This study focused on the development and characterization of TiO<sub>2</sub>-PES composite fibers with varying TiO<sub>2</sub> loading amounts using a phase inversion process. The resulting co...This study focused on the development and characterization of TiO<sub>2</sub>-PES composite fibers with varying TiO<sub>2</sub> loading amounts using a phase inversion process. The resulting composite fibers exhibited a sponge-like structure with embedded TiO<sub>2</sub> nanoparticles within a polymer matrix. Their photocatalytic performance for ammonia removal from aqueous solutions under UV-A light exposure was thoroughly investigated. The findings revealed that PeTi8 composite fibers displayed superior adsorption capacity compared to other samples. Moreover, the study explored the impact of pH, light intensity, and catalyst dosage on the photocatalytic degradation of ammonia. Adsorption equilibrium isotherms closely followed the Langmuir model, with the results indicating a correlation between qm values of 2.49 mg/g and the porous structure of the adsorbents. The research underscored the efficacy of TiO<sub>2</sub> composite fibers in the photocatalytic removal of aqueous under UV-A light. Notably, increasing the distance between the photocatalyst and the light source resulted in de-creased hydroxyl radical concentration, influencing photocatalytic efficiency. These findings contribute to our understanding of TiO<sub>2</sub> composite fibers as promising photocatalysts for ammonia removal in water treatment applications.展开更多
A 1-octadecanol（OD）/1,3:2,4-di-（3,4-dimethyl） benzylidene sorbitol（DMDBS）/expander graphite（EG） composite was prepared as a form-stable phase change material（PCM） by vacuum melting method. The results of fie...A 1-octadecanol（OD）/1,3:2,4-di-（3,4-dimethyl） benzylidene sorbitol（DMDBS）/expander graphite（EG） composite was prepared as a form-stable phase change material（PCM） by vacuum melting method. The results of field emission-scanning electron microscopy（FE-SEM） showed that 1-octadecanol was restricted in the three-dimensional network formed by DMDBS and the honeycomb network formed by EG. X-ray diffraction（XRD） and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy（FT-IR） results showed that no chemical reaction occurred among the components of composite PCM in the preparation process. The gel-to-sol transition temperature of the composite PCMs containing DMDBS was much higher than the melting point of pure 1-octadecanol. The improvements in preventing leakage and thermal stability limits were mainly attributed to the synergistic effect of the three-dimensional network formed by DMDBS and the honeycomb network formed by EG. Differential scanning calorimeter（DSC） was used to determine the latent heat and phase change temperature of the composite PCMs. During melting and freezing process the latent heat values of the PCM with the composition of 91% OD/3% DMDBS/6% EG were 214.9 and 185.9 kJ·kg-1, respectively. Its degree of supercooling was only 0.1 ℃. Thermal constant analyzer results showed that its thermal conductivity（κ） changed up to roughly 10 times over that of OD/DMDBS matrix.展开更多
A Ni Fe_2O_4/expanded graphite(Ni Fe_2O_4/EG)nanocomposite was prepared via a simple and inexpensive synthesis method. Its lithium storage properties were studied with the goal of applying it as an anode in a lithium-...A Ni Fe_2O_4/expanded graphite(Ni Fe_2O_4/EG)nanocomposite was prepared via a simple and inexpensive synthesis method. Its lithium storage properties were studied with the goal of applying it as an anode in a lithium-ion battery. The obtained nanocomposite exhibited a good cycle performance, with a capacity of 601 m Ah g^(-1)at a current of 1 A g^(-1)after 800 cycles. This good performance may beattributed to the enhanced electrical conductivity and layered structure of the EG. Its high mechanical strength could postpone the disintegration of the nanocomposite structure,efficiently accommodate volume changes in the Ni Fe_2O_4-based anodes, and alleviate aggregation of Ni Fe_2O_4 nanoparticles.展开更多
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...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.展开更多
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 ...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.展开更多
Thermal energy storage(TES)using phase change materials(PCMs)is a powerful solution to the improvement of energy efficiency.The application of Ammonium alum(A-alum,NH4Al(SO_(4))_(2)·12H_(2)O)in the latent thermal...Thermal energy storage(TES)using phase change materials(PCMs)is a powerful solution to the improvement of energy efficiency.The application of Ammonium alum(A-alum,NH4Al(SO_(4))_(2)·12H_(2)O)in the latent thermal energy storage(LTES)systems is hampered due to its high supercooling and low thermal conductivity.In this work,modified A-alum(M-PCM)containing different nucleating agents was prepared and further adsorbed in expanded graphite(EG)to obtain composite phase change material(CPCM)to overcome the disadvantages of A-alum.Thermal properties,thermal cycle stability,microstructure and chemical compatibility of CPCM were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry,thermal constant analysis,scanning electron microscopy,X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.The cold rewarming phenomenon of CPCM was established and explained.Results showed that the latent heat and melting point of CPCM were 187.22 J/g and 91.54℃,respectively.The supercooling of CPCM decreased by 9.61℃,and thermal conductivity increased by 27 times compared with pure A-alum.Heat storage and release tests indicated that 2 wt%calcium chloride dihydrate(CCD,CaCl_(2)·2H_(2)O)was the optimum nucleating agent for A-alum.The result of TG and 30 thermal cycles revealed that CPCM exhibited favorable thermal stability and reliability during the operating temperature.The prepared modified A-alum/EG CPCM has a promising application prospect for LTES.展开更多
