Compositional and Hollow Engineering of Silicon Carbide/Carbon Microspheres as High-Performance Microwave Absorbing Materials with Good Environmental Tolerance

Microwave absorbing materials(MAMs)characterized by high absorption efficiency and good environmental tolerance are highly desirable in practical applications.Both silicon carbide and carbon are considered as stable MAMs under some rigorous conditions,while their composites still fail to produce satisfactory microwave absorption performance regardless of the improvements as compared with the individuals.Herein,we have successfully implemented compositional and structural engineering to fabricate hollow Si C/C microspheres with controllable composition.The simultaneous modulation on dielectric properties and impedance matching can be easily achieved as the change in the composition of these composites.The formation of hollow structure not only favors lightweight feature,but also generates considerable contribution to microwave attenuation capacity.With the synergistic effect of composition and structure,the optimized SiC/C composite exhibits excellent performance,whose the strongest reflection loss intensity and broadest effective absorption reach-60.8 dB and 5.1 GHz,respectively,and its microwave absorption properties are actually superior to those of most SiC/C composites in previous studies.In addition,the stability tests of microwave absorption capacity after exposure to harsh conditions and Radar Cross Section simulation data demonstrate that hollow SiC/C microspheres from compositional and structural optimization have a bright prospect in practical applications.

INFLUENCE OF DAMPING MODELS ON DYNAMIC ANALYSES OF A BASE-ISOLATED COMPOSITE STRUCTURE UNDER EARTHQUAKES AND ENVIRONMENTAL VIBRATIONS

Structural design simultaneously governed by earthquakes and environmental vibrations has received a lot of attention in recent years.Base-isolated composite structures are typically used in the above-mentioned structural design.The corresponding analysis involves validating structural safety under earthquakes and human comfort under environmental vibrations through a time-history analysis.Thus,a reasonable damping model is essential.In this work,the representatives of viscous damping model and rate-independent damping model,namely the Rayleigh damping model and uniform damping model,were adopted to investigate the influence of damping models on the time-history analysis of such structural designs.The energy dissipation characteristics of the above-mentioned damping models were illustrated via a dynamic test of recycled aggregate concrete specimens.A case study was performed on a base-isolated steelconcrete composite structure.The dynamic responses under the excitation of earthquakes and environmental vibrations were compared using different damping models.The uniform damping model was found to be more flexible than the Rayleigh damping model in dealing with excitations with different frequency components.The uniform damping model is both theoretically advantageous and easy to use,demonstrating its potential in dynamic analysis of structures designed simultaneously governed by earthquakes and environmental vibrations.

Main properties of ultra-high performance fiber reinforced cement composites under couple effect of load and environment

This study aims to reveal the mechanism that how the content of steel fibers and strength grades affect the macro performance of the ultra-high performance fiber reinforced cementitious composite （UHPFRCC） and to study the UHPFRCC durability under the combined effect of loads and environments. Three types of high and ultra-high performance fiber reinforced cement composites with different strength grades （100, 150, 200 MPa） and different steel fiber volume fractions （0%, 1%, 2%, 3%） are prepared. The main properties of mechanical performance and short-term durability are studied. A preloading frame is designed to apply a four- point load external flexural stress with a stress selection ratio of 0.5 for UHPFRCC150 specimens. The results show that the growth in strength grade with a proper content of steel fiber greatly increases the strength and toughness of the HPFRCC and the UHPFRCC while decreasing the dry-shrinkage ratio. For the loaded specimens, the existence of steel fiber can reduce the negative influence of tensile stress on the Cl- penetration resistance of the UHPFRCC in addition to improving its ability to resist the freeze-thaw damage.

Effects of Hydrothermal Environment on the Deformation of the Thin Bamboo Bundle Veneer Laminated Composites

To overcome warping in thin bamboo bundle veneer laminated composites(TBLC),their hydrothermal deformation characteristics were systematically investigated in this study.It was found that TBLCs accelerated the release of internal stress in the thickness direction in a hydrothermal environment,which increased their warpage.TBLCs showed increased warpage in the width and diagonal directions upon increasing the temperature.The warpage of Type E increased by 155.88%and 66.67%in the width and diagonal directions,respectively,when the temperature increased from 25
C to 100
C.The symmetrical TBLC with cross-lay-up and odd layers displayed better hydrothermal stability.We revealed that the deformation of the TBLCs could be regulated under the synergistic effect of water and temperature.These results provide a scientific basis for improving the uniformity of bamboo bundle composite materials and for developing thin bamboo bundle fiber composite materials with designable structures and controllable performance.

