Solvent transport dynamics and its effect on evolution of mechanical properties of nitrocellulose(NC)-based propellants under hot-air drying process

Appropriate drying process with optimized controlling of drying parameters plays a vital role in the improvement of the quality and performance of propellant products.However,few research on solvent transport dynamics within NC-based propellants was reported,and its effect on the evolution of mechanical properties was not interpreted yet.This study is conducted to gain a comprehensive understanding of hot-air drying for NC-based propellants and clarify the effect of temperature on solvent transport behavior and further the change of mechanical properties during drying.The drying kinetic curves show the drying time required is decreased but the steady solvent content is increased and the drying rate is obviously increased with the increase of hot-air temperatures,indicating hot-air temperatures have a significant effect on drying kinetics.A modified drying model was established,and results show it is more appropriate to describe solvent transport behavior within NC-based propellants.Moreover,two linear equations were established to exhibit the relationship between solvent content and its effect on the change of tensile properties,and the decrease of residual solvent content causes an obvious increase of tensile strength and tensile modulus of propellant products,indicating its mechanical properties can be partly improved by adjustment of residual solvent content.The outcomes can be used to clarify solvent transport mechanisms and optimize drying process parameters of double-based gun propellants.

Red-blood-cell-shaped chitosan microparticles prepared by electrospraying

Red-blood-cell-shaped chitosan microparticles with acid-triggered dissolution and auto-fluorescence were successfully fabricated by a simple strategy combining electrospraying with a solvent diffusion process controlled by solvent evaporation. The sizes of the prepared chitosan microparticles were rela- tively uniform. Control of the solvent diffusion process was crucial for the formation of microparticles with concave morphology. A chitosan aqueous solution containing 20vo1% ethanol as the evaporable solvent and 30 vol% dimethyl sulfoxide as the diffusible solvent was optimal for preparation of chitosan microparticles with the desired red-blood-cell-like size and shape. These chitosan microparticles will be highly attractive for many biological and biomedical aoolications.

Water-Excluding Underwater Glue Induced by Marangoni Effect

Marangoni effect at the two-phase interface with different surface tension as a unique mass transfer phenomenon has been widely used in daily life and industrialmanufacture.However,their marvelous liquid-driving capability between miscible liquids has long been ignored,especially in water environments.Here,we first reveal a distinct underwater Marangoni effect between the solvent of glues and the water layer on solid surfaces.Driven by the Marangoni effect,organic solvents with water solubility,high dielectric constant,and low diffusivity could effectively exclude the interfacial water layer,enabling direct and effective contact between glues and solid surfaces.Our experimental results and theoretical simulation proved that a relatively large ratio of the Marangoni number in the horizontal direction and to the vertical direction ensured an effective underwater adhesion of the water-excluding glue.This surface engineering approach provides an alternative to the traditional methods of molecular engineering for realizing underwater adhesion.