Facile aqueous synthesis and thermal insulating properties of low-density glass/TiO2 core/shell composite hollow spheres

Anatase TiO2 shells assembled on hollow glass microspheres(HGM)with tunable morphologies were successfully prepared through a controllable chemical precipitation method with urea as the precipitator. Thus,glass/TiO2 core/shell composite hollow spheres with low particle density(0.40 g/cm3)were fabricated.The phase structures,morphologies,particle sizes,shell thicknesses,and chemical compositions of the composite microspheres were characterized by X-ray diffraction(XRD),scanning electron microscopy (SEM),and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy(EDS).The morphology of the TiO2 shell can be tailored by properly monitoring the reaction system component and parameters.The probable growth mechanism and fabrication process of the core/shell products involving the nucleation and oriented growth of TiO2 nanocrystals on hollow glass microspheres was proposed.A low infrared radiation study revealed that the radiation properties of the products are greatly influenced by the unique product shell structures. A thermal conductivity study showed that the TiO2/HGM possess low thermal conductivity that is similar to that of the pristine HGMs.This work provides an additional strategy to prepare low-density thermal insulating particles with tailored morphologies and properties.     

Synthesis and characterization of BaMgAl10O17：Eu2＋ phosphor prepared by homogeneous precipitation

A homogeneous precipitation process based on urea hydrolysis reaction was exploited to synthesize BaMgAl10O17：Eu2＋ phosphor. The process parameters, such as the dosage of urea, the calcination tem- peratures and the concentration of Eu2＋, were refined in light of the characterization of the products. The experimental results revealed that pure and well-crystallized BaMgAl10O17：Eu2＋ phosphor could be obtained at 1250℃, a much lower temperature than that for traditional solid-state reaction. The as-prepared phosphor particles were small in grain size, regular in morphology, and uniform in size distribution. Because of the high homogeneity of the process, the as-prepared phosphor exhibited stronger emission intensity and higher thermal stability than the sample prepared by solid-state reaction at 1600℃.     

Synthesis and characterization of PMMA/Al2O3 composite particles by in situ emulsion polymerization

In order to improve its dispersibility, superfine alumina （A1203） was encapsulated with poly（methyl methacrylate） （PMMA） by in situ emulsion polymerization. It was found that only when the concentration of sodium dodecyl sulfate （SDS） was much higher than its critical micelle concentration, could PMMA/Al2O3 composite particles with high percentage of grafting （PG） be prepared. The same results were obtained between the experimental and stoichiometric amounts of tris（dodecylbenzenesulfonate） isopropoxide （NDZ）, indicating that single-molecule-layer adsorption had taken place between NDZ and Al2O3. Analysis using FTIR, TEM and XPS showed that PMMA/Al2O3 composite particles with core-shell structure had been successfully synthesized by in situ emulsion polymerization. Compared to Al2O3, thermal stability and dispersibility of the composite particles showed marked improvement.     

TiO2-loaded activated carbon fiber： Hydrothermal synthesis,adsorption properties and photo catalytic activity under visible light irradiation

TiO2-loaded activated carbon fibers （ACF） were prepared by a hydrothermal method. The samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, X-ray diffraction （XRD）, Fourier transform infrared （FTIR） spectrometry and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra （DRS）. SEM images showed that the TiO2 nanoparticles were deposited on the surface of ACF, and the particle size and loading amount of TiO2 were varied by changing the initial concentration of tetrabutyl titanate （TBOT）. The results of an ash experiment showed that the loading amounts of TiO2 were 18.4%, 43.3%, 52.5%, 75.1%, and 91.1% for initial concentrations of TBOT of 0.07,014, 0.21,0.28, and 0.35 tool/L, respectively, Physical interactions played an important role in the formation of TiO2/ACF composite fibers that absorb UV and visible light. Compared with those of ACF, improved adsorption and photocatalytic activity toward Rhodamine B （RhB） were observed for TiO2/ACF composite fiber. The Rhodamine B could be removed efficiently by TiO2/ACF composite fibers, and the TiO2 loading amount had a significant effect on the photocatalytic activity of TiO2/ACF composite fibers.     

Hydrothermal growth of octahedral Fe3O4 crystals

This paper reports the growth of octahedral magnetic Fe3O4 particles from iron powders via a simple alkaline hydrothermal process. The chemical compositions and morphologies of the as-grown Fe3O4 particles were characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, X-ray photoelectron spectra （XPS）, and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. Structure characterization showed that the phase structure of the prepared particles evolved from α-Fe to pure Fe3O4 with increasing concentration of KOH, indicating the important role of KOH concentration on the formation of the magnetite octahedron. The magnetic properties of samples were also studied by means of a vibrating sample magnetometer （VSM）. The pure magnetite Fe3O4 octahedrons exhibited a relatively high saturation magnetization of 96.7 emu/g.     

