Characterization of the Mechanical Properties of Urea-Formaldehyde Microcapsules

The mechanical properties of urea?formaldehyde (U?F) microcapsules were determined using a micromanipulation technique and a theoretical model. Loading?unloading, compressing and holding, and compressing to bursting tests at different speeds between two parallel plates for single microcapsules were carried out. It was found that the U?F microcapsules were visco-elastic (mainly elastic) at small compressive deformation, and plastic under large deformation. The transition point from elastic to plastic occurred at about (14±0.2)% compressive deformation. All the microcapsules would disrupt when compressed to about (17±0.2)% deformation, and the burst force increased linearly with their diameter. Compressing speed had no remarkable effect on both burst force and burst deformation. Liquid filled non-permeable and linear elastic spherical membrane model was used to simulate the uniaxial compression of single microcapsule, and its membrane modulus Eh was determined by fitting model prediction to experimental data. The average value of Eh was estimated to be (478±8) N/m.

Electroless plating of copper layer on surfaces of urea-formaldehyde microcapsule particles containing paraffin for low infrared emissivity

A copper coating was deposited by electroless plating on the surfaces of urea-formaldehyde microcap- sules containing paraffin （UFP） particles. This composite microcapsule structure had low infrared OR） emissivity and maintained a constant temperature, and could be used in IR stealth applications. The eiectroless copper layer formation and its micro-appearance, and the effect of the copper layer on the IR emissivity and thermal properties of the composite microcapsules were investigated. The IR emissivity of the composite microcapsules at wavelengths of 1-14 μm gradually decreased with increasing copper mass on the surface. After formation of an integrated copper layer, the rate of IR emissivity decrease was lower. This is because the copper coating improves the surface conductivity of the UFP; a high conductivity results in high reflectivity, which leads to a decrease in IR emissivity. The lowest IR emissivity achieved was 0.68. The phase-change enthalpy of the composite microcapsules decreased with increasing amount of copper coated on the surface because of the high density of copper. When the mass increase of the UFP after electroless copper plating was about 300%, the composite microcapsules had low IR emissivity （about 0.8） and a high phase-change enthalpy （80J/g）.

Multi-stimuli-triggered and self-repairable fluorocarbon organic coatings with urea-formaldehyde microcapsules filled with fluorosilane

For the purpose of overcoming the lack of durability problems associated with superhydrophobic surfaces which hitherto has limited their use;we prepared multi-stimuli wettability response coatings using a mixture of fluorocarbon resin and urea-formaldehyde microcapsules filled with fluorosilane via interfacial polymerization process.The microcapsules are of good thermal stability and can be triggered to release their core content on exposure to atmospheric conditions resulting in the increase in the water contact angle from 97°to 151°.The prepared coatings gave good adhesion strength,and also showed an increase in the hydrophobic property after undergoing scratch,solvent and UV accelerated aging test.In addition,they offered good self-healing of the hydrophobic property after an initial loss due to alkaline immersion and oxygen plasma etching.The electrochemical measurements revealed a remarkable impedance recovery and suppression of corrosion activities,suggesting them to be a potential candidate material for corrosion protection.

Preparation of urea-formaldehyde paraffin microcapsules modified by carboxymethyl cellulose as a potential phase change material

We prepared spherical microcapsules modified by carboxymethyl cellulose（CMC） with urea-formaldehyde（UF） resin as a shell material with a two-step process by in situ polymerization, and characterized the microcosmic features, chemical structure, and thermal performance of the microcapsules by SEM, FTIR, DSC, and TGA. We studied the effects of different experimental parameters of curing p H, the amounts of the emulsifier and emulsion speed. The CMC-UF microcapsules had good heat resistance and stability. The enthalpy of CMC-UF microcapsules reached 50.33 J g-1. Therefore, CMC-UF resin can be used as a potential wall material of phase change materials.

