Thermal and structural analysis of ultrasonic-welded PC/ABS blend for automobile applications

PC/ABS thermoplastic blends are widely employed in manufacturing sectors, as it yields good mechanical behavior when subjected to dynamic loading conditions. While investigating the fundamental nature of PC/ABS blends, ultrasonic welding process appears to suit their joining as compared to other conventional techniques. This paper focuses on PC/ABS welding using ultrasonic and the subsequent investigation from the insight of thermal science. It is imperative for the materials to retain key properties after subjecting it to welding. Examinations to evaluate these properties through DSC reveal a lower onset temperature change and a small variation of glass transition temperature, respectively, for parts which indicate minimal changes in thermal properties in welded and non-welded specimens. Apparent activation energies determined from TG data are practically independent of heating rates, which suggests that the most important process in the degradation of these materials corresponds to ABS. Those mixtures with high PC content show a clear increase in apparent activation energies with heating rate, suggesting that the thermal degradation mechanism of these samples is composed of several complex processes, each predominant during different stages of the overall process. SEM is used to investigate the structural morphology of the welded parts.     

Evaluation of Octyl-β-D-Glucopyranoside (OGP) for Cytotoxic,Hemolytic<Emphasis Type="Italic">,</Emphasis> Thrombolytic,and Antibacterial Activity

The current study indicates that octyl-β-D-glucopyranoside (OGP) as a detergent which has the ability to make the lipid layer stiff. OGP was subjected for toxicity studies and in vitro cytotoxicty assays on cancerous HeLa and non-cancerous myoblasts H9c2 cell lines. Test against aquatic organisms were carried out in Artemia salina and LC₅₀ values were calculated. Hemolytic activity tested for blood bio-compalibity showed hemolysis rate of 10–16%, followed by thrombolytic activity to burst the clots in blood. Also, the samples showed good lysis when compared to the standard streptokinase. Furthermore, α-amylase activity has been carried out to check the inhibition of α-amylase by the OGP. Finally, antibacterial activity has been tested against four different pathogens and their MIC values have been calculated.     

Solvent‐Free Nucleophilic Addition of N‐Alkylhydroxylamines to Substituted Nitroolefins: Formation of Nitrones by a Tandem process

Nucleophilic addition of 1‐methyl‐2‐arylethylhydroxylamine to substituted β‐nitrostyrene under solvent‐free conditions has led to unexpected nitrones via a tandem process involving 1,4‐addition and elimination.     

Sequential Extrusion-Ozone Pretreatment of Switchgrass and Big Bluestem

Pretreatment is one of the biggest challenges in utilizing lignocellulosic feedstocks to meet the mandatory requirements for biofuels around the world. Earlier researchers evaluated extrusion and ozone pretreatment separately and found that sugar recovery can be improved significantly from 15–20 to 40–75 % for different feedstocks. To further improve sugar recoveries, extrusion-ozone sequential pretreatment was explored. Accordingly, optimal extruded switchgrass (176?°C, 155 rpm, 20 % moisture, and 8 mm) and big bluestem (180?°C, 155 rpm, 20 % moisture, and 8 mm) at 25–75 % moisture content were exposed to an ozone flow rate of 37–365 mg/h for 2.5 to 10 min. Pretreated samples were then subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis to determine sugar recovery. Statistical analyses confirmed significant effects of the independent variables and their interactions on sugar recoveries for both feedstocks. Maximum glucose, xylose, and total sugar recovery of 66.4, 82.3, and 70.4 %, respectively, were obtained when a low-moisture (25 %) extruded switchgrass was ozonated for 2.5 min at a flow rate of 37 mg/h. Respectively, this represents increases of 3.42, 5.01, and 3.42 times that of the control. When big bluestem at 25 % moisture was extruded and then ozonated for 2.5 min at a flow rate of 365 mg/h, resulting glucose, xylose, and total sugar recoveries of 90.8, 92.2, and 87.5 %, respectively, were obtained. These represent increases of 4.5, 2.7, and 3.9 times than that of the control. It is also noteworthy that furfural and hydroxymethyl furfural were not detected in any of the pretreatments, and only low levels (0.14–0.18 g/l) of acetic acid were measured. The results show that sequential pretreatment using extrusion and ozone is an efficient way to improve sugar recovery from herbaceous biomass feedstocks.     

