Synthesis of nano-CaCO_3 composite particles and their application

Nano-calcium carbonate composite particles were synthesized by the soapless emulsion polymerization technique of double monomers. The composite particles formation mechanism was investigated. The effects of composite particles on the mechanical properties of nano-CaCO3-ABS （acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer） composite material were studied. It was validated that the composite particles are made up of the nano-calcium carbonate cores and the shells of alternating copolymers of butyl acrylate （BA） and styrene （St）. The shells are chemically grafted and physically wrapped on the surface of nano-calcium carbonate particles. When the composite particles were filled in ABS matrix, the CaCO3 particles are homogeneously dispersed in the composite material as nanoscales. The impact strength of the composite material is obviously enhanced after filling appropriate amounts of composite particles. It can be concluded that the soapless emulsion polymerization of double monomers is an effective method for nano-CaCO3 surface treatment. 2008 University of Science and Technology Beijing. All rights reserved.

A simple method for purification of genomic DNA from whole blood using Fe_3O_4/Au composite particles as a carrier

Objective： To establish a method of genomic DNA extraction from whole blood using Fe3O4/Au composite particles as a carrier. Methods： Two crucial conditions （sodium chloride concentration and amount of the magnetic particles） were optimized and 8 different human whole blood samples were used to purify genomic DNA under the optimal condition. Then agarose gel electrophoresis and polymerase cbain reaction （PCR） were performed. Results： The optimal binding condition was 1.5 mol/L NaC1/10% PEG, and the optimal amount of Fe3O4/Au composite particles was 600μg. The yields of the genomic DNA from 100μl of different whole blood samples were 2-5 μg, and the ratio of A260/A280 was in the range of 1.70-1.90. The size of genomic DNA was about 23 kb and the PCR was valid. Conclusion： The purification system using Fe3O4/Au composite microparticles has advantages in high yield, high purity, ease of operating, time saving and avoiding centrifugation. The purified sample was found to function satisfactorily in PCR amplification.

AgNi15 composite particles prepared by ultrasonic arc spray atomization method

Ultrasonic arc spray atomization (UASA) method was used to prepare high-melting-point, immiscible AgNi15 (mass fraction, %) composite particles. Sieving was used to determine the size distribution of the AgNi15 particles. The morphology, rapidly solidified structure and metastable solution expansion of the AgNi15 particles were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), respectively. The results show that the AgNi15 composite particles are spherical and well-dispersed, and the mass fractions of the particles with diameters <74μm and <55 μm are 99.5% and 98%, respectively. The rapidly solidified structure of the AgNi15 particles consists of spherical nickel-richβ(Ni)-phase particles dispersed throughout a silver-richα(Ag)-phase matrix andα(Ag)-phase nanoparticles dispersed throughout largerβ(Ni)-phase particles. The silver and nickel in the AgNi15 particles form a reciprocally extended metastable solution, and the solid solubility of nickel in the silver matrix at room temperature is in the range of 0.16%?0.36% (mole fraction).

HYBRID AND CHARACTERISTIC OF POLYANILINEBARIUM TITANATE NANOCOMPOSITE PARTICLES

Polyaniline-barium titanate (PAn-Ba-TiO3) ultrafine composite particles were prepared by the oxidative polymerization of aniline with H2O2 while barium titanate nanoparticles were synthesized with a sol-gel method. The infrared spectrogram shows that the polymerization of PAn in the hybrid process of PAn-BaTiO3 is similar with the polymeric process of pure aniline, and there is interaction of PAn and BaTiO3 in the PAn-Ba-TiO3. SEM and TEM results show that the average diameter of the composite particles is 1.50μm and the diameters of BaTiO3 nanoparticles are 5 - 15 nm in the composite particle. The electrical conductivity of the ultrafine com-posite particles is transformable from 10°to 10-11S/cm by equilibrium doping or dedoping method using various concentration of HCl or NaOH solutions.

