Thermal analysis of in-situ microwave casting for efficient processing

One-dimensional gold nanofibers are good candidates for next generation nanoelectronic devices. Here, gold nanofibers were synthesized via electrospinning with subsequent in-situ thermal reduction. The thermal behavior of the precursor nanofibers was investigated by thermogravimetric/differential thermal analysis and fourier transform infrared. The polymer parts are decomposed and removed step by step, meanwhile, gold salt is decomposed and in-situ reduced to form gold nanoparticles in air without any reducing agent or gas due to its strong oxidation ability. The effects of gold content, polymers type (PVP, PVA, PAN), calcination atmospheres (Air, H2, H2/Ar) and temperatures (200 °C to 500 °C) on the morphology and structures of gold nanofibers were characterized by XRD, SEM, and TEM. The results shows that PVP is the optimal polymer with the gold content of 6:1 (PVP:Au) to fabricate the continuous gold nanofibers with good morphology and structures. The final gold nanofibers with average diameter of 60 nm and several hundred micrometers long, were fabricated after calcined at 500 °C in air for 2 hours. It was composed of gold nanoparticles that ranged from 5 to 30 nm.

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Modification of physical properties of poly(L-lactic acid) by addition of methyl-β-cyclodextrin

Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry ◽

10.3762/bjoc.10.318 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 10 ◽

pp. 2997-3006 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Toshiyuki Suzuki ◽

Ayaka Ei ◽

Yoshihisa Takada ◽

Hiroki Uehara ◽

Takeshi Yamanobe ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Thermal Analysis ◽

Lactic Acid ◽

Physical Properties ◽

General Purpose ◽

Scanning Calorimetry ◽

Amorphous Component ◽

Physical Strength ◽

Biobased Materials ◽

High Affinity

Poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) is a biodegradable plastic and one of the most famous plastics made from biobased materials. However, its physical strength is insufficient compared to general-purpose plastics. In this study, the effect of methylcyclodextrin (MeCD) addition on the structure and physical properties, especially the drawing behavior, of PLLA was investigated. Through thermal analysis, it was found that MeCD addition lowers the crystallinity and enhances the mobility of PLLA. The sample containing approximately 17% MeCD was drawn to more than 1000% at 60 °C, although PLLA fractured at a strain of less than 100%. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC)-Raman in situ measurements also revealed decreases in the glass transition temperature (T g), cold crystallization temperature (T c), and melting point (T m), and improvement in structural distribution with temperature. DSC-Raman measurements simultaneously supplied information about crystallinity and thermal properties. Thus, it was concluded that MeCD had high affinity for PLLA, and the addition of MeCD increased the amorphous component of PLLA and enhanced the drawability.

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