Carbon Black and Multi Wall Carbon Nanotubes Loaded Polyurethane Foam Composite Flexible Thermal Radiator

Carbon black (CB) or multi walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) loaded polyurethane conductive foams are used as heaters, electrodes, radar absorbers and shielding. This paper discusses the performance of an innovative flexible thermal radiator (FTR) constructed with CB filled or MWCNT filled conductive foam and powering electrode structure constructed with textiles manufacturing process (knitting, weaving or nonwoven). Silver (Ag) yarns are used for the powering electrodes construction. This paper discusses the construction, electro-thermal analysis, performance and applications of FTR. Also this paper compare the thermal and electrical characteristics of CB filled and MWCNT filled FTRs. The electro-thermal model is simulated by using finite element methods.

Carbon foam with microporous structure for high performance symmetric potassium dual-ion capacitor

A novel carbon foam with microporous structure(CFMS),with the advantages of a simple fabrication process,low energy consumption,large specific surface area and high conductivity,has been prepared by a facile one-step carbonization.In addition,the carbon foam possesses suitable interlayer spacing in short range which is flexible to accommodate the deformation of carbon layer caused by the ion insertion and deinsertion at the charge and discharge state.Furthermore,a low cost carbon-based symmetric potassium dual-ion capacitor(PDIC),which integrates the virtues of potassium ion capacitors and dual-ion batteries,is successfully established with CFMS as both the battery-type cathode and the capacitor-type anode.PDIC displays a superior rate performance,an ultra-long cycle life(90%retention after 10000 cycles),and a high power density of 7800 W kg^-1 at an energy density of 39Whkg^-1.The PDIC also exhibits excellent ultrafast charge and slow discharge properties,with a full charge in just 60 s and a discharge time of more than 3000 s.

Optimization of Process Conditions for the Development of Tomato Foam by Box-Behnken Design

The present work aims to optimize the foaming conditions for tomato juice using three level Box-Behnken Experimental Design of Response surface Methodology. In the following study three process parameters namely concentration of egg albumin (EA) as foaming agent, Carboxy methyl cellulose (CMC) as foam stabilizer and whipping time (WT) was optimized. The levels for various input variables were EA: 5% - 15%, CMC: 0.10% - 0.60% & WT: 3 - 7 min. The responses measured were expansion volume (EV), foam density (FD) and drainage volume (DV) which are an indication of foaming ability and foam stability. The predicted levels of responses as generated by software were EV: 91.49%, FD: 0.558 g/cc & DV: 10 ml, which on validation was found closer to experimental value.

Investigation of carbon contamination in lost foam castings of low carbon steel

Lost foam casting(LFC) process is a special casting method in which polymeric foam patterns with refractory coatings are utilized as a mould component. In this work, four types of foam: expandable polyethylene(EPE), expandable polypropylene(EPP) and expandable polystyrene(EPS) foams with two different densities were employed as pattern materials. LFC and conventional green sand mould casting methods were used to cast a low carbon steel, A216 Grade WCB. Both casting processes were carried out at 1,580 °C. Chemical analysis results showed that the carbon contamination level was high and was influenced by pattern type. Metallographic investigations revealed a significant increase in the percentage of pearlite phase in all LFC samples. Densities of manufactured samples were calculated in order to evaluate porosity of the products. It was determined that the densities of the LFC samples were lower than the green sand mould cast reference sample(RS). Vickers hardness tests were also carried out and increments in hardness values with increased carbon content was observed.

