Emerging low-density polyethylene/paraffin wax/aluminum composite as a form-stable phase change thermal interface material

Thermal interface materials(TIMs) play a vital role in the thermal management of electronic devices and can significantly reduce thermal contact resistance(TCR). The TCR between the solid–liquid contact surface is much smaller than that of the solid–solid contact surface, but conventional solid–liquid phase change materials are likely to cause serious leakage. Therefore, this work has prepared a new formstable phase change thermal interface material. Through the melt blending of paraffin wax(PW) and low-density polyethylene(LDPE), the stability is improved and it has an excellent coating effect on PW. The addition of aluminum(Al) powder improves the low thermal conductivity of PW/LDPE, and the addition of 15wt% Al powder improves the thermal conductivity of the internal structure of the matrix by 67%. In addition, the influence of the addition of Al powder on the internal structure, thermal properties, and phase change behavior of the PW/LDPE matrix was systematically studied. The results confirmed that the addition of Al powder improved the thermal conductivity of the material without a significant impact on other properties, and the thermal conductivity increased with the increase of Al addition. Therefore, morphologically stable PW/LDPE/Al is an important development direction for TIMs.

Adsorption and Kinetic Study of Activated Carbon Produced from Post-Consumer Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) Wastes

Post-consumer polymeric wastes in form of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) can now be considered suitable as a precursor for the synthesis of low-cost activated carbon (AC). This study produced AC from LDPE using sulphuric acid (H2SO4) and potassium hydroxide (KOH) as the activating agent. The reaction conditions for pyrolysis were varied in the range of 0.50 - 2.00 M, 400°C - 500°C, and 45 - 60 minutes. Physico-chemical investigations reveal that AC yield is significantly dependent on both carbonization temperatures and time. The obtained optimum values of 446.50°C and 51.09 mins gave a yield of 24% for the base-activated carbon. The high iodine numbers obtained strongly indicate the presence of large surface area and pore volumes is further confirmed using the Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis which reveals the presence of pores on the external surface of the carbons. Fourier Transform Infrared Technique (FTIR) analysis further shows that the synthesized compounds are purely carbon with rich oxy-gen-surface complexes on the surface which is as a result of the introduction of the chemical oxidizing agents. The produced carbons were found to have high adsorption affinity for selected inorganic ions which are: Mn7+, Co2+, and Cr6+. Adsorption isotherm results show the adsorption process to be favourable with the Langmuir isotherm parameter RL having values of <1, while the Freudlich adsorption model was found to perfectly fit the data at selected adsorbent dosages and adsorbate concentrations. The pseu-do-second-order model provides the best correlation for the kinetic analysis. The acid-activated carbon was found to have better adsorption capacities than the base-activated carbon.

Preparation of Exfoliated Low-density Polyethylene/Montmorillonite Nanocomposites Through Melt Extrusion

The effects of ethylene vinyl acetate copelymer （EVA） as a compatibilizer on the dispersion of organically modified montmorillonite（org-MMT） into low-density polyethylene（LDPE） during melt extrusion compounding were studied. The X-ray diffraction patterns reveal that as compared with LDPE, EVA can intercalate more easily into the interlay gallery of org-MMT when the composites contain a low org-MMT content. Exfoliated LDPE/org-MMT nanocompesites in the presence of an EVA compatibilizer could be prepared by using a two-step melt compounding technique with a twin-screw extruder.

MORPHOLOGY AND PROPERTIES OF LINEAR LOW-DENSITY POLYETHYLENE HIGHLY LOADED WITH ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE

An experimental study was carried out to investigate the effects of isopropoxy tri(dioctyl pyrophosphoryl) titanate coupling agent on the mechanical performance, rheological property and microstructures of polyethylene highly loaded with aluminum hydroxide (Al(OH)(3)) composite, It was found that the addition of coupling agent results in reduced tensile strength and increased percentage elongation of the filled systems. Silane crosslinkable polyethylene substituting for polyethylene as matrix improves the tensile strength of the composite, while the percentage elongation of the composite still remains at a desired level. Melt viscosity of the composite will be improved by addition of titanate coupling agent. Microstructures of the composites were also studied by means of the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) technique. SEM micrographs reveal that finer dispersion of Al(OH)(3) will be obtained upon treatment of titanate and a transition from brittle to tough fracture takes place before and after silane crosslinking structure is introduced into polyethylene highly filled with Al(OH)(3) composite.

