Experimental Investigation on the Mechanical Properties of Natural Fiber Reinforced Concrete

Recently,addition of various natural fibers to high strength concrete has aroused great interest in the field of building materials.This is because natural fibers are much cheaper and locally available,as compare to synthetic fibers.Keeping in view,this current research conducted mainly focuses on the static properties of hybridized(sisal/coir),sisal and coir fiber-reinforced concrete.Two types of natural fibers sisal and coir were used in the experiment with different lengths of 10,20 and 30 mm and various natural fiber concentrations of 0.5%,1.0%,and 1.5%by mass of cement,to investigate the static properties of sisal fiber reinforced concrete(SFRC),coir fiber reinforced concrete(CFRC)and hybrid fiber reinforced concrete(HFRC).The results indicate that HFRC has increased the compressive strength up to 35.98%with the length of 20 mm and with 0.5%concentration,while the CFRC and SFRC with the length of 10 mm and with 1%concentration have increased the compressive strength up to 33.94%and 24.86%,respectively.On another hand,the split tensile strength was increased by HFRC with the length of 20 mm and with 1%concentration,CFRC with the length of 10 mm and with 1.5%concentration,and SFRC with the length of 30 mm and with 1%concentration have increased up to 25.48%,24.56%and 11.80%,respectively,while the HFRC with the length of 20 mm and with 0.5%concentration has increased the compressive strength of concrete but has decreased the split tensile strength up to 2.28%compared to PC.Overall,using the HFRC with the length of 20 mm and with 1%concentration provide the maximum output in terms of split tensile strength.

Numerical investigation on the flow characteristics of a reverse-polarity plasma torch by two-temperature thermal non-equilibrium modelling

A two-temperature(2 T)thermal non-equilibrium model is developed to address the thermal nonequilibrium phenomenon that inevitably exists in the reverse-polarity plasma torch(RPT)and applied to numerically investigate the plasma flow characteristics inside and outside the RPT.Then,a detailed comparison of the results of the 2 T model with those of the local thermal equilibrium(LTE)model is presented.Furthermore,the temperature of the plasma jet generated by a RPT and the RPT’s voltage are experimentally measured to compare and validate the result obtained by different models.The differences of the measured excitation temperature and the arc voltage between the 2 T model and experimental measurement are less than 13%and 8%,respectively,in all operating cases,validating the effectiveness of the 2 T model.The LTE model overestimates the velocity and temperature distribution of the RPT and its plasma jet,showing that thermal non-equilibrium phenomena cannot be neglected in the numerical modelling of the RPT.Unlike other common hot cathode plasma torches,the thermal non-equilibrium phenomenon is found even in the arc core of the RPT,due to the strong cooling effect caused by the big gas flow rate.

Interface-induced polymerization strategy for constructing titanium dioxide embedded carbon porous framework with enhanced chemical immobilization towards lithium polysulfides

The shuttle effect induced by soluble lithium polysulfides(LiPSs)is known as one of the crucial issues that limit the practical applications of lithium-sulfur(Li-S)batteries.Herein,a titanium dioxide nanoparticle embedded in nitrogen-doped porous carbon nanofiber(TiO_(2)@NCNF)composite is constructed via an interface-induced polymerization strategy to serve as an ideal sulfur host.Under the protection of the nanofiber walls,the uniformly dispersed TiO_(2) nanocrystalline can act as capturing centers to constantly immobilize LiPSs towards durable sulfur chemistry.Besides,the mesoporous microstructure in the fibrous framework endows the TiO_(2)@NCNF host with strong physical reservation for sulfur and LiPSs,sufficient pathways for electron/ion transfer,and excellent endurance for volume change.As expected,the sulfur-loaded TiO_(2)@NCNF composite electrode presents a fabulous rate performance and long cycle lifespan(capacity fading rate of 0.062%per cycle over 500 cycles)at 2.0 C.Furthermore,the assembled Li-S batteries harvest superb areal capacity and cycling stability even under high sulfur loading and lean electrolyte conditions.

具有自适应机械弹性的纳米纤维互锁多孔石墨烯复合气凝胶用于高度可逆的无枝晶锂金属负极

具有最高理论容量的锂金属被认为是下一代高能量密度电池中最有前景的负极,但长循环过程中的锂枝晶生长和负极的体积膨胀阻碍着其实际应用.尽管已有研究使用石墨烯气凝胶等三维主体用于容纳锂金属,但单一的石墨烯气凝胶难以承受充放电过程中负极的大体积变化.因此,本文制备了具有自适应机械弹性的聚酰亚胺纳米纤维互锁多孔石墨烯复合气凝胶(PI-HGCA),将其作为复合主体结构用于容纳锂金属.具有面内纳米孔的多孔石墨烯纳米片可以有效地调节锂离子通量并提供高度定向的离子转移路径.此外,三维复合气凝胶主体由水平排列的多孔石墨烯片层和互锁的聚酰亚胺纳米纤维构成,其在长期循环过程中对负极的体积变化表现出高度可逆的自适应压缩弹性.预锂化的PI-HGCA负极在对称电池中显示出极低的过电势(46 mV),并具有1300次的长循环寿命;其与LiFePO_(4)正极所组装而成的全电池在1 C下经过800次循环后仍然显示出81.2%的超高容量保持率,表明该互锁气凝胶复合结构在高能量密度锂金属电池中具有巨大应用潜力.

