ABSTRACT
With the rapid development of modern industry, it is urgently needed to measure the biotoxicity of complex chemicals. Microbial electrochemical biotoxicity sensors are an attractive technology; however, their application is usually limited by their stability and reusability after measurements. Here, we improve their performance by encapsulating the electroactive biofilm with polydopamine (PDA), and we evaluate the improvement by different concentrations of heavy metal ions (Cu2+, Ag+, and Fe3+) in terms of inhibition ratio (IR) and durability. Results indicate that the PDA-encapsulated sensor exhibits a more significant detection concentration than the control group, with a 3-fold increase for Cu2+ and a 1.5-fold increase for Ag+. Moreover, it achieves 15 more continuous toxicity tests than the control group, maintaining high electrochemical activity even after continuous toxicity impacts. Images from a confocal laser scanning microscope reveal that the PDA encapsulation protects the activity of the electroactive biofilm. The study, thus, demonstrates that PDA encapsulation is efficacious in improving the performance of microbial electrochemical biotoxicity sensors, which can extend its application to more complex media.
Subject(s)
Biofilms , Biosensing Techniques , Electrochemical Techniques , Indoles , Polymers , Polymers/chemistry , Biofilms/drug effects , Copper/chemistry , Metals, Heavy , Silver/chemistryABSTRACT
As the understanding of natural gas hydrates as a vast potential resource deepens, their importance as a future clean energy source becomes increasingly evident. However, natural gas hydrates trend towards secondary generation during extraction and transportation, leading to safety issues such as pipeline blockages. Consequently, developing new and efficient natural gas hydrate inhibitors has become a focal point in hydrate research. Kinetic hydrate inhibitors (KHIs) offer an effective solution by disrupting the nucleation and growth processes of hydrates without altering their thermodynamic equilibrium conditions. This paper systematically reviews the latest research progress and development trends in KHIs for natural gas hydrates, covering their development history, classification, and inhibition mechanisms. It particularly focuses on the chemical properties, inhibition effects, and mechanisms of polymer inhibitors such as polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and polyvinylcaprolactam (PVCap). Studies indicate that these polymer inhibitors provide an economical and efficient solution due to their low dosage and environmental friendliness. Additionally, this paper explores the environmental impact and biodegradability of these inhibitors, offering guidance for future research, including the development, optimization, and environmental assessment of new inhibitors. Through a comprehensive analysis of existing research, this work aims to provide a theoretical foundation and technical reference for the commercial development of natural gas hydrates, promoting their safe and efficient use as a clean energy resource.
ABSTRACT
Polymer-based actuators have gained extensive attention owing to their potential applications in aerospace, soft robotics, etc. However, poor mechanical properties, the inability of multi-stimuli response and programmable deformation, and the costly fabrication procedure have significantly hindered their practical application. Herein, these issues are overcome via a simple and scalable one-step molding method. The actuator is fabricated by hot-pressing commercial unidirectional carbon fiber/epoxy prepregs with a commodity PC membrane. Notable CTE differences between the CF and PC layers endow the bilayer actuator with fast and reliable actuation deformation. Benefiting from the high strength of CF, the actuator exhibits excellent mechanical performance. Moreover, the anisotropy of CF endows the actuator with design flexibility. Furthermore, the multifunction of CF makes the actuator capable of responding to thermal, optical, and electrical stimulation simultaneously. Based on the bilayer actuator, we successfully fabricated intelligent devices such as light-driven biomimetic flowers, intelligent grippers, and gesture-simulating apparatuses, which further validate the programmability and multi-stimuli response characteristics of this actuator. Strikingly, the prepared gripper possesses a grasping capacity approximately 31.2 times its own weight. It is thus believed that the concept presented paves the way for building next-generation robust robotics.