Supercritical CO2 Assisted Preparation of Open-cell Foams of Linear Low-density Polyethylene and Linear Low-density Polyethylene/Carbon Nanotube Composites

The open-cell structure foams of linear low-density polyethylene（LLDPE） and linear low-density polyethylene（LLDPE）/multi-wall carbon nanotubes（MWCNTs） composites are prepared by using supercritical carbon dioxide（sc-CO2）as a foaming agent. The effects of processing parameters（foaming temperature, saturation pressure, and depressurization rate） and the addition of MWCNTs on the evolution of cell opening are studied systematically. For LLDPE foaming, the foaming temperature and saturation pressure are two key factors for preparing open-cell foams. An increase in temperature and pressure promotes both the cell wall thinning and cell rupture, because a high temperature results in a decrease in the viscosity of the polymer, and a high pressure leads to a larger amount of cell nucleation. Moreover, for the given temperature and pressure, the high pressurization rate results in a high pressure gradient, favoring cell rupture. For LLDPE/MWCNTs foaming, the addition of MWCNTs not only promotes the cell heterogeneous nucleation, but also prevents the cell collapse during cell opening, which is critical to achieve the open-cell structures with small cell size and high cell density.

Polyethylene glycol fusion repair of severed rat sciatic nerves reestablishes axonal continuity and reorganizes sensory terminal fields in the spinal cord

Peripheral nerve injuries result in the rapid degeneration of distal nerve segments and immediate loss of motor and sensory functions;behavioral recovery is typically poor.We used a plasmalemmal fusogen,polyethylene glycol(PEG),to immediately fuse closely apposed open ends of severed proximal and distal axons in rat sciatic nerves.We have previously reported that sciatic nerve axons repaired by PEG-fusion do not undergo Wallerian degeneration,and PEG-fused animals exhibit rapid(within 2–6 weeks)and extensive locomotor recovery.Furthermore,our previous report showed that PEG-fusion of severed sciatic motor axons was non-specific,i.e.,spinal motoneurons in PEG-fused animals were found to project to appropriate as well as inappropriate target muscles.In this study,we examined the consequences of PEG-fusion for sensory axons of the sciatic nerve.Young adult male and female rats(Sprague–Dawley)received either a unilateral single cut or ablation injury to the sciatic nerve and subsequent repair with or without(Negative Control)the application of PEG.Compound action potentials recorded immediately after PEG-fusion repair confirmed conduction across the injury site.The success of PEG-fusion was confirmed through Sciatic Functional Index testing with PEG-fused animals showing improvement in locomotor function beginning at 35 days postoperatively.At 2–42 days postoperatively,we anterogradely labeled sensory afferents from the dorsal aspect of the hindpaw following bilateral intradermal injection of wheat germ agglutinin conjugated horseradish peroxidase.PEG-fusion repair reestablished axonal continuity.Compared to unoperated animals,labeled sensory afferents ipsilateral to the injury in PEG-fused animals were found in the appropriate area of the dorsal horn,as well as inappropriate mediolateral and rostrocaudal areas.Unexpectedly,despite having intact peripheral nerves,similar reorganizations of labeled sensory afferents were also observed contralateral to the injury and repair.This central reorganization may contribute to the improved behavioral recovery seen after PEG-fusion repair,supporting the use of this novel repair methodology over currently available treatments.

