Superconducting YBa_(2)Cu_(3)O_(7−x)(YBCO)bulks have promising applications in quasi-permanent magnets,levitation,etc.Recently,a new way of fabricating porous YBCO bulks,named direct-ink-writing(DIW)3D-printing method...Superconducting YBa_(2)Cu_(3)O_(7−x)(YBCO)bulks have promising applications in quasi-permanent magnets,levitation,etc.Recently,a new way of fabricating porous YBCO bulks,named direct-ink-writing(DIW)3D-printing method,has been reported.In this method,the customized precursor paste and programmable shape are two main advantages.Here,we have put forward a new way to customize the YBCO 3D-printing precursor paste which is doped with Al_(2)O_(3)nanoparticles to obtain YBCO with higher thermal conductivity.The great rheological properties of precursor paste after being doped with Al_(2)O_(3)nanoparticles can help the macroscopic YBCO samples with high thermal conductivity fabricated stably with high crystalline and lightweight properties.Test results show that the peak thermal conductivity of Al_(2)O_(3)-doped YBCO can reach twice as much as pure YBCO,which makes a great effort to reduce the quench propagation speed.Based on the microstructure analysis,one can find that the thermal conductivity of Al_(2)O_(3)-doped YBCO has been determined by its components and microstructures.In addition,a macroscopic theoretical model has been proposed to assess the thermal conductivity of different microstructures,whose calculated results take good agreement with the experimental results.Meanwhile,a microstructure with high thermal conductivity has been found.Finally,a macroscopic YBCO bulk with the presented high thermal conductivity microstructure has been fabricated by the Al_(2)O_(3)-doped method.Compared with YBCO fabricated by the traditional 3D-printed,the Al_(2)O_(3)-doped structural YBCO bulks present excellent heat transfer performances.Our customized design of 3D-printing precursor pastes and novel concept of structural design for enhancing the thermal conductivity of YBCO superconducting material can be widely used in other DIW 3D-printing materials.展开更多
Nonlinear flow behavior of fluids through three-dimensional(3D)discrete fracture networks(DFNs)considering effects of fracture number,surface roughness and fracture aperture was experimentally and numerically investig...Nonlinear flow behavior of fluids through three-dimensional(3D)discrete fracture networks(DFNs)considering effects of fracture number,surface roughness and fracture aperture was experimentally and numerically investigated.Three physical models of DFNs were 3D-printed and then computed tomography(CT)-scanned to obtain the specific geometry of fractures.The validity of numerically simulating the fluid flow through DFNs was verified via comparison with flow tests on the 3D-printed models.A parametric study was then implemented to establish quantitative relations between the coefficients/parameters in Forchheimer’s law and geometrical parameters.The results showed that the 3D-printing technique can well reproduce the geometry of single fractures with less precision when preparing complex fracture networks,numerical modeling precision of which can be improved via CT-scanning as evidenced by the well fitted results between fluid flow tests and numerical simulations using CT-scanned digital models.Streamlines in DFNs become increasingly tortuous as the fracture number and roughness increase,resulting in stronger inertial effects and greater curvatures of hydraulic pressure-low rate relations,which can be well characterized by the Forchheimer’s law.The critical hydraulic gradient for the onset of nonlinear flow decreases with the increasing aperture,fracture number and roughness,following a power function.The increases in fracture aperture and number provide more paths for fluid flow,increasing both the viscous and inertial permeabilities.The value of the inertial permeability is approximately four orders of magnitude greater than the viscous permeability,following a power function with an exponent a of 3,and a proportional coefficient b mathematically correlated with the geometrical parameters.展开更多