ABSTRACT
Polyether ether ketone (PEEK) is esteemed as a high-performance engineering polymer renowned for its exceptional mechanical properties and thermal stability. Nonetheless, the majority of polymer-based lubricating materials fail to meet the contemporary industrial demands for motion components regarding high speed, heavy loading, temperature resistance, and precise control. Utilizing 3D printing technology to design and fabricate intricately structured components, developing high-performance polymer self-lubricating materials becomes imperative to fulfill the stringent operational requirements of motion mechanisms. This study introduces a novel approach employing 3D printing technology to produce PEEK with varying filling densities and conducting in situ synthesis of zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-8) nanomaterials on its surface to enhance PEEK's frictional performance. The research discusses the synthetic methodology, characterization techniques, and tribological performance evaluation of in situ synthesized ZIF-8 nanomaterials on PEEK surfaces. The findings demonstrate a significant enhancement in frictional performance of the composite material under low-load conditions, achieving a minimum wear rate of 4.68 × 10-6 mm3/N·m compared to the non-grafted PEEK material's wear rate of 1.091 × 10-5 mm3/N·m, an approximately 1.3 times improvement. Detailed characterization and analysis of the worn surface of the steel ring unveil the lubrication mechanism of the ZIF-8 nanoparticles, thereby presenting new prospects for the diversified applications of PEEK.
ABSTRACT
Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) materials have shown promise in tissue engineering applications due to their mechanical properties and biocompatibility. However, the addition of nanoclays to TPU can further enhance its properties. In this study, the effects of nanoclays on the microstructure, mechanical behavior, cytocompatibility, and proliferation of TPU/nanoclay (TPUNC) composite scaffolds were comprehensively investigated. The dispersion morphology of nanoclays within the TPU matrix was examined using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It was found that the nanoclays exhibited a well-dispersed and intercalated structure, which contributed to the improved mechanical properties of the TPUNC scaffolds. Mechanical testing revealed that the addition of nanoclays significantly enhanced the compressive strength and elastic resilience of the TPUNC scaffolds. Cell viability and proliferation assays were conducted using MG63 cells cultured on the TPUNC scaffolds. The incorporation of nanoclays did not adversely affect cell viability, as evidenced by the comparable cell numbers between nanoclay-filled and unfilled TPU scaffolds. The presence of nanoclays within the TPUNC scaffolds did not disrupt cell adhesion or proliferation. The incorporation of nanoclays improved the dispersion morphology, enhanced mechanical performance, and maintained excellent biocompatibility. These findings suggest that TPUNC composites have great potential for tissue engineering applications, providing a versatile and promising scaffold material for regenerative medicine.
ABSTRACT
Polycarbonate (PC) foam is a versatile material with excellent properties, but its low thermal stability limits its application in high-temperature environments. The aim of this study was to improve the thermal stability of PC foam by adding glass fibers (GF) and to investigate the effect of GF on PC crystallization behavior and PC foam cell morphology. This study was motivated by the need to improve the performance of PC foams in various industries, such as construction, automotive, and medical. To achieve this goal, PC/GF composites were prepared by extrusion, and PC/GF composite foams were produced using a batch foaming process with supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) as the blowing agent. The results showed that the addition of GF accelerated the SC-CO2-induced crystallization stability of PC and significantly increased the cell density to 4.6 cells/cm3. In addition, the thermal stability of PC/GF foam was improved, with a significant increase in the residual carbon rate at 700 °C and a lower weight loss rate than PC matrix. Overall, this study highlights the potential of GF as a PC foam reinforcement and its effect on thermal and structural properties, providing guidance for industrial production and applications.
ABSTRACT
Offshore water-based drilling cuttings (OWDC) are by-products of offshore oil-well drilling, whose effective management has become an urgent environmental and engineering issue. This study investigated the feasibility of recycling OWDC from the Bohai oilfield in China as a raw material for manufacturing lightweight aggregates (LWA). The effects of OWDC content (0-50%), preheating temperature (300-500 °C), and sintering temperature (1050-1200 °C) on the physical-mechanical performance of the resulting LWA were investigated through single-factor experiments. The microstructural and expansion mechanism analyses were determined based on X-ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometric microanalysis. The results showed that under the optimum preparation conditions (mass ratio of OWDC and fly ash at 50:50, preheating at 400 °C for 30 min, and sintering at 1150 °C for 30 min), the OWDC-based LWA could meet the requirements of Chinese standard GB/T 17431.1-2010. The incorporation of OWDC lowered the aggregate melting points and promoted dense structure formation inside the aggregates due to the presence of flux agents (e.g., Na2O and K2O). Besides, OWDC additions promoted the formation of the liquid phase and gases inside the pellets, which was beneficial to the expansion behavior and lightweight performance of the aggregates. However, OWDC also had a negative effect on the compressive strength of the aggregates owing to the formation of enlarged pores. Furthermore, the results of the environmental performance tests indicated that the LWA were safe for the environment. This study provides a reference for recycling water-based drilling cuttings from offshore oilfields and contributes to the circular economy.
