and ionic conductivity in both electrodes and separator are altered significantly. In addition, the model leads to an obvious deduction that the ions that are highly active in terms of mobility will dominate the whole system in terms of resulting mechanical deformation direction and rate of deformation. Finally, to validate the model, simulations are conducted using the finite element method, and the outcomes are compared with the experimental data. Significant effort has been put forward to experimentally measure the key parameters essential for the validation of the model. The results show that the model developed is able to well predict the behavior of the actuator, providing a comprehensive understanding of charge dynamics in ionic polymer actuator with porous electrodes.

  19. Selective Template Wetting Routes to Hierarchical Polymer Films: Polymer Nanotubes from Phase-Separated Films via Solvent Annealing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ko, Hao-Wen; Cheng, Ming-Hsiang; Chi, Mu-Huan; Chang, Chun-Wei; Chen, Jiun-Tai

    2016-03-01

    We demonstrate a novel wetting method to prepare hierarchical polymer films with polymer nanotubes on selective regions. This strategy is based on the selective wetting abilities of polymer chains, annealed in different solvent vapors, into the nanopores of porous templates. Phase-separated films of polystyrene (PS) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), two commonly used polymers, are prepared as a model system. After anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates are placed on the films, the samples are annealed in vapors of acetic acid, in which the PMMA chains are swollen and wet the nanopores of the AAO templates selectively. As a result, hierarchical polymer films containing PMMA nanotubes can be obtained after the AAO templates are removed. The distribution of the PMMA nanotubes of the hierarchical polymer films can also be controlled by changing the compositions of the polymer blends. This work not only presents a novel method to fabricate hierarchical polymer films with polymer nanotubes on selective regions, but also gives a deeper understanding in the selective wetting ability of polymer chains in solvent vapors.

  20. Modeling programmable deformation of self-folding all-polymer structures with temperature-sensitive hydrogels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guo, Wei; Zhou, Jinxiong; Li, Meie

    2013-01-01

    Combination of soft active hydrogels with hard passive polymers gives rise to all-polymer composites. The hydrogel is sensitive to external stimuli while the passive polymer is inert. Utilizing the different behaviors of two materials subject to environmental variation, for example temperature, results in self-folding soft machines. We report our efforts to model the programmable deformation of self-folding structures with temperature-sensitive hydrogels. The self-folding structures are realized either by constructing a bilayer structure or by incorporating hydrogels as hinges. The methodology and the results may aid the design, control and fabrication of 3D complex structures from 2D simple configurations through self-assembly. (paper)

  1. Conjugated Polymers and Oligomers: Structural and Soft Matter Aspects

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    This book identifies modern topics and current trends of structural and soft matter aspects of conjugated polymers and oligomers. Each chapter recognizes an active research line where structural perspective dominates research and therefore the book covers fundamental aspects of persistent...

  2. Porous media geometry and transports

    CERN Document Server

    Adler, Pierre

    1992-01-01

    The goal of ""Porous Media: Geometry and Transports"" is to provide the basis of a rational and modern approach to porous media. This book emphasizes several geometrical structures (spatially periodic, fractal, and random to reconstructed) and the three major single-phase transports (diffusion, convection, and Taylor dispersion).""Porous Media"" serves various purposes. For students it introduces basic information on structure and transports. Engineers will find this book useful as a readily accessible assemblage of al the major experimental results pertaining to single-phase tr

  3. Mechanically Strong, Polymer Cross-linked Aerogels (X-Aerogels)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leventis, Nicholas

    2006-01-01

    -Aerogels have been demonstrated with several polymers such as polyurethanes/polyureas, epoxies and polyolefins, while crosslinking of approximately 35 different oxide aerogels yields a range of dimensionally stable, porous lightweight materials with unique combinations of structural, magnetic and optical properties. The main theme in materials development for space exploration is multifunction. For example, use of one material for thermal insulation/structural component will free weight for useful payload. In that regard, X-aerogels are evaluated at NASA for cryogenic fuel storage tanks and for spacesuits. Along the same lines, major impact fro X-Aerogels is also expected in commercial applications for thermal/acoustic insulation, in catalytic reformers and converters, in filtration membranes and membranes for fuel cells, as platforms for optical, electrical and magnetic sensors, and as lightweight structural component for aircraft and satellites.

  4. Visualisation of latent fingermarks on polymer banknotes using copper vacuum metal deposition: A preliminary study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Lloyd W L; Kelly, Paul F; King, Roberto S P; Bleay, Stephen M

    2016-09-01

    The UK's recent move to polymer banknotes has seen some of the currently used fingermark enhancement techniques for currency potentially become redundant, due to the surface characteristics of the polymer substrates. Possessing a non-porous surface with some semi-porous properties, alternate processes are required for polymer banknotes. This preliminary investigation explored the recovery of fingermarks from polymer notes via vacuum metal deposition using elemental copper. The study successfully demonstrated that fresh latent fingermarks, from an individual donor, could be clearly developed and imaged in the near infrared. By varying the deposition thickness of the copper, the contrast between the fingermark minutiae and the substrate could be readily optimised. Where the deposition thickness was thin enough to be visually indistinguishable, forensic gelatin lifters could be used to lift the fingermarks. These lifts could then be treated with rubeanic acid to produce a visually distinguishable mark. The technique has shown enough promise that it could be effectively utilised on other semi- and non-porous substrates. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Structure/property relationships in polymer membranes for water purification and energy applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geise, Geoffrey

