Preparation and Characterization of a Novel Hybrid Copolymer Hydrogel with Poly（ethylene glycol） Dimethacrylate, 2-Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate and Layered Double Hydroxides

This paper describes the fabrication, characterization and properties of a novel hybrid poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) based hydrogel via in situ polymerization. The hybrid hydrogel was fabricated by free-radical redox polymerization using ammonium persulfate (APS) and N, N, N??, N??-tetramethylethylenediamine (TEMED) as initiators and N, N??-methylene bisacrylamide (BIS) as cross-linker at 60°C. To create a hybrid hydrogel, 0.2% (mass fraction) of MgAl layered double hydroxide (LDH) was added to the aqueous solution by ultrasonic dispersion. The physicochemical properties of hybrid hydrogel under vacuum freeze-drying processing were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while swelling kinetics and gel content were calculated. Swelling degree in distilled water varied from 94%?C125% with a gel mass fraction of 83%?C91%. SEM images showed that the micron pore size of hydrogel could be adjusted within the range of several micrometers by changing the cross-linker mass fraction from 2% to 10% (based on glycol). The results showed that the hybrid hydrogels exhibited excellent physicochemical behavior and might be a promising material for applications in tissue engineering and drug delivery.     

Effect of La addition on electrochemical properties of amorphous LaMg11Zr+200Ni alloy

The effect of La addition on the structure and electrochemical properties of amorphous LaMg₁₁Zr+200Ni (LaMg₁₁Zr: Ni = 1: 2, m: m) hydrogen storage alloy prepared by mechanical alloying was investigated systematically. The results show that the alloys have an amorphous structure after 20 h ball-milling and the particles are significantly refined with the addition of La. The electrochemical tests indicate that the charging resistance of the alloy electrodes decreases with the addition of La. The maximum discharge capacity of the alloy electrodes increases with the increase of La addition, while the cyclic stability and high-rate discharge performance increase firstly and then decrease as the La content increases. When the mass fraction of La is up to 5%, the maximum discharge capacity after charging/discharging of 30 cycles of the alloy electrode is increased from 576.2 to 597.5 mA· h/g, and the capacity retention rate and high-rate dischargeability (HRD) of the alloy electrode are increased by 20.5% and 29.4% respectively compared with those of the alloy electrode without the La addition, exhibiting the best comprehensive electrochemical performances.     

Microstructure and hardness of Ni-xSi alloys

The microstructure and hardness of conventionally solidified Ni-xSi (x = 21.4%, 22%, 24%, 26%) alloys were investigated. The solidification microstructures of different Ni-Si alloys were observed by optical microscope (OM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) and the phase composition was indentified under the help of energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis. The macro- and micro-hardness of the Ni-Si alloys at room temperature were also examined. The experimental results indicated that both the microstructure and hardness closely depended on the Si content. Due to the vast formation of primary ??-Ni₃₁Si₁₂ phase, the hardness of Ni-26.0%Si alloy was significantly improved compared with that of Ni-21.4%Si eutectic alloy. However, the fracture toughness was greatly weakened simultaneously. The (?? ₁-Ni₃Si+??-Ni₃₁Si₁₂) lamellar eutectoid structure formed in the primary ??-Ni₃₁Si₁₂ phase exhibited better ductility than single ??-Ni₃₁Si₁₂ phase at the cost of relatively small hardness reduction.     

Hydrogen adsorption by woodceramics produced from biomass

Hydrogen adsorption characteristics of woodceramics, made from radiata pine wood fiber boards carbonized at 1 473K after impregnation with phenolic resin, with and without chemical treatment in an alkaline (KOH) or an acid (H₂SO₄) solution were investigated The hydrogen adsorption capacity is improved by chemical treatment. The chemical treatment by KOH improves the adsorption capacity more than by H₂SO₄. The improvement of the capacity level, in any solution, is dependent on the type of chemical in the solution and its concentration. The maximum hydrogen capacity measured at 93K is mass fraction about w(H) = 2% for the woodceramics after chemical treatment in a volume fraction ?? = 50% KOH solution, although that is about w(H) = 0.7% for one without chemical treatment. The microscopic condition of pores in the woodceramics is thought to vary after chemical treatment.     

