Removal of Dye Using Lignin-Based Biochar/Poly(ester amide urethane)Nanocomposites from Contaminated Wastewater

The pursuit of incorporating eco-friendly reinforcing agents in polymer composites has accentuated the exploration of various natural biomass-derived materials.The burgeoning environmental crisis spurred by the discharge of synthetic dyes into wastewater has catalyzed the search for effective and sustainable treatment technologies.Among the various sorbent materials explored,biochar,being renewable,has gained prominence due to its excellent adsorption properties and environmental sustainability.It has also emerged as a focal point for its potential to replace other conventional reinforcing agents,viz.,fumed silica,aluminum oxide,treated clays,etc.This study introduces a novel class of polymer nanocomposites comprising of lignin-based biochar particles and poly(ester amide urethane)matrix via a feasible method.The structural evaluation of these nanocomposites was accomplished using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy,X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy,and powder X-ray diffraction.The polymer nanocomposites exhibited superior mechanical properties with an increment in tensile strength factor by 45%in comparison to its pristine matrix,along with an excellent toughness value of 90.22 MJm^(−3)at a low loading amount of only 1 wt%.The composites showed excellent improvement in thermal properties with a sharp rise in the glass transition temperature(Tg)value from−28.15℃to 84℃,while also championing sustainability through inherent biodegradability attributes.Beyond their structural prowess,these polymer nanocomposites demonstrated excellent potential as adsorbents,displaying efficient removal of malachite green and tartrazine dyes from aqueous systems with a removal efficiency of 87.25%and 73.98%,respectively.The kinetics study revealed the pseudo second order model to be the precision tool to assess the dye removal study.Complementing this,the Langmuir adsorption isotherm provided a framework to assess the sorption features of the polymer nanocomposites.Overall,these renewable biochar integrated polymer matrices boast remarkable recovery capabilities up to seven cycles of usage with an excellent dye recovery percentage of 95.21%for the last cycle,thereby defining sustainability as well as economic feasibility.

Development and Characterization of Eco-Friendly Non-Isocyanate Urethane Monomer from Jatropha curcas Oil for Wood Composite Applications

The aim of this research work was to evaluate the potential of using renewable natural feedstock,i.e.,Jatropha curcas oil(JCO)for the synthesis of non-isocyanate polyurethane(NIPU)resin for wood composite applications.Commercial polyurethane(PU)is synthesized through a polycondensation reaction between isocyanate and poly-ol.However,utilizing toxic and unsustainable isocyanates for obtaining PU could contribute to negative impacts on the environment and human health.Therefore,the development of PU from eco-friendly and sustainable resources without the isocyanate route is required.In this work,tetra-n-butyl ammonium bromide was used as the activator to open the epoxy ring with 3-Aminopropyltriethoxisylane as a catalyst to yield urethane of JCO(UJCO).The UJCO were characterized by Fourier Transform Infra-Red spectroscopy(FTIR)and their oxirane,and hydroxyl values were measured.The result showed that a decrease in oxirane value was found while the hydroxyl value was increased during the time,confirming that the urethane group was formed.The presence of functional groups in FTIR spectra at wave numbers 1732.08,1562.34,and 3348.42 cm^(−1) indicates the functional groups of C=O(urethane carbonyl),–NH,and–OH,respectively confirmed this finding.The potential applications of NIPU in the wood composite were also outlined.

UV-curing of hyperbranched polyurethane acrylate-polyurethane diacrylate/SiO_2 dispersion and TGA/FTIR study of cured films

UV-curable hyperbranched polyurethane acrylate-polyurethane diacrylate/SiO2 dispersion （HBPUA-PUDA/SiO2） was prepared with isophorone diisocyanate （IPDI）, hyperbranched polyester Boltorn H20 （H20）, hydroxy-ethyl acrylate （HEA）, polyethyleneglycol （PEG-200）and nano-SiO2. The UV curing kinetics of the films was investigated by FTIR. The results show that the curing speed of the films increases with the adding of nano-SiO2 and decreases with the adding of PUDA due to the slower chain movement. The thermal stability of the HBPUA-PUDA/SiO2 films was studied by using thermogravimetric analysis coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （TGA/FTIR）. The results show that all films exhibit two degradation stages located at about 320 and 440℃ corresponding to the degradation for hard segments of urethane-acrylate and the degradation for soft segment and polyester core. In addition, the results from the analysis of TGA/FTIR also indicate that the decomposition temperature of HBPUA-PUDA/SiO2 film is 15℃ higher than that obtained for pure polymer. The degradation mechanism was proposed according to TGA/FTIR results.