    Providing sustainable supplies of purified water and energy is a critical global challenge for the future, and polymer membranes will play a key role in addressing these clear and pressing global needs for water and energy. Polymer membrane-based processes dominate the desalination market, and polymer membranes are crucial components in several rapidly developing power generation and storage applications that rely on membranes to control rates of water and/or ion transport. Much remains unknown about the influence of polymer structure on intrinsic water and ion transport properties, and these relationships must be developed to design next generation polymer membrane materials. For desalination applications, polymers with simultaneously high water permeability and low salt permeability are desirable in order to prepare selective membranes that can efficiently desalinate water, and a tradeoff relationship between water/salt selectivity and water permeability suggests that attempts to prepare such materials should rely on approaches that do more than simply vary polymer free volume. One strategy is to functionalize hydrocarbon polymers with fixed charge groups that can ionize upon exposure to water, and the presence of charged groups in the polymer influences transport properties. Additionally, in many emerging energy applications, charged polymers are exposed to ions that are very different from sodium and chloride. Specific ion effects have been observed in charged polymers, and these effects must be understood to prepare charged polymers that will enable emerging energy technologies. This presentation discusses research aimed at further understanding fundamental structure/property relationships that govern water and ion transport in charged polymer films considered for desalination and electric potential field-driven applications that can help address global needs for clean water and energy.

  6. Synthesis of organic liquids/geo-polymer composites for the immobilization of nuclear wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cantarel, Vincent

    2016-01-01

    This work is included in the management of radioactive organic liquids research field. The process is based on an emulsification of organic liquid in an alkali silicate solution allowing the synthesis of a geo-polymer matrix. The first part of this work consists in carrying out a screening on different organic liquids. A model system representative of the various oils and a geo-polymer reference formulation are then defined. The second part deals with the structuration of the organic liquid/geo-polymer structuration, from the mixture of the reactants to the final material. It aims at determining the phenomena allowing the synthesis of a homogeneous composite. The last two parts aim at characterizing the composite by studying its structure (chemical structure, porosity of the geo-polymer and dispersion of the oil) and its properties with respect to the application to the immobilization of radioactive waste. Unlike calcium silicate-based cementitious matrices, the structure of the geo-polymer is not affected by the chemical nature of the organic liquids. Only acid oils inhibit or slow down the geo-polymerization reaction. In order to obtain a homogeneous material, the presence of surfactant molecules is necessary. The emulsion stabilization mechanism at the base of the process is relying on a synergy between the surfactant molecules and the aluminosilicate particles present in the geo-polymer paste. The kinetics (chemical and mechanical) of the geo-polymerization are not impacted by the presence of oil or surfactants. Only an increase in the viscoelastic moduli and the elastic character of the pastes can be observed. This difference in rheological behavior is mainly due to the presence of surfactant. The structure of the matrix is identical to that of a pure geo-polymer of the same formulation. The organic liquid is dispersed in spherical inclusions whose radius is between 5 and 15 μm. These droplets are separated from each other, and from the environment by the

  7. Effect of molecular weight on the vibronic structure of a diketopyrrolopyrrole polymer

    KAUST Repository

    Hayes, Sophia C.

    2016-09-27

    Resonance Raman Spectroscopy (RRS) is employed in this study to examine the influence of molecular weight on the optical response of a diketopyrrolopyrrole polymer (DPP-TT-T) in solution. The vibronic structure observed for the ground state absorption of this polymer is found to vary with molecular weight and solvent. Resonance Raman Intensity Analysis (RRIA) revealed that the absorption spectra can be described by at least two dipole-allowed transitions and the vibronic structure variation is due to differing contributions from linear and curved segments of the polymer.

  8. Effect of molecular weight on the vibronic structure of a diketopyrrolopyrrole polymer

    KAUST Repository

    Hayes, Sophia C.; Pieridou, Galatia; Vezie, Michelle; Few, Sheridan; Bronstein, Hugo; Meager, Iain; McCulloch, Iain; Nelson, Jenny

    2016-01-01

    Resonance Raman Spectroscopy (RRS) is employed in this study to examine the influence of molecular weight on the optical response of a diketopyrrolopyrrole polymer (DPP-TT-T) in solution. The vibronic structure observed for the ground state absorption of this polymer is found to vary with molecular weight and solvent. Resonance Raman Intensity Analysis (RRIA) revealed that the absorption spectra can be described by at least two dipole-allowed transitions and the vibronic structure variation is due to differing contributions from linear and curved segments of the polymer.

