Diphylleia Grayi-Inspired Intelligent Temperature-Responsive Transparent Nanofiber Membranes

Nanofiber membranes(NFMs) have become attractive candidates for next-generation flexible transparent materials due to their exceptional flexibility and breathability. However, improving the transmittance of NFMs is a great challenge due to the enormous reflection and incredibly poor transmission generated by the nanofiber-air interface. In this research, we report a general strategy for the preparation of flexible temperature-responsive transparent(TRT) membranes,which achieves a rapid transformation of NFMs from opaque to highly transparent under a narrow temperature window. In this process, the phase change material eicosane is coated on the surface of the polyurethane nanofibers by electrospray technology. When the temperature rises to 37 ℃, eicosane rapidly completes the phase transition and establishes the light transmission path between the nanofibers, preventing light loss from reflection at the nanofiber-air interface. The resulting TRT membrane exhibits high transmittance(> 90%), and fast response(5 s). This study achieves the first TRT transition of NFMs, offering a general strategy for building highly transparent nanofiber materials, shaping the future of next-generation intelligent temperature monitoring, anti-counterfeiting measures, and other high-performance devices.

Gel-state polybenzimidazole proton exchange membranes with flexible alkyl sulfonic acid side chains for a wider operating temperature range(25–240 ℃)

High-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells(HT-PEMFC) possess distinct technical advantages of high output power, simplified water/heat management, increased tolerance to fuel impurities and diverse fuel sources, within the temperature range of 120–200 ℃. However, for practical automobile applications, it was crucial to broaden their low-temperature operating window and enable cold start-up capability. Herein, gel-state phosphoric acid(PA) doped sulfonated polybenzimidazole(PBI) proton exchange membranes(PEMs) were designed and synthesized via PPA sol-gel process and in-situ sultone ring-opening reactions with various proton transport pathways based on absorbed PA, flexible alkyl chain connected sulfonic acid groups and imidazole sites. The effects of flexible alkyl sulfonic acid side chain length and content on PA doping level, proton conductivity, and membrane stability under different temperature and relative humidity(RH) were thoroughly investigated. The prepared gel-state membranes contained a self-assembled lamellar and porous structure that facilitated the absorption of a large amount of PA with rapid proton transporting mechanisms. At room temperature, the optimized membrane exhibited a proton conductivity of 0.069 S cm^(-1), which was further increased to 0.162 and 0.358 S cm^(-1)at 80 and 200 ℃, respectively, without additional humidification. The most significant contribution of this work was demonstrating the feasibility of gel-state sulfonated PBI membranes in expanding HT-PEMFC application opportunities over a wider operating range of 25 to 240 ℃.

Robust online temperature estimation of a membrane-wall gasifier

The gasifier temperature is a key parameter in the operation of a slag-tapping entrained-flow gasifier.However,there is no effective method for measuring the operating temperature of a membrane-wall-lined gasifier.In this study,a novel robust method for estimation of the online temperature was developed for a membrane-wall gasifier and applied in an industrial SE gasifier.The industrial test results show that the method can estimate the gasifier temperature within 0.04 s,and its value can be reliably obtained.Based on the combination of bench-scale gasifier validation,commercial-scale gasifier operation experience,and the comparison of different simulation methods,the proposed method is accurate and reliable for measuring the operating temperature of a membrane-wall-lined gasifier.

Sulfonated polybenzimidazole/amine functionalized titanium dioxide(s PBI/AFT) composite electrolyte membranes for high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells usage

The novel sulfonated polybenzimidazole(sPBI)/amine functionalized titanium dioxide(AFT) composite membrane is devised and studied for its capability of the application of high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells(HT-PEMFCs),unlike the prior low temperature AFT endeavors.The high temperature compatibility was actualized because of the filling of free volumes in the rigid aromatic matrix of the composite with AFT nanoparticles which inhibited segmental motions of the chains and improved its thermal stability.Besides,amine functionalization of TiO2 enhanced their dispersion character in the sPBI matrix and shortened the interparticle separation gap which finally improved the proton transfer after establishing interconnected pathways and breeding more phosphoric acid(PA) doping.In addition,the appeared assembled clusters of AFT flourished a superior mechanical stability.Thus,the optimized sPBI/AFT(10 wt%) showed 65.3 MPa tensile strength;0.084 S·cm^-1 proton conductivity(at 160℃;in anhydrous conditions),28.6% water uptake and PA doping level of 23 mol per sPBI repeat unit.The maximum power density peak for sPBI/AFT-10 met the figure of0.42 W·cm^-2 at 160℃(in dry conditions) under atmospheric pressure with 1.5 and 2.5 stoichiometric flow rates of H2/air.These results affirmed the probable fitting of sPBI/AFT composite for HT-PEMFC applications.