Preparation of polyacrylamide/silica composite capsules by inverse Picketing emulsion polymerization

Polyacrylamide/silica （PAM/SiO2） composite capsules were synthesized by inverse Pickering emulsion polymerization. Silica nanoparticles modified with methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane （MPS） were used as a stabilizer. Transmission electron microscopy （TEM）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. Fourier transform infrared （FTIR） spectroscopy, and thermal gravimetric analysis （TGA） were used to characterize the morphology and composition of the composite capsules. SEM and TEM images showed that capsules consisted of a particle shell and a polymer inner layer. The capsule size depends on the nanoparticle concentration in the continuous phase. The composite rigidity largely depends on the acrylamide concentration. FTIR and TGA results indicated the existence of polyacrylamide and SiO2 in the composite particles. Aqueous Hg（ll） removal testing by the PAM/SiO2 composite capsules indicated promising potential for removing heavy metal ions from wastewater.     

Synthesis of Fe3O4 nanoparticles by wet milling iron powder in a planetary ball mill

Fe3O4 nanoparticles with sizes ranging from 30 to 80 nm were synthesized by wet milling iron powders in a planetary ball mill. The phase composition and the morphologies of the as-synthesized products were measured by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. Nanosized Fe3O4 particles were prepared by wet milling metallic iron powder （-200 mesh, 99%） in a planetary ball mill equipped with stainless steel vials using iron balls under distilled water with a ball-to-powder mass ratio of 50：1 and at a rotation speed of 300 rpm. The use of the iron balls in this method played a key role in Fe3O4 formation. The present technique is simple and the process is easy to carry out.     

Visible light-driven photocatalysis of W,N co-doped TiO2

W, N co-doped TiO2 nanoparticles were synthesized by a sol-gel method. The prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, field emission scanning electron microscopy （FE-SEM）, trans- mission electron microscopy （TEM）, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （FT-1R）, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS） and diffuse reflectance spectrophotometry （DRS）. The results showed that the co- doped photocatalysts were essentially uniform spherical particles with the smallest particle size of 22.5 nm. Compared to un-doped TiO2, N-TiO2 and P-25, the absorption edge of the W, N co-doped TiO2 shifted to longer wavelength and its photocatalytic activity for degradation of methyl orange （MO） under Xe-lamp （350W） was higher.     

Novel synthesis with an atomized microemulsion technique and characterization of nano-calcium carbonate （CaCO3）/poly（methyl methacrylate） core-shell nanoparticles

The synthesis of hard-core/soft-shell calcium carbonate （CaCO3）/poly（methyl methacrylate） （PMMA） hybrid structured nanoparticles （〈100nm） by an atomized microemulsion polymerization process is reported. The polymer chains were anchored onto the surface of nano-CaCO3 through use of a cou- pling agent, triethoxyvinyl silane （TEVS）. Ammonium persulfate （APS）, sodium dodecyl sulfate （SDS） and n-pentanol were used as the initiator, surfactant and cosurfactant, respectively. The polymeriza- tion mechanism of the core-shell latex particles is discussed. The encapsulation of nano-CaCO3 by PMMA was confirmed using a transmission electron microscope （TEM）. The grafting percentage of the core-shell particles was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis （TGA）. The nano-CaCO3/PMMA core-shell par- ticles were characterized by Fourier transform infrared （FTIR） spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry （DSC）. The FTIR results revealed the existence of a strong interaction at the interface of the nano-CaCO3 particle and the PMMA, which implies that the polymer chains were successfully grafted onto the surface of the nano-CaCO3 particles through the link of the coupling agent, In addition, the TGA and DSC results indicated an enhancement of the thermal stability of the core-shell materials compared with that of the pure nano-PMMA, The nano-CaCO3/PMMA particles were blended into a polypropylene （PP） matrix by melt processing. It can also be observed using scanning electron microscopy （SEM） that the PMMA chains grafted onto the CaCO3 nanoparticles interfere with the aggregation of CaCO3 in the polymer matrix （PP matrix） and thus improve the compatibility of the CaCO3 nanoparticles with the PP matrix.     

Improved performance of aluminum pigments encapsulated in hybrid inorganic-organic films

An organic silane acrylate resin（PMBK） was synthesized by free-radical solution polymerization using methyl methacrylate,butyl acrylate and（3-methacryloxypropyl）trimethoxysilane as monomers.Aluminum（Al） particles were then encapsulated in inorganic-organic hybrid films that were prepared by hydrolysis and condensation of PMBK and tetraethyl orthosilicate（TEOS） on the surface of Al pigments.Characterization results showed that PMBK and TEOS could simultaneously hydrolyze and condense with hydroxyl groups on the surface of the Al particles to form composite Al particles coated with inorganic-organic hybrid films.Compared with raw Al particles,the corrosion resistance and adhesive properties of paint films containing the composite Al particles were improved greatly,while the glossiness of the paint films decreased slightly,from 48.6° to 47.0°.In alkaline media（pH 11）,the volume of evolved H₂ of composite Al particles was only 3.5 mL,whereas that of raw Al was 83.5 mL.The glossiness of paint films containing composite Al particles decreased by 1.66%after immersion in alkaline media for24 h,whereas that of raw Al decreased by 14.82%.Peel-off tests of the paint films showed that the composite particles moved slightly away from the paint films.In contrast,the raw Al particles were seriously desquamated,suggesting encapsulation of hybrid films can greatly improve the adhesive properties of Al particles in paint films.     