Polyurethanes from Kraft Lignin without Using Isocyanates

The reaction of a desulphurized kraft lignin with hexamethylene diamine and dimethyl carbonate has allowed the development of isocyanate-free polyurethane resins.The present research work is based on previous studies made with hydrolyzable and condensed tannins,but takes advantage of the higher number of hydroxyl groups present in lignin and their different aliphatic and aromatic character.The obtained materials were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared(FTIR)spectroscopy,matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight(MALDI-TOF)mass spectrometry and solid-state cross-polarization/magic angle spinning(CP MAS)13C nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR),which have revealed the presence of urethane functions.The interpretation of the results has shown a larger number of species than when tannins were used and has indicated the presence of two types of bonds in the new molecules formed:ionic and covalent bonds.

Effects of urethane on the response properties of visual cortical neurons in young adult and old cats

Previous studies have shown that visual cortical neurons in old mammals exhibit higher spontaneous activity,higher responsiveness to visual stimuli,and lower selectivity for stimulus orientations and motion directions than did neurons in young adult counterparts.However,whether the responsive difference in cortical neurons between young and old animals resulted from different effects induced by anesthetics has remained unclear.To clarify this issue,we recorded the response properties of individual neurons in the primary visual cortex of old and young adult cats while systematically varying the anesthesia level of urethane,a widely used anesthetic in physiology experiments.Our results showed that cumulatively administrating 50 mg and 100 mg of urethane upon the minimal level of urethane required to anesthetize an old or young adult cat did not significantly alter the degree of neuronal response selectivity for stimulus orientations and motion directions nor significantly change the visually-driven response and spontaneous activity of neurons in old and young adult cats.Cumulatively administrating 150 mg of urethane decreased neuronal responsiveness similarly in both age groups.Therefore,urethane appears to exert similar effects on neuronal response properties of old and young adult animals.

Water-soluble UV curable urethane methyl acrylate coating：preparation and properties

Two kinds of water-soluble and ultraviolet (UV) curable oligomers were synthesized and characterized. The oligomers were evaluated as resins for water-based UV curable coating. The rheology of the two oligomers' aqueous so-lutions was investigated in terms of solid fraction, pH dependence, and temperature dependence. The solutions were found to be Newtonian fluid showing rather low viscosity even at high solid fraction of 0.55. The drying process of the coatings and the properties of the cured coatings were studied by comparing them with water-dispersed UV-curable polyurethane methyl acrylate. It was evident that the water-soluble coating dried more slowly; and that the overall properties were inferior to those of the water-dispersed coating.

Preparation of Organic Nanoacid Catalyst for Urethane Formation

Metal-free catalysts are preferred during these days in organic synthesis or in polymeriza- tions. Sulfonic acid is reported to be efficient in catalyzing reactions between isocyanates and alcohols. In this work, synthesis of sulfonic acid immobilized organic nanoparticles （nanoacid） and its application in catalyzing urethane formation, are elaborated. The nanoacid can be simply prepared by miniemulsion polymerization with a reactive surfacrant, namely sodium 4-（（perfluoronon-8-en-l-yl）oxy）benzenesulfonate, followed by an acidification. From the images of scanning electron microscope, the nanoacid obtained is found to be narrowly dispersed and the average diameter is around 90 nm. The measured sulfur content is 0.5%, from which the content of sulfonic acid in the nanoparticles is calculated to be 0.16 mmol/g. When catalyzing urethane formation based on hexamethylene diisocyanate and n-butanol, the nanoacid catalyst exhibits considerable efficiency.

LARGELY IMPROVED BLOOD COMPATIBILITY OF POLYURETHANE BY BLENDING WITH FLUORINATED PHOSPHATIDYLCHOLINE POLYURETHANE

The improvement of biocompatibility of polyurethanes was investigated.The results demonstrate that the blood compatibility of polyurethanes can be further improved by just simply mixing with the fluorinated phosphatidylcholine poly(carbonate urethane)s(FPCPCUs).The solution blending was done by mixing poly(ether urethane)(PEU)with FPCPCU in different compositions.An increased blood compatibility of the blend films was observed with the increase of FPCPCU content,and when FPCPCU content reached to 40 wt%(40F...

