Multi-Functional Electrospun AgNO3/PVB and Its Ag NP/PVB Nanofiber Membrane.

This study focuses on the fabrication of fiber membranes containing different concentrations of AgNO3 via the electrospinning technique. The AgNO3 present in the fibers is subsequently reduced to silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) through UV irradiation. The resulting nanofiber film is characterized using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and evaluations of its anti-UV and anti-electromagnetic radiation properties. Experimental results demonstrate that increasing the AgNO3 content initially decreases and then increases the fiber diameter and fiber diameter deviation. Under UV light, the nanofibers fuse and bond, leading to an increase in the fiber diameter. AgNO3 is effectively reduced to Ag NPs after UV irradiation for more than 60 min, as confirmed by the characteristic diffraction peaks of Ag NPs in the XRD spectrum of the irradiated AgNO3/PVB fibers. The nanofiber film containing AgNO3 exhibits superior anti-UV performance compared to the film containing AgNO3-derived Ag NPs. The anti-electromagnetic radiation performances of the nanofiber films containing AgNO3 and AgNO3-derived Ag NPs are similar, but the nanofiber film containing AgNO3-derived Ag NPs exhibits higher performance at approximately 2.5 GHZ frequency. Additionally, at an AgNO3 concentration of less than 0.5 wt%, the anti-electromagnetic radiation performance is poor, and the shielding effect of the nanofiber film on medium- and low-frequency electromagnetic waves surpasses that on high-frequency waves. This study provides guidance for the preparation of polyvinyl butyral nanofibers, Ag NPs, and functional materials with anti-ultraviolet and anti-electromagnetic radiation properties.

Application of iron oxyhydroxide to stabilize As(V) and phenylarsonic acid in contaminated soil: adsorption and the relevance to bioavailability.

The leaked arsenic-containing chemical warfare agent has caused severe contamination to the surrounding soil and water. In this study, iron oxyhydroxide (FeOOH) with different crystalline phases was used to stabilize arsenic. The results revealed that α/ß- mixed crystalline iron oxyhydroxide (MIX-FeOOH) had better adsorption performance for As(V) and phenylarsonic acid (PAA) in water, with the adsorption capacity 71.4 and 54.7 mg g-1 at 50 mg L-1 equilibrium concentration, respectively. The adsorption mechanism was proved to be inner-sphere complexation, electrostatic interaction, and hydrogen bonding. Meanwhile, the oxygen vacancies on FeOOH could increase the isoelectric point and further promote the adsorption capacity through inner-sphere complexation. In arsenic contaminated soil, when the addition amount of MIX-FeOOH was 5%, the bioavailability of arsenic in As(V) and PAA contaminated soil was significantly reduced after 28 days, and the stabilization rate reached 77.2% and 76.5%, respectively. After 7 days of remediation, 17.1% and 11.9% of the most mobile portions of As(V) and PAA could be converted into poorly mobile portions, respectively. The stabilization mechanism includes inner-sphere complexation, mineral adsorption, and coprecipitation. In summary, this study can provide technical support for the remediation practice of arsenic-containing warfare agent contaminated sites.

A Multi-Information Fusion Method for Gait Phase Classification in Lower Limb Rehabilitation Exoskeleton.

Gait phase classification is important for rehabilitation training in patients with lower extremity motor dysfunction. Classification accuracy of the gait phase also directly affects the effect and rehabilitation training cycle. In this article, a multiple information (multi-information) fusion method for gait phase classification in lower limb rehabilitation exoskeleton is proposed to improve the classification accuracy. The advantage of this method is that a multi-information acquisition system is constructed, and a variety of information directly related to gait movement is synchronously collected. Multi-information includes the surface electromyography (sEMG) signals of the human lower limb during the gait movement, the angle information of the knee joints, and the plantar pressure information. The acquired multi-information is processed and input into a modified convolutional neural network (CNN) model to classify the gait phase. The experiment of gait phase classification with multi-information is carried out under different speed conditions, and the experiment is analyzed to obtain higher accuracy. At the same time, the gait phase classification results of multi-information and single information are compared. The experimental results verify the effectiveness of the multi-information fusion method. In addition, the delay time of each sensor and model classification time is measured, which shows that the system has tremendous real-time performance.

Electrospinning Mechanism of Nanofiber Yarn and Its Multiscale Wrapping Yarn.

To analyze the feasibility of electrospinning nanofiber yarn using a wrapping yarn forming device, electrospun nanofiber-wrapped yarns and multiscale yarns were prepared by self-made equipment. The relationship between the surface morphology and properties of yarn and its preparation process was studied. The process parameters were adjusted, and it was found that some nanofibers formed Z-twisted yarns, while others showed exposed cores. To analyze the forming mechanism of electrospun nanofiber-wrapped yarn, the concept of winding displacement difference in the twisted yarn core A was introduced. The formation of nanofiber-wrapped structural yarns was discussed using three values of A. The starting point of each twist was the same position when A = 0 with a constant corner angle ß. However, the oriented nanofiber broke or was pulled out from the gripping point when it was twisted, and it appeared disordered. The forming process of electrospun nanofiber-wrapped yarn displayed some unique phenomena, including the emission of directional nanofibers during collection, fiber non-continuity, and twist angle non-uniformity. The conclusions of this research have theoretical and practical value to guide the industrial preparation of nanofiber yarns and their wrapped yarns.