Tests on Alkali-Activated Slag Foamed Concrete with Various Water-Binder Ratios and Substitution Levels of Fly Ash

To provide basic data for the reasonable mixing design of the alkali-activated (AA) foamed concrete as a thermal insulation material for a floor heating system, 9 concrete mixes with a targeted dry density less than 400 kg/m3 were tested. Ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS) as a source material was activated by the following two types of alkali activators: 10% Ca(OH)2 and 4% Mg(NO3)2, and 2.5% Ca(OH)2 and 6.5% Na2SiO3. The main test parameters were water-to-binder (W/B) ratio and the substitution level (RFA) of fly ash (FA) for GGBS. Test results revealed that the dry density of AA GGBS foamed concrete was independent of the W/B ratio an RFA, whereas the compressive strength increased with the decrease in W/B ratio and with the increase in RFA up to 15%, beyond which it decreased. With the increase in the W/B ratio, the amount of macro capillaries and artificial air pores increased, which resulted in the decrease of compressive strength. The magnitude of the environmental loads of the AA GGBS foamed concrete is independent of the W/B ratio and RFA. The largest reduction percentage was found in the photochemical oxidation potential, being more than 99%. The reduction percentage was 87% - 93% for the global warming potential, 81% - 84% for abiotic depletion, 79% - 84% for acidification potential, 77% - 85% for eutrophication potential, and 73% - 83% for human toxicity potential. Ultimately, this study proved that the developed AA GGBS foamed concrete has a considerable promise as a sustainable construction material for nonstructural element.

Mitigation of Human Exposure to Electromagnetic Fields Using Carbon Foam and Carbon Nanotubes

In recent years there has been increasing concern about the possible consequences on human health from exposure to RF fields produced by wireless telecommunication technologies. In this work the coupling between carbon foam and composite materials made of carbon nanotubes and epoxy-resin allows to build a material able to absorb the electromagnetic field thus reducing its intensity in the environment where the mitigation of electromagnetic field is required. The Frequency range considered is 2 GHz - 3 GHz which is the most common frequency band used in wireless network and microwave oven too. Two different kind of heterogeneous materials are designed, one is a layered radar absorbing material made exclusively of epoxy resin and carbon nanotube in different weight percentage, the others are porous carbon foam where the pores are supposed be filled with carbon nanotubes and epoxy-resin. Both type of materials show interesting absorption properties reaching peak of reflection coefficient between –15 dB and –45 dB for a normally incident plane wave.

Nanoparticle foaming agents for major gas fields in China

The conventional foaming agents have the problems of poor adaptability and high cost during the application in different types of gas fields,especially in high temperature,high salinity,high acidic gas and high condensate oil and gas fields.In this study,the Gemini foaming agent was used as the main agent to enhance foaming and foam stability of the foaming agent,the grafted nanoparticles were used as foam stabilizer to further improve the foam stability,and the characteristic auxiliaries were added to make the foaming agent suitable for different types of gas reservoirs.Two types and six subtypes of nanoparticle foaming agents have been prepared for the main gas fields of China.The experimental evaluation results show that the overall temperature resistance,salinity resistance,H2S resistance,CO2 resistance and condensate resistance of the nanoparticle foaming agents can reach 160℃,250000 mg/L,100 mg/L,100%and 40%,respectively.The new foaming agents have been used in 8685 wells in China.Compared with conventional foaming agent,the average gas flow rate per well increased by 62.48%,the pressure difference(casing-tubing)decreased by 18.9%,and the cost dropped by 45%.The effect of reducing cost and increasing efficiency is obvious.

Investigation on the foaming behaviors of NC-based gun propellants

To prepare the porous NC-based(nitrocellulose-based) gun propellants,the batch foaming process of using supercritical CO_2 as the physical blowing agent is used.The solubilities of CO_2 in the single-base propellants and TEGDN(trimethyleneglycol dinitrate) propellants are measured by the gravimetric method,and SEM(scanning electron microscope) is used to observe the morphology of foamed propellants.The result shows that a large amount of CO_2 could be dissolved in NC-based propellants.The experimental results also reveal that the energetic plasticizer TEGDN exerts an important influence on the pore structure.The triaxial tensile failure mechanism for solid-state nucleation is used to explain the nucleation of NC-based propellants in the sol id state.Since some specific foaming behaviors of NC-based propellants can not be explained by the failure mechanism,a solid-state nucleation mechanism which revises the triaxial tensile failure mechanism is proposed and discussed.