Silk Fibroin-modified Poly(butadiene) urethane Films and Their Effects on Fibroblast Viability

Surface-modified poly(butadiene)urethane (PBTU) films with silk fibroin (SF) were prepared by simple chemical method under the normal temperature. The physical properties and biological behaviour of the SF-modified PBTU film were evaluated. The results showed that the SF-modified PBTU films kept the tenacity and pliability very well, and could overcome rigid and brittle weaks of silk fibroin films. The morphology of SF in the PBTU film was dendritic aggregations, and the water-contact angle measurement indicated that the surface hydrophilicity of modified films was apparently enhanced. The biocompatibility of PBTU films was improved due to the change of surface components. The degree of platelet adhesion and the cell viability of rat embryo dermal fibroblasts seeded on PBTU films, SF films, and SF-modified PBTU films were measured by counting platelets before and after they contacted the films and MTT assay, respectively. The results indicated that platelet adhesion resistance and cell viability on the modified film were greatly superior to those on the PBTU film and the compound interface had good stability in the air.

SELF-ASSEMBLED MICRO-DOMAINS ON THE UPPERMOST SURFACE OF FLUORINATED POLY(CARBONATE URETHANE)S WITH FLUORINATED SIDE CHAIN ATTACHED ON HARD SEGMENTS

The surface phase separated structure of polyurethanes is always desired due to the advantage of better biocompatibility, compared with the homogeneous one. The key issue is how to control and characterize the surface morphology. In this work, we report the uppermost surface morphology of fluorinated poly(carbonate urethane)s with fluorinated side chains attached to hard segments as studied by AFM, XPS and contact angle measurement. A self-assembled micro-domain with the fluorinated side chain standing up on the uppermost surface has been proposed for polyurethane with higher fluorinated content, based on the result obtained.

Surface Modification of Polycarbonate Urethane by Covalent Linkage of Heparin with a PEG Spacer

Heparin was grafted onto polycarbonate urethane (PCU) surface via a three-step procedure utilizing α, ωdiamino-poly(ethylene glycol) (APEG, M n =2 000) as a spacer. In the first step, isocyanate functional groups were introduced onto PCU surface by the treatment of hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) in the presence of di-n-butyltin dilaurate (DBTDL) as a catalyst. In the second step, APEG was linked to the PCU surface to obtain the APEG conjugated PCU surface (PCU-APEG). In the third step, heparin was covalently coupled with PCU-APEG in the presence of N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) and 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylamidopropyl) carbodiimide (EDAC). The amount of heparin (1.639 μg/cm 2 ) covalently immobilized on the PCU-APEG surface was determined by the toluidine blue method. The modified surface was characterized by water contact angle, attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The hemocompatibility was preliminarily studied by platelet adhesion test. The results indicated that heparin was successfully grafted onto the PCU surface, and meanwhile the hydrophilicity and hemocompatibility of the modified PCU surface were improved significantly compared with the blank PCU surface.

THE CRYSTALLIZATION BEHAVIOR OF URETHANE SUBSTITUTED POLYDIACETYLENE

The crystalline behavior of urethane substitute polydiacetylene was studied by using pohrized light and electron microscopy. The lamellar morphological structure was observed in the crystallized films. The thickness of lamellae is about 300A, being independent of the crystalline temperature. But the size and density of lamellae were dependent on the crystallization temperature. If the molten film was sheared during the crystallzation process the oriented lamellae grew with their long axes perpendicular to the direction of shear and the chain direction was normal to the lamellar surface.

PREPARATION AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF POLY(METHYL METHACRYLATE)/ URETHANE ACRYLATE COPOLYMERS

The urethane acrylate(UA) was made of poly(tetramethylenc oxide), 4,4’-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate. A series of poly(methyl methacrylate) / urethane acrylate copolymers was prepared by using a redox initiating system. The copolymers had cross linked structures and two-phase morphologies as indicated by the results of the dynamic mechanical measurement and swelling test.