Modification of silica with PMMA via ultrasonic irradiation and its application for reinforcement of polyacrylates

Polymethyl methacrylate （PMMA） encapsulated silica nanocomposite particles were prepared by ultra- sonically induced in situ polymerization of methyl methacrylate （MMA） on the surface of silica sol. The nanoparticles were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （FFIR）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM）, thermogravimetry （TG）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. The results showed that core-shell structure nanocomposite particles with an average size of 36 nm were obtained, and the thickness of polymer encapsulating layer was about 8 nm. The pretreatment of silica sol with tert-butyl hydroperoxide （TBHP） and the addition of ~-methacryloxypropyl trimethoxysilane （MAPTS） significantly enhanced the encapsulation effect. Modified by the polymer layer, the silica particles could be well dispersed in matrices and utilized to improve the mechanical performance of polyacrylates.     

Biopolymer-assisted synthesis of yttrium oxide nanoparticles

Yttrium oxide nanopowder was prepared by a novel technique using an alginate biopolymer as a precursor. The technique is based on thermal decomposition of an yttrium alginate gel, which is produced in the form of beads by ionic gelation between the yttrium solution and sodium alginate. The effect of post-annealing temperature on the particle size of the nanocrystals was investigated at various tempera- tures. The products were characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. The size of the nanocrystalline Y2O3 particles varied from 22.7 to 38.7 nm, depending on the annealing temperature and time. The grain size distribution （GSD） was also determined. The GSD became more non-symmetrical as the annealing temperature increased, and the width of the distributions for the powders produced using the alginate method was less affected by heat treatment. This alginate method was compared with the conventional glycine combustion method, on the basis of particle size. The particles obtained using the proposed technique were smaller than those obtained using the combustion method. Alginate-assisted thermal decomposition is therefore an easy and cost-effective method for preparing nanosized Y2O3 crystals.     

Influence of surface modification of SrFe12O19 particles with oleic acid on magnetic microsphere preparation

Oleic acid was used as surface modification agent to improve the hydrophobicity of magnetic strontium hexaferrite particles. The structure and properties of treated magnetic particles were characterized by scanning electronic microscopy （SEM）, Fourier transform infrared spectra （FTIR）, powder X-ray diffraction （XRD） and magnetic property measurement system （MPMS）. The results show that oleic acid is chemically enwrapped on the surface of SrFe12O19 particles. Magnetic particles modified by oleic acid are highly dispersible and strongly responsive to magnetism but with slight decrease in saturated magnetization. The affinity between magnetic particles and monomers is improved by surface modification, resulting in increased particle incorporation in magnetic polymeric microspheres. The surface modification mechanism of magnetic particles by oleic acid is addressed in this work.     

Controlled preparation and characterization of nano-sized hexagonal Mg（OH）2 flame retardant

Nano-sized hexagonal magnesium hydroxide （Mg（OH）2） with good dispersibility was synthesized by a double injection-hydrothermal method, utilizing polyvinylpyrrolidone （PVP） as an additive and with optimized processing parameters. SEM and BET analysis showed that the mean particle size and specific surface area of the Mg（OH）2 particles were 174 nm and 50.77 m^2/g, respectively. The FT-IR spectra and the XRD patterns showed that PVP was adsorbed on the surface of the Mg（OH）2 crystal, thus effectively limiting particle agglomeration and hindering crystal growth along the （1 01 ） plane. TGA showed a decrease in the decomposition temperature and an increase in the weight loss of the Mg（OH）2 particles due to addition of PV/.     

Analytical model of sound transmission through laminated composite cylindrical shells considering transverse shear deformation

Composite structures are often used in the aerospace industry due to the advantages offered by a high strength to weight ratio. Sound transmission through an infinite laminated composite cylindrical shell is studied in the context of the transmission of airborne sound into the aircraft interior. The shell is immersed in an external fluid medium and contains internal fluid. Airflow in the external fluid medium moves with a constant velocity. An exact solution is obtained by simultaneously solving the first-order shear deformation theory （FSDT） of a laminated composite shell and the acoustic wave equations. Transmission losses （TL） obtained from numerical solutions are compared with those of other authors. The effects of structural properties and flight conditions on TL are studied for a range of values, especially, the Mach number, stack sequences, and the angle of warp. Additionally, comparisons of the transmission losses are made between the classical thin shell theory （CST） and FSDT for laminated composite and isotropic cylindrical shells.     