Sol-Gel Preparation of Graphite/TiO_2 Composite Particles and Their Electrorheological Effect

Graphite/TiO2 composite particles were obtained by sol-gel technique in this paper. The structure and characteristic of the composite particles are analyzed by XRD, SEM and TG-DTA. The electrorheological properties of the ER fluid containing the particles were measured by a Couette-type rheometer under shear rates of 1-136 s-1 and AC electric fields of 0-3 kV/mm. The experimental results show that the leaking current density of the ER fluid is higher than that of pure titanium dioxide particles dispersed in damping oil. The shear yield stress of the ER fluid increases with increasing electric field and exhibits a typical Bingham flow behavior. The suspension demonstrates an excellent ER performance (τ/τo=1200) compared with conventional ER fluids (τ/τ0 ≤500). The sedimentation of the ER fluid is improved obviously due to the coating effect of the particles.

Rheological properties of magnetorheological fluid prepared by gelatincarbonyl iron composite particles

Gelatincarbonyl iron composite particle was prepared by micro emulsion method. The analysis of scanning electron microscope(SEM) shows that the ultrafine particles are spheroids coated by gelatin, and the average sizes of particles are 310μm. The specific saturation magnetization σ_s is 130.9A·m2/kg, coercivity H_c is 0.823A/m, and residual magnetism r is 4.98Am2/kg for the composite particles. It is shown that the particles possess properties of soft magnetic. The yield stress of magnetorheological fluid(MRF) with composite particle reaches 70kPa at 0.5T magnetic induction. Magnetorheological effects are superior in lower magnetic field intensity and the subsidence stability of the MRF is excellent compared with pure carbonyl iron powder.

<i>H</i>, <i>W</i>, <i>Z</i>Bosons, Dark Matter: Composite Particles?

The present article develops a model initially published in ref. [1]. It is a quasi-classical quantum model of composite particles with ultra-relativistic (UR) constituents (leptons and quarks). The model is used to calculate the mass energy of three composite particles: a UR tauonium, a UR bottomonium and a UR leptoquarkonium. The result is that these three hypothetic particles have masses close to 125 GeV: the Higgs boson mass energy. These results are recalled in the present article. Then the model is extended to calculate the mass energy of pi-mesons, W and Z bosons. Finally, the model provides a hypothesis on dark matter.

Synthesis and characterization of PMMA/Al_2O_3 composite particles by in situ emulsion polymerization

In order to improve its dispersibility, superfine alumina （A1203） was encapsulated with poly（methyl methacrylate） （PMMA） by in situ emulsion polymerization. It was found that only when the concentration of sodium dodecyl sulfate （SDS） was much higher than its critical micelle concentration, could PMMA/Al2O3 composite particles with high percentage of grafting （PG） be prepared. The same results were obtained between the experimental and stoichiometric amounts of tris（dodecylbenzenesulfonate） isopropoxide （NDZ）, indicating that single-molecule-layer adsorption had taken place between NDZ and Al2O3. Analysis using FTIR, TEM and XPS showed that PMMA/Al2O3 composite particles with core-shell structure had been successfully synthesized by in situ emulsion polymerization. Compared to Al2O3, thermal stability and dispersibility of the composite particles showed marked improvement.

Effective Elastic Properties of 3-Phase Particle Reinforced Composites with Randomly Dispersed Elastic Spherical Particles of Different Sizes Dedicated to Professor Karl Stark Pister for his 95th birthday

Higher-order multiscale structures are proposed to predict the effective elastic properties of 3-phase particle reinforced composites by considering the probabilistic spherical particles spatial distribution,the particle interactions,and utilizing homogenization with ensemble volume average approach.The matrix material,spherical particles with radius a1,and spherical particles with radius a2,are denoted as the 0th phase,the 1st phase,and the 2nd phase,respectively.Particularly,the two inhomogeneity phases are different particle sizes and the same elastic material properties.Improved higher-order(in ratio of spherical particle sizes to the distance between the centers of spherical particles)bounds on effective elastic properties of 3-phase particle reinforced proposed Formulation II and Formulation I derive composites.As a special case,i.e.,particle size of the 1st phase is the same as that of the 2nd phase,the proposed formulations reduce to 2-phase formulas.Our theoretical predictions demonstrate excellent agreement with selected experimental data.In addition,several numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the competence of the proposed frameworks.