Pilot study on treatment of low turbidity and low temperature water by coagulation-immersed membrane process

The objective of this paper was to investigate the practicability of coagulation-immersed membrane process during low-temperature period through the study of steady operation,chemical cleaning methods,water quality and agent consumption.Experimental results showed that:membrane performance decreases with the reduction of temperature,but low temperature has little effect on stable operation of immersed membrane when coagulation as pretreatment.EFM with 1200 mg/L sodium hypochlorite after every 48 filtration cycles was made for reducing membrane fouling efficiently,and the method,with 1.5% sodium hydroxide and 3500 mg/L sodium hypochlorite for 10 h and then 2% hydrochloric acid for 4 h,is an appropriate cleaning method under low temperature.Compared with convention treatment process,immersed membrane process not only has same agent consumption,but also permeated water quality is more superior such as fine removal effect on turbidity with average 0.10 NTU.Therefore,coagulation-immersed membrane process is more appropriate for increasing water quality demand and the treatment of low turbidity and low temperature water.

Fuzzy self-tuning PID control of the operation temperatures in a two-staged membrane separation process

为从精炼厂气体的氢恢复的一个二阶段的膜分离过程被介绍。煤气的膜分离过程的原则和操作温度的影响被分析。因为常规 PID 控制器是困难的使操作温度稳定，一个模糊自我调节的 PID 控制算法被建议。申请证明算法是有效的，两个阶段的操作温度能稳定地被控制，并且氢恢复单位的操作灵活性和适应性安全地被提高。这研究打一个基础优化膜分离进程的控制并且因此保证膜性能。

Surface Modification of Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) Membranes by Low-Temperature Plasma with Grafting Styrene

In order to control the surface pore sizes of polyvinylidene fluoride membranes and their distribution, low temperature plasma-induced grafting modifications of PVDF were studied to prepare hydrophobe membranes. By argon （Ar） treating and subsequent grafting reaction, a hydrophobe monomer, styrene, was introduced into the PVDF membrane. Fourier transform infrared attenuated total reflection （FTIR-ATR） was utilized to characterize the chemical and physical changes in the Ar plasma modified membrane. The surface modifications of PVDF membranes were investigated by using scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, atomic force microscopy （AFM） and differential scanning calorimeter （DSC）. The water permeability and the solute rejection were measured by PVDF membrane modified in different graft conditions. Results demonstrated that the pores in the modified membranes get smaller and the distribution of pores gets narrowed with the increase in grafting reaction duration. Longer graft time caused the water flux of PVDF membrane to decrease from 578 kg/（m^2· h） to 23 kg/（m^2· h） and the solute rejection to increase from 73% to 92%.

Dynamic Thermal Model and Temperature Control of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Stack

A dynamic thermal transfer model of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) stack is developed based on energy conservation in order to reach better temperature control of PEMFC stack. Considering its uncertain parameters and disturbance, we propose a robust adaptive controller based on backstepping algorithm of Lyaponov function. Numerical simulations indicate the validity of the proposed controller.

Nafion/Silicon Oxide Composite Membrane for High Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell

Nafion/Silicon oxide composite membranes were produced via in situ sol-gel reaction of tetraethylorthosilicate （TEOS） in Nafion membranes. The physicochemical properties of the membranes were studied by FT-IR,TG-DSC and tensile strength. The results show that the silicon oxide is compatible with the Nation membrane and the thermo stability of Nation/Silicon oxide composite membrane is higher than that of Nation membrane. Furthermore, the tensile strength of Nation/Silicon oxide composite membrane is similar to that of the Nation membrane. The proton conductivity of Nation/Silicon oxide composite membrane is higher than that of Nation membrane. When the Nation/Silicon oxide composite membrane was employed as an electrolyte in H2/O2 PEMFC, a higher current density value （1 000 mA/cm^2 at 0.38 V） than that of the Nafion1135 membrane （100 mA/cm^2 at 0.04 V） was obtained at 110 ℃.

Analysis of transient temperature field of the laminate composite membrane in space environment

The on-orbit transient temperature of reflector laminate film was analyzed by using finite element method (FEM). Numerical simulation was used by FEM software ANSYS. Results reveal that the temperature levels of the laminate composite membrane alternate greatly in the orbital period, which is about ±80℃. This range exceeds the material’s operating temperature level. So it is necessary to put effective thermal control into effect to the laminate composite membrane. There is temperature gradient in the thickness direction of the laminate composite membrane; there is a light change in Kevlar/Epoxy layer. The temperature of the laminate composite membrane is obviously lower than the seam’s temperature. Results provide reference to the thermal control of the inflatable reflector with high precision requirement.

