scholarly journals Rigid Polyurethane Foams Based on Bio-Polyol and Additionally Reinforced with Silanized and Acetylated Walnut Shells for the Synthesis of Environmentally Friendly Insulating Materials

Materials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 3245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylwia Członka ◽  
Anna Strąkowska

Rigid polyurethane (PUR) foams produced from walnut shells-derived polyol (20 wt.%) were successfully reinforced with 2 wt.% of non-treated, acetylated, and silanized walnut shells (WS). The impact of non-treated and chemically-treated WS on the morphology, mechanical, and thermal characteristics of PUR composites was determined. The morphological analysis confirmed that the addition of WS fillers promoted a reduction in cell size, compared to pure PUR foams. Among all the modified PUR foams, the greatest improvement of mechanical characteristics was observed for PUR foams with the addition of silanized WS—the compressive, flexural, and impact strength were enhanced by 21, 16, and 13%, respectively. The addition of non-treated and chemically-treated WS improved the thermomechanical stability of PUR foams. The results of the dynamic mechanical analysis confirmed an increase in glass transition temperature and storage modulus of PUR foams after the incorporation of chemically-treated WS. The addition of non-treated and chemically-treated WS did not affect the insulating properties of PUR foams, and the thermal conductivity value did not show any significant improvement and deterioration due to the addition of WS fillers.

Materials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 2687 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylwia Członka ◽  
Anna Strąkowska ◽  
Agnė Kairytė

This study aimed to examine rigid polyurethane (PUR) foam properties that were synthesized from walnut shells (WS)-based polyol. The Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) results revealed that the liquefaction of walnut shells was successfully performed. The three types of polyurethane (PUR) foams were synthesized by replacement of 10, 20, and 30 wt% of a petrochemical polyol with WS-based polyol. The impact of WS-based polyol on the cellular morphology, mechanical, thermal, and insulating characteristics of PUR foams was examined. The produced PUR foams had apparent densities from 37 to 39 kg m−3, depending on the weight ratio of WS-based polyol. PUR foams that were obtained from WS-based polyol exhibited improved mechanical characteristics when compared with PUR foams that were derived from the petrochemical polyol. PUR foams produced from WS-based polyol showed compressive strength from 255 to 310 kPa, flexural strength from 420 to 458 kPa, and impact strength from 340 to 368 kPa. The foams that were produced from WS-based polyol exhibited less uniform cell structure than foams derived from the petrochemical polyol. The thermal conductivity of the PUR foams ranged between 0.026 and 0.032 W m−1K−1, depending on the concentration of WS-based polyol. The addition of WS-based polyol had no significant influence on the thermal degradation characteristics of PUR foams. The maximum temperature of thermal decomposition was observed for PUR foams with the highest loading of WS-based polyol.


2012 ◽  
Vol 501 ◽  
pp. 57-63
Author(s):  
Chao Wang ◽  
Ying Chun Li ◽  
Zhen Xing Yao

The alloy of Nylon6/Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene (ABS) with styrene-maleic anhydride (SMA) was prepared by melt blending as the compatilizer. Mechanical characteristics, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and fracture appearances were determined. It was found that the impact and tensile strength firstly increased and then decreased along with the increase of the SMA content. The properties reached maximum values when the content of SMA was 2%. The results of DMA and scanning electron microscope (SEM) indicated that the addition of SMA can effectively enhance the compatibility of Nylon6 and ABS.


Toxins ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 158
Author(s):  
Colin Eady

