Crosslinking network structure governing particle shape and size distribution by one-step emulsion polymerization in the presence of particle coagulation

In this study, sub-200?nm, crosslinked latex particles with a narrow particle size distribution were prepared by one-step emulsion polymerization in the presence of particle coagulation. The relationship between the particle shape and particle coagulation was investigated by varying the time of crosslinking network structure formation and particle coagulation. Particles with irregular shapes such as doublet, triplet, and ellipsoid were obtained using divinylbenzene (DVB) and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as the crosslinking agents, because the crosslinking network structure of particles was formed before the particle coagulation. In contrast, latex particles with a uniform spherical shape were also prepared using triallyl isocyanurate (TAIC) or dihydrodicyclopentadienyl acrylate (DCPA) as the crosslinking agents by delaying the time of crosslinking network structure formation. Alternatively, uniform spherical latex particles were prepared by bringing forward the particle coagulation time using cationic initiator, 2, 2′-azobis (2-methylpropionamidine) dihydrochloride (AAPH). This study presents a new idea that would further broaden the application of particle coagulation in emulsion polymerization.     

Role of emulsifier on the particle size and polymer particle size distribution using multiwavelength spectroscopy measurements

Latex emulsions depend strongly on the polymer composition, and particle size distribution, which in turn, is a function of the preparation of the latex and on the formulation and composition variables. This study reports measurements of particle size and particle size distribution of latex emulsions as function of the reaction time and the type and concentration of emulsifier by using the multiwavelength spectroscopy technique. Results show changes in the particle size of latex emulsions with the reaction time, obtaining larger particles and broader distributions with increasing of Tween 80 ratio. The steric stabilization provides the sole nonionic emulsifier is not enough to protect the polymer particle, causing the flocculation among the interactive particles, resulting in unstable latex. However, latex emulsions prepared with Tween 80 ratio <70 wt.% can stabilize efficiently the nucleated particles, probably due to the effects provided by both, the electrostatic and steric stabilization mechanisms. The same effect is shown in the curves of conversion (%) as a function of reaction time, resulting in slower polymerization rate for Tween 80 ratio >70 wt.%. On the other hand, smaller polymer particles, in all range of emulsifier mixture, have been obtained to higher emulsifier concentration.     

基于虚拟相位平面的相位展开方法

在基于相位分析的三维测量系统中,为了准确地得到物体的高度,相位展开扮演着很重要的角色。传统的相位展开方法常常需要额外的投影图,而傅里叶变换轮廓术只需要采集一幅或两幅变形条纹图就可以实现对物体轮廓的测量,其方法速度快,易于实现。针对傅里叶变换轮廓术方法计算得到的截断相位分布,本文提出了一种利用截断相位与参考平面相位差值2π的整数倍数获得截断相位的正确级次,辅助相位展开的方法。当被测物体较复杂,或者相位截断次数较多时,该方法在已有参考平面相位的基础上虚拟新的相位平面,依次比较截断相位和虚拟相位,进行多次分级相位展开,结合多个展开相位结果,最终得到正确的展开相位。该方法展开速度快,展开错误不会蔓延传递。仿真和实物实验结果证明了该方法的可行性,说明该方法可用于傅里叶变换轮廓术中进行截断相位的快速展开。     

Polarization tensors of planar domains as functions of the admittivity contrast

(Electric) polarization tensors describe part of the leading order term of asymptotic voltage perturbations caused by low volume fraction inhomogeneities of the electrical properties of a medium. They depend on the geometry of the support of the inhomogeneities and on their admittivity contrast. Corresponding asymptotic formulas are of particular interest in the design of reconstruction algorithms for determining the locations and the material properties of inhomogeneities inside a body from measurements of current flows and associated voltage potentials on the body’s surface. In this work, we consider the two-dimensional case only and provide an analytic representation of the polarization tensor in terms of spectral properties of the double layer integral operator associated with the support of simply connected conductivity inhomogeneities. Furthermore, we establish that an (infinitesimal) simply connected inhomogeneity has the shape of an ellipse, if and only if the polarization tensor is a rational function of the admittivity contrast with at most two poles whose residues satisfy a certain algebraic constraint. We also use the analytic representation to provide a proof of the so-called Hashin–Shtrikman bounds for polarization tensors; a similar approach has been taken previously by Golden and Papanicolaou and Kohn and Milton in the context of anisotropic composite materials.     

A self‐adaptive intelligence gray prediction model with the optimal fractional order accumulating operator and its application

The self‐adaptive intelligence gray predictive model (SAIGM) has an alterable‐flexible model structure, and it can build a dynamic structure to fit different external environments by adjusting the parameter values of SAIGM. However, the order number of the raw SAIGM model is not optimal, which is an integer. For this, a new SAIGM model with the fractional order accumulating operator (SAIGM_FO) was proposed in this paper. Specifically, the final restored expression of SAIGM_FO was deduced in detail, and the parameter estimation method of SAIGM_FO was studied. After that, the Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm was used to optimize the order number of SAIGM_FO, and some steps were provided. Finally, the SAIGM_FO model was applied to simulate China's electricity consumption from 2001 to 2008 and forecast it during 2009 to 2015, and the mean relative simulation and prediction percentage errors of the new model were only 0.860% and 2.661%, in comparison with the ones obtained from the raw SAIGM model, the GM(1, 1) model with the optimal fractional order accumulating operator and the GM(1, 1) model, which were (1.201%, 5.321%), (1.356%, 3.324%), and (2.013%, 23.944%), respectively. The findings showed both the simulation and the prediction performance of the proposed SAIGM_FO model were the best among the 4 models.     