Sorption kinetics of parent and substituted PAHs for low-density polyethylene（LDPE）:Determining their partition coefficients between LDPE and water(KLDPE) for passive sampling

Low-density polyethylene(LDPE)has been widely used as a sorbent for passive sampling of hydrophobic organic contaminants(HOCs)in aquatic environments.However,it has seen only limited application in passive sampling for measurement of freely dissolved concentrations of parent and substituted PAHs(SPAHs),which are known to be toxic,mutagenic and carcinogenic.Here,the 16 priority PAHs and some typical PAHs were selected as target compounds and were simultaneously determined by gas chromatography–mass spectrometer(GC–MS).Some batch experiments were conducted in the laboratory to explore the adsorption kinetics of the target compounds in LDPE membranes.The results showed that both PAHs and SPAHs could reach equilibrium status within19–38 days in sorption kinetic experiments.The coefficients of partitioning between LDPE film(50μm thickness)and water(KLDPE)for the 16 priority PAHs were in good agreement with previously reported values,and the values of KLDPEfor the 9 SPAHs are reported in this study for the first time.Significant linear relationships were observed,i.e.,log KLDPE=0.705×log KOW+1.534 for PAHs(R^2=0.8361,p<0.001)and log KLDPE=0.458×log KOW+3.092 for SPAHs(R^2=0.5609,p=0.0077).The selected LDPE film was also proven to meet the condition of"zero sink"for the selected target compounds.These results could provide basic support for the configuration and in situ application of passive samplers.

Overexpression of low-density lipoprotein receptor prevents neurotoxic polarization of astrocytes via inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation in experimental ischemic stroke

Neurotoxic astrocytes are a promising therapeutic target for the attenuation of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury.Low-density lipoprotein receptor,a classic cholesterol regulatory receptor,has been found to inhibit NLR family pyrin domain containing protein 3(NLRP3)inflammasome activation in neurons following ischemic stroke and to suppress the activation of microglia and astrocytes in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease.However,little is known about the effects of low-density lipoprotein receptor on astrocytic activation in ischemic stroke.To address this issue in the present study,we examined the mechanisms by which low-density lipoprotein receptor regulates astrocytic polarization in ischemic stroke models.First,we examined low-density lipoprotein receptor expression in astrocytes via immunofluorescence staining and western blotting analysis.We observed significant downregulation of low-density lipoprotein receptor following middle cerebral artery occlusion reperfusion and oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation.Second,we induced the astrocyte-specific overexpression of low-density lipoprotein receptor using astrocyte-specific adeno-associated virus.Low-density lipoprotein receptor overexpression in astrocytes improved neurological outcomes in middle cerebral artery occlusion mice and reversed neurotoxic astrocytes to create a neuroprotective phenotype.Finally,we found that the overexpression of low-density lipoprotein receptor inhibited NLRP3 inflammasome activation in oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation injured astrocytes and that the addition of nigericin,an NLRP3 agonist,restored the neurotoxic astrocyte phenotype.These findings suggest that low-density lipoprotein receptor could inhibit the NLRP3-meidiated neurotoxic polarization of astrocytes and that increasing low-density lipoprotein receptor in astrocytes might represent a novel strategy for treating cerebral ischemic stroke.

Polyethylene glycol has immunoprotective effects on sciatic allografts, but behavioral recovery and graft tolerance require neurorrhaphy and axonal fusion