Synthesis of submicron-sized composite particles with unique morphology by emulsifier-free seeded emulsion copolymerization

Polystyrene （PSt） microspheres with diameter of 375 nm to be used as the seeds for seeded emulsion polymerization were prepared via emulsion polymerization using potassium persulfate （KPS） as initiator in ethanol-water mixed solvents. Emulsifier-free seeded emulsion copolymerization of styrene （St） with acrylonitrile （AN） was carried out in the presence of poly（ethylene glycol） monomethoxymonomethacrylate （PEGm） macromonomer as reactive stabilizer and 2,2＇-azobisisobutyronitrile （AIBN） as initiator to obtain submicron-sized PEGm graft poly（styrene-coacrylonitrile） （PEGm-g-PSAN） composite particles with unique morphology. Scanning electron microscopy （SEM） indicated that St and AN together contributed to forming the unusual morphology. The concentration of St and AN, total monomer concentration, initiator type and the monomer adding method remarkably affected the morphology of the composite polymer particles.

Facile Preparation of PVA-AA/TiO2 Composite Gel Particles and Their Tunable Photo-catalytic Property for the Degradation of Methyl Orange

In the presence of titanium dioxide powder, cross-linking reaction between commercial polyvinyl alcohol(PVA)-based macromonomer and acrylic acid(AA) was initiated with potassium persulfate in an emulsifying system. As a result, PVA-AA/TiO2 composite gel particles were obtained. The morphology and composition of the particles were analyzed with scanning electron microscopy(SEM), energy scattering x-ray spectroscopy(EDS), Fourier infrared spectroscopy(FTIR), and thermogravimetric analysis(TGA). The analysis results confirmed that the particles were the expected ones. TiO2 was dispersed homogeneously within the spheroidal particles. Compared to the control gel, the composite gel particles not only contained Ti element but also showed higher thermal stability. In addition, the photo-catalytic behavior of the particles for the degradation of methyl orange contained in aqueous solution was examined. The particles exhibited photocatalytic characteristic for the degradation of the model dye, which could be modulated by simply varying the amount of cross-linking agent or TiO2. The photo-catalytic degradation percentage of methyl orange maintained at 91%-96% after using the particles three times, which indicated that TiO2 could played its role repeatedly via being fixated within polyvinyl alcohol-based gel.

A New Interpretation of the Higgs Vacuum Potential Energy Based on a Planckion Composite Model for the Higgs

We present a new interpretation of the Higgs field as a composite particle made up of a positive, with, a negative mass Planck particle. According to the Winterberg hypothesis, space, i.e., the vacuum, consists of both positive and negative physical massive particles, which he called planckions, interacting through strong superfluid forces. In our composite model for the Higgs boson, there is an intrinsic length scale associated with the vacuum, different from the one introduced by Winterberg, where, when the vacuum is in a perfectly balanced state, the number density of positive Planck particles equals the number density of negative Planck particles. Due to the mass compensating effect, the vacuum thus appears massless, chargeless, without pressure, energy density, or entropy. However, a situation can arise where there is an effective mass density imbalance due to the two species of Planck particle not matching in terms of populations, within their respective excited energy states. This does not require the physical addition or removal of either positive or negative Planck particles, within a given region of space, as originally thought. Ordinary matter, dark matter, and dark energy can thus be given a new interpretation as residual vacuum energies within the context of a greater vacuum, where the populations of the positive and negative energy states exactly balance. In the present epoch, it is estimated that the dark energy number density imbalance amounts to, , per cubic meter, when cosmic distance scales in excess of, 100 Mpc, are considered. Compared to a strictly balanced vacuum, where we estimate that the positive, and the negative Planck number density, is of the order, 7.85E54 particles per cubic meter, the above is a very small perturbation. This slight imbalance, we argue, would dramatically alleviate, if not altogether eliminate, the long standing cosmological constant problem.