  9. Polymer confined in membrane phases: influences on stability, structure and dynamics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Javierre, Isabelle

    1999-01-01

    The addition of a hydrosoluble polymer to the different structures obtained with mixtures of water/surfactant/alcohol/oil alters the thermodynamic stability of microemulsion and lamellar phases. The reverse sponge phase disappears while one can observe the occurrence of a new phase, labelled L5, at intermediate polymer concentration. In polymer-'doped' solvent lamellar phase, the polymer induces an attractive contribution to the interaction between bilayers while in polymer-'doped' bilayers lamellar phase, the polymer increases the flexibility. The L5 phase exhibits symmetric sponge properties and furthermore presents very strong symmetry fluctuations. The relaxation of these fluctuations were experimentally evidenced for the first time. This unusual dynamic behaviour was confronted to the one of other sponge phases, in a large range of concentrations. (author) [fr

  10. Structural and Morphological Features of Acid-Bearing Polymers for PEM Fuel Cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yang, Yunsong; Siu, Ana; Peckham, Timothy J.

    2008-01-01

    Chemical structure, polymer microstructure, sequence distribution, and morphology of acid-bearing polymers are important factors in the design of polymer electrolyte membranes (PEMs) for fuel cells. The roles of ion aggregation and phase separation in vinylic- and aromatic-based polymers in proton...... conductivity and water transport are described. The formation, dimensions, and connectivity of ionic pathways are consistently found to play an important role in determining the physicochemical properties of PEMs. For polymers that possess low water content, phase separation and ionic channel formation...

  11. Study of structure modification influence of polymer matrix on the impurity centers luminescence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akylbaev, Zh.S.; Karitskay, S.G.; Nikitina, L.A.; Kobzev, G.I.

    2002-01-01

    Data on study of influence of polymer matrix structure change on impurity centers fluorescence are cited. In the capacity of polymer matrix the polyvinyl butyryl (PVB) serves, and as fluorescence centers the dye molecules the crystal violet (CV) are serving. Computerized simulation of processes of PVB matrixes structuring under the oxygen action from air, produced under annealing of the film at thermal treatment of liquid polymer. Calculation of KV spectral lines wave length under optimization of the dye-polymer system is carried out by the Mm+ molecular mechanics method, and then by semi-empiric method ZINDO1

  12. STRUCTURAL AND MECHANICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF DEFORMED POLYMER USING CONFOCAL RAMAN MICROSCOPY AND DSC

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Birgit Neitzel

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Polymers have various interesting properties, which depend largely on their inner structure. One way to influence the macroscopic behaviour is the deformation of the polymer chains, which effects the change in microstructure. For analyzing the microstructure of non-deformed and deformed polymer materials, Raman spectroscopy as well as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC were used. In the present study we compare the results for crystallinity measurements of deformed polymers using both methods in order to characterize the differences in micro-structure due to deformation. The study is ongoing, and we present the results of the first tests.

  13. Structural and Interfacial Properties of Hyperbranched-Linear Polymer Surfactant

    OpenAIRE

    Qiang, Taotao; Bu, Qiaoqiao; Huang, Zhaofeng; Wang, Xuechuan

    2014-01-01

    With oleic acid grafting modification, a series of hyperbranched-linear polymer surfactants (HLPS) were prepared by hydroxyl-terminated hyperbranched polymer (HBP), which was gained through a step synthesis method using trimethylolpropane and AB2 monomer. The AB2 monomers were obtained through the Michael addition reaction of methyl acrylate and diethanol amine. The structures of HLPS were characterised by Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), whic...

  14. Photoluminescence properties of the composite of porous alumina and poly (2,5-dibutoxy-1,4 phenylenevinylene)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao Yi; Yang Deren; Zhou Chengyao; Yang Qing; Que Duanlin

    2003-01-01

    The spin coating method was used to assemble polymer (Poly (2,5-dibutoxy-1,4-phenylenevinylene)) (DBO-PPV) into the pores of porous alumina which was prepared by anodization. Four peaks in the photoluminescence (PL) spectra of the composite, with contributions from the DBO-PPV and porous alumina, were found. It was also found that the light emitting from the porous alumina could excite the photoluminescence of DBO-PPV. The nanometer effect of the porous alumina can lead to a blue shift of 90 nm of the PL peaks of DBO-PPV

  15. EXAFS study on dynamic structural property of porous morph-genetic SiC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ding, J.; Sun, B.H.; Fan, T.X.; Zhang, D.; Kamada, M.; Ogawa, H.; Guo, Q.X.

    2005-01-01

    Novel porous morph-genetic silicon carbide has been fabricated through sintering treatment, after infiltrating the methyl organic silicone resin to the bio-template. Its dynamic transition of structure during sintering process is investigated by extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) for the first time. By analyzing Si K-edge EXAFS, it is found that the coordination number of the nearest C shell remains almost unchanged while that of the nearest Si shell dramatically changes when the structure is transformed from amorphous into crystalline state

  16. Multi-height structures in injection molded polymer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Nis Korsgaard; Taboryski, Rafael J.

    2015-01-01

    of different geometries, and electroforming a nickel mold from a polymer foil. The injection-molded samples are characterized by contact angle hysteresis obtained by the tilting method. We find that the receding contact angle depends on the surface coverage of the random surface structure, while the advancing...

  17. A micromechanical approach To numerical modeling of yielding of open-cell porous structures under compressive loads

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hedayati, R.; Sadighi, M.