Cyclic filtration behavior of structured cattail fiber assembly for oils removal from wastewater.

Structured cattail fiber assembly was reported as the filter for removing oils from runoff. The oil-wetted filter was recovered by rotational centrifugation and reused in the next filtration. The cyclic filtration behavior of the assembly was characterized by oil removal efficiency, oil sorption capacity, influence of packing density and number of filtration cycles. The efficiency of liquid removal and oil recovery from the centrifuged filter were also investigated. Cattail filters showed an excellent oil cyclic filtration performance which was found to have a close relationship with the inner structural characteristic of the fibers. The filters removed vegetable oil and diesel completely from runoff in the initial 40-90 min and 30-60 min in the first cycle, respectively, after which the oils broke through the filter's body and 29.4-71.4 L and 21.0-46.2 L of clean water were collected. The time of breakthrough was decreased with decreasing cattail's packing density. The wetted filters which absorbed up to 693.11 g (14.81 g/g) of vegetable oil and 497.02 g (10.62 g/g) of diesel took separately 7 min and 30 s to be recovered. Seventy-five to ninety percent of liquids were removed and 70-93% of oils were re-collected.

Highly efficient and recyclable depth filtrating system using structured kapok filters for oil removal and recovery from wastewater.

A depth filtrating system with rotatable and taper-shaped filter column was reported to highly remove and recover oil from wastewater. In the work, structure filters made of kapok fibers were prepared by air-laying-bonding method. The oil removed from wastewater was then recovered from the oil-loaded filter by rotating the filter column, and the resulted filter was reused. The filtrating system demonstrated extremely high oil/water separation in which oil was completely retained by the filter at the first 20-100min while water passed through the filter's body with a flow rate of 560mL/min using 11,500-13,150mg/L vegetable oil or diesel polluted water. A total of 47.6-176.4L clean water was collected after four cycles of filtration and centrifugation. The separating process depended on filter's structure (packing density) and properties of model oils. The wetted filters which absorbed up to 795.6g (32.31g/g) of oils were centrifuged to recover 80-91% of the oils. The sorption capacity appeared to become constant until 4 cycles of filtration after an apparent drop of 1-6g/g in the second cycle, because of unrecoverable residual oil (2-5g/g). The decrease of flow rates was favorable to filtration of low viscous oil.

Study on structure and wetting characteristic of cattail fibers as natural materials for oil sorption.

Cattail fiber is considered as one of the biomasses for oil sorption purposes. In this work, the unique structure and wetting characteristic, as well as the basic mechanisms governing oil uptake of cattail fibers were investigated. Cattail fibers grow in tufts with down-like structure consisting of root, stem, seed and several fibers. A single cattail fiber was bamboo-shaped exhibiting 4-dimensional open spaces with fineness varying between 10 and 17.5 µm, average length at 7.9 ± 1.2 mm. The skeleton of the fiber consists of lignocellulose coated by a hydrophobic wax coating with 45.41% of crystallinity. The exceptional chemical, physical and microstructural properties enable the cattail fiber to be highly hydrophobic and oleophilic. The water droplets could stand on the fibers' surfaces with the contact angles more than 130°, while oil droplets disappear quickly from the fibers' surfaces within several seconds. When used as the sorbent for oil, cattail fibers were found to absorb about 12 g of oil per gram of fibers and retained over 88% of absorbed oil even after 24 h dripping. The unique structure of cattail fibers played an important role in oil sorption. The result proposed that cattail fibers are a promising natural source for the production of oil absorbents.

Highly porous oil sorbent based on hollow fibers as the interceptor for oil on static and running water.

Highly porous fibrous assembly made by kapok and hollow PET fibers was prepared by the air-laying-bonding method, and used as the interceptor for oils on static and running water. SEM showed that the vast majority of kapok and PET fibers in the assembly was intact and retained their hollow lumens, with the assembly's porosity high to 98.03%. Oil sorption tests exhibited that kapok/PET assembly could absorb 63.00g/g of vegetable oil and 58.50g/g of used motor oil, with high oil retention after 24h dripping. In static condition of oil interception, the two oils started to leak at around 20min for 10-mm thick kapok/PET wall. The time for that was prolonged with increasing the thickness of kapok/PET wall. After oil breakthrough, continuous oil leaking took place. The typical leakage was divided into three stages in which oils leaked separately in sharply increased rate, reduced rate and finally gently. In running condition, oils leaked in markedly quicker way than that in static condition, with initial leakage of oils shortened to less 6min when the water ran at 60.35ml/s. The leakage of oils was considerably accelerated with increasing running rates.