Behavioral recovery using(viable)peripheral nerve allografts to repair ablation-type(segmental-loss)peripheral nerve injuries is delayed or poor due to slow and inaccurate axonal regeneration.Furthermore,such peripheral nerve allografts undergo immunological rejection by the host immune system.In contrast,peripheral nerve injuries repaired by polyethylene glycol fusion of peripheral nerve allografts exhibit excellent behavioral recovery within weeks,reduced immune responses,and many axons do not undergo Wallerian degeneration.The relative contribution of neurorrhaphy and polyethylene glycol-fusion of axons versus the effects of polyethylene glycol per se was unknown prior to this study.We hypothesized that polyethylene glycol might have some immune-protective effects,but polyethylene glycol-fusion was necessary to prevent Wallerian degeneration and functional/behavioral recovery.We examined how polyethylene glycol solutions per se affect functional and behavioral recovery and peripheral nerve allograft morphological and immunological responses in the absence of polyethylene glycol-induced axonal fusion.Ablation-type sciatic nerve injuries in outbred Sprague–Dawley rats were repaired according to a modified protocol using the same solutions as polyethylene glycol-fused peripheral nerve allografts,but peripheral nerve allografts were loose-sutured(loose-sutured polyethylene glycol)with an intentional gap of 1–2 mm to prevent fusion by polyethylene glycol of peripheral nerve allograft axons with host axons.Similar to negative control peripheral nerve allografts not treated by polyethylene glycol and in contrast to polyethylene glycol-fused peripheral nerve allografts,animals with loose-sutured polyethylene glycol peripheral nerve allografts exhibited Wallerian degeneration for all axons and myelin degeneration by 7 days postoperatively and did not recover sciatic-mediated behavioral functions by 42 days postoperatively.Other morphological signs of rejection,such as collapsed Schwann cell basal lamina tubes,were absent in polyethylene glycol-fused peripheral nerve allografts but commonly observed in negative control and loose-sutured polyethylene glycol peripheral nerve allografts at 21 days postoperatively.Loose-sutured polyethylene glycol peripheral nerve allografts had more pro-inflammatory and less anti-inflammatory macrophages than negative control peripheral nerve allografts.While T cell counts were similarly high in loose-sutured-polyethylene glycol and negative control peripheral nerve allografts,loose-sutured polyethylene glycol peripheral nerve allografts expressed some cytokines/chemokines important for T cell activation at much lower levels at 14 days postoperatively.MHCI expression was elevated in loose-sutured polyethylene glycol peripheral nerve allografts,but MHCII expression was modestly lower compared to negative control at 21 days postoperatively.We conclude that,while polyethylene glycol per se reduces some immune responses of peripheral nerve allografts,successful polyethylene glycol-fusion repair of some axons is necessary to prevent Wallerian degeneration of those axons and immune rejection of peripheral nerve allografts,and produce recovery of sensory/motor functions and voluntary behaviors.Translation of polyethylene glycol-fusion technologies would produce a paradigm shift from the current clinical practice of waiting days to months to repair ablation peripheral nerve injuries.

Polyethylene glycol fusion repair of severed sciatic nerves accelerates recovery of nociceptive sensory perceptions in male and female rats of different strains