    2016-01-01

    Today, interconnected open-cell porous structures made of titanium and its alloys are replacing the prevalent solid metals used in bone substitute implants. The advent of additive manufacturing techniques has enabled manufacturing of open-cell structures with arbitrary micro-structural geometry.

  18. Preparation and Properties of Poly (vinylidene fluoride)/poly(dimethylsiloxane) graft (poly(propylene oxide)-block-poly(ethylene oxide)) blend porous separators and corresponding electrolytes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Hao; Zhang, Hong; Liang, Zhi-Ying; Chen, Yue-Ming; Zhu, Bao-Ku; Zhu, Li-Ping

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: •This work aims exploring microporous PVDF separators for lithium ion batteries. •Comb structure polymer PDMS-g-(PPO-PEO) was used in PVDF blend separators. •The influence of polyether side chains on interfacial resistance was studied. -- Abstract: This work aims exploring the high performance porous separators that can be activated into gel electrolyte membranes for lithium ion batteries. A comb-like copolymer poly (dimethylsiloxane) graft poly (propylene oxide)-block-poly (ethylene oxide) (PDMS-g-(PPO-PEO)) was synthesized and blended with poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) to fabricate porous separators via a typical phase inversion process, and then the separators absorbed liquid electrolyte solution and formed into polymer electrolyte membranes. By measuring the composition, morphology and ion conductivity etc, the influence of PDMS-g-(PPO-PEO) on structure and properties of blend separators were discussed. Compared with pure PVDF separator with comparable porous structure, the adoption of PDMS-g-(PPO-PEO) decreased the crystallinity and increased the liquid electrolyte uptake and stability effectively. It was also found that the electrode/electrolyte interfacial resistance could be reduced greatly. The resulting electrolyte membrane using separator with PVDF/PDMS-g-(PPO-PEO) mass ratio in 8/2 exhibited highest ionic conductivity in 4.5 × 10 −3 S/cm at room temperature, while the electrochemical stability was up to 4.7 V (vs. Li/Li + ). Coin cells assembled with such separators also exhibited stable cycle performance and improved rate capabilities, especially when discharge rate higher than 0.5 C

  19. Fatigue behavior of porous biomaterials manufactured using selective laser melting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yavari, S Amin; Wauthle, R; van der Stok, J; Riemslag, A C; Janssen, M; Mulier, M; Kruth, J P; Schrooten, J; Weinans, H; Zadpoor, A A

    2013-12-01

    Porous titanium alloys are considered promising bone-mimicking biomaterials. Additive manufacturing techniques such as selective laser melting allow for manufacturing of porous titanium structures with a precise design of micro-architecture. The mechanical properties of selective laser melted porous titanium alloys with different designs of micro-architecture have been already studied and are shown to be in the range of mechanical properties of bone. However, the fatigue behavior of this biomaterial is not yet well understood. We studied the fatigue behavior of porous structures made of Ti6Al4V ELI powder using selective laser melting. Four different porous structures were manufactured with porosities between 68 and 84% and the fatigue S-N curves of these four porous structures were determined. The three-stage mechanism of fatigue failure of these porous structures is described and studied in detail. It was found that the absolute S-N curves of these four porous structures are very different. In general, given the same absolute stress level, the fatigue life is much shorter for more porous structures. However, the normalized fatigue S-N curves of these four structures were found to be very similar. A power law was fitted to all data points of the normalized S-N curves. It is shown that the measured data points conform to the fitted power law very well, R(2)=0.94. This power law may therefore help in estimating the fatigue life of porous structures for which no fatigue test data is available. It is also observed that the normalized endurance limit of all tested porous structures (<0.2) is lower than that of corresponding solid material (c.a. 0.4). © 2013.

  20. Multilayer photosensitive structures based on porous silicon and rare-earth-element compounds: Study of spectral characteristics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kirsanov, N. Yu.; Latukhina, N. V., E-mail: natalat@yandex.ru; Lizunkova, D. A.; Rogozhina, G. A. [Samara National Research University (Russian Federation); Stepikhova, M. V. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute for Physics of Microstructures (Russian Federation)

    2017-03-15

    The spectral characteristics of the specular reflectance, photosensitivity, and photoluminescence (PL) of multilayer structures based on porous silicon with rare-earth-element (REE) ions are investigated. It is shown that the photosensitivity of these structures in the wavelength range of 0.4–1.0 μm is higher than in structures free of REEs. The structures with Er{sup 3+} ions exhibit a luminescence response at room temperature in the spectral range from 1.1 to 1.7 μm. The PL spectrum of the erbium impurity is characterized by a fine line structure, which is determined by the splitting of the {sup 4}I{sub 15/2} multiplet of the Er{sup 3+} ion. It is shown that the structures with a porous layer on the working surface have a much lower reflectance in the entire spectral range under study (0.2–1.0 μm).

  1. Suspension polymerization a process for the production of beaded polymer supports and derived ion exchangers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Malik, M.A.