Numerical Calculation of Transient Flow of Polymer Foam in Porous Media

Based on the mathematical model of one dimension transient flow of the polymer foam in porous media, the numerical calculation method of the flow mentioned above by using the finite difference method is given. Through the experiments of one dimension transient flow of HPAM (Hydrolytic Polyacrylamide) foam in the artificial sandstone core, the HPAM foam generation and coalescence coefficient of the mathematical model mentioned above are determined. The profiles of the liquid phase saturation, the pressure drop and the number density of one dimension transient flow of HPAM foam with the dimensionless time in artificial sandstone core are numerically calculated and analyzed by using the numerical calculation method.

Numerical Simulation of Foaming Processes

The literature model studied in this article describes bubble formation and growth in a highly viscous polymer liquid with support of a gaseous matter dispersed under pressure before foaming. The foam growth is induced by the application of vacuum and mass transport of volatile components dissolved in the polymer liquid. Based on this literature model, aeration processes are calculated for intermediate viscosity and low viscosity biological systems, as they are of interest for biomatter foams, in particular for food foams in industrial processes. At the end of this article, the numerical results are presented and discussed.

Synthesis and characterization of copper foams through a powder metallurgy route using a compressible and lubricant space-holder material

In the present work,a compressible and lubricating space-holder material commonly known as "acrawax" was used to process Cu foams with various pore sizes and various porosities.The foams were processed without using binders to avoid contamination of their metal matrices.The lubricant space-holder material was found to facilitate more uniform flow and distribution of metal powder around the surface of the space holder.In addition,the use of acrawax as a space-holder material yielded considerably dense cell walls,which are an essential prerequisite for better material properties.The foams processed with a smaller-sized space holder were found to exhibit better electrical and mechanical properties than those processed with a coarser-sized space holder.The isotropic pore shape,uniform pore distribution throughout the metal matrix,and uniform cell wall thickness were found to enhance the properties pertaining to fine-pore foam samples.The processed foams exhibit properties similar to those of the foams processed through the lost-carbonate sintering process.

High rate and cycling stable Li metal anodes enabled with aluminum-zinc oxides modified copper foam

Metallic Li is a promising anode material for high energy density batteries but it suffers from poor stability and formation of unsafe dendrites. Previous studies demonstrated that 3 D metal foams are able to improve the stability of Li metal but the properties of these foams are inherently limited. Here we report a facile surface modification approach via magnetron sputtering of mixed oxides that effectively modulate the properties of Cu foams for supporting Li metal with remarkable stability. We discovered that hybrid Li anodes with Li metal thermally infused to aluminum-zinc oxides(AZO) coated Cu foams have significantly improved stability and reactivity compared with pristine Li foils and Li infused to unmodified Cu foams. Full cells assembled with a Li Fe PO4 cathode and a hybrid anode maintained low and stable charge-transfer resistance(<50) during 500 cycles in carbonate electrolytes, and exhibited superior rate capability(~100 m Ah g-1 at 20 C) along with better electrochemical reversibility and surface stability. The AZO modified Cu foams had superior mechanical strength and afforded the hybrid anodes with minimized volume change without the formation of dendrites during battery cycling. The rational construction of surface architecture to precisely control Li plating and stripping may have great implications for the practical applications of Li metal batteries.

3D skeleton nanostructured Ni_3S_2/Ni foam@RGO composite anode for high-performance dual-ion battery

The growing global demands of safe, low-cost and high working voltage energy storage devices trigger strong interests in novel battery concepts beyond state-of-art lithium-ion battery. Herein, a dualion battery based on nanostructured Ni_3S_2/Ni foam@RGO(NSNR) composite anode is developed, utilizing graphite as cathode material and LiPF6-VC-based solvent as electrolyte. The battery operates at high working voltage of 4.2–4.5 V, with superior discharge capacity of ～90 m A h g^(-1) at 100 mA g^(-1), outstanding rate performance, and long-term cycling stability over 500 cycles with discharge capacity retention of ～85.6%. Moreover, the composite simultaneously acts as the anode material and the current collector, and the corrosion phenomenon can be greatly reduced compared to metallic Al anode. Thus, this work represents a significant step forward for practical safe, low-cost and high working voltage dual-ion batteries,showing attractive potential for future energy storage application.

