Numerical Study of the Biomechanical Behavior of a 3D Printed Polymer Esophageal Stent in the Esophagus by BP Neural Network Algorithm

Esophageal disease is a common disorder of the digestive system that can severely affect the quality of life andprognosis of patients. Esophageal stenting is an effective treatment that has been widely used in clinical practice.However, esophageal stents of different types and parameters have varying adaptability and effectiveness forpatients, and they need to be individually selected according to the patient’s specific situation. The purposeof this study was to provide a reference for clinical doctors to choose suitable esophageal stents. We used 3Dprinting technology to fabricate esophageal stents with different ratios of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)/(Poly-ε-caprolactone) PCL polymer, and established an artificial neural network model that could predict the radial forceof esophageal stents based on the content of TPU, PCL and print parameter. We selected three optimal ratios formechanical performance tests and evaluated the biomechanical effects of different ratios of stents on esophagealimplantation, swallowing, and stent migration processes through finite element numerical simulation and in vitrosimulation tests. The results showed that different ratios of polymer stents had different mechanical properties,affecting the effectiveness of stent expansion treatment and the possibility of postoperative complications of stentimplantation.

Anion exchange membranes with a semi-interpenetrating polymer network using 1,6-dibromohexane as bifunctional crosslinker

An anion exchange membrane(AEM)is generally expected to possess high ion exchange capacity(IEC),low water uptake(WU),and high mechanical strength when applied to electrodialysis desalination.Among different types of AEMs,semi-interpenetrating polymer networks(SIPNs)have been suggested for their structural superiorities,i.e.,the tunable local density of ion exchange groups for IEC and the restrained leaching of hygroscopic groups by insolubility for WU.Unfortunately,the conventional SIPN AEMs still struggle to balances IEC,WU,and mechanical strength simultaneously,due to the lack of the compact crosslinking region.In this work,we proposed a novel SIPN structure of polyvinylidene difluoride/polyvinylimidazole/1,6-dibromohexane(PVDF/PVIm/DBH).On the one hand,DBH with two cationic groups of imidazole groups are introduced to enhance the ion conductivity,which is different from the conventional monofunctional modifier with only one cationic group.On the other hand,DBH has the ability to bridge with PVIm,where the mechanical strength of the resulting AEM is increased by the increase of crosslinking degree.Results show that a low WU of 38.1%to 62.6%,high IEC of 2.12—2.22 mmol·g^(-1),and excellent tensile strength of 3.54—12.35 MPa for PVDF/PVIm/DBH membrane are achieved.This work opens a new avenue for achieving the high-quality AEMs.

Fluorinated semi-interpenetrating polymer networks for enhancing the mechanical performance and storage stability of polymer-bonded explosives by controlling curing and phase separation rates

Herein, the effect of fluoropolymer binders on the properties of polymer-bonded explosives(PBXs) was comprehensively investigated. To this end, fluorinated semi-interpenetrating polymer networks(semiIPNs) were prepared using different catalyst amounts(denoted as F23-CLF-30-D). The involved curing and phase separation processes were monitored using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, a haze meter and a rheometer. Curing rate constant and activation energy were calculated using a theoretical model and numerical method, respectively. Results revealed that owing to its co-continuous micro-phase separation structure, the F23-CLF-30-D3 semi-IPN exhibited considerably higher tensile strength and elongation at break than pure fluororubber F2314 and the F23-CLF-30-D0 semi-IPN because the phase separation and curing rates matched in the initial stage of curing.An arc Brazilian test revealed that F23-CLF-30-D-based composites used as mock materials for PBXs exhibited excellent mechanical performance and storage stability. Thus, the matched curing and phase separation rates play a crucial role during the fabrication of high-performance semi-IPNs;these factors can be feasibly controlled using an appropriate catalyst amount.