Extrusion Pretreatment of Pine Wood Chips

Pretreatment is the first step to open up lignocellulose structure in the conversion of biomass to biofuels. Extrusion can be a viable pretreatment method due to its ability to simultaneously expose biomass to a range of disruptive conditions in a continuous flow process. Extruder screw speed, barrel temperature, and feedstock moisture content are important factors that can influence sugar recovery from biomass. Hence, the current study was undertaken to investigate the effects of these parameters on extrusion pretreatment of pine wood chips. Pine wood chip at 25, 35, and 45?% wb moisture content were pretreated at various barrel temperatures (100, 140, and 180?°C) and screw speeds (100, 150, and 200?rpm) using a screw with compression ratios of 3:1. The pretreated pine wood chips were subjected to standard enzymatic hydrolysis followed by sugar and byproducts quantification. Statistical analyses revealed the existence of significant differences in sugar recovery due to independent variables based on comparing the mean of main effects and interaction effects. Pine wood chips pretreated at a screw speed of 150?rpm and a barrel temperature of 180?°C with a moisture content of 25?% resulted in a maximum cellulose, hemicellulose, and total sugar recoveries of 65.8, 65.6, and 66.1?%, respectively, which was about 6.7, 7.9, and 6.8 fold higher than the control (unpretreated pine chips). Furthermore, potential fermentation inhibitors such as furfural, hydroxyl methyl furfural, and acetic acid were not found in any of the treatment combinations.     

Ultrasonically welded and non-welded polypropylene and PC-ABS blend thermal analysis

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - Automobile industries are focusing toward the reduction in the weight of vehicle that leading to cost reduction and improving the fuel efficiency....     

Two-Dimensional Halide Perovskites: Approaches to Improve Optoelectronic Properties

Three-dimensional (3D) halide perovskites (HPs) are in the spotlight of materials science research due to their excellent photonic and electronic properties suitable for functional device applications. However, the intrinsic instability of these materials stands as a hurdle in the way to their commercialization. Recently, two-dimensional (2D) HPs have emerged as an alternative to 3D perovskites, thanks to their excellent stability and tunable optoelectronic properties. Unlike 3D HPs, a library of 2D perovskites could be prepared by utilizing the unlimited number of organic cations since their formation is not within the boundary of the Goldschmidt tolerance factor. These materials have already proved their potential for applications such as solar cells, light-emitting diodes, transistors, photodetectors, photocatalysis, etc. However, poor charge carrier separation and transport efficiencies of 2D HPs are the bottlenecks resulting in inferior device performances compared to their 3D analogs. This minireview focuses on how to address these issues through the adoption of different strategies and improve the optoelectronic properties of 2D perovskites.     

Influence of Extruder Temperature and Screw Speed on Pretreatment of Corn Stover while Varying Enzymes and Their Ratios

Pretreatment is being the first and most expensive step, it has pervasive impacts on all other steps in overall conversion process. There are several pretreatment methods using physical, chemical, and biological principles which are under various stages of investigation. Extrusion can be used as one of the physical pretreatment methods towards biofuel production. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of barrel temperature and screw speed on sugar recovery from corn stover, to select a suitable enzyme combination and its ratio. Corn stover was pretreated in a single screw extruder with five screw speeds (25, 50, 75, 100, and 125 rpm) and five barrel temperatures (25, 50, 75, 100, and 125 °C). In order to select a suitable enzyme combination and ratio, different levels of cellulase and β-glucosidase, multienzyme complex and β-glucosidase were used during saccharification of pretreated corn stover. From the statistical analysis, it was found that screw speed and temperature had a significant effect on sugar recovery from corn stover. Higher glucose, xylose, and combined sugar recovery of 75, 49, and 61%, respectively, were recorded at 75 rpm and 125 °C. This pretreatment condition resulted in 2.0, 1.7, and 2.0 times higher than the control sample using 1:4 cellulase and β-glucosidase combination.     

Synthesis, optical, electrochemical, and thermal studies on triazole-based dendrimers with diphenylamine as surface group

Fréchet-type dendrimers with hole-transporting diphenylamine as surface group and electron-transporting triazole moiety as building block have been synthesized by convergent synthetic strategy through ‘click chemistry’ methodology. First generation dendrimer exhibits longer relaxation time, higher quantum yield in the fluorescence spectrum, and better thermal stability than the zero and second generation dendrimers. CV studies showed irreversible reduction potential and the formation of radical cation due to diphenylamine moiety.