Microstructural evolution of Mg9AlZnY alloy with vibration in lost foam casting during semi-solid isothermal heat treatment

The nearly equiaxed grains of Mg9AlZnY alloy were obtained by vibrating solidification in lost foam casting(LFC) and the microstructure of Mg9AlZnY alloy was analyzed.On this basis,the morphology and size of α-Mg grains fabricated by semi-solid isothermal heat treatment(SSIT) at 530 ℃ and 570 ℃ holding different time were studied.The results show that the main constituent phases of Mg9AlZnY alloy are α-Mg,β-Mg17Al12 and Al2Y,and the Y can greatly refine α-Mg grains.The distribution of α-Mg grains equivalent diameters between 20 and 100 μm is up to 87%,and the average roundness of α-Mg grains reaches 1.37 in the specimen obtained at 570 ℃ and holding time 60 min.According to the analysis of solidification kinetics and thermodynamic,binary eutectic with low melting point melts firstly on SSIT process.As the liquid fraction increases with the solute diffusibility,both of the shape and size of α-Mg grains change ceaselessly.When the liquid fraction reaches equilibrium,the α-Mg grains are gradually spheroidized under the interfacial tension,and then the α-Mg grains begin to combine and grow.Evolution of α-Mg dendritic grains on SSIT process is obviously different from that of equiaxed grains.

Effects of copper content on microstructure and mechanical properties of open-cell steel foams

The effects of copper content on the microstructural and mechanical properties of steel foams are investigated. Spherical urea granules, used as a water-leachable space holder, were coated with a mixture of iron, ultrafine carbon, and different amounts of copper powders. After the mixture was compacted and the space holder was removed by leaching, a sintering process was performed under an atmosphere of thermally dissociated ammonia. Microstructural evaluations of the cell walls were carried out using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy in conjunction with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. In addition, compression tests were conducted to investigate the mechanical properties of the manufactured steel foams. The results showed that the total porosity decreases from 77.2% to 71.9% with increasing copper content in the steel foams. In the foams' microstructure, copper islands are mostly distributed in pearlite and intergranular carbide phases are formed in the grain boundaries. When the copper content was increased from 0 to 4 wt%, the elastic modulus, plateau stress, fracture stress, and fracture strain of manufactured steel foams improved 4.5, 6, 6.4, and 2.5 times, respectively.

Broad Band Microstrip Patch Antenna Based on Foam-Filled and One Open Slot on Backward of Radiating Layer

A broadband microstrip patch antenna, loaded E-U-shaped open slot on backward of radiating layer is proposed and experimentally investigated. The antenna employs a foam-filled dielectric substrate, whose dielectric constant is within the lower end of the range. The proposed antenna has been designed for electromagnetic analysis including the impedance bandwidth, reflection coefficient, radiation pattern, and antenna gain. The open slot is loaded on the back radiated layer, which is perpendicular to the radiating edge of the oblong microstrip patch component, where the symmetric line feed is selected. This new technique used to increase the bandwidth and the gain of antenna through increasing current path by slot location, width and length on backward of radiating Layer. The main structure in this research was a single microstrip patch antenna planar with three layers operating at two resonant frequencies 4.440 GHz and 5.833 GHz. All the simulated results are confirmed by two packages of electromagnetism simulation. An impedance bandwidth (S11 ≤ ?10 dB) up to about 41.03% and 30.61% is achieved by individually optimizing its parameters. The antenna exhibits nearly stable radiation pattern with a maximum gains of 8.789 dBi and 9.966 dBi, which is suitable for Wi-Fi Band, satellite communications, and wireless presented. Whereas the results before this design that we have a proof of publication are 36.17% and 28.43%.