Construction of catalysts with integral structure for oxidative reaction process is an essential promotion to catalysts in industrial application.In this work,a 3D printing method was employed to prepare 3D printed sp...Construction of catalysts with integral structure for oxidative reaction process is an essential promotion to catalysts in industrial application.In this work,a 3D printing method was employed to prepare 3D printed spheres(3D-PSs),followed by carbonization to form 3D carbon spheres(3D-CSs).Then,a 3D-CSs supported phosphotungstic acid(HPW/3D-CSs)was prepared for deep oxidative desulfurization.Compared with traditional powder catalysts,the as-prepared catalyst is easy to be operated and separated from oil products.The supported catalyst possesses excellent catalytic performance and the removal of DBT,4-MDBT and 4,6-DMDBT in fuel oil,reaching^100%of sulfur removal.The effects of various experimental parameters on desulfurization efficiency were considered to optimize reaction conditions.Moreover,the catalyst shows excellent thermal and chemical stability,with no obvious decrease in desulfurization activity after 5 cycles.GC–MS analysis indicates DBT sulfone was the solely oxidized product of DBT.展开更多
In bone tissue engineering,polycaprolactone(PCL)is a promising material with good biocompatibility,but its poor degradation rate,mechanical strength,and osteogenic properties limit its application.In this study,we dev...In bone tissue engineering,polycaprolactone(PCL)is a promising material with good biocompatibility,but its poor degradation rate,mechanical strength,and osteogenic properties limit its application.In this study,we developed an Mg-1Ca/polycaprolactone(Mg-1Ca/PCL)composite scaffolds to overcome these limitations.We used a melt blending method to prepare Mg-1Ca/PCL composites with Mg-1Ca alloy powder mass ratios of 5,10,and 20 wt%.Porous scaffolds with controlled macro-and microstructure were printed using the fused deposition modeling method.We explored the mechanical strength,biocompatibility,osteogenesis performance,and molecular mechanism of the Mg-1Ca/PCL composites.The 5 and 10 wt%Mg-1Ca/PCL composites were found to have good biocompatibility.Moreover,they promoted the mechanical strength,proliferation,adhesion,and osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow stem cells(hBMSCs)of pure PCL.In vitro degradation experiments revealed that the composite material stably released Mg_(2)+ions for a long period;it formed an apatite layer on the surface of the scaffold that facilitated cell adhesion and growth.Microcomputed tomography and histological analysis showed that both 5 and 10 wt%Mg-1Ca/PCL composite scaffolds promoted bone regeneration bone defects.Our results indicated that the Wnt/β-catenin pathway was involved in the osteogenic effect.Therefore,Mg-1Ca/PCL composite scaffolds are expected to be a promising bone regeneration material for clinical application.Statement of significance:Bone tissue engineering scaffolds have promising applications in the regeneration of critical-sized bone defects.However,there remain many limitations in the materials and manufacturing methods used to fabricate scaffolds.This study shows that the developed Ma-1Ca/PCL composites provides scaffolds with suitable degradation rates and enhanced boneformation capabilities.Furthermore,the fused deposition modeling method allows precise control of the macroscopic morphology and microscopic porosity of the scaffold.The obtained porous scaffolds can significantly promote the regeneration of bone defects.展开更多
Sodium alginate(SA)/chitosan(CH)polyelectrolyte scaffold is a suitable substrate for tissue-engineering application.The present study deals with further improvement in the tensile strength and biological properties of...Sodium alginate(SA)/chitosan(CH)polyelectrolyte scaffold is a suitable substrate for tissue-engineering application.The present study deals with further improvement in the tensile strength and biological properties of this type of scaffold to make it a potential template for bone-tissue regeneration.We experimented with adding 0%–15%(volume fraction)gelatin(GE),a protein-based biopolymer known to promote cell adhesion,proliferation,and differentiation.The resulting tri-polymer complex was used as bioink to fabricate SA/CH/GEmatrices by three-dimensional(3D)printing.Morphological studies using scanning electron microscopy revealed the microfibrous porous architecture of all the structures,which had a pore size range of 383–419μm.X-ray diffraction and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analyses revealed the amorphous nature of the scaffold and the strong electrostatic interactions among the functional groups of the polymers,thereby forming polyelectrolyte complexes which were found to improve mechanical properties and structural stability.The scaffolds exhibited a desirable degradation