Kinetics of Catalyzed Thermal Degradation of Polylactide and Its Application as Sacrificial Templates

Polylactide(PLA)is an outstanding sacrificial template material for the manufacture of microchannels in a thermosetting matrix.However,the initial thermal degradation temperature of pure PLA is relatively high(about 280℃),which limits its use as a sacrificial template.In this report,we found that TBD,an organic base catalyst,can significantly reduce the thermal degradation temperature of PLA.TBD has higher catalytic activity for the thermal degradation of PLA compared with Tin(II)oxalate(Sn(Oxa)),one catalyst reported in the literature.Moreover,the gaseous products catalyzed by TBD for PLA thermal degradation are mainly lactide,and the formation temperature of the monomer is lower and the yield is higher,which may have potential value for PLA recycling.A combined catalyst,S8T2,was composed of 80%low activity catalyst Sn(Oxa)and 20%high activity catalyst TBD,which can catalyze the rapid degradation of PLA without greatly damaging the mechanical properties of PLA.PLA-S8T2 sacrificial fibers can form high-precision one-dimensional microchannels in the epoxy resin matrix,and 3D-printed PLA-S8T2 sacrificial templates can be used to form three-dimensional microchannels in a thermosetting matrix by vaporization of sacrificial components process(VaSC).These features highlight the great potential of PLA-S8T2 as sacrificial template material for the preparation of the complicated microchannels in the thermosetting matrix.

TOWARD SUSTAINABLE MAIZE PRODUCTION FOR SMALLHOLDERS THROUGH OPTIMIZED STRATEGIES IN NORTH CHINA

Agricultural production by smallholders is crucial for ensuring food provision in China.However,smallholders face a series of challenges on their farms including high-to-excess resource inputs,low use efficiency,as well as negative environmental impacts,which may be unfavorable for sustainable agriculture production.This study developed a county-level sustainability assessment of maize production in Hebei,China,by applying multiple data sources in combination with emergy,carbon footprint,nitrogen footprint and costbenefit analyses.Scenario analysis was applied to explore the localized implementation strategies to achieve the sustainable farming system.The results show that the average emergy sustainability index(ESI)of maize at 2.31 is relatively low.The average greenhouse gas(GHG)emissions and reactive nitrogen(Nr)losses are 0.15 g·kcal^(−1) CO_(2)-eq and 3.75 mg·kcal^(−1) N,respectively.The average cost and net income are 12,700 and 4340 CNY·ha^(−1),respectively.These results indicate a great potential to improve the environmental-economic sustainability of the maize production system of smallholders.In addition,the environmental and economic indicators calculated from the maize production show a substantial spatial heterogeneity among counties,indicating a requirement for different optimization strategies to improve the environment-economy sustainability at a finer scale.Based on the multiple scenario analysis,optimal strategies targeting each county are proposed.By adopting the optimal strategies,the average ESI and net income could increase by 32%and 83%,respectively,and the average GHG emissions and Nr losses reduce by 33%and 35%,respectively.These findings provide an important reference for adopting different strategies to achieve environmenteconomy sustainability for smallholders production systems with diverse landscapes in North China and propose a transition pathway toward achieving agriculture sustainability for smallholders worldwide.