Study of effects of environmental factors on biochemical compositions of four species of marine single-celled algae

Photosynthetic rates (PR ) of four species of marine single- celled algae were determined by means of 14C-tracer method under the experimental modelling conditions. The effects of environmental factors, such as light, temperature and nutrients, on the biochemical compositions of the algae were studied. The results indicate that the suitable light intensities for the growth of Phaeodactylum tricorntum, Dunaliella spp, Skeletonema costatum and Isochrysis galbana are in the range from 5. 8 X 103 to 15 x 103 lx, showing an increasing trend of photosynthetic rates with the heightened light intensities. The irradiance response of Dunaliella spp. and Isochrysis galbana is significant. The contents of carbohydrate increase, but those of protein decrease, and the contents of lipids change very little. The optimum temperatures for the growth of the four species of algae are 14, 26, 21 and 26t respectively, characterized by the maxima of PR and the contents of carbohydrate, protein and lipid as well as their variations. The apparent activation energies in the photosynthesis process of Phaeodactylum tricornutum, Dunaliella spp., Skeletonema costatum and Isochrysis galbana are 23. 2, 38. 5, 22. 4 and 61. 7 kJ/mol respectively, and the temperature coefficients for the four algae are 1. 74, 1. 74, 1. 38 and 1. 69 respectively. The peaks of PR appeared in some culture media (N/P = 16 ) of Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Skeletonema costatum, and in other media (N/P = 28) of Dunaliella spp. and Isochurysis galbana. The contents and their variations of carbohydrate, protein and lipid of the four species of algae are all maximum when N/P is equal to 16 in culture media.

Floristic composition and structure of the Kibate Forest along environmental gradients in Wonchi,Southwestern Ethiopia

Dry evergreen montane forests in Ethiopia are severely threatened.The status of species composition and structure of forest vegetation are important indicators to understand the trends of threats on local plant communities.In the present study,we examined the floristic composition and structure of the Kibate Forest,Wonchi Highland,Ethiopia along environmental gradients.Sixty-six(30 m×30 m)plots were established every 100 m interval along altitudinal gradients(2811‒3073 m a.s.l.)in five transect lines for vegetation and environmental data collection.In total,125 vascular plant species belonging to 104 genera and 52 families were identified.Eighteen species(14%)were endemic to Ethiopia and Eritrea.The two most dominant families,Asteraceae(29 species)and Lamiaceae(eight species)accounted for 30%of the total number of species.The highest number of species(54%)was herbs.Four major community types(viz.,Olinia rochetiana-Myrsine melanophloeos,Ilex mitis-Galiniera saxifraga,Erica arborea-Protea gaguedi,and Hagenia abyssinica-Juniperus procera)were identified.The highest species richness,evenness,diversity,and importance value index were in community types 2 and 4.About 82%of the species and all endemic taxa except five were recorded in these two community types.The most dominant woody species were O.rochetiana,E.arborea,Olea europaea subsp.cuspidata,Myrica salicifolia,I.mitis var.mitis,and H.abyssinica with different patterns of population structure.The results show that there was a weak correlation between species richness and altitude.Our findings confirm that environmental variables both with interactions(such as altitude)and without interactions(such as livestock grazing)significantly(p<0.05)affect species richness.Anthropogenic activities and overgrazing by livestock appear to be the main threat in community types 2 and 3.Urgent management practices and conservation measures such as prohibiting forest clearing and overgrazing and planting indigenous trees through community participation should be considered in community types that are rich in endemic species but are highly threatened.