Improving the Dispersibility of Poly(urea-formaldehyde) Microcapsules for Self-Healing Coatings Using Preparation Process

Poly(urea-formaldehyde)(PUF)microcapsules were prepared by in-situ polymerization with four different pro-cesses in this paper.The chemical composition,surface morphology,particle size distribution,and thermal sta-bility were characterized by FTIR,SEM,particle size analyzer,and TGA,respectively.The results demonstrated that the agglomeration of the PUF microcapsules was related to the agglomeration of the emulsion particles caused by the changes of emulsion interface during the shell polymerization.Due to the slow deposition of the shell material,the PUF microcapsules with the core-shell structure prepared by the process with ammonium chloride as the last additive showed good dispersibility with an average diameter of 6.36μm,high core content of 71.3 wt%,and high yield of 61.3 wt%.The PUF microcapsules had good thermal stability below 216?C.The PUF microcapsules could be uniformly dispersed in the epoxy coating in a single form.The epoxy coating with 2 wt%PUF microcapsules showed good self-healing property,and the service life of the coating was about doubled.

Preparation and Characterization of Poly(melamine-urea-formaldehyde) Tetradecanol Microcapsules Coated with Silver Particles

A novel type of microencapsulated phase change materials(microPCMs)based on 1-tetradecanol(TD)core and silver-coated poly(melamine-urea-formaldehyde)(MUF)shell was successfully synthesized by in situ polymerization method followed by silver reduction.Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR),X-ray diffraction(XRD),scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry(SEM/EDS),thermogravimetric analysis(TGA)and differential scanning calorimetry(DSC)were used to characterize the chemical structure,morphology and thermal properties of the as-prepared silver-coated microPCMs.FTIR analysis confirmed the successful encapsulation of TD with MUF wall materials.The SEM and EDS results indicated that the prepared silver-coated MUF microPCMs exhibited uniform spherical shape with a perfect silver outer layer.From XRD analysis,the Ag metal dispersed on the surface of microcapsules presented the form of elementary substance.The deposition weight of silver particles on the microcapsule surface increased with increasing the amount of silver nitrate,as indicated by EDS tests.The DSC results indicated that the melting temperature and the melting latent heat of microPCMs modified with 0.7g of silver nitrate in 150mL aqueous solution were 39.2°C and 126.6J·g^-1,respectively.Supercooling of the microPCMs coated with silver particles was effectively suppressed,compared with that of microPCMs without Ag.Thus,the encapsulation of TD with silver-coated MUF shell developed by this work can be an effective method to prepare the microPCMs with enhanced thermal transfer performance and phase change properties.

High-throughput microfluidic production of carbon capture microcapsules:fundamentals,applications,and perspectives

In the last three decades,carbon dioxide(CO_(2)) emissions have shown a significant increase from various sources.To address this pressing issue,the importance of reducing CO_(2) emissions has grown,leading to increased attention toward carbon capture,utilization,and storage strategies.Among these strategies,monodisperse microcapsules,produced by using droplet microfluidics,have emerged as promising tools for carbon capture,offering a potential solution to mitigate CO_(2) emissions.However,the limited yield of microcapsules due to the inherent low flow rate in droplet microfluidics remains a challenge.In this comprehensive review,the high-throughput production of carbon capture microcapsules using droplet microfluidics is focused on.Specifically,the detailed insights into microfluidic chip fabrication technologies,the microfluidic generation of emulsion droplets,along with the associated hydrodynamic considerations,and the generation of carbon capture microcapsules through droplet microfluidics are provided.This review highlights the substantial potential of droplet microfluidics as a promising technique for large-scale carbon capture microcapsule production,which could play a significant role in achieving carbon neutralization and emission reduction goals.