    1995-01-01

    Suspension polymerization techniques for production of beaded polymers are discussed with special reference to styrene divinylbenzene copolymers. Methods to control particle size and size distribution of final copolymer beads are given. Mechanism of copolymerization and constituents of aqueous and oil phase are discussed. Mechanism of porous structure formation and control of porosity are also discussed. Chemical conversion of base copolymers into ion exchange resins is also discussed. (author) 16 figs

  2. Feasibility demonstration of consolidating porous beryllium/carbon structures. Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Browning, M.J.; Hoover, G.E.; Mueller, J.J.; Hanes, H.D.

    1977-01-01

    A preliminary feasibility study was initiated to determine if porous beryllium structures could be fabricated by consolidating beryllium-coated microballoons into a rigid structure. The target specifications were to coat nominally 1-mm diameter microspheres with 0.5-mil beryllium coatings and then bond into a structure. Because of the very short time period, it was agreeable to use existing or quickly-available materials. The general approach was to apply coatings to carbon or quartz microspheres. Physical vapor deposition and ''snow-balling'' of fine beryllium powder were the two methods investigated. Once the particles were coated, HIP (pressure bonding) and pressureless sintering were to be investigated as methods for consolidating the microballoons. A low level of effort was to be spent to look at means of fabricating an all-carbon structure

  3. Graphene-based carbons as supercapacitor electrodes with bicontinuous, porous polyacrylonitrile

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Bit-Na; Yang, Young Suk; You, In-Kyu

    2017-07-01

    In this study, we fabricated a bicontinuous carbon structure (BCS) with high porosity and a loosely connected framework structure. The role of the BCS is to support a concrete supercapacitor active electrode structure. Poly(acrylonitrile) was used as a precursor for the BCS material, which was a porous polymer monolith carbonized by heat treatment (at 1100 °C). The BCS was prepared by mixing with an active material, graphene or an activated carbon. The mixed materials were used as an electrode material in a supercapacitor. The BCS13 + AC sample (∼107.5 F/g) showed a higher specific capacitance than the commercial activated carbon cell (∼76 F/g). The BCS13 + graphene sample (∼75 F/g) also exhibited a higher specific capacitance than the graphene cell (∼49 F/g). This BCS monolith had many macro- and micropores in its structure, enabling fast electrolyte ion movement and excellent electrochemical performance with a low equivalent series resistance (ESR).

  4. Structural Studies of dielectric HDPE+ZrO2 polymer nanocomposites: filler concentration dependences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nabiyev, A. A.; Islamov, A. Kh; Maharramov, A. M.; Nuriyev, M. A.; Ismayilova, R. S.; Doroshkevic, A. S.; Pawlukojc, A.; Turchenko, V. A.; Olejniczak, A.; Rulev, M. İ.; Almasan, V.; Kuklin, A. I.

    2018-03-01

    Structural properties of HDPE+ZrO2 polymer nanocomposites thin films of 80-100μm thicknesses were investigated using SANS, XRD, Laser Raman and FTIR spectroscopy. The mass fraction of the filler was 1, 3, 10, and 20%. Results of XRD analysis showed that ZrO2 powder was crystallized both in monoclinic and in cubic phase under normal conditions. The percentages of monoclinic and cubic phase were found to be 99.8% and 0.2%, respectively. It was found that ZrO2 nanoparticles did not affect the main crystal and chemical structure of HDPE, but the degree of crystallinity of the polymer decreases with increasing concentration of zirconium oxide. SANS experiments showed that at ambient conditions ZrO2 nanoparticles mainly distributed like mono-particles in the polymer matrix at all concentrations of filler.The structure of HDPE+ZrO2 does not changes up to 132°C at 1-3% of filler, excepting changing of the polymer structure at temperatures upper 82°C. At high concentrations of filler 10-20% the aggregation of ZrO2 nanoparticles occurs, forming domains of 2.5μm. The results of Raman and FTIR spectroscopy did not show additional specific chemical bonds between the filler and the polymer matrix. New peaks formation was not observed. These results suggest that core-shell structure does not exist in the polymer nanocomposite system.

  5. Influencing Factors for the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Micro Porous Titanium Manufactured by Metal Injection Molding

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhen Lu

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Porous titanium is a new structural and functional material. It is widely used in many fields since it integrates the properties of biomaterials with those of metallic foam. A new technology that combines both the preparation and forming of porous materials has been proposed in this paper. Moreover, a new solder was developed that could be employed in the joining of porous materials. Influencing factors for microstructure and mechanical properties of the parent material and joint interface are identified. Metal injection molding (MIM technology was used for fabricating porous materials. The feedstock for injection molding of porous titanium powders was prepared from titanium powders and a polymer-based binder system. In addition, the proportion of powder loading and binders was optimized. Through MIM technology, a porous titanium filter cartridge was prepared. For the purpose of investigating the thermal debinding technology of the filter cartridge, effects of the sintering temperature on the porosity, morphology of micropores and mechanical properties were analyzed. It could be found that when the sintering temperature increased, the relative density, bending and compression strength of the components also increased. Moreover, the porosity reached 32.28% when the sintering temperature was 1000 °C. The microstructure morphology indicated that micropores connected with each other. Meanwhile, the strength of the components was relatively high, i.e., the bending and compression strength was 65 and 60 MPa, respectively. By investigating the joining technology of porous filter cartridges, the ideal components of the solder and pressure were determined. Further research revealed that the micropore structure of the joint interface is the same as that of the parent material, and that the bending strength of the joint interface is 40 MPa.

