Influence of molecular weight on the thermal decomposition of hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene

Thermogravimetric analysis of hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) and its fractions of different molecular weights separated by preparative GPC shows two major stages of weight loss of different nature in a nitrogen atmosphere. The first stage is primarily depolymerisation, cyclisation and crosslinking of molecules and the second stage is mainly the decomposition of the residue from the first stage. The kinetic parameters, viz. activation energy E and pre-exponential factor A using four different non-isothermal integral equations show a systematic increase with increase in molecular weight for the first stage, whereas for the second stage, the effect of molecular weight on E and A values is not prominent. The increase in E and A values for the first stage is attributed to the formation of greater number of cyclised and crosslinked products from molecules of higher dimensions. Quantitative correlations between the kinetic constants and the molecular weight parameters were derived for the first stage as a quadratic curve following the equation: E or ln A = K₁ − K₂/M (where K₁ and K₂ are empirical constants whose values are different for the different molecular weight averages, viz. M_n, M_w and M_z and for the different equations).     

Ionic/electronic conductivity regulation of n-type polyoxadiazole lithium sulfonate conductive polymer binders for high-performance silicon microparticle anodes

Low-cost silicon microparticles(SiMP),as a substitute for nanostructured silicon,easily suffer from cracks and fractured during the electrochemical cycle.A novel n-type conductive polymer binder with excellent electronic and ionic conductivities as well as good adhesion,has been successfully designed and applied for high-performance SiMP anodes in lithium-ion batteries to address this problem.Its unique features are attributed to the stro ng electron-withdrawing oxadiazole ring structure with sulfonate polar groups.The combination of rigid and flexible components in the polymer ensures its good mechanical strength and ductility,which is beneficial to suppress the expansion and contraction of SiMP s during the charge/discharge process.By fine-tuning the monomer ratio,the conjugation and sulfonation degrees of the polymer can be precisely controlled to regulate its ionic and electronic conductivities,which has been systematically analyzed with the help of an electrochemical test method,filling in the gap on the conductivity measurement of the polymer in the doping state.The experimental results indicate that the cell with the developed n-type polymer binder and SiMP(~0.5 μm) anodes achieves much better cycling performance than traditional non-conductive binders.It has been considered that the initial capacity of the SiMP anode is controlled by the synergetic effect of ionic and electronic conductivity of the binder,and the capacity retention mainly depends on its electronic conductivity when the ionic conductivity is sufficient.It is worth noting that the fundamental research of this wo rk is also applicable to other battery systems using conductive polymers in order to achieve high energy density,broadening their practical applications.     

Nanoparticle Halos Mechanism in Stabilizing of Colloidal Suspensions: Polymeric Binder and Dispersant Effects

Dispersion behavior of colloidal Al₂O₃ aqueous suspensions was investigated in the presence of highly charged CeO₂ nanoparticles and polymeric additives. It was found that among the investigated parameters, ceria nanoparticles concentration had the highest significant effect on the stability of Al₂O₃-CeO₂ suspensions. However, the low influence of dispersant concentration may be due to significant role of ceria nanoparticles stabilizing alumina microspheres by “nanoparticle halo” formation. The stabilization of the bidispersed suspensions was also evidenced by scanning electron microscopy and elemental analysis of the sediment layers after three weeks.     

In-situ polymerized cross-linked binder for cathode in lithium-sulfur batteries

Volume expansion and polysulfide shuttle effect are the main barriers for the commercialization of lithium-sulfur(Li-S) battery.In this work,we in-situ polymerized a cross-linked binder in sulfur cathode to solve the aforementioned problems using a facile method under mild conditions.Polycarbonate diol(PCDL),triethanolamine(TEA) and hexamethylene diisocyanate(HDI) were chosen as precursors to prepare the cross-linked binder.The in-situ polymerized binder(PTH) builds a strong network in sulfur cathode,which could restrain the volume expansion of sulfu r.Moreover,by adopting functional groups of oxygen atoms and nitrogen atoms,the binder could effectively facilitate transportation of Li-ion and adsorb polysulfide chemically.The Li-S battery with bare sulfur and carbon/sulfur composite cathodes and cross-linked PTH binder displays much better electrochemical performance than that of the battery with PVDF.The PTH-bare S cathode with a mass loading of 5.97 mg/cm^2 could deliver a capacity of 733.3 mAh/g at 0.2 C,and remained 585.5 mAh/g after 100 cycles.This in-situ polymerized binder is proved to be quite effective on restraining the volume expansion and suppressing polysulfide shuttle effect,then improving the electrochemical performance of Li-S battery.     