Phase change materials(PCMs)are used in various thermal energy storage applications but are limited by their low thermal conductivity.One method to increase conductivity involves impregnating organic PCMs into highly ...Phase change materials(PCMs)are used in various thermal energy storage applications but are limited by their low thermal conductivity.One method to increase conductivity involves impregnating organic PCMs into highly porous conductive matrix materials.Of these materials,compressed expanded natural graphite(CENG)matrices have received the most attention.Despite this attention,the effect that CENG processing has on PCM saturation and overall matrix thermal conductivity has not been fully investigated.Therefore,the effect of the heat treatment process used to expand intercalated graphite flakes is evaluated here.Higher heat treatment temperatures yielded higher saturation rates and overall saturation at similar matrix porosities.For example,increasing temperature from 300℃to 700℃resulted in approximately 60%-70%increase in pore saturation after 100 minutes of soaking.The exposure time to heat treatment had less of an effect on PCM saturation.The exposure time had negligible effect above 30 min and above 500℃heating temperatures.However,because the expanded graphite was found to oxidize around 700℃,the use of longer exposure time in manufacturing applications can be beneficial if a shortened impregnation time is needed.Heat treatment conditions did not impact thermal conductivity.The composite latent heat of fusion was also reduced approximately proportionally to the PCM mass fraction.A local maximum in axial thermal conductivity was observed at around 83%porosity,which is similar to previous studies.The observed conductivity at this maximum was a factor of 81 times greater than the conductivity of the PCM.展开更多
This research work aims to reduce the band gap of thin layers of titanium oxide by the incorporation of graphene oxide sheets. Thin layers of the TiO2-GO composites were prepared on a glass substrate by the spin-coati...This research work aims to reduce the band gap of thin layers of titanium oxide by the incorporation of graphene oxide sheets. Thin layers of the TiO2-GO composites were prepared on a glass substrate by the spin-coating technique from GO and an aqueous solution of TiO2. A significant decrease in optical band gap was observed at the TiO2-GO compound compared to that of pure TiO2. Samples as prepared were characterized using XRD, SEM and UV-visible spectra. XRD analysis revealed the amorphous nature of the deposited layers. Scanning electron microscope reveals the dispersion of graphene nanofiles among titanium oxide nanoparticles distributed at the surface with an almost uniform size distribution. The band gap has been calculated and is around 2 eV after incorporation of Graphene oxide. The chemical bond C-Ti between the titanium oxide and graphene sheets is at the origin of this reduction.展开更多
文摘This study focused on the development and characterization of TiO<sub>2</sub>-PES composite fibers with varying TiO<sub>2</sub> loading amounts using a phase inversion process. The resulting composite fibers exhibited a sponge-like structure with embedded TiO<sub>2</sub> nanoparticles within a polymer matrix. Their photocatalytic performance for ammonia removal from aqueous solutions under UV-A light exposure was thoroughly investigated. The findings revealed that PeTi8 composite fibers displayed superior adsorption capacity compared to other samples. Moreover, the study explored the impact of pH, light intensity, and catalyst dosage on the photocatalytic degradation of ammonia. Adsorption equilibrium isotherms closely followed the Langmuir model, with the results indicating a correlation between qm values of 2.49 mg/g and the porous structure of the adsorbents. The research underscored the efficacy of TiO<sub>2</sub> composite fibers in the photocatalytic removal of aqueous under UV-A light. Notably, increasing the distance between the photocatalyst and the light source resulted in de-creased hydroxyl radical concentration, influencing photocatalytic efficiency. These findings contribute to our understanding of TiO<sub>2</sub> composite fibers as promising photocatalysts for ammonia removal in water treatment applications.
基金Funded by Science and Technology Support Program of Hubei Province of China(No.2015BAA111)
文摘A 1-octadecanol（OD）/1,3:2,4-di-（3,4-dimethyl） benzylidene sorbitol（DMDBS）/expander graphite（EG） composite was prepared as a form-stable phase change material（PCM） by vacuum melting method. The results of field emission-scanning electron microscopy（FE-SEM） showed that 1-octadecanol was restricted in the three-dimensional network formed by DMDBS and the honeycomb network formed by EG. X-ray diffraction（XRD） and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy（FT-IR） results showed that no chemical reaction occurred among the components of composite PCM in the preparation process. The gel-to-sol transition temperature of the composite PCMs containing DMDBS was much higher than the melting point of pure 1-octadecanol. The improvements in preventing leakage and thermal stability limits were mainly attributed to the synergistic effect of the three-dimensional network formed by DMDBS and the honeycomb network formed by EG. Differential scanning calorimeter（DSC） was used to determine the latent heat and phase change temperature of the composite PCMs. During melting and freezing process the latent heat values of the PCM with the composition of 91% OD/3% DMDBS/6% EG were 214.9 and 185.9 kJ·kg-1, respectively. Its degree of supercooling was only 0.1 ℃. Thermal constant analyzer results showed that its thermal conductivity（κ） changed up to roughly 10 times over that of OD/DMDBS matrix.