rate,controlled swelling,and hydrophilic characteristics which are favorable for bone-tissue engineering.The tensile strength improved from(386±15)to(693±15)kPa due to the increased stiffness of SA/CH scaffolds upon addition of gelatin.The enhanced protein adsorption and in vitro bioactivity(forming an apatite layer)confirmed the ability of the SA/CH/GE scaffold to offer higher cellular adhesion and a bone-like environment to cells during the process of tissue regeneration.In vitro biological evaluation including the MTT assay,confocal microscopy analysis,and alizarin red S assay showed a significant increase in cell attachment,cell viability,and cell proliferation,which further improved biomineralization over the scaffold surface.In addition,SA/CH containing 15%gelatin designated as SA/CH/GE15 showed superior performance to the other fabricated 3D structures,demonstrating its potential for use in bone-tissue engineering.展开更多
Based on the building principle of additive manufacturing,printing orientation mainly determines the tribological properties of joint prostheses.In this study,we created a polyether-ether-ketone(PEEK)joint prosthesis ...Based on the building principle of additive manufacturing,printing orientation mainly determines the tribological properties of joint prostheses.In this study,we created a polyether-ether-ketone(PEEK)joint prosthesis using fused filament fabrication and investigated the effects of printing orientation on its tribological properties using a pin-on-plate tribometer in 25% newborn calf serum.An ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene transfer film is formed on the surface of PEEK due to the mechanical capture of wear debris by the 3D-printed groove morphology,which is significantly impacted by the printing orientation of PEEK.When the printing orientation was parallel to the sliding direction of friction,the number and size of the transfer film increased due to higher steady stress.This transfer film protected the matrix and reduced the friction coefficient and wear rate of friction pairs by 39.13%and 74.33%,respectively.Furthermore,our findings provide a novel perspective regarding the role of printing orientation in designing knee prostheses,facilitating its practical applications.展开更多
基金supported by the Fund of Natural Science Foundation of China(No.11872196,12232005)supported by the Outstanding Postgraduate‘Innovation Star’Fund for Distinguished of Gansu Province(No.2021CXZX-032).
文摘Superconducting YBa_(2)Cu_(3)O_(7−x)(YBCO)bulks have promising applications in quasi-permanent magnets,levitation,etc.Recently,a new way of fabricating porous YBCO bulks,named direct-ink-writing(DIW)3D-printing method,has been reported.In this method,the customized precursor paste and programmable shape are two main advantages.Here,we have put forward a new way to customize the YBCO 3D-printing precursor paste which is doped with Al_(2)O_(3)nanoparticles to obtain YBCO with higher thermal conductivity.The great rheological properties of precursor paste after being doped with Al_(2)O_(3)nanoparticles can help the macroscopic YBCO samples with high thermal conductivity fabricated stably with high crystalline and lightweight properties.Test results show that the peak thermal conductivity of Al_(2)O_(3)-doped YBCO can reach twice as much as pure YBCO,which makes a great effort to reduce the quench propagation speed.Based on the microstructure analysis,one can find that the thermal conductivity of Al_(2)O_(3)-doped YBCO has been determined by its components and microstructures.In addition,a macroscopic theoretical model has been proposed to assess the thermal conductivity of different microstructures,whose calculated results take good agreement with the experimental results.Meanwhile,a microstructure with high thermal conductivity has been found.Finally,a macroscopic YBCO bulk with the presented high thermal conductivity microstructure has been fabricated by the Al_(2)O_(3)-doped method.Compared with YBCO fabricated by the traditional 3D-printed,the Al_(2)O_(3)-doped structural YBCO bulks present excellent heat transfer performances.Our customized design of 3D-printing precursor pastes and novel concept of structural design for enhancing the thermal conductivity of YBCO superconducting material can be widely used in other DIW 3D-printing materials.
基金the Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province(Grant No.LR19E090001)the Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.42077252,42011530122,and 51979272).