Supramolecular polymer-based gel fracturing fluid with a double network applied in ultra-deep hydraulic fracturing

A gel based on polyacrylamide,exhibiting delayed crosslinking characteristics,emerges as the preferred solution for mitigating degradation under conditions of high temperature and extended shear in ultralong wellbores.High viscosity/viscoelasticity of the fracturing fluid was required to maintain excellent proppant suspension properties before gelling.Taking into account both the cost and the potential damage to reservoirs,polymers with lower concentrations and molecular weights are generally preferred.In this work,the supramolecular action was integrated into the polymer,resulting in significant increases in the viscosity and viscoelasticity of the synthesized supramolecular polymer system.The double network gel,which is formed by the combination of the supramolecular polymer system and a small quantity of Zr-crosslinker,effectively resists temperature while minimizing permeability damage to the reservoir.The results indicate that the supramolecular polymer system with a molecular weight of(268—380)×10^(4)g/mol can achieve the same viscosity and viscoelasticity at 0.4 wt%due to the supramolecular interaction between polymers,compared to the 0.6 wt%traditional polymer(hydrolyzed polyacrylamide,molecular weight of 1078×10^(4)g/mol).The supramolecular polymer system possessed excellent proppant suspension properties with a 0.55 cm/min sedimentation rate at 0.4 wt%,whereas the0.6 wt%traditional polymer had a rate of 0.57 cm/min.In comparison to the traditional gel with a Zrcrosslinker concentration of 0.6 wt%and an elastic modulus of 7.77 Pa,the double network gel with a higher elastic modulus(9.00 Pa)could be formed only at 0.1 wt%Zr-crosslinker,which greatly reduced the amount of residue of the fluid after gel-breaking.The viscosity of the double network gel was66 m Pa s after 2 h shearing,whereas the traditional gel only reached 27 m Pa s.

PREPARATION AND PROPERTIES OF GEL POLYMER ELECTROLYTE BASED ON PVDF/ACRYLATE INTERPENETRATING POLYMER NETWORK FOR DYE-SENSITIZED SOLAR CELL

The gel polymer electrolytes（GPEs）based on poly（vinylidence fluoride）（PVDF）/acrylate interpenetrating polymer network（IPN）are prepared.The micro-phase separation type GPEs are characterized by Fourier transform infrared（FTIR）spectroscopy,scanning electron microscope（SEM）,respectively.Moreover,the conductivity and the voltage-current curves of the electrolytes are measured by electrochemical workstation.The higher porosity and electrolyte uptake are observed in the membranes prepared at lower crosslinker concentration.The suitable cross-linking acrylate monomer improves the porosity and the electrochemical behavior of GPE.A dye-sensitized solar cell（DSSC）employing PGE based on PVDF/poly（ethylene glycol dimethacrylate）（PEGDMA）IPN yields an open-circuit voltage of 0.674 V,short-circuit current of 8.476 mA·cm-2and the conversion efficiency of 2.710% under 100 mW·cm-2illumination.

Studies on the Morphology of Natural Rubber/Polyacrylate Interpenetrating Polymer Networks

The interpenetrating polymer network(IPN) systems have attracted a lot of attention because of their unique two-phase structure and properties. There have been many publications concerning the IPNs in which poly (isoprene) (PIP) or polyacrylates (PAC) is formed as one of the networks.In the present study, Four serles of natural rubber(NR)/PAC IPNs were prepared and their morphologies were investigated with dynamic mechanics analysis(DMA) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

FROM CRYSTALLINE BLOCK SLIPS TO DOMINANCE OF NETWORK STRETCHING——MECHANISMS OF TENSILE DEFORMATION IN SEMI-CRYSTALLINE POLYMERS

The mechanism of tensile deformation in semi-crystalline polymers was studied based on true stress-strain curvesobtained with the aid of a video-controlled tensile set-up. The deformation is affected by both the crystalline and theamorphous phases. However, the relative weights of the two portions change with the deformation stage. At lowdeformations the coupling and coarse slips of the crystalline blocks dominate the mechanical properties, which allows thesystem to maintain a homogeneous strain distribution in the sample. As the stretching increases, at a critical strain the forcegenerated from entangled fluid portions reaches a critical value to destroy the crystallites. The dominant deformationmechanism then changes into a disaggregation - recrystallization process.