Energy Consumption and Erosion Mechanism of Polyester Fiber Reinforced Cement Composite in Wind-blown Sand Environments

Considering the economic and environmental benefits associated with the recycling of polyester(PET)fibres,it is vital to study the application of fibre-reinforced cement composites.According to the characteristics of the wind-blown sand environment in Inner Mongolia,the erosion resistance of the polyester fibre-reinforced cement composites(PETFRCC)with different PET fibre contents to various erosion angles,velocities and sand particle flows was investigated by the gas-blast method.Based on the actual conditions of sandstorms in Inner Mongolia,the sand erosion parameters required for testing were calculated by the similarity theory.The elastic-plastic model and rigid plastic model of PETFRCC and cement mortar were established,and the energy consumption mechanism of the model under particle impact was analyzed.The experimental results indicate that the microstructure of PETFRCC rafter hydration causes a spring-like buffering effect,and the deformation of PETFRCC under the same impact load is slightly smaller than that of cement mortar,and the damage mechanism of PETFRCC is mainly characterized by fiber deformation and slight brittle spalling of matrix.And under the most unfavorable conditions of the erosion,the erosion rate of 0.5PETFRCC is about 57.69%lower than that of cement mortar,showing better erosion resistance.

Numerical Simulation of Contamination Accumulation Characteristics of Composite Insulators in Salt Fog Environment

To investigate the fouling characteristics of the composite insulator surface under the salt fog environment,the FXBW-110/120-2 composite insulator was taken as the research object.Based on the field-induced charge mechanism,the multi-physical field coupling software COMSOL was used to numerically simulate the fouling characteristics,explored the calculation method of ESDD,and demonstrated its rationality.Based on this method,the pollution characteristics of the composite insulator under the pollution fog environment were studied,and the influence of wind speed,droplet size,and voltage type on the pollution characteristics of the composite insulator was analyzed.The results showed that:with the increase in wind speed,the amount of accumulated pollution of insulator increases in the range of droplet size,and the relationship between wind speed and accumulated pollution is approximately linear;at the same wind speed,the amount of accumulated pollution increases with the increase of droplet size under the action of DC voltage;when there is no voltage,the amount of dirt on the upper surface of the insulator is more than that on the lower surface,while it is the opposite under DC voltage.

Seasonal Variation of Biochemical Components in Clam (Saxidomuspurpuratus Sowerby 1852) in Relation to Its Reproductive Cycle and the Environmental Condition of Sanggou Bay, China

Seasonal variation of biochemical components in clam(Saxidomus purpuratus Sowerby 1852) was investigated from March 2012 to February 2013 in relation to environmental condition of Sanggou Bay and the reproductive cycle of clam.According to the histological analysis,the reproductive cycle of S.purpuratus includes two distinctive phases:a total spent and inactive stage from November to January,and a gametogenesis stage,including ripeness and spawning,during the rest of the year.Gametes were generated at a low temperature(2.1℃) in February.Spawning took place once a year from June to October.The massive spawning occurred in August when the highest water temperature and chlorophyll a level could be observed.The key biochemical components(glycogen,protein and lipid) in five tissues(gonad,foot,mantle,siphon and adductor muscle) were analyzed.The glycogen content was high before gametogenesis,and decreased significantly during the gonad development in the gonad,mantle and foot of both females and males,suggesting that glycogen was an important energy source for gonad development.The protein and lipid contents increased in the ovary during the gonad development,demonstrating that they are the major organic components of oocytes.The lipid and protein contents decreased in the testis,implying that they can provide energy and material for spermatogenesis.The results also showed that protein stored in the mantle and foot could support the reproduction after the glycogen was depleted.

ELECTROPLATED Zn-Ni-SiO_(2) COMPOSITE COATINGS TREATED WITH A SILANE COUPLING AGENT TO REPLACE CHROMATING

The fixing of a silane coupling agent to Zn-Ni-silica(SiO_(2))composite coatings was studied for the purpose of developing a coating process as an alternative to chromating.The corrosion resistance of Zn-Ni-silica composite coatings was rem arkably improved by the silica nanoparticles in the composite,which were disper sed in the surface of this film.The silane coupling agent formed chemical bonds with the inorganic silica particles during the silane coupling treatment on the se composite coatings.The treatment suppressed the formation of white corrosion products to the same extent as chromating,as measured in salt spray tests.It is concluded that treating Zn-Ni-silica composite coatings with silane coupling agents is a viable alternative technique to chromating.