Study on Oxidation Activity of CuCeZrO<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript> Doped with K for Diesel Engine Particles in NO/O<Subscript>2</Subscript>

CuCeZrO_x and KCuCeZrO_x catalysts were synthesized and coated on the blank diesel particulate filter (DPF) substrate and a particulate matter (PM) loading apparatus was used for soot loading. The catalytic performances of soot oxidation were evaluated by temperature programmed combustion (TPC) test and characterization tests were conducted to investigate the physicochemical properties of the catalysts. The reaction mechanism in the oxidation process was analyzed with diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy. The results demonstrated that CuCeZrO_x catalyst exhibited high activities of soot oxidation at low temperature and the best results have been attained with Cu_0.9Ce_0.05Zr_0.05O_x over which the maximum soot oxidation rate decreased to 410 °C. Characterization tests have shown that catalysts containing 90% Cu have uniformly distributed grains and small particle sizes, which provide excellent oxidation activity by providing more active sites and forming a good bond between the catalyst and the soot. The low-temperature oxidation activity of soot could be further optimized due to the excellent elevated NO’s conversion rate by partially substituting Cu with K. The maximum particle oxidation rate can be easily realized at such a low temperature as 347°C.     

Modified Nafion polymer electrolyte membranes by ��-ray irradiation used in direct methanol fuel cells

Modification of the commercial polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) Nafion 117 by ??-ray irradiation to produce an improved proton exchange membrane for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) was described. The Nafion 117 membrane was exposed under ??-ray irradiation circumstance with the irradiation doses from 10³ to 10⁵ Gy. Subsequently the properties of the membrane itself, in terms of swelling ratio, water uptake rate, proton conductivity and methanol permeability, together with the performance of its membrane electrode assembly (MEA) in DMFC were analyzed and contrasted with the untreated material. When the Nafion 117 membrane was exposed under ??-ray irradiation circumstance, the degradation and crosslinking reactions occurred at the same time. Specific scopes of the ??-ray irradiation dose may cause the membrane crosslinking, thus reduce the membrane swelling ratio and decrease the methanol crossover. By reducing the membrane swelling ratio and methanol permeation, the single DMFC with the modified Nafion 117 membrane produced reasonable power density performance as high as 32W/m² under 2mol/L methanol solution at room temperature.     

Recycling of aluminum from fibre metal laminates

Recycling of aluminum alloy scrap obtained from delaminated fibre metal laminates (FMLs) was studied through high temperature refining in the presence of a salt flux. The aluminum alloy scrap contains approximately mass fraction w(Cu) = 4.4%, w(Mg) = 1.1% and w(Mn) = 0.6% (2024 aluminum alloy). The main objective of this research is to obtain a high metal yield, while maintaining its original alloy compositions. The work focuses on the metal yield and quality of recycled Al alloy under different refining conditions. The NaCl-KCl salt system was selected as the major components of flux in the Al alloy recycling. Two different flux compositions were employed at NaCl to KCl mass ratios of 44:56 and 70:30 respectively, based on either the eutectic composition, or the European preference. Different additives were introduced into the NaCl-KCl system to study the effect of flux component on recycling result. Although burning and oxidation loss of the alloying elements during re-melting and refining take place as the drawbacks of conventional refining process, the problems can be solved to a large extent by using an appropriate salt flux. Experimental results indicate that Mg in the alloy gets lost when adding cryolite in the NaCl-KCl salt system, though the metal yield can reach as high as 98%. However, by adding w(MgF₂) = 5% into the NaCl-KCl salt system (instead of using cryolite) all alloying elements were well controlled to its original composition with a metal yield of almost 98%.     