Effect of Core Thickness and Core Density on Low Velocity Impact Behavior of Sandwich Panels with PU Foam Core

Composite sandwich structures are highly proven materials that provide high strength to weight ratio. However research works are still being carried out in the area of impact characteristics of sandwich composites. This paper provides a better understanding on the effect of core density and core thickness of sandwich panels subject to low velocity drop test. Specific energy absorption capacity of sandwich panels is obtained and factors affecting the same are explored with facings made of woven glass fiber laminates and polyurethane foam core with three different densities of 70 Kg/m3, 100 Kg/m3, 200 Kg/m3.

Preparation and properties of open-cell zinc foams as human bone substitute material

Foamed zinc was prepared by infiltration casting process.The mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of the samples were studied,and the feasibility of the foamed zinc as a bone implant material was discussed.All the compression stress-strain curves of open-cell zinc foams with various cell size(1-4 mm)and porosity(55%-67%)show three stages:elastic stage,plastic stage,and densification stage.The compression strength increases with decreasing density.The smooth stress-strain response indicates a progressively deformation of open-cell zinc foam.In addition,the cell wall or edge bending and fracture are the dominated mechanisms for failure of open cell zinc foam.The immersion test for determining the corrosion rate of open cell zinc foam was conducted in simulated body fluid.It was found that zinc foam with a small cell size and high porosity showed a higher corrosion rate.In addition,open-cell zinc foams can effectively induce Ca-P deposition in immersion tests,showing good bioactivity.Therefore,the open cell zinc foam prepared in this experiment has a good potential application as a human bone substitute material.

Comparative Analysis of Rigid PVC Foam Reinforced with Class C and Class F Fly Ash

Fly ash particles are usually spherical and based on their chemical composition;they are categorized into two classes: C and F. This study compares the microstructural, mechanical and thermal properties of extruded rigid PVC foam composites reinforced with class C and class F fly ash. The mechanical properties: such as tensile and flexural strength of composites containing class C fly ash were superior to the composites containing class F fly ash particles. Composites containing 6 phr class C fly ash showed a 24% improvement in the tensile strength in comparison to a mere 0.5% increase in composites reinforced with class F fly ash. Similarly, the addition of 6 phr of class F fly ash to the PVC foam matrix resulted in a 5.74% decrease in the flexural strength, while incorporating the same amount of class C fly ash led to a 95% increase in flexural strength. The impact strength of the composites decreased as the amount of either type of fly ash increased in the composites indicating that fly ash particles improve the rigidity of the PVC foam composites. No significant changes were observed in the thermal properties of the composites containing either type of fly ash particles. However, the thermo-mechanical properties measured by DMA indicated a steep increase in the viscoelastic properties of composites reinforced with class C flyash. The microstructural properties studied by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) confirmed that fly ash particles were mechanically interlocked in the PVC matrix with good interfacial interaction with the matrix. However, particle agglomeration and debonding was observed in composites reinforced with higher amounts of fly ash.

Development of polyurethane foam dressing containing silver and asiaticoside for healing of dermal wound

Polyurethane foam dressings for dermal wounds were formulated with natural polyols in order to improve the foam characteristics and the release of 2 active agents,silver and asiaticoside(AS)as an antimicrobial agent and an herbal wound healing agent,respectively.The foam was instantly formed by interaction of polyols and diisocyanate.Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose,chitosan and sodium alginate were individually mixed with themain polyols,polypropylene glycol,in the formulation while the active componentswere impregnated into the obtained foam dressing sheets.Although the type and amount of the natural polyols slightly affected the pore size,water sorption-desorption profile and compression strength of the obtained foam sheets,a prominent effect was found in the release of both active components.Among natural polyols formulations,foam sheets with alginate showed the highest silver and AS release.Non-cytotoxicity of these foam sheets to human fibroblast cells was confirmed.Antimicrobial testing on four bacteria strains showed that 1mg/cm^2 silver in formulations with 6%of natural polyols and without natural polyols had sufficient content of the silver release with comparable inhibition zone and significantly larger zone than other formulations.In pig study,the foam dressing with 6%alginate,1mg/cm^2 silver and 5%AS could improve wound healing in both the percentage of the wound closure and histological parameters of the dermal wound without any dermatologic reactions.In conclusion,this innovative foam dressing had potential to be a good candidate for wound treatment.