Performance and Application of Double-layered Microcapsule Corrosion Inhibitors

Double-layered microcapsule corrosion inhibitors were developed by sodium monofluorophosphate as the core material,polymethyl methacrylate as the inner wall material,and polyvinyl alcohol as the outer wall material combining the solvent evaporation method and spray drying method.The protection by the outer capsule wall was used to prolong the service life of the corrosion inhibitor.The dispersion,encapsulation,thermal stability of microcapsules,and the degradation rate of capsule wall in concrete pore solution were analyzed by ultra-deep field microscopy,scanning electron microscopy,thermal analyzer,and sodium ion release rate analysis.The microcapsules were incorporated into mortar samples containing steel reinforcement,and the effects of double-layered microcapsule corrosion inhibitors on the performance of the cement matrix and the actual corrosion-inhibiting effect were analyzed.The experimental results show that the double-layered microcapsules have a moderate particle size and uniform distribution,and the capsules were completely wrapped.The microcapsules as a whole have good thermal stability below 230 ℃.The monolayer membrane structure microcapsules completely broke within 1 day in the simulated concrete pore solution,and the double-layer membrane structure prolonged the service life of the microcapsules to 80 days in the simulated concrete pore solution before the core material was completely released.The mortar samples containing steel reinforcement incorporated with the double-layered microcapsule corrosion inhibitors still maintained a higher corrosion potential than the monolayer microcapsule corrosion inhibitors control group at 60 days.The incorporation of double-layered microcapsules into the cement matrix has no significant adverse effect on the setting time and early strength.

Research Progress of Aromatic Bed Curtains for Aiding Sleep Based on Lavender Microcapsule Technique

In this paper, the preparation technique of lavender essential oil microcapsules and the construction method of aromatic textiles were expounded, and the research status of bed curtains and lavender microcapsules at home and abroad was analyzed and studied from the perspective of application in textiles. The application of lavender essential oil to bed curtains through the microcapsule technique was put forward to allow lavender essential oil to play its role of helping sleep in bed curtains. This paper expounded the material selection and preparation technique of lavender microcapsule agents, and put forward the preparation method of microcapsules with mixed solutions of pure Chinese medicine extracts and natural essences as core material and high-viscosity epoxy resin as wall materials. The post-processing techniques and the spray ironing method for clothing were studied and developed, and these techniques and methods were applied to bed curtains, and good results were obtained.

Amphiphilicity-driven octaphenyl polyoxyethylenes regulate soft microcapsules flexibility for better foliar adhesion and pesticide utilization

Pesticide-loaded flexible carriers that allow for deformation and adhesion on crop leaves is an effective way to improve pesticide utilization.In interfacial polymerization,the addition of octaphenyl polyoxyethylene(OP)with different hydrophile lipophilic balances(HLBs)into the oil phase can regulate the flexibility of pyraclostrobinloaded microcapsules(MCs).Due to differences in amphiphilicity and molecular structure,OP redistributed on the oil-water two-phases and oil-water interface.With increasing HLB,the proportion of OP entering the aqueous phase increased.Furthermore,more OP with low HLB remained in the oil phase and occupied the oil-water interface,and these OPs participated in and regulated the interfacial polymerization to increase the thickness,reduce the compactness of the shell,and increase the hydroxyl and ether bond contents in the shell.Therefore,pyraclostrobin-loaded MCs with low HLB(11.5-12.5)OP-7 exhibited flexible deformation,strong foliar adhesion,good scouring resistance,and a high control effect on peanut leaf spot,which the disease severity was 3.67.For high HLB(16),OP-21-prepared MCs with compact shells were safer to zebrafish,which the safety index was 23.81.Using the amphiphilicity of OP molecules to drive their redistribution in an encapsulation system to regulate interfacial polymerization is an effective way to control the structure and performance of pesticideloaded MCs.

RP-HPLC determination of lycopene in microcapsules

Aim A RP- HPLC method for determination of lycopene in microcapsules was established. Methods The HPLC assay was performed on an Alltima Cls （4.6 mm × 250 mm, 5μm） column with a mixture of methanol-THF-water （66：30：4, V/V/V） as mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.5 mL·min^-1 and the UV detection wavelength was 472 nm. Results The linear range of lycopene was 3.6-18 μg·mL^-1, r = 0.999 8, the average recovery was from 99.81% to 101.06% with RSD less than 1.83%. The RSD of intra-day and interday precision were less than 3.34%. Conclusion The method is simple, accurate and suitable for the determination of lycopene in microcapsules.