Successful polyethylene glycol fusion(PEG-fusion)of severed axons following peripheral nerve injuries for PEG-fused axons has been reported to:(1)rapidly restore electrophysiological continuity;(2)prevent distal Wallerian Degeneration and maintain their myelin sheaths;(3)promote primarily motor,voluntary behavioral recoveries as assessed by the Sciatic Functional Index;and,(4)rapidly produce correct and incorrect connections in many possible combinations that produce rapid and extensive recovery of functional peripheral nervous system/central nervous system connections and reflex(e.g.,toe twitch)or voluntary behaviors.The preceding companion paper describes sensory terminal field reo rganization following PEG-fusion repair of sciatic nerve transections or ablations;howeve r,sensory behavioral recovery has not been explicitly explored following PEG-fusion repair.In the current study,we confirmed the success of PEG-fusion surgeries according to criteria(1-3)above and more extensively investigated whether PEG-fusion enhanced mechanical nociceptive recovery following sciatic transection in male and female outbred Sprague-Dawley and inbred Lewis rats.Mechanical nociceptive responses were assessed by measuring withdrawal thresholds using von Frey filaments on the dorsal and midplantar regions of the hindpaws.Dorsal von Frey filament tests were a more reliable method than plantar von Frey filament tests to assess mechanical nociceptive sensitivity following sciatic nerve transections.Baseline withdrawal thresholds of the sciatic-mediated lateral dorsal region differed significantly across strain but not sex.Withdrawal thresholds did not change significantly from baseline in chronic Unoperated and Sham-operated rats.Following sciatic transection,all rats exhibited severe hyposensitivity to stimuli at the lateral dorsal region of the hindpaw ipsilateral to the injury.However,PEG-fused rats exhibited significantly earlier return to baseline withdrawal thresholds than Negative Control rats.Furthermore,PEG-fused rats with significantly improved Sciatic Functional Index scores at or after 4 weeks postoperatively exhibited yet-earlier von Frey filament recove ry compared with those without Sciatic Functional Index recovery,suggesting a correlation between successful PEG-fusion and both motor-dominant and sensory-dominant behavioral recoveries.This correlation was independent of the sex or strain of the rat.Furthermore,our data showed that the acceleration of von Frey filament sensory recovery to baseline was solely due to the PEG-fused sciatic nerve and not saphenous nerve collateral outgrowths.No chronic hypersensitivity developed in any rat up to 12 weeks.All these data suggest that PEG-fusion repair of transection peripheral nerve injuries co uld have important clinical benefits.

Determination of VOCs in groundwater at an industrial contamination site using a homemade low-density polyethylene passive difusion sampler

A home-made inexpensive passive diffusion bag （PDB） sampler, prepared by filling deionized water in low-density polyethylene （LDPE） tubes, was evaluated for volatile organic compounds （VOC） sampling in groundwater at industrial contamination sites. Impacts of environmentally relevant conditions on the sampling equilibration time and partitioning of VOCs between the sampler and the water sample were investigated. Sample salinity, agitation and temperature can influence the equilibration time, but generally sampling equilibration was obtained in 14 days under real field sampling of VOCs in groundwater. Both laboratory study and field testing in a contaminated site showed that the VOC concentrations in the developed sampler were equal to those in the water samples at equitibrium. Coupled with a purge and trap concentrator-gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer （P＆T-GC-MS）, the developed PDB sampler provided a low-cost sampling device for routine monitoring of VOCs in groundwater in wells, with LODs in the range of 2.9-10 μg/L. The proposed PDB was applied to determine VOCs in groundwater at an industrial contamination site, and the present results agreed well with those determined using conventional pump-and-sample monitoring. All the studied 13 VOCs were tested in the four wells in the industrial contamination sites, with their concentrations in the range of 12-73660 μg/L. In addition, while benzene and toluene were heavily contaminated up to a maximum concentration of 74000 μg/L and 6000 μg/L, respectively, 1,2,3-trichlorobenzene and bromobenzene had relatively low contamination levels （below 25 μg/L）.

A low-density polyethylene composite with phosphorus-nitrogen based flame retardant and multi-walled carbon nanotubes for enhanced electrical conductivity and acceptable flame retardancy

Design and exploitation of flame retardant polymers with high electrical conductivity are desired for polymer applications in electronics.Herein,a novel phosphorus-nitrogen intumescent flame retardant was synthesized from pentaerythritol octahydrogen tetraphosphate,phenylphosphonyl dichloride,and aniline.Low-density polyethylene was combined with the flame retardant and multi-walled carbon nanotubes to form a nanocomposite material via a ball-milling and hot-pressing method.The electrical conductivity,mechanical properties,thermal performance,and flame retardancy of the composites were investigated using a four-point probe instrument,universal tensile machine,thermogravimetric analysis,and cone calorimeter tests,respectively.It was found that the addition of multi-walled carbon nanotubes can significantly improve the electrical conductivity and mechanical properties of the low-density polyethylene composites.Furthermore,the combination of multi-walled carbon nanotubes and phosphorus–nitrogen flame retardant remarkably enhances the flame retardancy of matrixes with an observed decrease of the peak heat release rate and total heat release of 49.8%and 51.9%,respectively.This study provides a new and effective methodology to substantially enhance the electrical conductivity and flame retardancy of polymers with an attractive prospect for polymer applications in electrical equipment.