Synthesis and Characterization of HDI/MDI-Polycarbonate Urethanes

A novel polycarbonate urethane was synthesized by the two-stage solution process of diisocyanates with polycarbonate diols(PCDL),in which PCDL,1,4-butanediol(BD) and mixture of 4,4 -methylenediphenyl diisocy-anate and hexamethylene diisocyanate(HDI) were soft segment,chain extender and rigid segment,respectively.The structures were characterized by using FTIR and 1H-NMR.The thermoanalysis and mechanical properties of products were measured by means of DSC,TG and other systems.The result shows that an import...

Water Absorption and Degraded Stress Relaxation Behavior in Water-Borne Anticorrosive Urethane/Epoxy Coatings

The kinetics of water absorption in water-borne anticorrosive urethane/epoxy coatings, which were actually introduced in the industrial field, are studied. It is found that the high water affinity of a water-borne coating supports a higher saturated water content, Mχ, and helps to facilitate absorption D. The three parameters of stretched exponential function called the William-Watt equation, Eo, τ, and β, are determined to fit the degraded stress relaxation behavior in the water absorption process because this function quantitatively describes the relaxing ability and has been successfully used by a number of researchers. An increasing in the water content is shown to correlate strongly with a decrease in Eo and fl early in the absorption process between Mt/M（χ） = 0 and Mt/Mχ≈ 0.5. The adhesive characteristics of the coatings are correlated with water content, and shown to exhibit higher cohesive failure in coating epoxies under saturated conditions. This suggests that water interferes with the intermolecular bonding between polymer chains which degrades the bulk materials ability to diffuse stress concentrations and reduces its overall strength.

In Vitro Antimicrobial Activity Study of Some New Arginine-based Biodegradable Poly （Ester Urethane）s and Poly （Ester Urea）s

Bactericidal activity of some arginine based biodegradable polymers-PEURs （poly （ester urethane）s） and PEUs （poly （ester urea）s） with low cytotoxicity was studied in in vitro experiments. Various bacterial strains both Gram-positive and Gram-negative were used to explore the bactericidal activity of the cationic polymers. As the test objects, the following microorganisms were used： Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Mycobacterium album, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Escherichia coli, Actinomyces griseus and Aspergillus niger. The obtained results showed that the new cationic polymers suppressed the growth of the studied microorganisms and the bactericidal activity of the tested cationic polymers strongly depending on their chemical structure.

Electrode Effects on Polyurethane Soft Actuator

A polymer soft actuator is under investigation using a poly urethane elastomer film that bends by means of an applied voltage, which is based on the electrostriction. Bending experiments were performed under different metal electrodes deposited the both sides of the film. Even if the thickness of the both electrodes?is the same, the metal of the both electrodes?is desirable to be the same to bend more. It is suggested that the balance of the physical properties of the both metal is critical for larger bending.

Response to Applied Voltage to Polyurethane Soft Actuators with Loaded Weights

We are investigating a polymer soft actuator using a poly urethane elastomer film that bends by an applied voltage, which is based on the electrostriction. In this article, the bending magnitude was studied in a weight-loaded condition. It was found that the thinner film can bend the more without any load, but that the film of 200-μm thickness gave the largest bending when weights were loaded. The thickness of some degree is critical for large bending torque.

Solid Waste Minimization Case Study at an Automotive Supplier with an Emphasis on Urethane Recycling

In the extremely competitive world of business and manufacturing, solid waste disposal is often overlooked. There are associated costs with excess raw materials, scrap parts, poor use of resources, and outdated materials. All of these contribute to a company＇s solid waste stream, and must be addressed when calculating the costs of disposal. In addition, it is not ecologically or economically sound decision to allow recyclables to enter landfills. Waste analysis and minimization can be very financially advantageous to companies and should be evaluated. This paper discusses a methodology and a case study that uses a solid waste audit process with a focus on urethane recycling.

Acrylic Urethane Paint

The Acrylic urethane paint produced by the Red Lion Paint Company is a kind of dual constituent resin paint solidified at room temperature. It can achieve a good film of paint and is widely used as coating for automobiles, motorcycles, locomotives, aeroplanes, ships, bridges, steel chimneys, and large outdoor facilities and installations. One of the constitutents is acrylic urethane carbonyl, and the additives of paint, assistants, and solvent. The other is fatty group cyanate. The main products include a second substratum paint of acrylic urethane and acrylic urethane enamel paint, and dead lustre and semi-