用于荧光光谱测定的微量固体粉末样品制样优化*

为满足微量固体粉末荧光检测要求,采用薄层制样法,改变黏结剂种类、黏结剂的用量、涂层厚度以及后处理方法来进行其制样工艺优化。 结果表明:以聚乙烯醇做黏结剂、1∶5的固液比、在50 ℃烘干30 min、涂片次数3层的薄层制样优化工艺可满足荧光固体测样的要求。采用t检验比较固体样品池装样和薄层制样法的荧光检测结果发现两者无显著性差异,薄层制样优化工艺的需样量较样品池减少90%。     

Unlocking the Hidden Potential of Cosmetics Waste for Building Sustainable Green Pavements in the Future: A Case Study of Discarded Lipsticks

This investigation is dedicated to unlocking the hidden potential of discarded cosmetics towards building green sustainable road pavements in the future. It is particularly aiming at exploring waste lipstick (WLS) as a high-quality functional additive for advanced asphalt mix technologies. To fuel this novel innovation, the effect of various WLS doses (e.g., 5, 10, and 15 wt.%) on the performance of base AP-5 asphalt cement was studied in detail. A wide array of cutting-edge analytical lab techniques was employed to inspect in-depth the physicochemical, microstructural, thermo-morphological, and rheological properties of resultant admixtures including: elemental analysis, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thin-layer chromatography-flame ionization detection (TLC-FID), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), needle penetration, ring and ball softening point, Brookfield viscometer, ductility, and dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) tests. Unlike the unstable response of asphaltenes, the additive/artificial aging treatments increased the fraction of resins the most, and decreased that of aromatics; however, asphaltenes did not impair the saturates portion, according to Iatroscan research. FT-IR scan divulged that the WLS-asphalt interaction was physical rather than chemical. XRD diagnosis not only revealed an obvious correlation between the asphaltenes content and the fresh-binder crystallinity but also revealed the presence of fillers in the WLS, which may generate outstanding technical qualities to bituminous mixes. According to AFM/SEM analyses, the stepwise incorporation of WLS grew the magnitude of the “bee-shaped” microstructures and extended the roughness rate of unaged/aged binders. The prolonged consumption of the high thermal-stable additive caused a remarkable drop in the onset degradation and glass transition temperature of mixtures, thus enhancing their workability and low-temperature performance, according to TGA/DTGA/DSC data. The DSR and empirical rheological experiments demonstrated that the WLS could effectively lower the manufacturing and compaction temperatures of asphalt mixes and impart them with valuable anti-aging/fatigue-cracking assets. In a nutshell, the use of waste lipstick as an asphalt modifier is viable and cost-effective and could attenuate the pollution arisen from the beauty sector, while improving the performance of hot/warm asphalt mixes (HAM/WAM) and extending the service life of roadways.     

OMS-2/堇青石整体式催化剂的制备及其对二甲醚燃烧的催化性能

 以有机物为粘合剂, 采用涂覆法制备了氧化锰八面体分子筛 (OMS-2)/堇青石整体式催化剂, 采用热重-差热分析、扫描电镜、X 射线衍射、H2 程序升温还原和 O2 程序升温脱附等技术对催化剂进行了表征, 考察了有机粘合剂种类及其用量对二甲醚 (DME) 催化燃烧性能的影响. 结果表明, 在有机粘合剂聚乙烯醇 1799 (其质量含量为 3%) 的作用下, OMS-2 以相互交织的簇体均匀分布于堇青石表面, 且粘附力较强, 制备的整体式催化剂在 DME 催化燃烧中表现出最优的催化性能, 起燃温度 T10 = 169 oC, 完全转化温度 T90 = 243 oC; 催化剂使用后再经高温焙烧其活性仍能保持稳定, 表现出较高的重复使用性.     

Water stability of a cheap sol-gel-based adhesive

The humidity and water tolerance of a sol-gel derived binder prepared using a cheap, multicomponent precursor has been studied. The sol was prepared by dissolving the precursor in water under acidic conditions using either formic acid or a mixture of formic acid and citric acid for pH adjustments. It is shown that a post-treatment temperature of 400 °C or higher is needed in order to achieve full binder stability under excess water conditions, as thermal decomposition of metal carboxylates leads to a pronounced decrease in water solubility of the gels. The mesoporous gel can be made hydrophobic by post-treatments with either a silane or an organophosphonate, showing that both silica and metal oxides are exposed on the surface of the binder. Surface functionalization is especially effective for gels heat-treated at higher temperatures where the metal carboxylates have decomposed to the corresponding oxides or carbonates. The results are expected to be of great importance for the use of this cheap binder in large scale industrial applications. Electronic Supplementary Material  The online version of this article () contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Influence of catalyst binder on the acidity and activity/selectivity of Ga/H-ZSM-5 zeolite in propane aromatization

The acidity and initial and time-on-stream activity in propane aromatization (at 550°C, space velocity of 3100 cm³g⁻¹ _(zeolite)h⁻¹) of Ga-impregnated H-ZSM-5 zeolite without or with binders (50 wt%), such as silica, alumina and kaolin, have been investigated. Both the acidity and catalytic activity of the zeolite are influenced by the presence of binder in the catalyst, depending upon the binder. The influence is found to be lowest for alumina and highest for kaolin. Among the binders, alumina is the most preferred binder for the zeolite catalyst.