Correlative investigation of copper/low-density polyethylene nanocomposite on the endometrial angiogenesis in rats

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of copper/low-density polyethylene nanocomposite(nano-Cu/LDPE)on the endometrial angiogenesis in rats,and 100 sexual mature female SD rats were randomly divided into five groups:sham-operation groups(SO group,n=20),bulk copper groups(Cu group,n=20),LDPE groups(n=20),nano-Cu/LDPE groups I(n=20)and II(n=20).The levels of angiopoietin-2(Ang-2),its receptor(Tie-2)and CD34 of the rats’endometria in each group were examined by using the S-P method of the immunohistochemistry 30 and 180 days after insertion,respectively.Compared with those in the SO group,the expression of Ang-2 and Tie-2 in all the experimental groups was obviously increased 30 days after insertion,and these parameters in nano-Cu/LDPE groups,except for Ang-2 level in nano-Cu/LDPE group II,were significantly lower in comparison with those in Cu group(P<0.05).On the 180th day after insertion,Ang-2 and Tie-2 levels were still higher in Cu group and LDPE group,but there was no difference of Ang-2 and Tie-2 levels between nano-Cu/LDPE groups and the SO group(P>0.05).Com-pared with those in the SO group,the significant increases in microvessel density(MVD)were observed on the 30th and the 180th day after the insertion of the bulk copper(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in MVD counts before and after the insertion of nano-Cu/LDPE(P>0.05).The results show that Nano-Cu/LDPE have slighter influence on the endometrial angiogenesis than bulk copper.

Microstructure Characterization of a Complex Branched Low-density Polyethylene

A low-density polyethylene （LDPE） resin with excellent processing and film-forming properties is fractionated through temperature rising elution fractionation （TREF） technique. The chain structures of both the original resin and its fractions are further analyzed using high-temperature gel permeation chromatography （GPC） coupled with triple detectors （refractive index （RI）-light scattering （LS）-viscometer （VIS））, ^13C-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy （^13C-NMR）, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （FTIR）, differential scanning calorimetry （DSC） and successive self- nucleation/annealing （SSA） thermal fractionation. The ^13C-NMR results show that the original resin has both short chain branch （SCB） （2.82 mol%） and long chain branch （LCB） （0.52 mol%） structures. The FTIR results indicate that the methyl numbers （per 1000 C） of the fractions gradually decrease from 81 to 46 with increasing elution temperature from 25 ℃ to 75 ℃. The TREF-GPC cross-fractionation results show that the main component is collected at around 68 ℃. The molecular weight of the components in the high elution temperatures of 60 ℃ to 75 ℃ is from 2.0× 10^3 g/mol to 2.0 × 10^6 g/mol, and the relative amount is more than 80%. In the low elution temperature region below 50 ℃, the molecular weights of the components range from 1.0 × 10^3 g/mol to 1.6 × 10^4 g/mol, and the relative amount is less than 10%. In the DSC results, the melting peaks of the fractions gradually increase from 80.1℃ to 108.8 ℃ with elution temperature. In the SSA thermal fractionation, each resin fraction shows a broad range of endotherm with multiple melting peaks （more than eight peaks）. The melting peaks shift toward high temperatures with the elution temperature. The characteristic chain microstructure for the resin is also discussed in detail.