Preparation,Morphology and Damping Property of PU/UP Interpenetrating Polymer Networks

Interpenetrating polymer networks （IPNs） composed of acrylate-modified polyurethane （PU）/unsaturated polyester （UP） resin via simultaneous polymerization with various component ratios of PU/UP were prepared. The polymerization processes of IPNs were traced through infrared spectrum （IR） techniques, by which the phase separation in systems could be controlled effectively. Results for the morphology and miscibility among multiple phases of IPNs, obtained by transmission electron microscope （TEM） indicated that the domains between two phases were constricted in nanometer scales. The dynamic mechanical thermal analyzer （DMTA） detection results revealed that the loss factor （tanS） and loss modulus （E″） increased with the polyurethane amounts in system, and the peak value in curves of tanδ and E″ appeared toward low temperature ranges. Maximum tanδ values of all samples were above 0.3 in the nearly 50℃ ranges. Also, the mechanical properties of PU/UP IPNs were studied in detail.

Polymerization Process and Morphology of Polyurethane/Vinyl Ester Resin Interpenetrating Polymer Networks

A series of polyurethane （PU）/vinyl ester resin （VER） simultaneous IPNs （interpenetrating polymer networks） with different component ratios and comonomers types introduced to VER were synthesized and the polymerization processes were traced by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （FTIR） to study the kinetics of IPNs and hydrogen bonding action within multi-component. Furthermore, the relationship of polymerization process with morphology was investigated in detail for the first time by the morphological information given by chemical action between two networks besides physical entanglement, atomic force microscope （AFM） observation and dynamic mechanical analysis （DMA）. The results indicated that the degree of hydrogen bonding （Xb,UT,%）, calculated from functional group conversional rate and fine structures gained from FT-IR spectra of two networks, were affected by PU/VER weight ratios and comonomer types of VER. The relationship of formation kinetics and morphology showed that the change of Xb,UT （%） values exhibited excellent consistency with that of phase sizes observed by AFM and detected by DMA.

Artificial Intelligence Prediction of One-Part Geopolymer Compressive Strength for Sustainable Concrete

Alkali-activated materials/geopolymer(AAMs),due to their low carbon emission content,have been the focus of recent studies on ecological concrete.In terms of performance,fly ash and slag are preferredmaterials for precursors for developing a one-part geopolymer.However,determining the optimum content of the input parameters to obtain adequate performance is quite challenging and scarcely reported.Therefore,in this study,machine learning methods such as artificial neural networks(ANN)and gene expression programming(GEP)models were developed usingMATLAB and GeneXprotools,respectively,for the prediction of compressive strength under variable input materials and content for fly ash and slag-based one-part geopolymer.The database for this study contains 171 points extracted from literature with input parameters:fly ash concentration,slag content,calcium hydroxide content,sodium oxide dose,water binder ratio,and curing temperature.The performance of the two models was evaluated under various statistical indices,namely correlation coefficient(R),mean absolute error(MAE),and rootmean square error(RMSE).In terms of the strength prediction efficacy of a one-part geopolymer,ANN outperformed GEP.Sensitivity and parametric analysis were also performed to identify the significant contributor to strength.According to a sensitivity analysis,the activator and slag contents had the most effects on the compressive strength at 28 days.The water binder ratio was shown to be directly connected to activator percentage,slag percentage,and calcium hydroxide percentage and inversely related to compressive strength at 28 days and curing temperature.

A fast ionic transport copolymeric network for stable quasi-solid lithium metal battery

Solid-state lithium(Li) metal batteries overwhelm the lithium-ion batteries by harvesting high energy from Li metal anode with ultrahigh capacities and gaining excellent safety from solid electrolytes.However,the uncontrollable solvents in solid electrolytes usually aggravate poor interfacial contact with lithium metal anode and deteriorate Li^(+) pathways.Here a copolymeric network-structured ion conductor by rationally integrating cellulose nanofibril as a two-in-one functional material is employed to anchor the solvent.Taking advantages of tightly anchoring of cellulose nanofibril to solvent,the asconstructed quasi-solid polymer-based electrolyte offers rapid Li^(+) transport channels and realizes effective Li-dendrite suppression,which enables high ionic conductivity of 1.93 × 10^(-3)S cm^(-1) at room temperature,long-term Li plating/stripping over 1900 h,and high capacity retention of 99%.This work provides a fresh strategy for creating solid electrolytes that meet both high ionic conductivity and interfacial stability requirements for practical solid-state lithium metal battery.