Effect of Cu Co-doping on the magnetism of Zn0.95Co0.05O films

Zn_0.95?x Co_0.05Cu _x O (atomic ratio, x = 0?C8%) thin films are fabricated on Si(111) substrate by reactive magnetron sputtering method. Detailed characterizations indicate that the doped Cu ions substitute the Zn²⁺ ions in ZnO lattice. The doped Cu ions are in +1 and +2 mixture valent state. The ferromagnetism of the Zn_0.95?x Co_0.05Cu _x O film increases gradually with the increase of the Cu⁺ ion concentration till x = 6%, but decreases for higher Cu concentration. Experimental results indicate that the increase of ferromagnetism is not owing to the magnetic contribution of Cu⁺ ions themselves, but owing to the enhancement of magnetic interaction between Co²⁺ ions, which suggests that p-type doping of Cu⁺ ions plays an important role in mediating the ferromagnetic coupling between Co ions.     

La0.7Sr0.3MnO3单晶外延薄膜制备及其磁电阻特性

为制得性能良好的涂层导体用La0.7Sr0.3MnO3(LSMO)缓冲层薄膜、研究LSMO薄膜的低磁场磁电阻效应,利用高分子辅助化学溶液沉积法,在LaAlO3(LAO)单晶基底上制备了一系列钙钛矿LSMO单晶外延薄膜.考虑氩气和氧气退火气氛对LSMO成相的影响,研究了氩气退火条件下样品的织构、形貌情况和氧气退火条件下制得的样品的输运性质及磁电阻效应.研究结果表明:氩气下采用高分子辅助的化学溶液沉积法有利于制备出低成本、高性能的涂层导体用单一LSMO缓冲层;氧气下退火制得的薄膜c轴取向生长良好,并且电阻-温度曲线出现绝缘体-金属相变,其磁电阻值在200~300 K范围内不随温度变化,在1 T磁场室温下磁电阻值约为-26.0 %.      

Improvement the electrochemical performance of Li1.2Ni0.2Mn0.6O2 electrode with AlF3 added

Layered solid solution material Li_1.2Ni_0.2Mn_0.6O₂ is synthesized and the AlF₃ is added to improve the electrochemical performance. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results show that the Li_1.2Ni_0.2Mn_0.6O₂ samples exhibit layered characteristics. The AlF₃ additive is detected by transmission electron microscope (TEM) technology. The electrochemical tests show that Li_1.2Ni_0.2Mn_0.6O₂ electrode with AlF₃ added delivers better discharge capacity (240mA· h/g), first coulomb efficiency 79.2%, cyclic performance (capacity retention ratio of 100.6% after 50 cycles), and rate capacity (68mA · h/g at 10 capacity (C)) than the pristine sample. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) results show that the charge transfer resistance of Li_1.2Ni_0.2Mn_0.6O₂ electrode with AlF₃ added increases slower than that of pristine Li_1.2Ni_0.2Mn_0.6O₂ after cycling, which is responsible for better cyclic and rate performance.     

Grain refining mechanism of carbon inoculation on Mg-Al alloy

The processing parameters and refining mechanism of Mg-Al alloy treated with a newly developed carbon inoculant under different conditions were investigated experimentally in this work. Results show that the finest ??-Mg grain in AZ91D alloy can be obtained after processing at about 740°C, and the average grain size of ??-Mg grain decreases from about 180.4 to 85.6 ??m by adding mass fraction w _in = 1% inoculant into melt. However, no evident refinement was achieved with excessive inoculant for Mn-free Mg-9Al alloy. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) photo, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis on the Mn-contained intermediate phase and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results indicate that Mn element plays an important role in the heterogeneous nucleation of ??-Mg grain. In the early stage of solidification, Al-Mn-C compound particles formed on the surface of Al₄C₃ nano-particles should be the potential nuclei for primary ??-Mg and probably responsible for the grain refinement achieved in the carbon inoculation process.     