For 30 years, forage ryegrass breeding has known that the germplasm may contain a maternally inherited symbiotic Epichloë endophyte. These endophytes produce a suite of secondary alkaloid compounds, dependent upon strain. Many produce ergot and other alkaloids, which are associated with both insect deterrence and livestock health issues. The levels of alkaloids and other endophyte characteristics are influenced by strain, host germplasm, and environmental conditions. Some strains in the right host germplasm can confer an advantage over biotic and abiotic stressors, thus acting as a maternally inherited desirable ‘trait’. Through seed production, these mutualistic endophytes do not transmit into 100% of the crop seed and are less vigorous than the grass seed itself. This causes stability and longevity issues for seed production and storage should the ‘trait’ be desired in the germplasm. This makes understanding the precise nature of the relationship vitally important to the plant breeder. These Epichloë endophytes cannot be ‘bred’ in the conventional sense, as they are asexual. Instead, the breeder may modulate endophyte characteristics through selection of host germplasm, a sort of breeding by proxy. This article explores, from a forage seed company perspective, the issues that endophyte characteristics and breeding them by proxy have on ryegrass breeding, and outlines the methods used to assess the ‘trait’, and the application of these through the breeding, production, and deployment processes. Finally, this article investigates opportunities for enhancing the utilisation of alkaloid-producing endophytes within pastures, with a focus on balancing alkaloid levels to further enhance pest deterrence and improving livestock outcomes.


Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (11) ◽  
pp. 3140
Author(s):  
Kamil Dydek ◽  
Anna Boczkowska ◽  
Rafał Kozera ◽  
Paweł Durałek ◽  
Łukasz Sarniak ◽  
...  

The main aim of this work was the investigation of the possibility of replacing the heavy metallic meshes applied onto the composite structure in airplanes for lightning strike protection with a thin film of Tuball single-wall carbon nanotubes in the form of ultra-light, conductive paper. The Tuball paper studied contained 75 wt% or 90 wt% of carbon nanotubes and was applied on the top of carbon fibre reinforced polymer before fabrication of flat panels. First, the electrical conductivity, impact resistance and thermo-mechanical properties of modified laminates were measured and compared with the reference values. Then, flat panels with selected Tuball paper, expanded copper foil and reference panels were fabricated for lightning strike tests. The effectiveness of lightning strike protection was evaluated by using the ultrasonic phased-array technique. It was found that the introduction of Tuball paper on the laminates surface improved both the surface and the volume electrical conductivity by 8800% and 300%, respectively. The impact resistance was tested in two directions, perpendicular and parallel to the carbon fibres, and the values increased by 9.8% and 44%, respectively. The dynamic thermo-mechanical analysis showed higher stiffness and a slight increase in glass transition temperature of the modified laminates. Ultrasonic investigation after lightning strike tests showed that the effectiveness of Tuball paper is comparable to expanded copper foil.


2021 ◽  
pp. 0021955X2110137
Author(s):  
Yao Dou ◽  
Denis Rodrigue

In this study, foamed recycled high density polyethylene (rHDPE) parts were produced by rotational molding using different concentration (0 to 1% wt.) of a chemical blowing agent (CBA) based on azodicarbonamide. From the samples produced, a complete morphological, thermal and mechanical characterization was performed. The morphological analysis showed a gradual increase in the average cell size, while the cell density firstly increased and then decreased with increasing CBA content. As expected, increasing the CBA content decreased the foam density as well as the thermal conductivity. Although increasing the CBA content decreased both tensile and flexural properties, the impact strength showed a similar trend as the cell density with an optimum CBA content around 0.1% wt. Finally, neat rHDPE samples were also produced by compression molding. The results showed negligible differences between the rotomolded and compression molded properties indicating that optimal rotomolding conditions were selected. These results confirm the possibility of using 100% recycled polymers to produce rotomolded foam parts.


2021 ◽  
pp. 002199832199432
Author(s):  
Yacine Ouroua ◽  
Said Abdi ◽  
Imene Bachirbey

Multifunctional composite materials are highly sought-after by the aerospace and aeronautical industry but their performance depends on their ability to sustain various forms of damages, in particular damages due to repeated impacts. In this work we studied the mechanical behavior of a layered glass-epoxy composite with copper inserts subjected to fatigue under repeated impacts with different energy levels. Damage evolution as a function of impact energy was carefully monitored in order to determine the effect of the copper inserts on mechanical characteristics of the multifunctional composite, such as endurance and life. Results of repeated impact tests show that electric current interruption in the copper inserts occurs prior to the total perforation of the composite material, and after about 75% of the total number of impacts to failure. This is the case for the three energy levels considered in this study, [Formula: see text] = 2, 3 and 4 Joules. The epoxy resin was dissolved chemically in order to preserve the mechanical structure of the damaged copper inserts and the composite fibers for further inspection and analysis. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the fractured copper inserts revealed interesting information on the nature of the damage, including information on plastic deformation, strain hardening, cracking mode, temperature increase during the impacts, and most importantly the glass fibers and their roles during the impact-fatigue tests.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1360
Author(s):  
Teodora M. Șoimoșan ◽  
Ligia M. Moga ◽  
Livia Anastasiu ◽  
Daniela L. Manea ◽  
Aurica Căzilă ◽  
...  