Preparation and in Vitro Evaluation of Polylactic Acid (PLA) or Polylactic-co-Glycolic Acid (PLGA) Microcapsules Loaded with Estradiol

Aim PLA/PLGA was used as biodegradable and biocompatible carriers to achieve sustained release of estradiol (E 2). Methods Microcapsules (MC) were prepared by an emulsification solvent extraction method, and then the properties and in vitro drug release behavior of MC were examined. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test the statistical significance. Then, multiple comparisons were made with a T method between levels to examine the significance of difference further. For all the results a P value 】0 05 was considered statistically insignificant . Results Under the same conditions, the water adding speed and the particle size had significant effects ( P 【0 01) on the entrapment efficiency of MC; the water adding speed and the concentration of PLA in the oil phase had significant effects ( P 【0 01) on the diameter MC in medium. Release of E 2 from MC was influenced significantly ( P 【0 01) by the water adding speed and the type and molecule weight of the polymers. But the differences between levels of the variates were not all significant. Conclusion E 2 PLA/PLGA MC with various properties can be formed when the formulation and the technology were changed accordingly.

Microstructure and deposition mechanism of electrodeposited Cu/liquid microcapsule composite

The nanostructured copper/microcapsule containing liquid core materials composite（copper/liquid microcapsules composite） was prepared using direct current（DC） electrodeposition method.The surface morphology and microstructure of composite were investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy（SEM）,transmission electron microscopy（TEM） and X-ray diffraction（XRD）.The results show that the microstructure of electrodeposited layer transformed from bulk crystal to nano structure because of the participation of microcapsules.The diameters of microcapsules and the copper grain sizes in the composite were 2？20 μm and 10？20 nm,respectively.In addition,the electrodeposition mechanism of composite in the deposition process followed electrochemistry theory,which was proved by the theoretical analysis result and the experiment results.Meanwhile,the co-deposition process model was presented.

Synthesis and Characterization of Microcapsules with Chlorpyrifos Cores and Polyurea Walls

Microcapsules with chlorpyrifos cores and polyurea walls were synthesized with 2,4-tolylene diisocyanate as an oil-soluble monomer and ethylenediamine as a water-soluble monomer via an interracial polycondensation reaction. The products were characterized by means of Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, ^13C NMR spectrometry and ^31p NMR spectrometry. The morphology, the particle size and the particle size distribution, and the thermal properties were also evaluated. The prepared microcapsules exhibit clear and smooth surfaces and have a mean diameter of 28. 13 μm. These microcapsules also have a good thermal stability for long-term use, and have potential applications in minimizing the toxicity of chlorpyrifos through controlled release.

Preparation and Characterization of Microcapsules for Self-healing Materials

The urea-formaldehyde（UF） capsules filled with a healing agent, a mixture of epoxy resins（epoxy 711 and E-51） as core material, were produced by means of one step in-situ polymerization. The characteristics of these microcapsules were studied via scanning electron microscopy（SEM）, particle size analysis, FTIR and DSC/TGA. The results show that the dispersed and integrated microcapsules of 5 μm in shell thickness were synthesized successfully. The capsules were produced with diameters ranging from 10 to 250 μm via controlling agitation rate. Young＇s modulus of the capsule was a little lower than those of the epoxy resins, but the microcapsules having such a shell thickness were robust enough to survive handling during manufacturing self-healing composites. When damage occurred in the epoxy matrix, the crack could rupture the microcapsule to make the repairing agent release.

Research on microcapsules of phase change materials

Microcapsule technology is a kind of technology wrapping the solid or liquid into minute-sized particles within the field of micrometer or millimeter with film forming materials. This thesis introduces microcapsule technology of phase change materials and its main functions and the structural composition, preparation methods and characterization technology of microcapsule of phase change materials. The microcapsule of phase change materials is small in size and its temperature remains unchanged during the process of heat absorption and heat release. It is of great value in research and application prospect due to these characteristics.