In-situ polymerization for PPy/g-C_3N_4 composites with enhanced visible light photocatalytic performance

Polypyrrole‐modified graphitic carbon nitride composites(PPy/g‐C3N4)are fabricated using an in‐situ polymerization method to improve the visible light photocatalytic activity of g‐C3N4.The PPy/g‐C3N4 is applied to the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue(MB)under visible light irradiation.Various characterization techniques are employed to investigate the relationship between the structural properties and photoactivities of the as‐prepared composites.Results show that the specific surface area of the PPy/g‐C3N4 composites increases upon assembly of the amorphous PPy nanoparticles on the g‐C3N4 surface.Owing to the strong conductivity,the PPy can be used as a transition channel for electrons to move onto the g‐C3N4 surface,thus inhibiting the recombination of photogenerated carriers of g‐C3N4 and improving the photocatalytic performance.The elevated light adsorption of PPy/g‐C3N4 composites is attributed to the strong absorption coefficient of PPy.The composite containing 0.75 wt%PPy exhibits a photocatalytic efficiency that is 3 times higher than that of g‐C3N4 in 2 h.Moreover,the degradation kinetics follow a pseudo‐first‐order model.A detailed photocatalytic mechanism is proposed with·OH and·O2-radicals as the main reactive species.The present work provides new insights into the mechanistic understanding of PPy in PPy/g‐C3N4 composites for environmental applications.

Life Cycle Assessment of Creosote-Treated Wooden Railroad Crossties in the US with Comparisons to Concrete and Plastic Composite Railroad Crossties

Creosote-treated wooden railroad crossties have been used for more than a century to support steel rails and to transfer load from the rails to the underlying ballast while keeping the rails at the correct gauge. As transportation engineers look for improved service life and environmental performance in railway systems, alternatives to the creosote-treated wooden crosstie are being considered. This paper compares the cradle-to-grave environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) results of creosote-treated wooden railroad crossties with the primary alternative products: concrete and plastic composite (P/C) crossties. This LCA includes a life cycle inventory (LCI) to catalogue the input and output data from crosstie manufacture, service life, and disposition, and a life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) to evaluate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, fossil fuel and water use, and emissions with the potential to cause acidification, smog, ecotoxicity, and eutrophication. Comparisons of the products are made at a functional unit of 1.61 kilometers (1.0 mile) of rail-road track per year. This LCA finds that the manufacture, use, and disposition of creosote-treated wooden railroad crossties offers lower fossil fuel and water use and lesser environmental impacts than competing products manufactured of concrete and P/C.

Organizational Modes and Environmental Conditions of the Severe Convective Weathers Produced by the Mesoscale Convective Systems in South China

Composite radar reflectivity data during April-September 2011-2015 are used to investigate and classify storms in south China(18-27°N;105-120°E). The storms appear most frequently in May. They are either linear;cellular or nonlinear systems, taking up 29.45%, 24.51% and 46.04%, respectively, in terms of morphology. Linear systems are subdivided into six morphologies: trailing stratiform precipitation(TS), bow echoes(BE), leading stratiform precipitation(LS), embedded line(EL), no stratiform precipitation(NS) and parallel stratiform precipitation(PS). The TS and NS modes have the highest frequencies but there are only small samples of LS(0.61%) and PS(0.79%) modes.Severe convective wind(≥17m s-1at surface level) accounts for the highest percentage(35%) of severe convective weather events produced by cellular systems including individual cells(IC) and clusters of cells(CC). Short-duration heavy rainfall(≥50 mm h-1) and severe convective wind are the most common severe weather associated with TS and BE modes. Comparison of environmental physical parameters shows that cellular convection systems tend to occur in the environment with favorable thermal condition, substantial unstable energy and low precipitable water from the surface to300 hPa(PWAT). However, the environmental conditions favoring the initiation of linear systems feature strong vertical wind shear, high PWAT, and intense convective inhibition. The environmental parameters favoring the initiation of nonlinear systems are between those of the other two types of morphology.

