A novel approach for Apocynum venetum/cotton blended fabrics modification by cationic polymer nanoparticles

Apocynum venetum/cotton blended fabrics have been subjected to treat with cationic polymer nanoparticles followed by dyeing with Acid Red B,and then studied for their dyeing performance and morphology.The investigation on the effect of modification factors on the blended fabrics indicated that the 0.5 g/L nanoparticles concentration,60 min treating time,60 ℃ treating temperature and pH 6-8 are the optimum modification process to improve the dyeability of acid dye.In addition,the SEM images show that nanoparticles can be adsorbed on the surface of modified A.venetum or cotton fibers,and the two different fibers could have the same adsorption ability to Acid Red B.

Improved blending strategy for membrane modification virtue of surface segregation using surface-tailored amphiphilic nanoparticles

Membrane modification is one of the most feasible and effective solutions to membrane fouling proble.m which tenaciousl.y hampers .the furher au .gmentation of me .rnbrane sep.aration technology.Blending modification with nanoparticles （NPs）, owing to the convenience of being incorporated in established membrane.p.rodu. ction lines, possesses an advantag, eous viability in practical applications.However, the existing blending strategy suffers from a low utilization efficiency due to NP encasement by membrane matrix. The current study proposed an improved blending modification approach with amphiphilic NPs （aNPs）, which were prepared through silanization using 3-（Trimethoxysilyl）propyl methacrylate （TMSPMA） as coupling agents and ZnO or SiO2 as pristine NPs （pNPs）, respectively.The Fourier transform infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses revealed thepresence of appropriate organic components in both the ZnO and SiO2 aNPs, which verified the success of the silanization process. As compared with the pristine and conventional pNP-blended membranes, both the ZnO aNP-blended and SiO2 aNP-blended membranes with proper silanization （100% and 200% w/w） achieved a significantly increased blending efficiency with more NPs scattenng on the internal and external membrane surfaces under scanning electron microscope observation. This improvement contributed to the increase of membrane hydrophilicity. Nevertheless, an extra dosage of the TMSPMA led to an encasement of NPs, thereby adversely affecting the properties of the resultant membranes. On the basis of all the tests, 100% （w/w） was selected as the optimum TMSPMA dosage for blending modification for both the ZnO and SiO2 types.

The Effects of Nanoparticle Additives on Thermophysical Properties of Concrete Mixtures

In recent years, energy-retrofitting is becoming an imperative aim for existing buildings worldwide and increased interest has focused on the development of nanoparticle blended concretes with adequate mechanical properties and durability performance, through the optimization of concrete permeability and the incorporation of the proper nanoparticle type in the concrete matrix. In order to investigate the potential use of nanocomposites as dense barriers against the permeation of liquids into the concrete, three types of nanoparticles including Zinc Oxide (ZnO), Magnesium Oxide (MgO), and composite nanoparticles were used in the present study as partial replacement of cement. Besides, the effect of adding these nanoparticles on both pore structure and mechanical strengths of the concrete at different ages was determined, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images were then used to illustrate the uniformity dispersion of nanoparticles in cement paste. It was demonstrated that the addition of a small number of nanoparticles effectively enhances the mechanical properties of concrete and consequently reduces the extent of the water permeation front. Finally, the behavioral models using Genetic Algorithm (GA) programming were developed to describe the time-dependent behavioral characteristics of nanoparticle blended concrete samples in various compressive and tensile stress states at different ages.