Characterization of Calcined Kaolin/TiO_2 Composite Particle Material Prepared by Mechano-Chemical Method

Calcined kaolin/TiO2 composite particle material （CK/TCPM） was prepared with TiO2 coating on the surfaces of calcined kaolin particles by the mechano-chemical method. X-ray diffraction （XRD） and scanning electron microscope （SEM） were used to investigate the microstructures and morphologies, respectively. The mechanism of the mechano-chemical reaction between calcined kaolin and TiO2 was studied by infrared spectra （IR）. The results show that TiO2 coats evenly on the surfaces of calcined kaolin particles by Si-O-Ti and Al-O-Ti bonds on their interfaces. The hiding power and whiteness of CK/TCPM are 17.12 g/m^2 and 95.7%, respectively, presenting its similarity to TiO2 in pigment properties.

Theoretical analysis of the double-differential cross-sections of neutron,proton,deuteron,^(3)He,andαfor the p+^(6) Li reaction

Based on the unified Hauser–Feshbach and exciton model,which can describe the particle emission processes between discrete energy levels with energy,angular momentum,and parity conservations,a statistical theory of light nucleus reaction(STLN)is developed to calculate the double-differential cross-sections of the outgoing neutron and light charged particles for the proton-induced^(6) Li reaction.A significant difference is observed between the p+^(6) Li and p+^(7) Li reactions owing to the discrepancies in the energy-level structures of the targets.The reaction channels,including sequential and simultaneous emission processes,are analyzed in detail.Taking the double-differential cross-sections of the outgoing proton as an example,the influence of contaminations(such as^(1) H,^(7)Li,^(12)C,and^(16)O)on the target is identified in terms of the kinetic energy of the first emitted particles.The optical potential parameters of the proton are obtained by fitting the elastic scattering differential cross-sections.The calculated total double-differential cross-sections of the outgoing proton and deuteron at E_(p)=14 MeV agree well with the experimental data for different outgoing angles.Simultaneously,the mixed double differential cross-sections of^(3) He andαare in good agreement with the measurements.The agreement between the measured data and calculated results indicates that the two-body and three-body breakup reactions need to be considered,and the pre-equilibrium reaction mechanism dominates the reaction processes.Based on the STLN model,a PLUNF code for the p+^(6) Li reaction is developed to obtain an ENDF-6-formatted file of the double-differential cross-sections of the nucleon and light composite charged particles.

Experimental Study on Electrorheological Performance of a Composite Material

By using SrTiO 3/PANI as a dispersed phase and silicone oil as a dispersion medium, the rheological characteristic of the dispersion medium under an electric field and the ERF performances of the mixture of SrTiO 3/PANI composite particles and silicone oil under different dispersed phase consistencies and different medium viscosities have been investigated. The measurements of the rheological characteristic, that is the shear stress of ERF, under shearing flow were performed with a Couette-type rheometer manufactured by HAAKE. It is proved that the rheological characteristic of the dispersion medium follows Newtonian fluid viscosity law and the ERF rheological characteristic of the mixture of the dispersion medium and dispersed phase obeys Bingham fluid model under electric field. The experimental result shows that the effects of different phase consistencies and different dispersion medium viscosities on ERF performances are great. The testing expressions of shear stress vs. electric field under different conditions have been obtained by polynomial fit, which is the theory foundation of application in engineering.

Preparation of Clay/Biochar Composite Adsorption Particle and Performance for Ammonia Nitrogen Removal from Aqueous Solution

This study aimed to present a novel clay/biochar composite adsorption particle, which made from abandoned reed straw and clay to remove ammonia nitrogen(NH4^+-N) from micro-contaminated water. The removal performance of NH4^+-N by composite adsorption particle was monitored under different raw material proportions and initial NH4^+-N concentration. Besides, adsorption kinetics and adsorption isotherms were investigated to reveal the adsorption mechanisms. The results showed that NH4^+-N was effectively removed under optimal proportion of biochar, foaming agent and crosslinker with 20%, 3%, and 3%, respectively. The optimal contact time was 150 min and the best removal efficiency was 88.6% at initial NH4^+-N concentration of 20 mg L^-1. The adsorption performance was well described by the second order kinetic model and Freundlich model. The novel clay/biochar composite adsorption particle in this study demonstrated a high potential for NH4^+-N removal from surface water.