Subject(s)
Oil and Gas Fields , Water , Temperature , Coal Ash/chemistry , ChinaABSTRACT
This study determined the environmental impacts of three recycling pathways for water-based drilling cuttings (WDC), namely cement, sintered bricks, and non-sintered bricks, based on the life cycle assessment (LCA) method. A life cycle inventory was developed with based on the resource utilization of 1t drilling cuttings as the functional unit, and a sensitivity analysis was conducted to identify the essential materials and energy consumption. The results showed that the sequence of the environmental impact index for the three recycling pathways was cement, non-sintered brick and sintered brick. Primary energy demand and direct emissions were the main reasons for this difference. Direct emissions, electricity, and binder were the largest contributors to the inventory of cement, sintered bricks, and non-sintered bricks, accounting for 54%, 33.4%, and 62.1% of the environmental impact burden, respectively. Furthermore, a 5% reduction in direct emissions, electricity, and binder decreased the integrated impact index by approximately 2.67%, 3.04%, and 3.38% for cement, sintered bricks, and non-sintered bricks, respectively. Based on the LCA results, strategies for reducing emissions and conserving energy were proposed. These results provide a useful reference for creating a sustainable system for recycling water-based drilling cuttings.
Subject(s)
Natural Gas , Water , Animals , China , Construction Materials , Glass Ionomer Cements , Life Cycle StagesABSTRACT
Polyurethane foams (PUFs) are found everywhere in our daily life, but they suffer from poor fire resistance. In this study, expansible graphite (EG) as flame retardant was incorporated into PUFs to improve material fire resistance. With the presence of EGs in the PU matrix, bubble size in PUF became smaller as confirmed by the scanning electron microscopy. The mass density of PUFs is directly proportional to the content of EG additive. The compression strengths of EG0/PUF and EG30/PUF decrease from 0.51 MPa to 0.29 MPa. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis of RPUFs showed that the addition of EGs did not change the functional group structures of RPUFs. Thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) testing results showed that the carbon residue weight of EG30/PUF is higher than other PU composite foams. The combination of TGA and FTIR indicated that the EG addition did not change the thermal decomposition products of EG0/PUF, but effectively inhibited its thermal decomposition rate. Cone calorimeter combustion tests indicated that the peak of the heat release rate of EG30/PUF significantly decreased to 100.5 kW m-2compared to 390.6 kW m-2for EG0/PUF. The ignition time of EG/PUF composites also increased from 2 s to 11 s with incorporation of 30 wt% EGs. The limiting oxygen index (LOI) and UL-94 standard tests show that the LOI of EG30/PUF can reach 55 vol%, and go through V-0 level. This study showed that adding EG into PU foams could significantly improve the thermal stability and flame retardancy properties of EG/PUF composites without significantly sacrificing material compression strength. The research results provide useful guidelines on industrial production and applications of PUFs.
ABSTRACT
Surface modification on Mg alloys is highly promising for their application in the field of bone repair. In this study, a new metal-organic framework/MgF2 (Mg-MOF-74/MgF2) composite coating was prepared on the surface of AZ31B Mg alloy via pre-treatment of hydrofluoric acid and in situ hydrothermal synthesis methods. The surface topography of the composite coating is compact and homogeneous, and Mg-MOF-74 has good crystallinity. The corrosion resistance of this composite coating was investigated through Tafel polarization test and immersion test in simulated body fluid at 37 °C. It was found that Mg-MOF-74/MgF2 composite coating significantly slowed down the corrosion rate of Mg alloy. Additionally, Mg-MOF-74/MgF2 composite coating expresses super-hydrophilicity with the water contact angle of nearly 0°. In conclusion, on the basis of MgF2 anticorrosive coating, the introduction of Mg-MOF-74 further improves the biological property of Mg alloys. At last, we propose that the hydrophilicity of the composite coating is mainly owing to the large number of hydroxyl groups, the high specific surface area of Mg-MOF-74, and the rough coating produced by Mg-MOF-74 particles. Hence, Mg-MOF-74 has a great advantage in enhancing the hydrophilicity of Mg alloy surface.