基金support from the National Basic Research Program of China (2014CB239702)National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 21371121, 21506126 and 51502174)+1 种基金Shenzhen Science and Technology Research Foundation (Grant Nos. JCYJ20150324141711645,JCYJ20150324141711616 and JCYJ20150626090504916)China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2015 M582401 and 2015 M572349)
文摘A Ni Fe_2O_4/expanded graphite(Ni Fe_2O_4/EG)nanocomposite was prepared via a simple and inexpensive synthesis method. Its lithium storage properties were studied with the goal of applying it as an anode in a lithium-ion battery. The obtained nanocomposite exhibited a good cycle performance, with a capacity of 601 m Ah g^(-1)at a current of 1 A g^(-1)after 800 cycles. This good performance may beattributed to the enhanced electrical conductivity and layered structure of the EG. Its high mechanical strength could postpone the disintegration of the nanocomposite structure,efficiently accommodate volume changes in the Ni Fe_2O_4-based anodes, and alleviate aggregation of Ni Fe_2O_4 nanoparticles.
基金The authors are thankful to the support of the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.50135030).
文摘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.
基金Funded by the National Key Technology R&D Program of China(No.2008BAE60B06)Beijing Municipal Science&Technology Commission (No.Z080003032208015)
文摘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.
基金supported by the National key research and development plan of China(No.2022YFC3800401)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(FRF-BD-20-09A).
文摘Thermal energy storage(TES)using phase change materials(PCMs)is a powerful solution to the improvement of energy efficiency.The application of Ammonium alum(A-alum,NH4Al(SO_(4))_(2)·12H_(2)O)in the latent thermal energy storage(LTES)systems is hampered due to its high supercooling and low thermal conductivity.In this work,modified A-alum(M-PCM)containing different nucleating agents was prepared and further adsorbed in expanded graphite(EG)to obtain composite phase change material(CPCM)to overcome the disadvantages of A-alum.Thermal properties,thermal cycle stability,microstructure and chemical compatibility of CPCM were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry,thermal constant analysis,scanning electron microscopy,X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.The cold rewarming phenomenon of CPCM was established and explained.Results showed that the latent heat and melting point of CPCM were 187.22 J/g and 91.54℃,respectively.The supercooling of CPCM decreased by 9.61℃,and thermal conductivity increased by 27 times compared with pure A-alum.Heat storage and release tests indicated that 2 wt%calcium chloride dihydrate(CCD,CaCl_(2)·2H_(2)O)was the optimum nucleating agent for A-alum.The result of TG and 30 thermal cycles revealed that CPCM exhibited favorable thermal stability and reliability during the operating temperature.The prepared modified A-alum/EG CPCM has a promising application prospect for LTES.
基金Funding provided by U.S.Department of Energy Office of Energy EfficiencyRenewable Energy Building Technologies Office。
文摘Phase change materials(PCMs)are used in various thermal energy storage applications but are limited by their low thermal conductivity.One method to increase conductivity involves impregnating organic PCMs into highly porous conductive matrix materials.Of these materials,compressed expanded natural graphite(CENG)matrices have received the most attention.Despite this attention,the effect that CENG processing has on PCM saturation and overall matrix thermal conductivity has not been fully investigated.Therefore,the effect of the heat treatment process used to expand intercalated graphite flakes is evaluated here.Higher heat treatment temperatures yielded higher saturation rates and overall saturation at similar matrix porosities.For example,increasing temperature from 300℃to 700℃resulted in approximately 60%-70%increase in pore saturation after 100 minutes of soaking.The exposure time to heat treatment had less of an effect on PCM saturation.The exposure time had negligible effect above 30 min and above 500℃heating temperatures.However,because the expanded graphite was found to oxidize around 700℃,the use of longer exposure time in manufacturing applications can be beneficial if a shortened impregnation time is needed.Heat treatment conditions did not impact thermal conductivity.The composite latent heat of fusion was also reduced approximately proportionally to the PCM mass fraction.A local maximum in axial thermal conductivity was observed at around 83%porosity,which is similar to previous studies.The observed conductivity at this maximum was a factor of 81 times greater than the conductivity of the PCM.
文摘This research work aims to reduce the band gap of thin layers of titanium oxide by the incorporation of graphene oxide sheets. Thin layers of the TiO2-GO composites were prepared on a glass substrate by the spin-coating technique from GO and an aqueous solution of TiO2. A significant decrease in optical band gap was observed at the TiO2-GO compound compared to that of pure TiO2. Samples as prepared were characterized using XRD, SEM and UV-visible spectra. XRD analysis revealed the amorphous nature of the deposited layers. Scanning electron microscope reveals the dispersion of graphene nanofiles among titanium oxide nanoparticles distributed at the surface with an almost uniform size distribution. The band gap has been calculated and is around 2 eV after incorporation of Graphene oxide. The chemical bond C-Ti between the titanium oxide and graphene sheets is at the origin of this reduction.