Synthesis of Organic Modified SiC_w/PVDF Composite Membrane and Its Dielectric Properties under Low Temperature

Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide(CTAB) was incorporated into silicon carbide whiskers(SiCw) to improve their hydrophobicity. The solution casting method was employed to develop composite membranes of polyvinylidene fluoride(CTAB-SiCw/PVDF) with different feed ratios. FT-IR spectroscopic studies proved that CTAB was successfully incorporated into the SiCw. SiCw phase structure was maintained after modification by CTAB according to XRD results. SEM studies indicated that the surface became smoother with CTAB dispersal in the PVDF membrane. The dielectric properties of the composite membranes containing various amounts of CTAB-SiCw were measured at low temperature. It was found that the dielectric constant of the composite membranes with 13.0 wt% whiskers reached a maximum value of 25 at low frequency, and decreased to nine at high frequency(from 500 Hz to 1 MHz) at 0 ℃. The dielectric loss of each composite membrane increased with increasing temperature and reached a maximum value. The value shifted with corresponding frequency increases. In addition, the dielectric loss reached a maximum value of 0.2 when 16.7 wt% of CTAB-SiCw was fed at each frequency(from-30 ℃ to 10 ℃). At room temperature, the dielectric constant could be maintained at 42 and the loss factor decreased to 0.8 at 100 Hz when 13.0 wt% of CTABSiCw was incorporated. Additionally, TGA experiments indicated that the decomposition temperature of a PVDF membrane was increased by 10 ℃ and its heat resistance was improved by adding 13.0 wt% of CTAB-SiCw. This PVDF composite membrane has potential for use as an insulator and capacitor.

Effects of coagulation bath temperature on structure and performance of poly(vinyl butyral) hollow fiber membranes via thermally induced phase separation

Poly(vinyl butyral)(PVB) hollow fiber membranes were fabricated via thermally induced phase separation(TIPS).The effects of coagulation bath temperature(CBT) on the structure and performance of membranes were investigated in detail.The morphologies of the membranes were studied by scanning electron microscopy(SEM),the performances of water permeability,rejection,breaking strength and elongation were measured,respectively.The results indicate that all the membranes have the asymmetric morphology and the thickness of the skin layer decreases and the pore size of the outer layer increases with the increase of CBT.The permeability of membranes prepared at air gap 1.0 cm and take-up speed 0.253 m/s increases from 1.047×10-7 to 5.909×10-7 m3/(m2·s·kPa) with the CBT increasing from 20 °C to 40 °C,and sharply increases to 35.226×10-7 m3/(m2·s·kPa) once the CBT arrives at 50 °C.While the carbonic ink rejections have no significant decrease,totally exceed 98%,but that of acid-maleic acid copolymer greatly decreases with the increase of CBT.Both the breaking strength and elongation decrease with the increase of CBT.

Start-up and contaminants removal characteristics of aerobic granules-membrane bioreactor at low temperature

In order to understand the effect of low temperature on the formation process of aerobic granules and contaminants removal characteristics,the aerobic granules-membrane bioreactor (AGS-MBR) has been started up and operated at low temperature using the carbon resource of sodium acetate. Aerobic granules cultivated in AGS-MBR possess smooth surface and compact structure in morphology as well as better settling property and higher biomass after 38 days. The average parameters of aerobic granules are: diameter 3. 1 mm,wet density 1. 041 g/mL,sludge volume index 42. 35 mL/g and settling velocity 20. 6 - 45. 2 cm/min. During the start-up of AGS-MBR,the respectively average contaminants removal efficiencies at low temperature are 91. 9% for chemical oxygen demand (COD) ,89. 2% for NH4 + -N and 86. 3% for PO43- -P,and the overgrowth of filamentous bacteria has been well controlled. In addition,the hollow fiber microfiltration (MF) membrane fouling is light and the regime membrane layer is capable of enhancing membrane filtration as well as the average growth of trans-membrane pressure (TMP) is 1. 07 kPa/d. Compared with the conventional cultivation of aerobic granules,the sludge granulation time significantly decreases from 73 days to 38 days by the application of microfiltration membrane at low temperature.

Production of Infant Formula Analogs by Membrane Fractionation of Caprine Milk: Effect of Temperature Treatment on Membrane Performance

A two-step-cascade membrane separation by ultrafiltration was performed on caprine milk prepared under different temperature conditions to eliminate beta-lactoglobulin (β-Lg) from the whey fraction. Effects of temperature treatment and membrane pore size on the elimination of β-Lg and retention of alpha-lactalbumin (α-La) were examined to determine the optimum permeate fraction for production of infant formula analogues from caprine milk. The frozen raw caprine milk, with and without prior pasteurization, showed the best membrane separation performance. The permeates obtained from the 800/30kDa membrane combination showed the optimal results. The infant formula analog produced using the casein and 800/30kDa-permeate fractions of the treated caprine milk had the closest similarity to human milk with respect to the total protein content (1.3g 100g-1), beta-lactoglobulin content (1% - 2%), and casein- α-lactalbumin ratio (0.6 - 0.7). Membrane performance during ultrafiltration of caprine milk was affected by temperature treatment of the milk prior to membrane separation.