Serum levels of RBP4 might not be determined by diabetes mellitus but by kidney function and renal replacement therapy

It has been reported that retinol-binding protein 4(RBP4) is associated to adiposity,insulin resistance,and type 2 diabetes.Meanwhile,circulating RBP4 levels are also affected by renal function.The aim of the present study is to investigate whether serum levels of RBP4 are primarily associated with different stages of chronic kidney disease(CKD) or type 2 diabetes,if there is more potential relevance between RBP4 and renal replacement therapy.The serum levels of RBP4 were assessed by commercial competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)kit in 212 patients with the CKD stages 1—5 and in 24 healthy controls,while its correlation with clinical and metabolic parameters was analyzed.The serum level of RBP4 had a strong correlation with estimated glomerular filtration rate(e GFR)(P 0.001).Stratified by e GFR and treatment,no more differences in RBP4 serum concentration were detected between type 2 diabetic and non-diabetic subjects [CKD stages 1—5,non-dialysis(ND),hemodialysis(HD) and peritoneal dialysis(PD);P 0.05 for all].The elevation of RBP4 become higher in HD than in PD and ND in CKD5 patients(P = 0.008 and P = 0.04,respectively),while there was no significant difference between PD and ND groups.Multivariate linear regression analysis demonstrated three independent predictors of e GFR(β =-0.676,P 0.001),C-reactive protein(CRP)(β =-0.573,P 0.001) and creatine(β = 0.509,P = 0.024) in the study population.The study results demonstrated that the serum level of RBP4 was negatively related to the e GFR,whether diabetes mellitus(DM) affected the blood concentration of RBP4 or not.And the serum level of RBP4 exhibited significant difference in different renal replacement therapies.     

Fabrication of a Novel Porous Poly（Vinylidene Fluoride） Blend Five-Bore Membrane for Wastewater Treatment

Porous poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) blend five-bore hollow fiber membranes are prepared by wet phase inversion methods. In spinning these PVDF hollow fibers, N, N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) are used as the solvent and the non-solvent additive, respectively. The external coagulant uses water. The internal coagulants use water and DMAc-water solutions. The membranes are characterized in terms of water flux and molecular weight cut-off for the wet membranes. The cross-sectional structures are examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The effects of polymer concentration and the internal coagulant on the permeation properties and membrane structures are examined keeping the bore liquid flow and air-gap constants. Relative high flux, rejection and strengh PVDF five-bore hollow fiber membranes could be prepared from the polymer concentration in dope solution at 17% of mass fraction, the air gap distance of 14 cm, and using 10% of mass fraction of DMAc solution as the internal coagulant at 13mL/min of flow.     

Properties and electronic structure of iron under pressure up to 30GPa

The properties and electronic structure of Fe under pressures of 0–30GPa have been studied by first principles employing the density functional theory (DFT), the ultra-soft pseudo-potentials (USPP) and the generalized gradient approximation (GGA). The calculating results show that there is a structural transition from magnetic body-centered cubic (bcc) to nonmagnetic hexagonal-close-packed (hcp) structure for Fe around 11GPa pressure. There is a pseudogap both in the density of states (DOS) for bcc and hcp Fe. The pseudogap of bcc Fe is deeper and wider than that of hcp Fe. The elastic modulus is obtained by Voigt-Reuss-Hill averaging scheme. The results indicate that the elastic properties of bcc Fe enhance with pressure except for elastic stiffness constant C ₁₁, shear modulus G and elastic modulus E at the transition pressure, while the elastic properties of hcp Fe increase linearly with pressure. Magnetic bcc Fe is ductile, and hcp Fe becomes ductile from brittle around 25GPa.     

Effect of oxygen content on structural and optical properties of single Cu2O film by reactive magnetron sputtering method

Cuprous oxide (Cu₂O) thin films have been deposited on glass substrate by reactive magnetron sputtering method using Cu target and argon oxygen gas atmosphere. Effect of oxygen flow rate on structural and optical properties of thin films has been discussed. The results of X-ray diffraction, ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry and atomic force micrograph indicated that the condition window for single Cu₂O phase was about 3.8 to 4.4 cm³/min, and the optimum oxygen flow rate was 4.2 cm³/min. The optical band gap E _g of Cu₂O film was determined by using the data of transmittance versus wavelength, and slightly decreased from 2.46 to 2.40 eV with the increase of oxygen flow rate from 3.8 to 4.4 cm³/min. The Cu₂O film formed at the oxygen flow rate of 4.2 cm³/min had an optical band gap of 2.43 eV.     