Structural characteristics and properties of polyurethane modified TDE-85/MeTHPA epoxy resin with interpenetrating polymer networks

Diglycidyl-4,5-epoxycyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylate(TDE-85)/methyl tetrahydrophthalic anhydride (MeTHPA) epoxy resin was modified with polyurethane(PU) and the interpenetrating polymer networks(IPNs) of PU-modified TDE-85/MeTHPA resin were prepared. The structural characteristics and properties of PU-modified TDE-85/MeTHPA resin were investigated by Fourier transform infrared(FTIR) spectrum,emission scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and thermogravimetry(TG). The results indicate that epoxy polymer network (Ⅰ) and polyurethane polymer network (Ⅱ) of the modified resin can be obtained and the networks (Ⅰ) and (Ⅱ) interpenetrate and tangle highly each other at the phase interface. The micro morphology presents heterogeneous structure. The integrative properties of PU-modified TDE-85/MeTHPA epoxy resin are improved obviously. The PU-modified TDE-85/ MeTHPA resin's tensile strength reaches 69.39 MPa,the impact strength reaches 23.56 kJ/m,the temperature for the system to lose 1% mass (t1%) is 300 ℃,and that for the system to lose 50% mass (t50%) is 378 ℃. Compared with those of TDE-85/MeTHPA resin,the tensile strength,impact strength,t1% and t50% of the PU-modified resin increases by 48%,115%,30 ℃,11 ℃,respectively. The PU-modified TDE-85/MeTHPA resin has the structure characteristics and properties of interpenetrating polymer networks.

Compressive Strength Estimation for the Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (FRP)-Confined Concrete Columns with Different Shapes Using Artificial Neural Networks

An evaluation of existing strength of concrete columns confined with fiber-reinforced polymer( FRP) was presented with extensive collection of experimental data. According to the evaluation results, artificial neural networks( ANNs) model to predict the ultimate strength of FRP confined column with different shapes was proposed. The models had seven inputs including the column length,the tensile strength of the FRP in the hoop direction,the total thickness of FRP,the diameter of the concrete specimen,the elastic modulus of FRP,the corner radius and the concrete compressive strength. The compressive strength of the confined concrete was the output data. The results reveal that the proposed models have good prediction and generalization capacity with acceptable errors.

Thermoreversible Thickening and Self-assembly Behaviors of pH/Temperature Dually Responsive Microgels with Interpenetrating Polymer Network Structure

The pH /temperature dually responsive microgels of interpenetrating polymer network( IPN) structure composed of poly( N-isopropylacrylamide)( PNIPAM) network and poly( acrylic acid)( PAA) network( PNIPAM /PAA IPN microgels) were synthesized by seed emulsion polymerization. The results obtained by dynamic laser light scattering( DLLS) show that the microgels have good pH /temperature dual sensitivities. The temperature sensitive component and the pH sensitive component inside the microgels have little interference with each other. The rheological properties of the concentrated PNIPAM /PAA IPN microgel dispersions as a function of temperature at pH 4. 0 or 7. 0 were investigated by viscometer,and the results displayed that only at pH 7. 0 the dispersions presented thermoreversible thickening behavior. Then the PNIPAM /PAA fibers were prepared by self-assembly of the PNIPAM /PAA IPN microgels in the ice-crystal templates formed by unidirectional liquid nitrogen freezing method. Field emission scanning electron microscopy( FESEM) images indicate that the PNIPAM /PAA fibers are rounded,randomly orientated and interweaved.

Semi-Interpenetrating Novolac-Epoxy Thermoset Polymer Networks Derived from Plant Biomass

Bio-based phenol-formaldehyde polymer (BioNovolac) was developed by reacting molar excess of bio-oil/phenolwith formaldehyde in acidic medium. Glycidyl 3,5-diglycidoxybenzoate (GDGB), was prepared by directglycidylation of α-resorcylic acid (RA), a naturally occurring phenolic monomer. GDGB was crosslinked in thepresence of BioNovolac by anionic polymerization. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmedthe formation of semi-interpenetrating polymer networks. The glass transition temperature and moduli of biobasedcrosslinked systems were observed to increase with increasing GDGB content. Active chain density andmass retention measured by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and Soxhlet extraction, respectively, indicated ahigh crosslink density of the cured networks. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images depicted thehomogeneity of the bulk phase. The preparation of bio-based epoxy-novolac thermoset network resulted inreduced consumption of petroleum-based chemicals.