Agglomeration of coal and polyethylene mixtures during fixed‑bed co‑gasification

The article presents the results of experimental studies on the gasification of mixtures of brown coal and polyethylene(up to 20 wt%fraction)in a laboratory reactor.The work aims to study the agglomeration process during the heating and oxidation of the mixtures.The measurement results(gas composition,pressure drop)provide indirect information on the dynamics of thermal decomposition and structural changes in the fuel bed.We have shown that the interaction between polyethylene and a coal surface leads to the formation of dense agglomerates,in which the molten polymer acts as a binder.Clinkers form as a result of interfacial interactions between components and filtration flow rearranging.The hydrogen/carbon ratio in the solid residue of coal-polyethylene co-gasification increases from 0.07–0.2 to 1.11,indicating the formation of stable hydrocarbon compounds on the carbon surface.The conducted research makes it possible to identify possible interactions between chemical reactions and transfer processes that lead to agglomeration in mixtures of coal with polyethylene.

Effect of temperature and time on the precipitation ofκ-carbides in Fe-28Mn-10Al-0.8C low-density steels:Aging mechanism and its impact on material properties

In low-density steel,κ-carbides primarily precipitate in the form of nanoscale particles within austenite grains.However,their precipitation within ferrite matrix grains has not been comprehensively explored,and the second-phase evolution mechanism during aging remains unclear.In this study,the crystallographic characteristics and morphological evolution ofκ-carbides in Fe-28Mn-10Al-0.8C(wt%)low-density steel at different aging temperatures and times and the impacts of these changes on the steels’microhardness and properties were comprehensively analyzed.Under different heat treatment conditions,intragranularκ-carbides exhibited various morpho-logical and crystallographic characteristics,such as acicular,spherical,and short rod-like shapes.At the initial stage of aging,acicularκ-carbides primarily precipitated,accompanied by a few spherical carbides.κ-Carbides grew and coarsened with aging time,the spherical carbides were considerably reduced,and rod-like carbides coarsened.Vickers hardness testing demonstrated that the material’s hardness was affected by the volume fraction,morphology,and size ofκ-carbides.Extended aging at higher temperatures led to an increase in carbide size and volume fraction,resulting in a gradual rise in hardness.During deformation,the primary mechanisms for strengthening were dislocation strengthening and second-phase strengthening.Based on these findings,potential strategies for improving material strength are proposed.

Effects of heating temperature and atmosphere on element distribution and microstructure in high-Mn/Al austenitic low-density steel

The elemental distribution and microstructure near the surface of high-Mn/Al austenitic low-density steel were investigated after isothermal holding at temperatures of 900-1200℃ in different atmospheres,including air,N_(2),and N_(2)+CO_(2).No ferrite was formed near the surface of the experimental steel during isothermal holding at 900 and 1000℃ in air,while ferrite was formed near the steel sur-face at holding temperatures of 1100 and 1200℃.The ferrite fraction was larger at 1200℃ because more C and Mn diffused to the sur-face,exuded from the steel,and then reacted with N and O to form oxidation products.The thickness of the compound scale increased owing to the higher diffusion rate at higher temperatures.In addition,after isothermal holding at 1100℃ in N_(2),the Al content near the surface slightly decreased,while the C and Mn contents did not change.Therefore,no ferrite was formed near the surface.However,the near-surface C and Al contents decreased after holding at 1100℃in the N_(2)+CO_(2)mixed atmosphere,resulting in the formation of a small amount of ferrite.The compound scale was thickest in N_(2),followed by the N_(2)+CO_(2)mixed atmosphere,and thinnest in air.Overall,the element loss and ferrite fraction were largest after holding in air at the same temperature.The differences in element loss and ferrite frac-tion between in N_(2) and N_(2)+CO_(2)atmospheres were small,but the compound scale formed in N_(2) was significantly thicker.According to these results,N_(2)+CO_(2)is the ideal heating atmosphere for the industrial production of high-Mn/Al austenitic low-density steel.