New Tympanic Membrane Temperature Shows Good Correlation with the Esophageal Temperature <br/>—Accuracy of a Noncontact Continuous Tympanic Thermometer

Background: An ear-fitting thermometer probe “NIPRO CE THERMO?” (Nipro Corporation, Osaka, Japan, new CE thermo) for both ears was newly developed in 2017. Since new release, we have never investigated about an accuracy of the new CE thermo. In this time, the accuracy of the CE thermo was investigated. Methods: The correlation between the tympanic membrane temperature, measured using the new CE thermo, and the esophageal temperature of 30 patients (right ear: 16 patients, left ear: 14 patients) was measured in the prospective observational study. Results: A good correlation (r = 0.721) and no measurement error (within 1?C in mean ± 2SD) between the two temperatures were observed using Bland-Altman analysis. The correlation and measurement error for each ear yielded the same results. Conclusion: The tympanic membrane temperature, measured using the new CE thermo, showed good correlation with the esophageal temperature and could be used as a central temperature in the perioperative period.

Performance Investigation of Membrane Electrode Assemblies for High Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell

Different types of ABPBI (poly(2,5-benzimidazole)) membranes and polymer binders were evaluated to investigate the performance of MEAs for high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell (HT-PEMFC). The properties of the prepared MEAs were evaluated and analyzed by polarization curve, electrochemistry impedance spectroscopy (EIS), cyclic voltammetry (CV) and durability test. The results showed that MEA with modified ABPBI membrane (AM) has satisfactory performance and durability for fuel cell application. Compare to conventional PBI or Nafion binders, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) are more attractive as binders in the catalyst layer (CL) of gas diffusion electrode (GDE) for HT-PEMFC.

Water-induced electrode poisoning and the mitigation strategy for high temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells

Engineering failure of membrane electrode assembly caused by increasingly fuel poisoning in the high temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells fed with humidified reformate gases is firstly demonstrated herein this work. Based on the results of the in-situ environmental scanning electron microscope, electrochemical analyses, and limiting current method, a water-induced phosphoric acid invasion model is constructed in the porous electrode to elucidate the failure causations of the hindered hydrogen mass transport and the enhanced carbon monoxide poisoning. To optimize the phosphoric acid distribution under the inevitably humidified circumstance, a facile and effective strategy of constructing acid-proofed electrode is proposed and demonstrates outstanding stability with highly humidified reformate gases as anode fuel. This work discusses a potential defect that was rarely studied previously under practical working circumstance for high temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells, providing an alternative opinion of electrode design based on the fundamental aspects towards the engineering problems.

TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE OF AIR SEPARATION OF LIQUID CRYSTALLINE TRIHEPTYL CELLULOSE/ETHYL CELLULOSE MEMBRANES

Triheptyl cellulose/ethyl cellulose(3/97)binary blend membranes were prepared from tetrahydrofuran,chloroform and dichloromethane solutions and their air separation capabit- ities were studied at different temperatures.With increasing temperature from 25 to 85℃,the flux QOEA of O_2-enriched air(OEA),O_2 permselectivity and the O_2 concentration Yo_2 in the OEA all increase.The membranes show a unique trend in their Yo_2～QOEA relationship,that is,the air separation capability increases simultaneously with the OEA permeation capability.The magnitudes of QOEA and Yo_2 for 17μm-thick membrane after the testg time of 36hours at 70℃ are 5×10^(-4)cm^3 (STP)/s·cm^2 and 37.6%,respectively.The air separation capability depends slightly on membrane forming solvents.

Concentration of Bio-Ethanol through Cellulose Ester Membranes during Temperature-Difference Controlled Evapomeation

To evaluate the high-performance of membrane materials in the concentration of an aqueous solution of dilute bioethanol under temperature-difference controlled evapomeation (TDEV), asymmetric porous cellulose nitrate (CN) and cellulose acetate (CA) membranes were prepared by a phase inversion method. In the concentration of dilute ethanol under TDEV, these membranes showed a high permeation rate and high ethanol/water selectivity. In membranes with almost the similar pore size, the ethanol/water selectivity was considerably higher for the CN membrane than the corresponding CA membrane. This result suggested that the affinity between the membrane material and the permeant is an important factor in the separation selectivity.