文摘Nonlinear flow behavior of fluids through three-dimensional(3D)discrete fracture networks(DFNs)considering effects of fracture number,surface roughness and fracture aperture was experimentally and numerically investigated.Three physical models of DFNs were 3D-printed and then computed tomography(CT)-scanned to obtain the specific geometry of fractures.The validity of numerically simulating the fluid flow through DFNs was verified via comparison with flow tests on the 3D-printed models.A parametric study was then implemented to establish quantitative relations between the coefficients/parameters in Forchheimer’s law and geometrical parameters.The results showed that the 3D-printing technique can well reproduce the geometry of single fractures with less precision when preparing complex fracture networks,numerical modeling precision of which can be improved via CT-scanning as evidenced by the well fitted results between fluid flow tests and numerical simulations using CT-scanned digital models.Streamlines in DFNs become increasingly tortuous as the fracture number and roughness increase,resulting in stronger inertial effects and greater curvatures of hydraulic pressure-low rate relations,which can be well characterized by the Forchheimer’s law.The critical hydraulic gradient for the onset of nonlinear flow decreases with the increasing aperture,fracture number and roughness,following a power function.The increases in fracture aperture and number provide more paths for fluid flow,increasing both the viscous and inertial permeabilities.The value of the inertial permeability is approximately four orders of magnitude greater than the viscous permeability,following a power function with an exponent a of 3,and a proportional coefficient b mathematically correlated with the geometrical parameters.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.21722604,21576122,21878133)China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(No.2019M651743)。
文摘Construction of catalysts with integral structure for oxidative reaction process is an essential promotion to catalysts in industrial application.In this work,a 3D printing method was employed to prepare 3D printed spheres(3D-PSs),followed by carbonization to form 3D carbon spheres(3D-CSs).Then,a 3D-CSs supported phosphotungstic acid(HPW/3D-CSs)was prepared for deep oxidative desulfurization.Compared with traditional powder catalysts,the as-prepared catalyst is easy to be operated and separated from oil products.The supported catalyst possesses excellent catalytic performance and the removal of DBT,4-MDBT and 4,6-DMDBT in fuel oil,reaching^100%of sulfur removal.The effects of various experimental parameters on desulfurization efficiency were considered to optimize reaction conditions.Moreover,the catalyst shows excellent thermal and chemical stability,with no obvious decrease in desulfurization activity after 5 cycles.GC–MS analysis indicates DBT sulfone was the solely oxidized product of DBT.
基金supported by the National Key R&D Program of China[grant number 2021YFC2400700]the National Natural Science Foundation of China[grant numbers 82170929,81970908 and 81771039].
文摘In bone tissue engineering,polycaprolactone(PCL)is a promising material with good biocompatibility,but its poor degradation rate,mechanical strength,and osteogenic properties limit its application.In this study,we developed an Mg-1Ca/polycaprolactone(Mg-1Ca/PCL)composite scaffolds to overcome these limitations.We used a melt blending method to prepare Mg-1Ca/PCL composites with Mg-1Ca alloy powder mass ratios of 5,10,and 20 wt%.Porous scaffolds with controlled macro-and microstructure were printed using the fused deposition modeling method.We explored the mechanical strength,biocompatibility,osteogenesis performance,and molecular mechanism of the Mg-1Ca/PCL composites.The 5 and 10 wt%Mg-1Ca/PCL composites were found to have good biocompatibility.Moreover,they promoted the mechanical strength,proliferation,adhesion,and osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow stem cells(hBMSCs)of pure PCL.In vitro degradation experiments revealed that the composite material stably released Mg_(2)+ions for a long period;it formed an apatite layer on the surface of the scaffold that facilitated cell adhesion and growth.Microcomputed tomography and histological analysis showed that both 5 and 10 wt%Mg-1Ca/PCL composite scaffolds promoted bone regeneration bone defects.Our results indicated that the Wnt/β-catenin pathway was involved in the osteogenic effect.Therefore,Mg-1Ca/PCL composite scaffolds are expected to be a promising bone regeneration material for clinical application.Statement of significance:Bone tissue engineering scaffolds have promising applications in the regeneration of critical-sized bone defects.However,there remain many limitations in the materials and manufacturing methods used to fabricate scaffolds.This study shows that the developed Ma-1Ca/PCL composites provides scaffolds with suitable degradation rates and enhanced boneformation capabilities.Furthermore,the fused deposition modeling method allows precise control of the macroscopic morphology and microscopic porosity of the scaffold.The obtained porous scaffolds can significantly promote the regeneration of bone defects.