Numerical Analysis on Thermal Function of Clothing with PCM Microcapsules

To study the influences of phase change material(PCM)microcapsules in clothing on human thermal responses,a mathematical model is developed.The improved Stolwijk’s model is used to simulate human thermo-regulatory process,and the coupled heat and moisture transfer including the moisture sorption/desorption of fibers and effects of phase transition temperature range on the phase change processes of the PCM is considered in clothing model.Meanwhile,the theoretical predictions are validated by experimental data.Then,the interactions between human body thermal responses and the heat and moisture transfer in clothing are discussed by comparing the prediction results with PCMs and without PCMs.Also the effects of fiber hygroscopicity on clothing and human thermal responses are compared.The conclusion shows that the clothing with PCMs microcapsules can delay the human temperature variations and decrease the sweat accumulation rate on the skin surface and heat loss during changing of ambient conditions,and fiber hygroscopicity reduces the effect of PCM microcapsules on delaying garment temperature variations very significantly.

Preparation and characterization of hexadecane microcapsule with polyurea-melamine formaldehyde resin shell materials

This paper gives a brief report of the preparation of hexadecane microcapsule with polyurea-melamine formaldehyde resin shell materials(HMPM).The sealing performance and thermal stability of HMPM was enhanced much more effectively than that of microcapsule with polyurea shell material(HPM).The results of microscopical imaging analysis system,DSC,TG,and laser particle analyzer were briefly introduced.

Culture of yeast cells immobilized by alginate-chitosan microcapsules in aqueous-organic solvent biphasic system

Immobilization biocatalysis is a potential technology to improve the activity and stability of biocatalysts in nonaqueous systems for efficient industrial production.Alginate-chitosan(AC)microcapsules were prepared as immobilization carriers by emulsifi cation-internal gelation and complexation reaction,and their contribution on facilitating the growth and metabolism of yeast cells were testifi ed successfully in culture medium-solvent biphasic systems.The cell growth in AC microcapsules is superior to that in alginate beads,and the cells in both immobilization carriers maintain much higher activity than free cells,which demonstrates AC microcapsules can confer yeast cells the ability to resist the adverse effect of solvent.Moreover,the performance of AC microcapsules in biphasic systems could be improved by adjusting the formation of outer polyelectrolyte complex(PEC)membrane to promote the cell growth and metabolic ability under the balance of resisting solvent toxicity and permitting substrate diffusion.Therefore,these findings are quite valuable for applying AC microcapsules as novel immobilization carriers to realize the biotransformation of value-added products in aqueous-solvent biphasic systems.

Synthesis of melamine-formaldehyde microcapsules containing oil-based fragrances via intermediate polyacrylate bridging layers

A general and versatile strategy to prepare melamine-formaldehyde(MF)microcapsules encapsulating oil-based fragrances by combining solvent evaporation and in situ polymerization was proposed in this work.The oil-based fragrance was pre-encapsulated by an inner polyacrylate membrane via solvent evaporation,followed by in situ polymerization of MF precondensates as an outer shell.The polyacrylate membrane is used as an intermediate bridging layer to stabilize the oil-based fragrance,and to provide driving forces for in situ polymerization of MF precondensates through electrostatic attractions between carboxyl groups and ammonium ions.It was demonstrated that MF microcapsules containing clove oil were prepared successfully.The amount and the composition of the intermediate polyacrylate bridging layer were critical.Smooth and sphere-shaped MF-clove oil microcapsules were prepared when the weight ratio of polyacrylate to clove oil was over 60 wt%and the concentration of acrylic acid(AA)increased to 10 wt%in polyacrylate.In addition,MF microcapsules containing sunflower oil and hexyl salicylate were prepared by using this method.The work suggests that this new approach can be potentially used to encapsulate various core materials,tuning the shell properties of microcapsules such as thickness,mechanical strength and release properties.