Perovskite Solar Fibers:Current Status,Issues and Challenges

Perovskite-based solar cells with high power conversion efficiencies(PCEs)are currently being demonstrated in solid-state device designs.Their elevated performances can possibly be attained with different non-standard geometries,for example,the fiber-shaped perovskite solar cells,in the light of careful design and engineering.Fiber-shaped solar cells are promising in smart textiles energy harvesting towards next-generation electronic applications and devices.They can be made with facile process and at low cost.Recently,fiber-shaped perovskite solar devices have been reported,particularly with the focus on the proof-of-concept in such non-traditional architectures.In this line,there are so many technical aspects which need to be addressed,if these photovoltaic(PV)cells are to be industrialized and produced massively.Herein,a well-organized and comprehensive discussion about the reported devices in this arena is presented.The challenges that need to be addressed,the possible solutions and the probable applications of these PV cells are also discussed.More still,the perovskite fiber-shaped PV cells with other fiber PV devices reported in literature in terms of their scope,characteristic designs,performances,and other technical considerations have been summarised.

Electrospun Nanofibers-Based Face Masks

Textiles have proved to be very important materials to human beings since the time immemorial.And,fibers are the basic building units of these materials.In this perspective we substantiate the uniqueness and capability of nanofibers as active layers in face masks,to protect people against the novel coronavirus disease(COVID-19).This time-sensitive letter introduces the mechanisms based on which their active filters function,the uniqueness of electrospun nanofibers in face masks and do-it-yourself(DIY)steps to realize a fully functional face mask at home.

Recent Progress of Electrospun Nanofbers for Zinc–Air Batteries

As a potential electrochemical energy storage device,zinc–air batteries(ZABs)received considerable interest in the feld of energy conversion and storage due to its high energy density and eco-friendliness.Nevertheless,the sluggish kinetics of the oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution reactions limit the commercial development of ZABs,so it is of great signifcance to develop efcient,low-cost and non-noble metal bifunctional catalysts.Electrospun one-dimensional nanofbers with unique properties such as high porosity and large surface area have great advantages on possessing more active sites,shortening the difusion pathways for ions/electrons,and improving the kinetics via intercalation/de-intercalation processes,which endow them with promising application in the feld of energy storage devices,especially ZABs.This review frstly introduces the electrospinning technique.Then,the oxygen reduction/evolution reaction triggered by electrospun nanofbers with selfsupported structures are presented,followed by the application of electrospun nanofbers for liquid and fexible solid-state ZABs.Finally,the remaining challenges and research directions of ZABs based on electrospun nanofbers electrocatalysts are briefy discussed.

Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance of Surface-Modified TiO_(2) Nanofibers with Rhodizonic Acid

The improvement of the photocatalytic performance of TiO_(2) nanofibers(NFs),prepared by electrospinning,is achieved by surface modification with the rhodizonic acid(RhA).The condensation reaction between hydroxyl groups from TiO_(2) NFs and RhA is accompanied by the red-shift of optical absorption due to interfacial charge transfer(ICT)complex formation.Crystal structure,morphology,and optical properties of unmodified and surface-modified TiO_(2) NFs were analyzed.The photocatalytic performance of prepared samples has been examined through degradation of organic dye methylene blue.Superior photocatalytic activity of surface-modified TiO_(2) NFs with RhA is attributed to their enhanced optical properties,i.e.,the ability to harvest the photon energy in the visible spectral range.

Transformation of Supercapacitive Charge Storage Behaviour in a Multi elemental Spinel CuMn_(2)O_(4) Nanofibers with Alkaline and Neutral Electrolytes

Electrode material has been cited as one of the most important determining factors in classifying an energy storage system’s charge storage mechanism,i.e.,as battery-type or supercapacitive-type.In this paper,we show that along with the electrode material,the electrolyte also plays a role in determining the charge storage behaviour of the system.For the purpose of our research,we chose multi-elemental spinal type CuMn_(2)O_(4) metal oxide nanofibers to prove the hypothesis.The material is synthesized as nanofibers of diameter~120 to 150 nm in large scales by a pilot scale electrospinning set up.It was then tested in three different electrolytes(1 M KOH,1 M Na_(2)SO_(4) and 1 M Li_(2)SO_(4)),two of which are neutral and the third is alkaline(KOH).The cyclic voltammograms and the galvanostatic charge-discharge of the electrode material in a three-electrode sys-tem measurement showed that it exhibit different charge storage mechanism in different electrolyte solutions.For the neutral electrolytes,a capacitive behaviour was observed whereas a battery-type behaviour was seen for the alkaline electrolyte.This leads us to conclude that the charge storage mechanism,along with the active material,also depends on the electrolyte used.

Uncertainty evaluation for determination of ^(14)C in urine samples by wet oxidation method

Objective:To figure out the source of uncertainty in the determination of ^(14)C activity concentration in urine samples,and to establish a complete expression of analysis results,in order to improve the accuracy of ^(14)C monitoring method.Methods:Four urine samples of normal people were collected,and wet oxidation method was used in the pretreatment of the samples,then the activity concentration of ^(14)C was determined by liquid scintillation counting(LSC).After the mathematical model was established,the uncertainty components were determined,the standard uncertainty was combined,and the extended uncertainty was calculated.Results:The relative uncertainty of 4 samples was 22.5%,17.0%,17.3%and 18.2%.The activity concentration of urine was(0.32±0.14),(0.60±0.20),(0.86±0.30)and(0.74±0.27)Bq/L,respectively.In the relative uncertainty of 22.5%,17.7%was from sample counting,13.6%from detection efficiency,2.1%from recovery rate,0.58%from sample volume,and 0.01%from sample weight.Conclusions:The main factors affecting the uncertainty include the error or deviation of sample counting,detection efficiency and recovery rate.The error of volume and weight also contributes to the measurement uncertainty.