Synthesis and Characterization of Polyurethane and Epoxy Resin Interpenetrating Polymer Network

A series of Polyurethane (PU)/bisphenol A based Epoxy Resin(EP) Interpenetrating Polymer Networks(IPN) were synthesized and characterized by SEM, DSC, TGA and DMTA. It was found that IPN shows the best compatibility and damping properties when the ratio of PU/EP is 80 to 20. The results show that chain-extender and higher molecular weight of PPG are able to improve the properties of compatibility, damping and thermal properties.

AN EPOXY/(METHYL METHACRYLATE)INTERPENETRATING POLYMER NETWORK FOR NONLINEAR OPTICS

An interpenetrating polymer networks (IPN) consisting of an epoxy-based polymer network and a polymethyl methacrylate network were synthesized and characterized. The IPN showed only one T-g, and hence a homogeneous-phase morphology was suggested. The second-order nonlinear optical coefficient (d(33)) of the IPN was measured to be 1.72 X 10(-7) esu. The study of NLO temporal stability at room temperature and elevated temperature (100 degrees C) indicated that the IPN exhibits a high stability in the dipole orientation due to the permanent entanglements of two component networks in the IPN system. Long-term stability of second harmonic coefficients was observed at room temperature for more than 1000 h.

PREPARATION OF STAR NETWORK PEG-BASED GEL POLYMER ELECTROLYTES FOR ELECTROCHROMIC DEVICES

An amorphous,colorless,and highly transparent star network polymer with a pentaerythritol core linking four PEG-block polymeric arms was synthesized from the poly(ethylene glycol)(PEG),pentaerythritol,and dichloromethane by Williamson reaction.FTIR and ~1H-NMR measurement demonstrated that the polymer repeating units were C[CH_2-OCH_2O-(CH_2CH_2O)_m-CH_2O-(CH_2CH_2O)_n-CH_2O]_4.The polymer host held well mechanical properties for pentaerythritol cross-linking.The gel polymer electrolytes based on Lithium pe...

Taste masking of ofloxacin and formation of interpenetrating polymer network beads for sustained release

The objective of this study was to carry out taste masking of ofloxacin(Ofl) by ion exchange resins(IERs)followed by sustained release of Ofl by forming interpenetrating polymer network(IPN) beads. Drug-resin complexes(DRCs) with three different ratios of Ofl to IERs(1:1, 1:2, 1:4) were prepared by batch method and investigated for in vivo and in vitro taste masking. DRC of methacrylic acid-divinyl benzene(MD) resin and Ofl prepared at a ratio of 1:4 was used to form IPN beads. IPN beads of MD 1:4 were prepared by following the ionic cross-linking method using sodium carboxymethyl xanthan gum(SCMXG) and SCMXG-sodium carboxymethyl cellulose(SCMXG-SCMC). IPN beads were characterized with FT-IR and further studied on sustained release of Ofl at different pH. In vivo taste masking carried out by human volunteers showed that MD 1:4 significantly reduced the bitterness of Ofl. Characterization studies such as FT-IR, DSC, P-XRD and taste masking showed that complex formation took place between drug and resin. In vitro study at gastric pH showed complete release of drug from MD 1:4 within 30 min whereas IPN beads took 5 h at gastric pH and 10 h at salivary pH for the complete release of drug. As the crosslinking increased the release kinetics changed into non-Fickian diffusion to zero-order release mechanism. MD 1:4 showed better performance for the taste masking of Ofl and IPNs beads prepared from it were found useful for the sustained release of Ofl at both the pH, indicating a versatile drug delivery system.

A MOLECULAR NETWORK MODEL TO DESCRIBE THE NONLINEAR VISCOELASTIC BEHAVIOR OF POLYMERS

A transient molecular network model is built to describe the non- linear viscoelasticity of polymers by considering the effect of entanglement loss and regeneration on the relaxation of molecular strands. It is an extension of previous network theories. The experimental data on three thermoplastic polymers (ABS, PVC and PA6) obtained under various loading conditions are used to test the model. Agreement between the theoretical and experimental curves shows that the suggested model can describe successfully the relaxation behavior of the thermoplastic polymers under different loading rates by using relatively few relaxation modes. Thus the mi- cromechanism responsible for strain-rate dependence of relaxation process and the origin of nonlinear viscoelasticity may be disclosed.