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes added to Na2CO3/MgO composites for thermal energy storage

Na2CO3/MgO composites with added multi-walled carbon nanotubes （MWCNTs） were prepared and tested as phase change materials （PCMs） for thermal energy storage. Na2CO3/MgO composite PCMs were prepared and their chemical compatibility and thermal stability were studied. MWCNTs introduced with Na2CO3/MgO composite PCMs were also investigated and scanning electron microscopy （SEM） characterization was used to demonstrate the uniform dispersion of MWCNTs in Na2CO3/MgO composite PCMs. The composites with added MWCNTs still display good thermal stability with mass losses lower than 5%. Introducing MWCNTs into composite Na2CO3/MgO PCMs by material formation/calcination signifi.cantly enhances the thermal conductivity of the composite PCMs. The thermal conductivity of the composite PCMs was found to increase with an increase in the weight fraction of the added MWCNTs and an increase in the testing temperature. This study may present a promising way to prepare high temperature phase change materials with superior properties such as improved thermal stability.     

Synthesis and photoluminescence properties of zinc sulfide nanoparticles doped with copper using effective surfactants

Zinc sulfide（ZnS）,various concentrations of Cu²⁺（0.25%-1.25%）-doped ZnS and ZnS:Cu²⁺ nanoparticles capped with various surfactants have been successfully synthesized by a chemical precipitation method in ambient air at 80℃.The synthesized particles were characterized by UV-visible absorption（UV-vis）,X-ray diffraction（XRD）,transmission electron microscopy（TEM）,and Fourier transform infrared（FT-IR）and photoluminescence（PL） spectroscopy.The absorption peaks of the synthesized nanoparticles were noticeably blue-shifted from the bulk material.The XRD analysis confirmed the formation of a cubic phase for all samples.The average size of the particles ranged from 3.2 to 5.3 nm.The TEM analysis showed that the particles were highly monodispersed and spherical in shape.Particles with increased Cu²⁺ concentrations had a red shift in their PL emission spectra.Enhanced PL emissions were observed for surfactant-capped particles.The experimental results indicate that,as expected,the PL spectrum confirms the presence of Cu²⁺ ions in the ZnS nanoparticles.     

Synthesis of PS/Ag asymmetric hybrid particles via phase separation and self-assembly

This article presents a facile approach to preparation of polystyrene/silver （PS/Ag） asymmetric hybrid par- ticles. In this method, polystyrene/polyglycidyl methacrylate （PS/PGMA） Janus particles were synthesized via internal phase separation triggered by evaporation of dichloromethane （DCM） from PS/PGMA/DCM- in water emulsion droplets. Then, the Janus particles were aminated and sequentially carboxylated to obtain PS/PGMA-NH2 and PS/PGMA-COOH particles. Ag＋ self-assembled on the surface of PGMA hemi- sphere of the functionalized PS/PGMA particles by coordinating with amine/carboxyl. PS/Ag asymmetric hybrid particles with 7.29 wt% of Ag were obtained by reduction of Ag＋, Scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy results confirmed that Ag was asymmetrically distributed on the surface of polymer particles.     

Preparation of polyacrylamide/silica composite capsules by inverse Pickering emulsion polymerization

Polyacrylamide/silica(PAM/SiO_2) composite capsules were synthesized by inverse Pickering emulsion polymerization.Silica nanoparticles modified with methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane(MPS) were used as a stabilizer.Transmission electron microscopy(TEM),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),Fourier transform infrared(FT1R) spectroscopy,and thermal gravimetric analysis(TGA) were used to characterize the morphology and composition of the composite capsules.SEM and TEM images showed that capsules consisted of a particle shell and a polymer inner layer.The capsule size depends on the nanoparticle concentration in the continuous phase.The composite rigidity largely depends on the acrylamide concentration.FTIR and TGA results indicated the existence of polyacrylamide and SiO_2 in the composite particles.Aqueous Hg(Ⅱ) removal testing by the PAM/SiO_2 composite capsules indicated promising potential for removing heavy metal ions from wastewater.     

THE LARGE DEFLECTION ON PROBLEM OF CIRCULAR PLATE ON ELASTIC FOUNDATION AND IN CONJUNCTION WITH LINEAR ELASTIC STRUCTURE

This paper deals with the axisymmetrical deformation of the circular plate in largedeflection,which is on elastic foundation and in conjunction with a certain linear elasticstructure.The governing integral equations are established by the method of mixedboundary condition I and the simplified form is given.The pertrubation method is used toobtain the solutions and an example of the composite structure made up of a circular plateand a cylindrical shell is presented.