First-principle investigation of the structural stability and electronic property of precipitates on the Cu-rich side of Cu-Ni-Si alloys

The energetic and electronic structures of precipitates on the Cu-rich side of Cu-Ni-Si alloys were investigated by using the first-principle calculations based on plane-wave pseudopotential method. The negative formation heats and the cohesive energies of these precipitates were estimated with electronic structure calculations, and their structural stability was also analyzed. The results show that δ-Ni₂Si, γ-Ni₅Si₂ and β-Ni₃Si precipitates all have great alloying ability and structural stability, which, after comparing their density of states (DOS), is found attributed to the pseudogap effect near the Fermi level (E _F) and strong hybridization between the Ni-3d and Si-3p states. Compared with the other two precipitates, the δ-Ni₂Si precipitate has the greatest structural stability, which is resulted from its lower DOS at E _F and the main bonding peaks slightly moving to the low energy region.     

Phase transitions relating to the pozzolanic activity of electrolytic manganese residue during calcination

Electrolytic manganese residue（EMR） is generated from electrolytic manganese metal（EMM） industry, and its disposal is currently a serious problem in China.The EMR were calcined in the interval 100—900℃to enhance their pozzolanic activity and characterized by the differential thermal analysis-thermogravimetry（TGDTA）, X-ray diffraction（XRD）,infra-red（IR） and chemical analysis techniques with the aim to correlate phase transitions and structural features with the pozzolanic activity of calcined EMR.Prom the phase analysis and compressive strength results,it is found that the EMR calcined within 700—800℃had the best pozzolanic activity due to the decomposition of poorly-crystallized CaSO₄ under the reducing ambient created by the decomposition of（NH₄）₂SO₄.The appearance of reactive CaO mainly contributes to the good pozzolanic activity of EMR calcined within 700—800℃.The crystallinity of Mn₃CO₄ increases leading an unfavourable effect on the pozzolanic behaviour of EMR calcined at 900℃.The developed pozzolanic material containing 30%（mass fraction） EMR possesses compressive strength properties at a level similar to 42.5^# normal Portland cement,in the range of 41.5—50.5 MPa.Besides,leaching results show that EMR blend cement pastes have excellent effect on the solidification of heavy metals.     

Safety Evaluation for Freeway Exit Ramp Based on Speed Consistency

Speed differential has direct relationship with road safety. Conventional speed consistency measures draw sample data from independent population that follows a normal distribution. These methods may fall into ecological fallacy and overestimate the safety level of road elements. After deducing the relationship between the difference in operating speed ΔV₈₅ and85(ΔV), the 85^th percentile value of individual speed reduction, this paper recommends 85(ΔV) and speed reduction rate 85(ΔV)R is used to evaluate ramp safety. Point speeds of individual vehicle at freeway diverge area, upper ramp, and lower ramp are collected by radar guns. Safety performance of 37 exit ramps are appraised using three different measures, namely, ΔV₈₅, 85(ΔV), and 85(ΔV)R. The results show that 85(ΔV) is 1.42 to 2.02 times of ΔV₈₅, and that the evaluation result of 85(ΔV)R is between the other two. The measure 85(ΔV)R considers not only individual speed but also the base speed on upstream element, which avoid the pitfalls of ecological fallacy and overestimation possessed by conventional measures. It is a safer and reasonable measure that should be adopted in practice.     

Preparation of benzene adsorption materials using waste activated alumina

A new type of benzene adsorption material was prepared by using the airtight heat treatment method. This method can directly transform the organic impurities of the activated alumina waste into carbon with adsorption capability. The microstructure and carbon content of materials were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), BET (Brunauer Emmett Teller) surface area analysis and elemental analysis. The influences of heat treatment temperature on the properties of the composite materials were discussed. The benzene adsorption capability of the material was investigated. The experimental results show that the optimal heat treatment process condition is airtight heating at 400°C for 2 h. The resulting sample has carbon mass fraction of 3.57%, specific surface area of 234.70m²/g, pore volume of 0.41m³/g, and average pore size of 6.59 nm. The samples show excellent benzene adsorption capability with an adsorption rate of 21.80%.