  6. HRTEM analysis of the nanostructure of porous silicon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martin-Palma, R.J.; Pascual, L.; Landa-Canovas, A.R.; Herrero, P.; Martinez-Duart, J.M.

    2006-01-01

    The nanometric structure of porous silicon makes this material to be very suitable for its use in many different fields, including optoelectronics and biological applications. In the present work, the structure of porous silicon was investigated in detail by means of cross-sectional high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and digital image processing, together with electron energy loss spectroscopy. The structure of the Si/porous silicon interface and that of the silicon nanocrystals that compose porous silicon have been analyzed in detail. A strong strain contrast in the Si/porous silicon interface caused by high stresses was observed. Accordingly, dislocation pairs are found to be a possible mechanism of lattice matching between porous silicon and the Si substrate. Finally, high relative concentration of oxygen in the porous silicon layer was observed, together with low relative electron concentration in the conduction band when compared to Si

  7. Zirconia-hydroxyapatite composite material with micro porous structure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matsumoto, Takuya Junior; An, Sang-Hyun; Ishimoto, Takuya; Nakano, Takayoshi; Matsumoto, Takuya; Imazato, Satoshi

    2011-11-01

    Titanium plates and apatite blocks are commonly used for restoring large osseous defects in dental and orthopedic surgery. However, several cases of allergies against titanium have been recently reported. Also, sintered apatite block does not possess sufficient mechanical strength. In this study, we attempted to fabricate a composite material that has mechanical properties similar to biocortical bone and high bioaffinity by compounding hydroxyapatite (HAp) with the base material zirconia (ZrO(2)), which possesses high mechanical properties and low toxicity toward living organisms. After mixing the raw material powders at several different ZrO(2)/HAp mixing ratios, the material was compressed in a metal mold (8 mm in diameter) at 5 MPa. Subsequently, it was sintered for 5 h at 1500°C to obtain the ZrO(2)/HAp composite. The mechanical property and biocompatibility of materials were investigated. Furthermore, osteoconductivity of materials was investigated by animal studies. A composite material with a minute porous structure was successfully created using ZrO(2)/HAp powders, having different particle sizes, as the starting material. The material also showed high protein adsorption and a favorable cellular affinity. When the mixing ratio was ZrO(2)/HAp=70/30, the strength was equal to cortical bone. Furthermore, in vivo experiments confirmed its high osteoconductivity. The composite material had strength similar to biocortical bones with high cell and tissue affinities by compounding ZrO(2) and HAp. The ZrO(2)/HAp composite material having micro porous structure would be a promising bone restorative material. Copyright © 2011 Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Effect of pH on chitosan hydrogel polymer network structure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Hongcheng; Matysiak, Silvina

    2017-06-29

    Chitosan is a molecule that can form water-filled 3D polymer networks with a wide range of applications. A new coarse-grained model for chitosan hydrogel was developed to explore its pH-dependent self-assembly behavior and mechanical properties. Our results indicate that the underlying polymer physical crosslinking pattern induced by solution pH has a significant effect on hydrogel elastic moduli. With this model, we obtain pH-dependent structural and mechanical property changes in agreement with experimental observations, and provide a molecular mechanism behind the changes in polymer crosslinking patterns.

  9. Effect of the local electric field on the formation of an ordered structure in porous anodic alumina

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lazarouk, S. K.; Katsuba, P. S.; Leshok, A. A.; Vysotskii, V. B.

    2015-09-01

    Experimental data and a model are presented, and the electric field that appears in porous alumina during electrochemical anodic oxidation of aluminum in electrolytes based on an aqueous solution of oxalic acid at a voltage of 90-250 V is calculated. It is found that the electric field in the layers with a porosity of 1-10% in growing alumina reaches 109-1010 V/m, which exceeds the electric strength of the material and causes microplasma patterns emitting visible light at the pore bottom, the self-organization of the structure of porous alumina, and the anisotropy of local porous anodizing. Moreover, other new effects are to be expected during aluminum anodizing under the conditions that ensure a high electric field inside the barrier layer of porous oxide.

  10. Effect of Pressing Parameters on the Structure of Porous Materials Based on Cobalt and Nickel Powders

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shustov, V. S.; Rubtsov, N. M.; Alymov, M. I.; Ankudinov, A. B.; Evstratov, E. V.; Zelensky, V. A.

    2018-03-01

    Porous materials with a bulk porosity of more than 68% were synthesized by powder metallurgy methods from a cobalt-nickel mixture. The effect of the ratio of nickel and cobalt powders used in the synthesis of this porous material (including cases when either nickel or cobalt alone was applied) and the conditions of their compaction on structural parameters, such as open and closed porosities and pose size, was established.