Effect of sintering parameters on the microstructure and thermal conductivity of diamond/Cu composites prepared by high pressure and high temperature infiltration

Pure Cu composites reinforced with diamond particles were fabricated by a high pressure and high temperature （HPHT） infiltration technique. Their microstructural evolution and thermal conductivity were presented as a function of sintering parameters （temperature, pressure, and time）. The improvement in interfacial bonding strength and the maximum thermM conductivity of 750 W/（m.K） were achieved at the optimal sintering parameters of 1200℃, 6 GPa and 10 min. It is found that the thermal conductivity of the composites depends strongly on sintering pressure. When the sintering pressure is above 6 GPa, the diamond skeleton is detected, which greatly contributes to the excellent thermal conductivity.

Microstructure of in situ Al_3Ti/6351Al composites fabricated with electromagnetic stirring and fluxes

The 6351 wrought aluminum alloy and K2TiF6-CaF2-LiCl components were selected as raw materials to fabricate in situ Al3Ti particulate reinforced aluminum alloy at 720℃via direct melt reaction method with electromagnetic stirring(EMS).CaF2 and LiCl acted as fluxes to lower the reaction temperature of the system.It is shown that the electromagnetic stirring and fluxes accelerate the emulsion process of K2TiF6.Optical microscopy,scanning electron microscopy,transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectrum were utilized to analyze the microstructure and components of composites.Compared to composites fabricated without EMS and fluxes,the sizes of endogenetic Al3Ti are refined from 10-15μm to 2-4μm,which are often accompanied with silicon element.The morphology of Al3Ti or Al3TiSi0.22 exhibits triangle,quadrilateral and other clumpy patterns. Because of the Ca elements from CaF2,the sizes of Mg2Si decrease from 8-10μm to 1-2μm due to the formation of Ca2Si.

Processing of nanostructured metallic matrix composites by a modified accumulative roll bonding method with structural and mechanical considerations

Particulate reinforced metallic matrix composites have attracted considerable attention due to their lightweight, high strength, high specific modulus, and good wear resistance. A1/B4C composite strips were produced in this work by a modified accumulative roll bonding process where the strips were rotated 90° around the normal direction between successive passes. Transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analyses reveal the development of nanostructures in the Al matrix after seven passes. It is found that the B4C reinforcement distribution in the matrix is improved by progression of the process. Additionally, the tensile yield strength and elongation of the processed materials are increased with the increase of passes.

Solid fraction evolution characteristics of semi-solid A356 alloy and in-situ A356–TiB_2 composites investigated by differential thermal analysis

The key factor in semi-solid metal processing is the solid fraction at the forming temperature because it affects the microstructure and mechanical properties of the thixoformed components. Though an enormous amount of data exists on the solid fraction-temperature re- lationship in A356 alloy, information regarding the solid fraction evolution characteristics of A356-TiB2 composites is scarce. The present article establishes the temperature-solid fraction correlation in A356 alloy and A356-xTiB2 （x = 2.5wt% and 5wt%） composites using dif- ferential thermal analysis （DTA）. The DTA results indicate that the solidification characteristics of the composites exhibited a variation of 2℃ and 3℃ in liquidus temperatures and a variation of 3℃ and 5℃ in solidus temperatures with respect to the base alloy. Moreover, the eutectic growth temperature and the solid fraction（fs） vs. temperature characteristics of the composites were found to be higher than those of the base alloy. The investigation revealed that in-situ formed TiB2 particles in the molten metal introduced more nucleation sites and reduced undercooling.