Oxidation Performance of Ytterbium Disilicate/Silicon Environmental Barrier Coating via Optimized Air Plasma Spraying

Environmental barrier coatings (EBCs) play a critical role in mitigating the degradation of SiCf/SiC ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) in complex combustion environment, and improve the service life of thermal engine components. In this paper, by adjusting the parameters of atmospheric plasma spraying (APS), the spraying process of ytterbium disilicate (Yb2Si2O7) under a lower power has been optimized. A two-layer EBC system consisting of ytterbium disilicate and silicon is prepared on the SiCf/SiC composite substrate by using optimized technological parameters. The thermal resistance and water oxygen corrosion resistance of such two-layer EBC system are investigated. The results indicate that the current ytterbium disilicate/silicon EBC system exhibits good phase stability, excellent water vapor and oxygen corrosion resistance. However, the exposed silicon bonding layer tends to generate an excessive thermal growth oxide (TGO) layer known as SiO2, leading to an early spallation of the coating.

Processing of Lyocell Fiber Mat: An Alternative Renewable Reinforcement in Composite Manufacturing

The carding of the Lyocell cellulose fiber was done with a cylindrical cross lap machine supplied by Cormatex Prato, Italy. Several mats were made by carding and needle punching in order to have a compact and well entangled mat suitable for reinforcement. The speed of the cross lap machine, the frequency of needle punching, the number of times the mat goes through needle punching, the feeding rate of the carded fiber and the depth of needle penetration determined the level of entanglement of the Lyocell fiber which ultimately increased the mechanical properties of the fiber. The good mechanical properties of the carded Lyocell fiber made it a renewable and environmentally friendly alternative as reinforcement in composite manufacturing. Compared with other jute fiber reinforced composites, the mechanical properties of the resulting Lyocell composites were found to be better. Regenerated cellulose fiber (Lyocell) composites were environmentally friendly and the mechanical properties were comparable to those of natural fibers.

Review of Green Polymer Nanocomposites

Recently, attention has been drawn to the use of bio-reinforced composites in automotive, construction, packaging and medical applications due to increased concern for environmental sustainability. Green polymer nanocomposites show unique properties of combining the advantages of natural fillers and organic polymers. Plant fibers are found suitable to reinforce polymers. They have relatively high strength and stiffness, low cost of acquisition, low density and produce low CO2 emission. They are also biodegradable and are annually renewable compared to other fibrous materials. Organic polymers on the other hand, are desirable because they are either recyclable or biodegradable without causing environmental hazards. This paper reviews current research efforts, techniques of production, trends, challenges and prospects in the field of green nanocomposites.

Recycling Spent LiCoO_(2)Battery as a High-efficient Lithiumdoped Graphitic Carbon Nitride/Co_(3)O_(4)Composite Photocatalyst and Its Synergistic Photocatalytic Mechanism

The ever-increasing quantity of spent lithium-ion batteries(LIBs)is both a potential environmental pollutant and a valuable resource.The spent LIBs recycling mainly aimed at the separation of valuable elements.Some issues still exist in these processes such as high energy consumption and complex separation procedures.This study avoided element separation and proposed a facile approach to transform spent LiCoO_(2) electrode into a lithium(Li)-doped graphitic carbon nitride(g-C_(3)N_(4))/Co_(3)O_(4) composite photocatalyst through one-pot in situ thermal reduction.During the thermal process,melamine served as the reductant for LiCoO_(2) decomposition and the raw material for g-C_(3)N_(4) production.Li was in situ doped in g-C_(3)N_(4) and the generated Co_(3)O_(4) was in situ integrated,forming a Li-doped g-C_(3)N_(4)/Co_(3)O_(4) composite photocatalyst.This special composite exhibited an enhanced photocatalytic performance,and its photocatalytic H2 production and RhB degradation rates were 8.7 and 6.8 times higher than those of g-C_(3)N_(4).The experiments combined with DFT calculation revealed that such enhanced photocatalytic efficiency was ascribed to the synergy effect of Li doping and Co_(3)O_(4) integrating,which extended the visible light absorption(450-900 nm)and facilitated the charge transfer and separation.This study transforms waste into a high-efficient catalyst,realizing high-valued utilization of waste and environmental protection.