  11. Electrochemical Synthesis of a Microporous Conductive Polymer Based on a Metal-Organic Framework Thin Film

    KAUST Repository

    Lu, Chunjing; Ben, Teng; Xu, Shixian; Qiu, Shilun

    2014-01-01

    A new approach to preparing 3D microporous conductive polymer has been demonstrated in the electrochemical synthesis of a porous polyaniline network with the utilization of a MOF thin film supported on a conducting substrate. The prepared porous

  12. Sintering of Multilayered Porous Structures: Part II – Experiments and Model Applications

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ni, De Wei; Olevsky, Eugene; Esposito, Vincenzo

    2013-01-01

    Experimental analyses of shrinkage and distortion kinetics during sintering of bilayered porous and dense gadolinium-doped ceria Ce0.9Gd0.1O1.95d structures are carried out, and compared with the theoretical models developed in Part I of this work. A novel approach is developed for the determinat...

  13. Pressure Sensitive Device Using Conductive and Porous Structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    So, Hye-Mi; Chang, Won Seok; Park, Cheolmin

    2014-01-01

    Porous conductors are known to demonstrate excellent electrical, mechanical, and chemical resistance. These porous conductors demonstrated potential applications in various fields such as electrodes for supercapacitors, flexible heaters, catalytic electrodes, and sorbents. In this study, we described a pressure sensitive device using conductive and porous sponges. With an extremely simple “dipping and drying” process using a single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) solution, we produced conductive sponges with sheet resistance of < 30 kΩ/sq. These carbon nanotube sponges can be deformed into any shape elastically and repeatedly compressed to large strains without collapse. The pressure sensors developed from these sponges demonstrated high resistance change under pressure of up to a half of their initial resistance

  14. Pressure Sensitive Device Using Conductive and Porous Structures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    So, Hye-Mi; Chang, Won Seok [Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Park, Cheolmin [University of Science and Technology, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-07-15

    Porous conductors are known to demonstrate excellent electrical, mechanical, and chemical resistance. These porous conductors demonstrated potential applications in various fields such as electrodes for supercapacitors, flexible heaters, catalytic electrodes, and sorbents. In this study, we described a pressure sensitive device using conductive and porous sponges. With an extremely simple “dipping and drying” process using a single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) solution, we produced conductive sponges with sheet resistance of < 30 kΩ/sq. These carbon nanotube sponges can be deformed into any shape elastically and repeatedly compressed to large strains without collapse. The pressure sensors developed from these sponges demonstrated high resistance change under pressure of up to a half of their initial resistance.

  15. Application of positron annihilation to the characterization of polymer structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suzuki, T.; Yu, R.S.; Ito, Y.; Kondo, K.; Shantarovich, V.

    2005-01-01

    Positron annihilation has been applied to study characteristics of polymers last many years. Positron behaves as a nano-meter probe and brings out information of chemical structures, geometric structures, and momentum of electrons through the annihilation gamma-rays. Positrons injected in polymers tends to form positronium, which is similar structure to hydrogen atom and consists of electron and positron. Positronium diffuses through polymer structures and preferentially trapped by intermolecular spaces, if there is not any strong polar group in the chemical structure. Inside the spaces positronium annihilates through pick-off annihilation with electrons constituting walls of the spaces. Thus the pick-off annihilation brings out information about the interaction with electrons on the walls forming the spaces. These information can be measured by the positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) and Doppler broadening spectroscopy: from the former lifetimes and intensities of positronium can be measured and from the latter energy spectrum of the positron annihilation gamma-rays. The lifetimes are connected with the nano-meter size of the spaces and, using an empirical formula, the pore size can be estimated quantitatively. However the intensities bring out many kinds of information. Knowing the sample chemical structures, the values can be simply connected with the amount of spaces and often reflect the polar effect and temperature effect. In the positron annihilation technique, the energy distribution of-positron annihilation gamma-rays plays important role in the investigation of positron interaction with atoms constituting polymer chemical structures. The energy distribution can be measured using a high pure Ge detector. Although the spectrum obtained by one Ge detector has a large peak to back-ground ratio, using a coincidence technique of two Ge detectors, the coincidence Doppler broadening spectrum (CDBS) can improve the ratio from the order of 10-2 to 10

  16. Bioinspired porous membranes containing polymer nanoparticles for wound healing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferreira, Ana M; Mattu, Clara; Ranzato, Elia; Ciardelli, Gianluca

    2014-12-01

    Skin damages covering a surface larger than 4 cm(2) require a regenerative strategy based on the use of appropriate wound dressing supports to facilitate the rapid tissue replacement and efficient self-healing of the lost or damaged tissue. In the present work, A novel biomimetic approach is proposed for the design of a therapeutic porous construct made of poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) fabricated by thermally induced phase separation (TIPS). Biomimicry of ECM was achieved by immobilization of type I collagen through a two-step plasma treatment for wound healing. Anti-inflammatory (indomethacin)-containing polymeric nanoparticles (nps) were loaded within the porous membranes in order to minimize undesired cell response caused by post-operative inflammation. The biological response to the scaffold was analyzed by using human keratinocytes cell cultures. In this work, a promising biomimetic construct for wound healing and soft tissue regeneration with drug-release properties was fabricated since it shows (i) proper porosity, pore size, and mechanical properties, (ii) biomimicry of ECM, and (iii) therapeutic potential. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  17. Structural variability in Cu(I) and Ag(I) coordination polymers with a flexible dithione ligand: Synthesis, crystal structure, microbiological and theoretical studies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Beheshti, Azizolla, E-mail: a.beheshti@scu.ac.ir [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Nozarian, Kimia; Babadi, Susan Soleymani; Noorizadeh, Siamak [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Motamedi, Hossein [Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Mayer, Peter [LMU München Department Chemie, Butenandtstr 5-13, D-81377 München (Germany); Bruno, Giuseppe [Dipartimento di Chimica Inorganica, Università di Messina, Vill. S. Agata, Salita Sperone 31, 98166 Messina (Italy); Rudbari, Hadi Amiri [Faculty of Chemistry, University of Isfahan, Isfahan 81746-73441 (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2017-05-15