Harnessing renewable energy sources (RES) using hybrid systems for buildings is almost a deontological obligation for engineers and researchers in the energy field, and increasing the percentage of renewables within the energy mix represents an important target. In crowded urban areas, on-site energy production and storage from renewables can be a real challenge from a technical point of view. The main objectives of this paper are quantification of the impact of the consumer’s profile on overall energy efficiency for on-site storage and final use of solar thermal energy, as well as developing a multicriteria assessment in order to provide a methodology for selection in prioritizing investments. Buildings with various consumption profiles lead to achieving different values of performance indicators in similar configurations of storage and energy supply. In this regard, an analysis of the consumption profile’s impact on overall energy efficiency, achieved in the case of on-site generation and storage of solar thermal energy, was performed. The obtained results validate the following conclusion: On-site integration of solar systems allowed the consumers to use RES at the desired coverage rates, while restricted by on-site available mounting areas for solar fields and thermal storage, under conditions of high energy efficiencies. In order to segregate the results and support optimal selection, a multicriteria analysis was carried out, having as the main criteria the energy efficiency indicators achieved by hybrid heating systems.


Materials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 1242
Author(s):  
Olga Mysiukiewicz ◽  
Paulina Kosmela ◽  
Mateusz Barczewski ◽  
Aleksander Hejna

Investigations related to polymer/metal composites are often limited to the analysis of the electrical and thermal conductivity of the materials. The presented study aims to analyze the impact of aluminum (Al) filler content (from 1 to 20 wt%) on the rarely investigated properties of composites based on the high-density polyethylene (HDPE) matrix. The crystalline structure, rheological (melt flow index and oscillatory rheometry), thermal (differential scanning calorimetry), as well as static (tensile tests, hardness, rebound resilience) and dynamic (dynamical mechanical analysis) mechanical properties of composites were investigated. The incorporation of 1 and 2 wt% of aluminum filler resulted in small enhancements of mechanical properties, while loadings of 5 and 10 wt% provided materials with a similar performance to neat HDPE. Such results were supported by the lack of disturbances in the rheological behavior of composites. The presented results indicate that a significant content of aluminum filler may be introduced into the HDPE matrix without additional pre-treatment and does not cause the deterioration of composites’ performance, which should be considered beneficial when engineering PE/metal composites.


Polymers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 2378
Author(s):  
Mertol Tüfekci ◽  
Sevgi Güneş Durak ◽  
İnci Pir ◽  
Türkan Ormancı Acar ◽  
Güler Türkoğlu Demirkol ◽  
...  

To investigate the effect of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) addition and consequently porosity, two different sets of membranes are manufactured, since PVP is a widely used poring agent which has an impact on the mechanical properties of the membrane material. The first set (PAN 1) includes polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and the necessary solvent while the second set (PAN 2) is made of PAN and PVP. These membranes are put through several characterisation processes including tensile testing. The obtained data are used to model the static behaviour of the membranes with different geometries but similar loading and boundary conditions that represent their operating conditions. This modelling process is undertaken by using the finite element method. The main idea is to investigate how geometry affects the load-carrying capacity of the membranes. Alongside membrane modelling, their materials are modelled with representative elements with hexagonal and rectangular pore arrays (RE) to understand the impact of porosity on the mechanical properties. Exploring the results, the best geometry is found as the elliptic membrane with the aspect ratio 4 and the better RE as the hexagonal array which can predict the elastic properties with an approximate error of 12%.


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