Optimized Composition of Functional Bacteria for Bioremediation of Sediment Environment of Shrimp Culture

After the single-strain abilities of organic-pollutant-degrading bacteria in bioremediation of sediment environment of shrimp culture are determined, the multi- strain degrading effect of the compositions of different strains is measured. The results indicate that the multi-strains groups have higher degrading ability than the single -strain groups. Three-strain groups are better than two-strain groups, and four-strain groups are better than three-strain groups and five-strain groups, the groups composed of strains Lt7222, Lt7511, Fc6308 and Gy7018 has the best degrading effect, the CODMn removal rate is 73.2 % in 66 h, and gets to 82.7 % in 114 h, 30 % higher than that of the best single-strain group; Groups of Lt7222, Lt7511, Lt7451 and Gy7018 are the second, whose CODMn removal rate is 82.1 % in 114 h. It is suggested that multi-species bacteria be used as functional bacteria in bioremediation of mariculture environment.

Comparison study of environmental influences on the intensification of different deep Changjiang-Huaihe cyclones over the East China and Yellow Seas

Abstract： Statistical classification of the intensification of different deepChangiang-Huaihe Cyclones （CHCs） over the East China and Yellow Seas （ECYSs）during 2008 to 2012 is studied using the FNL reanalysis data. Based on the penetrationdepth and the season of occurrence, the CHCs are divided into four categoriesincluding warm-season-deep （WSD）, warm-season-shallow （WSS）, winter-shallow（WTS） and early-spring-bottom （ESB）. Statistics show the CHCs take either aneastward or a northeastward path after entering ECYSs. After moving to the seas, theintensification of CHCs is more significant in cold season than that in warm season.They all have the reduction of the friction of the underlying surface and the increase ofthe near surface winds. The area of strong winds extends and migrates from the east tothe southeast of the CHCs. A significant increase of precipitation during the warmseasons is consistent with the penetration depth of the cyclones. While a slight increaseof precipitation in cold season cyclones and scattered precipitation is observed behindthe ESB cyclones in the early stage of spring. Synthetic diagnosis analysis of the CHCsover ECYSs shows that the latent heat release plays an important role in theamplification of cyclones during the warm season. The ESB cyclones are sensitive tothe dynamic and thermal effects from the underlying surface. The vertical stretching of the positive vorticity volume is much more significant in ESB cyclones than that in othercyclones. The height of maximum upper level divergence is proportional to thepenetration depth of the cyclone for all the categories. Diabatic heating from the underlying surface is more prominent in cold season cyclones. Downward transport ofthe kinetic energy from upper level jet and the reduced friction both have positivecontributions to intensification of the CHCs. Moist Potential Vorticity （MPV） has morecontribution to the intensification of warm season cyclones, especially WSD cyclones.The combined effects from inertial stability and shear stability are beneficial to theamplification of the cyclones in cold season. The position and strength of thetemperature and moisture front from MPV2 term at 1000 hPa coincides with the areaand intensity of precipitation, which shows that the MPV2 is an effective reference forCHCs rainfall forecast.

Socio-economic development of countries based on the Composite Country Development Index(CCDI)

World experience indicates the existence of significant imbalances in the development of countries.The problem of assessing the rational development of the regional and national economy is becoming urgent,since such assessments can prevent development imbalances across countries.The aim of this study is to elaborate a methodology to assess the countries’socio-economic development by integraring 12 modern indices of socio-economic development into the Composite Country Development Index(CCDI).The methodology of this research was based on a set of key indices that described socio-economic development level in four fields(social development,digital development,economic development,and environmental security)and then these indices were integrated into the CCDI.The study further applied factor analysis and R-Studio software to define the gaps of social and economic development in 59 selected countries using the trigonometric function of the angle sine.The correlation analysis confirmed the existence of a close interrelation among the studied countries.This paper noted that due to the emergence of new priorities,it is necessary to revise the assessment methodology of socio-economic development level and expand them to cover the decisive factors.This was confirmed by the results obtained,demonstrating various combinations of the development level in the four fields and their impact on the CCDI.The scientific contribution of this research is to form a methodology(e.g.,the CCDI)for evaluating the socio-economic development level of countries in the world.