    Two new compounds namely [Cu(SCN)(µ-L)]{sub n} (1) and ([Ag (µ{sub 2}-L)](ClO{sub 4})){sub n} (2) have been synthesized at room temperature by one-pot reactions between the 1,1-(1,4-butanediyl)bis(1,3-dihydro-3-methyl-1H-imidazole- 2-thione) (L) and appropriate copper(I) and silver(I) salts. These polymers have been characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction, XRPD, TGA, elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy, antibacterial activity and scanning probe microscopy studies. In the crystal structure of 1, copper atoms have a distorted trigonal planar geometry with a CuS{sub 2}N coordination environment. Each of the ligands in the structure of 1 acting as a bidentate S-bridging ligand to form a 1D chain structure. Additionally, the adjacent 1D chains are interconnected by the intermolecular C-H…S interactions to create a 2D network structure. In contrast to 1, in the cationic 3D structure of 2 each of the silver atoms exhibits an AgS{sub 4} tetrahedral geometry with 4-membered Ag{sub 2}S{sub 2} rings. In the structure of 2, the flexible ligand adopts two different conformations; gauche-anti-gauche and anti-anti-anti. The antibacterial studies of these polymers showed that polymer 2 is more potent antibacterial agent than 1. Scanning probe microscopy (SPM) study of the treated bacteria was carried out to investigate the structural changes cause by the interactions between the polymers and target bacteria. Theoretical study of polymer 1 investigated by the DFT calculations indicates that observed transitions at 266 nm and 302 nm in the UV–vis spectrum could be attributed to the π→π* and MLCT transitions, respectively. - Graphical abstract: Two new Cu(I) and Ag(I) coordination polymers have been have been synthesized by one-pot reactions. Copper complex has a 2D non-covalent structure, but silver compound is a 3D coordination compound. These compounds have effective antibacterial activity. - Highlights: • Cu(I) and Ag(I) based coordination polymers

  18. Joining of porous silicon carbide bodies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bates, Carl H.; Couhig, John T.; Pelletier, Paul J.

    1990-05-01

    A method of joining two porous bodies of silicon carbide is disclosed. It entails utilizing an aqueous slip of a similar silicon carbide as was used to form the porous bodies, including the sintering aids, and a binder to initially join the porous bodies together. Then the composite structure is subjected to cold isostatic pressing to form a joint having good handling strength. Then the composite structure is subjected to pressureless sintering to form the final strong bond. Optionally, after the sintering the structure is subjected to hot isostatic pressing to further improve the joint and densify the structure. The result is a composite structure in which the joint is almost indistinguishable from the silicon carbide pieces which it joins.

  19. Investigation of the porous structure of glassy carbon by SAXS - an application of synchrotron radiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Braun, A; Baertsch, M; Schnyder, B; Koetz, R; Haas, O [Paul Scherrer Inst. (PSI), Villigen (Switzerland)

    1999-08-01

    The porous structure of Electrochemical Double Layer Capacitor (EDC) Electrodes was investigated using Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS), assuming logarithmically normal distributed micropores. (author) 2 figs., 1 ref.

  20. Synthesis of polymer/inorganic nanocomposite films using highly porous inorganic scaffolds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Huanjun; Popp, Matthias; Hartwig, Andreas; Mädler, Lutz

    2012-04-07

    Polymeric/inorganic nanocomposite films have been fabricated through a combination of flame-spray-pyrolysis (FSP) made inorganic scaffold and surface initiated polymerization of cyanoacrylate. The highly porous structure of pristine SnO(2) films allows the uptake of cyanoacrylate and the polymerization is surface initiated by the water adsorbed onto the SnO(2) surface. Scanning electron microscopy study reveals a nonlinear increase in the composite particle size and the film thickness with polymerization time. The structural change is rather homogeneous throughout the whole layer. The composite is formed mainly by an increase of the particle size and not by just filling the existing pores. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy imaging shows SnO(2) nanoparticles embedded in the polymeric matrix, constituting the nanocomposite material. Thermogravimetric analysis indicates that the porosity of the nanocomposite films decreases from 98% to 75%, resulting in a significant enhancement of the hardness of the films. DC conductivity measurements conducted in situ on the nanocomposite layer suggest a gradual increase in the layer resistance, pointing to a loss of connectivity between the SnO(2) primary particles as the polymerization proceeds. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2012