基金The authors are thankful to Ministry of Human Resource Development(presently Ministry of Education),Government of India,New Delhi,for providing research facility by sanctioning Center of Excellence(F.No.5-6/2013-TS VII)in Tissue Engineering and Center of Excellence in Orthopedic Tissue Engineering and Rehabilitation funded by World Bank under TEQIP-II.
文摘Sodium alginate(SA)/chitosan(CH)polyelectrolyte scaffold is a suitable substrate for tissue-engineering application.The present study deals with further improvement in the tensile strength and biological properties of this type of scaffold to make it a potential template for bone-tissue regeneration.We experimented with adding 0%–15%(volume fraction)gelatin(GE),a protein-based biopolymer known to promote cell adhesion,proliferation,and differentiation.The resulting tri-polymer complex was used as bioink to fabricate SA/CH/GEmatrices by three-dimensional(3D)printing.Morphological studies using scanning electron microscopy revealed the microfibrous porous architecture of all the structures,which had a pore size range of 383–419μm.X-ray diffraction and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analyses revealed the amorphous nature of the scaffold and the strong electrostatic interactions among the functional groups of the polymers,thereby forming polyelectrolyte complexes which were found to improve mechanical properties and structural stability.The scaffolds exhibited a desirable degradation rate,controlled swelling,and hydrophilic characteristics which are favorable for bone-tissue engineering.The tensile strength improved from(386±15)to(693±15)kPa due to the increased stiffness of SA/CH scaffolds upon addition of gelatin.The enhanced protein adsorption and in vitro bioactivity(forming an apatite layer)confirmed the ability of the SA/CH/GE scaffold to offer higher cellular adhesion and a bone-like environment to cells during the process of tissue regeneration.In vitro biological evaluation including the MTT assay,confocal microscopy analysis,and alizarin red S assay showed a significant increase in cell attachment,cell viability,and cell proliferation,which further improved biomineralization over the scaffold surface.In addition,SA/CH containing 15%gelatin designated as SA/CH/GE15 showed superior performance to the other fabricated 3D structures,demonstrating its potential for use in bone-tissue engineering.
基金This study was supported by the following funds:National Key R&D Program of China(No.2018YFE0207900)Program for Innovation Team of Shaanxi Province(No.2023-CXTD-17)+5 种基金Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.51835010)Key R&D Program of Guangdong Province(No.2018B090906001)Natural Science Basic Research Program of Shaanxi Province(No.2022JQ-378)China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(No.2020M683458)Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(8)Youth Innovation Team of Shaanxi Universities.
文摘Based on the building principle of additive manufacturing,printing orientation mainly determines the tribological properties of joint prostheses.In this study,we created a polyether-ether-ketone(PEEK)joint prosthesis using fused filament fabrication and investigated the effects of printing orientation on its tribological properties using a pin-on-plate tribometer in 25% newborn calf serum.An ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene transfer film is formed on the surface of PEEK due to the mechanical capture of wear debris by the 3D-printed groove morphology,which is significantly impacted by the printing orientation of PEEK.When the printing orientation was parallel to the sliding direction of friction,the number and size of the transfer film increased due to higher steady stress.This transfer film protected the matrix and reduced the friction coefficient and wear rate of friction pairs by 39.13%and 74.33%,respectively.Furthermore,our findings provide a novel perspective regarding the role of printing orientation in designing knee prostheses,facilitating its practical applications.