Low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 2(LRP2)is required for lipid export in the midgut of the migratory locust,Locusta migratoria

Low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 2(LRP2)is a multifunctional endocytic receptor expressed in epithelial cells.In mammals,it acts as an endocytic receptor that mediates the cellular uptake of cholesterol-containing apolipoproteins to maintain lipid homeostasis.However,little is known about the role of LRP2 in lipid homeostasis in insects.In the present study,we investigated the function of LRP2 in the migratory locust Locusta migratoria(LmLRP2).The mRNA of LmLRP2 is widely distributed in various tissues,including integument,wing pads,foregut,midgut,hindgut,Malpighian tubules and fat body,and the amounts of LmLRP2 transcripts decreased gradually in the early stages and then increased in the late stages before ecdysis during the nymphal developmental stage.Fluorescence immunohistochemistry revealed that the LmLRP2 protein is mainly located in cellular membranes of the midgut and hindgut.Using RNAi to silence LmLRP2 caused molting defects in nymphs(more than 60%),and the neutral lipid was found to accumulate in the midgut and surface of the integument,but not in the fat body,of dsLmLRP2-treated nymphs.The results of a lipidomics analysis showed that the main components of lipids(diglyceride and triglyceride)were significantly increased in the midgut,but decreased in the fat body and hemolymph.Furthermore,the content of total triglyceride was significantly increased in the midgut,but markedly decreased in the fat body and hemolymph in dsLmLRP2-injected nymphs.Our results indicate that LmLRP2 is located in the cellular membranes of midgut cells,and is required for lipid export from the midgut to the hemolymphand fat body in locusts.

Brønsted-acid sites induced photocatalytic cracking of low-polarity polyethylene plastics

Polyolefins such as polyethylene(PE)are one of the largest-scale synthetic plastics and play a key role in modern society.However,polyethylene is extremely inert to chemical recycling owing to its lack of chemical functionality and low polarity,making it one of the most challenging environmental hazards globally.Herein,we developed a phosphorylated CeO_(2)catalyst by an organophosphate precursor and featured efficient photocatalysis of low-density polyethylene(LDPE)without the acid or alkaline pre-treatment.Compared to pristine CeO_(2),the surface phosphorylation allows to introduce Brønsted acid sites,which facilitate to form carbonium ions on LDPE via protonation.In addition,the suitable band structure of the phosphorylated CeO_(2)catalyst enables efficient photoabsorption and generates reactive oxygen species,leading to the C–C bond cleavage of LDPE.As a result,the phosphorylated CeO_(2)catalyst exhibited an outstanding carbon conversion rate of>94%after 48 h of photocatalysis under 50 mW/cm^(2)of simulated sunlight,with a high CO_(2)product selectivity of>99%.Furthermore,the PE microparticles with sizes larger than 10μm released from LDPE plastic wrap were directly and completely degraded by photocatalysis within 12 h,suggesting an attractive and environmentally benign strategy of utilizing solar energy-based photocatalysis for reducing potential hazards of LDPE plastic trashes.

Molecular Dynamics-Based Simulation of Polyethylene Pipe Degradation in High Temperature and High Pressure Conditions

High-density polyethylene(HDPE)pipes have gradually become the first choice for gas networks because of their excellent characteristics.As the use of pipes increases,there will unavoidably be a significant amount of waste generated when the pipes cease their operation life,which,if improperly handled,might result in major environmental contamination issues.In this study,the thermal degradation of polyethylene materials is simulated for different pressures(10,50,100,and 150 MPa)and temperatures(2300,2500,2700,and 2900 K)in the framework of Reactive Force Field(ReaxFF)molecular dynamics simulation.The main gas products,density,energy,and the mean square displacement with temperature and pressure are also calculated.The findings indicate that raising the temperature leads to an increase in the production of gas products,while changing the pressure has an impact on the direction in which the products are generated;the faster the temperature drops,the less dense the air;both temperature and pressure increase impact the system’s energy conversion or distribution mechanism,changing the system’s potential energy as well as its total energy;the rate at which molecules diffuse increases with temperature,and decreases with pressure.The results of this investigation provide a theoretical basis for the development of the pyrolytic treatment of polyethylene waste materials.