Actuating Shape Memory Polymer for Thermoresponsive Soft Robotic Gripper and Programmable Materials

For soft robotics and programmable metamaterials, novel approaches are required enabling the design of highly integrated thermoresponsive actuating systems. In the concept presented here, the necessary functional component was obtained by polymer syntheses. First, poly(1,10-decylene adipate) diol (PDA) with a number average molecular weight M_n of 3290 g·mol⁻¹ was synthesized from 1,10-decanediol and adipic acid. Afterward, the PDA was brought to reaction with 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate and 1,4-butanediol. The resulting polyester urethane (PEU) was processed to the filament, and samples were additively manufactured by fused-filament fabrication. After thermomechanical treatment, the PEU reliably actuated under stress-free conditions by expanding on cooling and shrinking on heating with a maximum thermoreversible strain of 16.1%. Actuation stabilized at 12.2%, as verified in a measurement comprising 100 heating-cooling cycles. By adding an actuator element to a gripper system, a hen’s egg could be picked up, safely transported and deposited. Finally, one actuator element each was built into two types of unit cells for programmable materials, thus enabling the design of temperature-dependent behavior. The approaches are expected to open up new opportunities, e.g., in the fields of soft robotics and shape morphing.     

On mixed finite element approximations of shape gradients in shape optimization with the Navier–Stokes equation

For shape optimization of fluid flows governed by the Navier–Stokes equation, we investigate effectiveness of shape gradient algorithms by analyzing convergence and accuracy of mixed finite element approximations to both the distributed and boundary types of shape gradients. We present convergence analysis with a priori error estimates for the two approximate shape gradients. The theoretical analysis shows that the distributed formulation has superconvergence property. Numerical results with comparisons are presented to verify theory and show that the shape gradient algorithm based on the distributed formulation is highly effective and robust for shape optimization.     

高能量粒子再分布模型在CFETR上的应用

在中国聚变工程实验堆(CFETR)设计参数下,利用一种高能量粒子(EP)物理简化模型分析了磁流体动力学(MHD)不稳定中新经典撕裂模(NTM)引起的粒子再分布和损失。相位矢量旋转法利用EP相空间中小间隔区域内跟踪探测粒子对来判定粒子轨道随机与否,即记录连接矢量旋转角的方法标记该区域是否存在KAM面破缺,以此为据修正相空间的粒子分布函数和判断粒子损失。利用相空间探测粒子对相位矢量旋转法标记一定NTM幅度下的随机区域分布并迭代得到稳态分布剖面。对捕获粒子区域的共振岛探测结果表明,低频或零频率扰动不会与高能量α粒子形成有效共振,MHD扰动和有效碰撞效应可能使捕获-通行轨道边界附近形成损失通道。     

Efficient Synthesis of Submicrometer-Sized Active Pharmaceuticals by Laser Fragmentation in a Liquid-Jet Passage Reactor with Minimum Degradation

One challenge in the development of new drug formulations is overcoming their low solubility in relevant aqueous media. Reducing the particle size of drug powders to a few hundred nanometers is a well-known method that leads to an increase in solubility due to an elevated total surface area. However, state-of-the-art comminution techniques like cryo-milling suffer from degradation and contamination of the drugs, particularly when sub-micrometer diameters are aspired that require long processing times. In this work, picosecond-pulsed laser fragmentation in liquids (LFL) of dispersed drug particles in a liquid-jet passage reactor is used as a wear-free comminution technique using the hydrophobic oral model drugs naproxen, prednisolone, ketoconazole, and megestrol acetate. Particle size and morphology of the drug particles are characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and changes in particle size distributions upon irradiation are quantified using an analytical centrifuge. The findings highlight the superior fragmentation efficiency of the liquid-jet passage reactor setup, with a 100 times higher fraction of submicrometer particles (SMP) of the drugs compared to the batch control, which enhances solubility and goes along with minimal chemical degradation (<1%), determined by attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Moreover, the underlying predominantly photo-mechanically induced laser fragmentation mechanisms of organic microparticles (MP) are discussed.     

Diffusiophoresis in suspensions of highly charged soft particles

Diffusiophoresis phenomenon of aoft particles suspended in binary electrolyte solutions is explored theoretically in this study based on the spherical cell model, focusing on the chemiphoresis component in absence of diffusion potential. Both the electrostatic and hydrodynamic aspects of the boundary confinement, or steric effect, due to the presence of neighboring particles are examined extensively under various electrokinetic conditions. Significant local extrema are found in mobility profiles expressed as functions of the Debye length in general, synchronized with the strength of the motion-inducing double layer polarization. Moreover, a seemingly peculiar phenomenon is observed that the soft particles may move faster in more concentrated suspensions. The competition between the simultaneous enhancement of the motion-inducing electric driving force and the motion-retarding hydrodynamic drag force from the boundary confinement effect of the neighboring particles is found to be responsible for it. The above findings are also demonstrated experimentally in a very recent study on the diffusiophoretic motion of soft particles through porous collagen hydrogels. The results presented here are useful in various practical applications of soft particles like drug delivery.